Another batch of autumn leaves. . .

I am kinda cooped up in the apartment today -- winds are blowing up to 60 mph and it is raining hard too. They say we will have a hard winter and to me that means SNOW! I have really enjoyed autumn with the brilliance of the results of the paintbrush God used for the leaves.

I took some more photos this week and here they are:

Veterans Day in Vancouver 2007

As I started to do my wash Saturday morning at the laundromat that we have in this apartment building WHEN I remembered the Veterans Day Parade happening downtown and ending at Esther Short Park. I hurriedly collected the stuff from the dryers and rushed back to my apartment where I didn't bother to hang anything up. i didn't even know what time it was happening but as I headed downstairs in the elevator, I saw a news clipping on the bulletin board and it said something about starting at 10:40 . . . no time to waste!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I headed for the bus stop but none were in sight so I started running towards the park where it would end. Just two miles from my place! Ü I arrived in plenty of time since the first entry, a color guard, hadn't arrived yet. WHEW!


Reckon I didn't realize how far it is from the parade grounds of the Fort Vancouver Barracks to downtown because we were waiting for a good spell. Finally, the parade marched past us with over 80 entries; two and a half hours later, the parade was over. I was glad i had made it for the entire parade but glad to see the end too as I was tired from standing to salute all the flags that passed by and from clapping for all the entries.

i stood in between two very patriotic groups/families. On my left was a Mom and her three kids, none more than grade school age. I was so proud of that mom telling her kids they needed to put their hand on their heart each time the U.S. flag went past and to clap for all the Veterans Parade entries because they were either VETERANS or they supported our men and women who helped to make/keep our country free. On the right was a mom and junior high school daughter. The daughter kept wanting to leave and go home every time there was a break in the parade (The entrants had to wait for some traffic lights going perpendicular to them>) but that Mom told her "Not until we see the last entry and the truck picking up the barriers." She told me "Because of that stupid WASL testing, the students aren't even learning about the ways men and women have fought for our country in our History. So it was up to her to teach her kids that we need to appreciate our Vets." i smiled big as my heart agreed 100 percent with her.

This is one of our local C-Tran buses --it got painted with the flag decor after 9/11. It carried a load of vets proudly! the message in the front window said it all.

Blog Your Blessing #5

Go here if you would like to participate: Blue Panther

I don't know what possessed me to take a photo of this clock in the downtown area where I live but I have a feeling I thought I would use it someday to post about my blessings.

That day/time has arrived. Last week I spent using my time and talents for my church and this week, I devoted the time
to myself and my apartment and had time for others too.

I started the week with time to worship my creator.

I took the time to rest frequently.

I used some time to get more settled in my new apartment.

I had time to work on my hairpinlace crochet projects for the VA and finished two neckscarves and got the 12 hairpinlace strips made for two cape shawls and started on a toddler afghan..

I spent time doing necessary things like grocery shopping, laundry, house cleaning.

I gave myself time to take photos.

I saved time to go for several walks, including one long one.

I enjoyed the time I spent listening to a singer and a violinist that entertained for our building for a 95 year old lady.

I had time to gaze at the Autumn beauty God has provided for me through my 8th floor picture window .

I organized activities for our ladies group and got all the information on the bulletin board in plenty of time.


To everything there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A timeto kill and a time to heal;
a time to break down and a time to build up;
A time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get and a time to lose;
a time to keep and a time to cast away;
A time to rend and a time to sow;
a time to keep silence and a time to speak;
A time to love and a time to hate;
a time of war and a time of peace.
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

Time has really been my blessing this week. I pray that I can always use it wisely.

"Lost, yesterday, somewhere between sunrise and sunset, two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes. No reward is offered, for they are gone forever."
(Horace Mann)

Leaves I met along the Padden Parkway

Autumn beauty was in high gear when I recently hiked along the Padden Parkway. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.













This last photo is looking back on all the leaves I walked through, kicking them as I walked to the beginning of Padden Parkway.

Skywatch FRIDAY #1

I found this meme and decided to join today. . .
Go here to join; Skywatch


The weatherman says we are due for about ten days of rain and I am not excited about it UNLESS it rains at night when I am sleeping. Sure was some interesting 'pictures" in the sky today tho. . . please wait for them to download -- there are 6 in all.

Two more hairpinlace crochet item completed . . .

This one is a shade of rose with silver flecks in it. I almost have the green one like it finished -- just working on the fringed edges. In between, I ahve almst completed two shawls -- have all the rows made and now jsut need to crochet them together. They are cape shawls and so pretty. More to come in another post.

I made this green with silver specs one a little smaller as it was difficult to see with my poor eyesight. It is for a child while the rose one is for an adult.

