Spring has Sprung - Skywatch Friday

We've had some beautiful spring days this past week. I spent some time gazing at the sky through the blossoming branches.

How is the weather where you are?

Thank you for stopping by my Skywatch Friday Post for this week.

 

Skywatch Friday ~ Last Friday in March

Hello and welcome to Friday's Skywatch post,

It has been raining so very heavily now for what seems like forever. It makes it difficult to go anywhere. But today it stopped raining and the sun came out. I couldn't get away early but in the late evening I went to the grocery store for a few items and snapped these night photos.

It was much warmer than it has been in a long while and it felt so good. You can see some of the apple blossoms are out in full force but haven't started to blossom on other trees.  I'm hoping it will be sunny more frequently soon so I can get out and enjoy the blossoms more fully and during the day too.

A few years ago I learned that many of the city's cherry trees were gifts from Japan.  In the early 1930s the mayors of Kobe and Yokohama in Japan gifted 500 Ojochin variety cherry trees to the City of Vancouver, British Columbia.  The trees were meant to honour the Japanese-Canadian veterans of WW1.  A few years later, Bunjiro and Kimi Uyeda, a local business owner and philanthropist couple, donated another 100 cherry trees to the city's park board.  The citizens and visitors alike have been enjoying the blossoms ever since. Today we enjoy thousands of cherry trees all over the city and they are in full bloom from late March to about the end of Apri with some areas starting earlier and some starting later.  Right now there is a Cherry Blossom Festival going on. I've never attended myself because it's often still cold and blustery and it's also a very busy time for me in general.  But the moment the sun shines and I have a few spare moments I get out and take some photos.

You can tell the weather was warmer as people are walking around without heavy jackets. It was so nice not to feel the chill when I went out. I don't need heat but I do like the temperature to be a bit higher than frigid, lol. I snapped this photo of the pretty tree with Christmas lights. The tree will likely remain lit all year long. 

During Covid, the city put seating in many streets all around town so people could visit outdoors instead of in their homes. After things got back to more or less normal, the city decided to continue with these outdoor seating areas and they've become a nice place to rest or visit, or both. Sometimes they have live free music. I noticed they added several tables and chairs on the opposite side of the street (the side on which I'm standing to take a photo).

On Wednesday the sun came out and brightened the day a bit. I managed to capture a bit of blue in the sky.

Thanks for joining me on Skywatch Friday.

A Long Awaited Gift to Myself

Hi friends and fellow bloggers,

I'm sharing happy news today. I finally took the plunge and bought a storage sofa with reversible chaise. I hadn't arranged for assembly prior to delivery but when the delivery men arrived I realized I didn't want to have to deal with all the packaging and set up myself or wait for DH to be available because he has such long days as it is. So I asked the delivery men whether they had an assembly service.  They did and they were willing to do it on the spot. Of course I had to pay them for the work and they were good enough to give me a discount. 

The two gentlemen were efficient and moved my old sofa and chair to another area.  They didn't have a haul away service for sofas.  They tried very hard to assemble the new sofa but had difficulty putting both of the arms of the sofa onto the body of the sofa.  After numerous attempts they asked if I would contact the furniture store and let them know the issue and I agreed.

The sofa minus one arm

I called the store and they tried helping me over the phone. When that didn't work they arranged for a technician to attend and deal with it. The technician arrived promptly at the appointed time on Monday and while he worked I learned the trick to how the arm is supposed to be attached. I don't know why the assembly men didn't know that.  They were trying to attach it in the complete opposite way though I have to say their way was the more intuitive way and I would have done the same not knowing any better.  I wasn't provided with any assembly instructions so I'm not sure if they were disposed of along with the packaging.  But now I know what to do if I ever need to take the sofa apart and put it back together again. I already know I'd need help with that because the pieces are too heavy for me to do it alone. My DH is very strong so he could do it and I could help him if needed.  I made sure to tell him the 'secret' to assembly when he arrived home later that day.

