Another Blue Monday!

The first photos in my post today are of the sculpture that I always think of as the "mermaid" one, though you can see by this info that its title contains no reference at all to mermaids.  It was not the first photo-op that struck us as we biked around Vancouver's Stanley Park seawall yesterday, 

but the striking blue of the water makes it the most deserving of appearing on Smiling Sally's Blue Monday meme.  I began by trying to follow the photography instructions,

 and then walked to the other side..

 for a different angle.  Both Bill and I were struck, yesterday, by the tide's unusual motion.

Now, I'll back up a bit to show you the rest of our day.  I don't know if these fellows would call themselves Parkour athletes, but I find it very hard to pass by any opportunity for an action shot and their glee was absolutely infectious.  (I have no idea why that line appears down the centre of the photo.  It does not show up in the full screen view on my laptop.)  

You can see that the gentleman on the left is looking a bit concerned.  I'm not sure if he was worried for the flowers or for the young men.

 As much as I love to watch athletic talent, I do think about the wear and tear on young bodies.  I am paying now with some arthritis in one knee, because of the addiction that I had for many years to running.  

 I hope these young men will be smarter than I was, and remind themselves once in a while..

 that it would be great if their bodies continued to serve them well for a full lifetime of fun.

I admit that I didn't worry for the flowers.  These athletes were really good!  Sadly, I missed the follow-up to this shot, but it was successful.

 I love this photo because it gives you the straight-on view.  If I remember correctly, the gentleman did not jump the flowers this time, but took a run, did the flip, 

 and then rolled into the grass.

These antics were being accompanied by a fun duet on a nearby piano, part of Vancouver's Keys to the Streets program. 

 Bill and Black Jack enjoyed the athletes as well, but we finally tore ourselves away.

 Continuing around the seawall, I rushed to get my camera out for a photo of these horses, 

 but managed only a shot from behind :)  What you do get here is an idea of the arrangement that accommodates vehicles, horses, and bikes.  There is a pedestrian path on the right side that is down a small embankment.  However many pedestrians must cross this road, 

 as there is a lot of action on the other side of it as well.  We stopped to see this cricket game.  It would have been a first for me, but as with the horses, I was a little too late.  They literally gathered their equipment and headed to the bar-b-q site just as I arrived.

 That turned out to be okay because we happened on a totem pole site that I had never really examined in depth before.

 My first thought was that there was wonderful aqua-blue around the eyes.

My next thought was the beautiful arms at the bottom of another pole.  I thought of my sister.  When we want to comfort each other or remind each other how much we care, even from a distance (Ottawa to Vancouver feels so far, sometimes.), we use an expression "arms wrapped around you" as a way of expressing that.  

 I learned from this sign that "the giantess dzunukwa sits at the base of pole, symbolizing her central role in bringing magic and wealth to her people.  I feel there is a lot of magic and wealth (the non-material kind) in my life with Bill and I know there is a lot of it in my sister's life as well.  Perhaps, dzunukwa has been sending her vibes further than we realize :) 

I was drawn to this eagle, the blue sky behind it, 

 and then to the bird nest in the mouth of the whale (lower part of the photo).

 Bill posed to give a certain perspective (though you will see from other photos that perspective frequently tricks us) and then we walked back to our bikes that were locked together on the other side of the road.

 As we came to the road, we saw a gathering and learned that a young girl pedestrian and an older gentleman cyclist had collided.  I took the photo because it serves as a reminder that there are many vacationers and many modes of transportation around the seawall.  It is not a place for speeders.  With all of us looking out for each other (and most do), accidents can be avoided. The gentleman took quite a while to recover, but no amount of encouragement would convince him to get checked out at a hospital, and in the end, he was able to shakily mount his bike and continue on his way.  I hope he is okay today.  I wish he had been wearing a helmet.  I am not someone who enjoys a good lecture, but sometimes, safety reminders can save us some serious setbacks.

Black Jack waited while people did their best to help the gentleman.  Her little foot dangling comfortably over the edge of the basket made me smile, but I wasn't fooled.  Her gaze..

 was into the trees nearby.  She was pretty sure there were hidden critters and I'm pretty sure she was right :)

 It was at this point that we stopped to photograph "Girl in a Wetsuit" (photos at the beginning). You can see the Lions Gate Bridge, as well as a nice little lookout point with benches for those who care to sit and rest a while.

 I love this shot of Bill and Black Jack!  We were about to continue when Bill heard horses.  He knew I had been a bit sorry not to have captured the ones earlier, so he did his best to help me get the camera set up.  My lens was a bit large for the job, and two..

 motorcycles preceded the horses.  In fact, 

 I love the way these turned out, and I did manage..

 to get a rather nice close-up of the horses as well.

 Bill suddenly noticed that there were two bridal gowns in the carriage and no males at all.

 That was when we realized we had witness our first marriage celebration of a gay couple.  May they live long and happily together.

 Each day, when we start out on our bikes, I think, "Today, I'll just take one or two photos."  :)  And, each day, it seems there are adventures of note wherever we go.  Check out the beautiful blue eyes of this cormorant.

 Our next stop was just after we had passed under the Lions Gate Bridge.  This huge ocean liner was approaching, 

 that my big lens had to capture in two shots.  We thought it would be interesting to watch it pass under the bridge.  And it was, but first, 

 I took a moment to look at some of the details in just one small section of the ship.

 See what I mean about perspective?

 Here, I feel almost as though I'm on the ship and riding under the bridge too.

 Surely, it will never make it!

I thought about life on the ship, the people who don't see land for days, and the activities like that of this fellow in an apron.  My mother came to mind.  As a young girl, she cooked for her dad and his crew when they lived on their Labrador fishing schooner for six months of every year.  It was a very rough and difficult life.  She hated being taken out of school before final exams each year, and returning after the beginning of the school year in the fall.  It was only when she was in her 60's that she was finally able to complete her high school education by taking night courses.  

 But I digress.  The ship made it, as did a..

 helicopter, and the skies stayed about as blue as any sky could be.

 Bill and Black Jack watched while I lay back on the cement border of the seawall and looked up to catch..

 some shots of the top of the wall..

 and angled my big lens just enough to get Black Jack under the bridge (sort of). 

 Bless Bill's heart for his patience,  

 his beautiful smile..

 and the love in his (blue) eyes!

 Five cormorants..

 against more blue..

were my final shots of the day.  We finished our happy ride and called it a great day.  Thank you so much for stopping by.  If you have the time, Sally's Blue Monday meme will give you many more blues to celebrate.  Happy Monday to each one of you!