Wednesday, August 31, 2005
The Cathedral Built by Gold
Katrina is weighing heavily on my mind. I have been in Helena, Montana for about a week and watched hurricane coverage on the days the temperature soared to the mid-nineties with hot blowing forest fire smoke. For this Puget Sounder, being inside was more comfortable. I keep trying to imagine if my house was flooded and destroyed. Sure, if we had had an evacuation order, we would have loaded up our mini-van with our dog, camping gear, money and credit cards and headed out to find a motel somewhere a distance away. But what if we didn't have a car? Or a car with enough gas to sit in traffic? Or money to find a hotel room? What if leaving was simply impossible because of a disabled family member or a new baby? What if we could not have left? What if we lost everything? What if we had not all survived? What if our Apolo puppy was washed away? What if I did not know about all of my family? What if we had been rescued from our roof top and dropped on I-5 with no where else to go--no water, no food and only the clothes on our backs? I saw the footage of looters--the women were taking diapers! Somehow, that seems forgivable. My mind will not allow me to imagine this scenario so I can only pray for all of the people along the gulf coast and particularly those in New Orleans who did not have much to begin with.
So this morning my mind is in New Orleans and in Helena at the same time; I haven't grasped Mukilteo yet though I see fishing boats out there on the clean blue peaceful water--unlike the boats I see on TV. I come back to find comments on my entry below about how Brother Roger had received communion at Pope John Paul's funeral from now Pope Benedict. And at Brother Roger's funeral Roman Catholics and non-Roman Catholics alike received communion. This is so unbelievable because we as Anglicans are not allowed to receive communion in the Roman Catholic church but this makes me feel such hope. In my St. Hilda St. Patrick's Episcopal Church, we encourage all to receive communion. Somehow we think Jesus would not have asked his followers at the Last Supper which denomination they preferred or whether they supported one or another of Caesar's policies before the sharing of bread and wine. We are all so connected with one another through one loving God. Why is it that only in times of deep sorrow we realize this? My digital camera is filled with photos of beautiful Helena, Montana but given the events of the past few days, I will begin with the "Cathedral Built by Gold".
Montana has a significant Roman Catholic population. I am not certain why except that many immigrants were Irish, Italian, and Eastern European at the turn of the century. I have written before that Helena, because of gold, had more millionaires per capita than any other city in the nation at the turn of the century. As a result, Helena, this relatively small city of 30,000 people, has as its centerpiece a European style cathedral which is Roman Catholic. St. Helena Cathedral was built between 1908 and 1914 from donations by Thomas Cruse who earned his riches from his gold mine just outside of the town. And yes, though I am an Episcopalian, I have been to St. Helena's for weddings and a funeral.....and at the funeral of my brother in law who died tragically prematurely of a brain tumor five years ago, with the blessings and at the request of my Roman Catholic relatives, my husband and I boldly received communion.
St. Helena Cathedral
Helena's centerpiece from the slopes of Mount Helena (with forest fire haze)
Katrina is weighing heavily on my mind. I have been in Helena, Montana for about a week and watched hurricane coverage on the days the temperature soared to the mid-nineties with hot blowing forest fire smoke. For this Puget Sounder, being inside was more comfortable. I keep trying to imagine if my house was flooded and destroyed. Sure, if we had had an evacuation order, we would have loaded up our mini-van with our dog, camping gear, money and credit cards and headed out to find a motel somewhere a distance away. But what if we didn't have a car? Or a car with enough gas to sit in traffic? Or money to find a hotel room? What if leaving was simply impossible because of a disabled family member or a new baby? What if we could not have left? What if we lost everything? What if we had not all survived? What if our Apolo puppy was washed away? What if I did not know about all of my family? What if we had been rescued from our roof top and dropped on I-5 with no where else to go--no water, no food and only the clothes on our backs? I saw the footage of looters--the women were taking diapers! Somehow, that seems forgivable. My mind will not allow me to imagine this scenario so I can only pray for all of the people along the gulf coast and particularly those in New Orleans who did not have much to begin with.
