Note:

Please give me a few more days and I will be back to blogging regularly again. My bench blog will have new posts because I had them already scheduled. I just can't seem to write presently aften my friend's unexpected death. Maybe after his Memorial Service on Wednesday. . . thank you for understanding. I wish everyone a wonderful week and hope you are enjoying the summer.

Purple Cosmos . . . Thank you!

CLICK on this one if you want to see more detail.

Some may wonder why I did not center this flower. . . at times, there is another flower close by and you can't do anything about it but to move in the other direction. This works for me. I could crop it in a photo editing program but I choose to leave as is because I also make cards and maybe someday, I will want to put writing next to it like this:

My friend died. . .

I found out my friend, Glenn, died in his sleep. He lived in our apartment building and was very active in getting speakers and people to entertain us. He was an avid bike rider and rode daily. I spoke of him when I posted about showing him the Stewart Glen part of the Burnt Bridge trail to ride his bike on. That was the last time I saw him since I was holed up in my apartment with allergy problems. We were going to go to a play on Saturday together. If I don't visit anyone today, you will have to forgive me.

My daughter's birthday. . .

Today is my daughter's birthday. I haven't seen her in 16 years now. My latest mail to her was returned and I can't bear to try to send another and have its return break my heart again. My letter to her is on my shelf, unopened after its return. where it will be until I see her again or I am no longer living on this earth and someone tosses it on the rubbish pile.

Daily, I wonder where my daughter is? . . . what she is doing?. . . what kind of beautiful woman she turned out to be? . . . why she chose to never come home again?. . .if she got married? . . . if she has any children? . . . so many unanswered questions.

I just know that God gave me a precious gift on June 24, 1971, two days before she was was due. A blessing I have carried in my heart from the moment she was conceived/born -- a gem of a human being, born at Treasure Island in California.

I miss her. . . but today, I miss her even more. . . I love you, Heidi and ask for your forgiveness if I hurt you in any way.

Any way you look at it, it's a Daisy!

Beginning of Burnt Bridge Creek Trailhead in west Vancouver . . .

This is the beginning of the Burnt Bridge Creek Trail which follows the Burnt Bridge Creek from the west side of town to 87th and Burton Road, 3/4 of the way across Vancouver. The water here comes from Vancouver Lake which is to the west but not accessible by car or foot here.
This is one of the older trails in Vancouver and for this part of it, the path is about 6 feet wide only -- compared to newer parts which are much wider. This shows the view walking down part of the trail that is straight in parts and winding in others. The part we will travel today is only about 3 miles. Sometimes you can see the river that is to the left but you can hear it if you listen even when it isn't so close.
The blackberries are starting to bloom and produce berries in this and the next photo.
The blossoms are so delicate!


Not sure what is budding here. . . Caught this little bird just as it landed on the tree stump.
Couldn't pass up taking a photo of a field of wild Daisies!
First bridge on this trail -- the water crosses to the right here.
The stream flows swiftly.
Another bridge. If you look closely, my friend on the bike has just crossed over it.
Wildflowers add beauty to the trail. The next three are wilflowers also and I have forgotten the names of all of them even tho I knew them once upon a time. . . IF anyone knows, let me know in your comment please. Thanks to EG Tourguide . . . the pink ones are Wild SweetPeas; the blue ones are Chicory and the yellow ones are California Poppies.



Lots of dandelions gone to seed. . .



And other interesting weeds . . .


All the pretty flowers and weeds distracted me and I forgot to take a photo of the end of the first 3 miles of the trail. . .

Variety of pretty flowers . . .

I dont know the names of any of them. If you do, leave me a note and I will label them.


Hydrangea and Hortensia
In most species the flowers are white, but in some species (notably H. macrophylla), can be blue, red, pink, light purple, or dark purple. In these species the exact colour often mirrors the pH of the soil; acidic soils produce blue flowers, neutral soils produce very pale cream petals, and alkaline soils results in pink or purple. This is the caused by a color change of the flower pigments in the presence of aluminium ions which can be taken up into hyperaccumulating plants

A Pallet of Roses. . .

More Rose Society Show Roses

Floating Roses in Dishes

These bowls of roses were on display at the Rose Society Show last week.