Animals!

I saw an OWL on the way home tonight! I was so excited! I have never seen one in the wild before! I have seen tame ones many times of course.
It was sitting on a telephone wire over my road. I stopped right underneath it and we studied each other for a long time till I was the one who broke eye-contact.
I think it was a Barn Owl, but I cannot be sure as it was dark.


(No, I did NOT take this picture!!!!!!)
I have seen lots of new animals since I have been in Canada now I think about it. An Eagle, Raccoons, Seals, and now an Owl!
Oh, and we can't forget more Rats than I care to think about! The other night I had two charge me! One swerved just as it reached me, but the other dashed straight between my legs!
*shudders*
I'd like to say that they were more afraid of me than I was of them, but I really don't think that that is true!!!

Bournemouth Singalong

This made me laugh! It is certainly not the best random group event I have seen,(Improv-Everywhere are amazing!) but the fact that it was in Bournemouth was rather cool! It was really nice (and a bit surreal!) to see the Square again and Borders and New Look and The Slug And Lettuce and the Balloon!!
At 4.42 there is a group of Glenmoor Girls which made me smile, and at 5.01 there is a guy who says 'This is mental!' I haven't heard that expression in 9 months!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHj_2t1upNM

Summer Nights

I love these lighter evenings :-)
Walking home tonight I could still see the outlines of the mountains against the sky. Beautiful!
I still can't get over how warm it has stayed. When I step out of work at 10pm it is warmer outside than it is inside!

Summer nights have a special smell all of their own, don't you think? It makes me breath deep and smile. Its the smell of heat, cut grass, cigarettes and suncream! Mind you, if I smell bonfires or bbq's the happiness is tinged with sadness - because I want to be there!!!

Opera

I really wanted to see 'Easy Virtue' yesterday, and the only place that was showing it is a cinema in Kits. So I took the bus and went to see it. It was good, I really enjoyed it. Plus Ben Barnes is nice to look at! Then I walked up to Vainer park and had a look at where Bard On The Beach is being held. I almost decided to stay and watch 'Othello', but I know that there may be some people who would like to come with me, so I restrained myself! I sat by the water and read for a bit in the sunshine instead. :-)

On the way to Kits I had passed the Metro Theatre and saw that tonight was the last night for 'Die Fledermaus'. So I decided to go there on the way home. As I always say, I would rather go see something on my own, than miss out just because no-one will go with me. As it turned out, I wasn’t on my own. As I was waiting in the lobby for it to start, in walked a girl I work with! So I sat with her. Very random! Neither of us had been to an opera before, but as soon as they started playing the overture, I realised that I actually knew some of the songs, but had never realised what they were from. Some I had even heard English versions of so even though they sang in German I knew what was going on.
By the time I left the theatre, my tummy was grumbling, so I went and got MaccyD’s - and missed two buses while I waited! When my bus did come, the driver hopped straight off and disappeared into McDonald's! Hmm!

I like off the cuff days like that. Plus, I really feel like I am starting to get to know my way around here a lot more, which makes me happy! :-)

Visitors

I have had a busy few weeks! Two weeks ago, some friends from home came and stayed with me for two nights before catching a cruise from here to Alaska. It was lovely to have them and to be able to catch up. It also gave me the opportunity to practice with the bus route for the following week, when Mum and Dad came! The first day they were here, we walked around this area for a bit and then they went to sleep very early! The next day we went downtown and did the Big Bus tour of the city. It was a hop on hop off thing, so we got off at Granville Island and Stanley Park, and walked along the sea wall. I got VERY sunburned that day! The next day we went to Lynn Canyon and went on the suspension bridge and walked a LONG trail. Hiking in flip-flops anyone?!
On Monday we drove up to Whistler. It was sooooo hot up there! The whole week was REALLY hot and beautiful. We stopped at Shannon Falls on the way - which was very pretty - and also at various lookout points along the route.
Tuesday we walked along the dyke and walked around Steveston and had ice-creams! That night we went for dinner at a friends house in Tsawwassen and I had salmon for the first time and it was deeee-li-cious!!!
On Wednesday we met Mum's cousin and had a tour of his popcorn factory before going out for lunch. That was cool!
Hmm..... in one week we managed to do just about everything that I have done in nine months! Note to self: Get Out More!!!

Yee-Haw!!!

A couple of weeks ago, I went to a Rodeo. It was another of the things on my 'list' that turned out to be slightly surreal! Like my first hockey game, it felt like something I should be watching in a film, not seeing with my own eyes!
It's a very strange feeling indeed - but not a bad one!
The over-riding (no pun intended!) feeling that I took away with me was - unfortunately - one of dampness!
It. Rained.
We were sitting outside, and me, being me, did not bring a coat. Within minutes I was soaked to the skin, but thankfully there was no wind so I did not get too cold.
In a futile attempt to keep at least one part of ourselves dry, we put things down on the seats before we sat down. I sat on my bag, one of the people I was with sat on his jumper and the other had some very small envelopes in her bag which she laid on the bench. Not quite sure what this says for our sanity!
Anyway, rain aside, I had a good time. There were competitors on bareback horses and saddled horses, as well as on bulls. (I must admit that I expected the bulls to be beefier.)
Plus, there was a kids competition riding sheep! They cried when they fell off. The children, not the sheep. Then there was barrel racing and the horse that won was called Martha! I got elbowed from both sides when they announced her name!

Then we went to the fair!
No, I did NOT go on any rides! Even though I was offered a $60 bribe by my evil companions, and one of the ride operators told me he would pay for me to go on! Nevertheless, I resisted. Actually, I am just a wimp, but hey, someone has to take the photos!
Walking around we had chips and candy floss, and then we went out for dinner. We were all so thoroughly soggy by this time that we were not sure if they would let us sit in the restaurant! But they did. :-)
It was a fun afternoon, but I was very glad to get back into the warm and have a hot shower! So.... that is another 'first' ticked off. Actually,I had another 'first' that night. I went out to the supermarket in my pajamas! I felt like such a chav!!!!! That was NOT on my list, it has got to be said!!!!

Rain

The rain has returned, and yesterday it POURED.
I got caught in it and within minutes I was soaked to the skin. I didn't mind too much though...... I felt like Audrey Hepburn!!! You know, that scene at the end of 'Breakfast At Tiffanys' where she gets out of the taxi and into the rainstorm?

All I needed was a cat and a kiss...!

;-)