Last kick at the can

Sometimes a spur-of-the-moment escape can be a real treat. Fires had kept us from camping enough this summer, but luckily enough rain had fallen to calm those down -- not completely, but enough to make it safe to venture into the parkland. 

Just a few days, but the perk of being offline, especially without news to contend with...ahhh. 

The campsite in Manning Park was right beside the river. Our only real companion was a Steller's Jay who insisted on hoping for snacks. 

Mornings were time for exploring trails. Sunny afternoons meant lazy times for reading. 

A great way to charge up the batteries for the rest of the year. 

Another New Year to Celebrate

According to the Vietnamese version of the Lunar calendar, today is the first day of the Year of the Cat. For those of us who have learned to bow to the beliefs entrenched in Chinese culture, today marks the beginning of the Year of the Rabbit.  

And in keeping with the further tradition of combining elements with each animal in the zodiac, this is the year of the water rabbit, which sounds like it might be a good year for growing things. 

The rabbit in the photo is one that used to frequent our front yard, very likely because we're the 'bad' house where the lawn is only rarely cut, in keeping with the natural look of the rest of our yard. 

At least we aren't at the mercy of a Home Owner's Association who might send their patrols out to cut the lawn themselves and then likely hand us a hefty fine. 

I suspect that, come spring and summer, once the grass starts to grow again, the bunnies will be back. After all, this year has their name on it.  

Neighbourhood bunnification

  
I'm not sure why, but lately there's been a proliferation of bunnies around here. They're awfully good at holding still -- something I'm sure they do as a protective response, feeling safe as if they're wearing little invisibility cloaks. I don't mind, as that stillness makes it easier to take photos, even allowing me to zoom in on them.

And no, they're not part of our city's official beautification plan, though I admit to seeing them a bit
that way.

They tell me that our little biome, a mini-version of the temperate rainforest, must seem natural enough for them to move in. Although, maybe it's because we're one of the only such areas left around here.

I hope that's not the reason, and can only say I'm grateful for bunnification over gentrification, though I suppose not everyone will agree that a neighbourhood in suburbia isn't already 'gentrified' space. Still, we're seeing an awful lot of mega-development nearby and know that it's only a matter of time until we'll be crowded out by giganto homes and/or condo developments.

For now at least, home still feels like a haven, even after having been mostly confined to it for so many weeks.

And in case the bunnies want to move in and stay, we've even built a tiny little house for them. Silly? Probably. Fun? For sure.

Looking forward

I've been staring at this autumny tree, trying to take in some of its calmness.

It's been kind of a crazy month -- not one to complain about -- nearly all of it happy-making, culminating in this weekend's Word Vancouver. Still, I'm ready for a less hectic time.

Maybe tomorrow, when the calendar turns to October, life will slow down a little. But for now, I need to get dressed, as I'm heading off to a literary event, exactly the sort of thing I love to do.

And no, I will never complain about there being too many literary events going on, or too much art in the world, or too many beautiful sights in nature to inspire me.

Okay, enough of this winter thing!

This little snow guy seemed to be waving as I walked by, as if saying one final Hurrah for the Olympics and Team Canada.

You can trust me, I wasn't cheering when I woke up to this surprise dump of snow. Barely the previous day, I'd been cursing myself for not having my camera along -- so many hellebores and crocuses were showing their pretty little faces.

This morning has restored my faith -- not only in the beauty of nature's many faces (even snow), but also in reminding me that spring truly is on the way.

It's not all that easy to see, but towards the end of this little video, you'll see what looks like a glittery sprinkling of fresh snow. Only, that's not what it is. It's a tiny little avalanche falling down from the branches of the cedary forest that is our front yard. Frozen confetti, celebrating the end of winter.

Thankful

Over the past few months, while driving to New Westminster, I've seen a large (too large for safety, I suspect) video signboard by the road. Often the message there says simply, 'Gratitude'.

Since the sign is beside a bridge where it's impossible to pull over and stop, I've never managed to take a photo of the sign. So, you just have to imagine it.

But probably more than any video sign, this Thanksgiving weekend has seen me grateful for where I live -- for the weather and for the beautiful spots where we got to hike in the past few days. Thus, today's photo represents just one of those many elements for which I express gratitude.

Happy Thanksgiving!