Tuesday 30 jun walk

Today Virginia, Deborah & I went for our Tuesday walk & I (Laurette) decide to do Hastings Park and Coliseum walk from Vancouver Parks Board. It was a good choice .

http://vancouver.ca/parks/activecommunity/walks.htm

We left the Library & walked down to Hastings St & caught the bus to Hastings community Centre. Right across the street is this park. As well next to it is Playland & PNE grounds. We walked following the info on the pamphlet we had. It was a nice day & great discovery for all 3 of us. So unusual to find this little gem. Hasting street is a very busy street & all of a sudden you are in this sanctuary!!! As if you are out in the country not in the city.

It was fun to see families with small children having a great time in the water fountains. Oh to be young again & even bare bottom as we saw, lol.

We also saw the house from the outside only as it was fenced in, that will be the home show prize this August.

http://www.pne.ca/pneprizehome/index.htm

Afterwards we left the park & headed west on Hastings & then caught a bus. Deborah left us for home as she was tired & Virginia & I stayed on the bus as it was going to Kerrisdale & wandered around there.

Below are my pics of what we saw & description.

The Sanctuary at Hastings Park
The Sanctuary, located across the street on Hastings
Park, overflows with greenery and bird calls. Its main
feature is the day lighting of a stream that had been
contained in an underground culvert for more than
50 years.

The Opera Walkway has intricate stone carvings
that decorate the walls and flank the unique water
features. The carvings tell the story of Italy’s love for
opera.

The fountains and channels of the unique water
feature add delicious sounds to the garden

This was in the children's plaza below & the poem was done in braille as well.

The Momiji Japanese Garden provides another garden
style. After having experienced the urban nature of
the Sanctuary and the formal gardens of Il Giardino
Italiano, this garden offers a more subtly disciplined
choice of plantings, shading, placement and elevations.

New Senior Co-Ordinator

This is Lisa Patek who is replacing Michelle who was replacing Anne
We wish her all the best & hope she enjoys us.
We wish Michelle all the best.

Recipe

At the last potluck one of our ladies had brought this to the lunch & there was a few request for it. She has divulged her secret recipe ;)

Deborah's Turkey and Almond Salad

2 cups turkey or chicken, coarsely chopped (I used turkey breast.)

1/3 cup toasted almonds, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup diced celery

1/3 cup mayonnaise

juice of half a large lemon (or more, if desired)

1 envelope powdered Italian dressing (Club House, from the Superstore)

Cycling Club 55+

Well we are still going cycling on Monday's Jack & Me (Laurette). We are looking for more 55+ persons to join us. I am not saying Seniors cause it is all in the mind! Jack is 80+ & I am 55+. We are both very active & Jack is in great shape & not dwindled at all. We take breaks for the bathroom & rest half way on our trip.
Today my friend Bruce joined us & was great time by all.
We normally leave 1015-1030 am & back by 130-2pm the latest.
Today just getting close to home we stopped at Fujiya Japanese grocery store near my home.
http://www.fujiya.ca/ Inexpensive lunch from 2.95, you can't go wrong.
Hope to see more people join us & contact the centre & leave a message for Laurette to call you for info on our rides.
Today we did from my home (near centre) to Stanley park.

Walking Club 27 June

This day brought Marilyn and her brother Ken, Helga, Flora, Linda and me (Virginia) together at Britannia Seniors Centre where we plotted our trek for the day. We set out on the #20 Downtown bus and transferred to the #250 bus at the Georgia Street bus stop in front of the Bay heading to West Vancouver through Stanley Park and over the Lions Gate Bridge. The view out to sea, to the North Shore Mountains and east beyond Burrard Inlet is spectacular.

Two stops past Park Royal Mall we got off at the entrance to Ambleside Park, taking a few minutes for a pit stop at the service station. A block off Marine Drive, we entered the park and chose to walk east along the pathway that divides the parkland from the beach. The day was balmy, slightly overcast but with enough sunshine to change the colour of my exposed skin to a light red (of which I wasn't aware until I got home). I had forgotten to apply sun screen.

