QUESTIONS ANSWERED

 

Yesterday, I asked if anyone knew the connection between Emily Carr and a horse with a monkey on top and a little dog, and a person that made up a sculpture, on one of Vancouver’s streets. I got lots of answer’s and web sites sent to me regarding this picture. Thank you to everyone! I’m smarter now!

If interested please follow this link.  http://www.heffel.com/links/News/2005_08_22_Faffard_E.aspx

Another question asked: Did I see Vancouver sky the other night? Yes, Sis, I did see it, which means you are not reading your favourite sister’s blog!! But my sister sent me a great time view of the day of the storm that is very interesting to see and I appreciated her sending it. Also, hello to Gil, who I thought of today and every time we go down Davie Street and turn onto Denman Street. I hope all is well, and one of these day’s we’ll come in searching for you and having a cold one!!

PS…if this doesn’t work for you, copy and paste into your browser. It’s fascinating to see, with incredibly beautiful skies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNgk1pEHi_Q

Another question – I’m not working on genealogy at the moment. Shannon is waiting for some microfiche and without her pushing me, I’m stale mated for the moment. Will get back to it though.

Another question asked about the whale: Courtesy of the Vancouver Sun and CanWest News Service

 

VANCOUVER — A dead fin whale found wedged against the bow of an Alaskan cruise ship in Vancouver will be dropped back into the ocean following an necropsy to determine how it died.

The adult whale was discovered lodged on the bulbous bow, the part of the bow that cuts through the water, when the Sapphire Princess docked at Canada Place Saturday morning after returning from Alaska.

It’s not yet known whether the whale was dead or alive when it collided with the Princess Cruises’ ship. Fin whales are listed as threatened under the Species at Risk Act.

“We don't know a lot about fin whales. They’re called the greyhounds of the sea because they’re quick and they’re usually just zipping by,” said Paul Cottrell, Pacific marine mammal coordinator for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. “The necropsy will be extremely useful for research and education.”

Cottrell said the whale’s carcass has been taken to Sidney for the necropsy and would likely be dropped into its watery grave within a week.

“Dead whale carcasses team with life on the continental shelf and beyond. They are really islands of life,” Cottrell said. “They provide an ecosystem for a whole bunch of other animals.”

Two tugboats were required to move the whale because of its size. Cottrell said it was about 21 metres long, weighed about 70 tonnes, and was likely middle-aged. Fin whales usually grow to a maximum length of 24 to 27 metres.

“The great expertise of divers under the water allowed us to remove the whale without a hitch,” Cottrell said.

Tourists watched as the whale was removed from the boat's bow.

“It looks so small compared to the boat,” said Ed McKeowan, 69, of Chicago.

“I think it’s a shame but it’s inevitable. Unfortunately we share the sea with the whales,” said Ross Harlow, 70, of Whistler.

Fin whales are not normally found in Johnstone Strait or Georgia Strait, so it’s likely the ship struck the whale somewhere north of Vancouver Island, Lisa Spaven of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans said.

“Vessel strikes are a very real threat to fin whales,” Spaven said, adding it is very difficult to put a number on how often whales die due to ship collisions since such incidents may go unreported.

Princess Cruises said in a news release: “It is unknown how or when this could have happened, as we have strict whale avoidance procedures in place when our ships are in the vicinity of marine life.

“We take our responsibility to be good stewards of the marine environment very seriously, and have clear guidelines for our ships on how to operate if whales are sighted nearby, which include altering course and reducing speed as required.”

This is the second time in the 10 years that a cruise vessel has come into the Port of Vancouver with a whale caught on the bow.

In June of 1999, the Celebrity Cruise vessel MV Galaxy collided with an adult male fin whale, which likely happened as the ship transited the Hecate Strait north of Vancouver Island.

 

 Tom went for his stress test this morning and he did VERY well, in spite of the set back he had. So, now we wait until the doctor looks at it and has a exercise program for him to do.

It’s another HOT, HOT day here but it’s fairly cool up here on the 7th floor with all our window’s open, along with a little, much welcomed breeze. More of the same ALL week long!

No hot meals are being cooked either, just tomato sandwiches, and not even toasted!! Too hot to cook and we don’t have a BBQ, which is something we would only use maybe once a year!

That’s it folks! Too hot to blog!!

IS THIS VANCOUVER, OR TORONTO?

Man oh man, is it HOT!! The beaches are so full that they are lining-up to get in for a swim! Can you believe that!!

I have always been moaning and groaning about the weather not getting warm enough for me in the summer here but by now, I’ve become acclimatized to Vancouver’s warm and more comfortable weather instead of this HOT stuff that is more like Ontario.

