Strocel.com | Beautiful BC

Pity Party on the Beach, Part 2

Amber on August 9, 2010 30 Comments

Last weekend there was this big huge blogger party that all the cool lady bloggers went to. They flew to New York City where they attended panels and parties and met lots of fun people and that sort of thing. And they ate at great restaurants and toured a world-class city and hid in bathrooms and what-not.

I did not go. I wanted to go. I hemmed and hawed. But when it came right down to it, I couldn’t pull the trigger. I didn’t want to fly across the continent and spend that long apart from my not-yet-2-year-old. That was my choice, and it doesn’t mean that I expect you to make the same decision I did.

Just because I was at home in Vancouver did not mean I had to stay indoors and feel bad for myself. Right? So I met up with some other super cool local blogger types and we had a party of our own. It was light on panels, but there was sand and children and lots of therapeutic ointment. (Really! Bring on itchy, burning skin, my 7 tubes of ointment and I laugh in its face.) And BlogHer was kind enough to foot the bill, which was awesome.

It’s true, it wasn’t New York City. But it was pretty fun all the same.

OK, they weren’t part of our party, but I just enjoy this photo

I know I said it last year, but this year I really mean it. Meet me in San Diego?

Tagged With: Beautiful BC, Bloggy McBloggerson

Visiting the EcoDairy

Amber on July 31, 2010 24 Comments

Last weekend I was invited, along with my family, to tour Bakerview EcoDairy. I am always interested in learning more about where my food comes from, so I jumped at the chance. And what I saw while I was there has left me thinking a lot about agriculture in general, and dairy farms in particular.

The EcoDairy is a demonstration farm, which means its purpose is to teach the public about dairy farming. You can visit 7 days a week, all year round. Because it is open to the public, you know that the animals and the facilities are well cared-for. They also lay out the operation in such a way that it’s highly visible. I learned a lot about cows and dairy production during my tour. For instance, did you know that the average dairy cow produces around 30L or 8 gallons of milk a day? That puts lactating humans to shame.

Exterior of the EcoDairy

Bill Vanderkooi, who created the EcoDairy, has a background in animal science, specializing in dairy cattle nutrition and physiology. He grew up on a dairy farm, which is currently run by his brother. When he graduated, he wanted to use his knowledge to develop innovative nutritional solutions for dairy farmers. In the process, he created Vitala milk, which contains DHA Omega-3 and higher levels of CLA.

Look, milk!

To achieve the DHA and CLA levels in the milk, the cows are fed a special diet. They receive a specific mix of grasses, silage and grain, as well as flax seed and small quantities of tuna oil. Bill is committed to feeding the cows food from natural sources, so they don’t receive any supplements or artificial chemicals. When I saw the cows eating, it all looked pretty hay-like to me, but I admit to feeling a little bit squeamish about the tuna oil. It doesn’t sound like something that cows evolved to eat. Bill did tell me that it is locally sourced and tested free of mercury and other contaminants, and that feeding cows animal meal has a long history and many scientists consider it to be good for them.

The cows eating their special diet

The cows live in an ‘indoor pasture’. It is a large open space, with big windows, lots of light, rubber floors and special ‘cow mattresses’. The 40 or so animals that are currently there are free to roam around the space as they please. There are temperature and humidity controls, and the cows have access to an automatic brush and a robotic milker, so they set their own eating, sleeping, grooming and milking schedule. Each cow has a transponder so that they can track her milking, but Bill told me that most cows choose to be milked 2-3 times a day. We saw a line-up at the milker while we were there.

One of the cows checks out the automatic brush

One of the cows uses the automatic brush

While cows are being milked, the machine monitors their output specifically, checking flow rate, volume, temperature and white cell levels. This lets them know if a cow is sick, in which case her milk is dumped and she’s attended to. It also lets them know when her milk production is starting to slow. And over the course of a milking, it lets them know when she’s done. The robotic machine actually detaches from each teat individually when it stops flowing. This means that instead of just milking a cow for a specific amount of time at specific hours, they can really follow an individual cow’s pattern. As a nursing mama myself, I can appreciate that individuals vary.

The cows greeting Hannah. A few seconds after this photo, the one on the right licked me.

In order to keep the quantity and quality of the milk consistent, the cows are kept inside while they are producing milk. While the barn was very clean and lovely, it kind of upended my traditional view of what a dairy farm looks like. I grew up in dairy country, and I am accustomed to seeing a lot of cows out roaming pastures, at least over the summer. This is probably the thing that I wrestled with the most. I have no doubts that the cows are well cared-for, and that they have far more self-determination than the average cow. But would they be happier if they were outside? And does thinking of ‘happiness’ in human terms even make sense for a cow?

