Happy Easter!

May your Easter celebration be one of happy memories and great joy!

First Friday Art Walk in April . . .

     They had a contest of high school students art projects and we got to vote for them.  I had 4 other art places to visit so didn't stay for the results.  This one was made like a staircase with the evolution of a tree. . .  I like how it progresses from an acorn to a small plant to a small tree and then a full grown tree stump.                Step by step!

     I listened to the musical selections these two men provided on the Sax and Keyboard.  I got to hear 4 selections while finishing my art walk in the studio and having refreshments.  They were great!  It was well worth the time I spent there Friday night.

This owl caught my eye as I entered the art studio. . . 

The portrayal of ADDICTION is so vivid -- it grabs you!

This one was called "Singing in the rain . . . "

     An artist named Ron Jones got me interested in doing the First Friday Art Walk.  This is one of his      pieces.  It took him over 400 hours to draw it he told me Friday night  . . .  the drawing is so detailed  -- click on it to see it better.  (Sorry about the light reflections my camera caught photographing it.).  He came to our apartment building almost 4 years ago and showed us some of his his work and how he did it  after  friend (who has  since passed on) and I visited his art gallery on our first, First Friday Art Walk.  

     This bear art has been at many First Friday art walks. . . but this is the first time I got a chance to take a photo of it without people standing in front of it.  I think it is so realistic!

     I will end with this one of our flag. . . never get tired of seeing that flag and being reminded of what it stands for. . .

     I forgot to re-charge my camera battery or take an extra one so my camera died on me before I got to the last three galleries but the above should show you a sampling of the art we try to appreciate here in Vancouver.  Thanks for joining me on part of my Art Walk!

Very appropriate. . . for us in Vancouver. . .

     Our town appreciates art forms of a variety of kinds. . . and tonight, I saw these umbrellas placed on a corner downtown as art.  Very appropriate, even tho it almost looks like the sky is a shade of blue with some white fluffy clouds at the time.  Actually, the umbrella wasn't needed for the first time today in a very long time. . . but the RAIN is returning for Easter.  Some egg hunts cancelled because of the sogginess of grassy areas from recent rains/downpours.

     Earlier Friday, the sky looked ominous andI thought I saw a tornado appearing but the news never mentioned it so maybe it was just a bad rainstorm in the north of our county. . .

                 This is what it looked like out my 8th floor apartment window this morning. . .

     I guess we were lucky and missed a bad storm or a tornado here.

    That was wonderful since the first Friday Art Walk was tonight and it was very pleasant temperatures with NO RAIN.  Tomorrow, I will show you some artwork I enjoyed before my camera battery wore out . . .  SIGH

Snow Art

Ok, so I saved a few snow photos for one more posting. . . Can you blame me?

Can you see the face sculpture that seems to be talking to the ballerina snow fairy sitting on a twig?

Look at this happy snow fella. . . I think it is smiling for me because it knows how much I love snow!

Can you see the Scotty dog jumping for joy -- It couldn't quite make it as high as the plant beside it but it doesn't care. . . it is snowing and that makes Paulie happy!

YES, I give this Spring snowfall an A  for achieving the record of snow in Spring in Vancouver!  Give yourself an "A" IF you saw these things as I did. . . or if you saw something I missed -- I would love to hear about it.  Isn't it wonderful how the wind can break little boughs of trees off and they get covered with snow and become something else wonderful, not just a useless broken branch!

Spring Snow Memory

This is the  last part of my snow journey Thursday.  The snow is all gone now but memories will last forever of our Spring Snow in 2012!

The snow frosting on the branches seem to be in an Artist contest!

Branches bear the snowy load in artistic form!

The Parks and Rec have cleared the snow on this part of the trail.

Another view on my journey in the snow.

The owners of this horse are caring.  They brought it a blanket to keep warm and some hay to eat.

Looking in yet another direction on my walk.

