Shelagh's Lens
Bringing Vancouver and the world to inspired travellers
Seven Mile Bridge
Driving the Florida Keys, Seven Mile Bridge is a sight that compels you to pull over and soak up the setting.
On a recent visit, the transition from sunshine to fog resulted yielded interesting shots for more than one camera toting traveller. This couple took turns photographing one another along the bridge, which appears to be swallowed by the mists.
The mists were no deterrent, either, for the many feathered travellers beneath and around the bridge.
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Bird’s Eye View of Mount Rainier
Flying from Vancouver to Seattle this week, I wished our pilot had latitude to make a few broad circles of Washington State’s Mount Rainier yesterday rather than hurtling onward without pause.
The tallest mountain in Washington State and, indeed, in the Cascades that stretch from southern British Columbia through to Washington, Oregon and northern California, Mount Rainier is 4,392 meters / 14,410 feet above sea level.
As may be anticipated from its crater, this is an active volcano – like Mount St. Helens of the same range, which is a two- to three-hour drive away. At half a million years, Mount Rainier is one of the youngest in the range; others began their rise 12 million years ago. It spans six major rivers, and is home to meadows of wildflowers. It has more glaciers than any other mountain in Washington and its 47 neighbouring states. In late February, with strands of clouds that might have been scattered across the horizon by the shake of a giant’s hand, it is a thing of beauty.
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Ribbons of Colour
One advantage to attending an evening meeting earlier this week? The painted skies that shifted from these gorgeous pastels to first a blood orange and, ultimately, an almost indigo blue – but by that time, of course, we were in our meeting room and business was well underway. At this point, though, it was almost as if ribbons of colour were being whipped across the skies.
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Happy Birthday, Linda
Happy, happy birthday, Linda.
Readers will recognise the (1960s) vintage nature of the photo below and know that it clearly can’t be the work of this, ahem, youngish photographer. Rather, it – and the bouquet above – offer tribute to a much loved sister.
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Rain, Rain, Go Away
After a number of days of almost non-stop rain on the west coast, this childhood song could become a bit of a mantra.
On the other hand, it’s all that rain that brings Vancouverites these early February dollops of colour and beauty that won’t bloom in other parts of Canada for some time yet. Here on the wet coast, these are some samplings of the beauty I see as I perch over my laptop this morning, dashing off a post and a smoothie before heading to the office.
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City Hall
Many of the Vancouver images I’ve posted show you our beaches, mountains and greenery. Today, I’m taking you to City Hall, a 12-storey art deco landmark that rises above Broadway and boasts some great views.
It also boasts a good history. Constructed over a period of 330 days in the Dirty Thirties, the building was then-Mayor Gerry McGeer’s solution to more than a couple of challenges. First, although this port city was approaching its 50th year of incorporation, its civic business had been conducted in nothing more than temporary quarters since the original city hall was lost to a fire shortly after incorporation.
Additionally, Vancouver was dealing with unemployment rates upward of 20%, and it’s probably fair to say that McGeer had been seen as unsympathetic to those who were struggling. The City hadn’t the resources for a new city hall, but secured a million dollars in funding from the federal government, which created a Baby Bond to raise the funds. McGeer and the City were able to create hundreds of jobs during 1936, and the building rose 98 meters – almost 322 feet – high, in time for Vancouver’s Golden Jubilee.
While the new location was far removed from the city centre of the day, it’s now just a block from the rapid transit afforded via the Canada Line’s City Hall Station, and one would be hard pressed to find a nearby two bedroom condo for less than 44% of the 1936 cost of constructing this lovely building – which is a striking sight by day or night.
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Foggy, Foggy Days … and A Couple of Introductions
As mentioned in my last post, many areas of metro Vancouver have been blanketed in fog for a few days. It seems to have lifted today, but it’s interesting; driving to and from work, it’s been somewhat akin to shifting through different climactic zones: clear by home, then into the thick of it … followed by another opening of the skies as elevations change and, outside my office, more of the pea soup.
This are mages from last weekend, taken at one of my favourite beaches. You’d never know it, but 16 container ships, umpteem seagulls and ducks, and the North Shore Mountains were all floating behind these mists.
The foggy shot above is also one of a number you can find on a recent post in an inspiring and informative site, Leanne Cole Photography. Some of you looking at this image will know that, in addition to her artistic talents, Leanne is a collaborative being who brings together and showcases the work of photographers from around the planet.
Aussie Leanne and San Franciscan Laura Macky, another terrific photographer, represent the spirit behind Monochrome Madness, which encourages and showcases beautiful black and white photography crafted by people from a range of hemispheres and walks of life. Here’s to you, Laura and Leanne.
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Colosseum by Night
Sigh. Perhaps it’s the combination of rain, fog – which makes for great photo opportunities- and a workload that reflects a two-week break over Christmas, but memories of a visit to Rome are awfully sweet right now. Here’s an image from a summer evening’s stroll by the Colossseum, on the heels of dinner at a nearby trattoria.
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West Coast Treetops
Here’s a switch; rather than training my camera from Vancouver’s beaches up over the water to the North Shore, this is a shot from Grouse Mountain.
Here, snow-dabbed evergreens rise above the North Shore highrises, ships in harbour, and the University Endowment Lands -whose location and greenery combine to form a stellar recruitment tool for UBC, also known as the University of BC.
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An Invigorating Start to 2015
Now, after a very full first work week of the new year, it’s time to show you how 2,310 of us rang in 2015 in Vancouver … with an estimated 15,000 people watching us shiver. I’ve posted a slight variation of this on Exceptional EA, so not to worry if this is seeming vaguely familiar.
We crazy Canucks and more than a few visitors from other countries rang in the new year with yet another Polar Bear swim, the 95th such annual event for Vancouverites. We were clearly too relaxed in our approach this year to popping over the bridge and snagging a parking space. January 1st was a cold but breathtakingly beautiful day, and so the crowds up on the beach and roadside above English Bay were massive. As a result, we had perhaps two minutes to spare between registration and the signal to race in to the waters.
Clearly not the place to be if you don’t like crowds, English Bay on New Year’s Day is home to an eclectic bunch. Fellow celebrants ranged from the sombrero-wearing stretcher surrounded by the sensibly bundled, to the wig-wearing Cher lookalikes and other fashionistas mixed in with baristas, bunnies and Santa.
We tried the costume approach on our first Polar Bear swim, wearing New Year’s Eve-style attire (and, to our surprise, soon heard that a photo of us emerging from the chill had been published in an eastern newspaper) but, in the interest of warming up as quickly as possible after racing out of the water, we’ve subsequently stuck to bathing suits.
The great thing about Vancouver’s Polar Bear Swim, now in its 95th year, is the range of people who take the plunge. You’ll see families, couples, friends and solo dippers all converging on this beautiful beach for the sheer fun of it – and then you have the more sensible people watching from above the beach and from the comfort of their boats. There’s no charge for registration, and those who present themselves, dripping wet from the waters, are rewarded with badges we pin on with pride – and somewhat shaky fingers! Dippers who bring food bank donations to the Cactus Club on the beach are provided the comfort of steaming hot chocolate or coffee.
Vancouverites aren’t the only Canadians who mark the new year with a polar bear swim; have a look at fellow blogger Sue Slaight’s site to see how she and others in Calgary took an even chiller dip. If you’d like to get an up close feel for Vancouver’s Polar Bear swim, there are a number of YouTube posts such as this one, where the actual run for the water starts at about the four-minute mark.
However you chose to mark the outset of 2015, here’s hoping you make a great year of it!
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