A couple of weeks ago, the cherry blossoms started blooming and I decided today that I’d better get some shots before they fade away. Even though during the Olympics the weather was balmy and warm, it’s been cold and frosty in the mornings. We rarely get frost, so it’s pretty weird to see the front yard all frosty on my way to work. I noticed some of the blossoms aren’t too happy with such chilly temperatures, but these ones by the water are full and bright. They are at the bottom of Granville Street on the waterfront close to the Vancouver Convention Centre.

More flowery photos below…

It was very quiet in this area after work. There weren’t too many people around at all. I don’t think this is going to be the case in the next few days. It’s Paralympics time starting on Friday! And tomorrow will start the 24 hour torch relay around the city. I’m going to stay late after work tomorrow to see if I can snap a shot of LUUUUUUongo carrying the torch to a community cauldron at Robson Square. The fun times are back!

Not only are they back, but due to reasonably priced event tickets, Mike and I are going to the Opening Ceremonies this Friday night and then on Sunday we’re going to a Sledge Hockey Game – Norway vs. Italy. In more good news – all the Canadian Sledge Hockey games are sold out! They have been for a week. I think that’s a good sign for this event. Let the games begin!

I ran into my buddy, Cathy (Yup. I know 3 Cathies) coming out of her office in The Province Building. She’s into the quarter exchange along with a few of us at the office and informed me she did get a Sledge Hockey quarter today. I think it just came out today from the Mint, so it’s a must-have for the quarter collection.

I was very excited about getting this pin. I first heard about these pins from someone (who shall remain nameless, as requested) who knows someone who received one as a form of a thank you. And that person passed it on to me. Pins are just falling in my lap for some reason. They seem to be finding me. I didn’t think they’d be of interest to me after the Olympics, but I could not be more wrong. This is a cool one. This pin is a photo of a neon sign for an old dive bar in Vancouver – located in the Downtown East Side = skid road = a part of town with “character” or “history” or “rummies”. It looks like the sign was installed for the bar in 1953 and stayed up until the bar shut down in 1987. I think the sign now lives in the Museum of Vancouver. I should go over there and see it. Actually, I definitely have to get over there. They are having a display about Handmade Nation over there. I gotta get to that.

But back to the Smiling Buddha – the history of that place is pretty excellent. I am very sad I missed the experience, but I didn’t get to Vancouver until 1991. Some of my friends, however, who resided in Vancouver during this time filled me in on the place. Here are some of their stories about this seedy bar:

- There were go-go dancers in cages at that bar -Cathy Mechanic

- Alcohol wasn’t served, but people brought their own, and the establishment put tablecloths on the table so you could hide your bottles under the table. – Uh. Should I put the person’s name who divulged that? Maybe not.

- Now there was a dodgy place – Suzanne C.

- I know someone who was so drunk, she fell out of her car in front of that place, casually got up and asked the bouncer who witnessed the whole thing if he’d light her cigarette. – I think that person should remain nameless as well.

But the best comment left on my facebook profile about this raunchy place? It’s this one from Fiona:

Ha ha, I got spit on by Joey Shithead in that place. No lie. That was the end of my punk rock days – no random bodily fluids, ewwww!

What a glorious place the Smiling Buddha Cabaret was! I’m so sad I missed it.

If you’re interested in some other interesting facts about this place, there’s some info in this article. And if you’d like to be a fan of the Cabaret on Facebook like I am, you can do that right here.

The way to his heart? Bacon. I was cooking up some bacon for dinner tonight, and looked up, and there’s Donner at the doorway to the kitchen, sniffing the air. This is amazing because this morning we found him all tightly tucked into a little ball in between the couch and the wall. But we knew he was okay because we heard Donner and Oscar tearing around the house off and on all night long. It’s just us that makes him nervous now. But not when we have bacon. While he won’t take treats out of our hands, he was happy to eat a couple of tiny pieces of bacon off the floor while I stood over him and watched. Even Mike shared his bacon with him. That is quite a feat. Mike doesn’t share his bacon with many individuals, that’s for sure.

