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Thank you to my students: Part 3: Academic Skills

2012-01-26T15:30:00.000-08:00

There were only eight students in the grade 8/9 Academic Skills class, but their "free spirit" personalities made them seem like a larger group. I enjoyed them for their sense of fun, their spontaneity, their willingness to try just about anything, and for the way they embraced the opportunities offered by an international environment. As with my other classes, I found there was much to learn from them. Warm memories come flooding back as I look at the picture below. From left to right, I am happy to introduce you to Andy, Mike, Michael, Emily, Girardo, Nikolay, Lee and Tommy.

One day, I glanced out the classroom window and noticed the sun shining on Mount Baker. Everyone quickly got into the spirit of the moment. (Much better than doing grammar!) After a quick trip outside to see the mountain a little bit closer and to take in the fresh air, we came back inside, where we did some research on active volcanoes. This site was a surprise for me. I had no idea those of us in British Columbia should at least be aware that we could be affected if Mount Baker erupts. Below is Mount Baker as it appeared to us that day.

Gerardo (below) introduced me to two active volcanoes near Mexico City.

They are Popocatepetl (Smoking Mountain) and Iztaccíhuatl (The Woman in White). I was happy that day to learn a little bit about the area around Gerardo's home. The picture below is taken from the Nasa site and shows how those volcanoes look from outer space. If you look really closely at Smoking Mountain on the left, you can see that there is a plume of steam coming from its centre.

I took the next set of pictures one day when the students were working on their posters for presentations on the novel Walkabout. We used a Penguin Reader version of this novel, one that takes into consideration that the students were learning a new language as well as studying literary themes. Below, Michael works so hard, I don't think he even notices my camera.

He is determined to do a good job. This is what 100% effort looks like.

Nikolay returned to Russia at the end of the semester. He learned a lot in Canada, but in the end, decided there is no place like home. Your English came a long way, Nikolay. I hope you are enjoying life back with your family and that your studies are going well.

Lee seemed to be having fun with his project. A straightforward guy, quick-minded and bright, he was a "say it like it is" person.

He and Girardo worked really well together, and I wish I had taken a picture of their poster. It had little doorways that opened to reveal some of their ideas about the characters and themes in the novel.

Tommy, you also came a long way this semester. Writing about the characters wasn't your favourite activity, but I think you really understood their feelings and emotions. You often analyzed the people around you. I will always remember your warm heart and your thoughtful questions.

Mike (on the left) and Andy were great buddies. They played on sports teams together, sat together in class, and worked cooperatively and efficiently on this project.

Andy looks so serious in this photo, but if you check his other photos, you will see lots of smiles. He knew how to focus when necessary, but once his work was finished, he put equal energy into having fun.

Emily was another of those people who found a great balance between work and play. Here, she uses her time well, writing prolifically about the conflicts in the novel.

Although she had many passions like Justin Bieber, shopping, Facebook, and friends, she always made time for her schoolwork. Kind, good-humoured, and conscientious, Emily really was fun to have in the class. She taught me several things, but one will stay with me for a very long time. I confess, I used to sort of laugh at Justin Bieber, but truthfully I hadn't listened to any of his songs. She showed me this youtube version of a song of his called Pray, and it really opened my eyes to another side of him. If you have three and a half minutes to spare, watch how much pleasure Justin gives when he visits children around the world.

Here is another example of Michael putting his whole heart into everything he did. He is at the school picnic, but found some time to practice his drum skills for music class.

He identified with Peter in the novel, Walkabout. As he told me, he is a happy, friendly, outgoing boy who just wants to enjoy life, just like Peter was in the story.

Below, he puts equal energy into the Terry Fox run.

Mike (below) also put his heart into everything he did, but maybe a little extra if it involved a sport. Here, he plays baseball at the school picnic in September, while Mr. Smith looks on.

Below, he starts out with a burst of speed during the Terry Fox run.

As he nears the finish line,

he is still running strong.

The next three pictures were taken on Halloween Day, when we did our "scary story" activity. From the left, you can see Emily, Mike and Andy (under the table), Michael, Girardo, Lee, Nikolay, and Tommy. Tommy was especially good at making his voice spooky and keeping us all in suspense.

I love the expressions on Mike and Andy's faces..

when they saw my camera zooming in on them.

The photos below were taken during our trip to the Gulf of Georgia Cannery in Steveston. Emily enjoyed spending some time with her friends from one of the other classes. She got along really well as the only girl in her class, but sometimes, it was good to be able to talk about "girl stuff."

Below, they check out the cannery gift shop.

The next photo makes me smile. Just a bunch of guys (Mike, Michael, Tommy, and Gavin) hanging out together, happy to spend a school day outside of the classroom. Gavin, on the right, was not in my class that semester, but I felt like he was an old friend, after teaching him in music and English classes in previous semesters.

In this next shot, you can also see Lee (4th from left), Andy (white jacket) and one other student from a different class.

The tour guide was absolutely excellent. They have developed strong programs to teach young people and adults about B.C's early history. Since we had booked well in advance, they were prepared for our "English as a Second Language" students.

The students had studied a vocabulary list and other material that had been sent to the school. During the presentation, the guide had the students identify the various parts of the demo salmon. I have to admit being proud of our students. They were quick to respond, friendly and fun to watch as they called out their answers. There were many dangers for the workers during the early history of the cannery, and the guide did not hold back. If you read this poster about the Singing Knives, I'm sure you can imagine some of the horrific accidents.

Just one more example of Andy's great smile. I really enjoyed his positive attitude to everything he did.

After touring the cannery, we walked along the boardwalk of the Britannia Ship Yard to the Chinese Bunkhouse. This was the place where most of the Chinese workers lived. It had been recently renovated, and was a warm, attractive place to visit. However, we learned that there would have been many more beds crowded together.

The Chinese boys quickly found the Mahjong game. Wait a minute, the boy in the right hand corner is Girardo. He's from Mexico. I don't know if he already knew the game, or if he was learning it on the spot. Just one of many advantages to going to a school with so many countries of the world represented.

There were many framed stories and photographs on the walls of the bunkhouse. I didn't have time to read every one, but the one below has stayed with me. It describes the life of the Chinese workers when the season ended. Sometimes, if they were really lucky, they might have saved enough money to go back to China to visit with their families. For most, that wasn't possible. They couldn't even afford a small room downtown, so many of them stayed in the bunkhouse. They had little heat and less food, and the only way they could conserve enough energy to stay alive was to spend a good portion of their days in bed.

The final two pictures for this post represent the children of the workers and bosses during those early days at the cannery. The toy box and the doll's house were in the home of one of the supervisors. These were clearly the privileged ones of that society.

The children in the picture below appeared to be unsupervised and I'm assuming (perhaps incorrectly) that their parents would have been working in the cannery.

Those two pictures speak to me about the power of imagination and creativity in young people. Rich or poor, children will find a way to put fun into their day. The students in my class did that, but they did more, without even realizing it. Thank you, each one of you, for your smiles, your laughter, your conversations, your games and your positive energy. You will go far in life, I believe, but wherever you land, I hope your sense of fun stays right there beside you.

Thank you to My Students: Part 2: International Studies

2012-01-13T10:19:00.000-08:00

There were only 11 students in the International Studies class, but as a group, they were outgoing, confident and happy to express their opinions. Often, discussions reached a surprisingly deep level, and I am grateful for the ways that they inspired me to examine my own thinking. Some of the conversations we had continue to come to mind. I hear the students' voices and remember their ideas and say a heartfelt "thank you" to them for their energy, honesty and depth of understanding. I didn't take a lot of pictures of this class, so the ones you see here will mostly come from Hallowe'en Day, when a few of the students dressed in costumes, and we gathered together to tell scary stories.

2nd row: Alex, Kirill, Antonio, Seongbeom, Amir, Ing

Front row, from left to right: Maggie, Mariano, Amy, Kotoka, Nick.

Here, I asked them to make scary faces and this was the result. It wasn't a competition, but I think Nick (lower right corner) is the winner, with Mariano (second from left, front row) and Ing (top right) perhaps tied for 2nd place. Antonio's wig wasn't scary, but I liked it a lot :)

Antonio, minus the wig, looked very cool in his shades and red shirt. His scary stories happened to be true ones, as were Mariano's (in the hat). I have never seen Mexico, but I hope to, one day. Both boys warned me that there are dangers there, but I like to think that these intelligent and aware young men might have some influence at the government level when they are older. Perhaps, they will be able to help bring greater peace to the beautiful country they so clearly love.

Seongbeom (below) was the only Korean speaking student in the class. One thing for sure, he had no problem respecting the EOP (English Only Policy) rules :) He was very quiet in class (understandable), but we had a memorable conversation one day after class. I admired his courage and his maturity, and that conversation will stay with me. I have just two pictures of him, one when I think he was listening to one of his classmate's stories, and the second, with just a small smile for the camera. You will do well, Seongbeom. Take it easy and be confident in your many talents.

I think Maggie (below) will one day have a job that takes advantage of her natural curiosity about her fellow human beings. I could often feel her studying the people around her (including me). She was never afraid to ask questions, and she was deeply honest.

Below, she laughs with a friend as she takes part in the Terry Fox run. Her smile, her energy and her kind heart made her a strong presence in the class.

Thank you for the beautiful scarf, Maggie. I love the colour and I love that it is in a circular form. When I'm taking pictures on cold days, I can keep my hands and my camera warm inside it :)

Nick had been at Bodwell about a year or so before, but had changed so much, I didn't recognize him when I first saw him in my class in September. This was a very outgoing class (something that I loved!), but perhaps, Nick was the most willing to bare his soul. Life had dealt him a couple of early lessons, and although I didn't know all the details, I felt he had come out of those lessons a stronger and happier person. He told great scary stories; his soft, spooky voice kept all of us in suspense. I didn't have the pleasure of teaching him music this past semester, but took the two photos below during the Remembrance Day ceremony. He and Seong Hung (a former flute-playing student of mine. (Sorry for possible misspelling!) did a great job on the snare drum part. Nick had a talent for expressing himself and this became obvious in both his written and his oral projects. His essay and assignments all told me that he is a thinker who will make his mark on the world.

Don't let his "scary face" in the lower right hand corner fool you :)

Amir (above, 2nd from right, and below) was a serious student, and I can still hear his voice when he recited "In Flanders Fields." He really worked hard to perfect his pronunciation and he spoke with great expression. He put a lot of pressure on himself, but he also had a sense of humour, as you can see in the picture above. A perfectionist, I don't think he really gave his own ideas enough credit. Trust yourself, Amir. Your oral presentations convinced me that you need only to voice your thoughts or write your opinions and the world will listen. I feel we will hear more from you in the future. I look forward to that. Take good care of yourself :)

Amy, on the left in the picture below, was another person who really wanted to understand her fellow human beings. She researched thoroughly, in preparation for her oral presentation on the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway. I know she felt very sad to learn of the hardships and injustices suffered by the Chinese people. When we went to Steveston, one of her concerns was for the workers who died here, often penniless, before they could return home to China, as they had planned. She wondered how they would have been buried, and whether their bodies would have been returned home to their families. That question broke my heart, because the truthful answer wouldn't be very reassuring to her, but it also showed me the depth of Amy's thinking. I think we were both comforted that Mr. Harper's government finally made a formal apology in 2006 to the Chinese people. Embracing and respecting different cultures is something that has been a long time coming, but schools like Bodwell, where so many cultures live and work together, are a great start.

