Beauty

This is the view from my bedroom window.

Nine years ago I started a program of study which brought me to Victoria every few months. One day in April I took some time to walk through the gardens at the Government House. I was captivated by the beauty of the Rhododendrons. That day I made a decision to eventually move here.

When a part-time job became available in the fall, I applied and was accepted. My realtor knew I had only one day to find a home, and showed me this townhouse that was not yet listed, just in case I was interested. When I walked in the door I knew it was my home.

The truth is, I had no idea how many wonderful surprises awaited me once I moved here. The house was situated in a neighbourhood very close to my work downtown. If you have ever viewed 9 homes in one day, in a city where you had very little idea of the general layout, you might understand how I could choose a house without really knowing where it was located! For me, the important thing was the functionality of the home. Could I teach in it? Would I be able to practice the piano without disturbing the neighbours?

During that first spring I saw so much beauty in our strata yard as each day revealed more and more of the flowers and plants that in the fall and winter were resting. We have several Rhododendrons of various colours. The bright red one blooms early and right now is fading. The smaller azaleas, scattered throughout the gardens are starting to bloom. This pink Rhododendron is nearing it’s prime, and the others that will bloom with lighter pink, yellow and white clusters of flowers are barely budding right now. They follow the lilacs that are getting ready to bloom. The bees and hummingbirds seem to find natural food most months of the year in their world which is our garden.

A couple of weeks ago my neighbours left town to spend a month in the prairies with their daughter’s family. Two weeks later they are on their way home — tired already of the winter conditions that still exist in the prairies. I think I understand how they feel. Even though I have no family on the island here, this is my home, and I don’t want to stray far from it for very long. It would be hard to imagine not being surrounded by this beauty for more than a few days!