A year in Vancouver!

Why are you laughing? Change the names and the story’s your!

First off I’ll start by apologizing for not producing the promised wheels. I really did mean to continue taking advantage of the great weather and to roller blade around Stanley Park. I even got as far as the sports store and looking at the roller blades, but then I got distracted by the ice skates and instead of roller blades I’m now much more excited about dusting off my ice skates and getting the blades sharpened ready for the ice rinks, so continue to watch this space, as skating of a slightly different description is still on its way, albeit a few weeks off yet!

That’s not to say I didn’t get to the park, I really have been enjoying the weather recently, although I’m starting to get very scared that it will disappear soon, and I’ve managed to get a run and a few evening walks in. The leaves have continued to slowly change color and are turning from a brilliant green to subtle and subdued oranges and yellows. The wildlife is running through the dappled sunlight really is picture book pretty in the evening. I’m not sure I will ever appreciate how truly gorgeous and beautiful it is here.

The two main events of the week have been the theater on Friday night, as part of an ongoing comedy event over last week and next week was generally well received, and the bi-monthly grocery shopping which gives me a nervous twitch.

Friday night was a performance of Peter Schaffer’s “Black Comedy”, and after a friendly warning that it was easy to over perform I was delighted to say the actors and crew hit just the right note. If you don’t know the story it is about a young artist hoping to impress a famous art collector and his prospective father- in-law. In order to do this he steals his neighbor’s furniture. The farce ensures when there is a power cut and the said neighbor returns early from a trip, wanting to take refuse in the artist’s house. As is usual with farce the mix ups and problems are always exacerbated well beyond the known quantities. It was very well done and incredibly funny. Although the accents did waver slightly a passably attempt at an English accent was managed by all the cast, I only hope I don’t sound quite like some of them! Some of the jokes may have also been lost on a predominantly Canadian audience who didn’t appreciate or experience the true delights of British Rail coffee and sandwiches. Unfortunately the Chekhov play, “The Marriage Proposal” was incredibly overacted way beyond the point of funny, and cringe worthy and sliding quickly into embarrassing. The only positive being that the actors managed to condense 30 minutes of dialogue into 24 minutes meaning that it was over faster than expected. Otherwise a fantastic night, made better by the presence of Malteasers!

The grocery shopping trip is only worth a mention because I can’t believe something so mundane can enrage me so much. My stress levels spike when this time of the month approaches. I have never seen so many rude and discourteous people in one place. The driving is shocking, if you don’t have a small car, don’t park in a small car space! You will get stuck, you will not be able to get your car out again, and you will cause a multi-car pileup in the parking lot. Read the signs and follow them! The less said about being in the store and elbows being used the better. When the four counters each have eight people with over flowing shopping carts waiting to pay it is time to open the other twelve unused ones. Blocking aisles is never a good shopping policy! Rant over- I will go take some Prozac and calm down, safe in the knowledge I’m not going back for another two weeks.

Some come to see; some come to be seen…

After the ripple of excitement at Fall approaching last week, and my fascination at the slowly changing color of the leaves I have to report that Summer has well and truly returned this week. The sky has been clear blue and the sun has been gloriously shining nearly all week. In fact the weather has been absolutely perfect for being outside and making the most of the city. So that is exactly what I have been doing.

This week has seen a few late afternoon walks, and a run around Central Park, watching the ducks and the turtles in the pond- I would love to call it a lake but I really don’t think it is that large, but I’m not sure pond entirely does it justice either as it does have an island and footbridge. Actually, this week has been fairly interesting on the wildlife front- I really will look into getting a different hobby- I have encountered a squirrel as large and as scare as panther, I was more than a little afraid it was going to hunt my down and carry me off onto the forest, and I really should apologize to my father who has spent the last year telling me about vicious black squirrels; in the past they have never seemed that large or aggressive but having been confronted by a panther sized one I’m prepared to acknowledge he may have a point. I really am quiet taken with the baby squirrels though, another new and novel occurrence. Possibly the highlight of the central park wildlife experience was the owl flying around this afternoon. I have never seen small animals, chipmunks, squirrels and the like stay quite so still and silent. You really could have heard a pin drop, and the flurry of activity when the owl finally moved was shocking swift. The only reservation I now have about the park is the rustle you hear in the trees and undergrowth as it starts to get dusky. In the past I have put this down to deer, now I learn that it is coyotes. I’m not really sure I’m that keen on seeing them, although I have a feeling the panther sized squirrels would see them off..

To continue on the nature theme, I feel the chipmunks on Grouse Mountain deserve a quick mention this week, incredibly cute and prepared to brave the only wet day we have seen in a while. It is also a very dubious link to the oft mention topic of “The Grind”. I was a little slower this week, adding 15 seconds to my time. It was however very wet, so in true “Top Gear” tradition I will have to start a wet/ dry fastest grind times. I think this week I was actually climbing a waterfall! While the rain had stopped a few hours previously and the tree cover stopped any residue dripping onto me I think all the water was washing down from the top and trying to sweep me out to sea. None the less I did make the top, and I also now have a new T-shirt proclaiming I can do it in less than one hour.

