A Windy Day down at the Beach

After I picked up the monster, I took him down to the beach by the ferries. He was delighted, watching the surfer trying to get his sail up and working so he could use it with his board. I couldn't help but wonder if it was the same guy as last time.

I can see why he was trying to do it today. It was -windy- out there.


And, of course, I could exactly keep him away from the water. He loves it. Thankfully, he's also content to stay out of it and throw rocks in.



It was a nice day though, despite the wind.



Of course, as usual, it was difficult to convince the monster that he had to get his butt into the car so we could leave. Even though he was freezing his little butt off!

Bowen Island

This weekend, for no real reason other than it was a nice day and we felt like doing something, we decided to head off to Bowen Island for a little day trip. It was a gorgeous day for the trip and the ferry ride over is always beautiful.


Needless to say, our water loving monster was in love with the Ferry and being out on the water. He did -not- want to get back into the car when the time came.


And it was some kind of windy out there!


The views from around the island are beautiful. It's a very peaceful kind of a place. At least, it is right now. When it's full summer and tourist season really kicks into full gear it's still beautiful. Just not quite as peaceful.


We went down to the beach and, naturally, found another place that the monster was loathe to leave. He was fascinated by this itty bitty crab but kept jumping back every time it moved.


The starfish were clustered about in the rocks beneath the pier. There were a lot of them there!


Just love the cool shades. So happy to be set up like Daddy. He even left them on for a while.


The view from up high on the island is ever more spectacular. You can see downtown Vancouver from up there! It's gorgeous!




I love the way the houses are nestled into the trees on the rocks. Can you imagine the view each of them has?


And, of course, little automated lighthouses dot the islands.


Did I mention that the monster man -loved- the ferry? Oh yeah, he was in heaven. Again, did not want to get into the car but at least didn't toss a temper on the ferry on the way back!



Really, it was just a gorgeous day. So glad we went!

Cherry Blossoms revisited.

I know, I know. More flowers. More blossoms. But I just can't help myself. They're so pretty and delicate and beautiful. It's like a quest to get the perfect blossom picture.

So today was all the white ones, no pink to be seen.

English Bay

It was a beautiful day to be out and about today. And Vancouver is a beautiful city anytime but especially beautiful in the sunshine.

Which is why I went to take pictures of the city today.

A nice walk on the beach and lots of great shots. It was a very good day.

Derelict

I've made no secret of my love of old buildings since I started this project. And by that I don't just mean the old buildings that are historic and pretty though I love those too. No, I have something of a love for buildings that have seen better days. Buildings that have been left to fall to pieces. Buildings that nature is reclaiming. There is something both beautiful and sad about them.

And today, I found this house. Which fit my little obsession beautifully.


There were a couple of men from a landscaping company working there. The house is slated to be destroyed eventually. One of the men was working in the weeds with a chainsaw while I was taking some pictures along the other side of the house. The weeds - a huge mass of thorny bushes really - are so tall you couldn't even see the man working.


The back of the house is collapsing and I couldn't go back inside. I was tempted to ask, I really was, but the two guys had been in there the other day and there were asbestos warnings everywhere. And, of course, the falling down part of things.





Part of the problem with this house is the ground it sits upon. Kind of proves the old "Location Location Location" adage. If this house were in one of the old neighbourhoods in Vancouver or New Westminster, someone would have fixed it up years and years ago and it would have sold for... uh... well... a whole lot of money. You can see that it was a beautiful home, once upon a time.



This is the only shot I could get of the back. Believe me, there's no way I'm getting through those thorns to get around to the back at the actual house. So I drove to the next farm and took a picture. The horse below gave me a suspicious look and the Rottweiler looked very friendly. I just couldn't decide if he was "oh, climb out of the car so I can eat you friendly" and it seemed better to err on the side of safety. So this pic was taken through the fence, unfortunately.



A great old building and a great day out and about. And awesome that the guys were willing to let me take some pictures! Sometimes the timing is just perfect!

Peacock Feather

So I was picking up some easter supplies at the craft store and saw some peacock feathers.

So, naturally, I was inspired for my photo for today. This one was the winner. But one thing I love about the blog is I can post all of the also-rans.


I love the detail in this one. Once again, me and my macro lens at work. I love the macro!