After his bacon snack – which Oscar could totally care less about – Donner and Oscar lounged casually under the dining room table together. D’OH! I’m sure I’m going to see them snuggle each other very soon. And then I will melt from all the cuteness.

Speaking of dinner, we watched Julie & Julia tonight. I completely loved this movie! In fact, I think it was better than Best Picture of the Year, Hurt Locker. We watched that on Saturday night. I didn’t get it. I don’t understand how or why it won the awards it did. In fact, I didn’t understand much of the Oscars last night – the only exception being Christoph Waltz winning for Inglorious Basterds. He was awesome.

I’m not sure if this information officially makes me an old lady or not. I sure don’t feel like an old lady, so that must count for something. Now can I say I’m not a cat lady? Uh. Nope. So much for me just being dog person. I like kitties now just as much as dogs.

I also want to point out that I am going to get 1 photo of Donner completely in focus in the very near future. But under the circumstances, I’m pleased to get just one paw in focus. He’s a speedy little guy and I’d be surprised if he weighed more than 6 pounds. He’s Skinny Minnie Miller alright. But he does have long legs and I think he may grow a bit taller than Oscar. But for now, Oscar is showing him the ropes and I hope he gets more and more confident each day. He made quite the leap this evening. I guess I’d better stock up on the bacon.

Oh happy day! We got up this morning to find evidence that Donner had left his little carrier, but he always stays in his carrier when we come to check on him. This afternoon we picked up some Feliway – a kitty pheromone miracle cure – that’s supposed to help ease the transition for a kitty to a new home. Wouldn’t you know 20 minutes after we sprayed this stuff in his room (my office!) this happened:

Oscar is up on the desk, and the little fella on the floor looking up is Donner.

That was quick! And kind of accidental. I forgot to shut the door all the way when I was visiting the little guy and Oscar came in. Then Donner scooted right out of his carrier to be with him. They hung out for a bit…

I’m just following Oscar’s lead at this point. He’s been going in there for short visits – they hang out, then Oscar leaves him alone again. Since he seems to know what he’s doing, I’ll just do what he does. Besides, Donner just runs into his carrier at the very sight and sound of Mike or I. It seems this whole introduction thing involves some patience. I just want to pull Donner out, tell him to be fun! We like you! Want to party? Let’s dance! I guess I am NOT the cat whisperer. Thank goodness Mike, Oscar and you are all here for guidance.

Here’s Donner in his usual spot:

And here he is meditating. I’m pretty sure that’s what he’s doing:

Donner’s meow sounds like a bird chirping. He’s been making weird little chattery noises with Oscar. And now they are running around in Mike’s office. I think it’s going well.

“You don’t go to a whorehouse for a kiss.” You also don’t go to the kitty shelter to “look” at the orphaned cats. So, I would like to present Donner, the newest member of the Browne clan.

Donner is a lovely black kitty. He’s about a year old and has been living in the shelter since September of last year. He was very relaxed when we visited and friendly with the staff and other kitties. Apparently he was found with some brothers and sisters way up in 100 Mile House was considered feral at the time, but was sent to the Alouette Correctional Centre for Women for socialization. I found this out when I asked why the words, “Prison Cat” were on his file. EEP! I was relieved to find out he didn’t do anything illegal, he was just part of their pet therapy program. Phew.

He’s at our house now, but he’s very scared. He’s no Moosh and he’s no Oscar, that’s for sure. Both of our other pets just waltzed in and made themselves at home. Poor Donner. He’s making himself as little as possible and squeezing into any corner he can find in my office.

We’re following the instructions on cat introductions on this page.

It says it could take up to a week for him to warm up to us and start interacting with Oscar – which means they’ll be touching paws under the door. And speaking of Oscar, this is the whole reason why we got him a little brother. Ever since Liza moved out with her kitties, he’s been yeowling and meowing and hanging out by the connecting door. There was a week lag between tenants, and Oscar was just meowing and wailing until our newest neighbour moved in. Thankfully she has two kitties, so Oscar has buddies to touch paws with, but won’t stop meowing and meowing – especially at night. Our solution? Get a brother. I sure hope this works. I’m feeling optimistic for sure. Donner was very friendly in the environment he was comfortable in. I’m hoping he’ll fell comfy here and look forward to being buddies with Oscar.

