Sandy Supposes....

Where have I Been?

PROMPT March 8th

Where are some unusual places you’ve been? What was the most interesting or surprising thing you learned or discovered about those places?

         I'd recommend visiting British Columbia. There the eyes may feast upon the majestic Rockies, towering forests, glistening water, lush greenery, and the ocean. Beautiful doesn't begin to describe it. From shoreline to mountain top it's magnificent.

         Vancouver Island is beyond compare. I discovered a lovely town named Chemainus during my exploration. Many of the main buildings such as the library, the legion, the town hall, and businesses serve as canvas for gorgeous painted murals that depict the area's history. Different artists have recreated the logging industry, shipping, indigenous contributions, immigration, the two world wars, the railway system and more. What a unique nod to their heritage.

         Also situated on scenic Vancouver Island is Telegraph Cove. Originally, it housed an extension of telegraph service to and from the island with one linesman living there in a shack. In the mid 1920s,a salmon saltery and a sawmill were erected. During W.W.II, the protected cove became a relay station for the war effort and servicemen ran the mill. Before a rough dirt road pushed through, this area could only be accessed by boat. It is an isolated spot in the mountains. A small community lived there year round, and one teacher would be hired to teach all of the children in a one-room schoolhouse.

         Today, about twenty people live there fulltime. Telegraph Cove has become a tourist destination. Many of the original buildings, built on stilts in the water, still stand and a wooden boardwalk connects them. To view the telegraph poles and cables strung up sheer slopes amongst a thick forest of trees and stretched across valleys and waterways boggles the mind. To erect them required strength and derring-do.

         Near Victoria, B.C. a gorgeous garden beckons. Actually, to call it a garden doesn't do it justice. It's a large park and more. It maintains flowers and trees sourced from around the world. It supports green houses in which plants are started and seeds collected. It's a feast of colour year round.

         This grand garden is known as The Butchart Gardens and it was the concept of a woman with that surname, Butchart. The area had been a quarry and she envisioned a lush green space. According to the official history, she used her husband's army of employees to carve out her dream. She also assisted with the back-breaking labour and did not fear hanging from scaffolding above towering pits. I'd presume many believed her to be mad and over-reaching, but the barren quarry is a distant memory.