mum left still chilly and grey nova scotia - her first flight in over 30 years
and entered lotusland for the first time...-
to be honest..i havent seen any lotus...but the lilacs are swell.
and dogwood
especially them crazy monkey puzzle trees
mum was quite taken with the camus
fields of it everywhere
local gardens like abkazi were out in technicolor
she was just in time to catch the last of the blossoms...
at their best in our wee chinatown
we passed on the museum and titanic
- mum is from nova scotia after all
so she has "had it up the wazzooo with the titanic"
so we did the tour of downtown instead
watched the seal get fed at fishermans wharf
and then home to our wee house
and our backyard that has been waiting
for her to come and make the most of it
reid and mum worked hard on making
a movable square foot garden
she planted our food for the summer...8 raised 2x2 beds
two weeks later its already kickin butt...i mean LUSH!
pic coming soon...
she cleans up nice...
so we took her to visit our good pals on beach drive...
where eagles dare
hang on to your doggies...
killer view...
and great gardening mags...
and then more touring around...
mmmmmagnolia
the sheer size of things around here...
holly trees...
rosemary anyone?
we stopped by the old castle up the road...
more monster rosemary...
then off to the butterfly conservatory
you think this butterfly is cool?
check this one out...it was huge!
regarding said huge butterfly (er...moth) above
orchid fest
pretty in pink - attracts all the right creatures
cant hit the west coast with out scoring some fish and chips...
and hangin with the cormorants
visiting one of our many fab beaches...
this trip was sombrio beach...
mum put her feet in the pacific
you can watch the man-seals all day...
or just pick your nose....
hike the trails
hugging the honkin trees
etc...
significant storm damage everywhere lately...
huge skunk cabbage there
we also visited royal roads university grounds
with andre and kelly
...
copper beech - amazing
ewe went into the greenhouse...
not at all sure we were allowed, but andre said it was okay..sooooo...
artichokes and everything...
and last but not least - the mecca of garden-grannies...
butchart gardensc
every bit as spectacular as promised
hard to explain the scale of things there...
blue poppies even...
and then there was the gelato incedent...
where we started laughing for some unknown reason...
we completely lost it...
i was cruel enough to take pix...
must have been all that sugar...
even the garbage cans were purdy...
trees and flowers i didnt recognize...
spectacular...
not that our hood is any slouch...
baby donkey's first day of life
we have a heronry...
(until that bald eagle birdzilla came along - google it)
the beach at the end of our street is pretty cool too...
we picniced and watched the sun set..it gets windy tho
at this point we get a special visitor...reid's dad!!!
aka gil/pappy.
twas his 59th bday
pappy and son....sigh ...
it was the first time mum and pappy had met...
it went rather well indeed
he made mum this cute wood thingy...
he hadnt been to the west coast before either
needless to say...
we went to dinner at the queen mum
the food was marvelous as always...
same goes for the company...
mum finally got to meet my good pal kelly...
who everybody thinks is my sister
for all we know.....
she kinda looks more like mum than i do
come to think of it...
pappy is sad that me and mum are leaving the next day...
he just doesnt look it
the next day mum and i took off for the final leg of her journey
ferry to vancouver...
we stayed at the sylvia hotel...
swell joint fer suuure....wonderfully located...
right on the beach...at english bay
close to the vancouver aquarium
the aquarium is always worth the price of admission
the dolphin exhibit was closed...but there is always the belugas
giant clam...
real croc...
pink ibis...
we walked the sea wall...
where it wasnt closed from the storming at least...
stanley park is my fave place in vancouver...
two words - honkin trees
honkin old trees
mum was keen on the dedicated benches...
guess we know what to get her for her..um...nevermind...
salmon berries
this racoon was keen on someone's salami sandwich
then on through vancouvers seedy east side
to the classical chinese garden
bonzai!
beauty silk flowers...
back in the day - each family member in a household like this
would have their own courtyard...how swank.
all the windows were unique...
nice chinatown
where its crow eats crow
nice mountains...
our last night we went for sushi
and then sat on a bench and drank wine while the sun set
the cops came by on their bikes
'how's the apple juice ladies?'...
just dandy thanks!
it was the best of times..
missing her bigtime already...
back on the island...me and the boys went to visit
reid's great uncle howie and aunt vi.
and consequentially pappy's uncle
and then we went to tofino for some camping
-this is were pappy dropped the camera in the sand
i left the charger for miine back at the sylvia hotel
so this is were the photos end...
camping in qualicum beach on little qualicum river
we went to a surprise bday party for aunite vi...then drove home to pack
a short sappy goodbye at the airport, and then he was gone....
we miss him too...
but what a great way to start the summer...
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