Showing posts with label rain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rain. Show all posts

Sunday, December 19, 2021

Gratitude December - Day 19

Hi friends and fellow bloggers,

Today is Day 19 of Gratitude December.

Overnight we had so much rain and I could hear it pounding down for hours.  Overall we've had far more rain since mid-September than we've ever had since weather occurrences have been recorded. It's wreaked havoc around the province.


 

When I took these photos the rain had stopped and the sun had come out. I tried to capture the raindrops on the leaves as evidence of the rain.

 



Today I am thankful that I have a home and shelter from the rain and cold. There are many homeless in the world including in my beautiful city. Though the different levels of government have been strategizing for years about how  to tackle the issue, the solution seems to allude them. I do hope they can find answers because the problem is only getting worse. In a few years I'll have to make some difficult decisions about where I live too. In the meantime, I don't take my home for granted.

In the last several posts, I've mentioned an opportunity to bless villagers in Kenya with a Christmas meal. If you would like to participate and help feed a village family please click the red flower to the right of blog to be connected to Pay Pal.  If you wish to read more about the initiative please click here and scroll to the bottom of the post.  We appreciate your kindness at this challenging time of year.

Thursday, November 4, 2021

First Sky Photos in November

 Happy November!



Things are still busy at my end but I'm also feeling a bit sick and it has been raining a whole lot. Pouring rain in fact.

I'm on some new medications and it is upsetting my stomach and making me feel nauseous now and then. I'm on the lowest possible dosage and trying to adjust to it but it is slow going.  Other than that, the medicine seems to be doing what it is supposed to but doctors want me to work up to taking more as I'm not anywhere near a full dose yet. I would hate to have to stop it taking it. For now I'm not complaining too loudly to the doctor.

I've been busy with multiple appointments and follow ups with insurance people regarding my accident. I guess I'm about half way through this process and I don't have the energy to do much about the follow up just now. It will all get done soon enough if I just put one foot in front of the other.

Given the pouring rain I haven't been able to get out and take photos but there was a slight break in the sky on Thursday so I captured these 3 photos to share (click on each to enlarge).



In other news, I wanted to update about Janet and her girls in Kenya; the separated woman who was chased away from her ancestral (birth family) home by her brother.  We have now managed to assist her with 2 months rent, an inexpensive smart phone, a bit of food money, a simple solar light system, and a bit of funds to stock her new store. Pastor Jonah ordered the phone for her and she was expecting to collect the phone on Wednesday, Kenyan time.  Janet and her eldest daughter are travelling to Nakuru, Kenya on Thursday, Kenyan time where they will visit wholesalers to try to find appropriate stock for the village store. I know her eldest daughter has her own thoughts about what her mother should stock but I am trying, through Pastor Jonah, to get them to buy what is most practical for the majority of potential shoppers. Later when they have started to gain footing they can expand to others things. It's a bit tricky as the eldest girls have minds of their own and they are putting pressure on the mom during her most difficult time. Please keep them in prayer. There are some other developments concerning the brother but I will leave that update for when I have concrete information to share. If anyone would like to donate (Pay Pal link on right side of blog) to Janet and her daughters, they still have many needs: rent, air time, food,transportation, school fees and clothing among them.

Over the next month I've got a lot going on, some of it fun.  I hope to share here as time goes by and if I'm permitted to take photos at events.


Joining in with Skywatch Friday.

Take care.

Sunday, June 14, 2020

Early Morning on the Patio

Hi blogging friends,

I  hope you are all doing well and keeping happy and busy.

We are still getting quite a lot of rain where I live and I haven't been out in the gardens much.  The long term weather forecast is for more rain over the next 2 weeks. It has also been cooler than usual. At the end of this new week we will crack the 20 Celsius mark for only the 2nd or 3rd time since the beginning of Spring.

I'm not complaining as I'm still self isolating despite restrictions being lifted. I will continue to self isolate and keep my eye on the community transmission developments over the next few months. Being indoors means I am slowly getting some old business done though truthfully it is taking me a lot more time than I thought it would. I guess the good news is I always have something constructive to do.

