Orange shades and a new lens

Conversations and thoughts and walks and readings with Bill are running through my mind as I post these photos to Orange You Glad It's Friday.  In fact, after so many months of illness, every day with him is a gift but it is fun to document the orange bits once a week and I really appreciate Maria's work to keep that meme going.  She even featured a photograph of mine, which I have to admit, made me very happy this morning.

I spent a few minutes on Wednesday in Emery Barnes Park admiring the tiles created by youth in a "Watch Your Step" community art project.  This PDF document is lengthy but describes the project in detail. I greatly admire the initiative required to carry this project through to completion, so will quote a few parts of the linked document with the tiles. I loved that there was at least a tiny bit of orange in almost every tile.  I am only showing a few of them here.  The one below was under water and, perhaps, my favourite.  

"A total of eleven off-site and community workshops were held at which participants could learn to make mosaics, work on collaborative and small individual pieces for the Downtown South Park, and make their own glaze painted tiles, which were installed outside the Gathering Place, Street Youth Services and the Roundhouse."

"We held a total of twenty workshops for street-involved youth; two drop-ins per week for 10 weeks. In these drop-ins the youth were trained and guided by our youth team, with the help of project staff, to create collaborative pieces and to design and create their own piece. The number of youth participants at drop-in workshops exceeded 60. All drop-in work will be installed in the Downtown South Park."

"We had much more interest in both the off-site and drop-in workshops than we could accommodate. In the case of the youth drop-ins, we were limited by space and tools in the numbers we could accommodate. We originally set the maximum number per session at eight. We purchased more tools and raised the maximum to ten, which was the most we could work with even when we spilled out into the area outside our room. Even with this increase we nearly always had to turn away potential participants, many, but not all of whom came back and got in at a later date. Because of this unexpected response we also had to limit the number of times any one person could attend. It would have been ideal to be able to accommodate all those interested, but by the time the scheduled drop-ins came to an end the work to be done in them was also completed. In other words, not only would we have needed more time to accommodate all interested, but also more sites for artwork."

"Through this work they were able to develop many useful and transferable skills including; • professional work habits, • a sense of commitment, • the importance and rewards of following things through to a conclusion, • patience in dealing with technical processes, challenging people and difficult situations, • an understanding of one’s impact on others, • attention to detail and • skills in working within a group."

"They have all expressed that their experience on the project exceeded their expectations and that they are very proud of the work they have done and what they have accomplished. Many of them were able to move toward making healthier and more positive choices, and during the time they were involved in the project, managed to make substantial changes in their lives. The project also impacted positively on their personal goals and confidence in their abilities although we are well aware that each of them faces many challenges in their new directions and that one five-month project alone can not secure a change in people’s lives."

The rest of the photos in this post were taken yesterday as Bill and I took the False Creek Ferry to Granville Island and then walked up to Broadway Camera to buy a new lens for my camera.  Thank you so much to Henry who continues to provide amazing service and photography advice couched within a truly caring spirit.  And, a fervent and deeply felt "thank you" to Bill, who has encouraged my photography passion with no holds barred.

As we walked along False Creek, we noticed this pirate ship for the first time.  I hope little plastic rats do not horrify any readers.  I've come to appreciate the intelligence of rats, though I could never claim to be comfortable with the rarely seen city ones that Black Jack informs me are hidden all about.  

Loved the oranges and yellows reflected along the wharf.

Lots of orange in Granville Island's sign.  One day, Bill and I may check out Gorilla Theatre.

Taken with my 150-500 lens..

so mostly only small sections of the view.  Here is a bit more of that pirate ship.

Lots of crystal is sold in this attractive building.  I've only been in it once, but love the colours, including the orange trim.

Hard to miss the orange fencing around this tree.

We walked up to 7th Avenue after stopping for a less than enjoyable lunch along the way (so no link).  Bill reminded me that the lunch experience was a good one, as we now know for certain not to go there again.  On 7th, "my" familiar cow waited.  For as long as I can remember, a truck has parked on 7th with the cow conspicuously placed for all to enjoy.  Yesterday,it was framed by cherry blossoms overhead and orange lights on the cab beneath. 

There's Bill, waiting at Broadway Camera.  He looks a bit serious.  This was an important decision and he knew it.  (Black Jack is somewhere at the end of that leash :) 

And now, to try out the new lens.  

I couldn't believe we could see down the hill and across False Creek to the Erickson Building, one that is just a few minutes from our apartment.

The lens is almost like a macro.  It was possible to almost touch these little flowers and still get the detail.  there is only the tiniest smidgen of orange in the photo above and I guess it would take quite an imagination to see any at all in the photo below, but in my mind, they must be included here.

Oh, I think I'm going to love.. 

that lens!

There are so many shades of orange in life!

Back at Granville Island again, and ready to take the ferry home.  Can you find the orange?

Black Jack loves to look through bridge railings.  Rusty fencing lines equal orange :)

You might struggle to see this, but there is orange in the Broadway Camera logo.

We step off the ferry and are greeted by a Common Merganser female..

and her mate.

These are beside our apartment.  I've taken them before..

and will probably take them again.

Thank you, dear Bill, for yet another beautiful day.  Thank you, dear readers, for stopping by.  Orange You Glad Its Friday is a fun site to explore if you have the time.  Why don't you head on over there to meet Maria and explore the orange in other parts of the world.