La Conner Tulip Festival

We're hoping to spend a day in La Conner, Washington, this month because of its annual Tulip Festival. I've only been to the town once (not during the festival) and recall it as being very quaint and "artsy." Here is a bit of history of the town taken from here:

Situated on the delta near the mouth of the Skagit River, La Conner was founded in the early 1860's and is Skagit County's oldest community. First settled by non-natives just after the Civil War, our early settlers included many with names recognizable today such as Alexander Underwood, Michael Sullivan, Sam Calhoun and A.G. Tillinghast. In 1869, John Conner purchased the trading post built by John Hayes, another early settler, on the west side of the Swinomish Slough and established a post office. In 1869, all the Town plus 70 acres was deeded to John Conner for $500! To honor his wife, Louisa A. Conner, the Town's original name of Swinomish was changed to La Conner in 1870. La Conner was briefly the county seat before Mount Vernon.
The early settlers diked hundreds of acres of land, creating farmland which would surpass per-acre yields around the globe. La Conner soon became a popular farm community and a hub for steamers carrying passengers and freight from Seattle. By the turn of the century, La Conner's population had reached 1,000. La Conner was a thriving community due, in large measure, to its proximity to the water. Logging and fishing prospered until the depression. Artists settled in the area, in the 1940's, enjoying the unique light and inspiration from nature. Renowned artists include Morris Graves, Guy Anderson, Richard Gilkey and Clayton James. Some artists were leaders of the Northwest School of Art. In the 1970's, tourists discovered the area along with folks seeking the peace and quiet of an old fashioned town.
Today, La Conner is a balance of people who work and live here, including the Swinomish Tribal Community, Shelter Bay residents from across the Channel, fishermen, farmers, artists, and carpenters - a diverse mix of cultures and educational backgrounds. If you need a place to relax and browse through interesting shops and art galleries, if you want to watch the waterfront or enjoy fine restaurants, inns and bed & breakfasts, then come to La Conner. You can also enjoy natural beauty and wildlife such as bird watching. La Conner is wintering grounds for swans and Canadian geese. The fertile farmlands continue to produce food and seed crops and, of course, our annual Tulip festival is celebrated around the world.

We're hoping to be able to walk in fields of tulips and take lots and lots of photographs, not only of the flowers but also of the countryside and the town itself. I hope the weather holds so that we'll get a nice sunny day. Stay tuned for reports and photos of our outing.

M is for Magnolia

Every Spring since I've lived here, I've admired the magnolia tree across the street. And every year I tell myself to get over there and take some photos of it. Well, I finally did today since I remembered that it's "M" day for ABC Wednesday (hosted by Denise Nesbitt over at mrsnesbittsplace). I thought it might be interesting to look up "magnolia" on Wikipedia and I can't believe how much I learned about a flower/tree that seems so ordinary.

Magnolia is an ancient genus. Having evolved before bees appeared, the flowers developed to encourage pollination by beetles. As a result, the carpels of Magnolia flowers are tough, to avoid damage by eating and crawling beetles. Fossilised specimens of M. acuminata have been found dating to 20 million years ago, and of plants identifiably belonging to the Magnoliaceae dating to 95 million years ago. Another primitive aspect of Magnolias is their lack of distinct sepals or petals. . .

The bark from M. officinalis has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is known as hou po (厚朴). In Japan, kōboku, M. obovata has been used in a similar manner. The aromatic bark contains magnolol and honokiol, two polyphenolic compounds that have demonstrated anti-anxiety and anti-angiogenic properties. Magnolia bark also has been shown to reduce allergic and asthmatic reactions.

Magnolia has attracted the interest of the dental research community because magnolia bark extract inhibits many of the bacteria responsible for caries and periodontal disease. In addition, the constituent magnolol interferes with the action of glucosyltransferase, an enzyme needed for the formation of bacterial plaque. (from Wikipedia)

Since the bark of the magnolia tree is used as an alternative for anxiety disorders, reduces allergies and asthma attacks, and keeps your teeth free from bacterial plaque I just might go and ask if I might harvest some of my neighbour's bark. Imagine the money I'd save on drugs! lol

Or plant my own magnolia tree.

