Week Eight

Not one to let silly health issues hold me down for long, our eighth week here has been a busy one. Monday, of course, I lallygagged around the house, waiting for the medicine to work, and as far as I can tell, it has. Only ten pills, and that was that. My cold sore is a shadow of its former self.

Can you believe we have been here eight weeks already? During this week, one evening around 5 our time, Bill and Roxanne called to catch up, making me very happy indeed to hear a familiar voice. He was asking me which direction we faced, and I told him we had windows facing both east and west, affording, if I peek around the corner, the sunrise, as well as the sunset. Neither usually interest Bruce, however, on that particular night, even he was impressed. It began with the room turning seriously gold...

and within about an hour and a half, there was, by far, the most exquisite sunset since we arrived.

I mean, you can't make this stuff up if you are like me and don't use Photoshop or filters. In the photo below, the land mass you see in the middle is Vancouver Island, home to Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. The lit billboard you also see is one of but two that I've seen around town. :)

Tuesday, when last I wrote, I spent a stupid amount of time finding both a rain jacket and a small backpack. I've yet to need the raincoat, but the little backpack, suggested by my sister Lisa, has been fantastic! Although I looked all over, the purchase was made at Hudson's Bay, a department store that we both have found to be to our liking, with a wide variety of goods, both expensive, and reasonably priced. Bruce called that afternoon, asking if I wanted to go see Ellie's husband play at the nearby Yale Saloon. You bet I did! He turned out to be a fantastic musician, playing both electric and acoustic guitar while singing rockabilly songs. Or, at least that is what I'm calling it. Ellie works closely with Bruce, buying all of the original art for his projects.

Nancy laughs when I tell her mostly I shop, but I can't help it, having come so unprepared. But some days, I don't. Not many, mind you, but it must have been Wednesday that I decided to walk along the seawall to check something out. From my balcony perch I was seeing what looked like some sort of balloons on the waters of English Bay. Even with my zoom lens I was not quite sure if they were remote controlled boats or what.

The morning began partly cloudy...

and chilly as well, so donning a windbreaker, I set off with my camera stuff in my new little backpack. It was a good test of how I would like using one, and I'm here to report it is a winner. I can't remember who mentioned to me how low the clouds get in the winter; hard to imagine they get lower than this, but apparently they do.

Some pigeons warming themselves in the sun as I took these steps down to the seawall.

I'd also read somewhere that Lionsgate Bridge gets all the attention, but this author is even more fond of the Burrard bridge, which, only on this walk, did I notice some of the finer details.

It really takes repeated viewings of scenes to fully appreciate them, including this moving Vancouver Aids Memorial that I missed during my previous walks along the seawall.

Tragically, by my estimation, there are nearly 900 names on this memorial. While everyone can sympathize with natural disaster deaths; back in the day people did not do the same for the thousands of lives lost to AIDS.

Because it was a Wednesday, the path was not crazy crowded. The outfit the woman is wearing on the left is so Vancouver....leggings on so many of the women, not just for working out either. It's the uniform for those not wearing jeans with silly rips and holes in them. Topknots on girls are a thing as well.

Although you've seen this before, I thought this shot was so pretty, why not see it again? There are lots of better ones here, where I also learned it was the inspiration for the Winter Olympics logo!

Just before you arrive at the above spot, the coast is filled with rocks that people have used to create their own Inukshuks.

Regular sailboats after all....from afar, they only looked miniature next to the cargo ships.

It so delights me when, during a walk, I come across a named place that reminds me of my loved ones, in this case, along Beach Avenue, The Kensington House. Tom and Matt came to mind. :)

It was only about two days ago that I noticed the name of this mews, just across from the park. Bill and Fallon live on Strathmore Drive in Orlando. The white building just below the sign would be our condo. What took me so long?

Speaking of the park, I do believe it is autumn. Yup, just checked the calendar!

Because of the dark days ahead, I felt a sense of urgency to go to a fabric store with sewing patterns and supplies. I thought I could go to Fabricland, so I headed to the Skytrain station, getting off at Marine Drive, thinking I would walk the rest of the way. I began walking on Marine Drive, and it looked like I was back in Florida.

Well, except for the little maple leaf in the middle of the golden arches! I walked a good long ways, finally checking my phone to see how much further. Too far, is how much further. I still had about two miles to go, and of course the return trip, so I scratched the plan, heading back the way I came.  Marine Drive is where the train comes above ground, thus the name Skytrain.

You can just barely see two black squares that provide the opening. Do you see that crazy looking gold tree on the right? I have been fascinated to learn that Douglas Coupland, a Vancouver native, is both a novelist and a sculptor.  That man is crazy talented!

Last evening, Bruce and I strolled through the park, on our way to the seawall, and a walk to Urban Fare, for some, well, dinner fare. There are still flowers, but who knows for how much longer?

Of all things, we saw a sea lion, head raised out of the waters of False Creek!

After more Googling, I found another fabric store, this one located in Richmond, only this time it was but about one mile from the transit station. Very doable. I began my walk under the train tracks running along No. 3 Road.

I have yet to learn how to use the buses, but hopefully soon. This business, seems to have a bit of an identity crisis, doesn't it?

There are a gazillion Chinese businesses and restaurants along the route I took, before I finally came to Fabricana!

I was thrilled to look through pattern books again, although, much to my surprise, they do not sell Simplicity patterns in Canada. The clerk was not quite sure why that is the case. There will be those amongst my readers who will ask, why not buy them online, and my answer to that is, I find it tedious clicking through the designs, preferring to turn the pages. Perhaps in the future there won't be pattern books, but until that time arrives, I'm a paper kind of girl.

Landsdowne is a few stops further south from my excursion the day before on the Canada Line. There are tracks crossing the Fraser River that made it feel almost like riding the Disney monorail.

You know which direction I was headed home don't you? Mountains are North!

I am happy to report I came home with two patterns and two measures of fabric. I've cut out the blouse that I hope to begin tomorrow. Woo hoo! Eight weeks later and I might begin sewing.

yours truly,

Gail