Oscar is very curious and has met Donner for a few minutes already. He was very gentle and moved around Donner slowly.

Frequently Asked Question:

What? Are you crazy? Another kitty? Don’t you remember what happened in November with Oscar?

Well, we’ve now got pet insurance for Oscar and will get it for Donner, too. So their monthly maintenance costs will be very reasonable. And then we’re covered in the event of any other misadventures. We’ve learned from that last one. That’s for sure.

I sure hope Donner gets comfortable and then I can take photos of them all snuggled up and being buddies. Oscar is very game for this…he’s hanging out by the door, patiently waiting for that tiny paw to come under the door. And he’s much friendlier with us today, too.

Today on the twitter I was intrigued with a tweet that announced there was some type of owl hanging out across the street from the Vancouver Public Library. An owl in the city? That’s crazy. I thought they were all shy and only lived in barns, hooted at midnight and were not for sale as pets after the Harry Potter movies came out.

I had to find out more. So I did a search and found photos other people took of him.

I decided that I needed to see the owl and headed over to Homer and Georgia to see if I could find him.

Did I find him? No. Not yet. But I did find this:

I guess it’s to send a very big envelope someplace. Do you see the lamp post in the back there? Yes! It was really that big.

According to those photos above, the owl is a Barred Owl and it looks like they can adapt to the city life. And if it’s rodents they’re after, this guy has hit a gold mine. It was just down the street where that rat ran across my foot while I waited for the bus. Ew. Where was he that day? I sure could have used him.

I’ll be listening out for his call, because I’ll keep going back there (across the street from the post office) until I see him. According to this Wikipedia entry,

The most common mnemonic device for remembering the call is “Who cooks for you, who cooks for you all.

Got it. Not a hooty owl.

I consoled my lack of owl viewage by taking a photo of this bird instead. I figured he was one step above a seagull.

Not seeing the bird of prey didn’t discourage me too much. It reminded me of a conversation my dad had with Mr. Swift after a day on safari in Africa. Please note: my dad does NOT like snakes. In fact, I think he may be an ophidiophobic.

My dad: Well, that was great. We didn’t see a single snake today.

Mr. Swift: Yes. That’s true. But how many snakes saw you today, Rod?

My dad: GULP.

Perhaps the owl saw me.

It could happen. And I’m going back tomorrow to see if he’s back. It said on one of the photos the owl is there regularly.

Rather than wandering around aimlessly wondering what I’m going to cover next on my blog now that the Olympics are over – which, to be honest, I have been doing – I realized it’s nearly time to get going in the garden. Thank goodness! Another project to work on! Last year my garden was a complete bust. I somehow managed to grow zucchini vines but no zucchini plants. Crazy. And since I’m being honest about stuff, I started avoiding the front yard altogether due to the neighbours in the house with the crappy backyard. Since their house was so tiny, they spent the majority of the summer out in their front yard, which then led to them asking me questions about every plant in their yard and what to do with them. Pretty soon I just didn’t want to be out there. Who could possibly want to? Hanging out with my dumb old zucchini vines and answering questions about why the hydrangea plant in their yard had died. Which it hadn’t, by the way. It was just a dead flower. The plant was perfectly fine.

But it’s a new day and, in a surprise move, the owners of the tiny house with the garbage backyard (including a spare toilet) have finally mowed down the house, the sheds AND THE FENCE! Yay pudding! I am so happy to have to listen to construction noise for the next 7 or 8 months as they build the new house. And I’m pretty sure the construction workers will NOT be asking me about the rose bush. And if it’s dead. And if I could please come take a look at it.

So, today I went to do some research on white gardens and zen gardening for the front yard at the library. I’m just getting started on this mission, so I’m not sure what I’m going to do, but it will involve white, silver and dark green foliage and flowers. And circles. Somehow. I’m not sure yet. I’ll try to design something. I’m going to grow white pumpkins, and birdhouse gourds out front, too. Out back I think I’m just going to grow some wild flowers and some more little pumpkins. It will be more colorful back there.