I'm sure enjoying these sunny days but wish it'd warm up just a wee bit more. Enjoy the photos and if you wish, click to enlarge.

A Day Off

It's amazing how much one can get done on a day off if you put your mind to it. So far, we've gone into the city and ordered "him" a suit, extra pair of pants, and two shirts for work (all paid for by employer); got an estimate on two new back tires for "his" car (a great price, btw); and looked at tile for the bathroom tub surround and floor and arranged for the tiler to come over tomorrow to give us an estimate. We came home, had a nice lunch, and while he went out to work on fixing one of his headlights (condensation inside) and waxing the roof of the car, I put a couple of ads on Craig's List. And because it's a stat holiday here, I don't have any students! Yay!
Oh yeah, on Saturday Josie and I went over to West Vancouver for lunch and a bit of shopping. We drove home through the western half of Stanley Park and stopped at Ferguson Point for a photo op. It was a good day and we really appreciated all the cherry blossoms, but I realised just how tired I was when I got home with that "I can't get enough air" feeling. I guess the old bod is still recuperating and I continue to have to take it easy even if the mind is willing. *sigh* Enjoy the photos and click to enlarge.

Top left: Me at Ferguson Point

Top right: Ships in the harbour at English Bay

Bottom left: Tide was out at Ferguson Point

Bottom right: Peeking through the wild rose bushes at West Vancouver to the north

A good Friday

Today is Good Friday and lots of Christians go to church to commemorate the death of Jesus Christ on the cross at Golgotha. For me, it is the most depressing day of the year as I prefer to commemorate Jesus' resurrection instead.

But it has been a good Friday so far for me because I met my two sisters for lunch to celebrate one sister's birthday. We went to a place called The River House, which is situated along the banks of the Fraser River near my home. I've been there many times with friends and family and never get tired of it. It's nice in the winter because there is a lovely warm fireplace to keep you cosy. And it's great in the summer because you can sit out on the patio overlooking the marina and boats that are moored there. Also, you often see rowers practising on the riverat all times of the year.

Anyway, it was pleasant, as usual, and after saying our "good-byes," I wandered to the water's edge and took a few shots that I'd like to share with you. It's beautiful here at any time of the year, but it will be even more so in a few more weeks when the trees turn green and the water reflects the sky blue.

L is for Lilacs

After all our complaining about the long, cold and wet winter it's finally Spring! The weather has warmed up during the day to the mid-teens Celsius (low 60s F) and everywhere I look I see the flowers and trees starting to bloom. Soon the lilacs will be out in full force and I'm so looking forward to photographing them again this year. I wish I had a lilac bush, but they take so long to grow and to yield their beautiful scented flowers. I guess I'll just have to satisfy myself with long walks in the neighbourhood to admire those in other people's gardens. Here are a few shots I took last year on my rounds.

ABC Wednesday is brought to you by Mrs. Nesbitt and you are welcome to peruse the posts of other participants by clicking here.

Listen to Old People

There was a fascinating article in the Vancouver Sun today, written by Susan Schwartz, about why we should listen to old people. It reminded me of the many times my mother and I would talk about life, love, her youth and the mistakes she made, and where I'd be in life when I got older. I'd hang on every word because I could "see" her as a 17-year-old being told by her father that since she was finished high school, she had to get a job. Now you must understand that my mother had been raised in a family where money was not an issue and getting a job was a foreign notion to her. But she did get on with the provincial telephone company and that was how she eventually met my father.

In the article by Susan Schwartz, she writes that "some lament never having asked their elders, while they had the chance, about lessons life had taught them." I will forever treasure those moments with my mother, especially the moments when, stricken with Alzheimers Disease, she'd go way back into her memory bank and bring forth some words of wisdom. Once, my mother told me that I was impatient and she quoted this saying: "Patience is a virtue possessed by few women and no men." She also told me that I tend to be an intolerant person and that I must learn to accept people and situations as they are. Finally, she told me not to analyze everything so much, but to just enjoy life.

