Share the Joy, Thursday

Meri's Share the Joy Thursday meme feels like the perfect place to express some of the things that made me happy yesterday.  

Here are the ones without photos:

1.Bill referred to this blog as "our" blog.  

2.We solved a crossword in record time and we also sat down together to study some tips for solving Sudoku puzzles at this excellent site.  My brain felt "Goldilocks" stretched, as Bill would say.  Not too much, not too little.  Just right.  

3. We decided to stop reading "The Dogs Are Eating Them Now" after making it through 79% (according to our Kindle) of Graeme Smith's account of Canada's role in Afghanistan.  This review claims it to be required reading and we did our best, reading short bits aloud to each other (actually, Bill did most of the reading) in the evenings for well over the past month.  In the end, we feel we have gained about as much knowledge about that situation as we can handle.  It wasn't the horror that did us in, though many of the scenes were the stuff of nightmares.  It was the writing style.  A quote from the same review is interesting to me this morning, as it pretty much echoes the words Bill spoke last night.  He hit the nail on the head when he said the writing was at its best when Graeme Smith described events witnessed rather than relayed through interviews.  Here's the quote from the review: "Perhaps because it attempts to fit several years in a few hundred pages, the narrative is desultory (in this way resembling the Canadian mission itself)."  I looked up the word "desultory" to be sure I understood it perfectly.  Yes, Bill, you were right.  You said the writing wasn't compelling and now I can articulate in my mind why that was, and thus stop feeling guilty for agreeing with you :)

And an aside: Does anyone have a suggestion for a lighter read with substance and some laughter too?

And the good times recorded in photos:

Our bike ride to the beach and playtime with Black Jack was fun, even though she was so obsessed with potential critters under the rocks, it took a superhuman effort to distract her.   

 Bill spotted these cormorants.  I've been watching the local cormorants for a few years now, but only in the past month or so, noticed such large numbers flying in formation. 

Black Jack's little body is quite a sight when every ounce of it is motivated by the hunt.  We don't dare let her free in these situations, but I like to think her ever-hopefulness is satisfying:)

We moved further up the beach, dragging Black Jack with us, until she finally began to notice we were alive.  I loved this little set up, complete with bridge, in the sand.

Black Jack needed to let off some steam, and I thought this log might give her a chance to focus on something other than critters.

 She loved the run, 

but couldn't see the point of jumping..

 when it was clearly easier..

 to go around.

 On the next run, 

 she tried the other side of the log, 

 where its height..

  was less daunting.

 All in all, a good run and a happy dog.

With darkness falling, I was surprised that the colours..

around us..

 came through quite nicely.

 We decided to move up to the walking path, and Bill did a great..

 mountain-climbing act, 

 though the ascent was fairly negligible :)

 This "Lassie" dog actually had another name (that I've sadly forgotten), but his human..

kindly allowed me a few photos and I loved the chance to interact with such a sweet dog.  

The TV show, Lassie, was my first exposure to collies and each sighting of one brings joy.

Black Jack dragged me down to the edge of the beach for one final..

rock investigation.  Back up to the..

 walking path once more, I happened to catch this  sequence.

Bill brings water for Black Jack on our outings, but she uses a small dish.

 It takes a certain amount of ingenuity for a dog (and perhaps a multitasking human)..

to figure out the most efficient.. 

 way of hydrating

 after exercise.

 Black Jack and Bill sat on a picnic table, and I joined them..

 after taking a few photos..

 of the pinkish light.

I was touched by the inscription on the table.  The one Bill sat at told of a young man who died shortly before his 40th birthday, and that was sad, but it was also heartwarming to think of his happy moments looking over the same view we were enjoying.  I couldn't get my big lens to catch the inscription for him, but it finally managed to take in part of this one from a neighbouring table.  I put together a beautiful story in my mind of the life Margaret (1917-2004) and Ted (1913-2003) had together.  Both babies in WW1, both young adults through WW2, they went on to live a very long life together. I know you can't read the inscription and I haven't been able to find any more info about them, but learning that they raised 11 children and enjoyed some wonderful times at English Bay left me touched and appreciative that someone had chosen to mark their lives in this simple but beautiful way.

 With the moon now providing most of the light (high iso so very grainy shot), 

 we headed home, stopping just once for a couple of reflection shots over False Creek,

 There's the ferry that often takes our bikes, as it crosses through paths of colour.

 And a flash of red to end on a bright note :)  Thanks, Meri, for giving me a space to share the small joys.  And thanks, as always, to you for stopping by.  Happy Thursday!