Our first item of interest was a tall totem-like figure on a rocky spit facing west toward the Pacific Ocean. The 10' tall figure is mounted on a high cement base and carved from red cedar, it's arms extended outward. According to a plaque at the base of the statue, this is a Squamish Nation welcoming figure "with open arms to all who pass our shores". The figure was raised at the first K'aya'chin (gathering) of ocean canoes. The Squamish Nation dedicated the figure to the citizens of West Vancouver on July 25, 2001. The carver was Sekwilm Siyam Siutl', assisted by Stan Josef, Jr., Wesley Nahanee and William Nahanee, the project being sponsored by the District of West Vancouver and Ledcor Industries.

Further along, towards the towering Lions Gate bridge, is a large open wrought iron sculpture on a base built like a planter 4' high, about 15' long, covered in different coloured bricks to represent a large rectangular basket. The top of the sculpture represents the two peaks known to most of us as the Lions and to First Nations people as the Two Sisters. Below and between the peaks is the head of a thunder bird flanked by two upright paddles, with the prow and stern of a dugout canoe showing at the sides. The artist is Xwa Iack tum (Rick Harry) of Squamish Nation and the sculpture is dedicated to the ancestors of Ch'tl'am, the Squamish Nation, and the citizens of West Vancouver . Below is Rich Harry
The warm day drew people outdoors, walking their dogs, sunbathing on the warm sand, and picnicking in the park. With other walkers, we followed the broad paved pathway, taking a side trail around a small lake, to the end of the completed path. Beyond that, our walk took us through a rough broad strip under construction to extend the pathway along the river to the back of Park Royal Mall. At the mall, we stopped in the food fair for Quizno's famous broiled bunwiches.
After lunch, Linda and Helga returned home; the rest of us followed the path back to the beach and continued to the first large wharf jutting out from the base foot of 17Th Street. In a small park at the wharf, several artists were sitting at easels working on paintings. Other paintings were lined up along the hedge surrounding the property. In the centre, a plain two-storey building, bearing a sign "Ferry Building Art Gallery", sits primly behind a small plaza surrounded by rosebushes in full bloom. In the 1930's before the Lions Gate Bridge was constructed, the only access from Vancouver to West Vancouver was by the 17Th Street ferry which operated from the early 1930's and continued until 1947, even though the bridge was built and in use from 1939. The ferry must have been a popular means of passage, perhaps even faster than by the bridge, or the people were not ready for that rigged giant spanning the entrance to the main harbour.
The next time we go to West Vancouver, we will continue the walk from Ambleside Park west to Dundareve and stop at one of the many small home-style cafes for refreshments. Many shops line Marine Drive through Dundareve and Ambleside, offering a charming village atmosphere for an afternoon of shopping and tea.
Until next Saturday, Happy Canada Day!
Contributor Virginia

Walking Club Tues. 23 Jun

Well today we headed out to Killarney & wanted to do this walk I had found on the site of Van. Parks board. http://vancouver.ca/parks/activecommunity/walks.htm Well I must say we were disappointed with it. We had the nice glossy pamphlet but I swear these people who put this things out don't research it well or make it more user friendly. After awhile of trying to follow the map/brochure & making one wrong turn we gave up & got to a bus & made our way to the Skytrain. We took it & got off next stop at Nanamio & walked to Virginia's home for a break & then went over to Trout lake for the Aboriginal Day. There was lot of people, free entertainment & food if you want to stand in a line for over an hour. We opted to purchase a piece of homemade apple pie.
From Nanamio station we walked along the cycle/path route foloowing the skytrain route & discovered new things like a small Plaza/archway dedicated to the Filipino community. Also the new community gardens near Commercial & Victoria intersection. They have planted fruit trees as well park benches at the gardens. Cedar Cottage Community Garden
This is one thing that is sprouting up all over the city is commmunity gardens.
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/socialplanning/initiatives/foodpolicy/projects/gardencurrent.htm
But all in all we got out, walked, socialized & made the best of a great day!
as well walks can be planned using this gardens to visit.
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/socialplanning/initiatives/foodpolicy/projects/gardenwalks.htm#tours
The first 2 pics were of people's front gardens. We loved the shrub with the twisted trunk.