 Found these logs an interesting subject with their snow frosting.

Almost looks like little ice cream cones!

 This plant is saying, "Let me out!  What happened to SPRING?"

 The Discovery Trail along Burnt Bridge Creek goes much further but Main Street is close to my home and I have a meeting to attend in 45 minutes so don't dare go further. . . time to catch the bus back.

This may be the end of the first part of the trail and my journey in the Spring snow. . . but I have the memories!  Hope you enjoyed them also!

Snow Walk . . .

Our Spring snow fall was quickly disappearing in town so I decided to walk one of the trails that is  in a part of the forrest and enjoyed the snow for a little bit longer. . .

I walked part of the trail (just over three miles) after a city bus ride to this starting point.

Although it wasn't lots of snow, it was enough to enjoy IF you like snow as I do!

The ground foliage makes an interesting snow cover. . .

The moss has a covering of snow icing!

Even the bare branches look wonderful with their winter clothes!

Bushes having a WINTER IN SPRING  fashion show -- after all, it doesn't snow every Spring here!

A  view from a part of the trail that has been cleared.

Looking off to another side of the trail. . .

Another direction. . . this trail is built between the power lines.  There are homes on the hills on both sides of the trail and thus all the power lines.  The entire trail was built in this corridor for convenience to get there and use the space wisely.

In the distance, a lone horse looking for something to eat under the snow cover. . .

This bench is a welcome respite in warmer weather. . . Several benches are placed all along the city wide trail.  It looks kinda lonely in this snowfall.

Bridge across Burnt Bridge Creek looks like many hikers passed over the light snowfall.  Come back tomorrow for the rest of my journey in the  SPRING snow of 2012. . .

Might say Spring on the calendar but it's snowing!

I just spent the last hour and a half walking around outside taking photos. . . not a lot yet but it is still coming down.  I have never known Spring to have snow where I lived.  I LOVE IT as we had such  disappointing winter this year.  Enjoy!

These are the same kind of tree blossoms I showed you in the last post minus the snow. . .

Not a lot but more than we had this winter and the plants seem to be bowing their "heads."

Isn't this a pretty sight?  Little puffs of new fallen snow!

Almost looks like crushed ice. . .

Clinging to the branches like as if they found a new home. . .

Each snowflake found its perfect place!  I have more but will  post them another day.  Hope to make the rounds to visit friends soon also. . . but then again, if the snow remains, you will know where I will be first. . .Ü

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Well, I have been absent for awhile online. . . have a project I started after Christmas making neck scarves like this for next Fall. . . this one , I made for a friend that shared lots of tomatoes with me last summer.  He saw me crocheting and asked if I would make him one in these colors WHEN I HAD TIME!  lol  One has to make time. . . but I took a break from my other project and made this one for him a week after the request.

It isn't quite SPRING yet but the blossoms have been appearing on the trees in front of our building. . . 

The HOUGH Elementary School is just 5 blocks from where I live and each year near St. Patrick's Day, they sponsor a parade that goes right past our apartment building.  It is in honor of Paddy Hough, a great teacher and one of our founding fathers in Vancouver.  YUP!  That's Paddy Hough himself!

Ok, I am getting ahead of myself. . . every parade has to have a banner. . . and here it is!  There is a traffic circle on our corner so the parade has to veer to the left until they get around it but we don't mind.  There were many participants, including each grade level from Hough Elementary but I won't post all. . . just enough to give you the flavor of the parade.

Different kinds of bands participated. . . including some bagpipers. . . which is definitely appropriate for this special occasion.

This is a band from the Junior High school in the area.  They always participate and are a great addition!

Nice when they stop and play in front of our building and all too soon are on their way so others can have a taste of their great music. . . 

Among the many vehicles represented, this fire engine is #1 . . . in more ways than one.

Hope you enjoyed a few features of our little annual parade for St. Patrick's Day.  LUCK of the Irish to you all!