walking

 

Let us pray

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We give thanks this day for all the blessings Our Father in Heaven (Eternity) showers down upon us daily.

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Sunday, October 8, 2023 we were able once again to enjoy the day of celebration with our son and daughter-in-law in their beautiful home.

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Surrounded by our host's family of four generations and their friends we enjoyed a great feast together.

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Our only regret was the maternal parents were not able to attend due to Bob's recent surgery.

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We also send out thoughts and prayers to those in Israel who are undergoing a terrible, terrorist attack from an evil empire.

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Blenkinsop Valley Resort (BVR)

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Labels: family, thanksgiving

 

We enjoyed the finest Christmas Eve soiree' at the kids Oak Bay condo with ten of us attending.

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Our daughter and son'n-law treat us like royalty giving each of us our own throne to be seated upon.

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The grand kids and fiances engaged us in scintillating conversation as did our hosts.

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Thank you, thank you, thank you.

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What more can we say?

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Merry Christmas and thank you for the generous gifts we received

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Labels: christmas, family

 

We drove the Benz to Saseenos to celebrate Ren's 2nd birthday then drove on to Sooke Potholes.

Labels: family, sooke

 

HAPPY St. PATRICK's DAY to all HURST descendants and their significant others.

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This booklets is in the Victoria City Archives (at least it was given to them c.1991) but here is your personal copy in PDF format.

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Much of my original HURST research cannot be found; hence, the photocopies of this booklet.

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We visited my cousin, Annabelle in Seattle in 1993 and she gave us much of the data contained herein.

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When you are 50 years old, this information will seem more relevant to your existence but for now may I suggest you keep it somewhere so when you want it you'll have it.

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Enjoy your day and your Irish heritage,

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With Love, Dad aka Gramps & Gram

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Labels: family, hurst

 

Sunday morning at 9:35a.m. we left the Sooke Potholes' upper parking lot for Leechtown in the pouring rain.

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30-minutes later, our grandson completed his first trip to the end of the Galloping Goose Trail at the watershed, red gate located 57km from Victoria, BC.

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A and I tried this 9km ride before but we experienced mechanical issues with his bike so he bought a new Giant bicycle.

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After leaving the trail's end, we rode down to the Deep Pool (Kennedy Flat) at the confluence of the Sooke and Leech Rivers.

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Lots of water in both rivers and lots coming down from the sky. We got soaked.

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But a good time was had by all and we were back home by 12;15p.m.

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Next time we'll go when it's not raining.

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Labels: cycled, family, leechtown

 

Son, Bentley and wife dropped in to give the Birthday Girl her 80th gifts and greetings. While they were here, I gave Ben a live preformance of my play-along (cover) version of Jim Cuddy's (Blue Rodeo) hit: Bad Timing. Bad-Timing-by-Billy

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Labels: family, music

 

On a misty, Sunday morning my grandson (22yrs) and I took a bike ride up to Rat Lake from Mill Bay Road at Bemberton, BC (on Vancouver Island).

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It was a blast! After an exhilerating bike ride, we put the drone up and got some misty video of the lake from 100ft.

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Rat Lake Aerial VIDEO

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The trail is maintained by the CVRD while the land is owned by a logging company. It is suggested that you stay on the trail as the area surrounding the hike is being actively logged. The trail is an easy 45 minute hike at a leisurely pace and the views of the lake are quite picturesque especially in the summer when the frogs are singing on the lilypads.

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Afterward, we coffee and muffins at Frayne Road Serious Coffee. I showed Amos the Gatewheel Road, Rat Lake trailhead.

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We were home at our place before noon (11:57a.m.)

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Labels: cycled, family, yuneec

Thursday I drove her Honda to Speedie Auto Repair to get some scheduled maintenance done and had my Norco on the bikerack for the 11km ride home.

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This was the first time back riding my acoustic bike after cycling my pedelec over the past 14 months (1500km, BTW).

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Man, is that a lot of exercise! Too much for this old man. Anyway, it's a pretty good ride — my ten-year-old Norco FXR Hybrid. It has over 10,000km on it by now although that's just a guess at a thousand kilomtres per year. It could very well be 15,000km as I'm sure I rode it more than this ebike at 1500km/year.

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Afterward, we picked up SharBen and drove the Benz to Highland Pacific Golf Club for lunch. What a nice place. Good food at a good price with friendly and efficient staff.

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Shar drove their unit to our place with Bernice and Ben and I picked up the Honda which Ben drove home.

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What a great day . . . especially in this Time of Covid.

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Labels: cycled, family, lunch

Thursday we drove the Honda to Siasong Rd. in Saseenos, BC (Sooke) to visit Kai and Aliya.

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They served up a delightful snack in their back garden

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While Aliya and granny chatted, Kai and I went for a short walk along the Galloping Goose Trail, which is locate 150m from their house near the 40km Marker.

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It was a sunny day and everyone was happy.

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Kai and Aliya's Soiree

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Labels: family, ggt, walked

  
Game Day at CamMich's rules! Thanks for all the effort you put into it.

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Labels: family

26th B'day lunch at The Beagle Pub for Emma /B'day was January 8/ Bentley+Sharon, Emma + Sheldon, Bill + Bernice, Liam, Amos.

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Labels: family

NEW YEAR'S DAY is a balmy 12°C by noon.

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Bernice and I met bro Stanley and Sylvia and bro Lawrence at The Nest for coffee and a snack at 11:15a.m.

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It was a cool 9°C with a bit of wind but we sat out on the patio and enjoyed the sunshine

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Bernice and I then drove to Fantastico but it was closed for the holiday

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We had our Selkirk walk anyway and took the long way home via Willows Village

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Strangely enough, not one picture of these marvelous experiences was taken.

