I’m a “landmark” person. That means you tell me to turn right at the yellow house, continue until I see Caffe Henri, then turn left and stop at the house with the red Spanish tile roof. That’s a landmark person. That’s me.

A “direction” person will follow differently worded directions to reach the same destination. He/She will head north on Turcotte, turn east on Sumter, keep moving until he/she see Caffe Henri and turn north-west at Birch. That’s a direction person. He/She has a brain like a compass and know exactly where they’re going. Lots of people grasp directions. I don’t.

I think that’s probably why I enjoy my rambling walks because I start in no particular direction and each of my random routes are peppered with landmarks.

This tiny Zen nook, nestled in a corner of a garden, lets me know that I’m very close to a laneway. Oak Bay is known for its numerous laneways and connectors. Each one leads a walker onwards to new “adventures.”

This is a fun house to walk past because the fence along the driveway is filled with art.

But along another route, through a laneway, there is a house with a decorative post. It shows a cheerful “Welcome” on one side and a ‘Come Again” on the other.

This has got to be an early sign of Spring—-tiny crocuses tucked among the grass and rocks.

A tiny blue guitar, placed in a tree. Perhaps, a trendy bird-house for just the right fun-seeking birds. . . .?

There are numerous free neighborhood libraries, scattered all over Oak Bay. Some owners are quite creative making these accessible libraries visible and fun. The one below was an entertaining landmark to a neighborhood park, but someone—-not fond of books—vandalized this funky library and the new replacement is just not the same. . . .

When I see my favorite bike rack, marked with a miniature bicycle, I know I can stop for my cup of coffee and snack at “Serious Coffee.”

I do enjoy seeing all my landmarks on my rambling walks. There’s always something that makes the random routes amazing. I just hope urban development doesn’t destroy any of these . . . . .