The Grinches of whoville strike.

A whole beautiful section of trees that was about a third of a block long and a quarter of a block wide is gone. These large (probably second generation) old growth trees are simply cut and left to be cleared. It looks like Stanley Park after the storm. Some Grinch run construction company has made a stupid decision. It's a mess and I can't believe that someone in whoville thought this was a good choice. Apparently everyone is thinking "green" and going "green" and yet...

So now condos will go up next to the big stinkin' mall and I know they will landscape the front of this towering monstrosity with spindly trees surrounded by mulch. Everything will look the same and one of the natural wonders (big trees) that makes BC special is gone.

The days that followed...

Well, db and I are coping.
We're grieving. The day after we took Svetlana to the vet was my birthday. I know, I know it's a lousy birthday gift, but actually we had made plans to go to the UBC botanical gardens a couple of weeks ago and I still wanted to go.

It felt good to be out and it was a beautiful day.

The gardens are so peaceful and lovely. They are very well tended to as research and display gardens, but the south gardens are very wild looking and the areas flow from one to the other in a woodland setting that feels as one.


























The north gardens (this above photo is the entrance way that trails under the roadway to the north garden) is a little more delineated which makes sense since parts of it are vegetable garden. The food from the veg gardens are donated to local charities which is fantastic. The alpine gardens are also a little more marked off, divided into the different continents and their natural plants.

There is also a Physic garden that is "enclosed by a traditional yew hedge (...) to showcase traditional medicinal plants."










The photos posted are mostly from the south gardens since by the time we reached the north side it was just about closing time.



We have to go back and in a couple of weeks the rest of the lilies should be all in bloom.








The giant lilies happened to be in bloom. At first I read the note that spoke of the variety (Cardiocrinum giganteum) and described them as potentially taking seven years to bloom. The blooms themselves can be 35 cm long! I think these ones were. They can also grow up to 4 m in height. I would love to have such a creature in my garden. One day.







As you may know I love lilies.

They are perhaps my favorite flower. Some of the lilies in the back have bloomed and there are more on the way.

After the botanical gardens we went to another part of town and wandered a little before happening on an Ethiopian restaurant that was just what I had hoped for. The menu outside highlighted the fact that all of their vegetarian dishes are vegan. It was a delicious meal. db was a little disappointed to learn that there was no liquor license, but it really didn't matter in the end. We loved the food.

At home db iced the cake and we had a little Italian bubbly and some cake to celebrate my birthday and toast Svetlana's life.




***

Canada day we spent the day on Granwhoville island. It was packed of course, but just to wander around and spend some time looking at the local artists works was a nice change. I have to say that I didn't feel celebratory or part of the festive group, but I was with db and we were just taking it easy, wandering around with no plan, just enjoying the weather. We did end our visit with a walk through a park/garden that was quite lovely. There really is such pleasure in a garden.

Notes on running for the Chimps

I sent these notes to Fauna for their newsletter and I thought I'd post it on the blog since I did say I would wrap up on the fund raising side of the race. By the way, sis and I raised over $800 for Fauna!



Training for a marathon (42 km) was a new experience for me. I have completed several half marathons (21.1 km), but pushing it that much further seemed like a long journey and big commitment and it was.

Early on I decided that running my first marathon was a good opportunity to raise money for the Fauna Foundation again. Now I had two goals motivating me: a 42 km race day on June 10th and fund raising for the Fauna Foundation. I had chosen the Edge to Edge Marathon in Tofino, B.C. It’s always been a dream of mine to run that race since I started running in 2004.

I was three months into my five-month training schedule when an Achilles injury sidelined me. At this point I already knew that my mom, brother and his girlfriend, my step-dad and my sister were all coming to B.C. from all parts of Canada. My sister decided to run the half marathon, (her first ever) and would raise funds as well. I had set up a donation page on Canada Helps.org. I was fully committed to run the distance and raise money for Fauna.