These boats were in Trout Lake

Robin's Pharamcy

This is a new pharmacy in the neighborhood on the corner of Veneables St & Commercial drive.

Check it out please as they offer resonable prices & have been told that they deliver thru the day, offer 55+ a discount, their fees for dispensing is lower than large Pharmacies. Their prices are comparable, have monthly specials

These guys volunteer in our community.

June 19th Volunteer Lunch

Friday they combined the lunch at the Lion's Den with Fathers day & thanking the volunteers at both the Lion's & Al Mattison lounge. It was a nice luncheon & great music as well. Great to get together with old friends before the summer begins & just to chat with.
I wish to say that not all my pics came out great as I was trying not to use a flash & as well most people were moving too much instead of getting them to stand still. So I apologize in advance.
As well I can't recall everyone's name, so bare with me. You know who is who anyways, lol ;).

Special cake for us & it was great.

This gentleman above is Jack Ickringill, has received in the past lifetime membership pin of the Lion's Club of Vancouver.

Virginia here is singing my praises, lol. Probably hoping for more of my soup soon. That is me (Laurette) with Carolynn.

Debroah in blue & Ceclia below

Linda in Green who won the 50/50 draw., Mimi below in soft blue sweater

course Norman below.

Jack below

Lovely Irene with Carolynne

Trudi-Ann with Coco who volunteers as well. She is certified as a dog well trained who just wants to be loved & loves back, sweet gal, the dog I mean, ha ha

JUNE 20 Waling special day

This day was designated as the inaugural for the City Walking Program at Britannia Community Centre. Besides the regular Saturday seniors walking group, about twenty other people joined in, including a young mother with her toddler in a stroller, a couple pulling a wagon with their six-year old daughter, and several people who had previously moved out of the area but came back because they enjoy being here.
The walk was previously designed at Britannia Centre and published in a pamphlet entitled "Britannia Community Arts Walking Tour" mapped out as the South Grandview Woodlands Walk. The walk is about 3.5 km and starts at Napier Street heading south on Commercial Drive to Graveley, where a bright mural adorns the side of Norman's Market.
The walk continues south along Victoria Drive to the art tiles on the outside wall at Victoria Elementary School. The tile project, headed by Blake Williams, was completed by students in May 1998 as a City of Vancouver Community Art Project . The remainder of the long south wall contains an undersea mural in dark blue featuring sea creatures and corals, also painted by the students.
At East 6Th Avenue, we turned west to enjoy the well-maintained older homes and gardens. My favourite feature was the "hairy" trees. These are huge trees that grow over the street creating a canopy and the lower trunks are covered in short fine-leafed branches down to the ground. The gardens along the boulevard spill over onto the sidewalk in colourful blooms amid a variety of leafy shrubs.
Across Commercial Drive, we headed to Woodlands Elementary School to admire the First Nations open pavilion inspired by the Musqueam traditional longhouse, decorated in relief designs of various animal and bird symbols. The side wall of the school is painted in a moving ocean motif with large sea mammals. A large map of North America is painted on the open cement area.
We followed Woodlands Street to McLean & Charles where a small park is decorated in commemorative bricks and tile pictures in the shape of a creek running down the slight grade. Over 500 people worked on the intricate tile designs. The park was dedicated to the "mosaic of volunteers and residents whose vision, initiative and energy has created this beautiful place" - a celebration of the variety of ethnic citizens living in the area.
On our return to Napier Plaza, we were entertained by a 3-piece band playing reggae music. Fresh apples, oranges and bananas were available to refresh our palates. Ian, who works at Britannia as a food security employee, was making fruit smoothies with yogurt for the thirsty walkers. Draws for monthly passes were made: Linda and Lorna were among the lucky winners. Invitations to join walking groups were available at two tables and many participants signed pledges to increase their activities and healthy eating.
In spite of a few moments of rain splatters, the weather was calm and pleasant for this very successful day.
Contributor Virginia

Jun 18 BBQ Al Mattison Lounge

Tonight was our BBQ with Michelle as the Chef. It was a great time by all. Michelle is a vegetarian but BBQ meat for us. She is a good sport & this is her last week with us all. We will miss her though she will be still teaching computer classes.