Skywatch Friday, Season 6, Episode 2

Going back through pictures, it seems I recorded Vancouver's skies every single day over this past week.

FRIDAY - JULY 13

Walking home Friday evening after watching buskers in Gastown, Bill noticed these shoes hanging from a wire.  This morning, I wondered if anyone has written poetry on that topic.  I found a writing prompt on the subject (too late to contribute, but maybe interesting for someone) but no poetry.

This area by False Creek is usually nondescript, but the dying light gave it new charm.

 SATURDAY WAKE-UP SKY - JULY 14

I opened my eyes, saw this sky through my bedroom window, groggily rose, picked up the camera, stepped onto my balcony, and thought it was a good start to the day.  

 SATURDAY AFTERNOON - CANADA PLACE

We were looking for buskers as we walked around Canada Place on a fairly grey day, but the light of the sky shining through the decorative sails could have been a painting.

This mural is on the wall and works around a circulation vent.  It is meant to memorialize the 200th anniversary of The War of 1812.  It features a sky and sails that seemed to blend with our "live" view.

 SATURDAY EVENING - DAVID LAM PARK

Taken from my balcony.

 SUNDAY SUNSET - JULY 15

The sky itself didn't seem all that dramatic, but a shaft of light was moving around from building to building.  This is the Arthur Erickson building, my favourite in the area and visible from my apartment. The words, "It looks like it's melting.." that I overheard one day have stayed with me. Arthur Erickson died about three years ago.  I don't think of myself as a super-spiritual person, but it seems to me that his energy floats around this area where I live.  To have had the chance to peek into his brain would have been a rare gift but I will have to make do with imagining his thought process.  

I walked around, trying to..

 follow the light.

As it so often does, it caught..

the shiny building across False Creek, and I said to myself (yet again) that I must locate that building and see if it has a name.

 MONDAY AFTERNOON - FROM GRANVILLE ISLAND

Black Jack asks me day after day to take the little aquabus to Granville Island.  It takes only five minutes (and costs only $1.75 for seniors) to cross False Creek, and I find it harder and harder to say "no" to her, maybe because I like the trip as well.  I took this photo of the Burrard Bridge right after we got off the boat. 

Then we walked to Vanier Park where I saw that the two young eagles are both flying confidently.  The older of the two now circles around and around, so high in the sky, that pictures even with my big lens are too small to post.  Here.. the younger one, who still flies fairly low, is coming in..

for a landing.

 MONDAY SUNSET OVER ENGLISH BAY (SUNSET BEACH)

Black Jack and I walked along English Bay as far as Stanley Park.  Many of the young herons have fledged and soon, the heronry will be abandoned until next year. I can't tell if this is an adult or a young one, but it picked up the light of the dying sun as it flew by.  

 I caught the last seconds before the sun..

 sank behind the mountain.  People on the beach started to head homeward.

 I zoomed in for a remnant of colour..

 before darkness fell.

 One bit of artificial light at the left side of the Burrard Bridge..

 always catches my eye.

TUESDAY - JULY 17 - VANCOUVER ART GALLERY

Tuesday evening is pay-what-you-can at Vancouver Art Gallery, and it is a most appreciated opportunity to see exhibits that have traveled to Vancouver from all over the world.  More about Henri Matisse in my next post but the only bit of sky colour as we left the museum caught my attention and..  

Bill remarked on it as well. 

Walking homeward, we both noticed, almost at the same moment, and for the first time though we have passed that corner (Howe and Robson) countless times, that the building housing Chapters Book Store has a most interesting design.

Its off kilter appearance definitely adds a unique flavour.  I haven't been able to find anything on the architect, but will keep an eye out for information.

 This is looking up Granville Street.  The sky is almost obliterated by bus/trolley lines.

I'm not sure what street we are on here but BC Place Stadium is at the end of it.  The lights are different all the time, but we thought this was the first time we had seen that particular combination of shades.

There was construction by this building, and Bill looked, as he so often likes to do, down the hole.  He said it wasn't that interesting, but what really amazed him..

 was how close the crane was to someone's apartment window.

 I tried to show that, but perspective is a tricky thing.  Before long, my attention..

 was back to the colours..

 of BC Place.

WEDNESDAY - WALK BY FALSE CREEK WITH PHYLLIS AND BARRIE

On Wednesday, we were really happy to spend some time with Bill's sister, Phyllis, and her husband, Barrie.  After eating, we walked along False Creek (this link tells how it got its name), hoping for a nice sunset.  That wasn't to be, but the dragonboat racers were training hard.  

 I've never, ever seen them going that fast, even in races.

 These must be the most elite of the elite teams.

 I took a few photos, and then..

 Bill took a few more.  Black Jack was happy to share..

her kisses equally.

 Bill was making us laugh here.  I think he was just happy to be out of the camera's eye for a change.  I will admit to having great fun with Phyllis and Barrie, but much prefer to be on the other end of the camera.

I've never been in a dragonboat, although I've thought lately about how much I would love to have a small rowboat.  The technique of this team was unbelievable. 

I wish they could get the same result without yelling..

but perhaps that is part of the sport's mystique.  I have to resort to the cliche "poetry in motion" to describe these men.  They moved like connected limbs under one brain .

 THURSDAY - GRANVILLE ISLAND

Yesterday, Black Jack again "talked" me into taking the boat across False Creek.  I took this picture of wispy clouds through the boat's open window.

This is "Stretch" (named by the Granville fishermen).  He was sitting in a tree about a 30-second flight from the dock where the fishing boats come in.

Suddenly, he saw (or maybe heard) a familiar boat..

and I understood perfectly how he got his name.  I missed his flying off shot, but it happened a split second after this photo.  That's my skywatch post for this Friday.  Thank you so much for stopping by.  I hope you will take a little more time to check out other skies posted by watchful bloggers from around the world.