Martin and Joan and their daughter Heather and he son Byron, met us for breakfast at the Omelettery in Vancouver. It’s a nice place with great breakfasts.

Joan, Heather, Tom, Martin and Byron

Tom with his new lady! He didn’t care if she didn’t have arms, because she had other assets!

 

This sculpture I had seen once as we drove by it, but didn’t know where in Vancouver we where and nobody, seem to have any idea what the heck I was talking about when I’d ask if they knew where there was a horse with a money on it’s back. I’d just get funny looks!

The parking meters beside the restaurant had “no parking” on the whole street, so we went around the corner to park and VOILA’, there it was!!!

Below, is the plaque that goes with the man, the horse, monkey and dog. Does anyone out there know what it has to do with Emily Carr? Did she write something famous about these little cute guys? If anyone knows, please let me know also!

Four Generations

From there, with me driving, we went clear across Vancouver, to the Keurig Coffee Outlet, where Tom buys his coffee. The Keurig coffee maker is the kind you put in a little container the size of those little cups they put medication in for patients at the hospital. Just drop the cup into  the machine and It makes 1 1/2 cups at a time, it’s delicious and extremely fast to have the perked type coffee. You can buy many different types of coffee, tea of hot chocolate. Tom is a connoisseur of coffee, so just loves it. I still like my Tasters Choice decaffeinated instant coffee .

We arrived at the coffee factory outlet, right at noon, so with the sun just blazing, we found a little pub right near by, and had a nice welcomed cold beer to put in time until they opened again.

After that we set off for Brentwood Mall, and I browsed while Tom at and waited. He’s so patient!!

All I bought was underwear, socks and some Benadryl. I have no idea what I’ve touched, but have a wee bit of what I think is poison ivy on my one hand and a few places on my arm as well. All I can remember touching is the one tomato plant on the deck. Maybe there is another plant hidden in there somewhere…could be eh?

Leaving the cool mall and getting into that scorching hot car was miserable. I got home, took one Benadryl and slept for two hours!!

And that was our day!!

Dorothy from Owen Sound sent me a couple of pictures of the harbor there. It brought back memories, as I once lived there a very long time ago.

Is that an old grain elevator Dorothy?? How many big ships come into the harbor?  Owen Sound is on Georgian Bay, that goes into Lake Huron and Great Lakes

Looks like a tug boat party!

How is everyone’s tomato plants? My one plant is big, and has many tomato’s but only the size of golf balls!! I don’t think this is going to work and I give it tender loving care!

A RARE SIGHT FOR VANCOUVER

 

Yesterday, an unexpected cell of storms visited Vancouver. Usually storms like this happen more in the interior of BC, so this one brought everyone out on their balconies taking pictures and watching the great light show. Reminded me of Ontario thunder and lightening storms, but, I don’t think the boomers we’re as loud here as in Ontario. The sky was absolutely beautiful. This was our first rain, except for maybe a little sprinkle that wouldn’t even wet the grass, since before May, and it’s strange to see patches of dried out grass!

Another thing that went on last night was a yearly event called Celebration of Light International Firework Competition.

What is the Celebration of Light?  It’s a fireworks competition between four countries.  These aren’t just any old bottle rockets and roman candles they are big mommas that shoot way up into the sky and light up the entire sky for brief moments.  Everything is synchronized with music.  It really is an amazing sight.  The best day to go is the last day, which is the finale where all the countries competing take turns at wowing the hundreds of thousands of people watching. The Countries taking part this year, is Canada, South Africa, UK, China.

Even though a storm was going on, the show went off as usual. Mother Nature sure added to the light show and it drew a crowd, even in the rain. Luckily, we can see it from the bedroom balcony, and last night the show  seemed a little shorter and the finale, came up quicker then usual. If anyone is interested they can see the whole firework from Canada, by going to Global BC website, and scroll down on the left side, until you see the picture of it. It was not last nights show however with the lightening in the background. This was I believe the competition from Canada.  Put it on full screen and turn up the speakers.

Remember last week, I showed you a picture of the tide out, in Doggie Park? Tom and I walked the same walk this morning with the tide in, and the next picture will show you the difference.

Amazing difference eh?

TIDE OUT!                                                       TIDE IN!

Fishing for Salmon

 

Another strange happening around Vancouver yesterday when a Cruise Ship coming from Alaska hit a whale and it was stuck to the bow of the ship when it came into port.

A fin whale — a threatened species in Canada — was found dead and firmly wedged against the bow of a cruise ship following its arrival from Alaska.

The ship, Princess Cruise Lines' Sapphire Princess, docked at Canada Place Saturday morning. The whale was the size of two city buses, if you can imagine, however looks dwarfed by the ship. It is unknown if the was dead and floating when it was hit, or just by accident was ran into. Sad eh?