So this morning my mind is in New Orleans and in Helena at the same time; I haven't grasped Mukilteo yet though I see fishing boats out there on the clean blue peaceful water--unlike the boats I see on TV. I come back to find comments on my entry below about how Brother Roger had received communion at Pope John Paul's funeral from now Pope Benedict. And at Brother Roger's funeral Roman Catholics and non-Roman Catholics alike received communion. This is so unbelievable because we as Anglicans are not allowed to receive communion in the Roman Catholic church but this makes me feel such hope. In my St. Hilda St. Patrick's Episcopal Church, we encourage all to receive communion. Somehow we think Jesus would not have asked his followers at the Last Supper which denomination they preferred or whether they supported one or another of Caesar's policies before the sharing of bread and wine. We are all so connected with one another through one loving God. Why is it that only in times of deep sorrow we realize this? My digital camera is filled with photos of beautiful Helena, Montana but given the events of the past few days, I will begin with the "Cathedral Built by Gold".
Montana has a significant Roman Catholic population. I am not certain why except that many immigrants were Irish, Italian, and Eastern European at the turn of the century. I have written before that Helena, because of gold, had more millionaires per capita than any other city in the nation at the turn of the century. As a result, Helena, this relatively small city of 30,000 people, has as its centerpiece a European style cathedral which is Roman Catholic. St. Helena Cathedral was built between 1908 and 1914 from donations by Thomas Cruse who earned his riches from his gold mine just outside of the town. And yes, though I am an Episcopalian, I have been to St. Helena's for weddings and a funeral.....and at the funeral of my brother in law who died tragically prematurely of a brain tumor five years ago, with the blessings and at the request of my Roman Catholic relatives, my husband and I boldly received communion.
St. Helena Cathedral
Helena's centerpiece from the slopes of Mount Helena (with forest fire haze)
// posted by Janet @ 8:17 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
A Saint Among Us---Brother Roger
My church is St. Hilda St. Patrick's in Edmonds, WA. A gift was bestowed upon us a few years ago when the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia sent us a retired priest to lift us out of some divisive issues. I have learned more from this man, Peter Snow, in just the last three years than in all of my lifetime of church going previously. He is orginally from England so he has deep Anglican roots; he knew from the time he was 15 that he would be a priest; he is extremely bright and Cambridge educated; and he is the most honestly spiritual Jesus following person I have ever known. As a member of our community, he writes along with other religious leaders for the Worship Column in the Mukilteo Beacon. http://www.mukilteobeacon.com/columnistsworship.html
He flips through the Gospels and points out inconsistencies and explains the various translations of Hebrew or Greek and puts things into historical perspective so easily. He has a story telling gift for vividly explaining Jesus like no other--turning Him into a dusty dirty rabble rouser struggling with His not too bright disciples. But then he has a way of hitting us over the head with the indescribable reality of His Resurrection and what is offered to us for our personal spiritual journeys with the Christ.
Last Sunday, Father Peter talked about Brother Roger. I will admit right here that I did not know who Brother Roger was. Somehow, I have managed to go through my life unaware of some obvious things and this is one of them. Brother Roger had a group of monks in Taize, France and evidently his center has drawn thousands of pilgrims yearly. Brother Roger was not Roman Catholic, being the son of a Swiss Calvinist pastor and French Protestant mother, though some of his monks are. His community includes Anglicans, Eastern Orthodox, Lutherans and Evangelicals. The story of his life was explained by Father Peter in relation to the passage where Jesus says, "Who do you say that I am?" Brother Roger answered the same way St. Peter answered and God took it from there.
During WW2, he smuggled Jewish children out of Nazi occupied territory. Although he attempted to live a life of devotion as a monk and contemplate, God had other plans. Over the years he had a knack for drawing crowds of young people with a message of joy, simplicity, compassion, and peace. He sought greater unity among all Christians and he focused on young people in an attempt to spawn their spiritual sides. In our services, we use some of the prayers and chants created in Taize, I learned on Sunday. Furthermore, our Father Peter was one of those young people in the early 70's to find his way to Brother Roger's feet.
How I have missed this over the years, I'll never know. But now it is too late. Brother Roger was murdered--stabbed to death by a deranged woman--during a service a week ago today. He was 90 years old.
And from the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/18/international/europe/18roger.html
"Pope Benedict XVI, who knew Brother Roger personally, said at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo yesterday that the "sad and terrifying" news "strikes me even more because just yesterday I received a very moving and very friendly letter from him."
The archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, the head of the Church of England, said, "Brother Roger was one of the best-loved Christian leaders of our time.'"
