What Autumn Brings

I have been waiting to hear when the fall raspberries are ready for picking, and it was announced earlier this week. I decided that this was a perfect weekend to go to Knapps on Greenbluff to pick raspberries.

On Thursday evening, I was watching Grey's Anatomy with Rose (she has the cable - I still do not) and we saw a preview of the evening news cast. The image on the screen was a car that was wrapped up like a package - the announcer said, "Later, we will show you why it is dangerous to drive on the roads in our area this time of the year."

I went home after Grey's Anatomy(Christine has finally met her match was my conclusion after this premiere), and checked out the news station. A man collided with a moose on I-90. Apparently it is breeding season, and the equivalent of a night club in this animal's world is highways.

So, when I set out on Friday, I paid extra attention to the road. About 11 kilometres from home, there was a moose standing in the middle of the highway.

I do a lot of driving on this highway and I have never seen a moose before. I have even travelled during breeding season, and never saw a moose before. What is a bit curious is that, moose was on my mind. And there it was. I wonder how that happens. You think of a friend, and then they call. You mention a person's name in a conversation, and then the next day you see them.

I drove home from Spokane today, and encountered another traveller.....



This fellow ran parallel to me on the other side of the road as I drove slowly down the highway - while I was fishing out the camera. Then he decided that he would cross the road. He went and hid in the forest. That was it - two moose - both Canadians, I might add. And none, I am delighted to say, had any encounters with my car.

Yesterday, Al and I picked raspberries - they were heavily picked by the time we got there so we worked hard to get our harvest. But we got a generous amount....



The sun was warm, the sky clear, and I could wear sandals. Perfect. Many of the raspberries were not ripe yet, in fact there were quite a few still in bloom. It is a wild idea, to think of raspberries not being ripe enough on September 27th.

Greenbluff is an inspiring place to be - wide open spaces, with lots of trees and plants, and mountains in the background - here is a view from a raspberry patch:

Life on Lummi Island

BJ's plan was to celebrate her birthday with two friends, hanging about and having adventures. The chosen spot was Lummi Island, which is one of the San Juan Islands close to Bellingham. She rented a "cabin" with one grand view...



In the background is Mt Baker, one of those Pacific Northwest volcanoes. I was standing on the deck when I took this picture. Here is one view of the deck...



We spent a lot of time on this deck. The moment we arrived we knew we would. We ate all of our meals on that deck. We had many conversations there. We moved into the sun; we moved out of the sun. And it was the perch for many photos.

Here is the birthday feast:



One day we were sitting at the second table, and heard a lot of racket in the bush below us. I was convinced it was a bear because it was so noisy - bears often make a lot of ruckus when they are in the bush. Here is what we saw from the deck:



We had visitors...




A mom and her baby... How close does one have to be to get this picture?

This close...



I have officially had deer slobber on my hand... That's gotta be one of those MUST DOs before you die...

If you think that's cold....

Nearly a month now since I hung out on the lower mainland and Bellingham area. One day when Aimee was at work and Josh was home from work, Josh and I went touring. I had seen on a map that there was lots of lakes around the Vancouver area, and it piqued my interest. One spot in particular. Aimee had been to Buntzen Lake earlier in the year. Buntzen Lake made a big impression on her, because every time we hung out at a beach when she came to visit the Kootenays, Buntzen Lake was the measuring stick. "Oh," she would say, "this is much warmer than Buntzen Lake." "Oh," she would say, "this is much colder than Buntzen Lake." Well, actually come to think about it, nothing was colder than Buntzen Lake.

Buntzen Lake is not too far from their home. It is a part of Belcarra Regional Park and Buntzen Lake Recreation Area. Both located directly across Burrard Inlet from Barnet Marine Park. Here's the map...


When we got to Buntzen Lake, the sun had already slid behind the mountain, and most of the people there were not IN the water. They were hanging their fishing poles over the dock. Here's Buntzen Lake...



Josh and I continued our exploration. He brought me next to Sasamat Lake, specifically called White Pine Beach. Here's the view...



