Fall mists
We'd had our first rain after a warm spell, and wondered if summer was over. As we made an early start for Kamloops, tufts of mists rose from the calm backwaters of the North Thompson River. Fall wasn't far off.
South of Barriere where the road is much higher than the river, trees beside the river were barely visible. "What a mystical sight," I said to John. As usual, he caught my pun.
However, he wasn't as impressed as I thought it deserved
Lonsdale Quay
When I was in the big city last October, a friend wanted to show us the sights in and around Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver, with lunch at the Market to follow.
As we started wandering out onto the historical remains of Wallace Shipyards, a harbour seal first welcomed us. Next a man who was stretched out on his back taking in the late October sun caught our attention. Well, not him exactly - but his dog - the back end of which was atop his tummy, its long front legs reaching down to the pavement!
"She loves to sit on me," he said as doggie temporarily left her comfy seat to greet us properly.
Continuing our stroll, I heard: "Oh look! Gotta get that." Even though I knew he wasn't referring to us, I looked too. Perched high atop a long disused, tall, rusting crane was a bald eagle surveying his domain.
I then started noticing other remnants of this once important site, renamed Burrard Dry Dock at the beginning of World War II. Photos of workers who built cargo ships for the Canadian Navy during that war mark the beginning of a commemorative display that is being developed; perhaps even a Maritime Museum of the Pacific will display and describe the important history of ship-building in North Vancouver.
Lucky Creston
You should see how they have attached a swimming pool (and more) to their arena and curling rink. My buddy there tells me that those who tried to vote it down, and it was a very close call, are out in droves - swimming regularly and participating in aquatic exercise classes.
Dear deer
While we were "cadging" off our friends in Kaslo this past April, the deer were making themselves at home too. At three different homes they not only wandered through the yards, these deer lay down on green grassy lawns right by the houses, contentedly chewing their collective cuds.
"Aren't they darling?" purred one friend.
I looked at her in amazement. She'd always shooed them away, and been cross that the flower gardens were a such a great source of enjoyment to them.
"Oh, I've given up chasing them away," she added, seeing the question in my eyes. "They live here too - and now we just take pleasure in their presence." I think she even had names for some of them.
Oops!
In June, while travelling back from Rotary Conference in Penticton, another Rotarian driving, I made a slight error.
"Look at that horse running!" I announced. The others saw what I was looking at, and we all saw a second animal, this one more or less stationary, and closer to the road.
However, as we passed them, they turned into moose!
"I thought it were running strangely for a horse," said my fellow back-seater. "Its head was held high."
Oh well, at least no one had contradicted when I'd announced earlier that I'd seen a bear. Perhaps one reason was that they hadn't seen it at all!