Saturday, October 14, 2017
On a chilly, overcast morning, we went to Goldstream Farmer’s Market in Langford. Traffic was very busy on a Saturday morning. They are also building like crazy here. It is surely a bedroom community for Victoria. Martha loves a farmer’s market! There are still fruits, vegetables, jams and breads through October. A man was playing guitar to entertain the small crowd. After shopping, we shared a chicken risotto with Jamaican carrot sauce. It was excellent. Might have to go back for another.
Then we drove to Goldstream Provincial Park to visit the other Niagara Falls. There was also the hope of seeing salmon running the small stream to spawn. There was a pavilion with a wood stove burning. A group of young oriental people were cooking egg rolls and other yummy-looking things at a picnic table. I walked by twice to get a look. They just smiled, but no offers for an egg roll. On one end was a collection of perhaps retarded people gathered around a fire. At the other end, two families were cooking hot dogs. Then there is always a guy walking around in shorts.
We walked under the highway through a tunnel. It was the rocky stream bed, but without a drop of water in it. Walking on, I was surprised to see water coming over the falls with a pool at the bottom. Then it goes under ground. I have often wondered how our trout survive drought years when there is no water in a stream, yet the next year it will have trout.
There were lots of visitors in the park. I couldn’t watch as a young family climbed up to a rocky ledge to have their picture taken. A mother clutched her little girl. Canada is great in the way they warn people of dangers, but they don’t prevent you from stepping off a cliff if you stupid enough. There is a nice visitor’s center with great information, and a good film on the salmon run. At a viewing area of a bay and marsh, 20 mallards played, ate and took baths.
After lunch we took the local trail, took a wrong turn and ended up in Lester Pearson College. A young student from Swaziland greeted us and asked if we needed directions. The well-spoken young man had gotten a scholarship and was studying mining engineering.
Saturday night must be go out to dinner night, as Martha gave me two choices for places to go. I chose Route 14 in Sooke. It was crowded, so we said we would sit at the bar. There were two big guys at the bar, and the waitress asked one to move down to make room for us. All other chairs at the bar were taken. I thanked the man and we took our seats as Toronto Argonauts were playing the Edmonton Eskimos in football on one TV, while Chicago was playing Los Angeles in baseball. The big man started asking me about my favorite hockey team. I told him the last time I watched a hockey game was my first date with Martha. The big guy could not have been nicer, and it seemed he knew everyone who came in, kind of like Norm in Cheers. The bartender was giving these two guys grief and they were giving it back. I felt right at home. Dinner was also great with a good Caesar’s salad, mussels and lobster ravioli with mushrooms, arugula and a rich sauce. As the big guy left, he said good night to everyone at the bar. It was a cool atmosphere, a great bar tender and excellent food.
I am envious my friend!
Come on over!