Canadian Capers

Summer's Over but not the Sunshine

2009-09-19T12:50:00.015-07:00

The summer holidays are over but the sun is still shining. We had a lovely month with Anne who is now back in England. I think our best memories were of Seattle, Banff and a wonderful day whale watching from Steveston. Greg went back to college this week and is enjoying his new classes. He did incredibly well in his intensive Greek course over the summer and is now taking the intermediate Greek along with beginners Hebrew, amongst other things. I have started fulltime, (instead of three days a week), at West Coast Christian School supporting a delightful teenager with special needs. Although it involves a 40 minute bus journey it is a lovely place to work and the bus journey has views of the North Shore mountains and glimpses of the sea most of the way, so I am not too hard done by! I often see racoons when I wait for the bus next to our apartment in the morning; being a Brit, I still find this exciting and the girl I work with was most shocked to discover that we didn't have raccoons, bears, skunks, cougars or elks in England.

2009-08-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

If you're a bear, you get to hibernate. You do nothing for six months.
I could deal with that.
Before you hibernate, you're supposed to eat yourself stupid.
I could deal with that too.
If you are a bear, you birth your children, (who are the size of walnuts), while you're sleeping and wake to partially grown, but cuddly cubs,
I could definitely deal with that.
If you are a mama bear, everyone knows you mean business. You swat anyone who bothers your cubs. If your cubs get out of line, you swat them too.
I could deal with that.
If you are a bear, your mate expects that you will wake up growling. He expects that you will have hairy legs and excess body fat.
Yup , I want to be a bear.
- Author unknown

Beaches and Mountains

2009-08-06T09:52:00.008-07:00

On Tuesday Anne and I headed down to the beach complete with books, mats, lunch and a beach parasol. The tide was low so Anne just walked out and paddled rather than having a swim. I expect that we will go back at high tide for a swim sometime. Yesterday it was a bit overcast so we decided to have a day on Grouse mountain. We got a bit caught out because as we went up the side of the mountain we found that we went above the clouds and got just a little bit pink due to not having applied sunscreen. It was a good day and interesting in the morning not to look out over a view of Vancouver but over a sea of cloud looking remarkably like a coating of marshmallow. Later in the day the cloud turned to haze and Anne was able to look out over the peninsular where we live. We enjoyed the "Lumberjack", and the "Bird of Prey" shows and looking at the two Grizzly bears who live in a refuge up there. Both Anne and I liked the chair lift to the peak so we did it twice. We also found that we were up there with a huge number of police and firemen from around the world as it is the "Police and Fireman World Games"in Vancouver at the moment and we had inadvertantly picked the day when they were racing up the "Grouse Grind" which is a very steep track up the side of the mountain.
Today we are keeping out of any sun, doing laundry and getting ready to go to visit Mark and Claire in Seattle for the weekend. We are starting our visit by watching the Seattle Mariners play baseball which we are looking forward to, but we are also looking forward to watching Mark and Claire who we have been told get very enthusiastic whilst watching. It is hard for Greg and I to imagine Seattle without snow as Greg and I had to dig the car out of snow the last time we visited.

Anne Has Arrived in Canada

2009-08-03T09:20:00.005-07:00

We were very excited collecting Anne from the airport last Wednesday evening. We were also pleased to be sitting in the air conditioned waiting area as the temperature has been up to the mid thirties this week. We all went to the beach in the evening and watched the "British" team compete in the firework display over English Bay, at one stage to the tune of "Land of Hope and Glory." On Thursday we took Anne to see around Regent College and attended a Chapel Service. We were very grateful for the air conditioning there too. Friday we took a trip to Deep Cove and had lunch, heading for the shade at every opportunity. We decided that there should be some shade at Lynn Valley so went over the suspension bridge and looked over the side to the drop below. While we were there someone had to carry their dog across as he was lying on his tummy in the middle refusing to move either way. The bridge does wobble rather significantly so I couldn't blame him. We still found time when we got home fo Anne to take a trip along our road to our local wool and quilting shop. The colours in them really are a feast for the eyes and Anne bought some wool to make a present for a friend while she is here. On Saturday we went for a very "naughty" pancake breakfast at, "Denny's". Greg needed to do some Greek homework so Anne and I got the bus out to Granville Island and enjoyed looking at the shops and market. We sat and watched one of the street entertainers perform. He played a Ukelele and hopefully Anne picked up a few tips for playing her pink one she was given as one of her parting gifts from school. We hopped on a bus and went to Gas Town to see the steam clock and also walked along the waterfront watching the seaplanes take off and land. I was exhausted by the evening as the temperature was still high so Greg an Anne went down to the beach to watch the Chineese compete in the firework competition. Yesterday, we went to church at Langley and then went out to lunch with some friends from there. Today is a Bank Holiday here so we will have a trip out, although it is still sunny we seem to have lost the severe heat from last week for which we are very grateful.

2009-07-15T16:05:00.004-07:00

Last Saturday we walked the five and a half miles around the sea wall at Stanley Park. It was stunningly beautiful with lots of interesting things to see all the way round. At first we pointed out every Heron to each other but by the end of our walk they had become rather common. We sat down to eat our packed lunch and watched a Heron fishing on the edge of the water and then saw that a Raccoon was also looking for food amongst the rock pools. Today I went and took my horse drawn tour of Stanley Park, that I had won in a competition. It was interesting listening to all the history of the area that the guide told us about. The white horse was called "Berry".

Bring on the Wildlife

2009-07-10T09:29:00.008-07:00

It has been another good week during my Summer Break from school. Last Saturday we went for a BBQ to celebrate one of the students birthday. A few of the students from the USA brightened it up with their red, white and blue clothes as their effort to celebrate the 4th of July in "a foreign land". Greg has been doing extremely well on his Greek course. For six weeks he has Greek in the morning, homework for the afternoon and a test every day, with a big test once a week. Strangely, he loves this and is rapidly becoming my "Greek Geek" although he was jokingly disappointed to have lost just a quarter of a mark on his test yesterday. Looking at the paper I would have been pleased to get one mark!
Yesterday I went to watch the free lunchtime outdoor concert at Regent which was a group called "Tzimmes" who play Jewish Klezmer Music. I enjoyed the music and singing in a variety of languages, especially as they were also humourous entertainers.
As Greg doesn't have Greek this Friday (today) , on Thursday afternoon we decided to go to Stanley Park. While we waiting for a bus a Raccoon ran across the road infront of us, then while we were having a drink and snack at the park a Raccoon decided that he would like to share with it with us. As we were unsure as to whether he may help himself we decided to move seats to where there were more people. He got a few crumbs from someone else, (which explains why he was looking at us so hopefully) and then climbed skilfully up a tree nearby. After never having seen a Raccoon in Canada we were delighted to see two in one day but can also understand how they can become a nuisance to householders. We also went along and enjoyed the lovely smell of the Rose Garden and walked part of the way around the sea wall, especially enjoying watching a heron fish.
In March, when Simon was coming, I looked at a variety of tourist activities on the internet and in passing filled out a quiz for a horse drawn tour of Stanley Park. When I got home yesterday I found that I had won a ticket for one person, (worth $27) , so one day soon while Greg is slaving away over Greek I will go and be taken in style around the park!

2009-07-03T16:14:00.004-07:00

Yesterday I went to the free lunchtime concert at Regent College to eat my packed lunch. While Greg sweated away doing Greek I sat listening to three musicians play guitars in the style of Gypsy Jazz. Today I went up Grouse Mountain using the passes that Greg bought for my birthday in March. It was lovely to sit and eat my lunch looking down over Vancouver and the peninsular where we live. This evening we have been invited for a meal with another "mature" couple from Australia who have just started at Regent.

Canada Day

2009-07-01T19:34:00.005-07:00

We have had a good few months. Sue has been enjoying school which broke up a few weeks ago for the summer holidays. Our daughter Anne got engaged and we will be returning to England for a few weeks at Christmas for the wedding,(as long as BA keep flying). We have had lots of wonderful trips out and enjoyed a visit from Lyn Wells and one of her friends. It turns out that her friend Linda is a bell ringer and we all went to the cathedral in Vancouver so she could join in a practice. After climbing up to the belfry we watched facinated while they rang the bells and later we had a go ourselves. Today was Canada Day, so I went to Granville Island to watch the parade, jazz concerts, and see various crafts people and artists. Later this evening we are going down to the beach to watch some fireworks. Greg has started his intensive Greek Course which he is enjoying, although it is hard work.