When I went back out after my break I could barely run 1 km without pain so I needed more rest and some cross training to keep me fit. Gradually I started running again, but I couldn’t do my hill or speed training for risk of worsening my Achilles. I did get the long distance runs in with my partner, db, alongside me on his bike for those long Sunday morning runs. It sounds melodramatic, but I did encounter every possible scenario on those runs. Wind, rain, heat, pain and those dreaded walls you hit when running long distances all surfaced, but the desire to meet my goals kept me going even if it meant I had to walk the rest of the way. On one occasion I used the same tactic I used in my tough Mississauga half marathon run last year and I thought of the Chimps, naming them to motivate myself to push further.

A week before the race Chimpanzees: An Unnatural History screened in Vancouver. I was fortunate to not be working. db and I went to the film and I cried through the whole thing for all of those Chimps that we (humanity) have treated so poorly. I cried with joy as well seeing the Fauna sanctuary and Gloria interacting with the Chimps with such love and compassion. It was so lovely to watch Billy Jo and see him outside on the island. What perfect timing to see this film. I knew that day that I would finish the race and I was so proud of my sister and I for our efforts.

Race day I was nervous. My mom said to think of the Chimps, but I already felt I had drawn on that in those training runs, those early Sunday mornings rain or shine getting out there to run, with fatigue and doubt setting in. Now I just had to stay focused on finishing to complete my goals.

At the start line in Tofino I will selfishly admit I was running for me first. I had to remind myself of this when I felt like stopping along that stretch of road in the Pacific Rim National park. What a beautiful landscape. I did think of this lush environment sharing some similarity to where the few Chimpanzees still live in their natural world in Africa. Running in Tofino was a dream come true for me. At the finish line I collapsed in one big emotional release because I had done it and no matter how much you believe in yourself you never know until you cross that finish line.



Incidentally, I finished the marathon in fours hours and thirty minutes, placing in the middle of the pack. It’s a new victory for me. I’ve already thanked my family (at the finish line) and friends, but I need to thank Fauna and the Chimps as well. Without them I may have given up and slept in a few Sundays instead of getting out there and facing those tough runs.

I hope to visit someday. Maybe I’ll have to run in Quebec so I can make the trip. Thanks family, friends and everyone at Fauna.

Plod, Paddle and Grizzlies

Wednesday's "Plod and Paddle" had enough people show up this week to include the plodding part of the journey. We walked the lovely Port Whoody inlet. It's a gentle little trail that traverses around the inlet with soft trail, a few stairs and some boardwalks over the boggy areas. This was a nice way to begin because it actually gave us a chance to chat with our friends a little more.

Once at the beach we met up with the paddle group and switched roles. I had a smaller kayak this week so it was a much better fit for me and while I found it to feel even more buoyant than before, it was easier to paddle since I was more comfortable in the boat. We headed out. I had the camera this week to give db (*note: D. will now be referred to as db -- hope this doesn't confuse anyone) a break and I knew he'd be taking the camera anyway.

I have to admit that I'm not much of picture snapper. I went on a long hike last week with a friend in this beautiful park in Whoville with many trails and small lakes and when I told db (*remember D. is now db) about the spectacular views and trails, he asked "do you have any pictures?" I didn't. I didn't even think about taking the camera. When we were in Italy on our "honeymoon" (thanks again sis!) db took all of the pictures. I had to remember to take the camera from him so we'd at least look like we'd both been to Italy. I think the only picture of the two of us together in Italy was taken in Scido, Calabria when visiting some of his family who insisted on taking a picture of the two of us together. It's a nice photo. We are, however, next to a statue of Jesus at the top of the mountain which is odd because let's just say that it's the closest db and I have been to Jesus prior to and since.

Okay, back to the kayaking. All of that is just leading up to the spectacular paddle we had. Those who had done the first leg of the paddle journey had departed the beach with excited stories of seeing seals and they saw a bald eagle out of the log drift. Ha, "newbies" I thought (now that I was on my second paddle adventure I felt like a seasoned plod and paddler).

It was a gorgeous night as you can see.



We headed across the inlet and knew we'd see seals since they hang out on the logs that seem to be anchored out in the inlet. There was little wind and we paddled into the sun.

The university team was out rowing and we got a good view of them heading out for their training. I was lagging behind because I'm the slowest paddler, but also I was taking the photos.


