Let this be a lesson

I like a good thrift shop find. In my year of living not in my own house, I do tend to only look at the housewares, the mugs, the pyrex bowls. But a wee bit of yarn can't hurt, right? Easy to carry if I don't knit it up now, not breakable...

This wool/cashmere blend was only $1.99. It was only one ball, but it's easily mixed with something else or used in a giant Westknits melange.

Only one problem:

Chewed to heck by some vermin. Argh!

Queen Elizabeth Park

Yesterday we went to a tried and true Vancouver destination: Queen Elizabeth Park. It is on Little Mountain, so the view is spectacular, and it was a wonderful sunny day.

It has extensive gardens, which are just about to burst forth in spring colours.

On this huge rhododendron bush, one flower was almost out. I had to wait till the person ahead of me had taken her pictures before I could stand in the optimal spot!

We went towards the Small Quarry and saw this sculpture that I hadn't seen before. (...constantly being confused by changes made in the past 40 years...) Apparently it was installed in 1984, which would explain the clothes and the Instamatic camera the photographer is holding.

He is taking pictures of these three people, and whoever else is nearby.

One of the subjects is wearing an aran vest ...

and the photographer also has a cabled sweater on under his corduroy jacket.

Tourists like to mingle with them!

Before we left the park, we went in to the conservatory, a glass dome filled with exotic plants and birds.

There was a display of a dozen of these air plants dangling from sea shells. I am making notes for when I have a space with lots of light! 

They say the weather will get grey again next week, but we have certainly enjoyed the sunshine while we had it. 

Three things on Thursday

I have a variety of cards in my wallet that I didn't have before. Three, as a matter of fact.

1. A Compass card. This is the payment system for the buses. It's easy, you just tap and go, and occasionally remember to look at your account online and add more money. Mine also holds info about the share bikes here. I love the BikeShare in Toronto and use it a lot. These bikes here are suited to the area: more gears, a bit lighter than the Toronto bikes. Two flaws: the seats are made of some foam stuff that stays wet for ages after a rain, and I have come home with a big wet splodge on my backside, not very flattering! And the system doesn't spread over the whole city. I once found myself wanting to drop a bike at 41st Avenue, but the last dock is at 16th! That's quite a nuisance. 
2. A card for the Aquatic Centre. At home I sometimes walk to the end of the block and swim at the Boys' and Girls' Club. They have, I now realize, a kid-sized pool. The Aquatic Centre has a 50-meter pool, which takes some getting used to! I have also discovered that you can go to the diving pool and tread water, or get some floats and do your ab exercises in the water. One day I will walk across the hall to get to the whirlpool, but since I can't see a dang thing without my glasses, these things aren't as easy as they might seem!
3. A Vancouver Art Gallery card. I am heading off right this minute (or when the dryer finishes its work) to explore the art gallery. Just as I was leaving Vancouver in the 80s, a new gallery was built and it is quite the show-piece, as I understand it. (Okay, so it's almost 40 years old now.) I got the out-of-town membership which will get us in while we are here but also covers a reciprocal membership with other museums like, oh, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto! Good deal, I thought. 

Be careful crossing the street. (One thing I love about Vancouver is that the drivers actually stop when there is someone wanting to cross at a crosswalk, instead of barrelling through and cursing you, like they do in Toronto.)

February, finally

I have a few things to do in February. Let's make a list.

1. Kids are coming to visit in the middle of the month, so I have to think about that, find bedding, think of things to do. We will make a quick trip to Victoria, somehow, to celebrate about five spring birthdays. 
2. Before that, my brother is coming later this week, so I guess I have to find him bedding! And have another friend over for dinner with him, so will have to explore the "entertaining" facilities of this kitchen.
3. I have to get to a knitting shop to get some markers so I can continue with my sweater. I got messed up twice on the first sleeve, so I'm pausing till I can get things right! Might even have to buy another needle or two for this collar. 
4. I only brought enough stuff for three knitting projects, and while the sweater is on hold I will doodle away on a garter-stitch wrap I started on the plane out here. 
5. We have tickets for a movie tonight! This is a level of planning kind of unheard of. We are going to see Knives Out, which won an award for costumes, including The Sweater. I actually know nothing else about the movie. 
6. Today was lovely and sunny, but when I was out my phone was low on battery so I didn't take many pictures. Soon, though, I will become unbearable with all my cherry blossom and daffodil pictures!
7. We are, foolishly, looking at real estate. We think that one day we would like to move here, but we are not at all prepared to sell our Toronto house at this point. So we can't really buy anything, but we want to "get a feel for things" by going to open houses for properties we can't afford right now. Today we saw five! Just overwhelming and confusing now, but we shall persevere.  

That should keep me busy for a while.