Thought you might be interested in knowing what one wears to celebrate a 42nd anniversary à vélo — for me, on a warm day, it’s lasts year’s olive linen-cotton skirt and a just-bought “art T-shirt” which seemed appropriate for visiting Burnaby Lake and its occupants (both skirt and T are J Crew). The Sperry deck shoes are a concession to bike safety, in comparison to my preferred summer footwear, Birkenstocks.
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| Isn’t this wonderful? I love this kind of “found art,” this poetic invitation to see what how much of Nature can be found in city life if we look beyond the power poles, if we choose to pause in the shade (or bike to the lake) |
I won’t pretend that I don’t miss the immediate and everyday access we had to the natural world from our waterfront island home, especially during the summer heat when I would have been swimming two or three times a day in the ocean, then paddling the kayak ’round the island in the evening. But life is full of trade-offs, and with a bit of effort, we’re drawing personal maps of the city that boast a surprising wealth of wilder landscapes and of cultivated but nevertheless green and soothing spots. Finding wood ducks in surprising numbers at Burnaby Lake was a delight, for example — wish I could show you a better photo, but the sun was intense, beaming from the left high above this photo, and my iPhone was really no match for it, nor was there much room to change position (not without very high boots!)
Thanks so much for all your kind anniversary wishes! I’m granting myself permission to respond collectively here, having just barely caught up to responding to comments on my “Badass” post. I love the conversation we’ve been having about this, and hosting a forum for the community here is a wonderful privilege. I’m trying to figure out, though, how to keep it sustainable. I’ve been paying a bit more attention to how much time I spend responding to comments, and it’s generally the equivalent of writing another substantive post. I’m not prepared to relinquish this joyful task, but I know that I need to figure out ways to manage it before I extinguish my interest and my energies. I have a few strategies in mind, and I’ll perhaps write more about them soon — or just experiment here and there until I find out what works for keeping you engaged and me healthy and content.
Oh, and before I go, in case you’ve been wondering. . . one more week until Completion Date for our new condo purchase and less than two weeks until move-in. Yes! We’re excited! Can’t wait to show you our new terrace “garden in the sky” (it’s not really in the sky, being only a few floors up, but we’re not sticklers for detail here, are we?)
I checked out your weather when I woke up today (What? Don't judge!) and it looked FINE. Hope you had a meal on a patio 🙂
Too funny! I do the same thing with checking weather in other places
Happy anniversary! I think settling on a new blogging routine–and then a different new routine–will be a part of working out a retirement life–and then working it out again and again. So much adaptation, just as in your long satisfying marriage. Planning your new garden in the sky will be fun I imagine. (Will butterflies be attracted to flowers a few stories up?) I like your anniversary cycling outfit–functional but attractive. (Forgive my sticking my nose in, but I hope the jaunty helmet position is just for the camera though, since it is perched back rather than on your forehead.) So much anticipation on the new digs–you'll be enjoying it soon!
Thanks, Elle, and yes, I think ongoing adjustments will be the order of the day for at least the next year. Perhaps I should hope they will be for the remainder, in fact. . . .And you're right, I should be careful to make one of those adjustments be my helmet. I've been told this once before and thought i'd created a better habit — in my defense, you're right that I've tipped it back a bit for the photo, but I've got to make a better, more consistent habit of snugging it down on my forehead.
Oh, you must be so excited about the move to the condo. That terrace looks *wonderful!* And I love that tee, and you're "found art." We've been remiss about getting out on our bikes as much as we'd intended, may get out there this weekend if the heat holds off another few days…
I love ducks (or swans)on the pond- it is always a lovely picture.
This (midnight?)blue goes so well with olive green.
Garden in the sky in little more than two weeks- beautiful!
Dottoressa
It's always good to stop and really see and appreciate what's happening around us. I can tell from your photographs that you do this often. I love being out in the early morning.We did that fairly recently at Niagra Falls …I wanted to be able to appreciate them in the quiet early morning rather than being surrounded by people!
Belated Happy Anniversary to you both ..you're such an inspiration!
I can imagine you missing your island home but you certainly seem to be making the city "your own"
Take care, enjoy the rest of the week
Rosie
The one thing about a balcony garden is the pleasure you'll get while finding out what thrives and what doesn't . Lavender will bring plenty of bees and butterflies and seems self-sufficient .
And I've discovered the fun of 'Wild Flower Ässortments'… the perfect Lucky bag treat for a small space .
I love the idea of balcony gardens. Secret hideaway. And I have found that you can grow all sorts of things in pots. Grasses and lilacs, bamboo, buddleia, geraniums, jasmine…things that swish and sway in the breeze and where you can hide. You can put lights through them all in the winter and be a little, cheery beacon. What larks, Pip!