Yesterday was the first cool, blustery Fall-like day we’ve had this year. In actual fact, at 65F, it was pretty warm for this time of year, but we’ve been enjoying 70 and 80 degree temperatures for so long now, the sudden drop seems a lot colder than it actually is.
A blustery, cool day at Fort Rodd Hill just west of Victoria, B.C.
I spent a few hours early Monday morning doing some work on my daughter Carrie’s HP Laptop computer. In very technical terms – it was a complete mess! She brought it to Mikayla’s birthday party yesterday and asked me if I could have a look at it. It had 2 virus’, a couple of corrupted files and some programs that needed to be removed and reinstalled. After that, and a complete defragmentation – it hummed to life again!
Upper Battery – Single 6-inch gun built in 1895-97
The worst part about fixing the computer was having to drive down to Victoria again today to bring it to Carrie at work. Well, I guess I didn’t really have to do that, but you all know how it is. I sure wouldn’t want to be without a computer for 3 or 4 days and, besides, Carrie did I great job organizing Mikayla’s birthday party yesterday so it was the least I could do.
Fisgard Lighthouse, built in 1860, was the first on Canada’s West Coast
I decided to make the best of the trip by stopping in to have a look at a couple of Canadian National Historic Sites on the way home – Fort Rodd Hill and the Fisgard Lighthouse. They are both located in Colwood which is just 8 miles west of Victoria and happens to be on my route home.
Underground Magazine Complex – stored ammunition for 6-inch guns
Fort Rodd Hill is a coast artillery fort built in the late 1890s to defend Victoria and the Esquimalt Naval Base. The Fort includes three gun batteries, underground magazines, command posts, guardhouses, barracks and searchlight emplacements. From 1878 until 1956, a series of coast artillery fortifications guarded Victoria and the nearby naval base in Esquimalt harbour.
Across the harbour entrance from Fort Rodd Hill is Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt
Fisgard Lighthouse still operates today. It was built in 1860 and was the first lighthouse on Canada’s rugged west coast. Generations of mariners have relied on Fisgard as a landmark to find Esquimalt harbour’s narrow entrance. With Race Rocks light, Fisgard marks the safe anchorage of Royal Roads, and also points the way to Victoria harbour for commercial and recreational ships.
An old boathouse on the beach below the Lower Battery
Anyone visiting Victoria, who has an interest in military history, would certainly enjoy a visit to Fort Rodd Hill. It also offers spectacular views of Juan De Fuca Strait, Washington State’s Olympic Range Mountains and nearby beaches and coastlines.
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