FRIDAY MORNING WALK IN AMBLESIDE

The snow has returned to the “Lions” when our weather took a dive into Fall. I love seeing the fresh fallen snow up there, as long as it stays up there!!

Most times, you can tell it’s snowing up in the mountains, when a big cloud forms up there, and when it clears,there is the white stuff!

This morning, I headed off for a walk, and made the circuit to Park Royal, then cut through to Doggie Park and back along the water….so, come with me for a walk and I’ll show you what I came across!

Below, is the sidewalk way to go. Park Royal is a nice village shopping center, just beyond those trees on the right. Park Royal is really on both sides of the highway with a fly-over road to the other side.

The empty field on the right is just starting to set up for a midway.

 A small part of Park Royal. It winds around and eventually you come to an inside mall. A really cute place to shop with everything you would ever need right here!

I met my friend Patricia here in Starbucks, for a chat and a laugh!

Then onward-ho to behind Park Royal to the beautiful walk to Doggie Park, which I’ve shown many times on here, so won’t add again.

This girl must be a dog-walker, she had a few of them!!

Then I reached the lovely little lagoon, with the ducks and it’ so picturesque, I couldn’t help taking more picture’s, although, picture’s of the ducks my be boring for you by now, as I blogged many before!!

 The little fellow was having a snooze in the shade of a big tree, so I tiptoed away and left him be.

Just swimming by, without a worry in the world!

I think this is a female duck! They say the male’s are the prettiest! Only in duck life eh!

 These ducks have a lovely place to live. The swans hid themselves in very deep shade, and I couldn’t get a picture of them today.

 My try at an “Artistic Shot”, through a bend in a tree limb.

 That is the Lions Gate Bridge in the distance!

 

 This is the path I followed along the Lagoon. Sp pretty isn’t it!!

 This HAS to be the male!! Look at those beautiful feathers!

Hellooooo ducky!!

 

 

 

A bevy of beauties!!

Okay, time to leave the ducks and keep walking! This guy is fishing for salmon!. The other day, someone told me that after the heavy rain we had through the night and day, that the shore was lined with fishermen, as now, the salmon could finally get up the river with the added water, back to their spawning ground. She said, all of a sudden, there was this BRRRRRrrrrrrrring sound, that was extremely loud. She said the ocean out in front of where she was, came ALIVE with jumping salmon by the millions, that churned the water. She said, even the elevator doors in the building, which is along the water, started to vibrate and shake, as if it came through the ground. I’ve never heard of this nor has Tom, but I do believe this girl. I’ve been going down almost everyday to see if I could see the salmon jumping and could only spot a bunch of them, but I guess, the majority we’re waiting for the chance to get back to spawn and the time was right! 

Pretty little picnic spot, that I cut through as a wee short cut!

 There was a time when we saw a gaggle of geese, in a V formation, and it was Autumn, we would say “The Geese are migrating south for the winter”, but now these silly birds, seem to want to not waste their time and energy and decide to just stay for the winter!

 And….here they are, right where I’m going to walk past, but as I continued to walk on the roadway, they began to come closer and closer toward me!!

I think they where going to gang up on me!!!!! I’m starting to get a little nervous!

 Now, they are beginning to surround me, and get closer and closer…… They have a plan!!!

Coming straight at me now, and I’m ALMOST surrounded!!! Okay, guys, just back off!!!

See how they came right across the road at me!!! Just after I “escaped”, a city worker, on a lawn tractor, rode right through them and you should have heard them carrying on, and making a huge protest. The worker soon left also!!

 The beach sure isn’t as populated as it was in the heat of the summer. In fact, it’s deserted!!! Only lonely me and the damn geese attackers!!

 There are always Japanese fishermen on the pier and also the odd seal stealing their bait!

Home again and feeling hot and tired. One last picture of the bright red mountain ash bush beside our building. I think it’s a Mountain Ash!

Well, I wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend and maybe I’ll get another blog in before the end of the weekend!

Bye!!!

