celebrating autumn

[Tom Keats]

Here in Vancouver the weather is fair, the
temperatures are coolishly moderate, the
trees are proudly showing-off their spectacular
fall colours (it looks especially stunning through
amber-brown lens'd shades,) and there aren't any
flying insects to kamikaze into yer face.

This is great!

It's easy to bellyache about wind and rain and
snow and ice. But when conditions are so good,
I figure they deserve some positive comment
and appreciation too. No bad, no ugly -- just
good. Okay, there are some messes of fallen
tree leaves and horse chestnuts lying around,
and the low sun is something to contend with,
but those things are live-with-able.

I get a day off work today. I think I'll ride around
and check out some hardware liquidation shops.
And bakeries.


cheers,
Tom


--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

[PatTX]

Tom Keats wrote:
:: Here in Vancouver the weather is fair, the
:: temperatures are coolishly moderate, the
:: trees are proudly showing-off their spectacular
:: fall colours (it looks especially stunning through
:: amber-brown lens'd shades,) and there aren't any
:: flying insects to kamikaze into yer face.

Have you ever taken a train eastward? I am thinking of going to Vancouver
and going to Montreal.

Pat

[Tom Keats]

In article >,
"PatTX" > writes:
> Tom Keats wrote:
>:: Here in Vancouver the weather is fair, the
>:: temperatures are coolishly moderate, the
>:: trees are proudly showing-off their spectacular
>:: fall colours (it looks especially stunning through
>:: amber-brown lens'd shades,) and there aren't any
>:: flying insects to kamikaze into yer face.
>
> Have you ever taken a train eastward?

Only as far as Edmonton. That was back in
the early '70s.

> I am thinking of going to Vancouver
> and going to Montreal.

Heading west from here is great, 'cuz since
this is the starting point, you've pretty
much got the train to yourself. Coming
back is a different story -- the train has
already picked up a lot of passengers along
the way, and it gets to be like a crowded bus.
AFAIC the best part of the journey would be
through British Columbia and the Alberta Rockies.
The rest is mostly a bunch of flatland.

My favourite train trips were in my childhood
back in the early '60s, on the old Great Northern,
from Vancouver to Bellingham, WA, to visit
relatives in Everett (and later, Mt Vernon.)
I still vividly recall viewing the beautiful
west coast vistas from the train.

Now there's an Amtrak service on that same route
and extending to Portland, OR. Once in a while
I get a twinge of temptation to check it out.


cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

[Tom Keats]

In article >,
(Tom Keats) writes:
> In article >,
> "PatTX" > writes:
>> Tom Keats wrote:
>>:: Here in Vancouver the weather is fair, the
>>:: temperatures are coolishly moderate, the
>>:: trees are proudly showing-off their spectacular
>>:: fall colours (it looks especially stunning through
>>:: amber-brown lens'd shades,) and there aren't any
>>:: flying insects to kamikaze into yer face.
>>
>> Have you ever taken a train eastward?
>
> Only as far as Edmonton. That was back in
> the early '70s.
>
>> I am thinking of going to Vancouver
>> and going to Montreal.
>
> Heading west from here is great, 'cuz since
^^^^

Oops. I mean ~east~.
Heading west will get your feet wet.

> this is the starting point, you've pretty
> much got the train to yourself.

One of these days I've gotta visit Canada, myself.

I don't consider myself a true Canadian, 'cuz
I absolutely despise winter ;-)


cheers again,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

[Claire]

On Oct 27, 7:12*am, (Tom Keats) wrote:
> Here in Vancouver the weather is fair, the
> temperatures are coolishly moderate, the
> trees are proudly showing-off their spectacular
> fall colours (it looks especially stunning through
> amber-brown lens'd shades,) and there aren't any
> flying insects to kamikaze into yer face.
>
> This is great!

We indeed have had some splendid weather recently. But even last
Monday, when it was blustery and damp, the rain bowed down the maple
tree branches, forming a tunnel of gold for me to cycle through on
Mercer Island.

Warm Regards,

Claire
http://www.bicyclemeditations.org

[Tom Keats]

In article >,
Claire > writes:
> On Oct 27, 7:12*am, (Tom Keats) wrote:
>> Here in Vancouver the weather is fair, the
>> temperatures are coolishly moderate, the
>> trees are proudly showing-off their spectacular
>> fall colours (it looks especially stunning through
>> amber-brown lens'd shades,) and there aren't any
>> flying insects to kamikaze into yer face.
>>
>> This is great!
> We indeed have had some splendid weather recently. But even last
> Monday, when it was blustery and damp, the rain bowed down the maple
> tree branches, forming a tunnel of gold for me to cycle through on

Yes, even wet weather can have its charms, such as when
rhododendrons glow in the spring drizzle.

This could be our last kick at the fair weather can
for a couple of seasons, and I'm inclined to make
the most of it. I've learned from recently having
the 'flu and rueing my taking for granted all my
previous healthy days. Of course I always do that
when I come down with the 'flu. I resolve to never
again take a healthy day for granted. But as I recover
and other cares of the world once again take precedence,
my earnest somehow becomes short-lived. So I'm trying to
sustain my not taking these splendid autumnal conditions
for granted, for too long.

It's too bad we can't record a lovely day, and play
it back in the dark and odious depths of winter. I
don't mean just collecting snapshots and snippets
of memories -- I mean playing back a whole, real
nice day. Kind of like something from The Twilight
Zone, but not spooky.

Oh, well. In the long run I guess it takes more than
weather to ruin a day. Sunshine helps. That's something
severely lacking in those horrible hibernian months ahead.
I wish I could winter in Uraguay.


cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca