Wednesday 25 October 2017

Tuesday morning woke up to an unexpected surprise of blue skies and mild temperatures.
 The trees in the courtyard are changing colours quickly.  The big tree on the Quay has lost a lot of leaves with the wind and rainstorms we've been having.
 Went walking west along the quay for a change.  Love the brilliant yellow of these leaves against the blue sky.
 They are redesigning the park just before the railroad crossing and you haven't been able to walk along the river for awhile.
 Had to add the arty photo.
 The condos on the other side were mainly built by one developer and he put a lot of water features amongst them.  This one has several Koi in it.
 A mix of reflection, sunlight, leaves floating on the water and four white Koi.  There was an orange and black one but he was harder to capture.
 Caught this guy coming up for some food.
 They were in the lower portion of the water feature.
 Love this bud of things to come.  Almost looks like a magnolia leaf but the bud looks more like a rhododendron.
 Some early Halloween art work.
 Love the witch!
 Jack is rather cute also.
 Seeing a lot of berries on various trees and bushes.
 We're supposed to have a La Nina year which means more snow again.
 Love the contrast of the yellow and red against the blue sky and dark trunks and branches.
 Making progress despite crowning myself Queen of the Reverse Stitching!  Almost had my first bunny finished when I realized he wasn't jumping high enough to clear the flowers that are to be added.  So had to take it off and move the tail, hind leg, one ear and restitch them down again.  The foreleg was in the right place.
 The green background is the same that I used in the centre medallion and the Dresden plate borders.
 Found some scraps I used in my heart swap blocks that looks like a perfect eye.  I was going to give him a pink one but decided this was a better choice.
 My second tulip is the reverse colours of the first.
In the early hours of today there was a fire on the Queensborough Bridge affecting three electrical wire trunks that supply the Queensborough neighbourhood.  I glanced up a few minutes ago and saw this surreal effect of the sun setting on a mix of fog and clouds and no lights on the island.
 The Queensborough bridge which links with the Alex Fraser Bridge pictured was closed most of the day and still is not 100% open.  So the morning rush hour was a mess, no one including pedestrians were allowed to cross the bridge until it was checked for stability and I don't think the evening is much better.  About 20,000 residences and businesses are with out power for the foreseeable future.  Another reason I'm glad I didn't move over to the island when they started building condos a few years ago.

Friday 20 October 2017

Harrison Hot Springs final day and home again.

Monday morning was grey and a bit of a drizzle.  I woke up to a flock of Canada Geese arguing which way to go.  By the time I got my camera they had taken off.
 A bench waiting for someone to enjoy the view.

Rita managed to get two jelly roll quilts together over the weekend.  This was the second, the secondary cutting of the strips took her about two and a half hours.  She is trying to develop a class for a group she sews with and was timing each step along the way.
 Before going to bed on Sunday night I put up this basket swap I did with Mary Lou Weidman's Yahoo group in 2013.  I decided that I wouldn't start another project and finished packing up and loaded my car to head home about 1030.
 This was Rita's first jelly roll project, both her borders were fabrics she had home in her stash.
 Cathy had the row she was sewing on and then this last half and her triangle quilt was finished.
 A dog panel quilt being put together.
 Marion was making a black and white checker board with rainbow strip quilt.  She got all the cutting and sewing of the blocks done during retreat.
Dog panel quilt in progress.
 
Progress on Cathy G's snowman fused quilt.
 Not sure who was working on this one.
 Beckie walked away from her pieces while friends decided how to make it into a fractured top.
 Cathy W. made these paper foundation pieced trees along with some other projects over the weekend.  We had 3 Cathy's, 3 Linda's and 2 Sandi's and 1 Sandra...never Sandy in our group.
 Cathy R's triangles sewn together.
 Beckie's original layup on the wall ready to be sewn together.  I didn't see the results of the fracturing attempt.
 A brief walk before heading back to the lower mainland.
 This is the humpback salmon affectionately called humpies by local fishermen.
Cathy W paper foundation pieced quilt.
 One last look at the lake before heading off home.
 My quilt top on top and the four fused batting quilts home waiting to be stitched together or borders added.
 Friday morning at home the rain came out with a vengeance.  We've had some flooding in low places due to all the rain we've had and sewers not being able to cope with it.  The ornamental cherry trees in the courtyard are starting to turn and the large tree on the quay is quickly loosing it's leaves.
The maple tree adjacent to my balcony is starting to change colours.
 I went to meet Rita for brunch at 1230 and the sun was starting to come out!  We are waiting for the third storm in as many days to arrive tonight.
 Arty shot.
 One of the many tugs that are seen along the river.
 I caught a glimpse of this mushroom gills and went to see what the top looked like.
 Another one just beside it, both appear to have been blown out of the soil from the high winds we've been having.
 Here are two smaller ones...see the bits of orangey red?
 The top of one of the ones I took pictures of the gills.
 And the larger one.  About two years ago I spotted a couple of small ones and haven't seen any since.
 Focus was wrong but check out the tiny shoot coming with the leaf on the branch of the rhododendron that was trimmed back.
And another focused picture of the mushroom above.
 Love the reflection of the clouds, trees and blue sky in the large puddle on the concrete portion of the boardwalk.
 Some of the leaves floating in another puddle.
 Walking along the brickwork the trees and lawns are once again green after a dry summer.
 Just past the second blue pole are some more mushrooms.
 We have roses that bloom well into January each winter depending on how cold it gets.
 Some colour on the Queensborough side of LuLu Island where Richmond and the Vancouver International Airport are at the west end.
 The swing rail bridge with some more colour.
 Some more of the mushrooms.
 It's like there is a little village of the toadstools.
 Not sure what happened to that big guy.
 Interesting how they flatten out as they get bigger.
 Love this one with the bit of leaf on top.
The Alex Fraser Bridge across the south arm of the Fraser River.
 Peony leaves turning different colours against the piece of old wood.
 The moss is enjoying all the moisture in the air.
 Love this leaf shape and the seed pod.
 Collection of leaves blown off a tree trapped by the roots.
 Love the veining on the almost red leaf.
 Hostas starting to change colour, amazing texture in the leaves.