Roses and views from Burnaby Mountain

Sunday drives are always a fun tradition.  This Sunday mom and I drove up to Burnaby Mountain to have a lovely dinner at Horizons Restaurant.  Burnaby Mountain is about 1200ft high and affords some lovely views of the lower Vancouver area.  They also have some gorgeous rose gardens.

 These yellow booms were so pretty.

 Luscious reds.

 Buds and full blossoms.

 Delicate pinks.

 Pinks with yellow tones.

 This one was called Poseidon, almost a lavender colour.

 A slightly larger blossom.

 Part of the garden with an arbour.

 Deeper pink/red.

 Foxgloves at the end of the cycle.

 Looking down along Burrard Inlet east towards Indian Arm.  Both freighters and pleasure craft far below.

 Burnaby has fun with it's topiary designs.  In the past they have had trees shaped as birds.  Here is what they did in 2008 a fresh snow had fallen.

 I love the wire sculpture of the little one.

 A more full bloom foxglove. About four from the bottom you can see a bee bum in the bud.

 Can you spot it a bit closer look.

 A slightly different view looking towards Indian Arm.  Friends took me up by boat several years ago, it is lovely.

 Looking west towards Stanley Park, with the Lion's Gate Bridge crossing over to the North Shore and in the foreground you can see the Ironworkers' Memorial Second Narrows Crossing, which collapsed while it was being build on June 17, 1958 the bridge collapsed and 78 workers plunged 100 feet and 18 died.
Here is some information of the tragic event.  For many years the name was shortened to the 2nd Narrows Crossing but a few years ago the original name was brought back.

 Looking down towards the downtown area of Vancouver.

 These are Japanese totem gifted to Burnaby by their sister city in Japan.

 This area is very popular year round.  Several families were having picnics on the grass behind us.

 You can see a stop sign in the lower left corner and the road leading down the mountain.  To the left of the sign is a popular sledding hill when it snows.

 Looking toward the Metrotown area of Burnaby.

 One last view of the Vancouver downtown and looking west towards Vancouver Island.  I'm blessed to live in such a lovely rainforest and to have been born here.

Sunday Morning Surprise!

There is a waterfall/pond in the courtyard of my condo.  When I got up this morning I heard a familiar sound that used to happen annually but I've not heard for awhile.  The sound of ducklings cheeping and their mom quacking in answer.

I went out to look off my balcony and went back to get my camera.  It is hard to see but in the water inside the cage are at least two ducklings cheeping for help.  Mom was pacing back and forth offering encouragement.  After awhile it stopped as they managed to get out of the cage by themselves.  The wire cage was put around the intake of the pumps due to prevent accidents happening.

 This little guy was exploring the little side water feature and got up on rocks to sun.

 Here is mama with them swimming about.  There were six or seven, they move so quickly they are hard to count.

 Mom is trying to teach them how to get out of the water.

 Up she goes.

 It is still a bit high for them to get out at that site.

 So off to the concrete side but no luck there either.

 The little ones jump onto the cage and then the brick work.

 See the straggler on the cage?

 Alley oops and up he goes.

Now to catch up with mom.

 Next task is the stairs, they all get up the first one as it is lower.

 Four of them up and running about...

MOM!!!...................................................................................................................................................

 Hey MOM!! I need help too!

 Mom goes back and check on the two not getting up.                                                                            

The others come to join Mom and the two stragglers.                                                                              

 Heading over to the shade of the Japanese Maple tree.

 Now for a bit of a cool nap.

Fraser Valley Quilters' Guild Show, a purchase and a new project in the works....

Can you believe that this was a group project?  Our guild supports various community projects over the past history of the guild.  We choose one and for two years that community projects is a recipient in different ways.  This dignity quilt was made for one of those groups.  Cher Olsson and Val Smith collaborated on the design and the surrounding hearts were made by 50+ members.  It was sewn together at our Harrison Hot Springs retreat and quilted by them.  

 Here is a closer peek at the wonderful dove that is the centrepiece of the design.

 A few details.

 Val Smith also designed and quilted this lovely piece made with silk hexagon shapes...her favourite and then machine quilted inspired by Zentangles.

Liz's Last Bouquet was made by Irene Hardvallis.  The class was taught by Liz Faminoff, sadly Liz had a stroke partway through the class and is not able to teach any longer.  Irene dedicated this quilt in honour of some of the classes she has taken with Liz.

 My friend and neighbour Mary Shore made this quilt Dance for Joy.  She was inspired by Roberta Horton, and Pippa Moore their use of these fabrics and being a source.  The pattern is by Charlene Phinney.

 Another friend and neighbour Betty Harrington made this delightful little quilt. She was inspired by Molas she saw in Guatemala for her design.

 A long time guild member Norma Justessen challenged the evening members to do a BOM starting in September 2013. (I apologize that the next photos are not as sharp as the preceding ones.  My SLR battery died and then I remembered that I had my iPod that I could use as a camera.)

This first one was made by Donna Mae Whitmore, she used half square triangles instead of squares for the two borders.

 My apologies, I didn't take a picture of who did this one.

 Beckie Stewart did this one and included the checker board borders Norma suggested.  It was machine quilted by Loren Tolhurst.

 Wendy Whiting did this beauty. Eileen Zornes of Eileen's Quilting in Summerland did some lovely quilting.

 A closer look at her quilting.

 Beautiful!

 Marion Cardenis used brights and various whites from her stash.

 Sunbonnet Sue in Daily Life was made by Fumiko Noghchi, Fumiko each show does a Wow! Quilt!

 She only had a limited amount of the background and border fabric and got inventive with the setting using those taupes I find very challenging. This was all hand appliqued and hand quilted!

 With A Little Help From My Friends by Val Smith was improvisational pieced using Batik scraps destined for the land  fill and some from friends.

 Home is Where the Haunt Is by Doreen Fleury, she fell in love with the pattern when she found it on line when she read all the captions.  Machine pieced and quilted...she found the embroidery a bit of a challenge.

 Once again my apologies, I can't read the card.  The class was a painting workshop with Katie Pasquini Masopaust in February 2013.

 This is Robin Fischer's from the same class. She calls hers Doodles.

 Lynne Fanthorpe has spearheaded teaching our guild members how to machine quilt with their domestic machines.  She took a sarong that she purchased in Hawaii and used invisible thread to quilt it as a whole cloth quilt.

 A bit closer at the seaweed she quilted in blue thread feather designs.

 Tulip Farm by Barb Cheetham started in October '07 and finished in February '14.  Pattern by Black Bird Designs.

 Pineapple Express by Lily Wong inspired by quilts she saw in Hawaii.  A mix of machine piecing and hand applique.

 Closer look at one of the pineapples.

 Flow Motion by Sharon Allman from the Katie class.  Machine pieced and quilted.

 From the vendor's market I came away with 7 of Sue Spargo's new Eleganza Perle Cotton threads.

 A new project I'm working on in three sizes.  Designing as I go...hope you enjoyed the show.  It is at the George Preston Recreation Centre in Langley B.C.  It is on again tomorrow, just a two day not three day one this year.