Hello friends.
Look where my sister linda and I have been..
Vancouver, Canada.

Staying with Steve and Ann
in their 26th floor apartment
in the centre of this beautiful city.

We left Springtime at home in New Zealand,
but here it was unmistakably Autumn. 

We had such a wonderful time.
We visited the Anthropology Museum and loved the indiginous art.

We found ourselves in the middle of a film shoot as we explored the city. 

The city is clean and spacious and reminded us a little of home. 

Vancouver is a great walking city with lots of surprises,
like the Steam Clock.
(Oamaru .. eat your steam punk heart out!) 

We loved the water taxi ride over to Granville Island.

We spent an afternoon exploring the lovely Van Dusen gardens. 

Ann took us on a racoon hunt right there in the city. 

How surprised we were when these enchanting wild creatures
joined us on a Stanley Park walk! 

We ate pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake.
and drank hot spiced pumpkin lattes .
We also ate Beaver Tails
up in Whistler!

Steve detoured off the highway on the way to Whistler,
hoping we might spot a bear, but it began to snow.
The higher we went the more the snow fell.
The bears, Steve said, would be hunkering down for the winter.
Now Linda and I live in a no snow place

so we were very excited despite no bears.
We stopped the car and played in the snow
and laughed with happiness as the soft snow fell on us. 

Whistler was a magic.
We ate Beaver Tails, hot and delicious with maple syrup.

Now eating Beaver Tails was a new treat experience,
and so too
was Bubble Tea!
I've never tasted anything like it.
Would someone please bring Bubble Tea to NZ!

Back in the city, Steve and Ann took us up Grouse Mountain.
Snow had fallen the night before. 

It was like being in a Christmas card.
Linda and I felt so blessed to be in this snowy wonderland. 

The mountain in the distance , glowing in the sunset,
is Mount Baker, USA.

Linda and I returned to NZ on Friday.
 Warm Spring is here,
green and lush,
but my head and my heart are full of happy memories
of beautiful Vancouver.
Thank you Steve and Ann
for a wonderful two weeks !

xoxoxo

Every time I climb a tree
Every time I climb a tree
Every time I climb a tree
I scrape a leg
Or skin a knee
And every time I climb a tree
I find some ants
Or dodge a bee
And get the ants all over me. 

And every time I climb a tree
Where have you been?
They say to me
But don't they know that I am free
Every time I climb a tree?

David McCord's poem
came to mind
as I watched the boys nextdoor
climbing the lovely old tulip tree.
Two boys are hidden amongst the welcoming branches
already
(or it may be the black skirt of Margaret Mahy's
Witch from The Cherry Tree..)
and I'm thinking

Oh to be sitting in a tree up high
out of sight..
dreaming of sailing ships
and far away places.

Old Grand Daddy tree
smiles at the
scrambling and clinging
and joyful
adventuring...


I'm  remembering
a childhood of great freedom.
Oh yes,
and plenty of skinned knees
and scraped legs.
No lasting scars
but sweet, sweet memories.

...just a doodle...

Forever
travelling
pilgrims,
whether
we like it or not.

Even when I sit perfectly still
or shut my eyes and sleep..

our planet goes on travelling around
our day star
at 66,600 miles per hour.

Little wonder I am a restless wanderer
at heart.