Below, Amy puts her whole energy into the Terry Fox run, just as she did when she sang, and just as she did with everything that she became involved in. I'm sorry not to have a picture of her singing, but I heard her one day, and still remember her beautiful voice! Amy is a girl of many talents and she has a huge heart to go with them!

I was lucky enough to teach Alex for two semesters. (He's on the left in the picture below). In this photo, he is doing his scary face :) I like that picture a lot. It's definitely not scary, but it shows his "joie de vivre" and it shows his enthusiasm and his lack of shyness. Alex was game to try just about anything suggested. Like Nick, he was also willing to share small details about his life outside of school that I really appreciated. I hope I'm not embarrassing him to include a picture of a much younger Alex with his parents and the words from his first blog entry a year ago. You will change the world, Alex, and you will do it kindly, and with a great smile.

"I think I am a good boy. Maybe, I will change the world."

Hi, everyone, it is my first blog. Maybe you want to know who is me. My name is Yiyang Zhang, I am a Chinese boy, I am 14 years old, My English name is Alex. I am a high school's student. I have 3 people in my family , my father, my mother and me. My father was born in Henan Province, my mother was born in Wuhan Province, When my father 18 years, he went to Wuhan Province to go to college and knew my mother, I think it is so nice. I have a lot of hobbies, such as collect something and eat. I like to collect soccer shoes, money and electronic, I think collect is so interesting, you can learn some knowledges. I like to eat, my favourite food is Chinese food, because Chinese food has China 5000 years culture.

Below, and to the far right, is Ingkarat. I knew him as Ing. That's his scary face at the right. Not bad, Ing :) He was the only student in the class from Thailand. As with the students from Mexico, I sensed his love for his country but also his awareness that there are some problems there. He warned me it wouldn't be a good place to visit, but I am not convinced :) I love this picture of him below, just finishing up his Terry Fox run. That smile says everything about him. Just a good natured, kind and very intelligent fellow, unafraid to ask questions, and like Maggie, deeply honest. Don't lose that quality, Ing. Your questions reflected your curiosity about the world and about the people around you. These qualities will take you far in life!

Kirill and a Blue Heron at the school picnic

I do not have many photos of Kirill. The one at the left is cropped from the one of him with Amy and Alex. It's not very clear, but it shows an expression that was quite typical. He may have been a little bit skeptical, but he was always willing to listen, evaluate fairly and adjust if he felt the facts warranted a shift in opinion. Kirill's written work was fascinating. I looked forward to reading it, because it gave me an insight that was usually very different from my own, always expressed thoughtfully, and often reflective of his Russian background. Kirill won 1st place in the essay contest. The decision was unanimous among both staff and student judges. Sadly, I no longer have a copy of his essay, but if you read this Kirill, and are willing to send it to me, I would love to post it here.

I love this picture of Kotoka. I took it in the morning, just before we left for a three-day 'leadership training" experience at Camp Elphinstone. Kotoka has been in my music and English classes, off and on, for maybe a year and a half, but the past two semesters are when she truly found her voice. She traveled to Kenya, and when she returned, I was amazed to hear her speak so eloquently to the entire school about her experiences. She also attended a lecture. Was it Tara Teng, Kotoka, who first made you aware of human trafficking? And then, she attended the leadership conference in November. All of these experiences have brought Kotoka to a new stage in her life. She has vowed to speak out about human trafficking, and she kept her promise by doing a class presentation. She is the only student I know who is doing the Kenya trip twice. She will go on her spring break to rekindle some of the friendships she formed on her last visit. With such serious goals, you might think Kotoka doesn't know how to have fun, but nothing could be further from the truth. She loves and laughs with an energy that holds nothing back. It was really fun to see her taking in all that the camp had to offer.

Last (but not least), I come back to Mariano. I mentioned him briefly at the beginning of this post. You may have noticed that his right hand was in a cast. He had a fairly serious accident at the beginning of his semester, and had to spend most of his first couple of months in Canada hampered by that cast. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for him, because the thing Mariano most likes to do is to move. Soccer, running, skateboarding, snowboarding, table tennis - you name it, Mariano probably did it. He was outside, the first day after what must have been painful surgery, trying to figure out how to do the things he loves in a one-handed way. As frustrated as he must have been, he didn't complain! This boy is brave and he is strong! The other thing I cannot leave this post without mentioning is his high regard for his father. His father is also a very active person, and I could sense that Mariano's shared experiences with his father are near and dear to his heart. I so regret that I didn't get a good picture of Mariano at the Terry Fox run, but he was the first male to finish the race, an amazing accomplishment, since he was running with older (and supposedly stronger :) athletes. I do have a picture of him during our trip to Steveston. He is at the left, with the camera.

His twin, Santiago, is in the picture below. I didn't teach Santiago, but love this picture. It looks as if the statue of the young fisherman is whispering something very funny that only Santiago can here.

If you are curious about these wonderful statues by Norm Williams, you can find more information here.

Photo found at this site: http://www.normwilliams-sculptor.com/gallery/stevensons-legacy/

Photo found at this site: http://www.normwilliams-sculptor.com/gallery/stevensons-legacy/

My final picture for this post is of the entire group (3 classes) that visited Steveston. The students from this class are from left: 2nd, Kirill, 8th, Amir, 10th, Santiago (Mariano's twin), 11th, Antonio, 13th, Mariano, 15th, Ing (in front of Mr. Macintosh), and then, all the way to the right, Seungbeom (saying, "Please hurry up, Ms. Carson. I'm cold!") and Kotoka to his left. I'm so sorry I can't see the others, but to each one of you, a heartfelt thank you. It is my hope that you will fuel your bodies with good food, get enough sleep, and have the most fulfilling life imaginable. I am so very grateful for having had the opportunity to get to know you.

Thank you to my students. Part 1: Canadian Studies

2012-01-06T02:45:00.000-08:00

How to say "thank you" to the thousands of students in a long teaching career. There is no way, really, but in mid-December, 2011, when I retired, I began a blog post. I knew I couldn't name each person, nor even remember every face. I also knew that most would never see the blog or read my words. But, I had to try to express my gratitude. Each student left a mark on the person I became, and on the students who followed.

I decided to focus only on my final semester. The students who were in those classes, or who had connected with me at that time, would have to represent the many who came before. My post became longer and longer, and each day, I added to it. Then, one day, before I had a chance to publish, the post was gone. Lost in cyberspace forever. Because it was a draft, there is no way to get it back.

So, I begin again to try to express my thanks. This time, I will do four posts: 1. Canadian Studies, 2. International Studies, 3. Academic Skills, 4. Students from the past who reconnected through Facebook or e-mail. To the others whose names and pictures will not appear here, please forgive me and know that your impact was still felt. I am so grateful to you for everything that you taught me!

Part 1: Canadian Studies - The Last Class

1st row, from left to right: MC, Ancelin, Anh, and James.

2nd row: Carolina, Han, Michelle, Jaime, Oleg, Aleksander, Dinmukhamed, Frank, Kentaro, Taiki, and Jack.

James organized the students to make a beautiful poster for me. This was to be my last class ever, and he made it a beautiful memory that will stay in my mind for a very long time. Thank you, James, and thank you to each one of you!

Here's a close-up of the poster. I love it, and will keep it forever.

In the picture below, I asked the students to get silly. Carolina and Ancelin made funny faces, Frank and Anh did bunny ears, and Taiki played the drums on James' head. The others laughed. I love this picture.

Ancelin had the idea of separating the groups by country. She took the pictures.

MEXICO

Carolina, Michelle, Jaime, Ms. Carson

Ancelin had fun being creative with my camera.

RUSSIA, KAZAKHSTAN

Dinmukhamed, Oleg, Ms.C, Aleksander

JAPAN

Taiki, James, Ms.C, Kentaro

VIETNAM

Anh, Ms.C

CHINA, TAIWAN

Jack, Ms.C, MC, Ancelin, Han, Frank

This time, Ms. C remembered to face the camera.

Ancelin said Ms.C had to do stand alone with the poster.

Anh checked that no part was falling off the poster.

I love that James is not afraid of the camera. Jaime smiles in the background.

We went back in the classroom. The final exams were all finished and I knew the students deserved a break. I told them they could do whatever they chose for the rest of the class. Frank looked serious as he listened to music on his laptop. Several times during the semester, Frank said things that stayed in my mind. He did a bicycle trip to Tibet that inspired me. I hope to have an adventure like that some day. When we learned about Remembrance Day, he told me that he hates war. I could feel the emotion in his voice. I was sad for him, but happy for the world, because I know he will do everything possible to keep peace wherever he goes.

Oleg looked up with an enigmatic smile. He told me that he really likes history. His mark of 95% on his final exam was the highest mark I gave for the whole semester. Oleg didn't speak up very often, but when he did, everyone listened. Somehow, we recognized that he only spoke when he felt he had something to say, and that his words would be honest, heartfelt and significant.

James sat in the corner by my desk. He connected his laptop to the TV, so that everyone could listen to his amazing collection of music. I really enjoy that he loves music so much. Although I did not teach music in my final semester, music has been a very big part of my career, and James was in my band class last semester. He played the trumpet and also the drum set. He made that class rock! I will never forget that.

Jaime is a "gentle giant" sort of guy. Once, I was walking through the cafeteria when a fight broke out between two students. Fights are very rare at Bodwell. In my 13 years with the school, I had never before witnessed one. I was so surprised, it took me a minute to think what to do. I tried but could not separate the students. Then, I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was Jaime. With a small smile, he wrapped one student in a bear hug. The fight was over in an instant, and I believe it was because of Jaime's calm nature. Jaime also brought tears to my eyes when I read his Rafiki essay to the class. Rafiki means friendship in Swahili. For the past few years, a few of our students have gone to Kenya to establish a friendship with students in two schools there. We had an essay competition about the importance of this connection. Jaime's words made me feel good about the world's future. He is gifted with the ability to see beyond the surface. He truly understands that we are all humans trying to get along in one world. Under our skins, we are the same.

Jaime gave me this table cloth that I love. The embroidery shows..

the traditional Mexican culture. The colours and stories in it are alive with beautiful energy.

