My World for "Our World Tuesday"

We rode over the Burrard Bridge last night to see a late showing of  The Theory of Everything.  On the way home, we stopped at the top of the bridge to take some photos.  It was after midnight, and there were only specs of light over the city and over False Creek.  We could barely make out the Granville Bridge but Granville Street stood out at the centre and Granville Island at the right was lit up as well.

 I zoomed in on Granville Island and thought we must check out their rather special blue lights that we admire on a rainy trip there some time ago.

Bill and I were both feeling euphoric as the weather was balmy and the rain that has stuck with us for a few days had finally stopped.

I have to add that Bill was in fine form.  Though I was still huffing and puffing from trying to catch him on the bridge, he had lots of energy to clown around.  I've saved some of the photos for Theresa's Good Fences meme on Thursday but here's a taste of his antics.

The movie is well worth seeing.  Many will know a lot of the facts of Stephen Hawking's life, but in fact, I learned a great deal about his family and even gained a glimmer of understanding about his search for a single theory to explain, as noted in the title, pretty much everything.  The acting was absolutely stellar!  Eddie Redmayne is nominated for an Oscar as Stephen Hawking (he's in the back on the bicycle)..

but Felicity Jones was spectacular as well in her role as his wife.

I'll leave it at that, so as not to spoil the movie for you, except to add that one could never imagine so much could be conveyed through a tiny muscle of the eye, and I also found this quote by Stephen Hawking that is still resonating in my mind this morning: "There should be no boundaries to human endeavor. We are all different. However bad life may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at. While there's life, there is hope."

The rest of the photos here were taken on Monday morning.  I looked over our balcony,

at happy children back for their first day of school after the holiday.

I love that we live across the street from a park and an elementary school.  Here, the kids are running back to class as the bell has rung and break time is over. You can see the bike and walking lanes behind them, and the water of False Creek in the background.

The crows were gathered in huge numbers (just a few of them shown here) in the soggy field, perhaps eating worms? 

There are only a few seagulls around lately.  Still no sign of Tupper.  It has been months; I'm clinging to the hope she flew south for the winter season and may return in the Spring).  I did catch this one coming in..

for a landing.

In the afternoon, we walked to the recycling depot (more about that another time as I have questions to ask those of you in other cities and countries) and then up Richards Street to Harrison Galleries.  On the way, we stopped to watch the construction of what we believe will be two new high-rises.

I have become as interested as Bill in looking at the construction process.

Suddenly, I realized I was seeing reflections,

but there was something different about them.

Then, we noticed a really, really strong smell of oil,

and Bill guessed that the diggers must have struck an oil tank, perhaps one that hadn't..

been emptied before the old buildings (that we think included an auto-repair shop) were demolished.

I couldn't get over that we could see the Grace Building (blogged about in previous post) clearly in the oily reflection.

There was a tangle of rebars,

that Bill guessed were very, very old.  Rather sobering, sometimes, to think what lies under those of us who live in high-rises. 

The construction people had built a berm to contain the oil..

in one area, I guess so that it can be siphoned out safely.

A mother and her little boy were looking through the fence as well.

I'm thinking the little boy was imagining driving one of those big machines.  I wonder what they talked about as they looked down into that pit.

Here's a closer look at the efforts to contain..

the spill.

We walked on, passing the Grace Building, so here's the right-side-up view at street level,

and a little of the towers above the gate.

A bit further up Richards Street, I admired this chair on someone's balcony,

and then, a reader in Emory Barnes Park.  There was a light rain, and I wondered..

if the damp had reached his bones, or if he was so engrossed in his book that he didn't feel it.  (I hope so.)

Bill spotted two ducks in the fountain at the back of the park.

I wonder if they are the same pair that we saw last summer, and whether..

a new family of little Mallards are in the offing.

There you have some of the events and thoughts in my world the past couple of days.  You can read about the worlds of many more people in countries and cities across the world by checking out the meme Our World Tuesday.  Many thanks to Arija,  Gattina, Lady Fi,  Sylvia, Sandy and Jennifer, the wonderful volunteers who host the meme and thus bring our lives in touch with each other.  A very happy Tuesday to them and to each one of you!