Sunday, January 18, 2009

Fog Rolls Back

Saturday the 17 started out as a very foggy day. But as Bernie and I drove over the Malahat that morning, we looked out from the Summit Lookout to see a sea of fog below, blanketing Saanich Inlet. Mt Newton stuck up above it like an island, and Bear Hill was doing its impression of Senanus Island (always looking just 15 minutes away). Yet, across Haro Strait we could see Mt Baker clear as a bell as the sun was coming up. And the fog rolled back from the Mill Bay/Bamberton shore. Before long, we were down at the water in Mill Bay, on a boat ramp at the end of Handy Road, enjoying clear air and warm sunshine.
We met a couple of people going out for a paddle in two nice old fibreglass kayaks made years ago by the designer from Lightspeed, up-Island. After a little conversation, we got the Dragonfly inflatable out of the car's trunk. This time, it was Bernie who took this little kayak out on the water. He went past the marina, and over to the public dock to check out a yacht that he'd seen for sale online.
It did take a while for him to get that far and come back, but it was a good morning for it. We headed back over the Malahat to Victoria, astonished at how the fog had not yet left the peninsula. Doing research for my current book at the Library, I watched billows of fog roll past the windows -- and then suddenly the fog rolled away like a blanket. In the time it took to walk to Cadboro Bay, the sky was clear as far as the eye could see.
This was definitely a cue to get on the water -- so I rolled my Eliza down to the beach in Gyro Park. On my way past the little rock garden, I spied two little Blue Herons, about half the regular size, standing side-by-side, fishing together. Odd to see any herons fishing within a hundred yards of each other...
I went as far as Flower Island, and a little past it to see Mt Baker shining white and clear. Then it was time to turn around and follow a group of kayakers back to the shore. Turns out, that was Mike Jackson and four of his friends, who had spent the day in the Chathams.
All in all, a good day for it, once the fog had rolled back.

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