Cutting edge

Summer on Vancouver Island is the time for large-scale wood carving or driftwood sculptures. We discovered a whole new installation in "downtown" Gold River (population 1,212). Wolves, bears, crabs, eagles, fish; our native totemic species. With one exception:

Bears (with teddy bear mascots) and a pair of chimps (or sasquatches). Very modern, up-to-date chimps. (Probably sasquatches.)

Already addicted to his phone. It's a Sassung™.

Selfie

And another modern bear:

Must have his coffee!

Just a family afternoon

5 months old, and getting the hang of it already:

I spent the afternoon and evening at a family party in Chilliwack. Picnic in the chapel garden, with the sun playing hopscotch with grey clouds; just a bit chilly. Summer has ended.

Cup with a big nose.

Afterwards, we sat around the living room to watch a slide show of my daughter's and her husband's photos from Italy; beautiful! They're wedding photographers, and very talented. And Italy! The buildings, the colours, the light! Just amazing! I came away half-envious, completely inspired.

Some of the photos we saw, the ones from Cinque Terre and the Amalfi coast, and from Venice, are on their blog. My daughter writes,

It is impossible for us to convey the way your stomach lurches at the steepness of the rocky outcrops, the heat and humidity on your skin, or the tightness of the curves of the (crazy narrow!) roads. We were amazed at the resourcefulness of the local people in finding the space to grow beautiful gardens and carry on their regular lives on the narrow terraces. I hope you can see a glimpse of all this in our photos.

Go check them out! Here's the Amalfi coast. And Venice.