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.
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.
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