AMBLESIDE, WEST VANCOUVER WEEKEND EVENTS

Many, events this weekend to make Ambleside, one very busy community! The big event was the Sarah McLachlan, Neil Young and Sheryl Crow, concert, which was only 2 blocks and a bit away from our condo. I could see though the apartment buildings to where the stage was being set up and was hoping the speakers would be facing in our direction, so we could at least hear it, as we didn’t get a ticket out of the 9,000 tickets sold and for a small fortune, I might add!!

So, like all the rest of Ambleside residence without a ticket, there was a steady trickle down to Ambleside park, to get a seat on the grass, on the seawall, or standing….which is what I did. I managed to get a glimpse of one of the big screens set up beside the stage which was 3 stories tall!! I stood on the curb reaching my neck up as high as I could and now and then, I’d get a peek.

I was very happy not to have had a ticket!! The concert started at 1pm, with some local, but apparently very good talent, before the main show began at 7pm to midnight. There was some very expensive seats up “NEAR” the stage, and the rest of the cheap seats, but expensive to me…was kept behind a fence, a long ways from the stage. People with tickets began to gather at 1pm, to get as close as they could for best viewing…standing! No chairs, no food or drink was allowed in, and once you went in through the paid area, you couldn’t get back out again. So, I imagine by the time the show started there was many hungry and thirsty people who had to line up at the food stands inside the fence, selling hamburger’s for $8.00 and beer for $7.00 and a small bag of potato chips for $3.00. Then comes the part, I’m REALLY happy I didn’t have a ticket….it was a VERY HOT day with no clouds, just that sun beating down in a very hot field!! It all sounds like it would have been the next thing to a torture session!

For once, I was happy to be on the outside! I went down at 7, once the show began and I found out I couldn’t hear the concert from our balcony. Talk about a beautiful night!! Talk about crowds!! Ohh my, it was wall to wall people, but very organized and behaved.

Cheryl Crow, was on first, and she sang her hits and then a 15 minute break before Neil Young was to come on. I think everyone was excited to hear his singing. What a disappointment!! He opened with a slow, drawn out song, and then on with another of the same! I could catch glimpses and knew he had a white hat on, and that’s all.

By then, my feet and my back, started slowly giving up on me. I was hurting!! This getting old is the pits!! So, I made my way through the crowd, out onto the sea walk and people by the hundreds where sitting on the beach, just listening, and I was tempted to stay as well, but I had phoned Tom to let him know I was on my way home. So, on I trudged.

This I took when I was heading done to the Concert, just as the sun was setting.

Beautiful!!

My view I could see now and then, at the big screens. That is a bouquet of flowers in the way! Darn!

AMBLESIDE COHO FESTIVAL

This afternoon it was back to the park to take in the Coho Festival.

Salmon on a bun, cob of corn, salad anyone?

Good eats, bands playing, tents with displays, and crowds on a beautiful sunny day!

Here below, comes a Native Indian Canoe coming to make a blessing of thanks for the Salmon!

In the beautiful boat, they have an offering to give back the sea, in thanks for providing the salmon run. It’s salmon heads and bones and other vegetables. They carry it over to the mouth of the river, where the salmon return to the Fisheries, and have a little service of thanks there. We didn’t go over to watch it as it was a bit of a walk.

Certainly NOT made out of birch bark!!!

The Canada Coast Guard was also showing off their large hovercraft Really neat to see the rubber it rides up expand with air, as it begins to move off the shore.

 

The Police Boat was doing checks on smaller boats.

 

Boats everywhere and people just enjoying the day!

There where two other events going on in the park as well….actually three other events. We never got to all of them. It was hot, and we had just found a nice shady, comfortable spot to take in what was in front of us, so content at that. But the Terry Fox Run, had tents and displays set up, as well as Paws for Pets, which was put on by the Animal Shelter in support of our wee pals, we call friends. Then the Farmer’s Market was going full speed.

I couldn’t resist taking this picture of a very cute 16 week old puppy!! Cute eh?

So, this was pretty much it for our weekend. I forgot to mention on Saturday, we drove up to Caulfield, a cute little place with beautiful, expensive homes, overlooking the ocean. We had a Starbucks, and I bought a bathtub pillow, and home we came, ordered pizza and all in all….another great weekend from the West Coast!!