2009-05-23T17:37:00.011-07:00

We both started the week with Summer Bible School which as usual was extremely interesting. Greg finished the week at Regent and I worked in school Thursday and Friday. It was sports day on Friday and the sun shone to make it a very enjoyable day. Today we drove up to Squamish and visited the Shannon Falls. They were absolutely stunning and well worth the uphill climb needed to get a better look. We still can't quite believe that we are able to visit all these wonderful places for a Saturday trip. We stopped off to eat lunch by the water and enjoyed watching divers go under the sea to look at an artificial reef that had been especially built, using sunken boats and car tyres, to encourage marine life there. Greg bought a book about Canadian birds this week as we were having quite a job identifying many birds we were regularly seeing. We haven't yet lost the thrill of seeing eagles soaring round and round from our apartment window and still get amazed by the mountains that we pass daily .

2009-05-11T18:46:00.006-07:00

Today we started our morning Summer School Class, "Old Testament Foundations," that runs for two weeks. I am able to do some in between working and have been given Tuesdays off school for two weeks as the course was booked before I accepted the job at West Coast Christian School. We enjoyed meeting up with people again and meeting some new people who have just come from varying places for the particular courses. In the afternoon I looked after Anastasia who at one year old is really making us laugh. She has taken a real shine to Greg and knows that if she offers him a book he is likely to read it to her. We will miss her when she returns to England with her parents in July. The photos are of our trip on Saturday to Harrison Hot Springs. I have to say that the Hot Spring that we saw was especially stinky and smelt of Sulphur.

A Detour and a Pigeon Egg

2009-05-10T19:22:00.009-07:00

Yesterday we took a trip out to Harrison Hotsprings. En route we saw a sign to Bridal Falls and decided to investigate. It was really worth the detour and after an uphill walk we marveled at the waterfall and the flowing streams that it caused. After a picnic we drove on to Harrison Hotsprings and enjoyed the seaside feel of the town. When we got home two pigeons kept investigating one of our flower pots on the balcony. We kept shooing them away and rearranging our deterents but they seemed very persistant. This morning I woke up to see one pigeon sitting in the pot, I shooed it away only to see a solitary white egg sitting where it had been. We removed the egg and rearranged the deterents once again. When the pigeons came back they couldn't get to the pot or find their egg so they gazed at us reproachfully through the window. You'd think that with thousands of trees in the forest opposite that they could find somewhere better than outside our balcony door for a nest. Later we enjoyed a trip to Langley Church and then meeting up with Sarah and Wayne for lunch to celebrate my second Mother's day of the year as the dates are different in the UK to Canada.

Surprised by Bluebells

2009-05-04T06:50:00.004-07:00

Last week I had a lovely surprise as I discovered Bluebells in our shared apartment garden. Anastasia, (the little girl that I child mind) and I decided to go and have a closer look at them. I also started work at West Coast Christian School, which I enjoy. I am working for them three days a week as a special needs aide and childminding two days. After the Summer holidays I will work full time at the school as Anastasia returns to England. It's perfect as term ends before any of our visitors arrive from England. I am working with one teenage girl with special needs. Greg is chuffed with the idea of being a "kept man!". After work on Friday we went down for a walk at the local beach. As the weather grows warmer the whole feel of the beach has changed. Families with buckets and spades, BBQ's and people playing volleyball give a taste of the Summer to come. On Saturday we took the bus to Granville Island for lunch. The feeling there has changed too with lots of people sitting outside watching the water and various entertainers performing in the open air. Yesterday we went to Utown Church and in the afternoon took a trip to a local garden centre to see what sorts of plants were there. We invested $4 in a tomato plant for the balcony but I have low hopes regarding to it's survival, but you never know!

A Night In Victoria

2009-04-29T08:46:00.012-07:00

I had a haircut along our road that really made me laugh. An Iranian hairdresser gave me the haircut she thought that I should have regardless of anything I said. I didn't try too hard, after all I didn't want a haircut that made my head look "too pointy". I also received all sorts of varying health advice. I quite liked the haircut but Greg got a bit of a surprise when I returned home. Really, I now just have a sort of parting on the side. As we weren't looking after Anastasia, at short notice, we decided to have a night away at Victoria on Vancouver Island. We drove the car to Twassen and found we had just missed one ferry so had a two hour wait. We ate a nice lunch and returned to the car only to find that it wouldn't start as Greg had left the lights on after going through a tunnel. As our queue was moving I had to get out and direct the traffic around our car! Fortunately there was an empty lane beside us. After wondering what to do, a cheerful lady came, who worked at the terminal, with a battery charger opened the bonnet and started the car for us in time to get on the ferry. She said it happens all the time. We enjoyed the two hour ferry ride passed mountains and through all sorts of islands, although we held our breathe as we started the car to get off. Fortunately all was well and we stayed in the "Days Inn" on the harbour side in Victoria, enjoying all the sights and watching sea planes on the water outside of our room. We especially enjoyed seeing seals in the water. The next day we drove up to Nanaimo which was a beautiful drive and got on the ferry with no mishaps this time. The ferry ride went on a different route but was beautiful again. We loved seeing seals pop up and look at the ferry with whiskery faces and also dramatic views of Mount Baker. I was amazed to see the colour of the water change from blue to brown, in a line, where the Fraser River meets the sea bringing with it mud off the mountains.

Bowen Island

2009-04-24T18:48:00.004-07:00

Wednesday we took a trip up Grouse Mountain again. The views were glorious although the snow had become very slushy up there. Thursday we had a variety of admin jobs to do including getting me an SIN number which is like a National Insurance number in the UK. While we were in Downtown we had a meal in the "Old Spaghetti Factory". Today we went on the bus to Horseshoe Bay and then took the ferry over to Bowen Island. The views were spectacular in the warm sunshine. We took a walk on the woodland trail up to Dorman Point which was uphill all the way but were rewarded with wonderful views. We enjoyed watching a class of teenagers having a Kayaking lesson while we waited for the ferry home and also enjoyed the graceful appearance of a heron who decided to fish down below us while we ate an ice cream.

A Blossom Filled Walk To the Local Beach

2009-04-21T10:31:00.009-07:00

Yesterday Greg and I took a walk down to the local beach. It was a feast for our eyes as we walked past tree after tree full of wonderful blossoms, all the time getting glimpses of water and mountains and occasionally a peek at the skyline of Downtown in the most unexpected places. The weather this week is sunny and warm making the beach, water and mountains seem very different especially as the snow on the mountains recedes upwards. We stopped for a drink at the Jericho Sailing Club and sat outside watching the sailing boats launch and float gracefully into the distance. Passing through east Jericho park I finally manage to get a decent photo of one of the birds I like to see; a Red wing Blackbird who hopped around chirping hopeful of getting some food intended for ducks.

Term Ends

2009-04-20T11:32:00.007-07:00

Greg's term has finally ended so after weeks of him writing papers and revision we are back to exploring the beautiful countryside around here. Although it is extremely common to see eagles flying outside our apartment now I still haven't lost the thrill of seeing them. With some warmth and sunshine the blossoms have appeared on trees all over Vancouver creating pink views on the roadsides at every turn, all with tantalizing glimpses of mountains peeking through. On Saturday we drove over to Lighthouse Park and looked back to the piece of land where we live. We walked the trails through enormous fir trees down to the coast. We also enjoyed Whytecliff Marine Park and sat watching boats whilst looking out over the mountains. In the cove there numerous divers go into the water and it was quite fun watching them have lessons. Every so often we would see a diver in full regalia wander back to the car park looking slightly like an out of context alien. In the evening we went to a BBQ, for all the Regent January starters, which was at someone's house in the middle of some horse stabling, so it gave the BBQ a rather interesting setting. We also enjoyed having a look at all the beautiful horses who were rather disappointed that we weren't bringing them tasty treats. After going to Utown Church in the morning we drove over to Sarah and Wayne's house in the afternoon and enjoyed spending some time with them.

