December 28: Winter cycling

I swap ski wear for cycling gear.  Contrary to forecast, the sun made its appearance on Christmas Day in Vancouver.  What better way to work off Christmas lunch than with a bike ride along Richmond’s dike to Terra Nova?  The birds fly west towards the setting sun.  All is quiet in the UBC boathouse as is the Richmond Oval.  I would have expected some avid skaters working off their holiday meals in this Olympic venue.   Instead, action is more apparent outdoors.  Cameras are snapping.  Oohs and aahs are heard.  The snow-capped Cascades and the Lions at twilight stun.  I ride to the westernmost point to watch the sun dip behind Vancouver Island.  A Christmas gift from nature.

December 21: Let it snow, let it snow

I unwrap my brand new skis.  My last pair, purchased in 1989, continue to function.  The second pair will function well in my Montreal home with its proximity to Parc Mont Royal.  I take the classic waxless skis out to Kemuel Lake.  I will have to make my own trail.  Weeds poke out of the thin snow layer.  Icy patches dot the small hills.  Yet, my first time out this winter exhilarates.  I even look forward to a long winter.  I might feel differently in a month…

December 14: Reminder: winter is coming!

Wintry blasts greet me upon my return.  I cannot procrastinate—I need to find my way around the extensive subterranean network, le "Reseau".  I am not alone.  Multiple groups on a scavenger hunt.  Are they on a team building exercise?

I discover an 18^th century sculpture of Amphithitris by Dieudonné Barthélemy Guibal, moved here from Saint Mihiel, France, to mark Montreal’s 350^th. 

December 7: Lofty

I make my annual trek to Canoe.  Lofty view, perched atop the barstool, atop the building.  I see progress:  a new pedestrian bridge extends south towards Queens Quay, the new Ice towers, the Southcore financial buildings nearing completion.  The restaurant is perched on the 54^th floor of Mies Van Der Rohe’s TD Centre.  Appropriately, Van Der Rohe’s Barcelona chairs are scattered around. TD Bank’s headquarters is next door with its stunning table, transported to its location by a crane.  What a feat that must have been in 1967.