The physical and emotional scars of my life encourage me to take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way. Playwright Edward Albee said that wisdom is a matter of perspective. "Maybe it's finally being able to figure out what you should be worrying about and what you shouldn't be worrying about."

My mother admitted to me that she had failed in some aspects of her life and now that I'm, shall we say "mature," I can now admit to having failed in some aspects of my life, too. But that said, I've never forgotten those three things my mother said to me. I try very hard to be patient, tolerant, and to fully enjoy my life and what it brings to me.

And today, after weeks of miserable weather, I took my first solo walk without my brace in the sunshine - and saw some daffodils.

Shopping post-surgery

PS: Today (Saturday) I bought a skirt and a jacket!
It's great to find I wear a smaller size...maybe that
operation WAS worth it? Um...no!

I finally did it today! I went shopping for clothes. Because I thought my surgery was going to be in the fall, I didn't buy anything new and struggled through that season with old things. Then, of course, there was no need to get anything new after the surgery since all I could wear werebaggy things on top of the bulky brace. But now, with the surgeon's okay, I don't have to wear the brace anymore, unless my back is really sore - but I can put up with a bit of discomfort so I don't have to wear it.

The day dawned sunny so it felt like Spring. But before showering, I tried on the three bathing suits I own to see if any of them fit. Believe me, it is one scary experience to look in the mirror at your blotchy white self with no makeup on and sporting morning hair wearing a swimsuit. I tossed the two larger sized ones and kept the smallest of the three, but I can't say that I really like it that much. I suppose it'll do for the water aerobics I'll get into next month, since you're pretty much invisible from the neck down when you're in the pool.

So off I went to Reitman's about 10 minutes from my place. I chose a few tops to try on and then went and asked for help with slacks. I'm so hard to fit in pants because I have a petite rise but long legs. The ladies were fantastic and brought me so many to try on in various sizes, since I had no idea what size I am now after losing some weight. Turned out I wear a smaller size on the bottom than I thought! Yay! Unfortunately, the boobs didn't get any smaller so that means the tops are pretty much the same size as before. Not Yay!

Anyway, I came away with two pairs of slacks (black and grey) and two tops (one dressy and one for everyday), plus a gorgeous Spring trenchcoat in a lovely taupe shade. By that time, I was starting to get shaky and feeling a bit warmish. But I'll definitely go back to try on some jeans and capris and maybe even a sundress or two (that is if we ever get any warm weather!).

Now I'm off to give the slacks and the coat a bit of a press. I'm starting to feel human again now that I have something new to wear.

K is for Knight

When I first retired from teaching in 2006, I took some time to travel. While in Wales, I met my friend Jane, who took me to see the Roman influence in Caerleon near her home in Newport. Almost two thousand years ago, the Roman Empire dominated the civilised world and in AD75 the second Augustun Legion spear-headed the final advance into South Wales and founded the Roman Fortress of Isca in Caerleon. Today, much of Caerleon's historic past can still be seen, and we saw it all - the Amphitheatre designed to seat six thousand spectators, the Legionary Barracks, Roman Baths and Museum. We also saw a few KNIGHTS, one being a bit rusty, some brightly dressed, and others not quite ... well, um *real*. Here are a couple:

We had a great time joking about how one day *our* knights-in-shining armour would come along and sweep us off our feet. Well, Jane's arrived not long after I returned home, and mine has come along now, too! So here are Jane and her knight when they came to visit last summer. I took them to Fort Langley where they dressed up as old-fashioned RCMP and posed in front of an historic mural. Also, here's "my" knight - I *know* you've all been wondering...

ABC Wednesday is brought to you courtesy of Mrs. Nesbitt. To see who else is participating, just click here and you can read all the ABCW posts from there.

J is for JOCK

More humble thanks to David over at authorblog for recognizing this as Post of the Day.

During the last few years of her life, my mother would go back in her mind to her early days. She told me all about Jock, the only dog she'd ever had and the only one she'd ever loved. He was a black Scottish terrier and, considering the disdain Mom showed towards all other animals including other dogs, it was quite something to hear her go on about Jock.

