Mid-August ~ Skywatch Friday

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I hope today finds you happy and healthy and that the weather you are is treating you right.

Earlier this week I had to run some errands downtown.  As it happens it was near the place where the cruise ships dock when they come to Vancouver. The ships dock within a short walk to downtown Vancouver and the touristy area called Gastown.  Gastown is the original Vancouver and it is still comprised of a lot of old buildings and cobblestone streets.

The next two photos look east to the entry to the Gastown neighbourhood.  Here you'll find lots of tourist shops with souvenirs, restaurants, coffee shops and a residential area.

It was a very busy day with tourists and locals alike walking all along the street.  I overheard some tourists say how much they loved the city. I only hope they don't end up changing their minds.  If they walk a little further beyond Gastown they will enter what is considered to be the poorest postal code (area) in the country.  There you'll also see the saddest sights around with many people battling all sorts of addictions. It really has become such a problem despite governments and all kinds of agencies trying to tackle the myriad of issues over many decades. Anyway, I digress.  This post is really meant to be about the beautiful day I was experiencing.

It really was a beautiful, sunny day.  Though there was a slight chill in the shade earlier in the day, it heated up considerably by the mid afternoon. I had to remove my light cardigan and store it in my bag.

The 'fluffy' white clouds against the pale blue sky evoked a sense of calm and peace.  Everywhere you look the people are smiling and enjoying themselves.  These are very enjoyable times to be out and about in the sunshine.

The ship that is docked is the cruise ship named the Coral Princess.  It's a rather large ship and was apparently custom built to navigate the Panama Canal.  The ship is probably travelling to Alaska though it could also have come up from California.  Have you ever been on a cruise and if not, do you wish to go on a cruise?  I've never been on one myself. Some day I'd love to cruise up to Alaska.

Thank you for taking time out of your day to visit my Skywatch Friday post.  I hope to see you again soon.

A Midweek Colourful Sky ~ Skywatch Friday

Vancouver's English Bay Beach

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I hope you've all had a good week and are looking forward to the weekend. I've had a very busy week of running to and fro.

I took the following photos on Tuesday evening after a busy day and a late night coffee break.

I was in the nick of time to capture the colour in the sky. The moment I finished, the colour disappeared. 

Thank you for stopping by my Skywatch Friday post.  I hope to see you again soon. x

First Friday Post in July ~ Skywatch Friday

The Broadway Subway project is a 5.7 km stretch of subway line being laid along Broadway Street in Vancouver and stretches from Arbutus Street in the west to Main Street in the east.  The project has been going on for years already and is finally set to be finished and open to the ridership in 2027. 

The project encompasses 6 underground stations. The photos below show the current state of construction at the intersection of Broadway and Main Street and what the area looks like in general. Much of the city is a construction zone these days and likely will get worse over time as I've read that we're slated for a significant increase in hotels. Our city is lacking hotels and lodgings for the many visitors we get. I honestly don't know where tourists stay when they come to town given the dearth of accommodations. Hopefully this will be corrected in the not too distant future.

 

Thank you for visiting in my Skywatch Friday post.  

Have a wonderful weekend.

Neighbourhood Eye Candy

I love my neighbourhood. It's a peaceful area and the people are friendly.

There are always lots of pretty things to photograph when out for a walk. 

After my errands I took a walk to a local park and to do some work at the community gardens.

Thanks for stopping by!

Fire in the Sky - Skywatch Friday

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I hope you've all had a wonderful week. If not, the week to come is another opportunity for a turnaround.

I wanted to share the beautiful skies that greeted me early one morning after very heavy rainfall the day before. I'm not usually awake when the sun is rising.  But when I am it's an opportunity to see more colour in the sky than I normally get. Where I am located I don't get to experience the beautiful and colourful sunsets. I have to go further afield if I want to capture them.

 

Thank you for visiting my Skywatch Friday post this week. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Our Town ~ Tuesday 4

Hello!  This is Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 where we ask just 4 questions each week in an effort to get you blogging, thinking and learning about others.

