Blue Monday

It's one of those "way-too-many-photos" catch-up posts so just scroll along until something catches your eye, dear readers.  Most (though not quite all) of the pictures have something blue to add to Smiling Sally's Blue Monday meme.  Many thanks to her for hosting!

During our movie-and-midnight-bike-ride on New Year's Eve, I saved one photo of this boat, all lit up in blue, noticed as we gazed over the Burrard Bridge.

This shot was saved from a walk earlier in the week when I admired (from behind a construction-lot fence) BC Place Stadium all lit up in blue.

 During that same walk, Nygard's blue lighting was..

striking as well.

That takes us to this past Friday.  I told you yesterday about our afternoon walk at Beaver Lake, but there was a different sort of fun in the morning when I took the little ferry to meet Mary Putt (Lilee-Jean's grandmother) and her friend, Bev.  They had driven to Vancouver for a get-away-day and I was thrilled to spend some time with them at Granville Island.  One of the first sights to catch their eye was the mural by Os Gemeos, Brazilian artists and identical twins (Otavio and Gustavo Padolfo), part of a multi-city “Giants” series. The one in Vancouver follows up on earlier creations in their native Brazil as well as in Greece, the U.S., Poland, Portugal, England, and the Netherlands.  I have often posted about this but it was such fun to see the work through Mary and Bev's eyes. Though the color blue isn't featured, lots of it can be found. 

 Here is a video that I've shown before but I still find it interesting as you can meet the artists and get a sense of the work (and expense!) that went into this art.  They are riding the same little ferry that I took across False Creek.

I took one more photo to show you that the concrete plant is a working operation. Here, you can see the aggregate going into one of the silos where it will be mixed with water and other materials to form concrete.

Bev loves fashion and she and Mary were in their element in this little shop. Check out that smile!  Trying on hats is not something I do often..  okay, honestly, I can't remember the last time I tried a hat on just for the fun of it, but I could take a lesson or two from Bev..

and Mary.

And, perhaps you have noticed a few of the many blues..

that were featured not only in the hats..

but even in the shop's background colours.

If you look closely at this chandelier, you will see that the crystal picked up bits of blue from the walls and ceiling.

Mary and Bev were like the proverbial kids in a candy shop, and their energy infused me with happiness as well.  Mary looked really sharp in these sunglasses, don't you think?

We finally decided it was time for a coffee, but as we walked to the market, there was no way to ignore this wonderful singer.  Her "happy" vibes seemed to pour from her veins.

I learned that her name is Betty Munsie.  You can listen to her singing "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" in the video below.  She sang one song after the other and we were hooked.  Mary and Bev knew the lyrics to every single one of her songs, and it did my heart good to hear them singing along.  When she began the song, "Da Doo Ron Ron" Mary called out, "Carol, it's your song.  It's about Bill!"  Well, believe it or not, she was right!  I am so grateful to Mary, Bev and Betty for that discovery!  Bill jokes that I must have been on another planet during my years of focus on piano studies.  Somehow, I missed songs (and other stuff) from the 60's that everyone seems to know.  I like to think that life is all the richer now for the pleasures and surprises :)  The next day, Bill and I went to Tom Lee Music Store and bought the piano music.  The lyrics and the mood of that song make me smile every time I think about them, and learning to play it on the piano is just plain joyful.  Here's a small sample from the lyrics.  Any wonder they make me smile? 

I met him on a Monday and my heart stood still..

Somebody told me that his name was Bill

He knew what he was doin' when he caught my eye

He looked so quiet, but my, oh my.

Picked me up at seven and he looked so fine,

Someday soon, I'm gonna make him mine. 

We did finally tear ourselves away to go for coffee, where an impromptu encounter with people from Kelowna who joined us at our table added even more fun to the day.  They had all lived in Montreal (as I did) and we had much to talk about.  Not only did Norman Poch twist balloons into animal shapes in front of our eyes, but he had been a member of McGill University's Savoy Society. Bev loved her orange rabbit,

and I thought the blue parrot was pretty neat as well.  When I finally said good-bye to head home, there was a feeling that life is good..  the hats, the laughter, the music, the conversations with strangers, the friendships..  the small things that were not small at all.

On the ferry trip home, the skies..

the water reflections,

the detail in one of the Os Gemeos silos,

the waves created by passing boats..

and the two bridges photographed through the plastic windows of the ferry all sported blue content.  Boy, was it fun telling Bill about the morning as we ate our lunch!

Then we were off to Beaver Lake.  I posted about that yesterday, but just for Sally, will point out that Mrs. Mallard has the most wonderful patch of blue in her feathers,

and though I showed this Stellar Jay yesterday, here are a couple of saved shots of him..

since his blue coloring is exceptional.

I saved these shots as well, taken during our ride home along Coal Harbour.  The sky..

behind Canada Place was magnificent, and the purple lighting on the sails almost seemed blue.  Right, Sally?

Bill was particularly struck, as well, by the lights on this tanker.

That takes us to Sunday and another outing with many blues and many pleasures.  We attended Jazz Vespers to listen to an amazing performance by Sharon Minemoto and her band at St. Andrew's Wesley.  Before the concert began, I focused in on a couple of small..

sections of the stained-glass windows.

I will do a facebook post about this with more photos later today, but in the meantime, here is André LaChance (string bass) and Jon Bentley (saxophone) listening to him do a solo.

Sharon Minemoto had composed all but two of the songs we heard.  Her musicianship and..

that of the members of the ensemble was just stellar.  I come back to another bass solo by André.  What I love in this photo is the smile on Jon's face.  I think the solos were spread evenly between all four musicians and every single one was a delight.

Bernie Arai on the drums added just the right blend of impressive technique, musical sensitivity and drive to have the audience members dying to do what this..

little girl did.  She was so carried away that she stumbled and fell..

but moments later, was right back up and at it again.  She simply could not sit still..

and everyone understood and loved her exuberance.  

(Photographed with permission from her mother).

After the concert, I realized I didn't have single photo of Bill and Black Jack and that simply couldn't be.  Bill tried to tell Black Jack to look at the camera..

but she was more interested in giving him a great big kiss :)

My plan was not to take any photos on the way home, but these trees with beautiful red lighting called to Bill,

and once the camera was out, some blues in nearby buildings..

had to be noted.

This reflection in shiny pavement,

a sign over a grill and lounge,

and brand new blue lighting over..

a Tim Horton shop were the last photos of the day.  Phew!  I wonder how many of you made it all the way through this post.  If you did, thank you!  If not, there was hopefully at least one photo that brightened your day.  Many thanks, once more, to Sally and to Bill and to all the wonderful people in my life who bring smiles.  Happy Monday to you!