Sunbursts After The Rain

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Grumpy Cat

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My Dad The Unsung Hero

MY DAD was an unsung hero like so many immigrants. He never built me a dollhouse or taught me how to swim but he tried his utmost to provide for his family in an unfamiliar land. He died when I was fourteen and was seriously ill for many years prior. A university professor, philosopher, insatiable reader, musician, religious scholar and certified accountant in Europe, he was an educated man unable to apply his non-English degrees and skills in Canada. The farm he operated in Quebec failed so he labored at other jobs under harsh conditions. Falling deathly ill in the process, his earlier riches seemed like a faraway dream. Perhaps he lost his pride and sense of personal worth along with his health. Now all these years later I understand his bravery and the bravery of those currently seeking freedom from political unrest and tyranny of all kinds. I was born in Canada but the challenging early history of my parents has made me empathetic to the plight of immigrants everywhere.

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Two Drifters Meet Beneath Brooding Skies

Brooding clouds filled the sky like billowy curtains over a beach star. The driftwood configuration stood upright centre stage on the shore at Crescent Beach amid more common logs haphazardly strewn along the sandy floor.

A "head", scorched perhaps from having once been in a camp fire, somehow became attached to the body of the upright piece. Over time, through shifting skies and changing tides, the two random travelers drifted to each other to become one artistic piece of extraordinary stature from every angle.

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Sun & Flowers Served At Sunflower Cafe

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UNDETERRED BY THE RAIN AT CRESCENT BEACH

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Cotton Candy Cloud

CLOUDS blown by the breeze usually float together but sometimes one rises above the rest. Not pink or blue like candyfloss, the top cloud still managed to look sugary sweet suspended over Crescent Beach. Did it taste like rain? Probably not. The cumulus cloud, meaning "heap" in Latin, of liquid, gas and solids was a lofty mix unlikely to produce rain. Dark and dreary versus light and cheery is my best go-to unscientific guess for any rain-test. This mass of fluff looked so weightless that if I had strings I'd pull it down and take it with me.

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Busy Bees On Both Sides Of The Fence

"What's this?" the curious little boy asked running up to the fence.

The signage gave a clue as did the buzzing and humming sounds.

Over the fence we saw bees hard at work pollinating and making honey in two colonies at the Ocean Park Orchard in Surrey. The insects were participating unwittingly in a project to increase their numbers. It is said that some species of bees are in danger of extinction due to insecticides, parasites, loss of habitat, climate change and more. You can learn about bee life and care HERE.

Looks like Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) in Surrey had a hand in this joint venture. The project is in its early stages as the City of Surrey expects to construct 10 new community bee gardens containing two colonies every year up to 100 colonies. All proceeds of honey sales will go to the local Food Bank.

Just a few yards away on the other side of the fence there was work of a different kind. The cob house is an ancient type of building new to the orchard.

The artistic re-purposing of mostly cedar made great bones for the unfinished structure and the twists and turns of the tree branches created a grand entrance.

I stepped in to get a feel of the house. Hmmm ... where would the couch go? It was quite roomy but the atmosphere was sure to change once all the walls were up. I didn't take my shoes off but took pictures of others at work. (Luckily, I could see clearly wearing my sunglasses after an earlier encounter with a ladybug.)

Bare feet needed to adjust to the squishy mucky mixture.

It definitely looked like fun boot-stomping in the clay, sand and hay to concoct a cement-like wall.

Feet weren't the only tools.

Pails came in handy ...

and wheel barrels as well.

Picks and shovels were on scene to show young and old what bees instinctively know ... keeping busy and being involved makes the world a better place ...

and when you give bees a chance, healthier happier plants will grow.

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Bunnies Blending

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