Bountiful Blues

I'm happy to share some pretty fine blues in our day yesterday with Smiling Sally's Blue Monday blog meme.  After the fog on Saturday, it was good to see definition again in the clouds and trees.  A couple of very impressive claps of thunder and at least one hail storm (not witnessed) came along with those clouds, but overall, it was great walking weather.

This was taken from my balcony (explains the black in the top left corner). 

In the afternoon, we took in the Jazz Vespers concert at St. Andrew's Wesley.  Black Jack and Bill had a discussion just before the concert began. 

Then, she settled on Bill's lap to enjoy the music.  The liturgist, Rev. Dan Chambers, suggested about half way through the service that we breathe in slowly, allowing a moment of silence to free up "mind-chatter" (paraphrasing his words).  He asked me Black Jack's name (we always sit in the front row) and then told everyone that we could all take a lesson from her mellowness.  That made me smile (while hoping her "mellowness" continued).

The Bob Liley Quintet performed.  Jerry Cook (tenor sax), Norm Quinn (trumpet), Mark Bender (bass) and Bob Liley (drums) have been playing together a long time and it really shows.  Superb communication, intonation, technique and musicality brought the very best out of every song they played.    

 Jerry listens while Norm does a solo on the flugelhorn.

Later, Norm listens while Jerry answers a musical question Norm has just posed.  When they played in unison, their instruments seemed to be one voice. No small accomplishment!   

Lorne Kellet was substituting for Roy Sluyter, the regular piano player, but matched the high standard of performance as though he, too, had been with the band forever.   

Bob Liley began playing professionally in London at the age of 15.  He left music for a business career at age 30, but came back to it when he moved to Vancouver in 1994.  He is an exceptional drummer and about the best advertisement I've seen in a while for "doing what you love" in life.  The quintet plays the Vancouver Jazz Festival as well as many events in the city and around the Lower Mainland. 

We walked home, still feeling the glow that I have come to expect from Jazz Vespers.  The music and Rev. Chambers' words continue to play in my mind as I write this morning.

 I took this photo because of the blue flowers but forgot to change the camera setting after the indoor photography.  Still had to show it for the blue flowers :)

 Brilliant blue skies were working their magic on Vancouver's downtown..

 buildings.  The Wall Centre and its reflections are always fun to photograph.

 We walked through the Wall Centre's gardens.  Bill was amazed that these revolving doors had a button to slow them down when necessary.  Can you see us? 

 The gardens..

 were lush and had unique features that we enjoyed.

 Bill noticed The Royal Thai Consulate at the corner of the building..

 and I tried to capture something of its door in spite of competing with reflections :)

 Normally, my interest in hats and matching bags would be pretty close to zero on a scale of 1-10, but I was thinking of Smiling Sally when I spotted this in a window.

Our walk home had lots of..

 blues to share with her meme, though the blue I saw in the flowers above, seemed to mutate to purple when I zoomed in.

 World Cup Soccer has been dominating the sports bars for the past few days and..

 we enjoyed the flags in front of The Hurricane near our apartment.  We aren't so good with identifying their countries, though.  I guessed this blue one to be Brazil but have just learned that it represents Argentina.

 As you can see, I had fun playing with the angles..

 and shapes around us.

 Later in the evening, we walked along False Creek.  I think I can safely say there is blue in every shot I took.

The owners of this 16-year-old dog had walked on so far ahead that we worried he was lost. He had quite a bad skin infection, but was engaged and quite determined to follow me.  Just a rough guess that the smell of treats in my pocket had something to do with that, though I didn't give any until we finally located his humans.  Bill and I were critical of this dog's care, but I will say he appeared to be enjoying life mightily.

 We watched this robin for a while, though my small lens was not the best choice for capturing his/her busy travels from tree to grass to fence, many times repeated .  (blue fence railing at the bottom of the photo)

 Bill had never seen a tide this high at False Creek.. 

and I had only seen the water..

 rise above the steps (three very deep ones) once before.

 We let Black Jack have a little run..

 that she mightily enjoyed, as always.

 The tide was the topic of interest for people..

and for their dogs as well.

 We worried this one would fall over those deep steps but s/he..

 was very clever in feeling her way..

 to the edge..

 and no.. 

further.

 It was hard to know which beauty..

 to capture first..

 but Bill and Black Jack were..

 easy winners.

 Bill took his hat off..

 and Black Jack was all too happy..

 to model it..

for us.

 I would have ended the post right here..

 but that would have disappointed Bill, 

 who has been insisting more and more lately that I share modelling duties.  Since he was generous enough to allow me to wear his jacket too, I cooperated.

 One last shot to give the flavour of a colourful evening, and I will bid you a Happy Blue Monday.  Thank you so much for stopping by!