A video of our visit

The barn that the cows spend their days in is built do be as comfortable as possible. It’s also built to be environmentally friendly, too. They used recycled tires in the rubber floor and low-energy environmental controls and lighting. They have a green roof on one of their buildings, and collect rainwater off another. They are almost finished building an anaerobic digester, which will convert the cows’ waste into energy for the dairy and high-nutrient fertilizer. And they used pine beetle timber in their building, which is effectively salvaged wood.

I really believe that a lot of thought has gone into the EcoDairy and it was very educational for me to see it. It left me thinking a lot about farming and my pre-conceptions. That’s a good thing, I think. Knowing where your food comes from, and how the animals who produce it are treated, is important. And now I’d like to hear your thoughts. What do you think makes for a good dairy farm, or a good farm in general? What makes for a good quality of life for a cow? I’d love to hear!

PS – As you may know, I have started including a link-up with my monthly reviews. The reviews are an informal listing of a few things I learned in the past month. My July review will go live at 6am Pacific on Monday, August 2. If you want to play along, write a post on or before August 2, come here, and link up!

Tagged With: Beautiful BC, Enviro-Mama, Food

Little Qualicum Cheeseworks

Amber on June 26, 2010 14 Comments

One of the best parts of going on vacation is all of the blog fodder it provides. This was certainly the case with the trip we took to Parksville a couple of weeks ago. Fun! Togetherness! New places to talk about! It’s really win-win, I think.

One of the places that we checked out in Parksville is Little Qualicum Cheeseworks. We visited the farm three years ago when we were in town, and I loved it. I am a fan of cheese, what can I say? So when we were back in the neighbourhood, I knew I had to visit again.

Jacob meets some goats on the farm

Morningstar Farm is the home of Little Qualicum Cheeseworks and MooBerry Winery. Since 1999 it has belonged to the Gourlays, who started milking cows and making cheese there in 2001. All of the milk for their cheeses comes from their own herd of cows, and all of the cheese is made on-site at the farm. They also grow berries for their fruit wines, and make all of the wine on site as well. The fruit and berries for the wine that aren’t grown on the farm are sourced locally.

The cows, hard at work

The cheese, wine and pork that they produce and sell at the farm is not organic. However, they are definitely dedicated to sustainable practices and quality local food. Places like Little Qualicum Cheeseworks are the reason that I often opt for local over organic – by talking to people you can get a much better picture of the practices they follow than by reading labels. The Gourlays are dedicated to the local environment and to farming lightly. Although they do have some certifications that I appreciate, like the SPCA Certification that they treat their animals with great care and Environmental Partner Certification from The Land Conservancy.

The milking parlour

We toured the farm and peeked through the window into the room where the cheese is made. Jacob got up close and personal with a goat. Hannah got up close and personal with a bunny. We saw some of the cutest calves ever. We tasted cheese and I tasted wine. And I got to chat with some of the folks about their farm.

The outside of the cheeseworks

The cows at Little Qualicum are pasture-fed as long as the weather co-operates every year, and then they eat silage. Their milk is left raw for ripened cheeses and pasteurized for soft cheeses. Apparently, raw milk results in a more flavourful cheese. The pathogens that can live in milk have a lifespan of 60 days. So cheese that is aged for longer (like ripened cheese) will not contain live pathogens, but soft cheeses may and so they pasteurize that milk first. This is why pregnant women are cautioned against eating unpasteurized soft cheese.

The cheese

Living in the suburbs of a large city as we do, I don’t get to see the operations of a dairy farm first-hand. Or any farm, for that matter. Visiting Little Qualicum was a great chance for me, and for my children, to a get an up-close look at local agriculture. While I have bought Little Qualicum cheese at my local farmer’s market, the experience can’t compare. And the fruit wines, that you can’t get at the farmer’s market, were fabulous, too.

You can also check out the video my lovely husband Jon made of our visit on YouTube:

PS – As you may know, I have started including a link-up with my monthly reviews. The reviews are an informal listing of a few things I learned in the past month. My June review will go live at 6am Pacific on Friday, July 2. If you want to play along, write a post on or before July 2, come here, and link up. I have a feeling this is going to be fun!