These beaches are P-O-P-U-L-A-R. Here's a description: "In hot months the beaches at Belcarra's Sasamat Lake and at nearby Buntzen Lake are so popular that park information signs will tell you if Belcarra and Buntzen are full. You can probably sense this on a hot day before you even leave the house. On weekends, unless you get an early start for their beaches, look elsewhere for a destination."

When Josh and I visited, the parking lots and beaches were quite empty. So, if you want to visit there, just ask Josh or I - we'll give you the best visiting times advice if you want to avoid the crowds!

More about White Pine Beach..... "There's one critical difference between this beach and nearby Buntzen Lake: although the sun shines equally warm on both, the water in Buntzen is far colder than in Sasamat."

Aimee, who actually swam in that lake, can attest to that.

Lost In Seattle

Where shall I go today? I asked Ryan as he and Julie headed out the door to Bumbershoot. As Ryan and Julie are moving to San Francisco in 11 days, this is my last visit to this home - what haven't I seen in this city? Volunteer Park was his reply. Seeing as the sun was shining, it seemed like a day not to waste indoors in Seattle. I wrote out the instructions from Google directions, a total of 13 minutes, it declared.

So I set out on my journey, and within minutes of home, knew that something wasn't right. After sliding with the rest of the traffic onto I-5 heading North, and maneuvering my way back through nothing but intuition, I dug out the map.

These are my conclusions after my extensive experience in Seattle streets today:
- Google maps makes directions sound much easier than they are.
- People are great resources - I found a couple in Starbucks who looked at my Google instructions and map, and decided neither would help me. They pointed me in the right direction - go up, they said. The rest was up to me.
- You learn how to pay attention when you go down the same street several times.
- It actually took 45 minutes to find Volunteer Park.
- At two different points, I got onto I-5; one time going north and one time going south.

And then, I realized that sometimes one sets out on a journey only to discover that you end up at a place where you have been before. (I think this is a metaphor for life in general.) A couple years ago, I went to Volunteer Park in the rain, and we walked up the water tower.

At Volunteer Park, I:
- sat in the sun overlooking the water reservoir.
- taught a bored security guard at the Seattle Asian Museum how to conjugate the verb talk in Spanish for the singular pronouns.
- bought an umbrella that is sure to bring me luck - it has bamboo images all over the top. The store also had an umbrella that was red and when it gets wet, cherry blossoms appear all over it.
- saw yet another view of the Space Needle:



One of the features of this park is a sculpture called "Black Sun." Here are the Black Sun and Space Needle together...



And here is a picture of all of us:



I went for a walk and found Lake View Cemetery. Ryan had told me that Bruce Lee (Who is he? I thought) was buried there. There are a lot of graves in Lake View Cemetery, and so I had few hopes of finding it. The cemetery has a great view:



I wandered up one road and down others, decided that it was time to find my way home. How I found Bruce Lee happened this way: I glanced to my left and saw a nondescript tombstone that said Lee, and I crossed the grass (carefully) and saw that it didn't even have a date of birth or death on it. Then something caught my attention and I headed more up the hill and behind a row of small shrubs I saw:



Right beside him is the grave-site of his son,Brandon Lee. Both of these fellows had bizarre deaths.

I left Volunteer Park around 6ish, and found the route home (different than the way there), very easily. Still, there was something nagging me about those Google instructions, and so I went in search of where I went astray. And I found yet another way to get astray, and landed up in downtown Seattle. Just as the movies were being let out.

I have passed by Pontius Street a total of 5 times today. And now I am back home, a little worn from my travels. At some point, I realized I was having fun! Go figure!

Good night Seattle....



and to one red Honda Civic...

An Early Birthday

Nine days to be exact. Spending birthdays together with family can be quite the choreography. We couldn't all be together to celebrate Aimee's exact birthdate but we were able to gather 9 days ahead. Even Julia came along to the event. Unfortunately Josh had to work so didn't hang out with us for the day.

Event 1 of the day was opening of the gift (from Josh)...



This was definitely the most fancy inside of any wallet I have ever seen.

Event 2 was the rousing of the guests....



We signed the cast before we left for:

Event 3: lunch at Milestone's. What was memorable was the assurance that there was no cilantro in the soup. Man, whoever decided that was food rather than a weed.

