Sunday, June 30, 2013

Saturday: To UBC Again


I have lived in Vancouver all my life and it seems to be summer always starts and stops on a single day. This year seems to be no exception. We have had a great spring, then, we had this past week of showery weather and cooler temperatures especially at night—I love those mild temperatures, don't get me wrong—but then yesterday suddenly summer started.

There was no wind, it was hot, the sea is like a mirror (I love that about summer) and I had three very mild asthma attacks, but the moment I woke up I knew and I had to get outside after all the baking of the past week. I dressed and was out the door and I didn't take my camera. Yesterday my eyes were just not as important as my nose.

I could smell the sea air as I walked over the Granville Bridge. It is so fresh and it rolls in off the immense Pacific Ocean (155.5 M sq. mi. versus the Atlantic that is only 68 M sq. mi.) cleansed by the sea. And on the bridge I could smell the bakery getting the days supplies nice and hot for the tourists on Granville Island, the smoke of a wood fire somewhere, the Cottonwood trees—there was so much to smell in the quiet of the morning.

I walked a familiar route out to UBC and to Wreck Beach where I like to rest in the sun. It was glorious. Then a  bus to Rita and a fast visit with her as the heat can be hard on her, then home for a quick change to go to my friend Annabel's birthday party. There is nothing like a great party full of theatre friends on the first real night of summer. Their party was catered and there were musicians playing and her two strikingly handsome sons were a great part of the night.

Breathing was brutal yesterday. Two years into this asthma and I am still learning but I think the trouble with summer is the lack of wind and rain means the air is dirty. The great thing about this showery climate is that the rain clears particulates in the air.

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