Tagged With: Beautiful BC, Enviro-Mama, Food, Travel

Sea Water, Children and Cameras

Amber on June 18, 2010 32 Comments

As I type this, I am on vacation. In fact, as you read this I am likely still on vacation, although in the process of ending it. I spent this week in Parksville, a lovely seaside community on Vancouver Island. Jon and I visited twice before with Hannah – once when she was 6 months old and once when she was 2 1/2. We got a smoking hot deal on an oceanview townhouse since it’s currently Tourist Week, and so we took the ferry over on Sunday.

Jacob hiding his face from the wind

Vancouver Island has a population of approximately 750,000 people, and pretty much the only way to get here from the mainland is to take BC Ferries. I can’t count how many ferry rides I’ve taken in my lifetime, but I’m guessing it’s on the order of at least a couple of dozen round trips. Boarding the ferry is an experience that reminds me of my childhood. And in many ways, it hasn’t changed much in the past few decades. There’s an almost institutional feel to the ferry, but in a good way. And taking it always means that I’m getting away.

Hannah revels in the wind on the ferry deck

Ferry travel with kids is really great. There’s food, space to run, a playroom with some climbing equipment and children’s TV, and all of the excitement of being on a boat. 22-month-old Jacob totally lost his mind when we started moving. He kept screaming, “Boat! Boat! Boat!” in jubilant tones that I’m pretty sure half the ferry heard. When he saw other boats out the window it really put him over the edge. 5-year-old Hannah, on the other hand, was particularly excited about playing in the wind on the deck. I can see that both of my children are also building fond memories of the ferry.

Rathtrevor Beach in Parksville

Our time in Parksville has been fun. I got to spend a day at the spa. I totally didn’t ‘get’ spas pre-kids, but now I can see the appeal of a quiet space with fresh fruit, herbal tea and people who give massages. Really indulgent, and a total luxury, but I loved it. We’ve visited playgrounds and beaches and markets and a cheeseworks. We saw goats on the roof in Coombs, and possibly the most amazing market ever. I dropped my camera into a tide pool and didn’t realize it until some time later, and then had to find it again.

Jon on the beach

OK, so the camera part wasn’t so fun. When I finally found the camera, which is not even a month old, it was face-down in the salt water where it had spent at least 10 minutes. My shiny new toy, fallen victim to too much going on and the harmful effects of salt water on electronics. The lens was open and half-way extended. I cried. I swore. Jon raced to town for a bag of rice to attempt to revive it. Luckily, I was at least able to salvage these photos.

Me on the beach, with Jacob in the background

Unfortunately, after 24 hours in the bag of rice the camera was still kaput. I put in a fresh battery and … nothing. Not the slightest bit of life. If I could rewind 5 seconds of my life, it would be 5 seconds in that tide pool when I was trying to wrangle kids and beach gear and take photos at the same time. You had better believe I am never taking another camera on to a beach again.

Hannah is none the worse for salt-water exposure, unlike the camera

The beach at low tide

Aside from the camera loss, the trip was good. I didn’t totally unplug during the vacation. The whole trip wasn’t just one idyllic scene after another, but it was wonderful all the same. There was getting away. There was togetherness. There were moments of tranquility and bliss. There was a ferry trip. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Just one of the extremely healthy local deer population

Now, please, make me feel better. Tell me that you have managed to drop a camera into a tide pool, too. Or maybe a bowl of soup. Or a cup of coffee. Or if not a camera, a new iPhone or a laptop. I need a little bit of commiseration over the whole episode.

Tagged With: Beautiful BC, Travel

Driving in the City

Amber on June 5, 2010 18 Comments

I did a lot of driving in the city this week. And let me tell you, it is kind of scary for me, suburbanite that I am. I do my best to map out my route thoroughly beforehand, but things come up. Things like road closures and detours and weather. Things like one-way streets and parallel parking. And parking meters. Oh, the pain of digging through my purse in frantic search of nickels and dimes to pay the fare.

I’m sure that I could get used to driving in the city. Just as I got used to driving long commutes, or tuning out the din of the children in the backseat. But as it is, I find the experience somewhat intimidating. I bucked up and did it though, as I had good reason.

On June 2 I attended a get-together with some other Vancouver mamas, their kids, and the lovely Erica Ehm. Erica is the creator of the Yummy Mummy Club, a former MuchMusic host and co-author of a children’s book.

