Goodbye 2009

Wishing everyone a happy, safe and healthful new year. Thanks to all who have visited GDP and especially those who have taken the time to leave a comment.

Peace,

Victor

ABC Wednesday > X is for Xanthic Signage

A small strip of public beach sandwiched between Drumbeg Provincial Park and private residences at the south end of the island, this was the site of my Contemplation Station #2  photo.

Global ABC

Kayakers

About to put in off Berry Point

Mac Attack

There are a very few local performers who fill the hall no matter what or where or when the gig and Kathy McIntyre is one of them. Here, she's belting out rockin' soul at the Skol Pub but she can also be mighty sweet in her cabaret incarnation. And guess what? She's a fine actress as well.

Sunday Signage > Taylor Bay at Malaspina

Washing the corner Stop sign...in the rain no less.

Socks

Did you get some for Christmas? Somebody I know did.

Photo made at Island Of Peace yoga studio.

The Elves' Work Is Done

Peace on Earth

ABC Wednesday > W is for Water

Water is always an issue on the Gulf Islands. Cistern or well or both?

Global ABC

Family Time

First Day Of Winter

Here's what Gabriola looked like around this time last year. 2009 is much less white as of today.

Sunday Signage > Santa Up A Tree

The Haints Are Coming Back

Here's another photo from this year's highlights, The Haints playing the barn dance that was part of the Dancing Man Festival back in July. And guess what? They're coming back to play a full concert next month at The Roxy. January 21st is the date so locals, mark your calendars. Those of you who were on the dance floor at the Community Hall already know they can play old-time traditional stringband music like nobody's business but there's more: They sing too. Great old songs you've never heard but won't forget.

Jones-Maruri Duo

So many great concerts on the island this year. At the end of October, Lulu Performing Arts brought us Michael Kevin Jones (cello) and Agustin Maruri (guitar) and a program that went from Sonata in G by Benedetto Marcello all the way to the old fiddle tune Sailor's Hornpipe. Good stuff!

Sunrise

I was going to use this one for "S" on ABC Wednesday but ended up going with another image. Posting it today to remind us that the sun really does exist and will return to the sky in the not too distant future.

ABC Wednesday > V is for Veterans

Photo taken at the Remembrance Day ceremony last month

Global ABC

How To Greet An Alpaca

They don't like to be met face-on so one lowers one's head in greeting. They don't really kiss your forehead but that's the stance. Learn something every day if you're paying attention.

At The Post

The newspapers are delivered to postal boxes on Mondays and Fridays depending on whether it's The Sounder or The Flying Shingle. This is one of those "quiet" images that will ring true for locals, especially those who have boxes at the post office and catch up on the news whilst in the queue.

First Flakes

This is a file photo from last year but it did spit a few flakes today and we're supposed to get 10cm or so tonight and tomorrow. The forecast changes often though so we shall see...

Cherryl's Hats

My friend Cherryl had an open house at her design studio today. Everybody on the island has at least one pair of her handmade fleece socks but great as the socks are, these hats were more photogenic.

Three Cameras On The Water

I spent four hours in an open boat today and I don't think my feet have ever been that cold. Only now has the feeling in my toes begun to come back. But it was worth it. I was working with a volunteer organization called Help The Kelp and this afternoon, we began replanting kelp which has been disappearing from Gabriola waters since the mid 1990s. With any luck at all, the spores we put down today will begin producing new, healthy kelp beds by the summer. The woman holding the point and shoot is a biologist who is assisting our project and she was photographing a television journalist in the other boat who was photographing us. Lenses everywhere!

The Visitor and The Mountie

There's something about a man in uniform

ABC Wednesday > U is for Ukulele

Here's the lovely and talented Portia Boehm holding her bright red ukulele during a break in the recent Poetry Gabriola Festival. Click here to see complete photo coverage of the weekend which, by the way, is now the second largest spoken word festival in Canada.

Global ABC

Steve's Studio

If you're starting to get the impression that there's a lot of music on Gabriola, you'd be right. You'll find Steve here

1160

A little red goes a long way on a green island...

