Grouse Mountain

Yesterday afternoon we went up Grouse Mountain, on the outskirts of Vancouver to the park there to see bears......

We saw the two bears and I have heaps of photos but they are on the camera, at this stage the bear had been given its first salmon of the season ans s OK was eating in semi privacy!!

The bears were orphaned at 1 year old and so live a semil normal wild life here on the mountain, there food is supplemented but apart from the tourists looking at them they are left to their own devices. They are both now 17 years old.

It was 4 deg   C near the top of the mountain

So was much colder than down in Vancouver 

Still quite a lot of snow about up here

Love these carvings done in old trees.

We are off on the road today so I had better go and get organised.

Quilt show 2

Detail from above

Five different ladies worked on this quilt, it was taken from a painting with permission, one lady supplied the blue for the sky and one piece of yellow and the others put in what they thought was suitable

One for you Mrs Perry

So many beautiful quilts.

Quilt show

Today we have been to the quilt show here....so many beautiful quilts on show....not so many shops to buy goodies from, but lots of machine sellers.
Here is some eye candy

Sorry that is fuzzy, but it had 5000 half inch squares in it!!

Applique and wool felting 

I think that is enough for today, more to follow.

Return to Vancouver

Back to the city and wifi!! We had a great time away, lots of earing and drinking and being entertained, not many photos as they are on the camera not the tablet here.
I had some great excursions, saw and learned lots, probably my favourite was the helicopter ride to the dog sled camp, followed by a ride on the sled..it snowed while we were there so came back wet and cold but happy!! I was expecting husky dogs but the dogs were a mix of many breeds, husky mixed with any dogs taken to the gold diggings many years ago, we saw an amazing glacier in the National park

We saw and heard several chunks of ice fall into the glacier

We spent hours looking out at the water hoping to see whales...we saw one Mum and bub, bub leapt out of the water and landed with a big splash, then we saw the tail go into the water and they disappeared. No camera on hand. We enjoyed excursions at each stop

Taken from the ship..we were berthed at the main road!!

Today I have been on  a huge walk around the wall track around Stanley Park with a professional photographer, we walked miles and took lots of photos, plus she gave me instruction on how to use my camera

This is a wonderful city to explore.

Off now to find some dinner.

Vancouver

We have arrived safe and sound after a very long flight from Melbourne to LA...I watched several movies but had to stop as the earplugs became uncomfortable!! It took and hour of queuing in two different places to get thru customs, we got our bags, put them on the conveyer belt to be loaded onto the next plane and then went in search of a bus to Venice Beach. Well the busses were not stopping where we were told they would and then we realised we had to change bus three times and it was in themorning peak hour traffic, so we got a taxi instead...so much easier!!! We had a great wander along Venice Beach, it looks more seedy than when I was there lastbut then that was 1978 and lots has changed since then!! After a cuppa and breakfast we went back to the airport and got the plane to Vancouver. We got to enjoy 2 22nd's of May this year, but spending all that time on a plane and in airports really wasnt all that much fun.
So the photos from Venice beach are on the camera but here I have some shots from the plane window as we neared and passed Seattle

Beautiful waterways 

Early night for me.