VAN TO VIEW BUT BEAR WITH US

 Finally, breezy sunny summer weather in the last week in Vancouver. A peacock strutted its stuff. Bananas grew on the side streets. It was a reflection of what we had expected all along.

But happy to fly home to our serene View. Masked up for 5 hours. Soared right over our peninsula. Got home in time to see the full "buck" moon --- welcome back!!

In the morning it was obvious how a rainy 30 days with heat had the gardens and yards run amok. When the groundskeepers are away, the plants will play. Nice to see all green instead of summer dry brown. But the mower and whipper will be working overtime. 

Late bloomers still manage to stand out from the jungle. Smoke bush, goose necks, hollyhocks, and others I can't name. Colour us anything but green!

Lots of catch-up needed. Checking out seeds planted in June. Rehanging the feeders --- will any birds be back? Picking tubs of big raspberries.

A downpour here was good to see, after a month out west with no rain at all. Followed by colour clouds showing the all-clear. 

Oh --- also in our first morning, a very healthy black bear wandered through. Share the berries!!

TOURING (AND WILD)

Finally getting more mobile, by rent-a-car and improvement in the hip/leg aches. A pie-snatching gull kept watch on the balcony but in B.C. you gotta tour the scenery. Active but mellow like Deep Cove. Impressive water source of Cleveland Dam. Beachy laid back Kitsilano. Greenway streets with community gardens and whimsy.

Water and vessels in every direction. Ocean freighters and container ships at anchor. Working fishing boats still ply at the historic Cannery Row in Stevenson.

All the way south to the (still-closed) border at White Rock. Canada's longest pier and the first train we've seen in many years. The main strip alive with a hundred patio lunch spots. And --- duh!--- the famous white rock , like a giant's marble plopped on the beach.

Familiar Stanley Park is still a must. Historic ship's figureheads from ocean-going immigrant eras. Whimsical girl-with-goggles-on-a-rock.

Granville Island, a strolling/artsy/musical/favourite day trip spot. Miniature Boatie McBoatface for transit. Iconic cement silo murals in a bustling concrete mix plant. And always a market...

Lonsdale Quay on the other side of Burrard Inlet, just as bustling, scenic, and plentiful. What take-out did we have here ----- Greek, Mexican, or Vietnamese?

Big shout-out to our talented and favourite Aussie. Home-style pie for the Wimbledon win. All 3 birthdays celebrated at once. Pastries (which are the down-under lammingtons?) Two gardeners that can grow anything, anywhere. And by far the most jaw-dropping knitter extraordinaire.

Thankfully, wild nature is still all around us. Neon starfish in the backwaters of an old barge canal. A brave eaglet learning to flap before flying off to Alaska! Brazen coyote in Stanley Park ---- several people have been nipped, but who got euthanized : animal or people feeding them illegally? 

And very endearing, in the middle of the city, a mother seal coaxing her newbie off a dock. Cannonball!!

NO BULL!

 Still a lot of fallout from the hundreds of unmarked indigenous childrens' graves. One local protest/memorial was made up of posters, orange shirts, and hundreds of pairs of kids shoes. Very powerful symbolism.

I'm still hobbled by an uncooperative hip/leg problem. Limited to walks of a couple of km's or so. Fortunately, that covers beautiful greenspace such as the Rose Garden. (Some non-roses snuck in, too...)

And the curvy scenic seawall. Live on a houseboat, commute by floatplane! The famous green roof of the convention centre is suffering from drought like all the other gardens. The cruise ship terminal hasn't docked a cruise for over a year --------- big $$$ never coming back?

A walk the other way goes to breezy and ship-shaped English Bay beach. Great area to continue our weekly Chinese takeout ritual.

Here's a shout-out to over-achievers of the day. Gotta cheer for Ash Barty, the new Wimbledon champion. First Aussie ladies winner in 41 years, and won on the 50th anniversary of the first Aussie winner at all. Also jaw-dropping guys swinging around washing windows 30 floors up. And a family of sea otters emerged from a rocky hidey-hole below our feet. Swimming lesson?!

Sadly, for the second year in a row there is no running of the bulls in Pamplona. Since those two magical runs a long time ago, my scarf has travelled and mingled with many other cultures. There will be another run...