A Special Plank At The Rebuilt White Rock Pier

Saturday's official ribbon cutting and opening was ahead of schedule nine months after last year's storm that I wrote about HERE.

There is more work to do and millions of dollars more to spend to finish the job but pedestrians are glad to access the historic pier that's been through a lot and is adored by the community. For many an early morning stroll over the watery shore is a ritual that was sorely missed.

Although reconstructed, you can see where part of the pier (below) had split by the span where there are no arches with lantern-style lighting.

The City of White Rock, with its iconic boulder namesake, welcomed the patter of feet back on its pier as it had done for over a century. Along the way, the seaside city was delighted to learn the pier was likely the longest of its kind in Canada at 470 meters.

There were speeches made and, due to enormous support, many organizations and people to thank. Government and fundraisers of all sorts sped up rebuilding. Some donor concrete-reinforced planks were priced at $1,000 a piece.

Dignitaries and princesses were in attendance. While some listened intently, others played on the nearby rock.

The painted white 486-ton chunk of granite on the beach is a magnet for mini mountain climbers causing some to fear that the human traffic will eventually diminish its size. This glacial erratic inspired a romantic legend you can read about HERE.

Neither boulder nor beach can be reached by land without crossing the increasingly busy railway track that was uncharacteristically silent during the event. It's the same line that so often blocks access to nearby Crescent Beach.

Suddenly a mournful sound wailed.

Crowds followed the bagpiper to the pier.

The ribbon was cut and people flowed in.

I was glad to see new fire extinguishers were part of the repair.

Houses on the hill and apartments hovered over the scene upon return to shore.

There were games to play on the lawns by the beach.

Talented musicians added their festive flair.

A lone boat bobbed in the bay seemingly unmoved by events and a starfish clung to its watery realm below, oblivious to the activities above yet impacted by them.

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Still the kid I used to be

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The Unburdening Of The World & Unraveling Of Summer

Autumn is the season of lightening the load and letting go. It's the time of year that makes my heart sing.

There is music in the crunchy leaves beneath my feet and there are vistas that open up when branches are bare. I don't like the raking but I do love the loosening and scattering of nature's debris, the deepening of browns, burgundy, reds, yellows and orange. Summer unraveling is a magic carpet of earthy hues.

The new season officially starts on the 23rd and there's still plenty of green at Sandy Trail where a mystery person placed bird houses and framed art by the path. Over the months, I have seen fairy doors, artsy shells and light seeping through the trees as if setting the stage for some grand mythical tale.

Light and shadow, art and artifacts are treasures I found as fall crept over the trail.

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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.

The World Is A Masterpiece We Get To Brush Through

"Sometimes we all feel like we're just one more person here on Earth -- Why does anything matter? Why do any of us bother going on?'' asked Doug Coupland who memorialized Terry Fox in 2011. "But the fact is that we do go on and all of us matter, and maybe if we follow the example of choosing the more difficult choice, our lives might take on meaning greater than we might ever have dared to hope.''

These words from the artist who sculpted the four bronze figures representing stages of Terry Fox's life have a ring of truth but it's the actions of the young Canadian hero under dire circumstances that made him an inspiration.

Terry died in 1981 at the age of 22 from a disease he stubbornly battled. His likenesses stand in downtown Vancouver where I took the pictures. He had a quick brush through life but he made the most of his years, running 3339 miles to raise funds for cancer research. His artificial leg caused him significant pain as he literally ran for his life and a healthier future for others.

Later at Crescent Beach (below), running for a cure in Terry's name continues. The mercurial variations of cancer and connections to lifestyle make it a difficult disease to beat. Sometimes it seems there has been little progress made but that doesn't mean we should quit trying. Decades of research resulted in an innovative approach full of promise utilizing a patient’s own immune system. You can read about it HERE.

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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.

The World Is A Masterpiece Framed By Our Views

"Nature is the source of all true knowledge. She has her own logic, her own laws, she has no effect without cause nor invention without necessity." - Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo knew that nature will do what it can to survive. Our part now is to take the words on a painted sign to heart and show unconditional love for the planet by letting go of some harmful human habits.

We've been careless but that doesn't mean we don't care. Does any creature, other than human, gaze at a starry night sky and ponder the mysteries of its place in the cosmos? What other creature mimics and marvels at nature's artwork all around us?

I expected showers would soon fall on the blossoming rose on the patio. Continuing my journey, I saw pearls cling to a web from earlier drops.

With the Amazon forest burning and catastrophic storms swirling, it seemed more moronic than ironic at this critical hour for some leaders to continue to deny that certain human activities play a significant role in enraging Mother Nature.

I brushed past a lush jungle of wildflowers thinking the fragile ozone layer, floating 6 to 10 miles above Earth, was similar to a contact lens gone past its expiration date ... thinning as stealthfully as the grass growing under our feet when no one is looking.

From my perch, it was time to give back and nurture Mother Nature so her masterpieces can go on. What better way to show gratitude for what she's done to provide a livable home for all Earth's creatures?

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

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.