Road trip to La Conner, WA

I finally had time to get these posted. It's been a while since I've posted anything.

Heading out of town is one of the greatest ways to recharge rundown batteries.
My friend and I headed for the border crossing on Friday morning of the long Easter weekend. We spent three hours and forty five minutes in line. But that was fine, we had excellent tunes to seat-dance to and enough coffee to keep us going until we got across the line....that was until drivers passing in the lane to our right kept politely pointed out that we had a flat front passenger tire.

rode on the rim for nearly two hours

THAT put a bit of a damper on our ability to pass the time in carefree abandon. But we got into the States, called AAA and met a great tow truck company owner, BJ of  "BJ's Towing" who helped us get to a tire shop - look him up if you're ever needing car help! So we ended up at Border Tire just inside Washington state. Where we just happened to meet other BC travelers getting "damaged" tires repaired too.

Border Tire was busy that Friday!

While waiting our turn, we found out that the day before there'd been a 'spill' on the Canadian side that left nails all over the road. Good clean up job guys! Border Tire probably did some booming business that holiday weekend.

spotted a rack of tires on display while we waited our turn

We spent the night in a cute little Best Western in Mt Vernon where I introduced my traveling buddy to "Sophie-Grace and Rosie". After a complimentary breakfast the next morning, we drove to La Conner.

We had spectacular weather our whole trip. Which seemed to bring every one and their dog out to enjoy it.

one of many pampered pooches paraded down the pavement

La Conner, WA is a gorgeous little 'seaside' town with charming and unique shoppes and restaurants. One store of mention is "The Wood Merchant". You could spend hours in there pouring over the things they carry. I would go back to La Conner for just that store.

a traveling guitar?

a MUST SEE store to believe it's amazing-ness!

this is solid glass, I kid you not - another stunning shop

metal letterpress characters

wooden letter press characters - be still my heart!

I can't say the food on our trip was something to write home about. I prefer how things are 'prepared' here but the locals around us all seemed happy with their meals. I'm kicking myself, but it didn't occur to me even once to take a snapshot any of my meals. Maybe I'll remember the next time we hit the road.


After spending a wonderful day walking up one side and down the other side of La Conner's main street, we took a scenic route home from there, making a couple of shopping stops along the way before we headed into a who-knew-how-long-it-would-be-wait at the border.

In startling contrast to the Friday morning's three hour and forty five minute wait to get into the States - Saturday evening, from start to finish we were back in Canada in twenty eight minutes. Srsly!

still love heading home despite a case of the nerves at the border

Note to self: remember to not travel to the U.S. on Holiday weekends unless you have the good road trip tunes, a Venti latte and healthy tires. :o)

Everthing Old Is New Again

Spent a lovely Sunday last weekend roaming around a couple of Antique Stores out in Fort Langley, BC with a friend of mine who is on the hunt for a couple of decorative side tables for her bedroom. We saw a set that was close but not quite. We rewarded our hunting with a delicious breakfast at Wendel's Book Store & Café. One lovely lady gave me permission to shoot some stuff "out back in the cold storage" - basically their work shop/storage area with little lighting and even less heat (none).

Part of a ship's rigging?

Trees were growing through the back wall of the 'table section

Stacked windows and window frames

Fluorescent tube leaning against a rusting old hurricane lamp

The next time we're both free, I want to drag my friend down to "Antique Alley" in New Westminster (where some scenes of "I Robot" were filmed). There's store after store of antiques all along Front Street. (hopefully I'll be allowed to shoot in some of the stores there too)

A is for Aquarium, Zed is for Zoo

I went to the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park with a photography buddy recently. I was so excited to go. I hadn't really been taking any pictures since my trip to Osoyoos with my 'road trip buddies' back in October. It's now January and I'm once again eager to get my eye up against the back of my camera and see the world through the lens again.

With good intentions, we got up at the crack-of-dark to get out to Stanley Park to try and shoot the sun coming up. Man it's cold down by the water at six o'clock in the morning. But we set up our tripods and 'attempted' to shoot in the dark. All I can say is; I really need more practice with long exposures and using my tripod! Once the sun had come up and we'd taken all the shot's we could, we rewarded our efforts with breakfast at White Spot then we went back to the park to take pictures of the Totem Poles at Brockton point before going into the aquarium.

So, the aquarium - like zoos, I have mentioned it before but I truly have a love/hate relationship with them. I hate to think of all the cages, pens, tanks, displays and scheduled 'performances'. But the draw of these creatures on me is like the draw a flame to the moth (and look how that works for the moth). I cannot resist them. I like to think my visiting pays for better care for these unwilling 'guests', I'm helping feed them, I'm paying the staff to take care of them. (it eases my guilt?)

Maybe we should open up our federal and provincial 'correctional facilities' to tours. The price of admission could fund inmate improvement and rehabilitation programs? I think the government might consider a money making venture like that, don't you?

But I digress and not in a good way.

When I walk through a zoo/game farm/aquarium I stare dumb-struck at the animals I will never get the opportunity to see in their natural environment, yet at the same time I shudder in anthropomorphic sadness for them stuck in these 'exhibits' that all seem so insufficient and bordering on cruel.


But go I must, it seems. And I will go again and again and again. It's a love/hate activity I can't stop myself from doing.