Ducks . . . Padden Parkway #3

Just a few more photos of the ducks along the trail. They followed me as I walked west. Maybe they thought I had a treat for them. Other trails told us not to feed the ducks so I brought nothing this time.

Ducks. . . #2

Well, here's two more photos from the duck pond on my walk on Padden Parkway.

Ducks in pond on my walk on the Padden Parkway #1

Last Saturday I went for a long walk on the Padden Parkway here in Vancouver. I took lots of photos but BLOGGER wasn't letting me post them so I am trying again. Today, I will share some photos of the duck pond.


OK, i guess that is all i can post today. Will try for more tomorrow.

A close-up . . .

Even weeds are beautiful on a fall walk. . .

Blog Your Blessings #4

No matter how I try, how I plan ahead and have my blessing post ready to just copy and paste, something keeps happening with blogger. I tried for three hours after midnight to get my photos on my writing for today but it would not upload. . . trying again this morning since we have an extra hour with daylight savings time FALL BACK.

I love to walk and explore parts of my city and also of those I travel to. Sometimes, it is a long all day walk and at other times, just a quick, short one. Case in point. . . recently, I felt like having a bit of ice cream and Dairy Queen is just three blocks from where I live now so I went there to enjoy a carmel sundae. After picking it up from the window, I started walking in the direction of my apartment but soon did a 180 and walked the opposite direction.

I had never walked in this part of my town even though I moved here in 1985. Probably, I never did it because it is just a couple blocks before one reaches the I-5 freeway and it's not much of a walk if that is what one is looking for.

I am glad I did because I not only was treated with a view of the sunset through the trees from atop a hill

but I saw this beautiful "resting" place among the flowers still blooming. I just knew the photo I took would fit the theme of my Blog your Blessing this week.

There's more painting to do at church but I decided to do some more work towards getting MY apartment a bit more settled after my recent move. I also made a decision to do it slowly with plenty of rest breaks becuase there was no deadline for me to accomplish this. . . I will do what I can, when I can because it is for me and doesn't depend on anyone else using my space. Of course Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner and I might have some company then . . . Even God rested on the 7th day of creation. (Genesis 2:2)

Jesus promised to give us peace which comes from "resting in the Lord." He said: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14;27) I can rely on his promise and when I am overwhelmed by life, I don't have to try and fix everything myself. I can allow Him to take the yoke off my shoulders.

By openly admitting that I need to be dependent on God, not independent, I might lower my stature in the eyes of the world, but I put myself in a position to be all that God has called me to be in this life and I can eagerly await eternal rest in heaven one day. I think I will ask God for a bench like the above when I get there, including the flowers nearby. What a blessing rest is!

Padden Parkway ducks

Today, I walked the Padden Parkway for the second time since it was built. I ,mean i walked the trail along side the Parkway. I walked the distance once before coming from the west of town. This time, I wanted to try it from the east. I will probably write about it several times this coming week also but tonight, I will focus on my little water friends.

I couldn't remember where their pond was but I knew I would get to it sooner or later, unlike the first time I walked the length of this trail and discovered them for the first time.

i will post the photos without further comment. . .well, blogger won't let me so will add when I can. I have tried twice now and even restarted computer. :o(

Pomegranates . . . my favorite fruit of fall

I was trying to think of a topic for my blog today while I was eating my favorite snack last night. i stopped and said to myself, "it's right in front of you!" So, I took the uneaten half to the kitchen where it reunited on my cutting board with its buddy bought this week at the grocery store. I love fall and pomegranates!

Pomegranates are supposed to promote healthy immune systems. I have eaten my share of them in my lifetime so maybe that is why I don't often get sick. I actually even tried some crystal Light that had pomegranates in it but wasn't impressed! I think i actually love picking out those little, red, sweet morsels of delight and eating them one by one!

I have been eating them since I was very little -- dad always brought a couple home to share with all my siblings. We thought they were better than candy! One year when I lived in Hawaii, I had a pomegranate tree right outside my front door!

Curious, I looked up info about them on the internet and found it so funny how they tell you to get the seeds out of the shell. it never occurred to me, nor my parents, to rinse the seeds in water and drain. We just picked them out of the shell/white skin inside and popped them into our mouths! I still do that.

It says you can refrigerate the seeds for as long as three days. . . hahahahahahaha once mine is broken open, the entire thing is eaten in less than 20 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! While i did et all of it last night, i know there's another one waiting for me in the refrigerator! Ü I might even go get a couple mroe before the season is over for them. Besides walking through the piles of leaves in autumn, pomegranates are my next best memory.

Daisies in November!!!!!!!!!

I saw this Daisy among others in a flower bed at church. I don't think it knows it's November!

Autumn colors

Unfortunately, I had some problem with my camera batteries so waited to take photos of these two huge leaves until I got home. I fell in love with their size!


The following two photos are huge trees in their autumn splendor.