Father Peter said many are asking why God would allow such a horrible turn of events. But Father Peter answered.....
......"Brother Roger would never have asked the question."
In a strange sort of way, Brother Roger helps me to understand why Jesus had to be crucified. Three days ago, I didn't know who he was. And now because of his brutal death, I know.
Now I know.
My church is St. Hilda St. Patrick's in Edmonds, WA. A gift was bestowed upon us a few years ago when the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia sent us a retired priest to lift us out of some divisive issues. I have learned more from this man, Peter Snow, in just the last three years than in all of my lifetime of church going previously. He is orginally from England so he has deep Anglican roots; he knew from the time he was 15 that he would be a priest; he is extremely bright and Cambridge educated; and he is the most honestly spiritual Jesus following person I have ever known. As a member of our community, he writes along with other religious leaders for the Worship Column in the Mukilteo Beacon. http://www.mukilteobeacon.com/columnistsworship.html
He flips through the Gospels and points out inconsistencies and explains the various translations of Hebrew or Greek and puts things into historical perspective so easily. He has a story telling gift for vividly explaining Jesus like no other--turning Him into a dusty dirty rabble rouser struggling with His not too bright disciples. But then he has a way of hitting us over the head with the indescribable reality of His Resurrection and what is offered to us for our personal spiritual journeys with the Christ.
Last Sunday, Father Peter talked about Brother Roger. I will admit right here that I did not know who Brother Roger was. Somehow, I have managed to go through my life unaware of some obvious things and this is one of them. Brother Roger had a group of monks in Taize, France and evidently his center has drawn thousands of pilgrims yearly. Brother Roger was not Roman Catholic, being the son of a Swiss Calvinist pastor and French Protestant mother, though some of his monks are. His community includes Anglicans, Eastern Orthodox, Lutherans and Evangelicals. The story of his life was explained by Father Peter in relation to the passage where Jesus says, "Who do you say that I am?" Brother Roger answered the same way St. Peter answered and God took it from there.
During WW2, he smuggled Jewish children out of Nazi occupied territory. Although he attempted to live a life of devotion as a monk and contemplate, God had other plans. Over the years he had a knack for drawing crowds of young people with a message of joy, simplicity, compassion, and peace. He sought greater unity among all Christians and he focused on young people in an attempt to spawn their spiritual sides. In our services, we use some of the prayers and chants created in Taize, I learned on Sunday. Furthermore, our Father Peter was one of those young people in the early 70's to find his way to Brother Roger's feet.
How I have missed this over the years, I'll never know. But now it is too late. Brother Roger was murdered--stabbed to death by a deranged woman--during a service a week ago today. He was 90 years old.
And from the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/18/international/europe/18roger.html
"Pope Benedict XVI, who knew Brother Roger personally, said at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo yesterday that the "sad and terrifying" news "strikes me even more because just yesterday I received a very moving and very friendly letter from him."
The archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, the head of the Church of England, said, "Brother Roger was one of the best-loved Christian leaders of our time.'"
Father Peter said many are asking why God would allow such a horrible turn of events. But Father Peter answered.....
......"Brother Roger would never have asked the question."
In a strange sort of way, Brother Roger helps me to understand why Jesus had to be crucified. Three days ago, I didn't know who he was. And now because of his brutal death, I know.
Now I know.
// posted by Janet @ 7:33 AM
0 comments
Monday, August 15, 2005
Only in Seattle
I haven't done my "Only in Seattle" for a while so here goes:
1. Only in Seattle do people get upset that we didn't win the title, "Most Liberal City in America". Evidently, we came in 16th. Ouch! We didn't make the top ten nor even the top 15.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/236643_liberaled.asp#pollArticle
And some quotes:
"What?!? Seattle isn't the most liberal city in the country? It's true. According to a study done by the Bay Area Center for Voting Research, Seattle ranks 16th out of 237 cities in liberalism. ...
While the results bum us out, they're far from surprising -- Seattle is an essentially prudish and, at times, provincial town. "
Detroit is the number one "Most Liberal" and San Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland all made the top ten. http://www.insidebayarea.com/localnews/ci_2935479
And again from the Seattle PI: "We're a stuffy city, and no amount of gorp and Gore-Tex can hide that." I would agree. We are a little too selfish and inward to be considered truly top ten liberal.