Saturday was the main activity day for the weekend, and the beautiful weather made it just perfect for people watching outside. It was also, luckily Davie Day, which involves Davie Street being shut down for a street party/ festival with music, street vendors, craft tents and a whole host of people wearing wonderfully outrageous costumes. I have to wonder how the many dressed in sheet metal didn’t manage to cook himself given the temperature, and the fact that even I turned a light shade of pink across the cheeks! Generally though there was so much going on, people in costume- I am really sorry that I forgot my camera and thus the picture this week comes from the Davie Day website- http://www.davieday.com/ if you want to check it out. Children painting murals, calking on the sidewalks and a really happy friendly vibe. (I’m not sure small children are the best artists in the world though). From Davie Street it was a short walk down to English Bay which was absolutely jammed with people, but as ever it has a fantastic feeling. It is the kinda of feel that makes you realize how lucky I am to live here, and makes me realize how awesome Vancouver is. I really can’t describe the whole feel of being able to see the ocean, the beach, the mountains, the city back drop and be walking through the middle of an amazing event on the most perfect summer day. It was a moment that I would want to freeze in time and capture forever, a real freeze frame memory.

As I wandered round the bay and into Stanley Park you could hear music from the Country Music Festival- not necessarily my thing, but there really is always something going on- and see the boats out in the harbor. There is also a man who creates Inukshuks (sp) on the rocks along the beach and as the tide came in you could see them all balanced so precisely on the edges of the waves. How he has the patience and the expertise is amazing. Again I really wish I had had my camera, but I’m going back to Stanley Park next week, having decided I’m brave enough to hire a bike or roller blades and I will take some photos then.

Sunday was relatively quiet- a trip back to Central Park- making the most of the weather, just in time to catch the kick off for the Whitecaps game. The Whitecaps are the local soccer team, although I think a new one has just been bought and will play MLS. Not that I had tickets for this game but the stadium is set up so you can kind of peak through the fence. I have obviously also spent far too long in the US as I came to a halt as the National Anthem started and knew every single word, I think I managed the first line of the Canadian one. Umm- time to practice methinks.

In a burst of enthusiasm for next week’s planned rollerblading trip I did also visit the sports store and look into rollerblades- turns out I need to be about $160.00 committed to the project, so I thought I may check the weather and cheaper store before getting too excited. But next week I’m fairly sure wheels will be involved.

A year in Vancouver!

They say they memorize a lot of verses…

To continue with a theme I seem to have followed for the last few weeks- sports attire and shoes. Yes, they really do help. This week, again dressed in the right looking hiking combination I attempted the Grouse Grind. http://www.grousemountain.com/Summer/summer-activities/vancouver-bc-hiking-trails-trips/grouse-grind.asp
While I’m under no misapprehension that I will ever be near the quickest times of the season (all under 40 minutes for women) I was celebrating this week as I broke the hour mark. My fastest time now stands at 58 minutes and 27 seconds, and as a reward for this achievement I decided a Grouse Grind T-shirt was in order. The only problem being that I decided this at the top of the mountain and my purse was at the bottom…. Guess I’m going back up on Wednesday. “Nature’s Stairmaster” does save me a trip to the gym though and is a sight more picturesque to climb. This week you could hear the pitter-pat of the rain drops and the soft thud of the water on the earth trickling around you while ascending through the cloud level. Amazingly I stayed completely dry due to the tree cover on the way up, and by the time I reached the top I could look down on the cloud that was raining below.

Over the weekend I finally managed to get tickets sorted out the Bard of the Beach festival. This is something I have been meaning to do since I arrived and was being a little lax over. However, after two failed attempts to acquire tickets I thought I really ought to be a bit more organized and make ensure that I did go and see a production. So with tickets to “All’s Well that Ends Well” I was set. The festival has four different plays showing each year and takes place in Vanier Park, which means that the waterfront is the natural and magnificent backdrop to the stage. Festival style seating and tented stages leave the audience with an intimate and engaging experience. Initially I was a little apprehensive as “All’s Well…” was set against a Victorian backdrop, but the actors were incredible and the whole production was captivating. While I’m not a huge fan of “Othello” or “Richard II” I may see if I can manage to get some more tickets for “Comedy of Errors” next week, could be a tough call as it is coming to the end of its run. Definitely one to watch for next year, and be a bit quicker off the mark.

Excitement levels were growing today as it felt like the first Fall day! The temperature, while not cold was a few degrees lower than it has been, and cashmere sweaters and boots with socks felt like appropriate attire. I do love the few September sweater days that start to appear towards the first half of the month. While the forecast assures me that it will be mid to low 20s again by Tuesday I could see the first orange tinges to the leaves and the slight crispness in the air that appears to toward dusk, for the first time in about five years I starting to remember what seasons feel like. I’m sure I’ll be much more excited by this as the leaves really start to change over the next few weeks- Fall could be my favorite time of year, well until Spring anywayJ. So, I’m off to buy new boots, and I’ve just realized I don’t have a coat either….