HAPPY MAY DAY

HAPPY MAY DAY
May 1st, often called May Day, just might have more holidays than any other day of the year. It's a celebration of Spring. It's a day of political protests. It's a neopagan festival, a saint's feast day, and a day for organized labor. In many countries, it is a national holiday.

This article was in the local paper yesterday, and thought maybe it would be interesting to put on here. I don't think I'd like to be the photographer when the bear first stuck out his head from his hibernation cave and be the first thing it saw! Especially after not eating for months!!

I'll just pop out and check my shadow

The grizzlies on Grouse are pretty sure winter is over.
Resident grizzlies Grinder and Coola at Grouse Mountain's Refuge for Endangered Wildlife emerged on a chilly Friday last week and spent the afternoon frolicking and wrestling in the snow.
The male grizzlies have been holed up in their hibernation den for four sleepy months -- their longest hibernation period to date.

GRINDER, one of two orphaned male grizzlies living at Grouse Mountain's Refuge for Endangered Wildlife, digs his way out of the hibernation den he has shared with Coola for more than four months - the longest period of dormancy for the bears since they came to Grouse in 2001.
Extreme snow conditions and unseasonably cool temperatures have had a big impact on the length of the Grinder and Coola's hibernation, according to a press release from the refuge.
Andrea Scott, communications manager for Grouse Mountain Resorts, said that the bears lost about 20 per cent of their body fat over the winter months.
The North Shore is generally black bear country, but the two grizzlies came to the refuge as orphans in 2001.
"They look to be in excellent shape after a long hibernation and seem to be enjoying the snow," said refuge director Ken Macquisten.
Macquisten's team has watched the bears emerge for seven consecutive winters now. Over the years, the refuge team has learned a thing or two about grizzly habits, including the previously unknown fact that grizzlies are not "true hibernators." Unlike other hibernating animals, who are as hard to rouse from deep sleep as your average teenager, hibernating bears have a period of extended sleep called "dormancy." Grizzlies fatten up in the fall and then spend three to five hibernating months in snow caves -- not eating, but occasionally waking and moving around.
When stirring becomes pacing and that pacing goes on for a few weeks, the refuge team knows that the bears are about to emerge.
Anyone is welcome to stop by the refuge to see the bears, said Scott, but to catch them at their friskiest, she recommends coming around 10 a.m.

There are many bear sightings around here where we live, however, more up and around the house's on the upper levels, built on the side of the mountains. But it's not uncommon to have one close to us either!
So with that little story, I'm still wondering when my two aunties, Irene and Colleen are coming out to visit??

The day got off to a rough start, with me not feeling quite well. So at 11, I went back to bed and slept for an hour and felt much better. Then an hour or so in the "Loo", and I felt more myself. It must be all the spinach salad or something that I was eating. Tom said it felt like that "other woman" has been visiting the last few days, and now that I'm smiling again, he said "I hope she never comes back...I hate her!" Meaning, my "other" mood!

Then we thought we'd try out a mystery tour on our GPS, so not knowing where "Jill" was going to take us, we set out, following her directions. It took us to a park where we used to walk the dog, near our favourite Tim Horton's! Not real exciting!! We were hoping for some big surprise we had never seen before. But we stopped for our daily cup of java and that was good!

Then we went to the Londsdale Quay, which is a two story market full of little shops. They have a soup Meister there, that makes terrific homemade soups, and our favourite is, Thai Shrimp Curry. It's absolutely delicious! This is also the place where we catch the sea bus over to Vancouver, which is a fun little ride.

Not very good pictures but the best I could find.

So, that's been our day. The rest of the day is pretty routine, We watch Oprah, make dinner, have a bath, and head to bed to read. OHHHH yeah....it's Thursday, my favourite night on TV.

Roxanne, is pretty close to winning the pool, if she can just hang on a bit longer with her pick of winners. Only three nights left! WhooooHooooo, wouldn't that be great!!

Picture of the Day: More of burning the camp. This was Tom's workshop, also the shower room. Looks like the new owners, let loose with paint spray and had fun writing all over it, before the fire department came in for the big burn.

Thought for the day: