Hyacinth in Springtime

Lovely Lynn gave me this hyacinth plant in this long and simple vase. Slowly over the Easter Weekend, I watched the plant grow and gradually blossom. It was the perfect companion to spring.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Sun Soak

Today it's been very rainy and grey, but we have been lucky enough to get some sun in the past few days.

We all enjoy the light and warmth.

Especially this cat.

This One's for Mary

...who told me to snap this picture. These kids are taking a picture of the famous Vancouver landmark, the 'steam' clock.

One Day Walking

One morning while we were out walking along our regular path along the Brunette River, we had a couple of interesting encounters.

A blue heron! We'd never seen one on this path before (there are a bunch at the nearby Burnaby Lake Park though). It was really close too, just across the river bank. I tried to capture it on photo, but for some reason, all I was getting was blurry shots.

Then, a big fish! We'd never seen fish in the river before, so it was pretty neat. The fish was swimming hard against the current, and looked old and tired.

Being city folk, these sightings were pretty interesting to us.

Freedom to Lead

A few weeks ago the Shepard Fairey poster of Aug San Suu Kyi arrived. It is quite big, and to our delight the artist even signed the bottom corner of the poster. We haven't had a chance to frame it nicely, so it had just been sitting around rolled up in our living room.

But it is hung! It’s not framed yet, but it still looks pretty good on the wall, next to the painting of the monk and monster by my brother (a reference to the September 2007 monk uprising in Burma).

It Makes Cleaning Fun!

Ok, I exaggerate. But it definitely makes it a pleasant experience. What is it? Why, Sapadilla cleaners, of course. They are all natural 'eco-cleaners' that are made from plant-based sources. If you live in BC like I do, these are readily available at Whole Foods/Capers, and Cookworks stores. They are made in BC to boot, and come in 2 delicous scents (I almost typed flavors here--it is VERY delicious smelling): Grapefruit+Bergamot, and Rosemary+Peppermint. My favorite is the one below, Rosemary+Peppermint All Purpose Cleaner. This stuff is very concentrated. I mix a tablespoon or two up in a spray bottle with water, and I'm ready to go. I use it for everything. But my favorite thing to use with this is to clean my laminate floors. I dilute with lots of water, and mop to my heart's content. Then I sit back on the couch and inhale. It leaves the whole apartment smelling clean, fresh and minty!