Saturday

Yesterday was wet. There was rain on my head and tears on my cheeks because the friends and family of Kay had to say goodbye. Today the tears are on my keyboard; my mind is in a cursed loop of cliches.

Happily, following the service, I walked during a window of sunshine to John and Bunny's house for dinner. And the guest of honour was their lovely niece, Kate whom I love so it was Kay and Kate day.

I passed the plaque below on the walk in a kind of memorial garden along Ambleside sports park in West Vancouver. I don't know who the hell Heidi Macrae is, but I know who George Bernard Shaw is—he is the uncredited author of the phrase.

Unexpected Great Weather

It is cool again. It gets up only to about 16° during the afternoon, but what perfect weather for walking. I took medicine to Rita, the woman I look after who lives at Brock Fahrni Pavilion at Women's Hospital. Then I walked down to Broadway for lunch with a friend, then home.

I have visitors from Whistler. They are dear friends whose visit is always welcome.

I have discovered a downside to my fabulous new orthotics—walking is horrible without them. I have also discovered I have to increase my caloric intake if I do not want to lose weight from all the walking.

Tonight's sunset is one of the best so far this year.

 The canopy is retractable for free outdoor performances at The Roundhouse (a former train depot now a cultural centre).

This is a building on the grounds of the hospital complex where Rita lives. What elegant design and I LOVE the typeface.

The local palms are in bloom.

 Magnificence in natural design.

Not like Europe, but food display still always a lovely and colourful sight.

Long and Uneventful

Today there was high cloud—excellent for walking. I chose to walk to Wreck Beach (the route in blue) so that once I arrived, I could rest for a bit and then walk part way home (in red). It was cool (15°) and the haze meant the sun was warm but not hot. I rested an hour, then walked back to Broadway and Macdonald where I caught the bus.  All in all: 4 hours walking; about 18 K.

At Wreck Beach there had been a land slide.

Domestic Treadmill

I made plans for a rainy day but there was no rain all day. All my walking was in my condo. I have friends coming for dinner so there was shopping, cleaning (and I did a great job, I must say) and cooking. Tomorrow when I walk, I will be coming home to some fantastic left overs: Halibut served on a quinoa salad and with a mango, fabulous turkish bread with spicy humous and gingered strawberries for dessert. I love cooking as well as walking. 

 My fabulous kitchen. I love cooking in the light plus I have a great view of the ocean and Davie Street below.

Now all I  need is the guests.

The quinoa salad and the mango salsa. I forgot to take photos of everything else.

Yesterday (Tuesday): RAIN!

The whole week looks iffy for walking so reading and errands will fill my time. Tuesday was forced rest but it was good because at age 65 and with mild arthritis in many joints, my hips and one knee have been feeling the cumulative effect of all my walking.

A couple of decades ago, I got seriously into roller skating. I skated all my life and only quit two years ago after a fall and too many broken ribs, but there was a period in my early forties were I was regularly speed skating 20 kilometres almost every day on the campus near my home. And during that time, for the first time in my life, I felt that endorphin high on many days and recently that feeling has come to me during my walks. I feel like I could walk all day forever. I love it. I feel more at rest moving.

Burnaby Lake

Cloudy, then sunny periods and quite warm, then cloudy again. A perfect day for a 4.5-hour walk around Burnaby Lake and really, about 350 kilometres into this season's walking, I truly have my "walking legs." They give me that endorphin-like high that comes from being in great walking shape now.

Today, at times, I felt as good as it is possible to feel due to the smell of the humidity, the feeling of the lovely warm sun on my back and hearing only birdsong—and in particular, Swainson's Thrush (which you can hear here by clicking on "Song, call." I also felt superb because I had no map, was in an area I had never been in before and that made me remember, vividly, my walking in France two years ago when I was walking in the same circumstances. It was an excellent wonderful day.

My walk around the lake began in pastoral splendour...

that boasted many lovely sights.

 And the air was full of Cottonwood fluff that got caught in the cattails.

These were a new form of cattail to me... slender and thinly leafed.

 Glory be to dapples things ... I Love Gerard Manly Hopkins.

 The lake panorama. (Click to enlarge.)

Huge Skunk Cabbage grow here.

 Papyrus.

 Look at the Cottonwood fluff on the lake (and the baby geese); my asthma sometimes makes these wonderful outdoor escapades a challenge.

The fish ladder at the end of the lake.

 Tranquil!

Long stretches of the path were boardwalks.

Salmon berries. Mmmmmm!

Lots of bird houses dotted the route.

 Once I left the lake, I was on a nice gravel path, but then ...

 it led to an industrial detour that passed ....

 Jack's and then ...

got seriously industrial, but then, at the end....

... poppies!

To a Birthday Party

Today began cloudy but I could see light on the horizon and figured it would be sunny late in the afternoon. And guess what? I was bang on, so I decided to walk to my party date in North Van. It took exactly three hours during, really, the most beautiful time of the day. The party was to celebrate the 65th birthday of my friend Karen.

 Please walk on the grass.

 A meadow of daisies.

A stunning tree of little bells.

Moss. Beautiful.

Skunk Cabbage belongs to an elite genus of plants that can produce heat.

Two cruise ships leave the harbour as I walk over the bridge.

 Broom. I love it!

Karen's daughter lives on West 22nd, in North Van. In that part of the district, there are lots of older and very small houses plus some larger older homes (above and below).