It’s the start of a New Year, 2020, and in recent years I’ve made an effort to demonstrate what a good friend I am to my very best friend.
When my Mom was still alive, she’d call me in the dead of winter and ask if anything was coming up in the garden. Something usually was, and it gave her hope that spring would find its way to her home up north eventually.
Since my best friend also lives somewhere that has a real winter, I try to share the signs of spring with her, since Mom isn’t with us anymore. However, she doesn’t usually seem to appreciate my efforts in the manner that I think she should.
So, in the name of friendship, and in the name of repeating something until it works, I continue to make the effort to share the signs of spring with my bestie every January 1st. She will appreciate it eventually….maybe….
Am I not a wonderful friend? 😉
Normally I have to go to one spot, to one specific tree, to find the cherry blossoms on January 1st and, once or twice the weather has kept the flowers from blooming early and I’ve been stymied. This year I found an entire row of them downtown before Christmas! The weather has been extremely mild this winter, so far, and there are many different plants either coming up, showing buds, or already starting to bloom. The [ink viburnum in my yard has small pink blossoms, and my strawberry plant at the back of the yard actually has three little white flowers at the moment.
It was a gorgeous day today, and it made up for the downpour yesterday. We wandered Lonsdale and the Quay, walked the length of the pier and took a look around the new skating rink in the Shipyards; very well attended with many people enjoying the sunny day, but the local pub patio was, sadly, not open. A new restaurant is close to opening, Joey Shipyard. The tables are set, the patio is ready, just a few things left to set in place and there will be a new and, particularly the upstairs one, spectacular patio for relaxing and enjoying the view of hte inner harbour and downtown Vancouver across the way.
We meandered up Grand Boulevard and enjoyed the warmth of the sun on our faces while so many others walked their dogs; everyone was smiling. The path through the park that runs the length of Grand Boulevard has been recently paved and, in usual North Vancouver parks fashion, the signage and the directional paintings on the path are amusing. A few trees along the walk sported a few Christmas decorations that sparkled in the sunshine.
Eventually we found ourselves thirsty and in need of a snack so we stopped in for refreshments at the Red Lion, after discovering almost every other location in between was jam packed with other people out with the same idea. 🙂
And Nature smiled on us because, just as we left the pub and headed home, raindrops started to hit the windshield.
A pretty perfect day.
With just one more cherry blossom, for my friend 😉
Happy New Year!!