2. Only in Seattle do the residents with an actual Seattle proper address and zip code get upset with those of us in outlying areas calling ourselves "Seattleites". Lucas has a good friend who lives in Ballard within the city limits. She claims it is improper for those of us who live in Lynnwood, Edmonds, Mukilteo, or south in Federal Way to say we are from Seattle. We all do it; this is why it bugs the true ones. I argued with her that Lucas and Kaley were born in Seattle and their Dad works in Seattle and it is just darn hard to say "Mukilteo" and to explain where it is. It is just easier to say "Seattle". No excuses, she says.
3. Only in Seattle is the latest thing not sushi and no longer teriyaki but "pho" pronounced "fu". I thought this was my newest favorite Asian dish only to find out from Lucas's friend mentioned above---the true Seattleite---that indeed all Seattleites must now have their favorite pho place. Mine is next to Albertson's on Bev-Edmonds Rd. By the way, pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup served in a deconstructed manner meaning herbs and sprouts are on the side.
4. And finally, only in Seattle will you encounter the following bill board. This one is on Mukilteo Speedway, presumably because the Speedway leads directly to Puget Sound, the ferries, Mukilteo Beach and a boat launch. It causes me to laugh deeply because I would never see such a sign driving down McDonald Pass in Montana into the outskirts of Helena.
BE WHALE WISE!!!!!
I haven't done my "Only in Seattle" for a while so here goes:
1. Only in Seattle do people get upset that we didn't win the title, "Most Liberal City in America". Evidently, we came in 16th. Ouch! We didn't make the top ten nor even the top 15.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/236643_liberaled.asp#pollArticle
And some quotes:
"What?!? Seattle isn't the most liberal city in the country? It's true. According to a study done by the Bay Area Center for Voting Research, Seattle ranks 16th out of 237 cities in liberalism. ...
While the results bum us out, they're far from surprising -- Seattle is an essentially prudish and, at times, provincial town. "
Detroit is the number one "Most Liberal" and San Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland all made the top ten. http://www.insidebayarea.com/localnews/ci_2935479
And again from the Seattle PI: "We're a stuffy city, and no amount of gorp and Gore-Tex can hide that." I would agree. We are a little too selfish and inward to be considered truly top ten liberal.
2. Only in Seattle do the residents with an actual Seattle proper address and zip code get upset with those of us in outlying areas calling ourselves "Seattleites". Lucas has a good friend who lives in Ballard within the city limits. She claims it is improper for those of us who live in Lynnwood, Edmonds, Mukilteo, or south in Federal Way to say we are from Seattle. We all do it; this is why it bugs the true ones. I argued with her that Lucas and Kaley were born in Seattle and their Dad works in Seattle and it is just darn hard to say "Mukilteo" and to explain where it is. It is just easier to say "Seattle". No excuses, she says.
3. Only in Seattle is the latest thing not sushi and no longer teriyaki but "pho" pronounced "fu". I thought this was my newest favorite Asian dish only to find out from Lucas's friend mentioned above---the true Seattleite---that indeed all Seattleites must now have their favorite pho place. Mine is next to Albertson's on Bev-Edmonds Rd. By the way, pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup served in a deconstructed manner meaning herbs and sprouts are on the side.
4. And finally, only in Seattle will you encounter the following bill board. This one is on Mukilteo Speedway, presumably because the Speedway leads directly to Puget Sound, the ferries, Mukilteo Beach and a boat launch. It causes me to laugh deeply because I would never see such a sign driving down McDonald Pass in Montana into the outskirts of Helena.
BE WHALE WISE!!!!!
// posted by Janet @ 2:13 PM
0 comments
Saturday, August 13, 2005
My Favorite Lion---Apolo
Ok, ok, I can't help it. I can't resist taking pictures of my buddy. Sometimes he reminds me of a lion especially when he sleeps on the warm deck in the sun---like this morning. They say this may be our last weekend of sun before the clouds roll in. Either way, it is lovely because it has been perfect.
"Oh, the warmth makes me sleepy."
"I am regal. I'm the King. I'm cool. I'm Apolo!"
"Quit bothering me and let me....rest."
Ok, ok, I can't help it. I can't resist taking pictures of my buddy. Sometimes he reminds me of a lion especially when he sleeps on the warm deck in the sun---like this morning. They say this may be our last weekend of sun before the clouds roll in. Either way, it is lovely because it has been perfect.