Erica, me and my cookie-faced child

Erica was really lovely and gracious. But she wasn’t the only one that Jacob and I drove an hour in the rain to see. We also got to see some new and old friends and have lunch. We shared a gigantic cookie and Jacob tried to escape more than twice. It was worth the drive.

Carrie all dressed up & looking professional

My good friend Carrie, looking all professional

Catherine, AKA EarnestGirl, makes a new friend

Carolyn and her daughter make friends with Catherine

@The_EmilyB and her totally adorable kiddo

Emily and her adorable daughter with the best cheesy grin ever

Babies! I was so excited to finally meet Theo in person.

Jacob enlists The Imp‘s help on a getaway attempt

The next night I enjoyed a lovely cocktail hour and discussion at Harnessing the Power of Digital Mums, an event put on by Wet Coast Women and limelite PR. There were even more one-way streets, and the parking was trickier, but it was worth it. I was on a panel discussing issues surrounding blogging and PR and marketing, and how we relate to each other. It’s an evolving issue, and there are no answers. But I think we all agreed that honesty, transparency and respect are key. Respect for each other, respect for ourselves, and respect for our readers.

One-way streets with parallel parking scare me so

They don’t make streets like these in the suburbs

Everyone takes their seats

The panel: Kerry, me, Erica and Catherine

My key take-away from both events is that while what we do online is fabulous, it’s the people behind it that really matter. The people who are writing their hearts out and the people who are reading them. It’s the community that forms around blogs and Facebook and Twitter. While freebies and events and prizes and ad revenue are great, they’re far less important than the genuine connections you can make. If you’re willing to brave city driving, that is.

Tagged With: Beautiful BC, Bloggy McBloggerson, DigiMums, Navel Gazing, YMCVan

Buying Local in Vancouver

Amber on April 30, 2010 12 Comments

Before I gave my talk at the Bellies to Babies Celebration I had a chance to wander around and see the exhibitors. I met the fabulous Karen Randall from New and Green Baby in person, and got a hug from Allison of Stylekid. I also came across some super-cool baby gear from Snugglings, and even bought one of their T-shirts for my new little nephew who is expected to arrive in July.

While I was chatting with one of the owners of Snugglings, she filled me in on a great event happening in Vancouver for the month of May. From May 1 – 30 a whole bunch of local designers are getting together to create Pop-Up Vancouver. They will have a temporary retail location at 1-4421 West 10th Avenue [map] where you can drop in and shop. I hear there will be loads to see, like baby and kids’ stuff, handbags, jewelry and art.

A handmade doll of Hannah’s made by a local mama

I love the idea of Pop-Up Vancouver. There is something really cool about having things that are designed and made right in your own back yard. There is something really cool about meeting people who are doing their thing and making their art. And there is something really cool about local designers coming together to support each other and work together. It makes me want to join hands and sing “Kum Ba Yah” because working together is how great things happen, even if it does sound a little schmaltzy. Just because your kindergarten teacher said it, doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

This sense of community and shared purpose is the same sort of thing you also see at local craft shows. My father was a goldsmith and so I attended a lot of craft fairs as a kid. They have a unique vibe that I love. Vancouver’s biggest, Got Craft?, is happening this Sunday May 2. One of my local bloggy friends, and regular blog commenter, PoMo Mama will be there with her creations. Sadly, I won’t be able to make it this year, but I’ve been before and it’s definitely one-of-a-kind. A random stranger commented on 9-month-old Jacob’s aura. Do you see that at Wal-Mart? No, you do not.

Photo credit – PoMo Mama on Flickr

A few years ago I didn’t know about all the ways to buy locally produced stuff from people who live where I do. My new awareness is at least partly due to the way that handmade and local is catching on. Etsy, anyone? But it’s also partly because I’m looking for it. It’s surprised me to see how many ways there are to buy things that don’t involve a trip to the mall. I love it, really.

How about you? Do you look for local or handmade when you’re buying things? Are you an Etsy fanatic? Tell me all about it!

Tagged With: Beautiful BC, Buying Local, Things to do

Northern Voice

Amber on April 24, 2010 15 Comments

If you are a bloggy type, and you live in or around Vancouver, you might be interested in Northern Voice. It’s a two-day, personal blogging and social media conference, which is held out at UBC. This year is its 6th incarnation, and it will run on May 7-8, 2010.

There are a lot of reasons to go to Northern Voice. It’s billed as “cheap, friendly and open to all”. It’s the premiere blogging event in Vancouver. And, as icing on the cupcake, I will be speaking!

