spring

Even old trees like to put on a little glam for Spring

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Thursday Challenge

Next Week: BEAUTIFUL (Attactive, Wonderful Colors, Hair, Smile,...)

complex

Mossy floor

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Thursday Challenge

Next Week: SPRING (New Life, Green, Melting Snow, Pleasant Weather,...)

that's more like it! (#367-377 of 1000 gifts)

It got as high as 15 C last week! (which is 59-ish for you Fahrenheiters). That's more like it! It appears that Spring is getting the message.

Other gifts from the week that was:

368. There's a pink blush on the trees that greet us as we enter our townhouse complex...

369. ...and daffodils...

370. ...and these nameless flowers on our walk.

371. I had a fun evening with poetry friends. (How do you like our website? I'm the techie who set it all up!)

372. A fellow-writer gave me a tip and a sample.


373. Geese honking from the roof of the spring-break-deserted school, as if to say, "In case you didn't know, we're in charge here this week."

374. New online friends met through Twitter, blog memes and Mr. Linkies.

375. Some excellent curling courtesy Canada' s entry into the Women's World Cup. Amber Holland & Co. - we love you! Congratulations for bringing home the SILVER!!

376. An inspiring book about a neurosurgeon who prays for his patients. (Gray Matter by David Levy and Joel Kilpatrick was a free Kindle download a few weeks ago. Wonderful read!)

377. A lovely Sunday walk where my camera kept tugging to all the moss.

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If you'd like to join me and many others collecting One Thousand Gifts, please do. Some members of this gratefulness community post their gifts on blogs, while others list them in private journals. Instructions on how to join are here.

february green (293-304 of 1000 gifts)

After the deep freeze of Saskatchewan, I found much to appreciate this week in the ever-dripping climate of southwest B.C. There was also much to like at our church's ladies retreat (one hundred and fifty-some of us gathered at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa for pampering, mountains of food, worship, and spiritual inspiration via Cheryl Koop).

And now it's back to a week of real life. Some of the blessings of the week just past:


293. The warm, damp climate of home.

294. Facebook for family togetherness.

295. The tranquility of my home.

296. An incredibly good bowl of broccoli soup.

297. Retreating with the church ladies in a jewel of a setting.

298. A hotel room overlooking the lake.

299. Friends who save you spots.

300. Green.

301. More green.

302. Still more green.

303. Communion with "sisters."

304. The internet - making international errands easy to run.

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If you'd like to join me and many others collecting One Thousand Gifts, please do. Some members of this gratefulness community post their gifts on blogs, while others list them in private journals. Instructions on how to join are here.

armchair travelogue - harrison hot springs

On Saturday we went for a drive to Harrison Hot Springs. It's a town in the eastern Fraser Valley between Chilliwack and Hope that sits on the edge of Harrison Lake.

(click on any picture to enlarge)

It was a beautiful day of still water and clear, sunny skies. This view shows the lake from the walk way that goes around the swimming lagoon.

The water looks pristine and cold.

Looking  the other way, we see the apartment buildings of downtown. The water in the swimming lagoon seems very low compared to what it has looked like other times.

We circle around, past the big Harrison Hot Springs Hotel  down a gravel path that follows the lake for a distance.

 Looking up into the trees, one gets a glimpse of moss-covered branches, rocks and trailing ferns all flourishing under a canopy of cedar boughs -- a collage of textures in green.

 The path takes us to the old bath house.

 This sign explains the origins of Harrison Hot Springs.

 Looking into the deserted bathhouse part, it's always steamy.

 Walking back toward town, we pass blackberries in bloom against the scenic lake.

Hubby and I have tasty burgers and fries at restaurant along the lakefront street for lunch. Then it's off to explore some of the stores. For example, we come upon Antique Gifts & Things Chintz - a shop to delight the heart of any collector of china or chintz.

The friendly proprietor talks to us of his collections.He tells us what we see here is only a fraction of what he owns of china collectibles. Oh my! (Thank goodness I'm not into that or this place would have been irresistible!)

The town has many of wood carvings similar to this one.

Tired of walking, we decide to take a sentimental drive out to Hicks Lake. It's in Sasquatch Park - a provincial park where we spent some lovely weekends with the tent trailer when the kids were little.

Hicks lake is pretty though for some reason it looks smaller than I remember it. (I haven't grown, have I?)

Then it's back to town for one last treat -- a Snickers sundae at Baskin & Robbins. I figure this sign on a nearby store expresses perfectly the proper attitude toward such indulgences.