I was out in the patio garden very early one morning and captured these photos. Most of them are of a bush that I don't know the name of but which goes through a multitude of looks over the course of the year. Sometimes there are berries.








The photo below is the only one that is not of my flowering bush. I think it's a Salvia plant but I am not 100% sure as I planted it a few years ago and it never did very well.  This year it seems to be doing better.


My reading list includes this raw and powerfully written memoir of an up and coming Indigenous writer and activist, Helen Knott. Unfortunately her story of gender violence is not that pretty but the good news is she managed to overcome her addictions to drugs and alcohol and begin a new, cleaner life with hope and promise.  The gender violence the author had to endure throughout her lifetime fed into her addictions and the memories kept her addicted.


I'm currently reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. Several years ago I saw a movie based on the book and I enjoyed it. I'm about half way through the book and I don't remember much about whether the movie is true to the book. In any case, I always like to try and read books on which movies are based and the writing is quite enjoyable.

Last, but not least,  I'm reading Shadows Along the Zambezi. It's as masterfully written as Shadows Over an African Heart by Diana M. Hawkins.  Both books bring focussed attention to the issue of elephant poaching in Zimbabwe and all the violence and corruption that goes along with it.


Young elephants having a mud bath at Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage, Nairobi, Kenya


All but one of the books are digital loans from the library which for some reason is still closed to the public.  They don't even do curbside pickups. I'm not sure why they are still closed while most places are now open with new policies in place to stem the transmission of Covid 19.  Some time back I purchased a digital copy of the book on elephant poaching and am reading it on my Kobo device, Canada's version of  Kindle).  I'll be so glad once the library is open again so I can borrow paper books. In the meantime, I'm grateful for the digital option.

A short update on the Kenyan missions.

  • A variety of crops were planted for one large, extended family.  Once the harvest is ready there will be corn, cabbage, carrots and a variety of vegetables for 3 or 4 households to eat.
  • Elder Eunice is still in hospital. Though it was about 8 months ago that doctors said she would be ready to go home in a month or two that never happened. She is still in hospital and is more or less stable. We have no information as to the prognosis. 
  • Alvin, the young engineer graduate was hoping to come to Canada and continue his studies.  Sadly he was not accepted and we have given up on the idea.  It is very expensive process to prepare the application packages and has lead to a "no" decision two years in a row. It is very disappointing.  Alvin is a very intelligent and studious person and he would have done well here but getting accepted to a Canadian university (easier to get acceptance and scholarship if one is freshly out of high school)is difficult for people from poor countries and is more so the case when money is not part of the family assets.
  • Pastor Jonah has had a very difficult experience of late with one of his molars. He needed a root canal and the hospital where they did it did not do a good job at all. It was becoming septic. Fortunately he managed to get the tooth redone at a private dentist office and after a week is now very much on the mend. 
  • Others continue to receive food and medical helps when we have funds to assist them.
  • I thank those of you who continue to pray for the missions and/or lend financial support. May God richly bless each and every one of you.

That's all for now friends. I hope you all have a wonderful week. Please continue to stay safe. xx

Friday, March 27, 2020

Solo Hummingbird

I  happened to look out the window when a little hummingbird was hovering above a bush on my property. It stayed for a short while and I was able to get a few photos though not close ups.  I didn't have time to properly focus, zoom or steady my phone before the little bird flew off.

One day I hope to put out the hummingbird feeder and maybe more hummingbirds will visit.


As you can see the sky is grey and we've had rain. 
I just looked at the weather forecast and we're supposed have rain for the entire week.
It kills my hope of getting photos of the spring tree blossoms in sunshine-y weather.
I guess I can make do with the photos I've taken in other years. 

Joining in with Skywatch Friday.

Keep safe.
♥♥♥

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

A Few Seasonal Images


The tree this year is much narrower and a bit shorter so it can be squeezed into small spaces.


I made these two winter scenes in jars but it's hard to keep the stickers stuck to the sides.

 


 

 
 




Today in Vancouver we were supposed to have record rainfall of between 40-60 centimeters. I stayed indoors and watched television and internet news to learn about street flooding in various parts of the Greater Vancouver area.
These photos were taken from the safety of my balcony.