Han didn't talk very much when he first arrived at Bodwell, but I could tell that he was listening and learning. Then, I asked everyone to memorize "In Flanders Fields" and to recite it in front of the class. Han did an amazing job! He also spent time after class discussing his Rafiki essay with me. Han's ideas were profound, and his desire to do well was very strong. I came to know him better through those after-school talks and was happy for him when the judging committee chose him to be on the short-list.

Below, Anh and MC sit, each lost in their electronic world. Anh was the only student from Vietnam, and she is just beginning to develop her English language skills. That is not an easy situation to be in. Often, her eyes told me that she wanted to express something, but finding the words in English was a challenge. She must have felt frustrated, but she never showed it. It was rare to find her without a smile, and she loved to be helpful in the classroom. She was always the one to replace the posters that fell from the wall. Anh is well on her way to success in her studies.

Ancelin made me laugh many times. She really was a lot of fun to have in the class. She is an organizer, and never afraid to speak her thoughts honestly. She is a wise person, and when she made suggestions, I usually listened. The other students did as well. One doesn't really argue with Ancelin :)

Jack arrived in Canada mid-semester. He has gone back to China, but during his time here, he went from someone who rarely spoke, and never smiled, to someone who always came into the classroom with a friendly greeting, and who never left without saying good-bye. His smile became bigger and bigger as the semester went on. I will miss that smile, Jack, and hope you will let me know how things are going for you.

Taiki smiled when he saw it was his turn for my camera's eye. Always good-natured, Taiki went calmly about his days, doing his best to complete his work, even when it was difficult. I often wonder how I would have fared in a foreign country, far from my family, completing my schooling in a new language. Our students are brave. It is so easy to forget that, especially with the ones who quietly go about doing the best they can with never a complaint.

Kentaro didn't smile. He wrote on my beautiful poster, "I'm so sad." Me too, Kentaro! I'm happy to go on with this new phase in my life, but also sad to lose the interaction with young thinkers like you who have so much to share with the world. I will miss you, always so willing to help whenever I needed someone to translate, and always with an "I get it" expression in your eyes. Thank you for the origami crane, a symbol of peace that you gave to me one day, after one of our Remembrance Day discussions.

I don't know if you thought of it as a symbol of peace, or if you just knew I would like it because I like birds. Either way, I will keep it as a cherished memento of your special contribution to the class.

Aleksander was another student who always said it like it is. He made me laugh too, because he really understood the idea of keeping things simple. I don't know if he knew about the KISS theory, or if that direct, uncomplicated approach was just his natural way. I think his quick intelligence will take him far in life.

Dinmukhamed peeked around his laptop with a small smile. He overcame a difficult situation with courage after the midterm, and I think he knew I respected him for that turnabout. I have the magnet he gave me at the beginning of the semester on my fridge. It represents Astana-Almaty's torch relay and the 2011 Asian Winter Games. It will always bring Dinmukhamed's country (Kazakhstan) and his friendly, hardworking nature to mind.

Michelle (on the left) and Carolina were great friends, and both had smiles as big as their warm hearts. Michelle was quite new at studying English, and like so many of the others, struggled many times to find words to express her feelings. I sensed her frustration sometimes, but she knew what was most important. Can you guess? You only have to look at her sunny face, and you will know the answer. Yes.. you have it. Keep smiling! That was Michelle's lesson to me, and I hope I never forget it. Carolina taught me lessons too. She could work with anyone in the class, no matter what country they came from, and she could always find a way to communicate. I think, like Jaime, she has a talent for understanding what lies beneath the surface. This makes people trust her. Another lesson I hope to remember.

At the end of the class, everyone left, and I spent a few minutes just thinking about the fact that I would no longer be teaching. Wow! Talk about a lifestyle change. Just as that feeling was sinking in, Jorge appeared. He had not been able to attend the class, but I really appreciated that he took time to come in afterwards. Ancelin came with him, and made sure to get a picture :)

Jorge is a super-kind and super-fun person. And, the best part is that he is not afraid to show his kindness. He was also the 2nd place winner in the Rafiki essay contest, something to be especially proud of, as he competed against two other more advanced English classes. As I think about it, I realize this class really had the perfect mix of personalities. That final visit reminded me that I was the luckiest person in the world to have had the opportunity to teach, and to end my career with such a beautiful group of students.

The rest of this post is a collection of pictures from events throughout the semester.

James at the school picnic.

Anh (on the left),

smiling as she finishes the Terry Fox fun.

Jorge, finishing the Terry Fox fun..

in style.

A beach walk.

James, using Jaime for a boost up.

Jaime, lost in thought.

Anh, enjoying the day.

Kentaro and Michelle. Invitation to play ball.

Some Canada Geese

Gathering by McKay Creek

Aleksander, the philosopher.

Frank, offering gifts at Fort Langley

Carolina, Michelle and Oleg

Taiki and Kentaro, writing with quill-pens

James

Jaime

James, playing for all of us.

Merl Jones, our entertaining guide at Fort Langley, a Sto'lo Nation person.

Kentaro shows his strength.

Anh, Jorge, Michelle, Carolina, Dinmukhamed enjoy a chance to sit.

Kentaro uses the saw

Dinmukhamed uses the saw.

Jorge, Jaime, Aleksander, Dinmukhamed and Merl look over the Fraser River.

Michelle helps Merl in the Blacksmith shop.

They made this hook. It was a prize in the vocabulary contest. Oleg was the winner!

Dinmukhamed pulls the rod that fans the fire.

Kentaro tries it too.

James too. Merl checks the fire.

A group photo with Merl.

Han takes a photo..

of Frank who makes a peace sign.

The perfect ending for a wonderful group of students who value peace and friendship. My deepest thanks and appreciation to you all.

Snowy Owls (Part 2) Hawks, and a Heron on Sunday

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

This is the sequel to my last post, and includes pictures from our return trip to Boundary Bay on Sunday, after first seeing Snowy Owls there on Saturday. It was a cold but beautiful day, and we stopped en route for a few sunrise shots.

I took one shot through the truck window to show the mist rising over the fields to our right.

Bill leaned as far back as possible, wanting to give me a chance to take pictures through his window. This was looking towards Mount Baker. Black Jack was focused on getting there as quickly as possible. She did not take her eyes of the road, and I knew pictures of lemmings danced in her head.

Mount Baker to the left, and the sun, a ball of fire, peaking out from behind the tree.

This may be the tallest Blue Heron I've ever seen. I've named him/her "Boundary" in honour of the way s/he kept to more or less the same area of the park, not the slightest bit deterred by the numerous photographers, and even a few hunters. In this picture, Boundary is crouched low..

but here, stretches tall.

I will go with Northern Harrier as a guess for all of the hawks we saw. Please do correct me if I'm wrong.

I was sad that several of the photographers did not keep a respectful distance. As explained in the poster at the entrance to the park, Snowy Owls need to conserve energy. If they fly away, you are too close!

These two owls were surrounded.

We stayed back, but had the opportunity to catch some photos of owls fleeing the more aggressive photographers. This one came straight towards us. Most of the following pictures speak for themselves, so no commentary is really needed. They weren't by any means perfect photographs, but I was aware with each one what a privilege it was to be that close.

We had rubber boots that made walking much more comfortable than it had been the day before. Bill took wonderful care of Black Jack. Here, she forgets Lemmings for a moment, and opts to beg for treats.

The air warmed up as the sun rose, and Bill was toasty warm. I was as well, except for my "trigger" finger.

An unidentified flower.

An unidentified egg that we agreed would be most unlikely to hatch.

More owls fleeing photographers and heading our way.

Boundary stayed close to us and I believe, enjoyed the sun's warmth as much as we did.

The hawks caught the sun as well.

An unidentified smaller bird. There were thousands around.

This juvenile Bald Eagle did not move from its perch for the several hours that we were there.

Unidentified berries were enjoyed by this Towhee.

One more lbb (little brown bird).

Another hawk,

and more unidentified berries.

This owl was perched on a log near the road.

I liked the fanned shape of these.

I had to laugh at this line of photographers all watching a lone owl to the right, the only one that remained in the area, as the others had been flushed out.

I took this photo later in day in Yaletown. A lady told me it is called a Beautyberry or Callicarpa. It was the first time I had ever noticed it, and I felt it was well named.

That's it for a while. I am so grateful for all that made the past weekend one of the best ever. Happy Monday, everyone.

Snowy Owls and Brahms

2011-12-04T23:52:00.000-08:00

The temperature hovered around zero (Celsius) between Wednesday and Friday, and it was evident Wednesday morning that Skytrain and Seabus were the safest way to travel to work. A huge thank you to a lady named Heather Spence who was driving her three sons to school. The oldest, Daryn (I hope I've remembered his name correctly), piled my bike into the back of their truck and Heather drove me out of their way to my school. My heart was warmed by the way this family interacted as they said their goodbyes for the day. Both Daryn (grade 12) and his Mom insisted on eye contact and a kiss (Mom) and a wave (Daryn) when the two younger boys were dropped off first. The kindness of this family has stayed in my thoughts all week.

When I arrived at school, I learned that one of my colleagues had broken his elbow after his bike spun out on a patch of black ice. Ouch! Wishing him a very quick recovery!

The SkyTrain was convenient and rather fun on Thursday, December 1st. I stood at the front of the train and took this picture as we sped through the tunnel. You can see my reflection just left of centre, and perhaps another passenger's reflection on the right.

As I walked through the indoor tunnel from the SkyTrain to the SeaBus, I took pictures through the window on my right. There are reflections from the window at the left, but the sunrise and train yard still came through quite well.

The small lens, zoomed in, captured some trees in the distance, and the more fiery shades just above the horizon.

Train yards are fascinating places,

with their maze of tracks and imagined destinations.

As we approached North Vancouver, I enjoyed seeing familiar landmarks. The street near the right moving up towards the mountains is Lonsdale. It's quite a hill, one that I have "huffed-and-puffed" up more than a few times.

More landmarks, this time The Lions in the background, bright yellow sulphur piles in front, and The Iron Workers Memorial Bridge just behind those.

Lovely pastels with icy sky tones, as emissions from three chemical plants rise behind the bridge.

I looked out the side window of the SeaBus for these fiery layers of colour.

One more view of North Vancouver's waterfront, just before arrival at Lonsdale Quay.This time, Lonsdale Street is just left of centre.

Before my first class, I took one picture of The Lions behind the school,

and one of the wooden lookout. It was covered with a thin layer of frost. Good plan not to ride the bike.

The sun was coming up in a blaze of fire just outside the school cafeteria. Our dormitory students eat breakfast to one of the best views in town.

I was amazed, later in the afternoon, to see how clearly BC Place Stadium showed up, all the way across the water.