Sunshine and Jam

2009-04-06T19:20:00.007-07:00

The pictures below are taken from the "The Harbour Centre Tower" that Simon and I enjoyed a trip to while he was here.We have had a good week and have finally been enjoying warmth and sunshine at the same time. Greg has been working hard to get his papers in and has had good results on the ones that he has had back. I have been enjoying some walks to the beach and around the local area while the weather has been good. I have been having fun with Anastasia who is still wonderfully cheerful and well behaved. She turns one on Friday and Greg and I will be attending her first birthday party. I have been busy cooking and ended up making jam as I ended up buying rather more Californian strawberries than we could eat in Safeway. Happily it was a great success and I made scones on Sunday so that we could have a very traditional English tea. No cream though!

Photos Of Whistler Trip

2009-03-25T22:29:00.005-07:00

Sadly we took Simon to the airport this evening and he is flying home as I write. The photos are of our Whistler trip on Sunday. If you look very closely in the photo with the bridge you can see the peak to peak gondola that runs between two mountains. Today Simon and I went up an observation tower in Down Town and enjoyed seeing the views over Vancouver on a beautifully sunny day. We then took a trip over to the North Shore on the seabus and had lunch at Lonsdale Quay with views back across the water to the Vancouver skyline.

2009-03-24T16:44:00.007-07:00

On Saturday as it was sunny Simon and Greg went up to Mount Seymour to try out the skiing there. Simon took the photos and video while he was up there and I have to say that they look wonderful. On Sunday we took a day trip to Whistler, where the majority of the 2010 Winter Olympics will be. Although we have got used to seeing beautiful scenery I have to say that the views on the drive to Whistler, which is about two hours from where we live, were stunning. The village is set out more like an alpine village and Simon and Greg said that the skiing there was amazing. I am afraid that I went for some beautiful walks around the trails and up to the Aboriginal Cultural Centre while Greg and Simon skied. I'll put some photos that I took up on another day.

Ice Hockey

2009-03-21T18:12:00.005-07:00

Last night Greg, Simon and Sue went for a real all Canadian experience watching the Giants play Ice Hockey. Somehow we seemed to have seats in the front row and an extremely close up view. Quite a few times players would have landed in our laps had it not been for the safety barrier. We certainly jumped a few times as players slammed each other into the wall right by us. The Giants were in good form and won 8-2 which made for a very enthusiastic crowd and a fun evening.

Snow Tubing

2009-03-17T21:19:00.012-07:00

Following a days skiing on Friday, Greg, Sue and Simon went to Granville Island on Saturday. We went to to U town Church in the morning then had a lovely visit with Sarah and Wayne in the afternoon. On Monday Greg and Simon went to the aquarium at Stanley Park which they really enjoyed. Hopefully I will take Anne or some other visitors later in the year. Today they went snow tubing on Mount Seymour and then had a walk over the suspension bridge at Lynn Valley. Sue looked after Anastasia but is looking forward to going out with them for the rest of the week. Photos and clip of Simon snow tubing were taken by Greg and Simon, with snow on the mountains but green down below.

Simon Arrives Safely

2009-03-12T20:18:00.004-07:00

Simon arrived safely after being thoroughly grilled by Canadian immigration at the airport. Today Simon and Sue went for a walk down at the local beach while Greg had a lecture. We then took at packed lunch to the college and met up with Greg at lunchtime so that Simon could see round and meet many of the other students. While Greg had more lectures Sue and Simon went to the sea bus and crossed to the North Shore. We then came back across and watched the sea planes from Canada place. As the weather forecast is good for tomorrow Simon and Greg plan to go skiing while Sue looks after Anastasia.

A Restful Sunday

2009-03-01T21:53:00.006-08:00

Today we took a trip over to West Coast Church which we enjoyed. In the afternoon we drove down to the sea near us as we wanted to walk around the coast in a different direction than we have before. We took the car as the weather looked a bit dicey and we didn't want to come too far home in the rain. As it turned out the rain held off until we had finished our walk and returned to the car. Our first surprise was that the tide was out. It must go out frequently but somehow on all our walks down there at various times of the day we had never seen it. The coast going West was lovely and much more rugged with many more stones and lots of seaweed. This evening we watched a DVD which was a modern adaptation of "Tom Brown's Schooldays" borrowed from the local library.

Cheapskates and Burgoo

2009-02-28T21:54:00.009-08:00

The photos are of the Cleveland Dam. We stopped off and found this amazingly beautiful view.Today we went to a shop called "Cheapskates"in Dunbar. They sell second hand sporting goods and clothes and at the moment have mainly ski wear and equipment. It works as a sort of reverse auction. People put their things in the shop to sell and the price goes lower each week. The price tag shows you how low it will go at certain dates over about six weeks. This evening we went for a meal at a restaurant, just along the road from us, called, "Burgoo" to celebrate my birthday a bit early. It was really lovely home cooked type food and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

I think I got a Mountain for my Birthday!

2009-02-27T21:37:00.005-08:00

As a present for my up and coming birthday I received the gift from Greg of a yearly couples membership to Grouse mountain. It enables us to take the cable car free and take others there for half price, also to have reductions on ski hire etc and go to all the activities in the summer. We took a trip up today to see how much snow there was likely to be for when Simon comes. The signs were very encouraging he will be glad to know. We can either drive or have a bus ride to get there. Today Greg and I just looked at the views, watched the skiers,(although it made Greg keen to have a go skiing again) watched people ice skating and had a drink looking out over Vancouver and right across to where we live. We may go up again tomorrow if the weather is good and investigate a bit more. We stopped off at a viewpoint overlooking the Cleveland Dam on the way home but I will save those photos for tomorrow.

A Giant Pom-pom

2009-02-26T22:17:00.003-08:00

Yesterday I had a trip over to the Vancouver Art Gallery to see the new exhibitions, "How Soon is Now?" and "Enacting Abstraction." I enjoyed a look around, but was quite glad that Greg wasn't there as he would have been a bit bemused. I found a giant pop-pom amusing and enjoyed looking at the wide variety of abstract pictures. This morning we woke up to a light covering of snow again. We were glad to see snow on the nearby mountains as Simon would like to ski when he comes over soon.

One of our Favourite Walks

2009-02-24T07:42:00.006-08:00

One of our favourite walks is just 10 minutes walk down the road from us. When I say down, I really mean down but unfortunately really really uphill on the way back. As you can see from the video there are always interesting things to see and Greg is hoping to do some sailing there when the weather is warmer. Yesterday we went to a rather mind boggling talk on the Canadian tax system, we came away a bit confused but we think we will be able to fill in the tax return when the time comes. Today we also have to exchange all the external keys to the apartment for the new ones, I'm not quite sure why, but I'm equally sure that there is a good reason. Today is the day for our soup lunch at Regent and our community group there which we always enjoy. I bought a SCRABBLE game at a thrift store for $1.50 yesterday. Someone said that Greg will probably win as he has learnt so many new long words!

A Weekend Walk

2009-02-23T20:46:00.004-08:00

Over the last week we have had beautiful weather that has broken into rain today. Greg spent a fair bit of the weekend revising for an exam that he took today. Having spent some time testing Greg I am pretty familiar with the subject that he is studying. We still managed to find time to go for a lovely walk down by the sea near to us. I love the shells down there as lots of them are an interesting mauve colour. We watched all types of boats sailing and found that we could have a cup of tea in the Jericho Sailing centre looking out over the water.

Encaustic Workshop

2009-02-20T17:06:00.004-08:00

Today I did an Encaustic Workshop at Regent College as part of the Arts Week. I put together a board about the history of Encaustic Art going right back to it's known beginning with the Ancient Greeks and the Egyptians. I put together a selection of video clips about different types of Encaustic Artists on the computer from YouTube so that people could watch it while they were waiting to have a turn. Everyone ended up with some nice pictures old and young alike and seemed to enjoy having a go. It went well but now I am really tired.

Art and Comment

2009-02-18T21:40:00.002-08:00

This afternoon I went to see the art exhibition at Regent College which opened today. There were drinks and nibbles to have while you wandered around. We enjoyed looking at other students and family members works and sneakily watching other people look at mine. People liked my pictures I am glad to say. A bit later I went round the corner to do a paid focus group for the university. All you had to do was to comment on a website about , "Bone Health", (sort of about osteoporosis) with about six other ladies. It was quite fun and they gave us food and drinks too! I enjoyed myself so much it seemed a bit mean to take the payment , but I forced myself!

Stone Soup

2009-02-17T22:04:00.003-08:00

Today I went in for chapel and stayed for soup lunch afterwards. As it is the arts week we had "stone soup" named after the story of that title. Instead of paying $2 everyone took in things for the "cooks" to make the soup from. There were about 5 choices of soup today. Greg had ham and split pea soup and I had carrot and ginger. We both thought that ours was the tastiest.

