Sunday Salon, July 7

Photo credit: Don Bennett, all rights reserved

Weather: Overcast, it looks like it will rain.

Waiting for the concert to begin. Photo credit: Rita Adams, all rights reserved.

Whistler, B.C.: We spent last week in Canada at our time share in Whistler. It was a near perfect week. Both daughters joined us, as did our grandson which added a new dimension to our family vacation. The photo of Ian was taken during a hike to Brandywine Falls, just a few miles from Whistler. He had discovered a big ant and was inspecting it on his finger.


Canada Day: As is often the case, we were in Canada on July 1st to celebrate their special holiday but missed ours on July 4th. To celebrate this year there was a parade down Whistler village with lots of maple leaves and bicycles. Later we attended a free concert in the Olympic plaza with The Tenors (used to be named The Canadian Tenors) as the headliners! Among the many songs they sang, 'O Canada' was especially poignant for the crowd since The Tenors sang it at the first NBA championship game for the Toronto Raptors who eventually won the series, a first for a Canadian team. None of us could believe our good luck at being in such a lovely setting with such incredible music and it was free!  (Even Ian seemed to enjoy the music, until he decided that playing on the swings would be more fun.) I tortured my family the rest of the week by listening to a rather select playlist of the Tenors on Spotify.

Photo credit: Don Bennett, all rights reserved

Hike to Brandywine Falls: The day was overcast but the setting was breathtaking. Don's photo could be printed as a postcard.

Ian and Grandpa playing in the water. Photo by Rita Adams

Meadow Park: We took Ian to a park which was a favorite spot when our girls were young. He loved running through the water tunnel and did it over and over again.

Train wreck art. Photo credits: Anne Bennett, all rights reserved.

Train Wreck hike: Back in the 1950s there was a big train wreck near Whistler. Five of the cars were so damaged it wasn't worth moving them from the spot of the wreck so they were left to rust in the forest. Years later graffiti artists found them and have enjoyed decorating them since that time. Three years ago a good trail and suspension bridge were constructed so that hikers and bikers could find this strange art installment.  Don and I hiked in and braved the rainy weather to enjoy this unique setting.

Books completed this past week:

• Dig by A.S. King. A surreal look at five teens who find they have a lot more in common than they knew at first. Super weird but satisfying. E-book.
• Martin Marten by Brian Doyle. The setting is a loosely knit community at the base of Mt. Hood in Oregon. Two concurrent stories interweave---that of David, a young teenager who is growing into a young man and Martin, a marten who is also growing up as a predator in the forest. This is a book club selection. Audiobook.
• Lovely War by Julie Berry. A YA novel set during the first world war. The narrators are Greek gods and goddesses. Strange, but it works, especially the parts which expanded on the contributions made by the Harlem Hellfighters, a "negro" squad that fought with ferocity and valor.  Audiobook.

Currently reading:

• Winter Wheat by Mildred Walker. I am enjoying this folksy style of Walker's writing. The book was given to me by a retired librarian who lives in Montana. It is set in Montana. Print. 14%
• Circe by Madeline Miller. Another book club selection this one is a retelling of stories from Iliad and the Odyssey. So far I am not able to follow it and may have to change format to make progress possible. Audiobook. 5%.

Photo by Rita Adams, all rights reserved.

Wedding: We raced home from Canada so we could attend a family wedding (the daughter of my husband's cousin.) It was set at a resort, Alderbrook, on the Hood Canal about 90 minutes from our home. It wasn't a sunny day, but the weather held and we had a lovely time. In the photo, Don and I have our name placards stuck to our foreheads in an attempt to entertain our grandson who was ready for dinner before we were served. We wish Colleen and Balder a happy marriage.

New computer: My laptop crapped out so I am working out the kinks with a new device. Fortunately the old computer gave us notice so we were able to save all our photo and documents. Now to get things set up how I like them on this new one.

Yesterday: Last week my daughters and I went to see the movie about the Beatles music called Yesterday. Today I am taking my hubby to see it. So I've got to run. I hope to get a few more photos posted but I will publish now and finish up later.

-Anne