more photos that I didn't get to take

or...

a cloudy cameraless Canada Day on Granville Island.


After negotiating a parking space at 1pm on a holiday Friday (that's worth a whole blog post unto itself), I sat on the boardwalk sipping my skim milk medium vanilla latte, purchased from an independent coffee shop (yes, a few of those still exist). The steps I snagged for a seat were facing False Creek and almost directly under Granville Street bridge, giving me an amazing series of views for the thirty-some-odd minutes that I awaited the arrival of my friend, her cousin and her two little dogs. It was not raining, but partly cloudy - perfectly so for non-glaring photographs. I know this because of the plethora of photographers out and about. But did I think to bring my camera? No. So, here are another list of photographs that you will not be seeing:

- the steel supports of the bridge, framing a receding row of the cranes, concrete, glass and steel that make up the Yaletown condos.

- an aged fishing boat, raised out of the water and resting between the boardwalk and the bridge support, named "Relief"

- numerous yachts, sailboats, kayaks, motorboats and canoes. And aquabuses full of tacky tourists and, often tackier, locals

- the carved columns of the Burrard Street bridge, viewed behind sail boat masts

- adorable kids aplenty, guys in business suits with Canadian flags in their breast pockets and non-Canadians wearing more maple leaf imprinted clothing and flags than, I think, any Canadian actually owns.

- innumerable seagulls, pigeons and ducks

- the jazz festival's free outdoor stages, with snazzy bands and their upright basses (the coolest instrument EVER)

- a little kid in full Darth Vader regalia (and a Canadian flag)

At this point, I probably would have run out of space on the camera and/or batteries.

Happy (end of) Canada Day!