A Fun Sunday

2009-02-15T22:49:00.004-08:00

Today we had a very full but fun day. In the morning we went to U Town church that is on the university campus and stayed for a delicious soup lunch. We then hurried back to meet up with two students, Mike and Dennae, who live just along the road from us, and Elliot.their very lovely young dog. We had a wonderful walk in the Pacific Spirit Park, in the sun, with Elliot trying to find the biggest sticks possible to carry along. This evening we went to a potluck curry dinner that someone had organised for the "Brits", We had a great time chatting to people whilst eating very tasty curry.

Sea and Singing

2009-02-13T16:28:00.005-08:00

After Greg spent a morning studying, this afternoon we went to Steveston again. When we went previously it had been so foggy that we hadn't been able to see very far, but this time the views were lovely. We had a delicious salmon lunch looking out over the sea and then took a walk along the side of the water passed the "historic" canning factories. This evening we are going to see Cori Spezzati, spacial choir music by the Vancouver cantata singers with trombone quintet at the Holy Rosary Cathedral. We are going with a couple of other students. I have no idea what it will be like but I'm happy to see and it's free.

2009-02-11T19:44:00.007-08:00

This morning I was thrilled to see a Bald Eagle fly passed the window of our apartment. While Greg worked I went and did a paid study for the psychology department at UBC. It just involved 40 minutes doing "puzzles" on the computer which was fun. Late afternoon Greg and I went for a lovely walk down by the sea near our house. It was as beautiful as ever and as the sun dropped lower the light continually changed the view around us.

Student Union Bar

2009-02-10T23:35:00.002-08:00

Today I went to some shops on 4th Street to give Greg some time alone to read. I have joined Facebook and found a few old and a few recent friends. This evening we went out to meet up with some other students at the University of British Columbia Student Union Bar! Regent College is affiliated to the University so we can use it too. We had a lovely time, although as usual we felt quite old but found it hilarious. A lot of people were getting very excited about an ice hockey game on the big screen so we cheered too although we had very little idea who for or why.

Horseshoe Bay

2009-02-09T19:58:00.007-08:00

Today I went to Granville Island in the morning as it was such a nice day and I didn't want to disturb Greg's reading for reading week. I enjoyed a trip to the art supply shop, market, watching the entertainers and generally taking in the scenery. Late afternoon Greg needed a break so we took the car out to Horseshoe Bay on the North Shore. We enjoyed a wander around and seeing where the ferries leave from. The sun was lovely but a decided chill was in the air.

Sampling Sea Buses and Seeing Sea Planes

2009-02-07T21:29:00.009-08:00

We discovered that the number 4 bus, that leaves from the base of our apartment block, travels all the way to the Sea Bus Station, so decided to take a trip using our bus passes. We enjoyed the ride across on the sea bus and although the day was cloudy it was also dry and relatively warm. We walked along the waters edge on the Trans Canada Trail, which actually didn't seem to go very far yet, but Greg did meet an interesting friend. After a cup of tea in Londsdale Quay we returned on the sea bus and had a walk around Canada Place where we watched the sea planes taking off for a while, which we still find a novelty although they are very common here. We paid a return trip to Gas Town after a very rainy visit previously and enjoyed lunch in, "The Old Spaghetti Factory" before returning back for Greg to have a snooze and then do some more reading.

What Do You Call a Group of Ducks?

2009-02-05T20:54:00.005-08:00

Today we went to another really good lecture and then went to an interesting talk that anyone could attend about perspectives on Israel and Palestine. After that the people who did the initial orientation ran a lunch to see how people were getting on which was very pleasant. Yesterday there were a lot of birds to see at East Jericho park. A couple of people came to feed the ducks, (who feed them regularly) and the ducks rushed over in a big group much to the chagrin of a man who was taking photos of them on the lake with a zoom lens the size of a leg. Served him right for making me feel inadequate wandering around with my little camera.! When they had finished feeding them the ducks dispersed a bit and then flew up in the air as the most enormous heron I have ever seen flew down. There were also some lovely birds that my camera was too small to take pictures of called "Red Wing Blackbirds. They had a lovely flash of red and yellow on their wings that looked like large army stripes. In the sea water there were Loonies who the dollar coin is named after, although for some reason the two dollar coin is called a "Toonie". Of course the Seagulls were willing to pose for a photo as ever.

Hard to Find a Walk More Beautiful!

2009-02-04T18:54:00.004-08:00

Today started with a beautiful sunrise, ended with a beautiful sunset and was wonderfully sunny in between, we have obviously sent the snow to the UK! As Anastasia is being looked after for a few weeks by her visiting granny I was able to go out exploring. While Greg was in lectures I took a five minute bus ride to a park that I had seen on a previous journey. There were plenty of joggers, walkers and bird watchers around so I went for a walk along the beach and around the lake. It was magnificent and I will bring Greg back for a walk here on a clear day.

Cleaning and a new Fish to Try

2009-02-02T19:17:00.004-08:00

Today I spent the morning cleaning and doing laundry. These things still need doing even in Canada! I popped along the road to the greencrocers to buy some fruit and veg, yet again meeting a couple from Regent in there so stopped to have a chat. They must be a very healthy lot these Regent students as I always seem to meet someone from there in the greengrocers! As Greg spent most of the day reading, I took my encaustic pictures in to give to the lady coordinating the art exhibition. I hadn't got them in on time last week as I had been doing the acrylic but she had asked me to do some and bring them in after the deadline. I think not many people have seen wax pictures here. I gave her a few so they can decide if they want them for the exhibition. This evening we tried a fish called Basa. I saw it in Safeway and it was a lot cheaper than the other fish. I had asked a lady standing by it looking at the fish whether she had ever tried it and she said that it was nice. I cooked it with honey drizzled on,( as that was the recipe on the packet) and it was really delicious, so we will have that again.

U Town Church

2009-02-01T18:00:00.003-08:00

Well today we woke up to, (yes, you guessed it), snow. As it was quite warm it wasn't really settling I am glad to say. We decided to go and try out U Town Church which is on the University Campus. Although we felt rather old, (as the majority of people were in their twenties), we were made to feel very welcome and were given a packet of Smarties with a guest card to fill out as newcomers!! We stayed for a meal that they have twice a month as part of their service, which provided an easy way to chat to people. We really enjoyed it there and saw a few people there that we knew from Regent. As the weather has continued to change between snow and rain we have pottered about in the apartment for the afternoon whilst eating Smarties!

My Grand Day Out

2009-01-31T18:30:00.003-08:00

As Greg had his all day lecture on Academic Writing I decided that I would have my visit to the Art gallery. It was a wonderful sunny day to be out and about. I joined the art gallery as a member using my student card but had trouble remembering my phone number when I filled out the forms! There was a fantastic exhibition of paintings by Maurice Cullen and his circle called, "Exploring Light" Canadian landscape paintings. It was wonderful seeing paintings with a Canadian landscape and all the different ways that the artists had tried to capture light on snow. There was also a collection of paintings and collages by Kai Althoff which I found puzzling. I had timed it just right to hear a talk by someone who worked there which helped to understand the exhibits. There was also a room where you were encouraged to participate in weaving while someone taught you, so I had a go. After my visit I was feeling adventurous so found my way around on the buses down to Granville Island where I visited the art supplies shop and had a look at the boats in the sun before riding the bus home.

Thrift Store

2009-01-30T17:59:00.003-08:00

This morning I spent a while doing some encaustic art, while Greg tried to catch up with some of his reading. Greg had an extra lecture to do with academic writing in the afternoon so I took the bus to visit some Thrift stores (like Charity shops) that I had seen from the window on one of our bus journeys. I bought a nice picture frame and an unused Daler board. Greg has the continuation of his course tomorrow so I am going on a solo visit to the Vancouver Art Gallery. I looked online and a bus from the bottom of our apartment takes me to just two blocks away so it should be an easy journey. Entry is $17.50 for an adult and $12.50 for a student so I am going to hopefully become a member for $35 with my student card. This seems to give free entry for a year, access to all openings, 10% off in the shop and two free passes to take a guest once each. Greg would like to go with me on one occasion and I expect that Anne would like a visit when she comes, so it should be worth it.

