A few days on Vancouver Island ...

The FibreArtNetwork held it's 11th retreat at Dunsmuir Lodge in Sidney, Vancouver Island. http://www.fibreartnetwork.com/index.php FAN is an association of quilt artists from BC to Manitoba and up to the Yukon. We meet with others who love the innovative side of quilting and we renew our creative energy. The committee did a great job, friendships were made and renewed.Our trip was on a cool, wet & windy day. Dunsmuir Lodge is owned by the University of Victoria, tucked into a large forest. As you drive up the lane, green moss oozes over the rough surface rocks. An intriguing physics experiment sits on the hill.The building is comfortable and low key, the food is fabulous. An indoor Japanese garden offers a peaceful retreat. The view from the windows is of forest and inlet. Looking down into a ravine from the balcony is an ancient Arbutus tree, heavy with berries. Another tree is laced with lichen and moss ... a natural consequence of out misty weather. A walk in the forest shows the effect of 'wet coast rain'. The tall trees and green forest floor were inspiration for a famous Victoria painter, Emily Carr. Trees are coated in luscious green, old man's beard hangs from branches, ferns are high and plentiful, lichens and mushrooms grow in the shady spots. The ferry trip home was observed by a line-up of cormorants. Dockside creates fascinating reflections. Rust has it's own beauty ...The ferry winds its way through narrow passageways with strong currents. The rock walls of the Gulf Islands sprout trees where you would not expect them to grow. Another well known British Columbia painter, Tony Only specialized in misty skies with layers of smoky hills. A wooden sailboat speaks of the passion of coastal people to explore the many islands and inlets.Adolescent sea gulls play in the jet stream of the ferry, gliding until they are blown off course. Back at the dock, a fibreglass whale is painted by a local artist. From the ferry, a large whale was seen surfacing and cruising under the waves. Only a few lighthouses remain on the coast.Interested in more photos of Sidney ? Here is the link to the town ... http://www.sidney.ca/dynamic/Page1251.aspx?PageMode=Hybrid