I will be join the likes of Kerry from Crunchy Carpets, Harriet, The Green Mama and Danielle from The Momoir Project in a panel called Family Matters: Blogging the Parenthood Experience. They refer to us as “some of the nation’s top mommy bloggers”, which is really quite flattering. We’ll talk about the intersection of family life and blogging and that sort of thing. There are a lot of us, so it will be interesting to see how it pans out. Will I be able to get a word in edgewise? Given my love of talking, I think my chances are good, but you’ll have to be there to see for sure.

Our panel will be taking place from 2:30-3:15pm on the Saturday. Which is serendipitous, because I don’t think I can make the Friday in spite of the co-operative childcare. I’m really looking forward to the day. I’m also looking forward to attending the other panels and hearing what everyone else has to say. This is my first Northern Voice, and so I’m really excited to connect with some other local bloggy types.

(Aside – I originally wrote, “I’m really excited to hook up with some other local bloggy types,” but then I decided that might be misconstrued. Ahem.)

If you’re local, I’d love to see you there. If you’ve been before, I could also use some pointers. Either way, I will take lots of photos and report back on the whole thing. Wish me luck!

Tagged With: Beautiful BC, Bloggy McBloggerson, Things to do

Extinguishing the Flame

Amber on March 3, 2010 21 Comments

On Sunday my 5-year-old Hannah and I attended the Closing Ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games. To get the tickets, I entered into the Canadian ticket lottery last year. You could request tickets to events, and back-up events, too. They tabulated all of the requests, and when demand exceeded supply, they used a random drawing. I requested tickets to the Opening Ceremonies and short track speed skating. My back-up events were the Closing Ceremonies and another short track speed skating event.

I chose short-track because my husband Jon was working at that venue. The speed skating events were short, so they seemed like a good choice for kids, and I assumed there wouldn’t be much demand for them. I was wrong – short track tickets were the 3rd most requested after men’s hockey and the Opening Ceremonies, and I didn’t luck out. But the Closing Ceremonies were a pretty amazing score, even in the nosebleed seats that I could ~~barely~~ afford.

I decided to take my daughter Hannah because Jon was sort of Olympic-ed out by the time the Games ended, and he wanted a chance to stay home. So Jon and 18-month-old Jacob got some quality time together and Hannah and I headed out on our own.

Hannah and I waiting for the SkyTrain

As it happens, we left the house about 3 minutes after the Canadian men’s hockey team won Olympic Gold. This was huge, I’m not sure that I can even say how huge it was. On our train ride downtown more revelers got on at every stop. I quickly picked up on the rule that when someone boards the SkyTrain decked out in a Canadian flag, or like a Canadian flag, or wearing a Team Canada sweater, everyone on the train has to cheer and clap and yell things like, “Gold, baby! YEAH!” That train was filled to bursting with national pride, so much that we spontaneously broke out into ‘O Canada’ at one point.

Our destination, BC Place, is right next door to ~~General Motors~~ Canada Hockey Place, where the gold medal game took place, and they share a SkyTrain station. When we got off there were big crowds milling around, cheering and carrying on and generally celebrating the win. It was fairly good-natured, and at just 4pm I don’t think anyone was too drunk (yet). I high-fived several strangers on my walk to BC Place. How could you not?

Canadian hockey fans high-fiving passersby after the gold medal win

The trip to the stadium was smoother than I expected. We got through security no problem, and there was a bit of a back-up waiting to get up to the main entrance, but it wasn’t awful. Luckily, Hannah was pretty patient and good-natured about the whole thing.

Hannah was very good-natured about all the walking and waiting

Waiting in the crowd outside BC Place

We made it to our seats with time to spare. We all received audience participation kits, which contained various props to help with the show. There were snazzy ponchos so that they could project images on to us, moose antlers, snow globes and big coloured paper cards. For the hour before the ceremony started there was a pre-ceremony show with periodic interruptions so that we could practice our roles. And then during the show there were audience leaders in the stands showing us what to do.

My audience participation kit, made just for me

It was pretty cool to be there, I must say. I didn’t get emotional as I expected I would, partly because Hannah kept interrupting the action to share a choice tidbit about her friend at school or complain about the noise level. She’s 5, it’s what she does. And then she sobbed for 7 minutes straight when they extinguished the flame, and that was no fun. But on the whole she enjoyed herself immensely, and I was glad to have her with me. I hope that it turns into a great memory that lasts her a long time.