Even further away, Mount Baker in the state of Washington was highlighted in bright sun. I pointed it out to a few of my students and after a bit of discussion about volcanoes, we decided to go outside to to see it (any excuse to get out of school work:) Here, they are pointing to the Stadium roof. Mount Baker is to their left. You can see it below,

in all of its glory.

Behind our school, three dogs romped in the off-leash area of the park.

I made my way homeward much later in the day, less convinced about the wisdom of leaving the bike at home. It was dark, but the temperature had risen to well above zero, and there was no ice. I didn't much feel like walking to Lonsdale Quay (maybe a 30-minute walk) but in the end, enjoyed it. As I rounded the street to walk down to the water, I could see the Vancouver skyline, and below it, on my side of the water, the North Vancouver Squamish First Nations homes, many lit up with Christmas enthusiasm.

The Lions Gate lights were strung across the distant blackness, and the sulphur heap glowed.

Walking back through the tunnel from the SeaBus to the SkyTrain, I again took a picture through the same window I had enjoyed in the morning. This time, office lights and a glimpse of a Christmas tree in one foyer brought warmth to the darkness.

It was fun to listen to this busker for a few minutes. He sang in French for me (after learning about my Quebec background), in Chinese when he saw a few people from China, and in Spanish when he judged another group to be from Mexico. The Mexican girls did a little dance for him, the Chinese people smiled, but I was the only one to drop a loony into his hat.

Although Christmas decorations have been showing up around town for the past two weeks, December 1st brought an explosion of reds and greens. Every store feels obliged, I guess, to join the holiday atmosphere. This was taken at the entrance to Urban Fare, when I stopped for a few groceries.

On Friday, December 2nd, I again took the SkyTrain and SeaBus to school, but opted to walk by McKay Creek behind the school, thinking to take the number 240 bus home, rather than the SeaBus. The sun was intense, and my photos were mostly failures, but these fleeing ducks..

stirred up some neat water droplets.

A second after this mass exodus,

the cause of the panic became evident.

I caught the bus on Marine Drive, got off at Denman and West Georgia and walked up Denman to English Bay. Darkness was falling as I walked along the beach, but there was still a little blue left in the sky as I admired the half moon.

A man sitting on a park bench noticed my camera and pointed out Venus, just beginning to show in the sky. We sat for a few minutes talking about Venus and waiting for it to become a bit darker so that we could see it more clearly. I have little knowledge of the planets and stars, but lots of curiosity to learn more. Sometimes, I wonder how many of my retirement goals will be realized in what is clearly going to be far too short a time, even if I reach my goal of living to the age of 100. This photograph probably won't show the red along the lower edge of Venus, but the man, who introduced himself as Michael, told me a story to explain that red. I'm hoping he might read this post and repeat that story, as the details are a little too vague in my memory to dare attempt repeating here.

I continued on my way home, the sky now taking on new meaning. Venus had appeared over Vanier Park, as I looked across from English Bay. I turned to look behind me, and took a somewhat wobbly picture of another bright light in the sky. I'm wondering if it may have been Jupiter.

The background to the moon was now black rather than the blue of a half hour earlier.

The Christmas lights had just gone up in George Wainborn Park. I remembered them from last December..

and took a couple of photos..

before heading home to have supper from The Foundation with Bill. I love the "Sesame Surprise" and Bill's favourite is "Final Option." If you haven't discovered that restaurant, we recommend it. We generally do take out, as loud rap music is not our favourite background for winding down on Friday evening. Here's the menu:

On Saturday morning, we rose early for an adventure day at Boundary Bay. We picked up lattes at JJBean and I took this photo of the lights that we both admired on Davie Street.

Our usual route out of town was blocked, and we soon saw the reason.

I really admire the courage of firemen. This fellow climbed to the top of the crane, where he..

did his best to extinguish flames with a steady stream of water. The flames were persistent, and a couple of firemen waiting on "standby" (my term for it) told us they had already been working on the fire for a few hours. The entire house had been burned out, and it was a pretty clear case of arson.

We learned that the house had been slated for demolition. Although arson is not at all a good thing, I was happy that no one was injured, and that no one had lost their home. All in all, an interesting way to begin our adventure day.

We stopped along the road to Boundary Bay, to check out this hawk ( a Red-tailed?).

It stared fearlessly (I thought) at us,

and when it left, I had the feeling it had spotted prey.

A heron sat by the trail, apparently undisturbed by the many people walking their dogs.

We had both heard that Snowy Owls were in the area, and although seeing one was a wish, I didn't really think we would be so fortunate. In fact, there were about thirty of them in the area. It was a first-ever sighting for me, and quite a thrill. They normally stay in the Arctic all year round, but some years, when the supply of lemmings is low, they head further south.

We did not dress for the occasion. Many photographers were there, and most were wearing high rubber boots so that they could walk through the wetlands to get closer to the water. We did venture far enough for my shoes to soak through, but didn't want to stress the owls, so stayed fairly close to the road. These birds were flying in clouds back and forth along the water. I asked several people but no one could tell me what they were.

I watched these three owls for quite some time,

and decided that they were a family. Perhaps, the male in the centre, with

Mom on the left and Junior on the right.

As Bill said, "That's your story and you're sticking to it."

I had an enjoyable conversation with this man, Calvin, who was taking a few pictures of the owls as well. He told me that he teaches science at Ladner High School and rides his bike to work. We talked about my imminent retirement, and the fact that, although his and his wife's retirement are still quite a distance away, we all have similar attitudes in that we see retirement as a time to explore our worlds in a way that we couldn't while working full time. He walked up to the road, and while I continued to take pictures, he and Bill began a conversation. Here, Bill looks very serious. I have a persistent problem with cold hands, and he was studying Calvin's cycling gloves. They have a thumb and index finger division, but the other three fingers are together. Hm.. perhaps worth investigating.

Black Jack did not take her eyes of the wetlands. I think she would like to be a Snowy Owl and live on a diet of Lemmings. I joined them, my feet now about as cold as I can ever remember them, so we said our good-bye's and headed back to the truck.

Hawks flew by frequently. Most people said we were seeing..

Northern Harriers..

and Red-tailed Hawks.

I don't offer much of a guess here,

since time doesn't allow for a proper investigation in my birdbook.

This Snowy Owl flew by and I took a shot from far away.

There were signs up to warn people to be respectful of the owls' space,

but unfortunately, many were so eager to get close-ups, they didn't pay much attention to the warnings.

This was my last hawk of the day, taken as we walked back to the truck.

Back in Vancouver, I took this truck shot at the corner of Oak and Broadway. We were heading to The Wicked for lattes and porridge. I don't know why I liked the colours of these balloons so much.

Later that evening, we walked to The Orpheum for a concert that managed to top an already incredible day. I tried to take this picture of a mural on a wall near The Orpheum. The failure photo was rather interesting.

Here is a bit of the mural. I decided to go back one day in better light to try to get a better shot.

We had seats that many would say weren't very good, but I loved our perspective. We were second row from the front, and all the way to the left, right in front of the harpist.

We heard three works, the first called "Masquerade" by Edward Top. There was a "talk back" before the concert, and I enjoyed the opportunity to hear Mr. Top say a few words. His work was inspired by a painting called "Christ's Entry into Brussels in 1889" by James Ensor. Like the painting, the music was filled with a frenzy of activity.

© Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / SABAM, Brussels

The second work was "Songs of a Wayfarer" by Gustav Mahler. I love these songs, and the soloist, Hugh Russell, was outstanding. During the intermission, I took a few photos of the painting on the ceiling of The Orpheum.

After that, the Brahms Requiem was a huge treat. Hugh Russel did the baritone solo in this as well, and he was joined by soprano, Isabel Bayrakdarian. This is another of my favourite works, and the performance was very powerful. I loved watching Bramwell Tovey's face as he conducted, and with our seats so close to the front, almost felt as if I were sitting in with the orchestra. I found this review in the Vancouver Sun, and would agree that the Bach Choir singers were the stars of the evening. The photograph was included with the article but was not credited. This was a performance to go down in my happy memories for a long time to come.

On Sunday morning, we again returned to see the Snowy Owls at Boundary Bay. I am going to make a "Part 2" post for those pictures. What a week and what a weekend! Thank you, Bill! Thanks as well to Heather, Michael and Calvin, and last but not least, to any readers who have taken time to share in my memories.

Hodge-Podge of Images and Thoughts

2011-11-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

Beginning yesterday and traveling back in time:

Monday, November 28th

A Kingfisher was busy looking for its next meal in McKay Creek in North Vancouver.

There were lots of ducks around as well. I think this was a Common Goldeneye (female)

A kayaker came by. He saw my interest in the kingfisher, and pulled up to the shore for a few moments. I asked him if he did much kayaking and he said that he is caregiver for his wife, and gets out just once in a while for a couple of hours.

The kingfisher spotted something tasty and took off.

On my way back into the school, I thought for the umpteenth time about these berries and their name that continues to escape me.

Later in the evening, riding through the reserve on my way to the Lions Gate Bridge, I stopped to admire blue decorations on one of the houses, set against a background of bridge lights. The big lens was still on my camera, and my fingers were a little too cold to change it. This was the capture. I hope to stop one more time and try again with the smaller lens.

Sunday, November 27th.
The moon, from my balcony. It was just a sliver, but multiplied with my slightly unsteady hand.

Here's the steadier version.

Earlier in the day, another shot from the balcony. There are lots of leafless trees in Vancouver now, but a few are stubbornly holding on to their colour, in spite of some really windy days.

It was Grey Cup day, and when the rain stopped, Black Jack and I walked around the seawall past Science World, up Main Street to Broadway, and then back down over the Cambie Street Bridge.

I saw this eagle soaring over the stadium but couldn't get a shot. I've seen it several times there, but never managed to catch it. I wonder if it is one of the Vanier Nest eagles. Later, just as we were crossing a busy street to approach the Cambie Bridge, it flew directly overhead. I so wanted to stop right in the middle of the street, but that wasn't an option. By the time we reached the other side, it was leaving the area, but I managed to get a parting shot. A Chinese man and his wife stopped to talk to me. They were thrilled to see the eagle.

It was my first time ever walking over the Cambie Bridge. It isn't far from my apartment, but..

seeing familiar surroundings from a new perspective was fun.

BC Lions fans were walking to the game,

and in between view shots,

I caught some of the orange enthusiasm.

Science World,

Time Top,

Marinaside,

the stadium roof looking like a giant pillow with the top of an apartment building sitting at its center,

a side shot of fanned and vertical lines,

and a few more familiar landmarks (no time for links today) all took on a new look, as seen from the Cambie Bridge.

Saturday, November 26th
Bill and I drove to North Vancouver for a Capilano University production of Arabian Nights. On the way, I leaned forward in the truck to catch yet another perspective of the stadium.

We had front row seats (thank you, Bill!) and this was the set as we arrived.