The storage part of the sofa is in the chaise as most of you will already know.  I wasted no time in filling it with things that were occupying floor space.  I'll be getting rid of most of the stored items eventually.  I'll no longer need the excess cushions and numerous reusable bags. After I deal with these things  I'll be keeping bedding in the chaise. The sofa pulls out to make a double bed which is one of the incentives in purchasing the sofa. I'm expecting company this summer and so I'm so pleased that I now have a more comfortable space for my cousin to sleep instead of on an air mattress.  I'm also pleased with the price and the multi-year warranty I purchased.  These days it seems like so many little things can go wrong with new items and it can cost a lot to have someone attend to deal with it. The sofa itself is quite comfortable.  

I call the sofa a gift to myself  because my DH didn't think we needed a new sofa. He liked the leather sofa we had. I did too but it had lost its comfort level and really needed to be restuffed or filled.  We'd been propping ourselves up on other cushions. So it was either repair the sofa which I was planning to do, or get a new one.  Since we need a space for occasional guests to sleep and a place to store blankets  I concluded that a new sofa was needed. The hardest part for me is just to decide what I really want or need then to find a good quality item at an affordable price.  The extra tariffs that have been imposed by the US Administration and those that have yet to be imposed, will have a direct impact on pricing of many goods and commodities.  So it's a good time to act on big purchases if you have the need and the means. In fact, I may be purchasing another large item in the not too distant future once I make a space for it to be assembled.

What about you dear reader? Do you have a storage sofa? If so, are you happy with the purchase?

Gone With The Wind ~ Tuesday 4

Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 where we answer 4 questions each week and try to have some fun with them.

1.  Have you read the book or seen the movie Gone with the Wind and what did you think of it?

Yes, I've read Gone With the Wind but it was long ago. I also saw the movie before and after reading the book. I enjoyed both the book and the movie which is quite unusual because normally I find the book to be much better than the movie. In this case, the movie was fantastic.  Vivienne Leigh was one of my favourite actresses.  She was so beautiful and emotive in all her roles.

2. Which character was your favorite? If you didn't read it or see it. who is your favorite fictional character from a book or movie and why?

Scarlett, played by Vivienne Leigh was my favourite character in the movie. I probably wouldn't like her much if I met her in real life because she was spoiled and childish.  But I admired her character for rising to the occasion during the hardships of the war and learning how to survive.

3. Are you a fan of big epic films like Dr. Zhivago,  Gone with the Wind, etc.  If not what kind of films do you enjoy the most?

I love big epic films.  I googled "top epic films".  It turns out I've seen and enjoyed all of the ones on the list (Gladiator, Braveheart, Titanic, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Dances with Wolves, The Bridge on the River Kwai & All Quiet on the Western Front). There was one film on the list called '300' which I didn't see it. In fact, I've never even heard of it. I also enjoyed Dr. Zhivago which is such a classic film.

4. The Ante Bellum era is indeed gone with the wind.  Is there an era in history that you are interested in or that you have a good deal of knowledge about? Perhaps there is an era you would like to learn more about?

Yes, I am very much interested in movies set during the during the time of the Roman Empire.  I think I've seen every movie that was ever released that was set during this era.  Most of them I saw as a youngster and a teenager;  movies like Ben Hur, Spartacus, Cleopatra, to name a few. I was especially interested in the lives of Christians and the hardships they endured during that time and how God helped them through the tough times. One of the more recent films I enjoyed about this era is Gladiator (2000).  Here is a famous clip from that film.

Thank you for visiting my blog and thank you to Annie for hosting Tuesday 4. I'm looking forward to reading your answers to the questions too!

The Trees Are Blooming

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I've been super busy this week so I haven't had time to get out and about. These have photos were taken from my balcony in early evening.

This week nature gifted us with tree blossoms. It hasn't been too warm but still the blossoms came out almost overnight

These macro photos were taken the day after when I went out for errands.

It's still chilly especially during the evening.  During such weather I always love to see the twinkling night lights of the ski slope in the distance. They look so pretty.

Thank you for stopping by to see what I've posted for Skywatch Friday this week.

The Windy Month ~ Tuesday 4

Welcome back to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 where we try to have fun answering questions about various subjects.

March, they say, comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.  It is called the windy month like Chicago is called the windy city!

