Seasonal Colours

This post was supposed to be dated Christmas Day. But Robbie Burns' phrase about the best-laid plans proved true for me. Somehow a technical glitch (tech-speak for operator error!) led to the loss of my draft post, and it had to be recreated. And then, on Boxing Day, a health issue prevented me from finishing and clicking "Publish". Finally, two days after Boxing Day... here it is!

The traditional colours for this time of year are red and green; Christmas decorations and wrapping paper remind us of this all the time. However, anyone who lives in snow country (which is most of Canada) knows that the colour of this season is white. Snow creates a world of white. When I lived in the interior, even the coniferous forests were often white, or a monochromatic grey-black dusted with white.

Snow is a rarity in Victoria, and red and green are indeed seasonal colours. Here are a few samples of what I've discovered on my ambles in my neighbourhood. 

Lichens and rose hips from the fall decorate an old fence along Dallas Road.

This scene is near the BC Parliament (the correct name for what many of us call the Legislature). The red of the bark and ochre of the brick complement the greens of the ferns, grass and conifers. As a relative newcomer to Victoria, I still am struck by how grass which is dessicated and brown by summer's end begins to green up with the fall rains, and how quickly this happens.

Reds and greens brighten the display of cut flowers outside of the Birdcage Confectionary on Government Street. The bicycle is part of the landscaping; there are flowers in its basket.

This fountain adds to the atmosphere of a block of private residences on the James Bay side of the Inner Harbour.

The Inn at Laurel Point is located near the residences in the previous photo. I like the curved lines of the entranceway, and the chartreuse green of the logo, which complements the ochre of the brick so well.

A closer look at the logo of the Inn at Laurel Point

I've previously featured this house in a post on this blog. It's received a fresh coat of paint, and almost shimmers when a pedestrian walks by.

Another James Bay house, with a nice choice of brick red and a sage green to complement. I didn't notice the dinosaur until my beta reader Ken pointed it out!

One more James Bay house. As well as the wonderful red of the gate, I love the attention to detail in its construction.

This is the window of a floral store in James Bay. I always enjoy the artistry of the window displays the designer creates.

One of the many trees at the Bay Centre's Festival of Trees. Unfortunately I didn't note the name of the business which sponsored this unusual, funky tree.

When I first saw this display on Niagara Street, I thought of the peace symbol when I saw the train's wheels, and thought "what a good wish for 2025". But it's a car logo, not the peace symbol.

Here is the peace symbol, for reference. It was developed in the early 1950's from the semaphore symbols for N and D, standing for Nuclear Disarmament. I learned about it as a child, with both of my parents' involvement in the peace movement. (Semaphore was a system of communication through holding flags in different angles, standing for letters.) 

A decorative snowflake at the Royal BC Museum, hanging in front of a unique wall with a motif of trees. The trees reminded me of the monochromatic tones I mentioned at the beginning of this post.

Another image from the Royal BC Museum. This stylized Garry Oak leaf is the logo for its Learning Centre.

The bright green of moss at this time of year.

Detail of this brilliant green

There are a number of huge reddish Giant Sequoias like this one tucked around the older parts of Victoria, waiting to be discovered by the passer-by. This one is on Beacon Avenue.

This time of year is also a time of lights, celebrating the beginning of the gradual return of light as days lengthen. I'll conclude the post with an image to celebrate the light.

A tree on the Inner Harbour, decorated with hundreds of LED lights

May 2025 be a year of light for us all -- and for the planet.