Vintage Sax-Playing Garden Gnome

I’m currently in Victoria, BC visiting a friend. I’ve here since Wednesday, and wouldn’t you know it, it took me no longer than 60 minutes on Vancouver Island to find my first saxophone player. He is a sax-playing garden gnome that belongs to my friend Lisa. This little concrete figurine is over 50 years old, and belonged to Lisa’s parents. When they passed away, he came to live with her…

Since this sax-playing garden gnome is made of concrete, he is extremely heavy. He is sporting a relatively new paint job that Lisa applied the night before having surgery a few years ago. She finished the job her dad began before he passed he passed away.

I love his eye colour. Anyone else reminded of Elizabeth Taylor?

If this little sax-playing garden gnome decides to go on a road trip, Lisa will know just where to come and look for him. 😈

On Wednesday evening Lisa and I drove downtown to the Inner Harbour and did a bit of touristy sight-seeing. We were just approaching the Inner Harbour when I heard the sound of mournful saxophone filling the bustling downtown air. Low and behold, what did I see? A busker with his alto trying to make a buck from the tourists.

Fortunately he was still there by the time we parked behind the Legislative Assembly, and walked down to where he had staked out his part of the sidewalk. This allowed me to get a couple of shots of the man and his axe…

I’m always amazed when I come to Victoria, how different the climate is. Yes, it is downright tropical compared to the Metro Vancouver region… It makes me ask: Why the $!*@ do we live in the Lower Mainland?

I don’t know what brand of alto this busker is playing, but it appears to be an Asian-made, Selmer copy of one stripe or another.