Maybe we can discuss the town  you live in.  It might be nice to find out more about where you live and why you live there. Sometimes we just fall into a place and other times we choose. 

Here's a chance to sing the praises of your town or uncover it's faults.. have at it!

Michelle Byrne painting

1. What are the good points to living in your town? Could you interest us in moving there?

The best part about living here is the scenery and the somewhat mild winter compared to other places in Canada.  It rains a lot over winter but we get a little snow.  The rain helps keep everything nice and green and that is plus. 

There are many places to visit in the area with local sites and towns and villages that are within a short commute.  The city is also very close to the border of Washington State, USA if you wish to travel across the line though Canadians haven't been travelling south much since early 2025.

2.  Are the things you need convenient to your home? (shopping, library, schools, entertainment?)

I chose my neighbourhood because it's convenient to everything. It's reasonably close to downtown if you need to go there. It's close to the train station, city transit services and also convenient to get to the airport. All the necessary amenities are in my neighbourhood like schools, libraries and various community centres. If you want to shop you can find virtually everything you need close by although you have to go further afield to downtown or one of the larger malls if you're looking for a variety in clothing choices.  The neighbourhood also has a variety of churches, public parks, one small movie theatre within walking distance and several more theatres a short commute away.

3.  Did you choose your town or did you just end up there? 

I chose to live here because there aren't too many larger cities in my province and it's really only our larger cities that have everything I want and need.

4.   Is your town known for any special foods, activities, places or people? 

My city is known for having a very diverse array of restaurants featuring foods from all around the world. I notice every few years that the trends in popular restaurants changes. When I first moved to the city it was Italian and Greek foods, then it was health foods (as in Vegetarian), then it was Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Vietnamese & Mexican in that order. More recently there is a newer trend toward Middle Eastern restaurants and a few African restaurants, mainly featuring Kenyan & Ethiopian foods though in some nearby municipalities there is Nigerian food. I love all of it.

The city is also known for its beautiful parks, particularly Queen Elizabeth Park & Stanley Park, whale watching tours, beaches and spectacular mountain views.  If you like to ski in winter or like to go hiking we've got you covered.

My city is not perfect by any means. We have lots of issues with which to contend but it is home and it's where I choose to live. I hope you get a chance to visit if you haven't already. Most people who travel here love it.

Drama in Early June ~ Skywatch Friday

It's that time of the week again where we share what we've been observing in the skies. The clouds were so dramatic last Sunday that I simply had to share them with you. It rained so heavily on and off that day too.  I live in the rainforest region of the country but it seldom rains as heavily as it did that day. 

Thank you for stopping by my Skywatch Friday post.

Moon Through the Clouds ~ Skywatch Friday

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I hope you had a great week. Mine has been busy so I haven't had a chance to do a lot of sky gazing. But I did capture this moon shot through the clouds on my way back from a bit of gardening.

 

Take care and thank. you for stopping by my Skywatch Friday post. Have a wonderful weekend.

The End Has Arrived - Skywatch Friday, March 27, 2026

Hello friends & fellow bloggers,

I hope you are well this Friday and that you have little glimmers of joy to keep you going through these turbulent times.

I'm late with posting today.  I wasn't sure I'd even get to post because I've been ill for awhile. But I'm slowly recovering and the weather is slowly improving in these parts now that the spring season is here. 

I haven't done much this week due to illness but I did get out one day to capture a few photos.

We've come to the end of the month and I'm glad that a new month is around the corner.

Thank you for stopping by my Skywatch Friday post today.

Night Views ~ Skywatch Friday

I like snapping photos of tree branches, bare or with leaves. 🍃  I took these photos on a walk to the local thrift store recently.

I'm very much looking forward to the spring equinox which is on March 20th this year.  It's when I  feel free to say we are in spring season.  Hopefully warmer temperatures arrive too though I can't complain too much about the winter we've had.

Thank you for visiting my Skywatch Friday post. I hope you'll come again soon.