When Christmas came around in the year 2000, I was sort of stumped as to what to get her for a gift. Mom had everything she needed and it seemed silly to buy her more ornaments, clothes, or bath products. I wanted to find something really original and special for her that year - I think because I knew her time was limited. She'd already been suffering from Alzheimers for some years already.

I must have wandered the malls (both indoor and outdoor), trendy little boutiques, department stores and Walmart, and every little "off-the-beaten-track" store I found. One day I arrived at a card shop and thought I'd pop in and get her a special Christmas card to go with whatever I'd end up finding. As I gazed around the shop, my eyes landed on a shelf where lo and behold I found her gift!

Sitting amongst a group of stuffed animals was a stuffed black Scottish terrier! Well, I just KNEW this was her Christmas present!

When I arrived home, I had second thoughts. Buying your mother a stuffed animal for Christmas? How silly! But then, I thought "No! She's going to love it!"

I found a tartan ribbon that I put around the little black dog's neck in honour of my Mom's Scottish heritage, put him in a box with tissue paper, wrapped him all up with colourful paper and took him over.

My mother was absolutely thrilled with him! So much so, that she named him Jock after the dog she'd had as a young girl. From that day on, he sat on the back of the sofa right where she'd sit every day and she would talk to him as though he were real.

When she passed away in 2002, Jock came to live with me. He now sits on the back of my sofa and every time I look at him, I remember my mother.

ABC Wednesday is brought to you courtesy of Mrs. Nesbitt. To see more participants' blogs, simply click here.

Pheasant Under Glass, Anyone?

Humble thanks (again) to David at authorblog for honouring this post as a POTD.

I grew up in a rural community just south of the city of Vancouver. Homes were interspersed among farmland and acreage where residents grew strawberries, raspberries, beans, and potatoes. In fact, my very first paying job was as a picker and I was thrilled one year at about age 10 when counting my savings at the end of the season I realised that I'd earned about $65.00! That was a lot of money in those days, especially for a kid.

There were many varieties of birds in the area and we often saw pheasants fly over and sometimes we even saw them wandering around the neighbouring fields. One day, we were minding our own business inside the house when suddenly we all heard a horrific crash in the vicinity of the front window. My father went outside to find that a pheasant had hit the picture window and broken its neck. Taking full advantage of the situation, my father brought the dead bird inside and proceeded to illustrate how to prepare a bird for cooking. Without going into details because some of it was a bit discomforting, I'll just say that we had the most delicious meal that night.

I was reminded of that incident today when I discovered a pheasant in my back yard ("garden" for my British friends). It was wandering around the fresh bark mulch that had been laid beneath the pine, fir, and hemlock trees at the side of the fence. Rushing upstairs to get my camera, I lost my slippers and went outside in bare feet to grab some shots (photographic) before it flew away.

But as I watched it and took pictures, it simply wandered back and forth looking upwards towards the top of the fence. I wondered if it was hurt or had been frightened by the mangy cat that constantly trespasses on my property. Finally, it went behind the largest tree trunk and lay down.

Hmmm....what to do? Because of the overgrowth of trees and the claustrophobic nature of the fence along with the fear of the cats, I had no idea how the pheasant was going to get out of my yard. I could have opened the gate in hopes that it would wander out to the front. But then there was the chance it could get hit by a car.

So I phoned the local Humane Society which sent an animal welfare officer to my house. A lovely young woman, she was concerned that the pheasant could be hurt and wasn't able to fly. She thought she'd catch it and take it to Westham Island where it would be safe - that's where the bird sanctuary is located and hunting is forbidden.

However, as soon as she moved towards it, the pheasant flapped its wings and jumped over the fence, landing two lots over. We both assumed that it could fly if it wanted to, so just decided to let it get itself out of the neighbourhood.

I do wonder, however, if it would have tasted as good as the one my Dad cooked.

To read more about pheasants in my area, just click here.

Welcome Spring!

We welcomed Spring today in the rain!

But, I just had to do something to herald the day, so I changed the colour of my page to pink in honour of the Japanese cherry trees that will soon be in bloom and decided to put up a post about Spring. We had such a dismal winter this year, and last summer was not so great, either. Therefore, I have to believe that it's going to be a beautiful Spring and Summer this year.