1.  Has March come in like a lion or a lamb in your neck of the woods? 

I can barely remember back to the beginning of March and I didn't take any outdoor photos at the time. After thinking about it for a while, I recall the temperature was feeling a bit warmer but the night hours were quite chilly.  So the month came in like a lamb.

2. There have been some awful storms of late.  Have you suffered through them or have you ever suffered through a very bad storm in your life? (if so we wish you well).

The last bad storm I was in was about 3 or 4 years ago. The city traffic came to a grinding halt due to a snowstorm.  It snowed for hours and hours non-stop.  There was so much snow and it was very slippery. I still remember walking down the street to get home when the buses were not operating. There were a lot of other people walking and we saw so many cars and buses just abandoned in the middle of the streets. I took photos but I guess I never uploaded them so unfortunately I can't share them with you.

3. Spring begins March 20th and ends with summer on June 20th this year.  Any plans for Spring in general? How about the spring holidays? 

I'm looking forward to spring.  I have no plans to go away for spring break which starts today (Monday, March 17, 2025).  Spring is always a busy time as I have a lot of jobs that accumulate around the house over the winter and I have the patio to organize and plant.  Last, but not least, I have to do the planting at the community garden plot. 

4.  What are your favorite springtime flowers?  Trees or shrubs?

How about a song with a springtime theme to it that you enjoy?  

I don't have favourite spring time flowers. I love them all, lol. I usually plant a lot of geraniums and petunias as well as pansies and Black Eyed Susans.  I've also tried to plant many other taller flowers like snapdragons and others which haven't tended to do well in my garden.  Perhaps I'll try again because the soil has been completely changed out. 

Fall 2024, the new garden, not quite finished

As for trees, I like Dogwood Trees, Maple Trees and Weeping Willows best but love almost all trees too.   My patio garden area has been completely rebuilt and I now have to replant it.  Large trees with big root systems are no longer allowed.  I'll plant some shorter bushes instead.  I've chosen some Azalea Japonicas and a Pieres Japonica or a Lily of the Valley shrub.  Both types of shrubs grow quite slowly.

Pieres Japonica, Red Head (not mine)

The only springtime song that comes to mind is "When it's Springtime in Alaska" by Johnny Horton. I'm a northern gal so country songs and songs about the north are appealing. This song should make all the southerners be grateful for their warmer temperatures *smile.

One Friday in March

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I went to town on Friday. I had some business to take care of right in the heart of the city. Afterward, I walked through town all the way to Chinatown and took some photos along the way.

Each year I plant pansies.  I think they are a happy and hardy plant.  I haven't planted any yet but I saw these cute little pansies downtown.

I always like the 'lacy' effect of the bare branches against the sky.
 

The iconic Fairmont Hotel Vancouver 

The stained glass steeple caught my eye

A front view of the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver

The Vancouver Art Galley through the trees

The Holy Rosary Cathedral downtown

View to the North Shore mountains. It snowed overnight.

The Salvation Army Shelter downtown.

I was on my way to see the film "A Complete Unknown", a movie about Bob Dylan. It did not disappoint.

One of my recent reads. This book is set over 3 days in a Dublin maternity/fever hospital ward during the 1918 Flu Pandemic.  It's a very graphic book and quite gripping. I recommend it.

As always, I enjoy a bit of quiet time knitting these simple dishcloths.  The top one was made with 'good' cotton yarn. The bottom one was made with inexpensive cotton/polyester yarn purchased at the dollar store.

I hope you're enjoying your weekend so far. Thanks for visiting.

Sky in Early March

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

Welcome to another Skywatch post where I watch the skies over Vancouver, Canada.  We are currently still in winter season but moving toward the spring. I can't wait. But in the meantime we are still getting a lot of rain.  In fact this past weekend we had what they call an atmospheric river.

When I went out to do errands on Saturday night, I walked a bit and rode the public transit a bit. I didn't think it was that wet but I got soaked through my winter puffer coat and my puffer vest. Luckily the rain didn't reach my top but I looked like wet rat, lol.

The photos I'm sharing were taken on Sunday late afternoon. It was rather cloudy but cleared up a bit because we're supposed to have a drier Monday before the rain returns.

It cleared up considerably and the sun reflected off the windows in the distance.

Thank you for stopping by my posting for Skywatch Friday this week.