Sunday, July 19, 2009

It's the Gosh Darndest Thing

The weekend started out to be a "work weekend" but turned into a "woohoo" weekend. More then I could have ever expected................It was to be packing and sorting and that kind of thing. And to admit it, I'm ready for this part to be over. What was I thinking? Moving is stressful, right, eh? Yes, now I remember............. But, in a spur of the moment thing, we headed out to the North Shore and Cypress Mountain. What beautiful views. We could see Vancouver and the ships in the harbor. Of course the pine trees, in fact all the trees, were just beautiful. Heck, even the weeds were fun to photograph.
TM had mentioned on Friday that he had plans for Friday and Saturday night so I took matters into my own hands and made plans with RUCO, of blogger fame, to have dinner together. What fun!
First, he arrived in a 93 White Lincoln Continental. How awesome is that? And, he cleans up very well - as can I! A drive to downtown Vancouver in a car to rival the "mafia mobile" of Vandy and Sue fame was indeed a pleasure. Nothing, in my opinion, rides like a big Lincoln or Caddy. It was heavenly.
Dinner was at a very chi chi restaurant right across from the marina. Dining out of doors in this magnificent weather was absolutely magical. RUCO is a delightful conversationalist who regaled me with stories of his life, raising his family and his adventures in Mexcio. He made me laugh out loud several times. What a character.
Above is my appetizer - prawns with cocktail sauce. I asked, what is the difference between prawns and shrimp? Nada. They sure were tasty. In addition, salmon was the entree. Woo hee, I was in "tall cotton" as we say down south. DEE licious.

Even the floral arrangement in the restroom was unique and beautiful. I HAD to photograph it. I hope the woman in the stall next to the sink wasn't freaked out.
So, that was Saturday...........what a full, fun day. Somewhere in there, we did do some packing.

Sunday arrived. People coming to pick up stuff that has been sold. More packing. Oy vey. But, to begin with TM needed to deliver some papers and more Malcolm Lowry things that turned up as he packed.
Off we went to MacLeod's Books. I could not believe my eyes when I walked in the door. I LOVE book stores like this - they are few and far between. Sadly. The owner, Don Stewart, is the most knowledgeable book dealer that I have ever met. He had purchased the Lowry collection from TM, among other things. I was awed by the books and his conversation. I could have spent a week just looking at each and every book he had....well, maybe two or three weeks!
THIS is the way a bookstore should look. Not those antiseptic places like Barnes and Noble. Astonishingly, not only in the book store but in the annex, he knew where each and every book that we asked about was located.
As we traversed Vancouver, the idea popped into our heads to head for the Flying Beaver one last time for lunch. It was a little late, but with the beautiful sun and weather along with the water, it just seemed like a natural decision.
So, I'm sitting at a table waiting for TM and a man comes up to me and he says, "Babs, I thought you had already headed back to Mexico!" I must have looked at him with the most amazed expression. Then he said something to the effect that he kept up with me on the blog. I was speechless. I finally pulled myself together and said, "How did you recognize me?" And he said, "From the blog!" Again I'm speechless - which you know for me doesn't happen very often.
It was Ben who had commented when I arrived in Vancouver. What a surprise, to put it mildly.
We talked until TM arrived and introductions between us and his wife and son occurred. I was just flabbergasted.
I then got the bright idea to have someone photograph all of us together. You know last weekend it was RUCO and now Ben. The blogger world is beyond amazing. So below are Ben of Vancouver, myself and Tequila Man.
Good food. The sparkling water. Biplanes taking off and landing. Friendly folks. What a "woo hoo" weekend this has turned out to be.
I'm a darn lucky lady....................




























































Saturday, July 18, 2009

What is it?

I love all the scenic and funny photos posted by other bloggers on a daily basis. Wayne has blogs of sunrises, sunsets and the sea in Isla Mujeres. Steve has cocoanut plantations around Melaque and men riding down the beach. So, I thought I would add to the photographic wonders with this shot. Can you guess what it is? It's one of those photos you take that when you see it, it surprises you. So, post a guess. The winner gets a gold star, right in the middle of their forehead............remember those?