The ceremonies begin

Being in the middle of the Olympics was a pretty surreal experience. I’m really glad I got to have it, because I won’t get another shot in my lifetime. Plus, now I have a snazzy poncho to wear around the house. What’s not to love about that?

Modeling the cool new wardrobe options that came in my audience participation kit

Tagged With: Beautiful BC, Olympics

My Husband’s Olympics

Amber on February 26, 2010 17 Comments

I’ve mentioned a few times that my husband, the fabulous Jon, is working with the Olympics. He is working for Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) at the Pacific Coliseum, which is where Short Track Speed Skating and Figure Skating are being held. His job mostly consists of rolling re-plays after the action has finished. He does slow motion, so if you see a figure skating lift creep across your screen, Jon made it happen. International broadcasters, like CTV and NBC, pick up the OBS feed and then add commentary and some of their own footage, but the majority of coverage everywhere in the world comes from OBS.

The job is 18 days in a row, but most days aren’t awful. Jon generally leaves the house in the early afternoon and comes home in the evening after the kids are in bed. In contrast, most of his co-workers traveled from Ontario or Quebec to be here. This is probably the easiest way to cover the Olympics ever, driving to the hotel where his co-workers are staying and catching the shuttle with them every day, but still being on hand to help me take the kids to the doctor.

With his media credentials, Jon also has access to the Main Media Centre at Canada Place, and was able to get in to visit some of his friends that are working at the International Broadcast Centre where the TV studios for the international television rights-holders are located. He also spent some time wandering downtown, in the middle of the Olympic fun.

I have considered taking the children down to soak it in, but the idea of bringing 18-month-old Jacob, in particular, doesn’t appeal to me. Hannah and I will be attending the Closing Ceremonies on Sunday, so she and I will have our Olympic experience then. In the meantime, I am living vicariously through my husband.

International Broadcast Centre, exterior

International Broadcast Centre, interior

Main Media Centre, exterior

Main Media Centre, interior

Jon poses with the Olympic cauldron

Olympic rings in the water off of Stanley Park

Crowds in downtown Vancouver

Jon’s seat for the Olympics

Incidentally, Jon took these photos on Monday, February 22, which was also the day when Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir won the gold medal in ice dance. Jon got to be there to see our Canadian skaters receive their gold medals – lucky, lucky man!

PS – Have you read the posts from yesterday’s link-up? They’re great! And one is in French, which makes me feel very exotic and international. Oh la la!

Tagged With: Beautiful BC, Olympics

Catching the Spirit

Amber on February 12, 2010 11 Comments

On Thursday morning at a little after 7am the Olympic Torch entered my city, a few blocks from my house. I decided to get the kids out of bed super-early (we usually wake up at 8am or so) to commemorate the once-in-a-lifetime occasion. What’s a little sleep deprivation in exchange for photos that will last forever? Nothing, I say! Plus, this early wake-up call is extremely minor compared to the countless times they’ve woken me up at I-just-want-to-cry o’clock, so I say that they have nothing to complain about.

In the end, Jacob didn’t wake up with me so I left him at home with Jon. Of course, he woke up right after Hannah and I left. Kids love to sleep only when you don’t really want them to.

In spite of the early hour, and the fact that it was rainy and still dark out, people were out in full force in our neighbourhood. Some had driven there, as evidenced by the total lack of parking on the side streets. We all found spots lining the road and waited, chatting with people we’d never met. It made me well up to think that so many people were willing to haul themselves out of the comfort of their warm beds to stand on the cold, dark and wet roadside for a glimpse of the Olympic Torch. It must mean something, if so many of us did that.

Hannah and I waiting for the torch

The back end of the Coca Cola party truck, which seemed just a little too boisterous for 7:12am

The police clear the way – if you squint you can see all the people lining the street

The one extremely poor shot I got of the Torch bearer from the back

In the afternoon the Torch had moved on but our community threw a celebration. We had to check it out and see our favourite children’s performers ever, Bobs and LoLo. Here are some photos from the festivities.

Hannah made her own torch

The kids and I with a runner and an unlit Torch

Bobs and Lolo moving their hands

Hannah trying to drink from the downspout

Tonight the Olympic Winter Games kick off at BC Place. I remember the excitement when Vancouver won the bid, and I can’t believe it’s actually here. I hope that all of the locals get a chance to do some celebrating, and that the rest of you enjoy the show. I might be keeping it real in a suburban enclave, but Vancouver will always be my city, and I am proud that the world will be watching us. Happy Olympics!