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.

Road Tripping Part 2 - Skywatch Friday

Hello friends & fellow bloggers,

Last week I shared some photos of the drive to Kamloops from Vancouver, BC. In this post we continue our journey with a peek at Kamloops from the lookout.  

The lookout provides a very beautiful view but on this day the smoke from wildfires burning to the west, obscured the city below and across the river.

The smoke on most of the return trip was not as bad but I suspect it's worse now.  More fires are burning and there has been a lot of fire destruction in several places to the west and the east of Kamloops.  It's very sad. Firefighters have arrived from Mexico & I think Australia to help our firefighters fight the blazes.

Near the Fraser River at Hope, BC

Near Chilliwack, BC

Farming fields of Chilliwack, BC

Passing through Surrey, BC on the way to Vancouver

 

Approaching the Port Mann Bridge.

I'm always happy to get back home safe and sound. Thank you for stopping by my Skywatch Friday post.

Update:  On Saturday, Premier David Eby declared a state of emergency in the province due to new, very fast moving wild fire situation.

B.C.'s wildfire service warns the conditions are explosive and unlike anything they've ever seen before.(Yahoo News August 8, 2026)

A Beautiful Evening ~ Skywatch Friday

There are just some evenings that are very beautiful and peaceful.  This was the sunset on July 15, 2026. 

I captured these photos as I started on an short evening walk. 

Thank you for joining in with my Skywatch Friday Friday post this week. Have a wonderful weekend.

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.

A Glorious Morning - Skywatch Friday

This was the beautiful sight that greeted me one recent early morning.

Thank you for joining my Skywatch Friday post this week.  Have a wonderful weekend. 

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.