 Joining in a bit late with




Sunday, October 8, 2017

For A Rainy Day

We've been having beautiful sunny days all week, even yesterday when it was supposed to rain.


During the week I'd read in neighborhood paper that a long-time family umbrella business was going to close by the end of year. They have been in business for over 80 years!  I've known about this business every since I moved to Vancouver but I've never actually purchased an umbrella there.
When I read the story though I decided it was now or never.


I made a point of stopping by the location closest to my home and was disappointed to learn that it was closed. I looked through the windows. It doesn't look like there is much in the way of selection and this particular location will only be upon until Wednesday.


I guess I'm going to have to try and get downtown to it's last open location. Hopefully I'll be able to do that. These days I don't really carry an umbrella but if they have one or tow I like I will purchase them as they are likely to last me a lifetime.

(The next three photos are indicative of our rainy season. These scenes were taken on Vancouver Island at Yellow Point Lodge).





I will also look for a good rain hat though I'm not sure they carry them. I always find it sad to see the end of an era and the closing of family businesses but I certainly understand it.

This is Thanksgiving weekend in Canada. We are having ham at my house this year rather than the traditional turkey. We will have turkey and usual trimmings at Christmas.


Fall colours on young maple trees

  I take this time to wish you and yours a wonderful and Happy Thanksgiving. 


 


Tuesday, April 28, 2015

My World

We're still having very unsettled weather where I live.  

On Friday it hailed and rained heavily for much of the day and the temperature dipped low enough to turn on the indoor heating for the night.


I tried to capture the hail in the photos above and below.


The rain makes puddles on the patio pavers. You can see how big the drops are by looking at the circles in the puddle.


In between raining and hailing, it would dry up for an hour or two and start all over again.


Monday the weather was a bit better and I tried to get a few photos of the garden.



I love this Solomon's Seal (photos above and below). It comes up nicely every year and needs no maintenance.

I just bought these pansies last week and I am only now noticing the spots on the leaves. I will have to check into how to remedy that. I don't think I've ever had that on any of my previous pansies. I didn't select the healthiest starter pansies.


When it stops raining the weather is quite lovely.



 I hope you are enjoying the weather wherever you are in the world.

Thank you for dropping by!

Joining in with Our World Tuesday.


Our World Tuesday Graphic




Wednesday, October 22, 2014

A Stormy Night

Hi friends,

We are well into Fall weather here.

It has either been pouring rain all week or at least very cloudy.


I always love to photograph outside my doors as the scene is ever changing even when the sky is very cloudy.


You can see we have a variety of trees, some with leave intact and in colour, others with most of the leaves gone and still others that will keep their leaves all winter.


This green and red leafed tree is a dogwood tree that sits in the corner of my garden.  The dogwood flower is the official floral emblem my province. My tree is rather young yet but in Spring I like to see it's white flowers.


This is what the dogwood flower looks like.

Photo credit:  Wikimedia Commons



In the wee hours of the morning before I called it a night I heard a sound like glass being tapped. I ignored it at first but I kept hearing the sound.  I then turned out all the lights to peer outside my patio doors and found that my patio umbrella had broken off. The screws somehow came loose during the storm and were hitting the glass table top. I went out and brought the screws inside and laid the umbrella on the patio so it wouldn't fly through the air and damage anything. I waited until daylight to take the photo.

Right now there is no rain but it will probably be back soon.

UPDATE:  In retrospect, the storm and the falling over of my umbrella seems very symbolic.  For today (Wednesday) there was a shooting attack in Canada's Parliament Buildings after a soldier guarding the National War Memorial was shot (and sadly, later died). My thoughts and prayers are with all those who lead and/or guard our country., and particularly those that lost their loved one Corporal Nathan Cirillo.  Corporal Cirillo is the second military man in Canada to be killed this week. As the night falls here, many children in Parliament area schools and day cares and many staff and politicians on the Hill and in surround areas are in lock down while police continue to investigate and try to assure it is safe for them to leave.

It Was a Spectacular Day! ~ Skywatch

Hello friends and fellow bloggers, It was a spectacular, sunny day where I live. It's still rather chilly from my point of view but the ...