"Oh, the warmth makes me sleepy."
"I am regal. I'm the King. I'm cool. I'm Apolo!"
"Quit bothering me and let me....rest."
// posted by Janet @ 2:18 PM
0 comments
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Sustainable Lifestyle
Lately my family has been living sustainably. Well, not quite and certainly not in the same way my family did while I was a child. My father and mother hunted and fished to fill our cupboards and not just for fun. In addition, my parents always had a vegetable garden. I remember making current jelly and chokecherry jam and picking huckleberries until my fingers were blue. I remember my Mom making pickles and bread and cinnamon rolls.
Meat and fish and foul were always in the freezer and we feasted on food that any gourmet restaurant in Seattle would be pleased to serve. Ducks, pheasants, sage hens, geese (but mostly ducks) were on our table and I remember every delicious bite though I learned to be careful of the buckshot. Alternating with the poultry, we ate elk, deer, antelope, and once a moose. I remember I loved the moose because he was kind of tough so my Mom had to be a little creative with stews which were yummy. Only in the summer would we sometimes have beef steaks and usually we still had elk and deer burger left. Summer also brought trout and the king salmon caught in Idaho.
I did not realize that when I took lunches to school, I was eating gourmet food. To be honest, I was a little embarrassed with my home made bread and sage hen sandwiches. Why couldn't my Mom give me a perfectly shaped white bread sandwich with bologna like everyone else?? And now I am aware that my childhood diet was very healthy except maybe for the lime jello--but even it had garden carrots in it.
Anyway, zoom to the present. Last year we tried a little garden in pots and it worked well so this year we put in a bigger garden in the corner of the yard. Unfortunately, sun can be a funny thing around here and this corner isn't quite sunny enough. Nevertheless, we are getting a few things and it looks like from this photo, we are able to grow weeds very well.
The yellow squash and the tomatoes have been doing ok but the peppers have completely failed. Our herbs, including basil and rosemary are making me happy. Down on the beach, we had a good yield of clams which produced a great big pot of chowder with enough for the freezer. Lucas came home with enough crabs one evening for a couple of meals. Because Kaley is allergic, we had to cook them outside and we ate them while she was at music camp. We will eat a lot of crab after she goes to college! And the pink salmon, also known as humpies (I'm not making this up) are having a litte run right now. Dave and Lucas have been out there on the water in the past few days and they came back with one--it was enough for three people. Dave is always checking the boat parade as they go by our house in what is called Humpy Hollow to see if they are catching anything.
An odd houseboat out in Humpy Hollow!
Even people in yachts like to fish!
And finally, we have these weeds here called blackberries which are now in season. They grow behind our fence and keep our back yard from falling down a cliff--at least for the time being. So far in the last week, we have made seedless blackberry jam and blackberry cobbler. We've had them on cereal, waffles, ice cream, and pancakes. And today, Kaley made blackberry ice cream which was the most beautiful lavendar color I have ever seen. We have yet to eat it.
Blackberry bushes behind our fence.
And tomorrow Dave and Lucas leave for Alaska because our freezer no longer has halibut or salmon left from last year. Best of all, we wash all of our meals down with Dave's wine made by his wine group. 2002 was the best year; 2003 is good everyday wine; and we are really looking forward to 2004--a good year. To conclude, I spend way more money at the grocery store than my mother ever did--especially on coffee but we do try to take advantage of our natural resources because everything is so darn scrumptious.
(All photos taken today--a kind of cloudy misty day and it feels good.)
Lately my family has been living sustainably. Well, not quite and certainly not in the same way my family did while I was a child. My father and mother hunted and fished to fill our cupboards and not just for fun. In addition, my parents always had a vegetable garden. I remember making current jelly and chokecherry jam and picking huckleberries until my fingers were blue. I remember my Mom making pickles and bread and cinnamon rolls.
Meat and fish and foul were always in the freezer and we feasted on food that any gourmet restaurant in Seattle would be pleased to serve. Ducks, pheasants, sage hens, geese (but mostly ducks) were on our table and I remember every delicious bite though I learned to be careful of the buckshot. Alternating with the poultry, we ate elk, deer, antelope, and once a moose. I remember I loved the moose because he was kind of tough so my Mom had to be a little creative with stews which were yummy. Only in the summer would we sometimes have beef steaks and usually we still had elk and deer burger left. Summer also brought trout and the king salmon caught in Idaho.
