Sunday Morning (& Afternoon)

This weekend Karena, Marita and I drove up to Furry Creek to check out the grounds, the food and the scenery. Thanks to my little guinea pigs I now know what to avoid and what to definetly order for my wedding. After a very filling brunch/lunch which consisted of everything from roast beef to eggs benedict, which is not really the best combo but I had a duty to try it, we walked up to the wedding site. Don't panic there will be shuttles on the day of the wedding!




The wedding site.











After Furry Creek I came home and found Jan doing this.









I decided to relax on a blanket in the back yard and listen. I love Sundays!

PS.
Oh and we rode Seymour the day before and it is in pristine riding condition.

all things said & done

Last Thursday night was Marita's book launch at UBC Robson Square. Her wonderful book of poety "all things said & done" was debuted in style by Marita herself reading some chosen works. I have known about the talents of Miss Marita for a very long time and was very excited that the world would now be invited into hers. It was actually quite emotional for me. I was thrilled to watch one of her dreams unfold and was very proud of her accomplishment. I know how hard she has worked and can appreciate how difficult it can be to survive as a writer.



Great poetry can bring one somewhere familiar but express it as a fresh and unexpected experience. It can also bring beauty into the most simple and routine aspects of life. Her poetry does both.

Congratulations Marita!

ps.
Purchase a copy of your own book online. You might also want to check out another fabulous poet, Jennica Harper and her poetry collection "The Octopus and other Poems." ( I would include a link but have no idea how.....can anyone help??)

I'm Feeling Lucky....

I have often complained about moving out to Steveston as it brought me away from the vibe of Vancouver and farther away from our favourite beaches, restaurants and most importantly our friends. That said, Steveston has so much to offer that I am beginning to appreciate more and more. It was absolutely gorgeous out this afternoon so I took Jersey for a jog along the dike. The population of Steveston swells significantly on weekends and there were many people out taking advantage of our quaint little town.




Normally I just jog for the exercise but today I was really into it. I felt like I could run an epic journey similar to Forrest Gump. However, Jersey wasn't as enthusiastic. She kept stopping abruptly so that I was jogging along with the leash and the collar but no dog. Then she decided to run into the bog and cover herself in a thick grime. Despite these annoyances I still managed to get a little emotional thinking about how lucky I truly am.

Easter Weekend

Jan is currently completing a five week 737 course in Calgary so Jersey and I flew out to visit for Easter. Normally Jan would have loved to escape the urban sprawled, dirt encrusted, culture lacking city but my mom and dad were in Red Deer so we decided to stick around for a visit.

Let's begin with my first impression of Calgary. Coming from Vancouver where it is green, lush, scenic (oh and the forecast called for twenty-two degrees for Easter weekend) .... I walked outside to blowing snow and -5. Needless to say, my first impression involved a few expletives. I noticed a few different things about Calgary:
* People go out for dinner at five
* There are seriously no trees or plants. (I am not making this up....I know that it's the prairies but has anyone heard of planting??
* They have giant signs on every building and the buildings lack any sort of interest architectually.

I know that Jan has not been enjoying his time in Calgary because a) he has no car to get anywhere and you need a car in Calgary b) the weather sucks and c) his hotel room leaves much to be desired d) he has been eating out for three weeks straight! (No kitchenette!) To make matters worse there are only chain restaurants located around where he is staying.

Despite this we had fun visiting with my mom and dad as well as my sister and her three children. Unfortunately the weather prevented us from going to the zoo, walking around the downtown core etc. etc. We spent some time shopping, eating and playing around in the hotel pool. Teresa, Daryl and I enjoyed battling it out on Guitar Hero. (PS2 game) Unfortunately I didn't have my camera to capture any of these moments.

Okay, okay I didn't actually go downtown so I'm in no position to comment accurately on Calgary. However, I had seen enough to know that I wasn't too interested in learning more about it. Instead Jan and I decided to rent a car and drive to Banff. Those of you who know me well know that I am obsessed with trees and mountains so you can appreciate my decision.

As a kid, our family drove to Alberta at least once a year to visit family and my dad's farm so I have spent a lot of time driving through the rockies, but still their grandiosity and splendour always make me feel terribly lucky. Yes, I live around the Coastal Mountains but the Rockies are different. They are rugged, rocky and seem more magical. I could sit quietly for days and soak in their beauty.



The peak from the Banff Townsite.













Beautiful ice crystals forming near the river during the spring thaw.















A close up of the ice crystals. I had never seen ice formed like this before and was quite excited about my new find!









The Banff Falls.












The Hoodoos. Nature still manages to shock me with its intricacies!