October

 The tray with found rocks and the new bought ones. These semi precious stones used in jewelry can be found for sale almost anywhere you live or travel.

 I bought these rocks at the Santa Claus tourist trap in Ravaniemi when on our Scandinavian trip in August.  There is an ammorite, a carnelian, an agate and I think the green one is malakite.

 More found rocks that are unpolished.  The one with the seashell is a particular treasure.

 More of the found rocks.  Sadly, I do not record where I found the rocks.

 When we returned from our trip and after getting over my pneumonia, I put the light garden back in its corner and cleaned it up.  I found I had room for plants on the little table next to the window.  So I have arranged the rocks for display on the table.  I have more found rocks that are a larger size, sitting on the deck railing.  And a few bought tufa  rocks in my rock garden and in a planting of saxifragia in a pot on the deck. I have some volcanic rock from the Clearwater, B.C. area in my rock garden.

 The apple tree is loaded with apples this year.  I am making apple sauce and we have had a pie, given some away to friends and still have more to process or give away.

 A photo of the pond fish feeding.  I was happy to see that I have quite a few of them in the pond.  There seems to be 11 or 12 of them.  One large comet and two more comets.  There seems to be three sarasas and one white one.  I can find four or five shubunkins.

This little plant is a Kenilworth Ivy or ivy leafed toadflax  (Cymbilaria moralis).  This will eventually appear on my wed page, under gardening in the Survivers and wildflowers, album.  This little plant seeds everywhere, but is not hard to remove.  Its a pretty,  delicate little plant, perfect for rock walls.

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The salmon are running in our Colquitz watershed.  I must get out and look for some in the River.

From the Saanich News and Pennisula Streams stewardship people:
From the Saanich News, October 31, 2018:  https://www.saanichnews.com/news/truckloads-of-junk-pulled-from-colquitz-fish-habitat/

Truckloads of junk pulled from Colquitz fish habitat
Rains bring early fish to upgraded Colquitz fish fence

TRAVIS PATERSON  Oct. 31, 2018 5:30 p.m. LOCAL NEWS

Flush from heavy rains, the Colquitz River’s vibrant Coho salmon population is returning to spawn.

As of Monday, the count totalled 93 Coho salmon, broken down as 15 females, 11 males and six unidentifiable, as well as 61 jacks, which are precocious two-year-old males returning early. Sixty-five of those fish came in on Monday following the weekend downpours, said Dorothy Chambers, lead steward for the long-running fish fence.

(Inset photo: A preschool class enjoys the new viewing area along the Colquitz River fish fence in Cuthbert Holmes Park. Submitted.

Read More: Where’s the fish? Doom and gloom for Colquitz spawning season

“[There’s] some nice sized adults coming in …. mostly all chrome [in colour], but a few are starting to ripen up … into the bright red spawning fish that we see a lot of,” Chambers said.

Last year’s Coho numbers were dismal not only at Colquitz but around the Greater Victoria and lower Vancouver Island spawning creeks and rivers.

After some lobbying from Chambers, Colquitz underwent an environmental clean-up last week with representatives from the federal and provincial governments, and Saanich’s parks, stormwater, and environmental departments all combining efforts to focus on the lower Colquitz River.

“Six shopping carts … many bikes, a mattress, signs, large plastic containers, construction material, and a ton of small garbage debris,” Chambers said. “Multiple truckloads were hauled away.”
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http://peninsulastreams.ca/
November 1, 2018
email from  Brian Koval
Dear Colquitz Mainstem Volunteers:

We would like to know where the Coho salmon they are on their journey upstream and where they are spawning and would like your help! If you walk near the creek, please look for adult salmon and report back to me: location, number and species (if you can identify them).

Also, I will be taking a walk up the creek to look for adult fish. If you would like to come on the walk, please let me know. Waders are required but these can be supplied if you do not have any.

Thanks and happy fish spotting!

Brian

PS here is the latest report from Dorothy Chambers:

Wed, Oct 31, 6:47 PM (2 days ago
to
https://www.saanichnews.com/news/truckloads-of-junk-pulled-from-colquitz-fish-habitat/

A hearty thank you to everyone who is helping out !
about 120 salmon counted so far.

sincerely,
Dorothy and fish crew !
Salmon in The City project
--
Brian Koval, MSc., RPBio.
Peninsula Streams Society
Assistant Coordinator
Office: 250.363.6596
Cell: 778.350.0510
www.PeninsulaStreams.ca

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When I was out shooting photos for the Victoria Grid Project on Flickr, the Grid was in our area.  The water in the Colquitz Creek was really low from all the viewing points I have next to the River.  This is  beneath the bridge over Loenholm Road, just off Wilkinson Road.  You can see that the water is very low. 

Recently we have had a lot of rain and this has encouraged the Salmon run, which seems to be abundant.  Hopefully they can get past the ditching that occurred in the River when the Panama Flats area was agricultural land.

If interested here is more information on my Flickr account:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/8596060@N05/45282941141/in/dateposted/