Sunday Signage > Everything's To The Left

Just for the record, our children are not slow. They are all decidedly above average.

Rock 'n' Roll at The Skol

Kathy Mac and her Bevy of Boys Band tore down the house last night at the Skol Pub. The dance floor was packed and the bottles were rattling on the tables, which is exactly what rock 'n' roll is supposed to do. Here, the bass boy takes a ride up the neck of his Fender. It's blurred in the photo but the TV monitor said "You can win more money!"

Skywatch Friday #47

A lone pine on top of the island. That's Vancouver Island in the background.

Global Skywatch

David Gogo

Here we are in the last month of the year already. I suspect most daily city photobloggers have a backlog of images that for one reason or another haven't been seen yet. I know I do and this is one of them. It didn't get posted the day after the concert because I shot it on film and it was over a week before I had the negatives scanned, edited and ready for the digital realm. And by then, I had a bunch of other things in the queue. But I like this photo quite a bit, especially the reflections off that chrome National guitar. David Gogo was playing an intimate show at The Roxy and the Leica's whisper-quiet shutter was just the ticket.

ABC Wednesday > T is for Trailbuilding

This trail (boardwalk, actually) is being constructed through a wetlands area at The Commons by the good people of  Gabriola Land and Trails Trust, better known locally as GALTT.

Global ABC

Global Theme > Waiting

Hitchhiking is an integral part of the transportation system on Gabriola. Everybody does it, young and old, wealthy and not so well off, and one doesn't have to wait long because everybody stops. This photo was taken while my wife and I were hitching to a meeting at the opposite end of the island. We got there nearly as fast as if we'd driven.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Dorothy Meets The Scarecrow

A snap from Gabriola Players pantomime production of The Wizard of Oz which played to packed houses at the community hall this past weekend. That's Christine McKim as Dorothy and Ginny Lowes as the Scarcrow.

Sunday Signage > Peppers

Slickrock Path

Skywatch Friday #46

The sun poked through for a bit yesterday afternoon so I took a long walk with the camera on my shoulder and came home with this.

Global Skywatch

Puddles

6pm yesterday at Folklife Village

ABC Wednesday > S is for Stillness

Global ABC

Greens

One thing about the rain, it really makes the colours pop

Ten Days Of Rain

Monochrome Weekly

Sunday Signage > Welcome to...

If it keeps on raining, they may have amend that 924mm annual precipitation stat next year.

Winter Garden

 

Leica M3, 50mm Summicron, Kodak BW400CN film

Heading Home

On the upper deck of the ferry after a brief excursion to Nanaimo. That's Gabriola on the horizon.

Out For A Walk

Sunshine has been a rare sight lately but when the rays do pop out, so do the walkers. These two are headed up the hill to Ike's Apple Shack

ABC Wednesday > R is for Red

Global ABC

Brown-eyed Susans

In the Dragon Garden at The Commons

Pat's Hand

Pat Braden doesn't live on Gabriola but he was here last weekend playing the Poetry Festival so that's close enough. Not everyday one gets to hear the Chapman Stick and he plays it masterfully while telling mesmerizing tales of the far north. #32 in the Musician's Hands series

Monochrome Weekly

Sunday Signage > Poetry Gabriola Festival

Today is the last day of this year's Poetry Gabriola Festival and what an amazing weekend it's been. I can't even begin to describe last night's spoken word performances but the theme was "It's getting weird around here" and it did. In a good way. Local artist Sheila Norgate kindly donated use of her work for the promo which you see reproduced here in multiple iterations.

Ladies Rule

Yesterday evening was all about the ladies at the Poetry Gabriola Festival. The featured performers were Evalyn Parry from Toronto and Gabriola's own Sheila Norgate. What a great night! Follow their links to see why they both received standing ovations from the sold-out house at the Surf Lodge.

Alex

Alex tunes because he cares. This was taken last night as he was getting ready to play the opening event of the 6th annual Poetry Gabriola Festival (more about that in a future post). #31 in the Musician's Hands series.

Kitsch

When one thinks of British Columbia's Gulf Islands, pink plastic flamingos are not the first thing that comes to mind. But they're here if you know where to look.