They asked that no pictures be taken with flash, so I went to manual and caught this scene in psychedelic mode. It was a wild and crazy scene with lots of background noise, as Sinbad the Sailor described his fantastic journey. I chose it so that the click of my camera wouldn't be noticed. However, the light from the display screen was a disturbing problem, so that was the only shot I took. Drew Facey, the set designer, and Conor Moore, the lighting designer, did some incredible work for this play. The cliche about it being a "feast for the eyes" really rings true.

As we drove home through Gastown, I took more truck shots, and Bill actually pulled up so that I could get a couple from the street. There was a light rain, and a magical glitter..

supervised by the Woodward sign.

One last topsy-turvey truck shot.

Friday, November 25th
Margie, a colleague, kindly drove me to school. She had taken me home the evening before, as a crazy wind storm made it too dangerous to ride my bike. I arrived at school a bit earlier than usual that morning, and took this cloud-liner shot from my classroom window. Margie had told me the view as she drove over the Cambie Bridge to pick me up was stunning. It was that statement that had inspired my bridge walk on Sunday. Thanks, Margie!

That same day, Glenys, Bill's niece, received official recognition for an amazing accomplishment. She defended her doctoral thesis just a couple of days before she gave birth to her second son, Max. Her first son, Oscar, had his third birthday on Sunday, the 27th. As if that weren't enough, Glenys is also a violist, performing with the Pacific Baroque Orchestra. If she isn't Supermom, she surely must be the very next best thing to that description. Congratulations, Glenys. You are an incredible woman. This fine photo was taken by Paul, her equally incredible husband.

That evening, we saw a breathtaking performance by Dance In Vancouver. The beauty and stimulation of this unforgettable evening continue to bring pleasure several days afterwards.

Photo by David Cooper

We saw "The Plastic Orchid Factory" by Su-Feh Lee and James Gnam and "New Work - Excerpt" by Wen Wei Dance. I was blown away by both performances.

Photo by Emily Cooper

Wednesday, November 23rd
On the way home from school, I took this photo of the setting sun over the shipyards in North Vancouver.

The pigeons were flying to and fro,

en masse.

The elevator, from a distance, has a certain beauty,

and the clouds in the background formed a white mountain.

Tuesday, November 22nd
We took four classes to Steveston..

for a tour of the Gulf of Georgia cannery. Do any of you remember this label?

I was struck by many things during the tour, but the image below is one that won't leave me. Fishing continues to be a dangerous and hard life, but at the time when only these small boats were used, I truly cannot imagine how anyone survived, let alone made a living.

They lived on these boats for a week at a time. The only shelter they had was the tarp you see at the back of the boat. Their heads and upper body were under the tarp, but their legs were in the open. The boat was often knee-deep in fish, and they slept on top of those fish.

The work in the cannery was also brutal. Here, you see native women doing 10-12 hour days, with their babies on their backs, and their toddlers standing behind them.

Later, we had a partial performance of "Salmon Row" done by a few members of the Mortal Coil Theatre Company. Bill and I had seen this play in the summer, and that performance was the inspiration for the school trip. After the play, we toured the Chinese Bunkhouse. Again, a story of incredible fortitude and courage. Chinese men left their country and families, hoping to make enough money to return to a better life. You can see photos of this man's children on the table. Many of them suffered indescribable hardship and loneliness in Canada. Very few were able to afford to return home, nor were they able to bring their wives and children here. So many stories to be told, and I hope to come back to a few of them at some future point in this blog.

Here, you can see my reflection in the background, as I take a picture of a model of Mr. Murakami's boat through the window of the boathouse. I have explored his story,

and that of his wife, Asayo, in some depth. If you have a chance to watch a movie called, Obachan's Garden, you can learn more of their history in Steveston. This is another subject I hope to return to in the future.

The white managers' houses were very different from those of the Chinese and Japanese workers. These toys were on display in the house we toured.

These letters were in the white men's bunkhouse. Edward didn't finish this one to Cecily,

but here is her response. Perhaps my photograph will be too small to read, but it gave me a vivid picture of Edward and Cecily. They have stayed in my mind too. There is much at Steveston to see and learn and think about. This short account barely touches the surface.

I posted the two pictures below on Facebook, but thought I should place them here as well. They were taken on the 18th of November, this one from the overpass behind my school,

and this one by English Bay, as I made my way homeward.

That's my hodgepodge of photos for today. Thanks, as always, for taking time to have a look.

Michael, Rabbits for Phyllis, Catch-up

2011-11-21T01:48:00.000-08:00

Today, Bill and I walked with Black Jack at Jericho. A man told me he had seen a rare swan, and we tried to find it. Michael (below) was near the spot where the man had pointed, and I asked him if he had seen the swan, but he hadn't. As it turned out, we never did find the swan, but it was a pleasure to meet Michael. He was kind and friendly and I learned that he is in Vancouver from Germany for a year. I took his picture with my big lens.

I backed up a little bit more for this second picture, but still didn't manage to include his feet. (Sorry, Michael!) His skateboard, backpack and lunch are on the log to the right. He told me he was living downtown and skating to UBC. I hope you enjoyed your trek, Michael. You are clearly very fit. Have a great year in Vancouver!

This weekend, I posted a couple of albums on Facebook. Phyllis (Bill's amazing sister) saw the albums and requested some photos of rabbits. Since we saw quite a few on our walk, I've included a few here.

Apparently, this has been a really good year for rabbits at Jericho. I love their "cotton" tails.

This one wasn't running away from us. They're very tame. People leave food, and it was on its way to look for more carrots. It was a little too quick for my camera, but even in fuzzy focus, I love the way its hind legs have pushed off for the spring forward.

The rabbit-loving people even cut the carrots into bite-sized pieces.

The light wasn't the best today, but still, the snow-covered mountains were impressive.

I think I was happy to see these logs at Jericho. Some of you may remember a similar picture in my last post. That one was taken at English Bay, and it now seems possible the orange letters may be a logging code of some sort. At least, that is what I am hoping.

Edited on Nov 22 to add new information that Bill (bless his heart!) obtained. He wrote the Vancouver Parks Board, asking if the inscription on the logs was a racial slur, or if there might be a more "benign explanation." This was their response:

Hello Bill,

Thank you for your concern. The writing on the logs is a series of
letters that represent an ID for the supplier of the logs. It is a
coincidental alignment of letters, and not a cause for worry.

Again, thank you for caring for Vancouver's parks!

Regards,

Kevin
Vancouver Parks Board

Thank you, Bill! Yay!

I think this was a Fox Sparrow.

This driftwood had no orange marks, perhaps confirming the logging code theory.

I thought this tiny blossom by the beach was lovely.

The man had said the swan was around this second bend. The landscape has changed since the removal of the old wharf. As much as I was a bit sad to see the wharf go, Bill and I agreed the new look was attractive.

I took, as usual, a few flying shots.

This eagle had flown past when Michael and I were talking. It finally landed and did a quick pose..

before taking off again.

It came very close to this seagull, but I guess was on a mission,

because it kept right on going.

Jericho seems to be a good place to see Golden-crowned sparrows.

I think they like some of the veggies left for the rabbits.

Black Jack wasn't very well behaved today. Bill had to carry her part of the way because she was intensely focused on pulling him to the rabbits.

Then, she didn't want to walk at all. I couldn't figure out what was in her mind, but it occurs to me now that she probably didn't want to leave the rabbit territory.

We've had a dusting of snow lately, but there are still some trees holding on for dear life to their leaves. Bill liked the delicate textures of this one, and so did I.

It was just cold enough for a thin layer of ice in some areas of the pond. These Mallards are moving from the water up onto the ice.

There was something comical about the way they moved. Here they are going away from us. To me, it seems as if their "hands" are folded behind their backs.

CATCH-UPS

This morning, by False Creek

A family of 11 mallards made their way across False Creek. This year, I saw very few families of mallards, and more Canada Geese than I can ever remember. I'm wondering now if the mallards had their families later than usual.

I read that juveniles look like the females, except that the bill is a kind of olive colour. I'm guessing here that the male is herding the juvenile back to the flock, as it had strayed quite a distance to the right.

A sunny but cold walk on Saturday.

The leaves on my street looked almost like stars with the sun on them.

The sky was a brilliant blue.

There were still blooms to be found, in spite of the cold.

Black Jack and I walked up the steps to the stadium. She often chooses our walking route, and sometimes surprises me by going places one would think a normal dog might want to avoid. Not that I'm saying she's abnormal:)

As I looked up the steps, I thought the shadows by the railings were interesting. I couldn't figure out where those shadows originated from.

Black Jack often leads me to discover new sights, and on Saturday, she took me to this statue of Percy Williams. Although he was considered the fastest man of his generation, he came to a very sad ending, suffering constant, painful arthritis in his latter years, and eventually taking his own life. I think many athletes pay a larger price than most of us realize for pushing their bodies so relentlessly. It is one of my theories that ambitious athletes and coaches walk a thin line between achieving fame and taking care of the only bodies we will get, so that the joints can last for a normal lifespan. I do love this statue, Percy, and hope you would have liked it as well.

More "starry" leaves caught my eye, before I finally put Black Jack's coat on, and my camera away. With the sun now hidden behind the high-rises, we both shivered. The walk homeward was brisk, to say the least. I'm pretty sure I speak for both of us in saying that the sun as we neared False Creek was very, very welcome.

A dentist appointment last Tuesday

Early last Tuesday morning, I visited my periodontist, Dr. Josh Kleinman. His office is on Broadway, and this was the view as I sat in his chair. I could almost, but not quite, see my apartment building across the water.

I now have a newly adjusted bite, something I am most grateful for. It is incredible to me what a difference it makes when there are no, as Dr. Kleinman says, high spots. He has done his very best to look after my teeth, and to put up with my various tooth-related phobias, ever since I moved to Vancouver 12 years or so ago, and though I'm never happy to visit, I do absolutely appreciate him. But, back to the view. Way at the back, near the right of the photo, are The Lions. It amazes me that they show up everywhere. I can see them from my school in North Vancouver as well. In the foreground, you can see the "melting" building (my term for it) that I enjoy so much. It is, I think, the last project that Arthur Erickson completed before he died.

Looking to the right, the stadium roof dominates the landscape. I've grown fond of it as well.

A walk with Bill and Black Jack at Beaver Lake last Sunday.

Preparations were beginning for the Christmas Train ride that runs from December 2nd until January 2nd. You can find information about that at this link.

The trees were magnificent.

That's Bill's foot beside the leaf, just to give you a size comparison.

Vancouver has been a tad on the cool side lately, but we did eventually warm up when the sun rose higher in the sky.

A lovely Wood Duck..

seemed to be having a heart-to-heart..

with her brightly-coloured mate.

We also saw some very handsome Hooded Mergansers.

There was evidence that the lake was well-named.

