winter scenes from mi casa

Snow convered landscape ...two of trees in the yard, botton looking East and sunset toward west.

The Penthouse views

Four funfilled days in Victoria BC staying in luxury digs with hottub on the deck, two bedrooms with private baths and tv's, full kitchen and lovely views of the harbor below...Paula's birthday gift to both of us.


Early morning lights up houseboats.

Victoria skyline across the bay.

Exclusive moorage for condo owners.












Paula peeking at me. 

Craigdarroch Castle

Between 1887-1980 Craigdarroch was built by Robert Dunsmuir, a Scottish immigrant who became a wealthy coal baron on Vancouver Island. Dunsmuir died before it was completed so never even lived here. His wife resided until her death in 1908 with many of the younger of their ten children. The estate encompassed 28 acres surrounded on three sides by a massive 20' high stone wall. Formal gardens, huge lawns, riding stables, tennis courts, ponds, streams, meadows and splendid views of the city and harbor below were the envy and ire of the common folk upon whose coal mining backs the Dunsmuir fortunes were made.



The red slate roof was made from a quarry near the Vermont border.











Oak paneling came from Chicago; Spanish mahogany,western red cedar, cherry, Hawaiian koa, rosewood,
maple, holly, oak and walnut were all used extensively throughout the castle.
Exotic woods such as jarra rosewood made intricate parquetry.

Dunsmuir's castle

It consists of five floors, 39 rooms and 17 fireplaces. Internationally renowned for its fine stained and leaded glass and woodwork, the castle is full of Victorian furniture and artifacts. With over 20,000 square feet of space, the house is being restored exactly to its original specifications, as are the gardens.

LEKWUNGEN

The Songhees Nation were relocated in 1911 to a reserve in Esquimalt, but were originally located on the western shore of what is now Victoria Harbour. They spoke a Coast Salish dialect called Lekwungen.

"In 1858, the Lekwungen winter population on the Songhees Reserve was about 700 people. A steady population decline due to diseases and home-based alcohol followed, according to John Lutz. In 1859, the population was 600. In 1864-65, it was down to 285. In 1886, the village had only 134 people. The Reserve population reached a low of 117 in 1911.

May 19, 1911 Songhees Indian Reserve Act

(4) Remove the dead, together with all monuments and tombstones from the said Songhees reserve in the city of Victoria to the new reserve at Esquimalt, and there re-inter and replace them in a manner satisfactory to the Superintendent General, the whole at the cost of the Government of British Columbia."

Settlers wanted aboriginals out of the way except when they provided cheap labor. The demise of the fur trade economy rendered aboriginal trapper and trader obsolete, so male aboriginals worked in construction, land-clearing, plowing, fishing and as paddlers for express canoes, always receiving wages well below that of whites. Women sheared sheep, grew potatoes for sale to whites, did domestic work, and in the 1870's and early 1880's, were salmon cannery employees.

http://www.songheesnation.com/
check out their art...