Event 4: Granville Island - one very groovy place to hang out. There we found the birthday cake. Cakes. Everyone gets to choose their own!!




Event 5: Stanley Park and English Bay: We dried our ocean-dipped and sandy-coated feet sitting on a log and enjoying the sunshine.

Event 6: Dinner at Him's - my favourite sushi hangout on Denman Avenue.

Before:


After:


Event 7: Blowing out the candles and more presents for the birthday girl!!

August on the Lower Mainland

I journeyed to the west coast on Saturday the 9th; this is the first time in a couple of years that I have travelled during tourist season. It was some busy on Highway 3, considered to be the most scenic drive to the coast. I think the marketing has done the job.

I remembered long ago when my mother used to take road trips that she would calculate the gas mileage by figuring out the fuel cost per hour. At some point, she related to me that she got $5.00 per hour on one trip. This journey, I decided to figure out the mileage my mother's way. From Castlegar to Chilliwack, I travelled for $6.00 an hour. So what's changed in over 20 years? My mom was driving a Chrysler Imperial and I now have a Honda Civic.

Speaking of my mother, I spent some of my day admiring my birthday gift from her:



After my purchase, I was told by many people that I had a tennis bracelet. Apparent Chris Evert was the first to wear diamonds on the tennis court. This is not diamonds, but they certainly shine like they are.

My trip down to the coast was a potpourri of weather. Rain, and sun. During one stop, I heard thunder. All was for the good because I was travelling with Julia and she did not need the heat. Here is a picture taken of Sunshine Valley:



And here is a promise of the week to come while I am away from home:

July Visitors

Summer has arrived in Nelson! This is one very groovy place to hang out in the summer. I am always thrilled to share my home with visitors - summer or winter - but interestingly enough, summer, has the greater appeal. So technically, this posting is not about my travels, but some of the adventures that I had with my guests.

The first guest to arrive was Janine, who travelled for 33 hours by Greyhound from Manitoba. That is one very special friend. She insists that it was not torturous and she got to meet some interesting people.

I harvested the first item from the garden while she was here. We shared the harvest:



The order of strawberries (7.5 pounds) arrived the day after Janine did, so we ate strawberries - a lot of them:


Janine and I explored the land, walked in the sunshine, and ate her delicious cooking. She chose the plane to return home, so we said farewell on the hot tarmac in Castlegar.

The next day Elizabeth arrived from stinking hot Lethbridge and set up camp at Kokanee Creek Park. Her timing was a bit off; she landed there during the mosquito convention. We ate hot dogs around the campfire, and when she tired of the mosquito visitors, she came to town and we dined.

Josh and Aimee arrived on July the 4th; Julie and Ryan arrived on the 5th. On the 5th we had our last hot dog campfire with Elizabeth, and Josh taught us all how to make Smores. One of those goes a long way.

We hung out a lot on the back patio, ate barbecued food most evenings, and we had many daily delights. One work day I took a vacation day and we all went to the East Shore to the beach, as I learned last year that this part of the lake has considerably warmer water. Indeed it was true! We had plenty of sand, and had a picnic feast. Along the shore, a Kaleidoscope of butterflies. Yep, apparently that's the name for a group of butterflies.



Ryan bought a new car a few weeks ago; while in Nelson, he spent a good deal of time in my backyard close to the sprinkler and vacuum cleaner. Here is the masterpiece:


I celebrated my birthday having fun - first was Spanish lessons, then a facial (my first in my life - I think everyone ought to do something for the first time on their birthday), went to the Six Mile Beach with both of my children (how perfect is that!), and then had friends over for a feast. The mastermind behind the food event was Josh - we had many courses with many taste delights. Here is dessert, peaches grilled on a cedar plank. Before those peaches were grilled they were marinated in a lovely sauce. The only ingredient I remember is Jack Daniels. Curious. They were AMAZING!


Alas! Ryan and Julie were only able to stay a week; they left the day after my birthday. Aimee, Josh and I continued our forays to the beach, and on my next day off we went to Queen's Bay, another part of the main part of the lake where the water is warmer. No ferry this time. Josh gave the water a rating of +10 and the shore -10. There were lots of rocks. Still both did the celebratory summer dance:




Everyone has scattered now back to their homes. The back patio is ready... for their return.