We discovered the stables quite by chance, and I was delighted to see how happy the horses were in their immaculate and very spacious (as in huge!) stalls. I believe some of the horses belonged to The Mounted Squad and the others, perhaps, were used for the horse-drawn tours. My big lens was all wrong for the job, but here are a couple of..

the pictures I took.

This monument to Shakespeare was also discovered completely by accident. Neither Bill nor I had any idea it was there. It was apparently erected in 1916. You can read its story here.

I loved the quotes we discovered on..

a few nearby trees.

The windstorm from the day before (described in my last post) had left beautiful..

blankets around the trees.

I thought the yellow patterns against green were attractive too.

The blossoms were a bit past their prime, but I loved their names and thought there was a certain charm to their graceful fading. This one was called Rhapsody in Blue..

and this one, "Navy Lady."

We also found a tiny little waterfall with two poppies..

obviously placed with care.

A few feet away, we discovered this headstone. I don't know anything about Mr. Wright except for the words we saw on the headstone, but love the spot chosen to remember him.

A mid-October walk at Jericho with Bill and Black Jack

Bill saw this mushroom by the pond. I thought it looked sort of like a delicious pizza.

This hawk was flying high in the sky. It was smallish, and I did not attempt to identify it.

This King Fisher was very busy,

and very entertaining..

to watch.

A Canada Goose,

a seagull,

and a Blue Heron also caught my camera's eye.

Black Jack loves, loves, loves Jericho.

We took a chance letting her run,

but kept a very close eye on her.

Don't worry, Phyllis. She wasn't as close to this rabbit as it appears in the post.

Bill was curious about some berries.

They glowed in the sunlight,

and he joked around by..

pretending to eat some during the photo shoot.

My last photo was of a bee sipping nectar. At least, I think it was a bee and I guess it was nectar. What I am sure of, is that it brings this post to an end. It is now the wee hours of the morning, and I should be asleep. Good night all. Have a very good week ahead.

November Remembrances

2011-11-19T10:25:00.000-08:00

In the month of November, my father comes to mind more than at any other time of year. This is a picture of a picture, originally taken by a neighbour and good friend of Dad's. They liked to talk about their respective projects and about life in general. Dad was of a time when pictures showed one's formal best, but I don't have a single one of him on Remembrance Day, his shoes and medals shone, and his shoulders as straight and proud as he could possibly hold them. Nevertheless, that image is etched indelibly in my memory. He didn't go overseas, but the army trained him as a mechanic and the bonds he forged during WW2 were, I think, as strong as any he experienced afterwards. No, he wouldn't have approved of this picture, but I love it, and feel pretty sure he would have been happy to know that. Working outside on his many projects is the way I like to remember him.

The art below was created by one of the students at the international school where I teach.

This year, for the first time, I asked all of my students to memorize "In Flanders Fields" by John McCrae, and to recite it in front of the class. It was a great pronunciation exercise, and though we no longer seem to favour learning poetry by heart, I realized that there are benefits to doing so that I had forgotten about. The students gained confidence, learned new vocabulary and enjoyed the experience far more than I would have predicted. They also listened more attentively and critically than I've ever seen them do before, when the poem was read at our assembly on November 10th. We talked about the meaning of "Take up our quarrel with the foe" and decided to put a new spin on the original interpretation. The foe is mankind's propensity for hatred and the failing hands are the ones that have not found a way to end war. I hope John McCrae would have been okay with that idea. War over religion and/or land has been waged since the beginning of mankind, but I continue to hope that we will one day figure out how to get along with each other.

Pipe Sergeant Don McPhee led a colour party of veterans and legion members into our gymnasium to begin what has become a traditional remembrance at school.

One face was missing this year, and I felt that loss deeply. Flight Lieutenant Fred Mullen of the Royal Canadian Air Force passed away just a couple of months after the 2010 ceremony. One of the students prepared a video in his honour. It began with the words, "I want you to meet a friend of mine."

Mr. Mullen was trained in the use of radar, a system of detection and tracking that came into use near the beginning of WW2, and one that he was as excited about in 2010 as he had been in the 1940's.

You can hear Mr. Mullen speak at this link. When I heard the recording at this year's assembly, I felt he was surely in the room with us.

This is Mr. Ron Smith. At school, he is fondly known as "Mr. Canada."

His idea of passing the "Torch of Remembrance" is one of several traditions that make our international school unique.

With approximately thirty countries represented, where better to plant the seeds of hope for a peaceful future? I am grateful to Mr. Smith and to the other teachers who worked with him to prepare a meaningful remembrance for our students.

This is Master Seaman Christian Mosely. He lost a cousin and a close friend to war. His heartbreak and his need to honour their memory, and that of their fallen comrades, struck a chord of understanding in all of us.

After the ceremony at school, I headed homeward along the new overpass, and there seemed to be the most beautiful golden light. I couldn't shake the feeling it was connected to voices from the past.

When I reached the traffic light at the end of the overpass, I looked across 1st Avenue, and the sun was drifting through the leaves of a tree on the corner.

I crossed over the Lions Gate Bridge, and took a minute to admire the lions. They have been in remembrance mode since November 1st. Who, I wonder, climbs up the monuments at either side of the bridge sometime between midnight and early morning, each first day of the month, to dress the lions in their "theme of the month" wardrobe?

A soft light over English Bay and a gaggle of geese making their sundown pilgrimage across the water added to the feeling of something a touch beyond ordinary in the air.

On Friday, November 11th, I walked with Black Jack along the seawall shortly before 11:00 a.m. These trees were beautiful, but in a more delicate way than they had appeared..

about two weeks earlier.

At that time, I had taken one photo from each side, during a ride home from work.

Continuing that walk on on November 11th, we headed along the beach beside English Bay. A father was speaking in German with his children, and I was curious about the little kingdom they were building in the sand.

The children were giving their dad instructions. They didn't speak English, but he was happy to explain the design to me. At the front centre were twigs to represent a forest. One very tall tree had fallen over. In front of the forest were three rocks to represent mountains. In front of the mountains were some houses and to the left was one high rise. To the right, and a bit isolated, was a mall. A road went around the town. He explained that there was much work left to do. The children wanted to complete their road system, and then they were going to build a school. He said they didn't need a playground, as the beach and ocean were just outside the surrounding road. I thanked him for taking time to explain their project, and left, happy for those lucky children whose dad played with them.

A few Harlequin Ducks were feeding as Black Jack and I walked down to the water. Perhaps they were the same ones I had seen a few days earlier. They don't appear very often, and I always enjoy seeing them.

The male was following the female and I wondered if the pairing up is happening sooner than usual this year, or whether they mate for life. I found this information from an SFU study:

Abstract. We documented the frequency of pair reunion in Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) on breeding streams in Alberta, and at a molting/wintering area in southwestern British Columbia. As long as their mate is alive, Harlequin Duck pairs reunite on the wintering area and return to the breeding stream together. Pairs reunite even if the female is unsuccessful at breeding the previous season,which suggests that reuniting with the same mate year after year is important. Some males that have lost their mate and fail to re-pair on the wintering area show fidelity to their former breeding site.

As I was noting a splash of orange at the centre of some more muted colours,

I heard the sound of what I believe was an Aurora plane coming over the Granville Bridge. It was a very grey day, and my small lens barely managed to pick it out. (It's in the right top corner of the photo.)

It continued over the Burrard Bridge.

We were standing on the rocks watching the plane when this little fellow peeked up, just for a few seconds. I'm still wondering what it was. Suggestions have ranged from Marmot, to gopher, to groundhog, to "dinner" (by one colleague:) and mostly recently, to American Mink.

I am leaning to American Mink because of this site (recommended by Ship Rock). The white chin and lower lip are apparently a distinguishing feature. What I can say for certain is that he or she was very cute.

A few seconds later, these eight planes came by. I believe the pilots are known as The Fraser Blues.

These flowers were on a park bench behind me, and I wondered if they were also in honour of Remembrance Day.

I think these were Barrow's Goldeneyes.

They seemed to be pairing up as well.

We walked a bit further along the beach. I noticed a pile of about 8 logs, with bright colour at each end. When we got closer, I saw these letters. I've googled in an attempt to figure out what they meant, and nothing has turned up. The letters were upsetting to me, especially since the paint seemed fresh and every single log bore the writing at each end. I tried to shake off my fear of the meaning, but it has stayed in the back of my mind. Edited to add: Bill wrote a letter about this to the Parks Board, and received a response that the letters are a logging company's id, and have nothing to do with racism. Thank you, Bill!

Later, Bill and I drove to The Wicked for lattes and oatmeal, and then we decided to see if we could get tickets for Penelopiad. As we drove, there was a sudden downpour and very strong winds.

I took "truck-shots" through the window. The leaves were being blown about like huge, green snowflakes. It was a mesmerizing sight.

Orange and yellow leaves came down as well,

soon covering everything in their path.

Another truck-shot, this time of a rainbow.

I was thrilled to see it, and again had an uncanny feeling that it was in honour of Remembrance Day.

Our Penelopiad tickets were for Saturday, so that left us time to see another play on Friday. We chose Sunday on the Rocks by Theresa Rebeck. It was at the Havana Theatre.

This was a student production, and Avery Crane, Alexis Lundergan, Samica Poon, and Tamara Williamson gave very strong performances. In spite of some wonderfully funny scenes, the play didn't quite work for us, and I thought and have continued to think about how the best writers and thinkers frame their more serious messages. People can be put off by a heavy-handed approach, and the yelling in this play, while leading to some resolution, often caused my stomach to churn in discomfort. The playwright, however, is well on her way to a very successful career, and the actors, I feel sure, are not far behind her.

For a glowing and very personal response to Penelopiad, I refer you to Alex Waterhouse's blog. He saw the play twice and his admiration for Meg Roe is compelling. During the play (sorry, Alex), I found my attention drifting at times, but many of the scenes have floated through my mind since. Bill seemed to understand what I meant when I said that I enjoyed the play more in retrospect than I did in the moment. If you want to see it, you'll have to move quickly on your weekend plans, as it closes tomorrow. I had a bit of an "aha" moment in understanding the depth of Meg Roe's talent. She gives the impression of talking just to you, as naturally as if the two of you were conversing over a cup of tea. Perhaps, in the world of the performing arts, that understated stage presence is the mark of a true master.

Photo by David Cooper

MERL JONES

Another November performer who has stayed in my mind is Merl Jones, a Sto'lo Nation person who guided my students through a wonderful exploration of history at Fort Langley National Historic Site. You can see from this picture taken with the students how much they enjoyed meeting Merl.

Here, he introduced us to the way to carry a very heavy load of fur pelts.

He had an impeccable sense of timing..

and even the students just beginning to learn English gave him their rapt..

attention as he demonstrated the way it was in Canada at first. Can you guess what he is showing in the above photo?