We paddled close to the seals and one came out to check us out. He trailed quite close behind db and I and even popped up between our kayaks at one point. It looked like Prima to me, something about the whiskers I guess.


Then our friends ahead caught sight of the eagle and we paddled towards it. Closer and closer and I kept wondering if we'd get a good look at it. Would it take off as we neared? There was an angry crow dancing in front of it making quite a racket. Would s/he frighten it away? db just caught sight of the eagle.
We kept moving towards it.

Our friends were already rounding the log drift. Now we were close and I could see it in profile and make out better details. It was thrilling. I've never been so close to an eagle.

Then we rounded right before it. I kept taking photos. As I moved to the far side of the drift I could make out its talons and feathers in detail. It truly is a regal looking bird, the king of the skies in this part of the country really.

We drifted a little and then it took off. The wing expanse carried him over to the next set of logs where he stayed for a bit. We headed back to landing. The whole journey was quite thrilling.

I'm so glad we moved here. Enduring the months of rain through the winter has been worth it all. I've been hiking, biking, running and now paddling like never before.


***

"A fed bear is a dead bear"

So keeping on the wildlife theme....
Grizzly bears in Squamish? Apparently there hasn't been a sighting here in ten years. I didn't even think of Grizzlies being in the coast mountain area. Great. I'm concerned enough about my inevitable encounter with a black bear, but now this? How long before a Grizzly is spotted in Whoville? This poor ol' Grizzly was seen getting into some garbage which is bad news for a bear (sorry about the pop culture reference there). The plan is to trap and move the bear away from town, but I fear the worst. If this bear returns and looks "aggressive" (term chosen by the police, but as to how one decides what that means I don't know) they will "destroy" it (that means kill. I don't know why people think the word "destroy" is a more appropriate word for "kill").
I hope the Grizzly realizes how boring and pointless people are and moves far away from the town back into the mountains and valleys that are less populated.

***

Good news for Ethiopian coffee growers

I found this story via The Church of Stop Shopping website (see the sidebar surfing links). This coincides with my recent viewing of Black Gold: Wake up and Smell the Coffee, a documentary about Ethiopian coffee growers. The film is fabulous and the impression I got from the film was that there is a significant impact directly on the farmer due to my own personal purchasing coffee choice. Starbucks is so completely huge and powerful it's frightening. The Ethiopian coffee growers are so poor it seems absurd that something in such high demand and coveted by people globally does not benefit those who grow it.

I am completely taken with these animals. Coyotes are quite beautiful. I saw another one (total count 3 since March) while biking to work Saturday. While pedaling through the rolling grounds of the R. hospital I saw a coyote standing on a lawn looking into the tall grass. S/he was clearly hunting for something tasty.

It's funny how for the second time the coyote is aware that I'm there, but doesn't look directly at me. Her/his head turned and followed me as I passed as if sensing me, but not seeing me, being also aware of all it's surroundings.

Wild and confident I definitely feel like these coyotes own the land and we are merely in its way to roaming freely. However, they seem to be doing just fine.

Trail biking

In the middle of doing our taxes today I suggested we get outside and enjoy the sun. I could tell that it was going to be yet another temporary break in the rainy overcast weather and if we didn't go out and enjoy it then we'd miss it. It took a little convincing. Once D. is on a project he doesn't like to stop (Virgo!) and we were well into our Schedule 1s when I threw a wrench into the plan.

Once we were outside we knew it was worth it. We biked to the trail that runs along the Whoville river and meanders through a couple of towns. The river was flowing quite rapidly and the ducks we saw floating downstream seemed to really be enjoying themselves riding the currents. Of course I have no pictures to show because I forgot to take the camera. I'm just not in the habit of having my camera on me and thus there are no scenic shots for the blog. Oh well. You'll have to take my word for it that it's a lovely trail and some of it is very narrow with large moss covered trees reaching up overhead.