Thursday, July 16, 2009

"Cougar" Alert

While having breakfast this morning at a diner, the radio was playing and the news came on. A "cougar alert" was announced north of Vancouver. I was amazed and amused. Then the waitress came over and elaborated on the whole thing. It seems there are more cougars then ever out this year. A teenager was mauled. I must be in the piney woods of Canada!

It's hard to relate when you are sitting somewhere looking out at concrete and traffic to imagine that so close to Vancouver such a thing could be happening! The waitress said that she and her husband had cancelled their trip to the woods this coming weekend because of "all the loose cougars" and her fear of being attacked. She also elaborated on all the loose bears.

Good grief - Mexico has drug cartels that elicit fear and British Columbia has cougars! Both causing people to rethink traveling.

Then TM reminded me that maybe the "cougar alert" had something to do with me. "What?" I said. "Yes", he replied, "you know older woman, younger man". Good grief. What's a girl to do?
It made me laugh out loud..........

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Vancouver's Verdant Vegetation

If you ever say Vancouver to me again, I'll think "hanging baskets". They are everywhere. The size is astronomical. The mixtures are dazzling. I've again "oohed and aahed" myself around town. I've never seen baskets like these anywhere. Driving around has been a stop and start propostion with "TM" being the patient, and I do mean patient driver when I see some beautiful plants and yell, "Please stop, please". He usually does. If only I could figure out a way to take these baskets back with me to Mexico. I would also need to figure out how to pay for them. I haven't had the nerve to ask how much they cost. Everything in Vancouver is VERY expensive.
But, aren't they gorgeous? Just breathtaking? I'll be making hanging baskets for the mirador when I return to San Miguel. You can bet on it.

It's not that the vegetation is all that different, except in some cases, where I can't identify a tree or shrub, but the SIZE and INTENSITY of the plants and colors are magnificent.
I have no idea what this plant is in the above photo so I took a picture and you can tell me.
In addition there are trees blooming all over Vancouver with tiny white blooms that look like small white orchids. They are huge trees that canopy on many streets. Just awesome.
I must admit, having come from Houston where it is tropical and then come to Vancouver where it is a temperate rainforest - I DO miss trees in San Miguel. At least this many trees. The sizes are staggering.
This IS a beautiful place - especially now when it is warm and sunny.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Adjusting to Life

Life is fascinating, isn't it? I find this "adjusting" thing hilariously funny, most of the time. Flexibility is the key, me thinks.

Anyone who has been single for a long time and then connects with someone will understand what I'm saying. It's incorporating the way someone else does things, versus your time and true method.

This last week has been a time to laugh as two Rams (we're both Aries) have butted heads. Whew. It is a learning experience.

Since I shipped and exported for twenty years, I know the ins and outs of trucking lingo and customs attitudes, etc. Getting three large trunks packed to ship to Mexico has had dynamics I would never have thought of........... It has been a learning experience.

A simple example. Since I used to have 5 or 6 eighteen wheelers showing up at a jobsite for staging for a project, I'm used to staging everything of like manner together. It certainly doesn't have to be that way, but for me it is a systematic way. It hasn't really happened that way in packing these trunks. But, the fascinating part is all three trunks left today, packed and ready to go, in whatever manner was used. It certainly didn't have to be my way.

I'm one who when I have a job to do, nearly kill myself getting it done. I don't stop and rest but just go, go, go until it is all done and then collapse. Not TM. He works a while and then does something else. I like his way.....it's way more restful.

The bottom line is that you are "never too old to learn". Or, "You CAN teach an old dog new tricks". Amazing! We sure have laughed a lot at the silliness of some of this. Most of the time...

Monday, July 13, 2009

RUCO and Finn's Slough

The blog was never intended to be read by so many people. I was astonished the first time someone left a comment. It was Billie of Billieblog. I loved it. But, I knew Billie and she was instrumental in getting me to blog. Imagine my surprise when perfect strangers started leaving comments. Some on a regular basis. What fun! One of the "commenters" on a regular basis has been RUCO. He and Felipe over at Zapata Tales banter back and forth in humor and I love that. His comments on my blog have always been a delight. I knew he had lived in Mexico at some point, but I didn't know he lived in Canada much less in this area. So, when he saw I was in the area of Vancouver, he commented. We connected and Tequila Man and I met him yesterday.