Winding My Way Home

Leaving the Sunshine Coast on the Queen of Surrey, we went on the top deck, and found a breeze.



For Aimee

Proof that the sky is still blue - there is hope for your holidays - this is inspiration for bathing suit shopping. The shot was taken on the wet day I left the lower mainland.



Spotted Lake

On the journey home, I stopped at the small water hole just outside of Osoyoos that always looks quite strange. When driving by, we can clearly see the circles on top of the lake; depending on the time of the year, those circles change. I found out that it has a name - Spotted Lake. Spotted Lake is a sacred medicine lake of the Okanagan People.

"It is a rare natural phenomenon covering 15.2 hectares (38 acres), containing one of the world's highest concentrations of minerals: magnesium sulfate (epsom salts), calcium and sodium sulfates, plus eight other minerals and traces of four more, including silver and titanium. As the summer progresses the lake dries out, its mud forming into white, pale yellow, green and blue circles depending on its mineral composition. Known as Kliluk to the natives of the Okanagan Valley, the lake is a sacred and culturally significant site whose potential for commercial exploitation recently generated much controversy."

The controversy has to do with the healing properties of the water.

Here it is close up:



Palindrome

This goes into the category of "ways to amuse myself on a road trip."




Paulson Mountain

Over the Blueberry Paulson, there is a special mountain that we get to see for 3 brief glimpses; the view is most spectacular on the way home, though it is quite elusive for the clouds like to linger. Rare is it to catch the view but this trip I did:

Gibsons Landing

Our second stop on the Sunshine Coast was Gibsons Landing; in actuality it is closer to the ferry than Sechelt. But we drove up the coast, and then came back to Gibsons Landing. Gibsons Landing gains its fame from The Beachcombers, which was filmed here from 1972 to 1990. Both the pier and Molly's Reach are still standing. In fact, Molly's Reach only became a restaurant after the end of the series.

Here it is:


We didn't actually eat at Molly's Reach; we chose Gramma's Pub, from a suggestion from a receptionist in Sechelt. The highlight of the meal was chicken wings.

And then we strolled down the pier:



And saw an avid gardener's work, who definitely was undaunted by the problem of water all around:



Vancouver is 10 miles away, if you were a bird. With the laidback atmosphere and abundance of outdoor delights, Gibsons is a great place to hang out. If only for a day....

Sunshine

We found the sun! Interestingly enough, we travelled to find it. Sunshine Coast. How well named.

Josh and Aimee each had a day off on the day I wanted to go see a part of British Columbia I have never seen. I have some vague memory of it from watching the Beachcombers on Sunday night television for years. Getting to the Sunshine Coast requires a ferry ride. There are also two other choices: a plane or a very long hike.

We went to the Lower Sunshine Coast. There is another ferry ride to take people to Powell River, further up the coast. Here is a description from the Sunshine Coast Employment Centre:

"The Lower Sunshine Coast is home to approximately 26,000 people and is a diverse community with unique challenges and opportunities. Accessible only by ferry or air, the "Coast" is a conglomerate of a number of self-contained communities that stretch along a ribbon of highway, 150 kilometers long, from Port Mellon to Egmont."

Our first stop was:



We found our way to the ocean:


Sechelt means land between two waters. An isthmus a friendly resident told me. He said to be sure to go to Porpoise Bay. This is the sandy side of the water. The tide was out so we got to see many gifts from the sea:






This next photo was a baby lobster who Josh rescued and sent back to the sea.


We combed the beach, and I chatted with a biologist from the San Juan Islands who gave me a brief introduction on the stories the sand tells. I learnt about lug worms, and how vital they are to the health of a beach; and I learnt how to detect lug worm shit, because of course the actual worm dwells under the sand. I am delighted to report that there were many sightings of lug worm shit.

And the sun shone. At last we got our RDA of Vitamin D.

Josh's summation of Porpoise Bay: "There are no porpoises here. They should have called it Bay."