A final summer weekend at Lakeside Gardens Resort

Last week was sunny and hot throughout much of the south coast and the weekend was fine too. Temperatures approached the mid-twenties, and for one extended weekend we headed back to Salt Spring Island and Lakeside Gardens Resort.


Friday began with fog and a lengthy ferry to Long Harbour. By the time we arrived the sun was shining and there was a gentle autumn dust in the air.

We stayed in Cabana 7, which is probably our favourite. It offers excellent views of St Mary Lake, wonderful sunsets, and a bit more privacy than some of the other cabins. Everything was in place, as usual, and all our cares slipped away.





The ladder leads to an upstairs which consists of a bed. Note the reading lamps on each side, and observe too the railings to keep you from falling out of bed in the night. There isn't much room to move around up here (no standing, or sudden movements allowed), but the view of the lake in the morning, through the little window, is amazing every time.

And one look at the lake tells the story. This is a beautiful place to be.

Lakeside Gardens is a friendly and well cared for place. It feels good to be here and the large number of repeat customers is testament to that fact. Some of the regulars now span three generations.

There is peace here, and the light on the lake is a wonderful thing to behold no matter the season. It is a gentle place, and if you don't mind climbing a ladder, it's like camping, only better.

All photos by Jim Murray. Copyright 2013.

View my earlier posts about this great place:

Lakeside Gardens ~ the gate & more

Lakeside Gardens ~ at St Mary Lake

Surfing at Long Beach

There is much standing around while surfing. Or so it appears.

Is this wave right? Or should I wait for the next one?

Kind of like finding the right parking space. Should I drive around a bit more? Oh damn. I should have taken the one back there.

For the little time spent riding the wave, much more is spent waiting. And waiting. It seems to be worth it.

Photos by Jim Murray. Copyright 2013.

Remembering 9/11 ~ the other one

September 11th is a day to remember. It was the day the US overthrew a democratically elected government in Chile in 1973.
























Salvador Allende had led a ramshackle group of leftist parties to victory three years earlier in 1970. There was no dispute about the election, it was fair in every way. The rich landowners and business people were less than enthusiastic. Nor was the White House of Richard Nixon.




The US led a vicious campaign of disinformation against Allende from the day of his election, pouring millions of dollars into the effort. Ultimately the CIA and the Chilean military conspired to conduct a coup against the Chilean presidency. Allende was killed and over the next few weeks and months and years, thousands more were killed or disappeared. The junta lasted seventeen years.

We should never forget what happened on September 11th.  

Copyright 2013 by Jim Murray.

A recent movie from Chile highlights some of that horror
and the victory of Chilean democracy all those years later. 
Read my post about the film: No here.