Victoria's Russell Books and the Drive Home

 Soo... where was I? Oh yes... I had just finished visiting Miniature World and was feeling peckish... where do you think we ended up?

Ah-hah!!! A Starbucks... how convenient!

And a busy one too, but with lots of room to sit.

And yes, I did have a chocolate brownie!! Warmed up, of course... sooooo yummy!

Righto, off we went to find a Victoria icon... Russell Books!!! It is a used bookstore... but that does not do it justice... it is sooo much more.

It is on two floors and there are soooo many books! And all well-organized.

So many choices...

This was one book we picked...

And we debated t-shirts... we think Beanie Mouse might appreciate this one...

But perhaps not this one... 

Then we found a Persian take-away place!

So many choices!

We had a shwarma wrap and it was quite yummy!

After that... we headed off to check out a few thrift stores... but the one we wanted to go to was closed (like gone-closed)... and the other one had nothing interesting. Ah well... time to head home!

But... the Malahat had had some snow and its windy, curvy road meant... there was an accident and traffic was seriously backed up!

What normally takes 20 minutes took almost 2 hours!

Snacks... I need snacks!!!

Except we'd already eaten most of the snacks but I did find a chocolate covered date/pecan concoction... yummy!

Sigh... we'd move 20 feet and then stop again. Ugh.

Grapes anyone?

Ah, we are getting closer!!! We can finally see some opposing traffic getting through! This was all compact snow and seriously treacherous.

We made it through!!! Now we just have to navigate all the backed up traffic.

And we made it home!!

I know stuffies want to know what sticker I got from the RBCM... ready...??

We got this one!!! It has a mastodon on it... beary cool!

And that ends our mid-February adventure to Victoria... we still have a March adventure to Vancouver we haven't even started posting about! Is it possible to have "too many" adventures??

More Mail!

 Hullo!! I totally forgot... we had some earlier mail that I never posted! It's a packet from Beanie Mouse & Co.

It's a card and a cute key chain!

Ooooh... it's a bus bingo prize!!!

A very cute, very London key chain. Excellent!!

And yes... if you are wondering where the two squabbling mice are... I locked the door. Sometimes a bear just needs peace and quiet. Perhaps I should hire Professor Dogmund Freud... to offer mediation and counselling??

Stuffie Mail!!

 Hullo! Here we are! A happy little family... with mail to go through!!!

Cocoa: Hey, how come Navy always gets the sunny patch!!???

Navy: Cause I'm Sandy's Left Hand Moues and YOU wanted the Right Hand Mouse spot so... shade it is for you!!!

Ahem... as I was saying... mail call and...

Cocoa: Well phooie on you then!!! I was your Right Hand Mouse Mate on that tawdry little boat you built and I am STILL Right Hand Mouse!!

Navy: Hah!!! You can't even tell Port from Starboard!!! On a ship it would be Starboard Mouse Mate!!

Sandy: AHEM!!!! Mail Call!!!!!

Sandy: Now... where were we... ah yes... reviewing our mail...

Sandy: First up is a post card from Little Fox... who went to the Schilling Cider House...

Sandy: Although he was not "cider-lit" when he wrote the card... that is good to know...

Sandy: Although... we are wondering why the post card did not accompany a shipment of cider...

Cocoa: Cider? You want cider? We were down there last year and could have brought some....

Cocoa: ... but doofus over there filled his suitcase with driftwood to build a boat here!

Navy: Who you calling a doofus??? Let it go Mr. "I need to fill my suitcase with hot chocolate!".

Sandy: And... moving right along to MOUSE Mail!!!

Cocoa & Navy: oooohhhh mouse mail!!!! But why is it addressed to Detective Sandy Bear?? And not us?????

Cocoa: Have our cousins forgotten about us? Because we were shipwrecked for so long???

Sandy: AHEM!!!! We have a lovely home made card from Beanie Mouse & Co!

Sandy: Oh great... we have pouting mice now... sigh...

Sandy: It's another Bullion Mystery Case!!!

Sandy: With what looks like a self-portrait by....

Sandy: Pierre Bonnard... hmmm... never heard of him...

*disdainful muttering by pouting mice*

"... hmph, calls himself a detective and doesn't even know Pierre Bonnard... hmph..."

Sandy: Right then!! Here we go!!! The clue is:

A two tone coin of
circular extraction.

Made to commemorate
a global infraction.

Displays the dome

of a spiritual home.

With peace sign shown in

illumination.

What commemoration is it?

*curious mice return to the conversation*...

Navy: Maybe it's the dove coin - the peace sign?

Cocoa: It says a "dome" not a "dove"!... Doofus!

*and they're off on a tangent again*...

Ahem... let's just zoom in a bit... there we go...

So... two tone round coin - £2 coin... Global infraction - probably a war... Dome of a spiritual home - St. Paul's?

Not sure about the peace sign shown in illumination... maybe the search lights? And the "V" is like the finger peace sign?

Me guesses it's this coin!!!

And now... we need some Mice Mediation!!! Somebody... save me from squabbling mice!!!