First of all, my sweetie has started in the garden! Most of the area that was covered in bark mulch has been cleared and new mulch has been laid. Also, a brand new barbecue has been put together and is just waiting for the motorized rotisserie to be installed. The ribs have been purchased for the first outdoor meal of the season and we're simply waiting for a bit of sun and warmth to drag all the patio furniture out of the shed. We are both so sick of the grey, dismal weather and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of blue skies!

We're also looking forward to going on hikes around the area to develop our photographic skills. There are so many places to go around here - the beaches, the regional parks, the mountains, the city's varied touristy locations, etc. And the first weekend in June, we're heading to the interior of BC to White Lake where "The Big Chill" weekend is being held this year. Each year around this time, my sweetie and all his friends and their wives get together for their annual reunion. It'll be my first time in a few decades to see them all together again, although I did know them back in the day. Apparently, the guys all go fishing for rainbow trout while the gals do their own thing. I'm looking forward to exploring the area with my camera and drinking lots of wine, and then watching the guys bbq their catch of the day as they weave and wobble from all the beer they drank in the boats. Should be lots of fun!

Aha! The weather man was right! Although it's windy and the rain is still coming down, the sky is lightening up bringing with it some sunny skies later this afternoon. Please God, may the blue skies and sunny weather stay!

ABC Wednesday - I is for Ice Rink

Humble thanks to David over at authorblog for recognizing this as Post of the Day.

Kerrisdale Arena had long been the spot where my sisters and I had ice-skated since our early teens. Before we received real figure skates for Christmas one year, we'd rent our skates and wobble around trying to look like Barbara Ann Scott or whoever was the current Olympic champion.
In 1969, I had just turned 22 years old and my girlfriends and I would faithfully show up every Tuesday and Friday night for "Adults Only" skating.
One night I was wearing a cherry red sweater with tight pants and, with my long flowing dark hair, caught the eye of a certain hockey player. We ended up dating for over three years and even talked of getting married one day. However, as things happen, we drifted apart and each married someone else. Neither of our marriages were good ones - he got divorced, I was widowed.
Fast forward 40 years and guess who's together again? And this time we ARE getting married! Not sure when yet. But who would have ever guessed that after all these years, we still (or maybe it's "again") love each other?
And it all started in an ice rink.
I have to add that both my daughters took figure skating lessons and one of the older one's first competitions was at Kerrisdale Arena. I'll never forget how sweet she looked (at age 8) in the dark blue lace skating dress I made for her as she skated to music from "The Nutcracker." I'll never forget the lump of emotion and pride I felt throughout her performance. Now If I can only find the old tape made of that performance and have it put on a DVD.

Beyond the Bloom

My sweetie and I have now moved beyond the first stage of love to the stage where we can say "You stink!"
No, seriously!
This morning, when L climbed into bed after a long and cold graveyard shift, he said, "What did you have for dinner last night?"
Cuddling up provocatively and snuggling closer, I responded, "The leftover vegies you made the other night with a bit of rice."
"Well," he said, "you stink of garlic!"
He then went off to sleep, with me feeling very offended, until suddenly I recoiled against something that struck my nasal passages!
He farted!
And farted again and again!
Pillow pressed against my nose as I staggered out of the room, I decided to do some research into farts. Why is it that women seem to be able to hold their farts in until they’re in the bathroom or alone but men take such excessive pride in their ability to not only create a thunderous noise but also a noxious odour?