There were quite a few people on the trail. I said hello to everyone and everyone says hello as well. It seems necessary for some reason. What's the etiquette on this anyway? I never said hello to people in High Park except for the runners since most runners always say hello to other runners. It's understood that this is done. D. and I biked past a couple and their boxer dog and we all exchanged hellos and I thanked them for stepping aside to let us pass. Then we did a little switchback and encountered them again, but this time no hellos were exchanged. They didn't even make eye contact with me. Can you only say hello once? Again what's the etiquette here? I'm not worrying about it too much, but I'm a little more aware since Whoville is a smaller town and people do tend to say hello to one another. Or at least it seems if you're on a trail or a small side street a hello can be used, but if you're on a main street forget it.

Anywho...it is rare that we have two days off together and while it seemed practical to take advantage of this bonus time and complete our taxes, it also seemed like a waste of a perfectly lazy day. In the end we achieved both and we both learned that we're getting refunds. Woohoo!

Along my bus route is a hospital, most of which is not used anymore that is evident by the broken windows of the large, cavernous brick buildings that identify the hospital for what it once was, an institution. I imagine polished wood floors and dully painted plaster walls with harsh lighting and impersonal spaces. Some of the newer buildings are still operating and appear to house many people dealing with mental illnesses. These newer buildings are called "cottages" but look like very standard 70s two-storey houses and, on the occasion when I can see through the windows as the bus passes by, seem to be no more inviting inside than the brick buildings. At least the hospital is there and exists for people who need it.

Anywho...the grounds on which this hospital exists are stunning. There are trees there that seem to exist no where else in this area, probably because it's one of the few areas that have remained hospital property and thus not part of the heavily logged regions here. While the bus travels through the grounds I am usually taking advantage of the travel time to read. However, yesterday I took a pause from my book to look at the trees again since they are changing rapidly now as the leaves are starting to come out and the cherry blossoms are in full bloom now. Along the route I noticed two massive Magnolia trees, the size of which I've never seen before. They must be at least 40 years old. Imagine a maple tree of that age that you've seen and then picture that with Magnolia blossoms about to open on it. It made me quite eager to bike through the grounds and really take the time to enjoy it almost as a park. I expect there will be photos to follow soon.

***

So, I'm headed out in the heat for my run today. It's unbelievably warm. I'm going to try a new route that seems to roll a little more. I've been sticking to the fairly flat surfaces as much as possible to not stress out my Achilles too much. Every run I'm taking one step at a time and if at any time I feel pain, I reassess and figure out if I can and should continue running. Hopefully I'll have another great run today.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Conversely, I do miss the uniqueness of our neighbourhood. For all of its problems, I miss the corner lot house we lived in. As you may or may not have heard I have boasted many times about our garden. I became a gardner in that yard. My sister, D. and I spent many hours working that garden, shaping it and re-shaping it until it developed into something we were quite proud of. We had a balance of perennials, trees, rocks and veggies that provided food and pleasure from spring to winter. I only wish I had more time to develop a pleasing winter garden as well, but i've only just learned about that.

One of the most flattering moments was when our neighbour's eldest child, whose bedroom window faced the alley and our garden and who was always fairly quiet and shy whenever we met, told me that she loved our garden and had always admired it. It didn't even occur to me that she was aware of it. Of course if my bedroom window looked down into a garden, I would spend much time looking at it too. So I'm glad we gave her a nice view for the years we were there.

At one point we talked about buying the house from my sister with those neighbours who wanted it as a rental property. Joe and I talked about how the other apartment could go to another artist and we'd have a little film community going between these two houses. Dreaming, we also talked about making that section of the alley pedestrian only and expanding our gardens out over the concrete. Robin wanted more rose bushes of course. She loves roses. We had a few cocktail parties with them either on our patio or up on my sister's deck which had a fabulous view and yet it felt so secluded up there.

Another neighbour had this great dog that I saw grow up from a puppy. He was the happiest dog and I think that reflected the attitude of our neighbour who was always friendly when we met. We often only met while going to and from, but occasionally we'd talk over the fence while one of us was picking raspberries or something. He always dressed up at Halloween as we did as well and we all sat out front and gave candy out to the kids who were completely unphased by our appearances for the most part. There was one year that my sister (remember she's an actor) was so frigtening as a vampire and our house was so scary looking because we had this gnarly vine all over the front (that later we took down) that the younger kids wouldn't come up the walkway. We'd have to shut off the music from the Shining and turn up the lights, putting on smiley faces to get the wee ones to meet us half way for candy. The next year my sister dressed up as a cowgirl so there were no problems with kids approaching that year. D. has this very real looking Frankenstein mask and does a great impression. The kids loved him. They weren't frightened at all. One girl waved to him as she walked away from the house and said "Bye Frankie." They had no idea that I was Bride of Frankenstein (too obscure at that age I guess).

