Monday, May 01, 2017

A Weekend in Vancouver



Cherry trees arch across the street where our youngest daughter and her husband live in Vancouver. The trees are some of those donated in 1958 by the Japanese Consul, Muneo Tanabe, as "an eternal memory of good friendship between our two nations." 

The trees are aging. Ashley told us of a neighbour who, as she parked her car on the street, heard a crashing sound behind her and saw that a tree limb large enough to span the road, had fallen just behind her car. 


These days, traffic on these streets is busier as many people come to photograph the trees. They bloom all over the city, but the ones in this area are a bit later and attract those who just can't get enough of the Prunus genus. I know I was out there with my camera snapping away. 


The City regulations allow for backyard chickens. We got to meet Gala, Fuji (rather feisty), McIntosh, and Granny Smith. They live in a large and airy coop in the back garden. I helped Ashley do some weeding on Saturday morning and we were sure to save the good weed greens, such as dandelions and chickweed) as a treat for the hens.


The hens lay around 5 eggs per week each. Each hen's eggs are a slightly different colour. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast of fresh eggs, bacon, pastries from a local bakery, and sliced tomatoes.

A weekend goes by so very fast. While Ashley and I weeded, Owen and Tim went to the lumber yard for supplies to repair the deck. We walked, just a few blocks, to Le Marché St. George for a lunch of crepes and/or quiche, and the spiciest chai tea I've ever tasted. It was too spicy for me, so Tim got to drink two bowls. The tiny restaurant was jam-packed, so, in spite of the chilly rain, we ate outdoors, on the sidewalk, à la française. Cozy blankets and pillows provided by the restaurant kept us warm.

We crossed on the ferry Sunday afternoon, in time for dinner with the families who live on this side of the water. 

Linking with Mosaic Monday, hosted by Maggie of Normandy Life.  

35 comments:

  1. What a perfect weekend to have family time. The blossom is stunning. I heard that they only have a certain lifespan. Hope the trees keep going for a few more years yet. Would love to keep chickens but I don't think it would be such a good idea with my two furry friends :). Have a good week. B x

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  2. Beautiful tour of Vancouver. Those flowers are lovely.

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  3. What a beautiful neighborhood with the trees in full bloom. Love seeing those chickens and fresh eggs, too. Wish we could have shared those bowls of chili. (although it would have probably been too hot for me too!) Enjoy your week!

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  4. Such a charming place to live! Oh, those cherry trees are just so pretty! Love the little hens and the memories of your weekend. So nice that you got to visit your daughter. xx Karen

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  5. Wow- Aren't those trees something? It is too bad they are starting to age and get brittle enough to break like that though That is a lovely city and I am glad you got a chance to visit them....and gotta love those chickens! xo Diana

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  6. The trees would seem to require some judicious pruning. They sure are beautiful. Those eggs are also beautiful. I am so happy that eggs have returned to a more reasonable price. Maybe it was because so many invested in chickens like your daughter. Nothing is more delicious than fresh eggs.

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  7. Oh my, those are some beautiful trees!! So lovely to think of their symbolism while enjoying their beauty.

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  8. Cherry trees are such a pretty sight. It would be fun to have some pretty chicken in the garden:) Have a nice week!

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  9. Such beautiful cherry trees in bloom! My son and daughter in law had chickens in their former house and we all enjoyed the very fresh rich eggs, Sadly their new neighborhood does not allow chickens. Have a wonderful week Lorries!

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  10. Sounds like it was a wonderful time, Lorrie. The cherry trees are gorgeous and I bet they do bring a lot of tree peepers!

    I hope we get to visit Vancouver again soon. We were there a little over a year ago, my second visit. An absolutely lovely place!

    Jane x

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  11. Sounds idyllic. Love the blossom and the sweet connection.

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  12. One of my favorite places to visit is Vancouver - thanks for sharing your time there, looks awesome Lorrie dear.
    Mary x

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  13. What a lovely weekend! Yummy food, stunning spring scenes, and time spent with your loves . . . all delights for the heart.

    No wonder that the street is a bit crowded with those gorgeous cherry blossoms! I love the hens' names. :)

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  14. Sounds like a delightful weekend.
    It's easy to see why the cameras would be showing up in abundance for the blooming of the cherry trees. What a beautiful sight!

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  15. Having never been to Washington DC nor Vancouver for that matter, I have never seen a cherry blossom tree in person. Your beautiful close-up photo, Lorrie, makes me want to put them on my bucket list!!

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  16. Like you I love the ornamental cherry trees when they are in full bloom, sadly all this last week the blossom has been slowly drifting down carpeting the garden in pink snow, so beautiful.
    Your weekend with family sounded wonderful dear Lorrie, how blessed you are.
    Thank you for sharing this glimpse into your delightful vie quotidienne.

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  17. Gorgeous Vancouver!

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  18. The trees are just gorgeous. As I was reading I wondered what the lifespan was.

    I love seeing chickens. It brings back childhood memories of when we went to Grand's on Sunday, and she would let us go with her to gather eggs if we were quiet and didn't scare the chickens. :)

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  19. Hello Lorrie, I don't know which I admire more, the gorgeous subjects of your photos or the wonderful photos themselves. The Prunus have the biggest blooms I have ever seen and the chickens and their eggs are so pretty!
    Your lunch sounds delightfully French. :)

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  20. Dearest Lorrie
    I'm sure you're treasuring this wonderful time you spent there !
    Gorgeous as always your photographs, thank you for sharing it all with us !

    Wishing you a most lovely remainder of your week
    I'm sending blessings to you

    XOXO Dany

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  22. What a beautiful area! Those trees are so delightful!

    We have chickens too, and love the fresh eggs! I love your daughter's chickens' names after apples!

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  23. What beauty in Vancouver, Lorrie! My youngest son and DIL have chickens, too, and they get the prettiest eggs. I would've loved that chai tea!

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  24. Such glorious blossom....your pictures are delicious! Love the hens and perfect eggs too. So glad you had a happy family time Lorrie. Enjoy your week.
    Helen xox

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  25. The cherry blossoms are beautiful! Sounds like you had a productive visit!

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  26. Gorgeous trees! Those eggs look real good, too. Glad you had a good visit.

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  27. What a beautiful post, your photographs are lovely.
    So good to spend time with the family too!

    All the best Jan

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  28. How beautiful cherry blossoms are!
    I'd like to go hanami.

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  29. What a privilege to have those beautiful trees on the street. I hope they can be saved to live on and on.

    The whole neighborhood sounds lovely. And I'm thankful more and more neighborhoods are allowing hens now. The ladies are pretty. We still miss ours but at least our son and future d-i-l share their hens' eggs with us.

    Your weekend sounds lovely, Lorrie!

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  30. Your kids live in a wonderful city! Chickens are allowed in Eugene city backyards too....I love that! The cherry blossoms are beautiful ..I hope they can somehow save the trees.

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  31. Beautiful cherry trees! Sounds like a fun weekend as well as a help to your kids. Nice the restaurant supplied the blankets and pillows!

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  32. The cherry blossoms arching over the street are just gorgeous. I had to smile at the names for the chickens, cute!

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  33. The blossom is stunning. Glad the tree missed the car, especially as someone might have been in it.

    Surprised that one had to have permission to have chickens in their garden.

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  34. The blossoms of the city are just beautiful...and you captured them so well. Sounds like a fun visit to your kids in the big city (with backyard chickens)!

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  35. Sounds like such a fun little visit!

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