Art and Lectures

2009-01-29T20:38:00.003-08:00

No photo again I'm afraid. This morning we went for our lecture at Regent which was really good again. I then took the painting I had done to submit it for the Regent Art Exhibition in February. I also had a chat with the Student Art Coordinator to see if I would be able to help with the, "Offering of the Arts Week", (that is also in February) in any way. I may be demonstrating encaustic painting. I stayed on to listen to a talk by Jim. I. Packer who has written a lot of books. He is over 80 and a delightful character.

A Walk in the Park

2009-01-28T18:48:00.003-08:00

When we looked out of the window this morning most of the snow had melted. Greg went for a lecture and Anastasia came for a visit. She was most disappointed to find that Greg was not sitting at his desk and kept peering round the door hopefully. He came home at lunchtime while she was having a nap so she was delighted to find him there when she woke up. As it was sunny I took her out for a walk around the local streets. We went down and got a view of the water, then walked through a park that had a nice view of the city. Sadly I hadn't taken my camera, I must remember to put it in the stroller. Next to the park the local school was just finishing and Anastasia was delighted to see so many children all at once.

Snow Again!

2009-01-27T19:56:00.002-08:00

Today we woke up to fresh snow although it doesn't seem to be as heavy as previously. I braved the weather to go to the Chapel service at Regent. It was pleasant as usual, and I enjoyed seeing people and having a bowl of soup. This afternoon I did some painting while Greg stayed on to work in the library.

Smiles and Trucks

2009-01-26T18:49:00.004-08:00

Today I had Anastasia for the afternoon. She was adorable as ever and her new favourite game is popping her head around the bedroom door to see if Greg is working in there at the desk. If he is she bestows on him her biggest smile and has a gabbled chat for a while. I took the photos below especially for Simon! They reminded me of when we went to Canada as a family and Simon was about 6 years old. We gave him and Anne a cheap camera each and said that they could photograph anything that they liked. When we developed the film on our return we found that Simon's pictures were mainly photos of parts of big shiny trucks and chrome pipes.

Old Friends and New Friends

2009-01-25T17:52:00.003-08:00

We had a lovely time with Sarah and Wayne yesterday evening and also going with them to a church near them this morning. This afternoon we nailed my painting into the frame that we bought, which always makes paintings look even better than they are so is very satisfying. This evening we are driving some other students to the house of the professor who leads Greg's tutorial group. He has invited his tutorial group and wives/husbands over to his house for a social evening which should be interesting.

2009-01-24T17:36:00.002-08:00

This morning I finished my painting while Greg was doing a bit of reading. Not a very Canadian subject but I just love Bluebell woods. I will miss England when Bluebell time comes around as they don't seem to have them here. There are other beautiful things though, who knows what will surprise me around the corner. This afternoon we had a trip on the buses to Granville Island to see it when it wasn't raining or snowing and to get a frame for the picture. This evening we are going to Sarah and Wayne's to watch English re-runs on their TV and to stay the night at their house which should be fun.

Happily Not a Hair-Raising Experience

2009-01-23T18:11:00.003-08:00

Today I braved the inevitable and went down to one of the local hairdressers to get a haircut. I had heard all sorts of horror stories about Canadian Hairdressers so was very pleased to get a lovely cut. The bonus was that as I am registered for a lecture at Regent I was able to have a student discount as I have a UBC card! I had a variety of phone calls using Skype with family back in England and after doing the laundry spent the rest of the afternoon painting. This evening we are going to a coffee shop to celebrate one of the other students birthdays.

A Bit of Culture!

2009-01-22T19:30:00.003-08:00

Yesterday evening I "sneaked" into the film with Greg, "A Man for All Seasons" that he can watch as part of his "Christian Thought and Culture" course. It's shown in the Chapel which has "cinema style" seats and a drop down screen; all that was missing was the popcorn! The film was about Thomas More and came out in about 1966 so I was a bit young for it the first time around. One of the Aussies from the college, who we passed just coming out of our local Safeway on our way home home, stopped by and had a hot drink with us. This morning bright and early I went with Greg to the lectures by Darrel Johnson that I go to at Regent. I found them very interesting and it's lovely to gradually get to know people doing the course. This afternoon I came home and spent an enjoyable afternoon painting.

A Baby Minding Day

2009-01-21T17:40:00.002-08:00

I had a great day today looking after Anastasia. She was her usual cheery self and she spent a fair amount of time at lunchtime smiling at Greg and keeping a general eye on what he was up to. Not much else to report.

Sunrise Spectacular

2009-01-20T18:51:00.004-08:00

Today we were treated to a spectacular sunrise from the apartment window while we ate breakfast. Later we went to the Chapel Service at Regent, then stayed for the soup lunch and community group. Greg stayed for a lecture while I came home to do some painting. I walked along the road to the library to change our DVDs, and as a result we are about to sit down to watch, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"! It is extremely convenient having the library just along the road from the apartment and having free DVD loans.

Monday Sunlight

2009-01-19T18:31:00.004-08:00

As Greg doesn't have lectures today he spent the day reading and making notes to make sure that he keeps up with his work. I went down to the shops to buy some vegetables and met one couple from our orientation course in the produce store (Green Grocers) and two men from the course in Safeway. I have started doing some painting today which I am enjoying. Greg needed a break from his work in the afternoon and as it was sunny we went for a walk. We started heading downhill but it gradually got foggier as we went lower, so we came up again and walked down a road to the side of our apartment block. The sun was shining beautifully through the trees and the snow is gradually melting more and more. It is lovely to step out of the door and be able to walk to new and interesting places.

Some Sun for Sunday

2009-01-18T17:31:00.003-08:00

Although it started foggy today the sun broke through and gradually the mountains started to appear again. As we were going to visit Sarah and Wayne in the afternoon we decided to go to Langley Church which we enjoyed. I love the Dutch shaped barns in Langley and set amongst the remaining snow with views of mountains in the background they look wonderful. I forgot to take my camera so have put up a photo of a rather surprisingly artistic bear that we found on our walk down to the beach the other day!

Fish at Steveston on a Foggy Afternoon

2009-01-17T17:30:00.004-08:00

Today was foggy yet again. Greg has joined "Facebook" so is catching up with all sorts of old friends online. We decided to have an afternoon trip to Steveston despite the fog. It's a fishing village about a half hour drive from here. Although we couldn't see far out to sea because of the fog we enjoyed wandering around the jetty that had lots of boats moored up to it selling fish. Later in the year we may take a whale watching tour from there and we enjoyed looking in the varied range of shops in the town including one craft shop that also sold wool. We are making a note of where all the colourful wool shops are for when Anne comes to stay in the Summer. For Simon we are looking at all the skiing possibilities for his stay in March.

Carrot Cake, Long Words and a Steep Walk

2009-01-16T20:03:00.005-08:00

Today Greg spent a lot of the morning reading, making notes and looking up long words! As we seemed to have bought a very large bag of carrots I made a Carrot Cake from a recipe I found in a library book. It had lemon icing on top instead of cream cheese icing and used sunflower oil instead of butter so it's not too unhealthy! It was extremely delicious so after having a piece each I left enough out for the weekend and froze the rest of the pieces quickly so that Greg can take individual pieces out to add to a packed lunch during the week. After lunch we took a walk down to the sea at Spanish Banks. It was so foggy that no trace of the mountains or the skyline of Downtown Vancouver were to be seen but it was still beautiful. We had a very steep walk back to the apartment which is going to keep us extremely fit, but it was a lovely way to stretch your legs before Greg returned to his studies.

A Day in the Fog

2009-01-15T20:01:00.005-08:00

This morning I went to my first lecture by Darrel Johnson on the theology of pastoral care. It was excellent and as I am auditing the class I am in the enviable position of doing as much or as little of the work as I want. Afterwards I went to see the new art exhibition in the Lookout gallery at Regent College called, "The Vancouver Project". Six artists had a two week retreat in Vancouver and produced work exploring , the beautiful, the grotesque and the sublime. Some I liked, some were thought provoking and some mystified me but all were interesting to see. Greg has had a lot of lectures and a tutorial today so he is worn out from thinking. He has none tomorrow so should be able to process some of the information and get some work done, with a break for a walk down to the beach in between. As you can see from the photos it has been very foggy today or "Hound of the Baskerville's"weather as we like to call it.

A Cheerful Baby

2009-01-14T19:12:00.004-08:00

Today I spent a very happy day with Anastasia. She was incredibly good and very busy with her toys. She had a couple of naps during the day and ate really well. She was very smiley all day but also overjoyed to see her Mum and Dad when they came to collect her.

