Birthday lunch on The Drive

We met Marilyn and Chris for lunch today at Cafe Carthage….always a rather European experience for us all.  Lots of fun and talk of old times as always!  Marilyn reminded me she caught the bouquet at our wedding.  She and Chris were getting married a few weeks later and the reception was at the Stanley Park Pavillion.   Funny,  Jim and I are living so close to there….

Much better weather today...

It's very fresh and it looks like the sun might actually make an appearance soon.  Yesterday afternoon the smoke smell dissipated at least and we were looking forward to a warm ocean swim….not so!  The water was inexplicably cool.  I didn't think it could get that cool after it had been so warm.   Ah well,  maybe today it will be back to warmth.

There was a wonderful smell of the ocean yesterday evening….such a treat after the smoke and haze.  And the evening lights looked great.

Spoiled by Elaine on our birthdays...

Our birthday booty from Elaine (I think we had already scarfed down one package of goodies before I took the photo!)  And if that wasn't enough we each got a gift card…me for books and Indigo and Jim for a selection of beer at the liquor store.  And wonderful cards with cats,  of course!

Thank you so much,  dear friend,  we will be thinking about you as we enjoy all our presents.  And as per tradition,  I opened my presents yesterday when they arrived.  I did wait for Jim to arrive home from teaching.  Jim's birthday isn't until July 13 but these gifts were for both of us so….

And now a bit of humour from Jack Knox in the Times-Colonist

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/jack-knox-summer-s-newest-pests-political-attack-ads-1.1989924

Yes…let's get back to enjoying the lazy days of summer.

Quite the haze from the wildfires burning in the province this morning

http://globalnews.ca/news/2092648/thick-haze-blankets-metro-vancouver-sky-sunday-morning/

And my photos…one from last night.  I guess the sunset was partly so colourful because of the smoke and one this morning.

Last night.

This morning.

Last winter,  a neighbour in PS asked how the water situation was where we live.  I laughed and said "With all our rain,  we won't be having a water problem."  Well,  we're in a drought now too and with the heat and wildfires,  we also have quite a problem.

"What happened, Miss Simone?"

We saw the most amazing documentary on Nina Simone last night…a Netflix original…good on Netflix.   It really captured her genius and her struggles.  We saw her in the late 60's at the Marco Polo in Vancouver and we were in the south of France when she died in 2003.  She was living in the south of France at the time around Aix-en-Provence.   I had some optimistic vision that once she escaped from the racism of the US,  she lived some ideal life in France….well,  not so.  She did escape racism but her demons were still with her.

I've posted a photo of her playing the piano since she was the most amazing pianist as well as everything else.

Nina Simone interviewed in France in 1991.    Well,  I hope she did have some happiness while living in the south of France,  even so.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANTNiJ2zJlc

Back from another wonderful swim….

And then to wash my hair in this great shampoo I have….green tea and lime…getting the taste buds ready for G & T and lime.  We found out recently that one of our beach friends who moves through the water faster than we do is turning 90….amazing.   She begins with a morning swim and then spends  a couple of hours on the beach and swimming some more.   The salt water must be good for you!

Douglas Todd….always interesting...

Well,  today's column was on advocating the United Church get rid of atheist ministers…who knew such a being existed?   I have to admire the United Church for being so open and welcoming but I agree with Todd even though I am an atheist.

http://www.vancouversun.com/opinion/op-ed/Douglas+Todd+Atheist+clergy+should+remove+masks/11186326/story.html

Getting organized….

I finally got around to organizing and cleaning up my studio area so now I can actually do some painting.  And I found a number of partly finished paintings I almost forgot about.  They are now in a more accessible area so I may finish some of these.

Jim also got his desk area organized and is very pleased with his "grabber" he bought for a dollar in PS…he doesn't even have to get up to get things!

Hal Castle Palm Springs Sunset…wow!

So John sent me this photo with a subject heading "crop this"….

Well,  I found it absolutely beautiful…no cropping required.  Love it….everything works.


June 21st from the ferry terminal at Tsawwassen towards Roberts Bank.

John Denniston photo

From the balcony…tonight's clouds.

From Linda today….it is pretty amazing!

I think Jim needs to play this course soon…perhaps he'll get a hole-in-one and match me finally!

Happy Canada Day for local Golfer John Weissbach, a member at King’s Links by the Sea. As we know holes-in-one are rare. Try having one on the 13th hole par three at King’s Links and following it up with another on the par three 15th. The odds are 1 in 67 million. John noted that he forgot to take the first hole-in-one ball out of play and actually used it on the 15th as well. On top of that he didn’t get to see either of them go in. John birdied the first par 3 of the day and bogied the 2nd. He played the par threes that day 4 under par.

That evening John was still in shock. When asked if he should go and buy a lottery ticket he figured he’d used up all his luck for a while.

Come out to King’s Links. Holes-in-one almost guaranteed!

Lunch at The Lift today in Coal Harbour

Again,  I can't believe this is the first time we've done this since we got back from P.S.!   We love getting to "the other side" and seeing a different view.  Fabulous lunch as usual.

