LaughBlog: sore butt, happy heart

I took a therapeutic break from reality last weekend by going to Vancouver, BC. Da was heading north to visit old friends in Victoria, so he dropped me off at the good old Buchan Hotel.

Ahhh, the Buchan. It's old stylie, shabby chic...with an emphasis on the shabby. But it's inexpensive, clean, charming in its own way, and best of all has the PERFECT location. It's only a block from one of the greatest places on Earth, Stanley Park, and not much further to English Bay. Down the street is a stretch of eateries that could feed any member of the United Nations with authentic home cooking.

I brought my bike and a good back pack. Since my subconscious caused me to leave my cell phone in the car as Da drove off, I was without a phone or a clock for those two and a half days. Not even in my modest room was there a clock. Serendipity.

I awoke when it seemed right and I didn't rush the morning. I found the perfect spot for tea, done right, as they so faithfully do in Canada.

I biked constantly, stopping whenever something caught my fancy. The small fleece throw I had in my pack served me well for spontaneous lounging on my travels, and I also had a good mix on my ipod. I ate much sushi. And I read a lot. The Blackbelt Librarian. The Art of Possibility (which has my head spinning with yes, you guessed it, possibilities). England, England by Julian Barnes. Still slogging through that; not my fave of his, for sure. I also read a People magazine. Cover to cover. And I'm not ashamed to admit it.

I rode all over Gastown, even the scary parts, and I scoured the Denman--Davie area. Dig this picture of Critical Mass riding straight down Denman. They stretched for miles! I would have joined them if I hadn't recently dismounted and locked up near the library down the street. It was time for sustenance.

And may I just add, thank god for the Joe Fortes Public Library. It was via their kind guest passes and free internet that I was able to make arrangements with Da for my pick up. While I didn't have his number to call (it was in my phone), I knew he always had his pocket PC on him. The one with the wireless internet access wherever he goes. Total tech geek.

Most of all I explored Stanley Park. The big storms last winter did major damage, and a section of the seawall on the northern point is closed. The silver lining was that I took this great detour though the deepest part of the Park's forest. The trails were far more interesting and some were quite adventurous. There's still full on old growth in there, and a whole heapin helpin of earth's beauty! And critters to spare! Here's some visual proof.

This monster cedar had fallen across the trail and someone marked its age, based on the rings. You can see my bike next to it, which should give you some indication of the size of the tree.

Hard to see (click on photos to enlarge) are the blue heron left of center, and the turtles and mallard on a log below center in this picture of

Beaver Lake.

I lost count of how many great blue herons I saw, but here's one on the hunt, while a duck is mid-flight, and in the distance another log of critters.

These curious young raccoons were searching under every rock in the shallows of Lost Lagoon.