I did not realize that when I took lunches to school, I was eating gourmet food. To be honest, I was a little embarrassed with my home made bread and sage hen sandwiches. Why couldn't my Mom give me a perfectly shaped white bread sandwich with bologna like everyone else?? And now I am aware that my childhood diet was very healthy except maybe for the lime jello--but even it had garden carrots in it.
Anyway, zoom to the present. Last year we tried a little garden in pots and it worked well so this year we put in a bigger garden in the corner of the yard. Unfortunately, sun can be a funny thing around here and this corner isn't quite sunny enough. Nevertheless, we are getting a few things and it looks like from this photo, we are able to grow weeds very well.
The yellow squash and the tomatoes have been doing ok but the peppers have completely failed. Our herbs, including basil and rosemary are making me happy. Down on the beach, we had a good yield of clams which produced a great big pot of chowder with enough for the freezer. Lucas came home with enough crabs one evening for a couple of meals. Because Kaley is allergic, we had to cook them outside and we ate them while she was at music camp. We will eat a lot of crab after she goes to college! And the pink salmon, also known as humpies (I'm not making this up) are having a litte run right now. Dave and Lucas have been out there on the water in the past few days and they came back with one--it was enough for three people. Dave is always checking the boat parade as they go by our house in what is called Humpy Hollow to see if they are catching anything.
An odd houseboat out in Humpy Hollow!
Even people in yachts like to fish!
And finally, we have these weeds here called blackberries which are now in season. They grow behind our fence and keep our back yard from falling down a cliff--at least for the time being. So far in the last week, we have made seedless blackberry jam and blackberry cobbler. We've had them on cereal, waffles, ice cream, and pancakes. And today, Kaley made blackberry ice cream which was the most beautiful lavendar color I have ever seen. We have yet to eat it.
Blackberry bushes behind our fence.
And tomorrow Dave and Lucas leave for Alaska because our freezer no longer has halibut or salmon left from last year. Best of all, we wash all of our meals down with Dave's wine made by his wine group. 2002 was the best year; 2003 is good everyday wine; and we are really looking forward to 2004--a good year. To conclude, I spend way more money at the grocery store than my mother ever did--especially on coffee but we do try to take advantage of our natural resources because everything is so darn scrumptious.
(All photos taken today--a kind of cloudy misty day and it feels good.)
// posted by Janet @ 2:13 PM
0 comments
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Whistler, BC
Whistler is on my mind today. We only spent two days there but, frankly, it was really fun. The last time we went was several years ago and we said then we would go back every summer. Well, guess what? It has been nine years. Two years ago I was lucky enough to attend a Winter Olympics announcement ceremony in Seattle when Whistler and Vancouver, BC were named as the hosts for the 2010 Winter Olympics---the next one after the upcoming one in Turin, Italy 2006. What an exciting moment that was for us! Seattle and Everett should have an economic boost and will be stepping stones for both athletes and tourists heading up to the Olympic venues. Mukilteo, Lynnwood, and Edmonds, being between Seattle and Everett along the I-5 corridor should benefit as well.
But, but,... Vancouver has some issues. First of all, to understand Vancouver, one must realize that this major urban area is literally carved out of the edge of complete wilderness. The freeway known to Americans as I-5 and Canadians as 99 ends at Vancouver and no big overpasses allow traffic to bypass the city. Try to understand this---the FREEWAY ends. 99 goes right through the heart of this huge city and this is the way you go to catch ferries and the little two lane highway to Whistler. We got stuck in some major traffic on a Saturday afternoon in downtown Vancouver and I kept saying--"they are going to have to do something about this before 2010". See, all of the skating events such as speedskating and figure skating will be held in Vancouver but the ski events, luge and so forth will be up at Whistler so people will be going back and forth. To their credit, they are widening the road to Whistler.
So for us, we think in terms of time rather than miles because Whistler is 190 miles from our house but we like to say--less than two hours to the border--another 45 minutes to an hour through Vancouver---and another hour and a half for the 70 miles up to Whistler---and this doesn't include the wait at the border which is completely unpredictable. It all goes fast with the gorgeous scenery. Even being stuck in traffic in Vancouver is interesting. But Olympic traffic could create some monumental problems especially in the middle of winter. I think I will watch on TV, thank you very much.