A Number of Firsts

2009-01-13T18:50:00.005-08:00

Today I went along to the Chapel service at Regent. There were a lot of people there but it was nice to see pretty much the whole college in one place for the first "Chapel" of term. After that there was a soup lunch and people ate their lunch in "pre-organised" community groups if they wanted to. We had put our names down for one and enjoyed getting to know the people who are in that. Most of them had only started in September and none were from the UK. Greg had his first lecture after that so I came home on the bus and negotiated the basement laundry. Whilst there I also met another nice lady who lives in the apartment block. I took a trip down to the library and then had tea with Greg and heard all about his first lecture.

A Welcome Visitor

2009-01-12T19:23:00.003-08:00

This morning Greg went to the library at Regent to read some journal articles that he has to read before one of the lectures on Thursday. This afternoon Anastasia came for a visit, bringing some favourite toys and stayed with us while her Dad went to Regent to sort out a few administrative things. She is extremely adorable and full of smiles. After a while playing I enjoyed a little cuddle with her until she fell asleep. I made up a makeshift bed on the floor and she slept until her Dad came home and woke up full of smiles once again. I will be looking after her for her first full day on Wednesday.

Sad faces, Friendly Faces and a Bear Faced DoorKeeper

2009-01-11T18:48:00.006-08:00

Today we went to church at West Coast Christian Fellowship. We felt it was now safe to get our car up the ramp from the basement car park under our apartment block, as the temperature has risen and there is no ice or snow on the ramp. It was an interesting and rather sad drive to church across parts of the city, especially one road en route where an overnight shelter for the homeless seemed to be turning out. It was hard to see so many young and old people on the street with a variety of obvious needs. At West Coast, however, we enjoyed meeting some familiar faces and was well worth the drive. The photo is of a friendly bear who we saw guarding the door of a shop, on our travels yesterday!

The Sea Bus

2009-01-10T21:50:00.003-08:00

Today we went on a trip around the town organised by the "orientation helpers" at Regent. In spite of the rain everyone decided that they would still like to go out. So we took the bus to Gas Town where the historic steam clock sits in pride of place. (One of the famous landmarks for tourists!) We then took the Sea Bus to cross the water over to the North Shore and went to the Market at Lonsdale Quay to have lunch. We can use the U-passes to give us free travel on the sea bus too so it was nice to know where to get it from. Following our return trip we stopped off at Granville Island for a short time. One of the students, a young lady from Ontario got off at the same stop as us on the way home. It turns out that she shares a basement apartment just along the road so she came home with us for a cup of English tea, (that she tried with milk for the first time), and Canadian Cookies. We enjoyed getting to know her a bit more.

On the Buses

2009-01-09T20:48:00.003-08:00

Today we decided to try out some of the buses with our U-pass cards. We took a 99 bus from just along the road and then changed to a 50 to get to Granville Island. The photo below was taken while waiting for the 50. We didn't wait more than five minutes for any of them, but you do have to hang on tight, as they start up quite jerkily as they pull out and before you have sat down. We enjoyed looking at Granville Island and the public market there which was filled with all sorts of colourful stalls. Some of the fruit and veg stalls look like a piece of artwork themselves as they are so colourful and beautifully presented. We went to the "Opus" art supplies shop and bought some Daler type boards, cardboard mounts and some watercolour paper. Greg took great delight in presenting his student card to get the student discount! This evening we had a young couple round who live in an apartment just along the road. They were at the student orientation and come from Oregon in the USA. We enjoyed finding out about them, including the fact that he and a couple of friends had lived on the streets for quite an amount of time to find out what it was like for people and had written a book about their experiences. It's strange to think that they are pretty much the same age as our children.

Some Sun!

2009-01-08T17:27:00.005-08:00

Today we had our third orientation day. We now feel extremely "orientated"! We saw a funny video about who all the staff in the college are and what they do. There was an interview with some more faculty members and one with current students. After lunch the people from the college library spoke about how to use things and it ended with a session on things such as medical insurance. In the afternoon it was sunny so we decided to go for a walk behind our apartment towards the mountains and Burrard Inlet. We didn't end up going right down to the water as some of the pavements became very icy, but it was enough to see that on a good day it won't take long to walk down to the beach. It is interesting to us still just to see the variety of housing and the novelty of glimpsing views of mountains where you least expect to find them.

Second Orientation day

2009-01-07T19:30:00.002-08:00

Today we went to our second orientation day. The first talk was a lesson on Canadian Geography, a bit of politics and some History. It was fascinating. It made you realise what a vast country Canada is and with such a variety of different landscapes. The new starters at Regent come from a variety of countries; the UK, Canada, USA, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan to name but a few. We had a session where members of the faculty were informally interviewed which was interesting. After a lunch there was a session with the registrar who answered questions on courses amongst other things. It has been a bit rainy and warmer today which has made a bit of a dent in the snow but there is still plenty on the ground. When we got back to the apartment I ventured down to the library on my own to borrow a couple of baby board books as Anastasia, (the baby I will be childminding), returns to Canada with her family on Saturday and is visiting our apartment on Monday to get used to it a bit before I start looking after her next Wednesday.

First Day at Regent

2009-01-06T19:30:00.003-08:00

Today we had our first orientation day at Regent College. Not only was the ground covered in snow but there was heavy rain as well. We enjoyed meeting about thirty people who were starting in January too. The president of the college spoke and then people were introduced to each other. After a rather nice lunch we had a tour of the building. A tour of the UBC campus was delayed until better weather. We picked up our UBC cards and bus passes making our way to collect them through snow, slush and running streams of water in the roadways caused by the rain and melting snow.

Unusual Happenings On The Golf Course

2009-01-05T18:46:00.006-08:00

Today we braved the laundry room in the basement and worked out how to use the machines to wash and dry our clothes. We also chatted with some friendly people in the lift who live in the apartment block. We are gradually getting to know who is living around us. The snow fell again last night and looking out from our balcony we have seen various ways for people to try to overcome their travelling problems including this person skiing across the golf course! Tomorrow we are going to an orientation day at Regent College all day, which will be nice. We will use the buses as the bus stops are just below our apartment block and they run frequently.

A Visit West Point Grey Baptist Church

2009-01-04T17:28:00.004-08:00

Today we walked a few blocks to West Point Grey Baptist Church. We enjoyed the service and the people were very friendly. Having a coffee after the service we were introduced to a lady who lived in our apartment block and it turned out that she is our next door neighbour! We invited her in for a cup of tea this afternoon and enjoyed getting to know her a bit. It's nice to know who is living next door. We were pleased to see a bit of a thaw going on today, (which is when the photos were taken), but looked out of the window this evening to see that it's snowing and the roads are covered again. We were told that in our apartment we would be living at the gates of the university and when you look at the archway we can see from our balcony you can see that it says, "THE GATES". We really do live by the gates of the university! When it stops snowing one day I might go and see what the plaque says.

Books For a Snowy Day

2009-01-03T17:17:00.008-08:00

Today we woke up to yet more snow and it hasn't stopped snowing since. This afternoon we walked along the road to join the library. As we don't have a TV connection but have a TV with DVD and Video player I was pleased to see that you could borrow DVDs and Videos free from the library. I borrowed a DVD and some books to read. We popped into the supermarket and came home covered in snow but glad to have had the walk. The photos of the apartment were taken yesterday when the snow was not falling, (in case anyone is wondering we do have a bathroom too but I thought that I'd spare you that!)

New Years Day

2009-01-02T15:38:00.007-08:00

We moved into our new apartment on New Year's Eve and are delighted with it. The landlords have gone out their way to provide everything that we need and we feel very grateful and well looked after. We woke up on New Years Day to find a fresh fall of snow, so I went out onto the balcony and took some photos just before the snow ploughs made their way along the roads. Today has been sunny and some of the snow has melted, so we took a walk along the road to see what's around us. The location couldn't be better, with supermarket, greengrocers, bus stops, medical centre, post office and library just along the street. The apartment is warm and bright although we are still working out which keys fit which locks in the building.

Keys to Our Apartment.

