Our World on Monday

I'm posting to Our World Tuesday today, with many thanks to Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy and Jennifer  for hosting.

I'll try to describe the kinds of things in my world that made Monday a good day. 

I rode my bike to UBC for a piano lesson with Bogdan Dulu, who has a way of bringing out little discoveries I hadn't expected to make.  The depression and release of a key as a tactile experience seems like a small thing, so obvious that most would accept that it happens and that would be that.  After all, that is what pianists experience every time they play, but I had never paid attention to the response of the keys in quite that way before.  I hadn't thought, for example, about how much force is required to keep a key depressed once it has been played (very little, so if the lower half of one's finger nails turns white when one is "sitting" on a note, a heck of a lot of energy is being wasted!).  It felt rather like discovering something new and exciting about an old and trusted friend.  This morning, I've come up with a research study, and also discovered a musician with an interesting story somewhat related to that topic.  You can hear Nick Van Bloss perform Beethoven's "Appassionata" Sonata in the video below.  

And since Beethoven has been on my mind lately, I'll share another little discovery that came out of the lesson with Bogdan.  He told me that several years ago, he was fortunate to attend a  theatre performance called 33 Variations.  Though Jane Fonda's performance in it was lauded, and though this play, written and directed by Moisés Kaufman, won several awards, I was completely unaware of its existence.  Here are a few scenes from the play.  I hope one day to see it in its entirety.  

And the bike ride?  Well, the temperatures were balmy and the scenery gorgeous.

There's that Point Grey hill again.  It is still challenging, and still feels like a huge accomplishment when I make it to the top, and it is even more enjoyable on the way home :)

I stopped twice on the way back to Vancouver's Yaletown.  These shots were taken..

from the bike route along Point Grey road, and much closer to sea level.

I leaned my bike against a tree for a few moments, and loved these textures.

Looking over the fence, I watched a happy dog and his human enjoying the beach..

at low tide.

Layers created by mist, mountains and ships were beautiful,..

though I see my eye could have used a bit of iphoto straightening help here :)  

As happens after every single piano lesson, arriving home to share my excitement with Bill was one of the best parts of the day.  We went out almost immediately to catch the sun, and as you can see, there was no mist along Yaletown's False Creek.  Cyclists were stopping to breathe in the Spring air and walkers of every description were out and about.  We were happy to spot Masumi, who just happens to work at our favourite pet supply store. She was out with Bailey, her Beagle, and two other dogs that I didn't recognize.

She told us one of the dogs with her wasn't fully social, so we..

took photos from a distance. 

Masumi had the full attention of two of her charges here, but the little lady in pink kept an eye on Black Jack.

There was a rare moment when all three glanced in our direction,

but it was usually a two out of three (at best) situation.

I love the way the sun outlined Bailey's ears in this shot.

Bill and I continued on our way, soaking in the warmth and good cheer around us.

When we arrived at Harrison Galleries, it was a great surprise to see our friend, Jock, waiting for us.  He knows we'll be there most afternoons and it's always fun to share a few laughs and catch up on the latest news.  His partner, Kitty arrived soon after that (sadly, I didn't take a photo!) and more laughter followed. Just a few of the things that, along with your visits here, bring happiness to my days.  You can read about other days in the lives of people from across the world by checking out the meme, Our World Tuesday.  Thanks so much for stopping by here on your way!