So that’s it. And for photos today, I have a few film photos I took last week with my banana cam. That camera takes great shots and the sunnier the day, the better the photos.

Hey guys! Cynthia, Robyn, Scout [links below!] and myself did another set of free calendars for the month of March. Feel free to click on the image you like, download the big size and make it your desktop wallpaper.

Here’s mine:

Cynthia’s:

Scout’s:

Robyn’s:

Enjoy! And much thanks to Cynthia for adding the calendars. I just take the photo, send it to Cynthia, and then get 4 calendars back. It’s awesome.

The day after. The day after the biggest party I’m pretty sure this city has ever seen. What was it like today? Well, quiet for one thing.

I saw a lot of this:

We’re very close to the Canada Line Skytrain Station, so people were heading over with their suitcases to catch their flights home.

Up the street I found some stragglers from Finland…

And back near my office, I knew exactly how this man felt:

I knew I’d miss that big huge line up this morning. When I was able to see the front door in it’s entirety, unblocked, without a line up, I’m pretty sure I felt a lump in my throat.

And the sign says, “The Canadian Royal Mint is Closed. It will re-locate to a different building for the Paralympic Games. Location is unknown at this time. Check mint.ca for updates.” Yay! It’s not over!

After a tough day at the office without a single quarter or loonie exchanged, I hopped on the Skytrain to meet Mike and was reminded again it’s just another regular day:

Get out of the way! People are going home. They are actually leaving town.

I heaved a huge big sigh, but on the train-ride between Stadium Station and ScienceWorld, I was reminded that…

I love that sign.

And it’s true. In 11 days, we’ll be celebrating the Paralympic Games. The Mint will be back somewhere, and the Zipline is still up until mid-March or so. So I just need to remember to wear pants later this week so I can ride it.

Hi! I’m back. I took yesterday off because, well, I was pooped. And we were out late last night taking photos of the Vectorial Light Display in English Bay. I had a great idea, and that was to take photos of the lights from the West Vancouver side. We drove over to Ambleside Beach and could not see the light display at all. That’s because Stanley Park was totally in the way. Good thing I’m not a geography major.

So, we went to Stanley Park to get some photos of those darn lights. The tide was far out last night. I also discovered a heron walking in my photos once I got home. Here’s what this light installation looked like from 10:22 to 10:38 pm on the Sea Wall right near the Second Beach Pool.

Would you like to see a few more shots? Great. Because I have some for you right here.

The Vectorial light display is part of the Cultural Olympiad and it runs from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am every night of the Olympics. The coolest part of this art display is that it is interactive. Anyone can send in their proposed combination of the lights (just click “participate” on that link) and you can submit the lights the way you want them to be displayed.

Once they’ve used your suggestion, they email you a photo of your pattern – they’ve got 4 cameras and they send you a photo of your creation. Cool? Cool!

Once we got to the spot in the park last night, the lights seemed to stop moving for a few minutes. So, Mike got out his space phone, got on to twitter and tweeted the following message:

Can someone change the funky vectoral light display? Trying to take photos and it looks crappy. #tnmh #van2010

Chris quickly tweeted back:

@mikebrowne You know, your tweet just now really drove home how AMAZING technology is. #tnmh #van2010

**Just in case you’re not a twitter person, those “#” + letters just make it easier to search for conversations within twitter.**

We like to think a bunch of people saw Mike’s tweet and thought, “Oh wow! We’d better help the Brownes get some good shots!” and then quickly start putting in creations for our benefit. I know, I know. SNORT!

The light display DID seem to get more exciting, though. And we snapped, snapped, snapped away.

Tonight is the last night they will be running, so I’m so glad we decided to change out of our pajamas last night after Finland beat Slovakia (SAD) and hopped in the car to get these shots.

Unable to stop taking photos (because the lights of the city reminded me of shiny gold) I took over 50 shots, but I’ve only posted 20 – just in case you’d like to see more streams of lights.

Now on to tonight…it’s THE BIG GAME and then the closing ceremonies. And then a break until March 12th. That’s when the Paralympic Games begin. I’m eager to see some Sledge Hockey. I think we may even take in an event or two.