Here are some interesting and hilarious facts about farts:
1. The odor of farts comes from small amounts of hydrogen sulphide gas and other gases that contain sulphur and nitrogen. Foods such as cauliflower, meat, and eggs are notorious for creating smelly farts, but bean farts actually don’t smell. (Yeah? I doubt that as I’ve already been warned about not ever serving him beans!)
2. Fart noise is not generated by the flapping of the butt cheeks, but by vibrations of the anal opening.
3. On average, a person produces about half a litre of fart gas a day, in about 14 farts. Try recording how often and how bad your farts smell.
4. The smell of a fart takes about 13 to 20 seconds to travel to one’s nose. Smaller, enclosed areas (like a bed!) limits the amount of dilution of the smell (it eventually condenses as green slime on the walls) so appears to be stronger than outside on a windy day. How many of you women have had the lovely experience of having your head shoved under the blankets by your mate as they howl with laughter while you’re actually gagging and struggling not to throw up?
5. A gentleman is likely to fart the most first thing in the morning while in the bathroom. This is known as "morning thunder" and if the gentleman gets good resonance, it can be heard throughout the house.
6. Women fart just as much as men, but men take more pride in it. And the smell can be just as bad for either sex.
7. Emperor Claudius legalized farting at banquets because there was widespread belief that a person could be poisoned or could catch a disease by holding in farts. However, it won’t hurt you unless it backs up so much you get a stomachache. How many of you ladies can remember holding it all in until your date leaves, only to expel it loudly with profound relief?
8. It is possible to ignite farts! Why? Because they contain hydrogen and methane, both flammable gases. Farts burn with a blue or yellow flame, but it is highly dangerous to attempt to ignite them. The flame could back up into your colon or your clothes could catch on fire.

10 ways to cover up a fart:
1. Wear "Fartypants" underwear, specially designed to absorb the odour.
2. Blame the dog or cat.
3. Complain about the local pulp and paper mill or the sod farm that uses chicken manure.
4. Act oblivious.
5. Glance quickly at the person standing beside you.
6. Cough loudly.
7. Move your chair so it makes a sound on the floor.
8. In a public toilet, use the "buff muff" strategy, which is to use a handful of loose toilet paper and hold it to your butt hole so it muffles the sound.
9. Proudly proclaim the fart as your own grand accomplishment.
10.Issue a challenge to others to outdo your fart.

I was trying to find a good cartoon to go with this post, but I couldn't decide which one to use. Just google "cartoons about farting" and you will absolutely die laughing.

ABC Wednesday - H is for Herriot, James

Again, I'm late doing my ABC Wednesday post but perhaps you'll forgive me when you read about James Herriot, famous veterinarian and author. (see photo at left) One of the greatest writers of our time, James Alfred Wight, Herriot being his pen name, wrote about his experiences as a country veterinarian in England. His stories have touched millions of people. Born in 1916 in England, Herriot passed away from cancer in 1995. From 1978 to 1990, the television show "All Creatures Great and Small" kept viewers glued to their TV sets. What fan can forget Clancy, Joe Mulligan's dog, a cross between an "Airedale and a donkey"? The huge dog had a case of "womitting" and James, Siegfried, and Tristan were all scared of the big dog. And who could ever forget Mrs. Pumphrey and her adored Tricki Woo with his unique symptoms of flop-bott and crackerdog? I inherited the set of four books written by Herriot about his life and times working in the Yorkshire Dales of northern England from my parents. I've enjoyed every moment savouring the author's delightful tales of his adventures with the colourful characters he met during his years in Yorkshire. If you haven't had the chance to read Herriot's books, I urge you to do so - you will not be disappointed.

Below is a photo of Christopher Timothy, actor, who portrayed James Herriot in the television series.

ABC Wednesday - G is for Garden

Sorry to be so late in posting for ABC Wednesday but there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the days lately. I have several new students that I tutor and by the time I teach all of them for an hour each and fill in my information sheets for what we did, I've already put in 150% time for each and every one.

However, while I've been doing my work, my sweetie has discovered my garden and has been having a blast figuring out how to improve it. Spring has not yet sprung here, and we hear there might even be another blast of snow on the weekend. But that hasn't stopped my sweetie as he's already raked up the garden and the lawn and put all the garbage in bags. And he's started to spread bark mulch in some areas. There is a lot to do still, but he's in his glory! Here are a few photos of my garden - before the work began. Hopefully, I'll be able to show you the after shots in a few months.

The side garden, all raked and ready to have the bark mulch put down.

My weeping birch looks a very strange greyish colour right now.

The back garden along the fence is looking pretty scraggy right now.

This is right beside the patio and shows the part along the back of the house.

Finally, the front is looking pretty sparce except for the brilliant purple heather.