A unique person. On the outside he looks all gruff and macho with his tatoos, bandana, leather jacket and boots. But, there he stood with a single red rose for me that he had grown himself. He was standing next to his Harley. What a contrast. Stevestown was our meeting place. Lunch was laughter and scintillating conversation. (How do you like that big word RUCO, eh?) I absolutely couldn't resist jumping up and hugging him while Tequila Man snapped a photo of us.
When we left the restaurant RUCO gave me his leather jacket to wear as it was cold, to me anyway. What a gentleman.

As we walked around outside after lunch and talked, RUCO mentioned seeing a place called Finn's Slough. It was nearby and TM (short for Tequila Man) took me there. OMG, it was a step back in time to a funky unique living style. It is old houses built on a little creek (that's what I would call it in Texas anyway). It is affected by the tides so while we were there the boats and houses, which are built on stilts were high and dry.

The house above says that it is the school. I suppose there are enough people living there for such a thing.
The history of the place is thus. The Finn family were squatters about one hundred years ago. Then others moved in. It seems, based on a sign with a petition to sign, that the City of Richmond wants to tear all this town to gentrify the area.
Good heavens, does the whole world have to be beige stucco? I hope this unique place can prevail.


An "outsider art" environment right in Finn's Slough. Well, in all actuality, allllll of Finn's Slough is an outsider environment!

There is a walking bridge to cross that is so old the boards flop when you walk on it. I squealed as I carefully walked across it. The catywompous sign below made me laugh.

And there it is in all its wacky splendor, Finn's Slough. The closest thing I've ever seen to any place like this would be Kemah, Bacliff and environs south of Houston on Galveston Bay. Down there we used to see the street dance scenes of characters as I saw yesterday - before it was gentrified and became a tourist attraction.

It certainly was an "unexpected" day that again, exceeded my expectations. Thanks RUCO and TM.






Saturday, July 11, 2009

"Collectors"

Their lives are driven, in some instances, by the thrill of the search. Or, the research and finally the acquisition of the addition to the collection can be the prize.

I know I've been a collector for a long, long time.

It really doesn't matter what is collected. The knowledge of many collectors is staggering. It can be encyclopedic on one subject or scattered to a whole genre - say, Mexican folkart or books or whatever.

Some people collect so many different things that they don't have collections, they have lots of stuff.

Enter my friend in Vancouver. His vast knowledge of Malcolm Lowry, the author of "Under the Volcano" is mesmerizing. He is considered an expert both in his collection and his knowledge.

I find it fascinating the things people focus on and how it came to be.

His collection has been sold. Many days of people boxing and carefully carrying off this lifteime collection has been completed. The book dealer, who was the purchaser, was nearly salivating as he left with all of these treasures.

I asked my friend if he was sad and he said, "No, it has been a delight, but a new life is beginning". Aaah.

No se puede vivir sin amar.

Friday, July 10, 2009

"The Flying Beaver"

Yesterday after spending the morning bubble wrapping "treasures' that will be going to San Miguel, lunch was in order, and we went to a delightfully different place.
It was called the "Flying Beaver". The name made me chuckle for so many reasons.....I can't imagine a beaver flying, but I did see lots and lots of seaplanes taking off. How cool.
Harbor Air flies out of a place next to the restaurant. It was fun to hear how people fly to Victoria and other places fast, rather then drive.

After we finished lunch I asked how much it cost round trip to fly to Victoria - $210 Canadian, yikes! Not cheap. I think we'll drive. I want to see Buchart Gardens, if possible.

It is so beautiful here now that the sun has come out. Warm and not humid - I could imagine I'm in San Miguel as I sun out in the backyard. Lovely.

RUCO has paid the $1.99 Canadian ransom and "The Tequila Man" and I will be meeting him on Sunday for coffee. Coffee seems to be the national drink of Vancouver. I've never seen so many Starbucks in my life. Nor have I ever been anywhere where every store, shop, business has signs in Chinese. Very unique.

I like the idea of being in a wooded area which is also an island surrounded by water. I saw the fishing fleet of boats yesterday and the canneries. Brought back memories of Cannery Row in California. BUT this was not gentrified.

To have lunch where there were boats, water, and planes was the ultimate. All the things that have been part of my life - always..............and now with a man. Yippee aiy o!