Some blues for Smiling Sally on Monday

The weather in Vancouver is rainy this morning, but I'm not complaining.  We have enjoyed months of sunshine.  Besides, Smiling Sally's Blue Monday meme will easily obliterate any possible gloom that might want to creep into the day.  This post divides into a "blue" and a "non-blue" section for those with limited time.  Many thanks to Sally for hosting!

I saved these hydrangea photos from our walk in Stanley Park on Friday.  Sally's father used to grow them;  I always think of him when I see them now.  Here is the close-up view..

and a zoomed-out one.  I was surprised to find hydrangea blooms as summer comes to an end. Are they not a Spring flower?

I took this during a late-night walk on Saturday.  This window was at the top of a very tall high-rise.  I don't normally take pictures through people's windows, but the blue light really sparked my curiosity.  The lights seemed to be on a small tree in a study or work space.

The same walk also brought a bit of blue over False Creek.

Yesterday, our bike ride took us to Canada Place and along the harbour to Stanley Park.  We have taken this same route many times, but Bill noticed this globe in the window of a very tall building for the first time.  The sun was bright and building reflections came through.. 

as well.  We plan to go back one day when I have my small lens.  Perhaps, we'll be able to go inside to see the globe more clearly.  We both thought it was beautiful.

 Bill In his blue shirt) waited with a very alert Black Jack (and her blue towel) while I took the photos.  Our next stop was in the..

 Stanley Park gardens.  These were only a few blue flowers yesterday.  

 From there, we rode to Beaver Lake, locked the bikes and walked around the pond.  There weren't many blues, but Bill and Black Jack posed on a little bridge.

 Black Jack loves this walk.  Actually, I would say she was hyper-alert for the entire ride and for the entire walk yesterday.  She loves to be lifted for access to different smells and sights.

 We retraced our route as the sun was setting.  I loved the small puffs of cloud in blue skies, and the warm light over the marina.

I am still using the 300 mm while the small lens undergoes repairs.  That was a bit frustrating yesterday as the vistas were spectacular.  Here's a closer view of the cotton puff clouds.

 A fishing boat came in, and with it, a couple of seals hoping for hand-outs.  This one poked his/her head up to see what was available.

 This second one did some adorable..

 roll-overs.  I see (or perhaps imagine?) pale blues in his/her belly. 

 And back to the first one, with sunlight bringing out some details in the flippers,

  soft eyes and whiskers. 

If you came here for the blues, this would make a good point to stop reading and head on over to Sally's meme.  If you have a bit of extra time, here are a few of the other sights we saw yesterday.  The cruise ship as we arrived at Canada Place was perhaps the biggest..

 we have seen yet.

 There did seem to be a tiny bit of blue just over the ship's name.  I wonder if that would be the dining hall, with tables set for dinner.

 The gardens..

 in Stanley Park..

 are still beautiful.. 

at the end of summer.

 I love the huge leaves,

 the shades of pink, mauve and purple..

 and the odd bloom that seems to climb high above the others.

This link tells a fascinating story about the sculpture below, a memorial to U.S. President Warren Harding.  I noticed it for the first time yesterday.  His visit in July of 1923 marked the first time a sitting U.S. President came to Canada and Vancouverites flocked to hear him speak, thrilled that he had chosen their city.  He felt ill while playing golf and called for the White House homeopath.  I guess his worries were calmed because he continued on to San Francisco after that, but died there, exactly a week after leaving Vancouver. I zoomed in..

for the above view and then out again to show you how it appeared to me yesterday.  We didn't walk over to see it more closely. Perhaps, we'll do that next time.

 As for Beaver Lake, the setting sun highlighted warm textures in the lily pads and greenery.

 Bill spotted this frog and I was thrilled to capture a portion of it in amongst the underbrush.  As Bill remarked, they really do have eyes in the back of their head :)

 There were a few spots of vibrant colour..

 and a beautiful web with the spider perhaps working on renovations.

 Black Jack, as mentioned above, was hyper alert.

 She thought every square inch of territory deserved her thorough exploration.

 Bill observed that if I lined things up just right, I would be able to give..

 this Wood Duck a lovely Easter bonnet.  (It took some time time but I finally did it..  sort-of.)

 A couple of..

 reflection shots,

 one dear little frog on a lily pad (pointed out by a passer-by),

 and then we headed back to our locked bikes.  The sun caught these leaves just as Bill was getting us organized for the ride home. 

 We stopped by Canada Place to check out the seals (blue portion of the post) and the glitter in the distance..

 as the sun bounced off shiny buildings.  That was our day, another good one.  Thanks for stopping by.  A very happy "blue" Monday to you!