Whistler BC from our hotel balcony
Preparing for 2010 Olympics
Whistler from a Gondola
Up on Top
Lucas and I hiked to that middle little peak/point
Whistler is extremely dog friendly so we took Apolo with us though he was sleeping in the van when we took the Gondola ride. The lodge where we stayed welcomes dogs--The Crystal Lodge. My only complaint is that the pooper scooper sacks available in dispensers on every street corner will probably work for Ms. Hilton's dog during the Olympics but they only fit about half of my 95 lb. Golden Retriever's---well, you get the idea. A grocery sack works for us. Apolo had the time of his life with the hikes and meeting tons of people who cannot resist a cute dog.
Another fascinating aspect about Whistler is that it is the mountain biking mecca of the world. We saw virtually no skate boards, no inline skates, nor scooters like we used to but mountain bikes everywhere. They would ride up the ski lifts and then come careening down like maniacs. Uh, you sorta have to be kinda careful when you're walking your dog on the hillside. GEEZ!! All in all, we love Whistler and I just hope it will not be another nine years before we go back. Well, maybe five??!!
The pained expression on my face is because I had just finished the hike up to that rocky peak and I was tired!!
Whistler is on my mind today. We only spent two days there but, frankly, it was really fun. The last time we went was several years ago and we said then we would go back every summer. Well, guess what? It has been nine years. Two years ago I was lucky enough to attend a Winter Olympics announcement ceremony in Seattle when Whistler and Vancouver, BC were named as the hosts for the 2010 Winter Olympics---the next one after the upcoming one in Turin, Italy 2006. What an exciting moment that was for us! Seattle and Everett should have an economic boost and will be stepping stones for both athletes and tourists heading up to the Olympic venues. Mukilteo, Lynnwood, and Edmonds, being between Seattle and Everett along the I-5 corridor should benefit as well.
But, but,... Vancouver has some issues. First of all, to understand Vancouver, one must realize that this major urban area is literally carved out of the edge of complete wilderness. The freeway known to Americans as I-5 and Canadians as 99 ends at Vancouver and no big overpasses allow traffic to bypass the city. Try to understand this---the FREEWAY ends. 99 goes right through the heart of this huge city and this is the way you go to catch ferries and the little two lane highway to Whistler. We got stuck in some major traffic on a Saturday afternoon in downtown Vancouver and I kept saying--"they are going to have to do something about this before 2010". See, all of the skating events such as speedskating and figure skating will be held in Vancouver but the ski events, luge and so forth will be up at Whistler so people will be going back and forth. To their credit, they are widening the road to Whistler.
So for us, we think in terms of time rather than miles because Whistler is 190 miles from our house but we like to say--less than two hours to the border--another 45 minutes to an hour through Vancouver---and another hour and a half for the 70 miles up to Whistler---and this doesn't include the wait at the border which is completely unpredictable. It all goes fast with the gorgeous scenery. Even being stuck in traffic in Vancouver is interesting. But Olympic traffic could create some monumental problems especially in the middle of winter. I think I will watch on TV, thank you very much.
Whistler BC from our hotel balcony
Preparing for 2010 Olympics
Whistler from a Gondola
Up on Top
Lucas and I hiked to that middle little peak/point
Whistler is extremely dog friendly so we took Apolo with us though he was sleeping in the van when we took the Gondola ride. The lodge where we stayed welcomes dogs--The Crystal Lodge. My only complaint is that the pooper scooper sacks available in dispensers on every street corner will probably work for Ms. Hilton's dog during the Olympics but they only fit about half of my 95 lb. Golden Retriever's---well, you get the idea. A grocery sack works for us. Apolo had the time of his life with the hikes and meeting tons of people who cannot resist a cute dog.
Another fascinating aspect about Whistler is that it is the mountain biking mecca of the world. We saw virtually no skate boards, no inline skates, nor scooters like we used to but mountain bikes everywhere. They would ride up the ski lifts and then come careening down like maniacs. Uh, you sorta have to be kinda careful when you're walking your dog on the hillside. GEEZ!! All in all, we love Whistler and I just hope it will not be another nine years before we go back. Well, maybe five??!!
The pained expression on my face is because I had just finished the hike up to that rocky peak and I was tired!!
// posted by Janet @ 1:24 PM
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