This visit to the aquarium turned out to be, well, a 'zoo'! I have not seen so many strollers and ankle-biters in one place at one time! And I suspect that they were all pumped full of sugar before they got there. Did you know there's a "stroller parking lot" near the Beluga exhibit??? It was like a Wal-mart parking lot at Christmas!!!
As tempted as I am to continue with a rant about the army of tiny tots and their tantrums and the stupid, stupid parents (and doting grandparents) whose collective brain seemed to shut off the moment they entered the aquarium, I won't . . . instead I'll just focus on the memory of seeing a ginormous sea turtle, floating jelly fish, little shiny black monkeys and all the other amazing creatures we are so fortunate to see close up (even though it's in teeny tiny prison tanks).

I know I've gone on about these tourist attractions being cruel, but I want to believe that there's proof we are learning from our past zoo and aquarium 'mistakes'. In 1962 the Hudson's Bay Company presented the Stanley Park Zoo with a pair of orphaned Polar Bears that lived their entire lives in the zoo. Loved by thousands who visited the then thriving Stanley Park Zoo. A zoo that was started with yet another orphan - a baby black bear that was chained to a tree stump 'back in the day' to entertain the curious. I like to think that hings had already improved by the time the Hudson's Bay Company came along with those orphaned Polar Bears. I remember seeing them when I was younger and always wondered why they were so yellow and not snowy white. Was it the result of captivity? The Polar Bear "Pit" was once the main attraction of the now closed "Stanley Park Zoo". It's been closed since 1996 when it's last tenant Tuk died at the ripe old Polar Bear age of 36.  It's ominous now in its emptiness. Just sitting there decaying away. Echoing with memories of Tuk and his 'pit mates'.

But to zoos and aquariums I must continue to go despite the mixed emotions they dredge up within me. I wonder what a Serengeti National Park Safari would do to me? I'd probably weep so loudly in amazement that I'd scare all the migrating antelope into a stampede. I'd sure like to find out!

When we finally dragged ourselves away from the aquarium and back to New Westminster, we strolled around some of the condominiums down on the Quay.
I was startled to find a Koi fish swimming around this one complex that sits in it's own Venice-like waterway. It's very cool! And got a funky surreal shot of it swimming by the reflection of a window.

And in the teeny tiny penned-in dog park (what is it with our obsession with penning in animals in too small places?!?) I ran into my neighbour walking another neighbour's beautiful Golden Lab, Maya.

 It felt so good to be out shooting again. Now where do I go...

T'is the season to be . . . . . .

2011 has been a year worth forgetting in my books. There have been losses on many levels for me this year that I would happily have missed out on, but life goes on, eh?

Not dwell on the sadness and disappointment of the closing year, I'm looking forward to the upcoming 365 days to be filled with warmer and fuzzier memories.


So I would like to wish one and all . . .

. . . and may all your dreams and wishes for the New Year come true.


See you all in 2012.

Beautiful Colours whatever time it is

I love the light this time of year. I love the changing colours. I think nature puts on a stunning display of flaming colours this time of year just to distract us from the nonsense known as Daylight Saving Time. Seriously, is it still necessary? Apparently it is. Clocks have been turned back and like clockwork, traffic accidents have spiked as they do every year at this time. Still need DST? Right...I rest my case. Yes I'm being smug.
But speaking of those colours, there are trees right under my bedroom window that are blindingly stunning right now so I went downstairs this afternoon and took a few pictures of them while their brilliant leaves were still attached.

Post-tourist season road trip to Osoyoos, BC

Our trip started with thick patches of fog that thankfully burned off to be replaced by brilliantly clear blue skies and vibrant fall colours.

leaves blowing across the highway

crow's nest pass - highway 3

We stopped in Hope  - a road-trip tradition - for breakfast. Took shots from the car along the Crow's Nest Pass highway until we pulled into "Mariposa's" produce market looking for Russian Red Garlic. They were sold out but we were sent down the road to "Parson's" where we found the mother load.

walnut beach resort great room

We stayed at the Walnut Beach Resort (posh to us) in a cozy little suite with an fireplace and full kitchen.

beach parasol on resort's private beach

view of resort from boat launch

sunset from resort beach

The next morning, after a little searching and help from the iNFO centre, we found the Osoyoos "Lakeview" Cemetery. (cemetery visits are a trip tradition with us) 

collapsed grave slab

three differently 'preserved' grave slabs

graveyard mushroom

two wives at the same time....

detailed grave slab ornament

After the cemetery, we went off to check out the first Aboriginal owned and operated winery NK'mip Cellars where we all indulged in a delicious wine tasting and bought multiple bottles on our way out the door.

NK'mip (pronounced in-ka-meep) Cellars

We stopped next at a tiny pull-off looking over "Spotted Lake". We stared in awe at this naturally occurring phenomenon just sitting there in the dessert.

look-out over 'spotted lake'

There is a struggle going on right now in the area regarding the fate of Canada's only desert. There were signs everywhere along the highway declaring "NO National Park". After a little hunting on-line, I found what I think might be a balanced article on the issue. What do you think? Preserve this delicate ecological area or let what happens happens to this beautiful area.....? From the Osoyoos Times newspaper

the NO side was very visible we didn't see any YES signs

We stopped in at Mariposa's on the way out of Osoyoos and Keremeos for our going-home apples. One of our party bought 13! separate varieties of apples all grown in the surrounding orchards to sample at home. 

mariposa roadside produce market

We ran across an old pick up in a beautiful golden field with a little white chapel perched on the hill above it.

cattle grates with a pick up and chapel in the distance

After that it was back along the twists and turns of the winding highway home, creeping up the endless inclines and coasting down the other side along rolling golden valleys and tree lined canyons.

winding roads through the dessert

and the mountains heading home

yes, that's snow on that peak. winter's on its way

And now I'm back home enjoying an apple a day marveling at the variety of apples we have right here in our backyard.