Before cherry blossom time, and after Fall color time, and after the amazing blue-white snow-winter images, of which I've had enough for the time being, I have to look a bit more thoroughly to find the pockets of beauty that make bike trips so much fun. The sunsets and sunrises continue to call me, but at an in between stage myself - almost healthy, but super cautious on the bike, and not doing much gazing off into the yonder, and determined to get home before sunset, at least last night, there weren't many must-stop moments. Just two, the last on 8th Avenue, somewhere before Alma Street, when an overgrown front lawn (my favorite kind), plastered with mauve/purple petals, and dotted with occasional mustard middles, screamed, "I'm the only one of my kind. Look at me. Look at me." So I did. Crocuses, I think, after looking at a google image that Bill found for me, but not as vibrantly shaded as the one he found. It was almost dark, and I didn't want to use my flash. Here's the close-up.
And here's a portion of the front yard. When I stop and take pictures of people's private property, I always try to be respectful, and always hope they won't be annoyed with me. If the situation were reversed (not likely, given my non-existent gardening skills), I would be proud to inspire a must-stop moment, but one never knows how people feel about these things.
My only other stop was on the Lions Gate on the way home. I always wonder what this place is to the left of the bridge. Sewage treatment plant? Fish farm? I never notice any smell going over the bridge, except for times when trains are passing, or sometimes from car exhaust. People walk their dogs along that path. Maybe, one day, Bill and I will go down there and take a look around. 
And my next wondering was about all those houses on the hill. From a distance, settlement can look strangely attractive, coming from an in-between-sort-of-nature-lady-who-needs-a-small-quota-of-city-stimulation-discretely-hidden-among-the-flowers-water-birds-beast-and-mountain-images.
The far view on an in between day.
Lovely shot of the cedar frond - would make a forester proud!
ReplyDeleteThe facility just below the bridge is in fact at sewage plant. I took a group of students there once, and loved their reactions to the whole thing. There is no such thing as flushing 'down' or throwing 'away' - ! An important lesson we humans are a little slow to learn...
Thank you, Mali! Glad you liked it, appreciate the info, and appreciate the reminder too. I knew you took a group on that trip, but didn't take time to figure out where it was. And you're right, it's an important lesson that I certainly have been slow to learn.
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