Gratitude and heartfelt thoughts!

News stories this morning of services in Normandy to commemorate the D-Day Battle, even as the city of Moncton, New Brunswick is devastated by the killing of three RCMP members and wounding of two others by a young man who remains on the loose, and I am struck by the need to thank those who do (and did) their best while risking their own lives to keep us safe.  It also feels vital to express my love for those close to me and to take some time to remember a good day yesterday.  Most of us get up in the morning expecting to have another day to "get it right" but   sometimes, we don't get that chance.

We looked up, down and all around yesterday, finding joy along the way.   There were some fine fences as well, so I will share my post with two memes, Share the Joy (thank you, Meri) and Fine Fences (thank you, Theresa).

Bill suggested this photo-stop in the West End as we rode our bikes towards the Stanley Park heronry.  It brought back a memory a couple of years back.. 

when we stopped at this very house.. 

because of the beauty it provides so generously.

Black Jack settled into her basket as though riding an easy chair with a great view.

There were a lot of cries and protests coming from the heronry and my too-poor-to-post photo caught a Bald Eagle leaving just as we arrived.  This heron was alert as were..

the young ones in their nests.  

Day to day life is a constant battle for survival, with minute-to-minute pleasures like meals (for the eagles as well as the herons) watched for and celebrated as they happen.  The top knots on young herons remind me of Mohawk haircuts :)  

We left the heronry and walked to the edge of the water by English Bay.  The vista included a pale half moon..

and an Inuksuk, her pirouette position (as described by Bill).. 

evolving to more of a young woman guarding her brood as we walked past her.

Looking back to the Burrard Bridge, I realized I could also see the lower part of the Granville Bridge behind it.  The two bridges seemed to have melted into one.  I thought of fences as well.  The natural ones..

and the manmade ones each serving their purpose to protect and define borders.

At low tide, there was a lot to see..

and smell..

though Black Jack had to be removed sometimes for her own safety.

Bill was kept busy, with never a complaint from either of them when a bit of close-up communication was required :)

Looking up from the beach..

brought a variety..

of shapes, colours and textures.

We took one last look at the water hitting the rocks..

and at a beautiful part of the sea wall across the water that I guess could be called a fence,

before heading back up the path to the bike route.

I had put my camera way, and Black Jack was reinstated in her basket when herons..

seemed determined..

to entice us to stay a bit longer.

I pulled my camera back out of my bag and Bill steadied Black Jack, while the herons disappeared again.  I decided to count to 200.  If no more herons in that time, we would be on our way.  In that time I admired seagulls, shadows and fences..

and finally, with about 30 seconds to go, 

a lovely heron..

floated by.  Happy with those sightings, I put my camera way again.  Almost immediately, a Bald Eagle came by, surrounded by seven or eight crows, but we knew that wasn't an event likely to be repeated before dark.  We rode homeward, enjoying sun, perfect temperatures and one stop in a big grassy area where Black Jack could run to her heart's content. The camera remained in its bag for that one, but the memory of the fun is still clear this morning.

After supper, as Bill was reading to me, we both noticed a pink tinge in the sky.

I walked onto the balcony and caught the light reflected in this building, but could see that..

a trip up the elevator to the look-out at the top of our building (10th floor) would give us..

a view that shouldn't be missed.

We took pictures of each other,

and were happy.

"Can you get the view in behind me?" Bill asked, and I tried my best in fading light.

I love his expression and Black Jack's contentment in this one.

I thought of the many perspectives and thoughts happening across the city, in boats,

apartments, and..

in stores and business.  Across the land, I knew there were people just beginning to come to terms with the fact that their lives would never be the same again..

but for this moment, Bill, Black Jack and my other loved family members were safe.  No better time than this to say thank you to those who have contributed to that, and to offer my deepest and most heartfelt thoughts to those who are suffering.  My thanks goes out as well to those who allow time in their lives for me to share my days with them.  Your visits here bring your worlds into mine and are so very much appreciated!