2008-12-30T18:16:00.003-08:00

Today we went to see our new apartment and pick up the keys. We also took our books over as we knew there were bookcases that we could put them straight into and it leaves one suitcase free for items that we have collected since we arrived in Canada. We took a walk down to Safeway and bought some essential food items to keep us going over the New Year Holidays. A quick look around the kitchen equipment and in the cupboards soon told us that there are very few additional items that we will need to buy.The view is as good as I remember and I am looking forward to moving in. We will not have Internet connection until at least Friday so will not be in touch with people until after then.

Snow Shovelling and Spaghetti

2008-12-29T18:12:00.002-08:00

After a late card game of "Wizard"last night we all woke up late today. We all then worked with shovels and snow shovels to clear a pathway from the drive to the main road so that Mark and Claire could return to Seattle. They delayed their start as Mark saw that the time to cross the border was 90 minutes. Wayne cleared the Cul de Sac drain and we dug channels to it so the water will head away from the driveway as the piles of snow melt. This evening we decided to go to "The Old Spaghetti Factory" for tea and were all glad to leave the house to do something other than shovelling snow. The main roads are clear of snow, so we should now be able to use our car again.

American Football and Church

2008-12-28T17:03:00.012-08:00

Today we went to a church that we could walk to called, "Calvary Christian Church". The snow in our side road is still not conducive to driving in an ordinary car. We recognised many of the songs at church and felt quite at home. Wayne was very pleased as at the end of the service they had an American Football player, Rob Lazeo, who plays for "The Calgary Stampeders" talk for a short while. They were the winning team in the 2008 "Grey Cup" equivalent to the FA cup in England. Rob Lazeo had brought his enormous cup with him and lots of people had their photo taken with him, including Wayne who had watched the match live in Montreal soon after we arrived in Canada.
This afternoon we all went for a walk to the local Starbucks to have coffee. As it was sunny there were rivers of water streaming down the sides of the roads as the snow melted. By the time that we walked home this wasn't happening as the temperature had dropped again. Back at the house we watched a game of American Football on the TV while Wayne tried to explain the rules to us. Mark and Claire would like to go back to Seattle tomorrow but we will all have to work to get their car out of the close. Once they are on a main road they should be fine.

A Frozen Lake

2008-12-27T17:12:00.008-08:00

Today we have have had a lazy day. There is still deep snow but it has also rained, turning the roads into a deep slush. We have all worked on a thousand piece puzzle of British Canal Boats sent to Sarah as a present. We also enjoyed watching the film, "Mama Mia". I thought that I'd put up some photos of the frozen lake nearby that turned into a bit of a winter wonderland in the snow. At times over the last few days there have been people playing ice hockey on it although there are warning signs saying not to go on the ice.

Our Canadian Christmas Day

2008-12-26T13:09:00.009-08:00

Our day started with delicious cinnamon buns for breakfast followed by opening of the presents. Greg and I enjoyed phone calls to the UK with our parents, children and some friends. For lunch we enjoyed the company of a lady from across the road and her eleven year old daughter who hadn't been able to travel to their relatives house due to the snow. We had a delicious roast beef dinner and followed on with traditional Christmas Pudding made by Claire. After all this food a brisk walk was needed through the snow where we saw all sorts of interesting sights, although it was hard to know if the snow you were about to step in was a few inches or a few feet deep at times. Late afternoon we were joined by one of Wayne's brothers and his family and watched a DVD of "Prince Caspian", followed by some card games. After a late start on Boxing day we have looked out of the window to see yet more snow!

I'm Not Having to Dream of a White Christmas!

2008-12-24T14:47:00.007-08:00

Today we had even more snow. Wayne took his truck and drove round the roundabout and up and down the road lots of times to try to compact the snow for other people who live in the road. Several neighbours started out on trips to visit relatives for Christmas and had to turn back . We were very relieved to see Mark and Claire arrive safely from Seattle. A happy half hour was spent in the hot tub which looked pretty surreal against the snow. We are all cosy and ready for Christmas although we are missing seeing our families this year. The snow is still falling and about three inches is now on Mark and Claire's car which was completely clear when they arrived. The snow continues to fall and without doubt we will have a very White Christmas. We would like to wish our family and friends a very Merry Christmas, which you will have started well before us!

Snow, Snow and More Snow

2008-12-23T15:35:00.011-08:00

Today I went out early with Sarah to "Superstore", which is a really large supermarket, to buy the Christmas food. There are many differences in the names and varieties of foods from those in England, so I just pushed the trolley and tried to look intelligent! Greg stayed home to mind the children, so he was doing his bit towards the Christmas dinner too. This afternoon Greg and I went for a walk to the local shops where we bought a few bits we had forgotten in the morning and then felt obliged to have a coffee and glazed cinnamon bun in Tim Horton's to help us get back through the snow. Greg posted a letter too. Here every few houses have a numbered box and a key. You pick up your mail from the box which is around the corner from your house. If you have a small parcel you find a key in your box to open a larger communal box and then post the key back in the letter box. If your parcel is too large the post van delivers it to your house.There is a foot of snow on the ground and another foot is forecast for tonight.

To Go Or Not to Go

2008-12-22T19:21:00.009-08:00

Today we had to decide whether to drive back to Canada today or whether to leave it a while. Greg looked up the weather forecast and road conditions and then walked a couple of roads near the house to see the condition of the main roads. After the two local roads it was clear of snow so we made the decision to go. This entailed digging the snow away from the car and clearing about a foot of snow off the top. We managed to get going, loaded up with blankets, phone, flasks of hot drinks, torches and a shovel, just in case. The condition of the main roads was very good, although we did pass numerous snow chains that had come off their vehicles and were scattered along the road. We made the mistake of stopping for lunch and had to use the shovel to make our way out of the car park, (that hadn't been cleared of snow),due to a bit of wheel spin. We had no problems getting through the border and arrived at Sarah and Wayne's house safe and sound.

Below is the drive to Canada today and outside Mark and Claire's house yesterday.

Snowflakes Keep Falling On my Head

2008-12-21T19:07:00.011-08:00

Today we went for a wonderful walk around the local streets and down to Lake Washington, which is only a few blocks from Mark and Claire's house. It really was rather enchanting and I enjoyed watching children,(and adults!) sledging down the streets. Mark has kindly let me use a photo, that he took of a bird in his garden this morning, which we loved because it had a snowflake land on it's head. As you can see below Mark has a camera with a rather fantastic zoom lens that makes my camera look a bit inadequate, but I do my best! This afternoon we played a board game called "Smugglers" which was good fun. Although it is cold outside, it is warm inside, with central heating and a log fire which creates a very cosy atmosphere.

Mark and Claire's house below.

Walking along their street.

The I-90 bridge. A floating bridge that joins Seattle and Mercer Island.

Ferry to Bainbridge Island

2008-12-20T19:38:00.007-08:00

Today Mark and Claire took us on the ferry to Bainbridge Island. The crossing took half an hour each way and it was a really good way to get a fantastic view of the Seattle skyline and mountains from the water. We didn't stay too long on the Island as a snow storm was forecast for this evening, but we did stay long enough to look at the marina, quaint town and have a delicious bowl of soup at the Blackbird Bakery.

Very Much Awake in Seattle

2008-12-19T17:13:00.011-08:00

This morning Mark and Greg worked out how to fit snow chains onto the wheels of Mark's car so that Mark could get his car up the steep driveway. Greg, Claire and I went on a bus into Seattle. They had snow chains on, but most of the way they go through bus tunnels under the city that reminded of the "Underground" for buses. We went and had a look at Seattle Art Gallery and saw an exhibition by Edward Hopper. Afterwards went to "Pike Place Public Market" that was extremely colourful and interesting. We had soup for lunch at,"The Athenean" which is featured in the film, "Sleepless in Seattle" and has a lovely view over the water. We took a bracing walk along the water's edge and walked around, "The Sculpture Park" which was decidedly mind boggling. One sculpture was meant to look like an eagle but we viewed it from all angles and it looked like no eagle that we'd ever seen!

Snowy in Seattle

2008-12-18T20:22:00.002-08:00

We have arrived safely in snowy Seattle. We are enjoying being warmed by the log fire in Mark and Claire's lovely home in Mercer Island.

Snow Shovelling

2008-12-17T15:32:00.005-08:00

Today we woke up to a blanket of snow that had fallen over the night. It has continued to snow most of the day. I went out early to Superstore, which is an enormous supermarket, with Sarah before the snow got too deep. Greg valiantly volunteered to clear the drive to get some exercise and has done marvellously. We will have to decide about going to Seattle tomorrow. The snow is due to stop and the main roads are well salted, so we will shall have to wait and see.