He fashioned this hook in front of the students and it will be the prize for a vocabulary test given after our visit. If you haven't visited the fort, I think you will find a trip there to be entertaining, informative and well worth the time spent.

Merl talked about the mix of languages that was used to communicate between First Nations, Hawaiian and Scottish people. I asked him about this art exhibit that I always look at when I walk along the False Creek seawall. It is a kind of Chinook jargon that was used to communicate between English, French and Asian people. For some reason, my favourite words are "Yukwa yahwa pe konaway." That translates to, "Here, there, and everywhere."

This link takes you to the artist's words about the project. You can also read about that below, but there was moisture under the glass, so part of it is difficult to see.

Here are all of the translations for the words in the exhibit. Thank you, Merl, for inspiring all of us with your knowledge and energy.

Below, photos from yet another November performance that I continue to cherish for a variety of reasons. It was at The Cellar Restaurant and Jazz Club This is Paul Luchkow, father extraordinaire to Oscar and Max, husband to Bill's niece, Glenys, and outstanding musician. Here, he tunes with cellist, Natalie Mackie. They joined Stephen Creswell on viola and..

Soile Stratkauska on the flute to give their unique energy and interpretation..

to Mozart, Beethoven and Haydn flute trios and quartets.

I struggled to get photos from our table, a fair distance from the performers, and not wanting to disturb them in any way. These are my very first attempts at using manual focus. I thought this picture of Natalie was the most successful.

This last set of pictures came from a Sea to Sky Outdoor School camp experience that I had the wonderful opportunity to share with several of our students. It was in October so technically doesn't fit with the title of the post, but it joins the spirit of my November remembrances. I grew up with quite an unreasonable fear of mice, but this one shared space in my cabin, and warmed my heart by posing for a photo.

I learned at least as much as the students at this camp. The fact that 20% of the world enjoys 80% of the resources was really driven home as never before.

Here, "Tuckamore" shares a cherished part of his world with the students.

Everyone took on a special name at the camp. Our two other (incredible) leaders were "Otter" and "Owl" I was "Osprey" and our students chose a variety of names that included "Teddy Bear" and "Orange." Tuckamore's tenderness as he moistened a slug that was stressed after being introduced to many of the students will stay with me for a long time to come. You can read a little bit about him from this quote taken from the camp web site:

Chael MacArthur - alias Tuckamore - The word 'Tuckamore' describes the stunted Balsam Fir (Var) and Black Spruce that grow on the rocky shores of Newfoundland and Labrador where they brave the salt laced winds of the North Atlantic. Their roots hold firmly onto the rocks; communities of branches mingle together and stretch inward to the land. They create a metaphor for the place that reminds us of the power of resilience and the wisdom of the wild. Chael has been teaching this wisdom in outdoor classrooms since the age of 16 and has completed university degrees in English, French and a Bachelor of Environmental Education from Simon Fraser University. Tuck believes his most valuable education began the moment his mother first handed him a raincoat and said, “Dere's no need t'be indoors on a day like t'day.” It turns out that in Newfoundland, you are a wet weather adventurer, or not at all. A storyteller, adventurer, musician and explorer, Chael strives to live a one planet lifestyle. As Uncle Tuckles would say, “Young Tuck, my son, he's silly wit sustainability.”

A photo of Black Jack giving me "the look" at supper time closes this post, just because:) Thank you for spending time with me, and have a wonderful weekend.

Deer Lake and some enjoyable encounters

2011-11-07T06:27:00.000-08:00

Sunday morning, we braved the frost to walk around Deer Lake in Burnaby. This Towhee met us just as we entered the trail.

I think this was a Dark-eyed Junco.

The brush and trees were covered in a thin layer of frost, and there wasn't much sun when we started out, but the leaf-covered path was inviting.

The frost, as Bill would say, had its charms.

This Towhee stared at me as if to say, "Can you believe this?"

Droplets formed at the ends of shrivelling leaves, and tried to decide whether to "rain" or hang on.

Little birds fluffed their bodies to stay warm.

Slowly, the sun rose, pointing out the still beautiful Fall colours and the mist over Deer Lake.

In the field below us, a hawk's red colouring blended with the brush.

I'm still trying to decide what it was. Maybe, American Kestrel?

It settled right after this photo and though we hung around to see another flight, had to concede it the winner of that waiting game. It was still perched on the ground when we decided to move on.

Here, the members of a group fitness class exercised, while we gave Black Jack her own..

private workout.

Suddenly, the hawk reappeared, but there was only time for two fly-by photos..

before it disappeared into the mist.

We continued on, and smiled at the sight of this fisherman and his carefully arranged chair.

A bit further on, these unusual leaves and twigs seemed part of a painting.

By the time we reached the beach side of the lake, the sun was gaining confidence.

This seagull was really enjoying bath time.

Ah, this is the life!

Rub-a-dub-dub.

Mustn't forget the back.

That feels so good!

One more rinse,

and away I go!

The fanned tail was like..

delicate lace.

The male of this Mallard pair didn't let his mate go far without him.

We were told this is a Peregrine Falcon.

If this was right (there was more white on its front that the pictures in my book show), then it was my first ever sighting, and it sure made our trip a memorable one.

A tree shot,

a leaf,

and a Ring-necked Duck (I think) all caught my eye.

Then, a rather furry view led me to..

Luna. I think her human told us she is eleven, but I don't believe she thinks of herself as a day over five. She, we were told, considers herself to be in charge of..

Hopper.

Beautiful dogs, and they were having a great day. No worries about the cold for them!

Bill noticed the three shades here, but thought my photo didn't work as well as he hoped.

He also pointed out this shot, and we thought..

it was more successful.

A FEW ENCOUNTERS FROM DAYS PAST

A cormorant caught the sunlight over False Creek.

I think this may have been a feeding sequence, but I missed the delivery.

A walk from Granville Island to The Wicked Cafe a few weeks ago brought some nice colours and reflections.

This is Lola. We met her on the Aquabus on the way over to Granville Island.

She was really enjoying the view.

Both pairs of eyes open,

and then closed. She and her human were in sync.

This was Halloween weekend, and I thought the baristas at The Wicked did a fine job of..

getting into the spirit of things.

They also made us an excellent latte..

and we highly recommend their house-blend oatmeal. Bill thought the pumpkin was a bit worse for wear, but I liked its crinkled look.

Fall has reached its peak and traveled beyond, but many blossoms are still looking summery.

Just a cat near my apartment that fascinates Black Jack.

The moon taken from my balcony a day or two before Halloween.

A sunset over False Creek (taken from the top of my building).

This was taken a few moments later, looking in the downtown direction.

And, last but not least, two skateboarders who generously allowed me to..

take pictures..

of their practice session.

I continue to be in awe of those with this kind of talent and grace.

That's it for today. Thanks for reading, and Happy Monday to you!

Reifel Bird Sanctuary

2011-11-06T01:44:00.000-07:00

We rose early Saturday morning and headed to Reifel Bird Sanctuary. I've put this photo first, because I think it may be my best one of the day. For sure, having only seen a few Pileated Woodpeckers in my life, it was a great thrill to spend some time watching this very handsome and very active fellow.

Some of the photos were quite poor, but here's the rundown of our sightings. Before going into the sanctuary, we saw this bald eagle land on a pylon by the Westham Island Bridge.

We walked along the dyke with Black Jack first, as she wasn't allowed in the sanctuary. This hawk (maybe a Northern Harrier?) was hunting, but was far across a field, so..

my long lens had to work quite hard to pick it out.

This was the only negative in a wonderful day. Even at Reifel, we could hear the constant sound of gunshots very close to the sanctuary's borders.

At first, I thought these were Snow Geese, but in fact, they were Trumpeter Swans (longer necks and no black in their wings).

We saw three Sandhill Cranes hanging out near the ticket booth at the entrance to the sanctuary. "That look" from this one left me feeling a bit guilty. I guess it expected us to pay for the photo, but we were empty-handed.

The American Coots always make me laugh.

I think that has something to do with their huge, green feet, shiny red eyes, and comical way of moving. However, this site informs me that they are much more complex birds than I have perhaps realized.

The crane posed one more time and then we continued on.

Three Black-crowned Night Herons were just a few feet further on. Normally, they are asleep during the day, but this one opened its eyes slightly.

This one opened its eyes quite wide, and then..

I think it yawned.

A-ah.. there were the Snow Geese. We didn't see many - perhaps a total of about ten or twelve for the day.

This squirrel was so busy, it didn't even bother stepping out of the path as we came by.

There were a few feeders along the way, and the chick-a-dees (and other smaller birds) were most appreciative.

There were lots of beautiful, red berries. Bill pointed these out. I think they are holly.

This crow was enjoying a snack, but I couldn't tell what it was.

This Song Sparrow was getting ready to enjoy some berries too.

I wasn't sure what this bird was at first,

but then it fluffed its wings, and I thought it must be a Red-winged Blackbird. Its colours looked a bit more muted than they do in Spring.

Here, the water was very shallow, and the American Coots' mirror images made their gait seem even more comical.

I'm wondering if these shorebirds were Dowitchers or perhaps, Snipes.

There was quite a number of them near the observation tower.

I was challenged all day by hazy light, but I thought it brought out the magic in this tree.

I think the most abundant species at the sanctuary would be Mallard Ducks. Their colours seem a bit more muted to me in Fall than in Spring.

One more photo of the shorebirds. Perhaps they were thinking deeply.

Bill and I both heard the woodpecker at the same moment, but it was Bill who first spotted it. At first, my camera's autofocus seemed quite confused, and the woodpecker was so busy hammering his head at insane speeds into the wood, I thought I might never get a decent photo.

This photo appears to be upside down, but it was just the way the woodpecker leaned back before attacking the tree.

I rotated this picture to make it a bit easier to study the woodpecker's face.

It flew into a different tree, where my camera had to make a valiant effort to get past the branches to the woodpecker. I found this quote at a Wikipedia site, describing the adaptations that keep woodpeckers from harming themselves.

To prevent brain damage from the rapid and repeated decelerations, woodpeckers have evolved a number of adaptations to protect the brain. These include small brain size, the orientation of the brain within the skull (which maximises the area of contact between the brain and the skull) and the short duration of contact. The millisecond before contact with wood a thickened nictitating membrane closes, protecting the eye from flying debris.^[5] The nostrils are also protected; they are often slit-like and have special feathers to cover them.

This robin was sitting at the top of a very tall tree.

We were convinced we were seeing Trumpeter Swans here, but I learned after inspecting..

the pictures more carefully, that we were actually seeing the Sandhill Cranes in flight (a first for me).

Blue highlights in this mallard were brought out by the sun.

We only saw a few Blue Herons.

This one was carefully ignoring the ducks.

Bill asked this American Wigeon to turn around,

so that we could admire the lovely green in its head,

and its striking, light blue bill. It kindly obliged.

