Bidwell Street

Monday 31 October 2011

I love fall in Vancouver - the leaves are much more dramatic in the city.

Yaletown

Sunday 30 October 2011

Technically after midnight, here is a view from the balcony at the Halloween party we went to.

Halloween

Saturday 29 October 2011

Here we are, Dorothy and a tornado! Dorothy was quite the popular costume this year - Ryan met five or six others.

Waiting

Friday 28 October 2011

There are nearly always dogs tied up outside the grocery store waiting for their owners. It's nice - I like stopping to say hello.

Latte

Thursday 27 October 2011

I was supposed to be writing a paper in the coffee shop today, but instead I was taking pictures of my latte and thinking up unconnected sentences on my topic.

Sylvia

Wednesday 26 October 2011

The Sylvia Hotel, around the corner from our place, is a local landmark. The whole building is covered in ivy - it was gorgeous a week or two ago when it was all flaming red. I rather liked these gradations of color, though.

Kindergarten classroom

Tuesday 25 October 2011

It feels so good to be back in a kindergarten classroom! :)

(Even if it is just volunteering a few times a week.)

Fall in the city

Monday 24 October 2011

Vancouver and her cloud

Sunday 23 October 2011

A view of the city as we approached on the ferry. Sure does make you feel small.

A few minutes after taking this photo, a pod of pacific white-sided dolphins passed us, jumping and playing. It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen; unfortunately I didn't get any good photos of them.

View from Comox

Saturday 22 October 2011

The view from friends of our friends' house. Quite nice, huh?

Courtenay church

Friday 21 October 2011

Ryan and I are visiting friends on Vancouver Island this weekend. This is a lovely old church (now theater, I think) in their town.

Leaves (on) the Trees

Thursday 20 October 2011

We're having such a lovely fall.

The Nelson Street Gnome

Wednesday 19 October 2011

A little surprise for those who look closely as they walk down Nelson St. A little gnome lives here!

Explosion

Tuesday 18 October 2011

Amazing Laughter

Monday 17 October 2011

One of the statues in a wonderful piece of art around the corner from our house: "Amazing Laughter" by Yue Minjun. It makes me smile every time I walk past.

Lovely street

Sunday 16 October 2011

A lovely building I passed on my way to church this morning.

Fall in the city

Saturday 15 October 2011

Well, it's definitely fall in Vancouver. Although the forests here don't have quite the same show of color as back home (in Michigan), there are spots of brilliance on the city streets where maples and sugar gums have been planted. A few cold but sunny days this week have really made it feel like autumn. Now I just need some cider and a fresh frycake . . . .

Anniversary cake!

Friday 14 October 2011

The woman who baked our wedding cake, Julie, was kind enough to give me the recipe. I plan to make us a small wedding cake each year on our anniversary. Since this year's anniversary weekend was a bit crazy, it got put off until Friday, when we took the cake over to share with some friends. I think I need some more practice with the recipe, but it was well-received. Luckily, we've got many years ahead of us in which to perfect this delicious cake!

Lord Robert's fish

Thursday 13 October 2011

I've been volunteering at a nearby elementary school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which has been a lot of fun so far. On the fence around the school, they have streams of these fish, painted by students in all different colors, for an environmental program a while back. I love the colorful swirl they add to the school.

1065

Wednesday 12 October 2011

Bike buttons

Tuesday 11 October 2011

Vancouver is a fairly bike friendly city, with mild weather and some nice bike lanes here and there. This is one of my favorite features: bike crossing buttons. Many of the lights are pedestrian-controlled -- they're green until a pedestrian pushes the crossing button. And anywhere there is a crossing button on the sidewalk, there is one on the street, right in the spot where a bike would stop for the perpendicular red light. Convenient, huh?

One year today

Monday 10 October 2011

I love you, my one and only!

Turkey and ham day!

Sunday 9 October 2011

My first Canadian Thanksgiving in Canada - yum!

Question: do most Canadians have both turkey and ham on Thanksgiving? I've had several Canadian Thanksgivings now, and I'm seeing a trend. Ryan assures me it's normal.

Sidewalk mosaic

Saturday 8 October 2011

Every now and then I'll find one of these lovely mosaics inlaid in the sidewalk. This one is right by the Burrard Bridge.

Lost dove

Friday 7 October 2011

You know you live in a yuppie neighborhood when . . . .

The crown of Vancouver

Thursday 6 October 2011

The new football/soccer stadium that was just finished here in Vancouver. Ryan's really excited because the Grey Cup (Canadian Superbowl) is here this year - we already have tickets.

End of the road

Wednesday 5 October 2011

Installation 2

Tuesday 4 October 2011

A different part of that art installation I posted a photo of last week.

To Mimi

Monday 3 October 2011

All the public benches here have little plaques that you can buy and dedicate to a loved one. Most of them are sweet little obituaries, with poems and sayings, and some are quite creative. This one along English Bay always seems to catch my eye - it's the only one I've seen dedicated to a dog!

Oh!

Sunday 2 October 2011

My wonderful husband organized a photo scavenger hunt for my belated birthday party - here's my friend C posing for one of the pictures we had to find. It was a fun time, followed by a delicious dinner and some awesome hanging out with games. Definitely an amazing 30th.

Second best

Saturday 1 October 2011

I know I just posted a sunrise photo for a few days ago, but tonight Ryan and I went upstairs to the 27th floor and were treated to what was probably the second-most-amazing sunset I've ever seen. (The first was in the Philippines about 7 years ago. Most orange I've ever seen in one place.)