Stunning West Coast Skies

WEST COAST SKIES showcased a stunning sunset this wintry evening, perhaps made slightly more dramatic due to the purplish gray of pollution's haze. Tall dark cedars broke up the orange-reds, deep pinks and mauve-hued horizon over Kwomais Point Park. Specks of pale blue lingered until all colours vanished under the cloak of night.

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Still the kid I used to be

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The Door To Forest Magic At Sandy Trail

There it was ... a bright dollop of sunshine in a tangle of forest greens, browns and silvery grays. The yellow door snuggled against a tree said Fairy Hall and, in tiny faint lettering beneath, No Trolls. Oh, how I'd love to know what goes on inside Fairy Hall. I wanted to tap on the door but, a giant by comparison, I didn't want to cause a scare.

I often take the Sandy Trail with its gravelly path, woodsy stumps, well-trod stairs, rabbits, birds and squirrels. I know every twist and rustling sound. But I hadn't noticed the small door before. This unexpected bit of whimsy magic tucked into the forest floor made me curious about what else was in the mysterious thicket I'd yet to explore. When I continued on my way, the trees leaned in ... as if they had something to say.

Later, I found another fairy door (below), welcoming but only to a select few.

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Still the kid I used to be

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle and Penelope Puddlisms: BC Life Is A Whale Of A Ride to view more West Coast scenes.

Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.

Tsawwassen Mills ... Super Sized Out Of The Box Store

You literally could shop till you drop at Tsawwassen Mills on Canoe Pass Way in Delta, BC. It's a shopper's paradise where the familiar and not so familiar stores, are filled with fashion, food and so much more. This was my first visit there.

The mall sprawls comfortably over 1.2 million square feet, all on one floor, atop what used to be some 1,000 acres of farmland owned by First Nation's Tsawwassen band.

The stores are varied with lots of window gazing opportunities. I found a pair of rain boots I'd been looking for. More than shopping, though, it was the atmosphere that attracted me and the Native/nature inspired art throughout.

There were several entrances ... not as overwhelming as you might think. Artwork at one entryway captured light so beautifully that shimmering shapes changed with every move and angle. My camera failed to convey the magic.

Artists Ken Zawislak and Jeremy Gascho designed the sculpture of two leaping salmon (above), symbolizing local Coast Salish traditions. The bronze assembly symbolizes woven baskets. The over 240 dichroic (meaning two-coloured) glass panels of fantastical reflections represent fish scales.

Inside, elements of wood and whimsy were around every corner and high above.

I saw only a small portion. I might not have appreciated all the shops had I wandered a bit more. There were environmental concerns about building the mall. Local wildlife, no doubt, would have preferred foraging for food at the original farmland/wetlands.

But the beauty of some features such as the seating (above) cannot be denied.

The flooring was magnificent in some places.

To top it off, rows of umbrellas were bouquets on the ceiling in honour of the West Coast climate. If the outside gets dreary this mall offers a great escape indoors.

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Still the kid I used to be

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle and Penelope Puddlisms: BC Life Is A Whale Of A Ride to view more West Coast scenes.

Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.

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Hope Doesn't Blink At St. Paul's Hospital In Vancouver

SAD stories abound as do stars in the sky but a little thing called hope sees us through. More than wishful thinking, a belief in better days lights the way when the path is dim. In future, St. Paul's Hospital on Burrard Street with its bedazzling facade memorializing the lost, sick and those who support them will continue to provide hope and medical help at a new location, although some services might remain at the old. Meanwhile, the acute care facility founded by nuns in 1894 and rebuilt in 1912 still functions and gives colourful inspiration in the dead of night. Keep going and keep glowing the stars seem to say ... especially when things don't go right.

See OUR WORLD to explore more sights from around the globe and SIGNS, SIGNS.

Still the kid I used to be

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle and Penelope Puddlisms: BC Life Is A Whale Of A Ride to view more West Coast scenes.

Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.