A Weekend in Vancouver

Many things going on in Vancouver this weekend, but ours started with our walk along Doggie Park, which will take us to Park Royal shopping centre, where we may have a bowl of soup at Whole Food’s, or just a coffee at Starbucks! (No Tim Horton’s there, and I always feel like a traitor going to Starbucks!)

I love this walk, not only for the scenery, but for the many different breeds of dogs you see.  The dog’s seem to know this is their playground, and  are full of energy and playfulness and with each other. They lay all fighting behind and are on their best behavior. Sometimes, you can really match the owner with the dog, as they seem to have the same feature’s.

The dog below, carried his toy along the whole walk. He’d stop for a drink at the fountain,and then pick up his toy again and troop along.

Tom walking the pathway. I love it here!! Autumn is starting to show, with all the fallen leaves, however our weather all summer has been OUTSTANDING!! Tomorrow, it is suppose to change!

I love to look at the trees and all the little hiding places for the tiny creatures that must use them for their home. Or the child comes out in me….especially the Irish side of me,and I think maybe a little fairy lives in there, or a cute little gnome!

I keep thinking of painting a big stone, that say’s WELCOME and setting it at one of these little hiding places, just to give people passing by a little laugh.

I find the way the roots twist and turn around themselves is fascinating, and again ….could a wee mouse live in there??

Look at these two!! Boys and their toys!! Tom and Martin (Tom’s son), who both have NEW I Phones, and show off to each other the new feature’s and discoveries, on the phones. Joan and I, gave up with conversation with them!!

After breakfast, they sent us shopping and they came back here to chat and play with the new toys! I like them telling us to go shopping!!!

This morning, after church…..yeah right!! Let’s start over! This morning, Tom took  me on one of his fun mystery tours. I never know where he’s taking me, but it’s always something I enjoy. We took the bus,to the Vancouver Library and they had a National Book and Magazine Festival going on!

 

It’s a HUGE Library!! Actually almost overwhelming! Of course my camera wasn’t on a very good setting and all too dark!

Lot’s of little display tents set up, with books, authors, readings,contests and lots of give-a-ways!

I bought a 50 cent ticket for a prize of 1 copy of every single book in the book festival today. I never win at anything, but watch me win something like this, where I’ll need a moving truck to bring home my prize and another condo to hold them all! I think if I won, I’d direct the truck to the local library with a huge donation!!

West Jet Airlines, also there, and you could stand in the long line-up to spin the wheel and a chance to win two airline tickets to anywhere they fly!! I won a stain remover!! Oh well…told you, I never win the big prize!!

Lot’s of other fun things going on. Above, a writer is reading some poetry, a clown is juggling, this pretty girl all dressed up as a character in a children’s book, a tall Mount, how to make paper, and calligraphy!

And Tom playing on his iPhone!!!

I know it’s difficult to understand what these couple of pictures are. It’s from inside the library garden, and the architecture is amazing,but with all the shadows and window’s it’s hard to figure it out, unless being there, but believe me..it’s breath-taking!

Can you imagine, knitting a cover for your bike? They had a book on how to do this!!  I think they had a book here today, for almost anything!!

An Author??

Tom “Taking the Bull By The Horns!!”

I’m not afraid of him!!

Starting on our way home now, to catch out bus at the post-office.

The Harbour Center with it’s revolving restaurant, where Tom took me on another “mystery trip”.

My favourite photo of the day!

Home to the delicious smell of short ribs cooking away in the slow cooker and the wonderful aroma of garlic and onions and tomato sauce…yummy!!! Time to go make a salad for dinner.

This is the book I just finished! I read it because of the cruise we went on last weekend. The beautiful dining room on board was called “The Summer Palace” and inside they had the most beautiful paintings of the Russian family of the Romanov’s , the last Tzar of Russia. The book was about the kitchen boy and his story of what happened mere hours before the ALL the Romanovs and their servants were led to their deaths. It was a best seller and very interesting to read.

Below, is a few of those beautiful paintings, I took pictures of.

 

The Summer Palace on the Norwegian Pearl Cruise Ship. An interesting read!