Happy Canada Day!

Very low tide and some folks dressed up in flags…I think in the US that would be considered disrespectful.

Pretty pictures…even prettier.

John doesn't like to take  "pretty pictures" but his last blog posting had a couple of photos that almost qualified except some of the "debris" needed to be cropped out,  of course.  Just teasing,  John.


My cropped version…

My cropped version…

A cool cloudy morning in Palm Springs...

Nice to see them getting cooler weather as it's been very hot.  These photos by Eric Norland.

Well, more shots from the balcony...

…which I know no one really wants but  we see it live and it is so wonderful.  I'm not printing up and keeping these shots because I do know they are all a muchness…not like the people photos I take and I do print up those.  I realized just how valuable the people photos were  when Richard,  a number of years ago,  mentioned that he and his friends were going through albums and all they focused on were the photos of people.  Yes,  I think our family will like my people photo albums.

Still…I love these sunsets!

Daily Catch coming to Denman…wow…love this fish store.

I can't quite believe the  photo I took of this is not in my photo stream yet.  Everytime I try to upload photos, they are in my photo stream…ah, the mysteries of technology.   So,  The Daily Catch will be right beside Kin's.  Great.

Another wonderful ocean swim today…yes,  this is why we live here.  Just came in from sitting out on the balcony and a very refreshing breeze going on.  Watching the sunset.

Well,  finally there.  A great combo….Daily Catch and Kin's.

A very moving article in the New York Times

Our Weddings,  Our Worth

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/28/opinion/sunday/frank-bruni-same-sex-marriage-supreme-court-our-weddings-our-worth.html?_r=1

Jim's first day at school...

Jim had his first day at Columbia College today and really liked his group of students (only 17 of them)..really nice young people and some even came up after the class and thanked him…he didn't get that at Camosun!  It's a great new facility with state of the art everything…AC,  smart classrooms,  etc.  They really seem to know how to do things.   For each new faculty member,  HR sends an introductory email about them and also a photo…nice touch.  And only about a 15 minute drive.

And then a wonderful ocean swim this afternoon and chatting with our beach friends.  The ocean is so warm for this time of year…wow.

Itty Bitty Book Review: "Blood On Snow"

 "Blood On Snow" by Jo Nesbo

This is a quick and enjoyable read.  Nesbo,  as usual,  is quirky and funny.  I was going to recommend the movie,  "Headhunters" for those of you who watch Netflix but I see it isn't on the Canadian Netflix.

The ending to a perfect day...

Wow….a wonderful ocean swim and then a Bar-b-q in Dick and Susan's backyard.  Lots of fun and great food and such a balmy night.  Thanks so much,  guys!

Donald Wexler January 23, 1926 - June 26, 2015

1. Donald Wexler

   Architect
2. Donald Wexler was an influential Mid-Century modern architect whose work is predominantly in the Palm Springs, California area. He is known for pioneering the use of steel in residential design

   
   

   He made a amazing contribution and this gives me a chance to post some photos of my wonderful Jacinto mountains with some of his houses.

   
   

   

   
   

   

   
   

   

   
   

   

   
   

   

   
   

First ocean swim for me today…wow…so warm!

I almost didn't go in today as there is quite an ocean breeze going on.  I guess it's hot somewhere in this "heatwave" but not really here.  The water was fabulous!    It looks very promising for very warm ocean swimming this summer.  Last year we got about a week of Mediterranean type ocean temps but it's looking even better for this year.

Bring it on!

Itty Bitty Book Review: "Falling in Love"

"Falling in Love" by Donna Leon

 Ann Marie MacDonald's latest,  "Adult Onset" came at the same time but it seemed a bit heavy for summer reading so I read this instead.  Very light reading but always fun to read  something that takes place in Venice.  Next up is Jo Nesbo's latest "Blood on Snow"…then perhaps some serious reading.

The Deux Chevaux...

I get a newsletter from Australia called "The French Affair" and today there was this fascinating article on the history of the Deux Chevaux.   It's hard not to love them and the pull back top to make a sort of convertible is brilliant.   And it was the only car we could pass on our first trip to Europe in 1972.  We had rented the cheapest car available…a Renault 5.  The gearshift was like a bubble gum machine. But we actually camped in it.   You could open the trunk (hatchback type door) and we slept with our feet hanging out on little camp stools.   We found we got dew on on lower legs that were hanging outside so used a shower curtain to cover them.  I don't know how we managed to sleep like this…a king size bed almost doesn't seem big enough for us now…ah…to be young.

We only camped when we couldn't get a hotel for $3 a night or less.  We did allow ourselves to pay $4 in Paris…after all, it was Paris.   We have often stayed at the same hotel in Paris since it's in a wonderful location in the Latin Quarter and on a small quiet street.   We've been paying closer to $300 a night but then there are bathrooms in the rooms (half the size because of that!),  an elevator,  AC,  and the hall lights aren't on a timer that switches off when you're about halfway up the stairs going to your room.

Our "camper van" in 1972

http://www.frenchaffair.com.au/explore-france/tribute-to-the-2cv