That's only part of the fun.

Free stuff

Free internet.
Free software upgrade.
Free soy chai latte.
I can't believe I'm at Fivebucks and all this is free.
I couldn't connect at home so I walked down the hill on this gloriously beautiful spring-like day and parked myself at Fivebucks hoping to pick up a freebie connection and avoid their "hotspot" fee. Success.
I registered my trial screenwriting software (after getting some tech advice) and got the free upgrade and now ... success (true, I paid for the initial software at the start, but it feels like it's free).
Then, one of the Fivebucks employees carried around a tray of new flavour samples, but when I told him I don't venture into dairyland...five minutes later he brought me a FULL sized soy version (not the little sample shot, but a tall one.
Phew, the caffeine is swimming through the system now. I had a green tea before and now more caf.
I love free stuff.

I watched the sky clear this morning and then cloud over. By the afternoon a thick mist turned to light rain. The snow has become a thick slush, which makes walking on the sidewalks like walking on a sandy beach, my feet slid and struggled as the slushy snow gave way underfoot. The tree boughs and roofs still look lovely, but I can tell that the snow is weighty from the damp weather. I suspect in the morning much of the rest will have melted and washed away.

The day was a series of menial chores and bouts of play with the cats. Cozy at home, it took all of my strength to go out and make my way to one of whoville's fitness centres. While it felt good to run, I did not want to be chasing time and distance on a treadmill.

Something has definitely shifted in me over the past few days. A run outside usually helps clear my mind. Thoughts are jostled around and turned over again and again until I come up with a polished idea or problem solved. At least this is what I hope to achieve when I run with thoughts that need sorting. The treadmill really sorted nothing and I became anxious to return home and see my kitties again.

My sis has left the Haida Gwaii. Her plans haven't turned out as she had hoped. She's "back east" (as people say here -- surely we're not all from "back east" are we?). She's gone eastward now and is in Montreal where she is much wanted as an actress. She was recently voted best actress by one of the local papers (did I mention this already? Can I boast about it again?). Anywho...the travel south and then east brought her here and she stayed with us a couple of nights again. I got to see the cast of characters. As always it's great to see her and the cats, but i was still saddened by it all. I'd hoped she'd find the life she wanted on the islands, but I guess it wasn't meant to be.

The whole turn of events has me considering my own life and its direction (or lack thereof) and thinking about what's really important in my life. I'm grateful that D. has the patience and wisdom I need in a partner. I suspect my desire to come home from the fitness centre to see the cats was part of that need to feel secure and certain of some things in my life. The next few days, I suspect, will continue like this as I try to figure out my own direction in life.

Snow of the Lower Mainland

The snow quieted the city. Every sound was muffled by the layers of snow and it continued to fall all day long.

The commute to work caused me to be an hour and a half late. The showroom never had more than seven people and a dog in it at any one time. On the way home I took a different route since I thought the regular small bus wouldn't show. I stood at the front of the bus since it filled up at the sky train station before picking me up en route on the highway. We were low to the ground and the snow was still falling, the traffic still crawling along the icy road. In one particular spot, I looked out the door at the creek between two highways with just a patch of dark water showing between snow covered shallow banks. A blue heron completely still in the water, it's neck jutted forward, stood without moving while snow collected on its feathers. It seemed frozen in the creek, unable to continue any further. I wanted to look away, but couldn't because by then I was uncertain of what I was seeing. It was so close, so still, and so alone. The bus inched foward. I had to crane my neck back to see the bird. It's head pulled back, went forward and pulled back again. The movement startled me. I looked around at the other passengers, but no one noticed the heron. Then it stepped back slowly and extended it's long neck upward as if trying to make itself look bigger to us. The bus driver pulled forward and we were moving again.

Thirty minutes late, but at least I made it to the bus depot.