These birds were very high up. I'm wondering if they could be Cedar Waxwings.

I'm not sure what this bird was, and it didn't help me out by giving me a closer view.

I'm not sure what this bird was, but I think the beak looks finch-like, and it seems young.

A Black-capped Chickadee was my last sighting before we left the sanctuary.

We drove just a short distance, when I spotted this heron in a field and I thought I also saw a hawk flying overhead. Bill, ever obliging, stopped.

We were both surprised to see so many houseboats.

I liked the windows in this one.

Black Jack was happily exploring the ditches and sniffed out this mallard pair. They weren't impressed.

The hawk might even have been..

an owl, but never came close enough for a positive identification.

The heron left, and we got back in the truck.

Our last stop for the day was to take a photo of this Bald Eagle pair through the window of the truck.

I zoomed in on the one on the right. I couldn't tell if it was the female or the male.

That was our outing. I loved it. Thank you, Bill. Enjoy your extra hour of sleep, everyone.

Thanks and more

2011-10-30T03:58:00.000-07:00

SOME WALKS AND THOUGHTS ON THANKSGIVING WEEKEND

Congratulations to my sister and her husband. They celebrated their 40th Wedding Anniversary on Thanksgiving weekend. This photo was taken in David Lam Park. The light shining through the two blooms seems a fitting symbol of their steadfast love for each other.

I replanted this African Violet and thought of my mother, who seemed to do especially well with these plants.

This plant, given to me a little over four years ago by Bill, also received some badly needed TLC. It had spent the summer on my balcony, one that gets direct and unrelenting sun. I removed the scorched leaves, gave it some new earth, and thanked it for forgiving my neglect.

On Saturday morning, this seagull seemed to have especially pink feet.

The droplets on this red flower gathered together for a meeting.

These two dogs were play-fighting in front of JJBean coffee shop. I learned their names were Frankie (on the right) and Tsar.

Frankie's expression was one of adoration.

Tsar seemed to accept (and appreciate) that sentiment as his due.

Later in the day, Bill and I took Black Jack for a walk. Some men were working on the stadium roof. It occurred to us that there will be constant employment for a select few, just to keep the roof clean and in perfect working order. I thought of a conversation I had with a worker several weeks ago. He was just finishing his shift and was taking off his climbing gear. I asked him if he enjoyed his work, and he answered, "I love it."

We walked through a small park on the way to Chinatown. This crow had lined up a few morsels of food on the edge of the fountain, and was soaking them, one at a time, in the water.

Bill pointed out the Sun Tower, the Revolving Restaurant, and Woodwards, peeking between the newer high rises.

The dragons of Chinatown's street lamps seemed about to leap into a very blue sky.

Some of the Chinese students at school expressed shame for Chinatown, but I love going there. This gate symbolizes entrance to an exotic kingdom.

Red accents add character and warmth to the streets.

We came across a street fair, and learned that people come each week to sell, buy or trade.

I found myself taking lots of pictures of fancy shoes, ones that I could never wear. Comfort and support have been priorities for longer than I care to admit, but it is fascinating to think about encasing one's feet in fragile glamour.

We stopped to talk with two men, the first wearing a pink headpiece and..

the second arranging his pose just so for the photo. I felt richer for the encounter.

Gassy Jack surveyed his kingdom,

and The thin building pointed us in the direction of a very nice coffee shop.

This leaf fell onto the table, as we sat outside with Black Jack, sipping our delicious lattes.

A couple of weeks later, after a leadership training camp for our students (I hope to do a future post about that experience) I thought back to that leaf. It wasn't a perfect and brilliantly-coloured one, but I was drawn to the way it seemed at home with the wood of the table. As one of the instructors taught us, nature's leaf-decomposing-system is a perfect one, and that made me wonder about the leaves that fall to city streets. I can tell you now, after checking a Vancouver web site, that the leaves gathered in the city are turned into compost and returned for future gardens. Yes! Here's a little quote I found that echos the words of our instructor.

Down at the base of the enormous canopy trees is the forest floor. This is a dark, still and extremely humid world, alive in a way that's difficult to perceive. The inhabitants here have to eke out a living from the leftovers that fall from above - specks of light, dead leaves and over-ripe fruit. Most of them are involved in decomposing the leaf litter. Termites, soil mites, bacteria and fungi run an efficient recycling plant that returns the nutrients to the soil almost as fast as they arrive.

After our lattes, we walked up a few steps to a small courtyard, and looked through an open area to see empty train tracks. A man watering flowers in front of a nearby restaurant said he had never before seen those tracks with no trains on them, and he had been watching for many years.

A couple of weeks later, I checked out the same place, just to see if there were trains on the tracks. There were.

We continued along Water Street and stopped for a few moments to admire the Steam Clock.

Bill was holding Black Jack and I admired her perfectly healed right hind foot, only two weeks after surgery. Thank you, Dr. Bhatla!

The tree by the steam clock had beautiful root patterns that seemed almost sculpted. Black Jack inspected every inch of them carefully.

There were lots of interesting shops. You can see my reflection in this photo as I stopped to check out the euphonium (or tuba).

Halloween themes were beginning to show up in some shops.

We spent some time admiring the Woodward's Building. There is a long and complicated story to go with that building, and if you have the time, check out that link to fill in the details. I am grateful for the effort made by the city to redevelop the area, and to preserve what they could of its history.

Bill was curious about the patterns on either side of the windows. We figured out that there were three variations repeated in its design.

In the photo below, you can see the "W" that was preserved, and that replaced the searchlight-beacon in 1944. The beacon was taken down at the beginning of World War Two because of fears it would act as a landmark for aerial attacks.

The excellent photo below shows the replica of the Eiffel Tower that the "W" sits on. That photo was taken from this blog, where you can see more wonderful images and read lots of fascinating information about Vancouver. Here's a link back to the photographers. Their business is called Nordica Photography.

This is why I take so long to post! I begin with one thought and it takes me to another, and another, and.. Anyhow, I found this image of the original beacon at Dependent Magazine. They found the image courtesy of Vancouver Archives.

This mural was in a lane just behind Woodward's.

I noticed a pigeon land just over the mural, and thought that its colours were perfect.

The pigeon moved to sit in the doorway of the mural. I don't know if my photograph will bring..

out the colours enough for you to see how beautifully the pigeon complements the artwork.

On our way home, we passed by BC Place stadium roof. It continues to hold great fascination for me. Strange, because the chances of my attending a sports event under that roof are minimal. In front of the roof, the steam that powers the clock (shown earlier in this post) can be seen.

We also passed by the latest Terry Fox monument. I like it a lot for several reasons. The four images growing progressively larger can be seen in several ways, but I like to think of Terry's indomitable spirit carrying on into the future and inspiring others to go for their dreams. I'm sorry that Telus didn't think of a way to create a more pleasing backdrop for the monument.

A close-up of the knee mechanism.

Talking about knees, mine was starting to hurt that day, so we stopped by a Starbucks to have a second latte. This dog's human was reading the newspaper at the neighbouring table. The dog melted my heart when it quietly turned, and laid its head on my knee.

Pleased to meet you!

This sign lives just around the corner from David Lam Park. It always makes me smile.

This cat lives next door to the welcome sign. Black Jack is fascinated by its confidence. It never backs away from her, but I've kept them apart. My thought, though, is that they would get along just fine. (A cat that runs is another story.)

SUNDAY AT NEW BRIGHTON PARK

We were looking for a new destination, and this one turned out to be very enjoyable. As that link tells you, and I quote: "The park is an unusual combination of outdoor recreation space, industrial facilities, and memorable views. New Brighton is a popular and exciting park. Captivating views of the North Shore, Burrard Inlet, and the grain elevators of Cascadia Terminals are available from the walking trails, outdoor pool, and beach areas."

I zoomed in on the anchor of..

the Golden Endeavour, with my big lens.

Bill let Black Jack play by the rocks, until she became too excited.

Bill's almost successful calming technique.

He clowned around, pointing at imaginary sights when I directed the camera his way.

These geese flew by, just as he was pointing.

It was a fairly dismal day, but small snippets of sunlight appeared now and then, catching some dandelion-like flowers,

that I thought were lovely.

This dog glued itself to Black Jack for quite a few minutes, but Black Jack seemed oblivious. She was far more interested in exploring the territory.

I spent some time trying to get a photo of a different bird, one that I hadn't seen before, but even with Bill's encouragement and help, could not capture it. The white-crowned sparrows offered to pose instead.

This tugboat was really churning up the water.

I forget exactly why I took this picture. I think it was to show the Second Narrows Bridge and the older bridge which is now used only for trains. Again, there is quite a history behind these bridges.

This was Black Jack's first run since her small surgery. We only let her have one turn going from Bill to me, but it felt so good to see her running free.

We liked some of the Inukshuks by the shore. This one was wearing a baseball cap.

Unfortunately, this one was forced to carry someone's garbage.

This lady was standing with her hands on her hips (I thought).

A Morning Glory and a picture of..

this Trans Canada Trail sign were my final shots of the day. It made me think of someone I met only once, Herman Jackrabbit Smith-Johannsen. He was born in1875 and died at 111 years of age. I thought that he was instrumental in starting the idea of a network of trails to cross Canada, but I haven't been able to find information to support that assumption. What I do remember is how spry and articulate Mr. Johannsen was at age 107. He had given up x-country skiing at that time, but still walked a couple of miles each day. I also know that he cleared miles and miles of trails in the Laurentian mountains of Quebec, trails that I enjoyed for the ten years that I lived there. His story has always been one that inspires me.

AND MORE

Just a few more pictures from times past.

Someone crocheted stockings for Jerry Pethick's Time Top. They only lasted a couple of weeks in the salt water,

but I thought they added colour and beauty to the vista.

And again, the stadium roof. It went through many stages as I watched it being built.

There were times when it was very colourful.

Here it is, viewed through another of Vancouver's outdoor art pieces called Ring Gear.

I thought the roof and the art worked really well together.

I guess colour is a bit of theme in my posts. I liked these Canada Geese because they sat on colourful,

reflective patterns in False Creek.

This one agreed to pose for me.

And, a little secret about Bill. He loves motorcycles, and especially, Harley-Davidsons. He posed beside this one, one day when we were enjoying a walk at Granville Island. Having enjoyed the thrill of riding my Yamaha 180, I have some idea where he is coming from. I wonder if there's a way to simulate a ride on a Harley. I wonder if it would be as much fun.

One day when we were enjoying some time at Vanier Park, I took a picture of these barn swallows.

I tried all summer to find a family of swallows and catch a shot of parents feeding their young, but was never successful. This was as close as I managed to come to a swallow photograph. I love these birds for their swiftness, and for their cobalt blue feathers.

That's it for today. As usual, there is so much more I would like to write about, but I'm out of time. Thanks, as always, for taking time to read about my adventures.