Make A Wish!

I want to believe that wishes come true despite the skeptics. Wishing, in fact, is exactly what many of us do and have done for centuries on our birthdays. The tradition might have started with the ancient Greeks who prayed to a mythical moon goddess over round-shaped cakes topped with lit candles. They hoped, it is said, that when blown out, the rising smoke would keep evil spirits away. Whatever helps, eh?

As time when on, it evolved into a personal wish ... just one ... not three like in Aladdin's story. It's a tough choice. What should it be? My mom would have said health. The more altruistic would say world peace. The one living in the moment might say winning great gobs of cash or a coveted job. Whatever it is, it must be kept secret. That is the bargain we make with the universe we hope will manifest our desires.

Not wanting to break any spells, I won't reveal the one wish I made last week when I forgot it was my birthday. A box of chocolates and tiny cake left on the table for me to find in the morning was my first clue. Should I have wished for a better memory?

In the evening, more desserts (above) arrived unexpectedly. I am always grateful for sweet surprises and memorialized the moment as well as others. Below are photos from my recent walks amid a typical West Coast mix of cloud, sun and drizzle.

An ornate gate framed the sea in Ocean Park.

A lone tree stood tall overlooking Semiahmoo Bay.

Clouds obscured the Coastal Mountains and hovered around the Alex Fraser Bridge.

Clouds coloured the sea gray on this particular day.

Whitecaps surged like horses' manes when the wind swept through. 

A little boy enjoyed the waves. He looked for stones to cast into the water.

A small puddle waited for someone to jump in and make a splash.

A big shade tree leaned over the lawn. Leaves quietly stirred but were not visible yet.

Plumes of gray smoke at the foot of snow-peaked mountains across the bay were not keeping evil spirits away, although I wished that they could.

Above, the giant smoldering candle-shaped industrial chimney was perhaps damaging the environment? White cloudy trails are sometimes simply water evaporating though.

Most trees at Crescent Beach were winter bare, their branches gnarled.

The ocean lapped onto the mostly empty squishy shore.

Eagles scanned their kingdom while a man at the pier (below) surveyed his horizons.

Nestled in shrubbery (below) I could see it wasn't only me having a birthday. 

Poof! How quickly the years have flown. 

But there's still a distance that we will go.

See more horizons at Skywatch Friday and explore OUR WORLD.

Still the kid I used to be

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle and Musings of A Puddlist In B.C. 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.

Angry Birds

"If you have one true friend you have more than your share." - Thomas Fuller

The snow had melted in the gritty birdbath that stands in my backyard and is full of broken needles, dirt and leaves.

Judging by its expression, the bird was none too happy with the untidy conditions. Nonetheless, it splashed in the tub for several seconds while I took its picture through the glass window from an upper floor of the house. Suddenly another bird appeared.

 

It was its turn to take a bath but the first bird (below) wasn't budging. A conversation ensued. It didn't take a translator to figure out the issue was being resolved with a rapid flapping of feathers. The second bird was given a chance to wet its wings alone. 

Before long the companion birds flew off ... still friends who would squabble but travel through life sharing everything but a wash in a birdbath too cramped for two. 

Humankind are birds of a feather, too, who must share and work together yet some could not shower, bathe or drink recently in Texas due to a man-made disaster caused by extreme weather and an infrastructure failure foreseen but denied for years. It resulted in some very "angry birds" having to melt snow for water. 

At the same time, man and womankind were profoundly proud that a scientific global community exercising friendship, ingenuity, perseverance and common sense resulted in a touchdown on Mars. This is how humanity will fly off Earth together one day.   

Explore more at  SATURDAY'S CRITTERS and OUR WORLD.

Still the kid I used to be

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle and Musings of A Puddlist In B.C. 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.

From The Heart

It snowed on Valentine's Day while the Buddha outside my window stayed calm. Seeing it across the yard was reassuring somehow. The tilted cap on his head was modest in contrast to the tall snow cone hats he has worn in other winters. It was amazing to think every falling flake gathering in clumps of snow was unique on a molecular level, although the human eye sees 35 somewhat similar patterns. 

There would be no sitting out on the patio just yet but spring is around the corner and spring cleaning was something I began earlier in the pandemic. In the process, I gave away the old cabinet (below), with patterns of a different sort, to make room for another cabinet. The stranger who took it will hopeful make good use of it.

I didn't like letting it go because of the sentimentality and the charm of the hand-painted designs created by the husband of a friend. Both since passed away so I felt responsibility to care for their treasure. 

It was time to save the compelling carefully drawn art electronically in a file where I could view the shapes on a screen and print them on paper with a simple click. To keep and share a memory with a photograph is one of life's most remarkable treasures.  

These one-of-a-kind snowflakes will not melt so easily.

Nor will my wish for an extra sprinkling of Valentine's sweetness over what sometimes can seem like a heartless world.

Explore more of the artistic side of life at Paint Party Friday 

See more wonders at OUR WORLD. 

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.

Small Reminders Of Big Things To Remember

"Remember upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all." - Alexander The Great

 

I confess. Remembering is getting tougher as I get older but there are some things I can't forget. A year into the pandemic it seems natural to keep a distance from others as these men have done. Their pets were free of such concerns, however. 

    

Side-stepping a few puddles as I walked the path at Kwomais Park in the community of Ocean Park, I noticed a tiny flash of red on the fence to my right.

Remembrance Day, celebrated in November, was short-changed last year and the usual fundraising was mostly done virtually. Lest we forget ... someone painted a bright red poppy (above) on the metal fence post and it lasted into the new year.

Later in White Rock, the man perpetually waiting for a train in front of the historic train station museum had a splash of colour land on his suitcase. The butterfly was painted on a stone with the words be kind. It was a surprisingly good find during this strange time when being grumpy under stressful covid resitrictions can seem justifyably fine.

Explore more at OUR WORLD.

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.