MONDAY WALKIES

For your Monday start. A little walk the dog on a chill Spring morning.

Vancouver, BC.

Make it a great week.

ORCAS ON THE LOOSE

One of dozens of Orca sculptures decorating the Victoria, BC waterfront a few years ago. 

Decorating the downtown area of Victoria with orca sculptures has been a tradition for years. A newer installation has attracted some controversy.

This version dates from roughly 2005.

THE FRIDAY MARTINI

It's Friday. After a long, hard, and very hot week (at least here in Southern California).

Time for a martini.

This week's special is from Quattro at Whistler, in the beautiful Canadian ski resort of Whistler, BC. Nothing like a nice martini after a day on the slopes. No. I don't ski, but I'll take the martini anyway.

(Have a fantastic weekend, and don't forget to check out the sample chapter 

from my book Chasing Martinis.)

BRANDYWINE FALLS PROVINCIAL PARK, BC - CASCADE

This beautiful cascade is the Brandywine Falls in Brandywine Falls Provincial Park, British Columbia. It's a short hike across level ground, and the views are stupendous.

BRITISH COLUMBIA - FOREST FOR THE TREES

Can you tell I'm really, really looking forward to Halloween this year? For me it isn't the evening itself, though that can be a lot of fun. It's the run-up to the night. I love watching the scary films, the marathons of shows like Buffy, The Twilight Zone and Outer Limits.

For me this is a season, not just one night. In the next few days my wife and I will have the annual screening of SLEEPY HOLLOW, which the is official start to our Halloween Season. Yeah, there are already decorations up in the yard, but the movie just seems to be the right jumping-off place for all things that go bump in the night.

Or the forest. Have you ever noticed how many scary things lurk in the forest? There's always something there, just out of view, watching you.

October Country picture of the day: Forest for the Trees.

BRITISH COLUMBIA - RAIL AND RIVER

A CN  engine hauls its goods through the mountains just north of Squamish, British Columbia.

The only "TRUE" coast to coast rail provider in North America, CN is one of the fundamental infrastructure provers in both Canada and for US goods as well.

Plus, I just like trains.

VANCOUVER, BC - TIME FOR A STEAM?

The Gastown district in Vancouver has dozens of restaurants, boutiques and interesting sights for the visitor to Vancouver. The gleaming metropolis' underside, if you will, with statues of "Gassy Jack", back streets like Blood Alley, and this curiosity: a steam-powered clock.

Apologies for the focus on the sign, but it's the only shot I got of the description on the base of this wonderful and whimsical landmark. 

Time for a quick steam before we're off to other adventures?

SQUAMISH, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- SHANNON FALLS

A spectacular "blink and you'll miss it" stopover on the Sea to Sky Highway between Vancouver and Whistler is Shannon Falls. 

It's a tremendous and beautiful waterfall that cascades down hundreds of feet just a short distance from the highway.

Take the five minute walk back into the park and you'll stand, transfixed, at the base of the falls, with a refreshing mist blowing across your face.

VANCOUVER, BC

Double shot today from the outside deck of the Granville Market in Vancouver.

This is why any sane parent doesn't look away while letting a 5 year old drive the baby stroller.

"Mommy, watch!"

Pic of the Day: A Mystic Land

   

I love this photograph of an area of Western Canada just after sunset. The low lying clouds are beginning to drift through verdant valleys and a lush landscape. It's an area called False Creek, lying just between Vancouver and Squamish, BC.

Pic of the Day: Butchart Gardens

One of the most stunning gardens in the world is just north of Victoria, BC on Vancouver Island. 

Butchart Gardens is a huge and gorgeous attraction kept in pristine shape by its gardeners. several pathways cross through a variety of landscapes, each featuring its own motif and approach.

Below is the Sunken Garden which, as you can see, may be viewed from above or via a wandering path through the middle.

Butchart Gardens' website