Where Did You Get That Hat?

2008-12-16T15:26:00.004-08:00

Today we went and bought a microphone for my computer as the Skype phone is playing up and we can only use Greg's laptop for phone calls with any great success. This afternoon we went for a walk in the local park and at the request of my parents we took a photo of my hat. Where can we buy one I hear you ask!! The walk in the park was chilly but lovely and we saw lots of birds, including the local Robin who is about three times the size of the one in the UK and a different shape. There were also plenty of squirrels about of varying colours, including the jet black ones that are very common here.

Hats for Stanley Park

2008-12-15T19:20:00.008-08:00

Today we went and bought a hat and a scarf each at WallMart. Although it is sunny it is also very cold. Greg chose his hat in minutes, I took rather longer. We decided to have a trip to Stanley Park and found that it was covered with snow, even though we don't have snow on the ground in Surrey. We enjoyed a walk around part of the sea wall and a trip up to Prospect Point that looks out over the Lion's Gate Bridge that we had crossed over on a previous day.

Sunday

2008-12-14T23:10:00.005-08:00

Taken from a viewpoint part of the way up Mount Seymour
Today we went to West Coast Church where they lit the third candle for advent. Although it was cold in Surrey there was no snow but as we drove along Highway One it became obvious that it had been snowing further West and by the time we got to church there was plenty of snow. At least the roads have plenty of salt on them. It was sunny so the views of the mountains were clear. The white colouring shone in the light and was much lower as the snow had settled on the trees. We enjoyed a chat with Anne then went for a walk in the local neighbourhood this afternoon.

A Lazy Saturday

2008-12-13T16:43:00.003-08:00

We haven't done an awful lot today, but have had a good rest. I have put up a clip of the view from the back porch yesterday when the snow came down. The snow only lasted for the morning, but it's much colder today than it has been previously and a bit icy.

Cates Park

2008-12-12T12:32:00.013-08:00

Here are the promised photos from yesterday. Cates park was lovely and looked out over the river. We turned a corner and found that it looked right down to Deep Cove. We haven't done too much today, although we had a lovely long chat to Simon in the UK and Greg is getting some reading done.

Weight Lifting?

Mount Seymour in the Snow

2008-12-11T20:21:00.011-08:00

Today we woke to wonderful sunshine, so decided that we would have a trip to Mount Seymour as it's one of the mountains where it's possible to drive up close to the summit. Although there was no snow at ground level, as we drove up gradually we could see more and more white until the ground and trees were covered in snow. The views were magnificent! After we drove down we went to Cates Park and had wonderful views of Deep Cove, but from the opposite direction than we had been before. I will put up pictures of our time there tomorrow. Some of the photos are taken by Greg and some by me.

Where Exactly is the Pavement?

2008-12-10T17:35:00.004-08:00

I thought that I would show you a photo of the car we bought. We have found quite a few word differences in Canada. Instead of "boot" they have a "trunk", instead of "bonnet" they have a "hood". We fill it with "gas" at 87 cents a litre, (that's approximately 50p a litre!) One that confuses me a little is that our "pavement" is their "sidewalk" and our "road surface" is their "pavement!"

Christmas Play

2008-12-09T20:34:00.003-08:00

Today it rained a lot so we went and did a few administrative jobs and mundane activities such as the washing and ironing. This evening, however, we went to Pacific Academy where Wayne and Sarah's children go to school and watched a Christmas play done by the Intermediate School. It was an excellent performance in the auditorium that seats 1500 people and had a cast of 300 children.

A Town Called "Hope"

2008-12-08T17:11:00.008-08:00

Today Greg wanted to give the car a good run so we decided to go to a town called, "Hope". It is a town that has lots of woodcarvings around the streets. We had planned to visit some tunnels, but the lady at the tourist information said that they could be dangerous at this time of year so we decided to leave them until the warmer weather. She did tell us about a lovely walk along the river that we tried out and thoroughly enjoyed. As you can see we took plenty of photos. This evening we are baby sitting as Sarah has a choir rehearsal and Wayne is playing in an Ice Hockey match.

Lynn Valley Canyon

2008-12-07T16:33:00.008-08:00

Today we went to church at West Coast and enjoyed a church lunch afterwards of delicious Pumpkin Soup with a variety of interesting breads. Afterwards as it was sunny we went for a walk at Lynn Valley Canyon and went over the wobbly suspension bridge suspended above the water. We went with Sarah's family and also Derrick and Claire's family. Claire is the daughter of Keith and Pauline who were good friends of ours when we lived in Watford. Keith was the headmaster of the King's School where our children attended. We enjoyed the walk around the canyon full dramatic views of big drops, trees, ferns, waterfalls and fast running water.
This evening we went to see a Christmas production adapted from Scrooge at the large church just around the corner from here. It was a big enough production to be put on in a theatre in the UK. We enjoyed it, although it was very odd hearing a Victorian production with Canadian accents.

Trees, Trees and More Trees

2008-12-06T18:57:00.009-08:00

This morning we went and bought a car with Wayne and Nathan's help. It is a 2003 Black Taurus and we felt that we got a good deal. In the late afternoon we went with Sarah, Wayne and Amy to a Christmas Tree Farm to choose a tree. As you can see it was pretty hard to find the perfect one out of the hundreds there, but we did our best. A few rogue spiders smuggled their way home with the tree and popped out every so often as Sarah was decorating it.

Thrift Store

2008-12-05T19:01:00.005-08:00

Today I went with Sarah to do a bit more Christmas shopping. We also went to a Thrift Store which is similar to a very large Charity Shop in the UK. I bought a couple of second hand cookery books, so it looks like Greg won't be starving after all when we move into our apartment. As Sarah and Wayne's children got such amazingly wonderful report cards from school, we all went out to a pizza restaurant to celebrate. On the way home we saw lots of houses with rather splendid displays of Christmas lights. I know there are a lot in the UK now but nothing like these. The photo is of the "Sky Train" that I love seeing over our heads when we drive around Vancouver. It is on a monorail and instead of being underground like in London, moves up above the city, stopping at stations that sit up high above our heads.

Driving is so Much Easier With Two!

2008-12-04T18:01:00.006-08:00

Today we went over to Regent College to meet up with a couple who want childcare for their nine month old baby one day a week and extra time alternate weeks. I am going to start looking after her a week or so into January. The father is studying at Regent and wants childcare to cover his lectures and while her mother is working. She is very sweet and I'm looking forward to caring for her.
It was a lovely dry day again but rain is forecast. The photo is of Highway One, where we enjoy using the HOV lane on the left. There is a special lane that you can only use if you have two or more people in the vehicle and Greg and I enjoy driving past queues of traffic made up of cars that only have one person in.

No Bears !

2008-12-03T16:29:00.010-08:00

Today we went and had another look at cars in a different car lot, it seemed even better than the other one and we are going to have a look with Wayne on Saturday. After that we drove to Burnaby Library and enjoyed looking at an exhibition of Travel Collages by our soon to be landlord Les McKinnon.
Although we saw an interesting warning sign, and looked very carefully, no wildlife of any sort was to be seen, not even a squirrel! No rain again!

Cars, Cars, Cars

2008-12-02T17:11:00.004-08:00

Last night Mark and Claire came to Sarah and Wayne's house and went in the hot tub. It was really a bit of a Tadley reunion so Amy took a photo of us all to mark the occasion before they drive back over the border to Seattle today. We will be seeing them again at Christmas.
Today we walked up to the post office to get a bit of exercise. It's a bit too easy to start driving everywhere here. After that we went to a place that sells cars that have been traded in. We looked at a mind-boggling number of them and test drove one before deciding that we really needed Wayne to come and have a look at them with us.

December Begins

2008-12-01T15:56:00.008-08:00

Today we left Greg to his own devices while Sarah and I went to do some Christmas shopping. We had a good look at a Dollar Store, Walmart and Costco. I am having to look very carefully at the coins to work out which ones to use, (I may have to start wearing my reading glasses to go shopping to see which number is written on the coins!)I bought a filled spice rack with 18 spices in Costco as it worked out a lot less than trying to buy the spices elsewhere individually and they were all ones that Greg and I use regularly in cooking. I have kept it boxed up to be used when we move. I thought that as it's the first of December I would put up a picture of the Christmas lights that Wayne put up on Saturday.