Happy 141st!

It's Canada Day today. Despite all the hoopla, crowds and fireworks everywhere, we're just enjoying the holiday around home, puttering about and trying to keep cool in a heat wave. This thoughtful Canada Day meditation, written by a Canadian... [Continue Reading...]

June garden

                Still working much too hard in the garden. Here are a few images of what's lovely today, a drizzly day and a relief after yesterday's heat. How does your garden grow?     Addendum June 18th: Leslee... [Continue Reading...]

exhibit in Squamish

I'm pleased to announce that my friend Bonnie Jordan and I have a selection of our prints on exhibit in the new Artisan Gallery in the town of Squamish, north of Vancouver.             Here's how the space is... [Continue Reading...]

'Centigrade' wins Leos

I'm thrilled to share the news that a certain special film has won five Leos just a few days ago here in Vancouver. The Leo Awards honor the best in British Columbian television and film production every year. Centigrade is... [Continue Reading...]

summer's here

Today is the Victoria Day holiday and what a busy long weekend it has been. My husband took Friday off work and we've been working hard in the garden for three days in a row. Three gorgeous sunny days, the... [Continue Reading...]

geologic journey

        Spotting a seemingly insignificant looking rock like this one now sends me wondering about its history, its journey through millions of years. Thanks to the powerful series Geologic Journey, my view of our world, especially of Canada and... [Continue Reading...]

snow in April

We were shocked last night to receive hail and dry pellets of snow, then wet snow for about four or five hours. A few stunning flashes of lightning highlit the whiteness into a ghostlike eery world. Then it all... [Continue Reading...]

immigrants' journeys

A story of one Finnish family's immigrant experience.
UPDATE April 28, 2008: I just learned about this exhibition on the same theme: Free Spirit: Stories of You, Me and BC is a major feature exhibition at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria, BC's capital. We'll have to see this the next time we go visit!

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end of March

    I was going to repeat the old cliché about March coming in like a lamb and going out like a lion (or vice-versa). The last two or three weeks have been unusually cold here, with locally variable and sometimes... [Continue Reading...]

BC's Finnish settlers

Addendum April 14, 2008: Please read about the story of one Finnish family's experience immigrating and settling here!

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Sunday afternoon in Burnaby

Yesterday we headed out to Burnaby (a city next to Vancouver) and the Scandinavian Centre where we enjoyed a recital of songs sung in Finnish, Swedish and Italian by a beautiful, rising talent, Finnish-American singer Maria Männistö. Here's the announcement... [Continue Reading...]

earthworks #4

Still remembering McKenzie Beach, near Pacific Rim National Park, BC....

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earthworks #3

        on McKenzie Beach, near Pacific Rim National Park, BC, February 3rd, 2008... [Continue Reading...]

nature's sculpture

        found sitting in a tidal pool on a beach in Pacific Rim National Park, BC how I wanted to take it home make a meditation pool for it in the garden but 'twas way too big and heavy... [Continue Reading...]

winter journeys

Husband and I have been planning a trip to our favourite place near the Pacific Rim National Forest Reserve, on the western edge of Vancouver Island near Tofino. We call it our 'treat and retreat'. I've written of past... [Continue Reading...]

earthworks #1

        on McKenzie Beach, near Pacific Rim National Park, British Columbia, February 3rd, 2008... [Continue Reading...]

and more snow

        snowing all night, snowing this morning schools and colleges closed, commuting chaos garden under heavy white blanket, tree branches weighed down silence punctuated with soft thuds, scrape of shovel glad I can stay home today, like the happy... [Continue Reading...]

ice and snow

a weekend of snow, rain, ice and snow again
so beautiful and bright
and more snow coming tonight!

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winter afternoon

At the mouth of the Capilano River at Ambleside Park, West Vancouver, 4:00 pm Today seemed to be the first day this year without rain, though I haven't kept any notes on it. It's been incredibly wet, normal winter... [Continue Reading...]

lingering lazy days

My, have I been lazy this past week, not even blogging! The preparations and the holidays themselves seem to have tired me out a bit. I'm enjoying these quiet days to replenish body and soul. It's now Twelfth Night,... [Continue Reading...]

trees of my year

Many of us are looking back on the past year as it's nearing its end. Photography having become more and more a passion for me, I like to look through the year's photos. They may be observations of the little... [Continue Reading...]

Boxing Day walk

Reminisces...
two lovely days with dear friends
hours of chatting, eating, laughing
long walks in our neighbourhood

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PISA tests

Pardon my bragging... I've written from time to time about how Finland's education system has been well-recognized for its excellence in many areas - reading, music, math and sciences. This has been confirmed by the international PISA tests such... [Continue Reading...]

a snowy weekend

    The first and second days of December brought us the first major snowfall of this winter thanks to a cold front from the Yukon. The brightness and whiteness was lovely while it lasted, putting us into the Christmas... [Continue Reading...]

the morning after

Some areas of southwest British Columbia had their first snowfall of the season late yesterday! No snow in our area though, sadly....

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long weekend storm

The Remembrance Day long weekend in British Columbia turned into an unforgettable one, weather-wise. A large area of the province from the coast to the interior was hit by a powerful storm, from Sunday evening until Monday afternoon. Falling... [Continue Reading...]

PEACE

Remembrance Day makes me angry...

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Seven years and Thanksgiving

The amazing wood s lot is 7 years old, and that's a lot in blog years! In addition to his ever rich cornucopia, for the past few months Mark has been posting his own beautiful photos of his home... [Continue Reading...]

away and back

    We've been away for a few days' trip to the beautiful Saanich and Victoria areas of Vancouver Island, visiting friends and family. Most important for us was to spend some time with my elderly uncle and aunt. Because... [Continue Reading...]

forest in our backyard

    About two weeks ago, I made a long overdue first visit with some of my family (who'd been there before) to the very popular, though awkwardly named Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve located in the North Shore mountains behind... [Continue Reading...]

rocks bearing fossils

        Eight years ago, when I had an exhibition of my works in a gallery in Edmonton, Alberta, my husband and I decided to deliver my framed works by car and make this journey into a bit of a... [Continue Reading...]

another storm

The west coast continues to have numerous windstorms, making for an unusual number this fall and winter. On Friday (January 5th) we had snow in some areas, including ours. That night a short but powerful windstorm caused another power outage,... [Continue Reading...]

The Big Storm

Our internet is finally back tonight after three days down, so now I can let you know what excitement we've had here! We've experienced the worst windstorm in the 30 plus years we've lived in the Vancouver area. Of three... [Continue Reading...]