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With such nice weather on January 1st, 2020, the climate-kooks will be coming out of the woodwork telling us we're in a 'climate emergency' and will all die in 12 years if we don't give the government more money in the form of a carbon tax. It sounds unbelievable that normal, intelligent people would believe this scam but it's true. The whole world has gone nuts over this hysteria.

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To this end, permit me to post January 1st temperatures I have recorded each morning over the past 16 years. These were collected from my online blog -- http://wjiwalks.blogspot.com/ -- using the Archive Link from the dropdown menu. One can check it for themselves.

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These temperatures were recorded in the morning and thus reflect the lowest temperature for a given day. One can see that these are not anywhere near the lowest, winter temperatures for Victoria BC. Victoria does not -- and has not -- experienced low winter temperatures until mid-January to the end of February.

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Here is the list: 2004=3°C/ 2005=0°C/ 2006=8°C/ 2007=6°C/ 2008=7°C/ 2009=0°C+snow/ 2010=8°C Video=https://youtu.be/09xbCOKEJpw/ 2011=6°C/ 2012=4°C/ 2013=0°C/ 2014=4°C snowdrops blooming/ 2015=9°C/ 2016=5°C/ 2017=4°C/ 2018=3°C/ 2019=9°C/ 2020=9°C/

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Labels: family, newyears, walked

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

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SharBen had us over Christmas dinner Saturday night. It was wonderful to get together with the whole family and Em's friend, Charlotte.

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A tasty dinner was served and no one went away hungry. Thanks again for the invitation.
Peace Chateau Photo.google

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Labels: christmas, dinner, family

The 'Day After', Family BBQ was held at 2p.m. Sunday at their beautiful, Gordon Head home.

Labels: bbq, family

Thursday morning we walked with C & Rosie along the Galloping Goose Trail beside Selkirk Waters and over the Selkirk Trestle.

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Afterward, we had coffee and muffins at Fantastico Coffee House in Dockside Green.

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On our way home B and I stopped for fish & chips in Estevan Village and got takeout for lunch at home.

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Labels: family, selkirk, walked

Bentley I'm pleased with the shoot inasmuch as we got some actual video footage -- which isn't always the case
Here's the best sample I have which shows what I feel is required in a realty presentation: the house and its location and relationship to its surroundings

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You can have the raw files if you want

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I've got many screengrabs which will be posted to Photos.Google tomorrow
 Dad
The VIDEO is UNLISTED but you should get it with this link Realty VIDEO shoot

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Labels: family, hexacopter

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2017

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We enjoyed a wonderful family gathering at Ryan and Krist's beautiful home.

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They and family members prepared the perfect dinner for 28 family members -- all seated at the same table (sort-of).

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The eldest family member was 81 years and the youngest 4 months so young and old had a marvelous Christmas Day together.

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Here are some photos for you viewing enjoyment:
 Christmas Present to Christmas Past Slideshow

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Labels: christmas, dinner, family

 
Thank you SharBen for yet another Christmas Eve Family Gatheriing and delicious dinner.

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According to my records, Bentley & Sharon have invited us for Christmas Eve dinner these past twelve (12) years (since they moved to Victoria in 2005).

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It was great to have all the children -- young adults actually -- ranging from 19 to 22 years.

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Liam will be off again to Europe come January 1st 2018. Bon voyage, my son (grandson actually).

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His siblings will remain here making lots of money from their jobs.

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Here are some photos for you viewing enjoyment:
 Christmas Present to Christmas Past Slideshow

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Labels: christmas, dinner, family

Sunday my grandson and I walked 3600m in Tod Inlet Park.

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Technically, it's Gowland Tod Park but either way it's where the ancient, limestone quarry was built Attracted to Tod Inlet by limestone deposits vital for cement production, the Butcharts built a factory and family home. Robert Pim Butchart, a pioneer in the thriving North American cement industry, was attracted from Owen Sound, Ontario to Canada’s West Coast by rich limestone deposits. In 1904, he developed a quarry and built a cement plant at Tod Inlet (on Vancouver Island) to satisfy Portland cement demand from San Francisco to Victoria. Jennie Butchart became the company’s chemist. Close to the quarry, the Butcharts established the family home complete with sweetpeas and rose bushes.

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As Mr. Butchart exhausted limestone deposits, his enterprising wife Jennie, made plans to create something of beauty in the gigantic exhausted pit.From farmland nearby, she had tonnes of top soil brought in by horse and cart and used it to line the floor of the abandoned quarry. Little by little, the quarry blossomed into the spectacular Sunken Garden. In 1909, when the limestone quarry was exhausted, Jennie set about turning it into the Sunken Garden, which was completed in 1921.

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Labels: family, tod

Our adult children -- often referred to as 'our kids' -- attend church in The City of Langford, BC.

This passed Sunday, they had a surprise guest when Langford Mayor, Stewart (Stew) Young and his wife dropped in to join in the services held at the all-new, Belmont Secondary School in that city. The mayor gave the gathering a few impromptu words of encouragement to those attending then later mixed and mingled for almost an hour.

During this time, Bentley was able to geta photograph of his son, Amos, with Mr. Mayor. Here's a picture-to-prove-it:

N.B. Stew Young is the mayor of the most-vibrant community in Canada today.

In the past month, two newly constructed roads in Langford have opened to the public and hundreds of new homes are completed annually.
Bear Mountain Parkway -- the longest and most challenging Langford road project -- is anticipated to open to the public next year.
Stew Young is the 'Builder Mayor' and Amos is actually 'The Builder'.

Amos is currently completing his apprentice carpentry course through Camosun College and is on the gound in West Hills building the new houses.
Congratulations to all concerned.

"The best way to end homelessness is to build homes." -- Bill Irvine

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Labels: family, langford