Memories Of Paris

France likely would have preferred a cloudless day with stars shimmering overhead as night approached. However, life doesn't always give us what we want. And in the end, the rain at the unique outdoor opening of the Olympic Games added not only sparkle amid vast glimmers of hope but also a sense of cleansing that the world seems to need right now. Yes, the games are about sports but they are also about overcoming and collaborating while competing with mutual respect. I was inspired by the inclusive, remarkably creative, vibrant and bold opening ceremony, concluded with a soul-gripping performance by Canadian singer Celine Dion who had her own health issues to overcome. The events unfolding on television reminded me of my 2010 visit to Paris when a smudge of moon met a beam of light from the Eiffel Tower and I took pictures.

   

Explore more at Poets and Storytellers United, SKYWATCH and Saturday's Critters. 

Check out my sites: Postcards from Penelope Puddle and Musings of A Puddlist In B.C.

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HOLD ONTO THE LIGHT

The Pendulum & Mood Swings

The weather pendulum swung from a summer/early-fall drought to an atmospheric river of rain. The roots of large leafy, and evergreen, trees in my area dried up over the past months so risk loosening in massive downpours. The tension between Mother Nature and humankind builds. To save ourselves we must let Earth flourish. The planet would bloom better without us but who better than humans to savour the sweetness in life and to record its story? Storytellers' prompt this week is "sweet", synonymous to me with the wonder I felt on walks and sought to express in pictures and prose.

Clouds boldly rolled over the churning sea beneath an eerily vacated pier.

Cozy umbrellas popped up suddenly the way the grandest of flowers do each year.

Faces carved into pumpkins slyly peeked around edges of porches and lamp posts.

Leaves turned glamorous and scrunched up like taffeta gowns.

Their colours, dazzling flames before the raindrops snuffed them out.

Washed holly berries were at their finest so birds might dine on them one day.

Some sloppy greenery lost their glitter far too soon.

Muddy puddles saw playful feet splash sopping leaves into disarray.

The howling breeze ruffled some leaves and shook summer's dust off the trees.

Explore more at Poets and Storytellers United and SKYWATCH. Check out my sites: Postcards from Penelope Puddle and Musings of A Puddlist In B.C.

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.

HOLD ONTO THE LIGHT

Real & Imaginary Creatures Of London

I was on cloud nine meeting a pelican for the first time in person.

I had seen them only in film and photos or sometimes I imagined seeing them in the clouds. Although spotted in parts of B.C., pelicans are not usually seen where I am along the coast or, for that matter, in Britain. Perhaps the fellow (below) comes from a line gifted by a Russian Ambassador to St. James's Park in the 60's. This particular one was discovered by itself at a local garden and, in 1996, the park took it under its wing.

It was quite a character (pictured above and below) with personality plus. No fence could contain what likely is one the most photographed birds in St. James Park.

Passersby, with groceries in hand, could not resist stopping to take several photos.

The bird seemed to preen and understand full-well its special status.

Swans lazily floated under the picturesque Hammersmith Bridge, one of 35 bridges in London over the river Thames. Soft blue cloud-filled sky hues bounced on the water.

Skies seemed lighter in texture and tone than at home. I wondered if the Tube so heavily used in London suppressed vehicle traffic pollution somewhat.

Below, a stoic palace guard sat atop his well behaved and meticulously groomed horse.

Nearby, a horse of a very different sort was displayed at the Buckingham Palace gates.

The unicorn (above) was likely chosen by Scotland (thus far remaining part of the United Kingdom) as its official national animal due to its mythical whimsical charms, super-strength and powers. The whimsical artifact (below) at the British Museum was a minuscule part of a vast Asia collection. The ornate container had birds for "legs".

The incredibly well preserved diorite statue (below) is thought to be from 4th century BC. It possibly represents Khepri which in ancient Egyptian mythology is the god of the morning sun transformed into a scarab beetle each dawn to be reborn at daybreak.

It was in the morning sun that I spied a large lion at Highgate Cemetery having a nap.

One hoped the person beneath this grand monument was also peacefully sleeping.

For the living in London there were overwhelming amounts of things to do and see. I could have spent more time in this vibrant rain-washed city. But the butterfly painting at the flat where I stayed saw me flutter away ... perhaps to return another day. 

Explore more at Skywatch Friday and Saturday's Critters. You can also check out my other sites at: Postcards from Penelope Puddle and Musings of A Puddlist In B.C.

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.

HOLD ONTO THE LIGHT

Hugh's View At Elgin Park & Earth Day Every Day

Earth Day came and went but although the official celebration was on April 22nd, every day of existence is miraculous on this blue-green gem of a globe we call home.

   

I didn’t know Hugh Ward who was honored with a plaque on a bench at Elgin Park. He was likely a member of the family that owned Ward’s Marina and surrounding property before it was purchased by City of Surrey in the 80’s when his view became open to the public. A ladybird beetle seemed to signify the good impression that he left.

Walking along the banks of the Ncomekl River I spotted another beetle. Coincidence?

The bug painted on stone was small as a thumbnail and inserted into a tree branch.   

Perhaps Hugh's loved ones were still close by and roamed the parklands?

Another family caught my eye, snuggled in the sunshine and soft muddy earth. 

Nearby, I noticed the plaque (below) on another empty bench.  

Addy had marvelous qualities reflective of nature, according to friends. 

I reflected that "beauty, grace and vitality" have an expiry date, even in nature.   

If treated like a treasured friend and not immortal or forever, maybe life on Earth ...

would be extended and appreciated more for how rare it is to find a world like ours.

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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.

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Visual Impressions From A Not So Sharp-Eyed Photographer

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." - Marcel Proust

   

I don't take the Proust quote (above) literally but since I can barely see past my nose without eyewear, I appreciate how great it must be to spot a mouse, or backyard pet, from what could be a two to three-mile distance.  

My visuals are much closer to home than that of the always watchful eagle, although the modest zoom lens on my handheld camera helps somewhat. 

The bird sees more vividly than I, the Coastal Mountains and homes across the bay ... 

  

and it sees more clearly the children at play. 

With superior colour vision, it can see the Crescent Beach pier in ways I do not. 

I wonder, does its gaze ever stop at the sunbeam constellations below the pier? 

The bird and I watched the boat "Crazy" whiz by. We scanned big puddles at low tide.  

Despite Covid-19, visitors from the film industry stirred-up the scenery. The 80's movie Turner and Hooch is being remade into a television series, minus its star Tom Hanks.  

Set designers were at work on location. I wondered about the circle.

Large machinery (above) was to control the lighting and maybe get a bird's eye view? Below, a camera with a lens that perhaps could surpass the eagle's capabilities.

Filming is disruptive but the masked crew were respectful of locals weaving in and out.

I learned the circle was part of an upcoming wedding scene. 

Parking was scarce because of the many trucks containing everything from costumes, to food, to electronics. The film industry creates a lot of jobs and has suffered sorely during this pandemic that still rages on. I needed a quieter place to walk for a while.

The next day I went to Elgin Heritage Park, a 3-km trail of woods and wetlands on the banks of the Nicomekl River. There, I found a more peaceful setting.

The river flows into the bay at Crescent Beach, the eagle's long-distance view away. 

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.