Japanese lantern

Japanese lanterns had gone hi-tech. This one has a solar panel. On the other hand this one is plastic not stone.

Hanging basket

Guess this is a case of each person has a different idea what to do with a hanging flower basket.

Lawn ornament - lantern

With summer in full swing thought it is as good a time as any to post some lawn ornaments.

30 years plus

What does one get for providing over 30 years of service? In the case of this Brentwood Mall employee, at least a plaque on the second level floor, smack in front of the food court. He may had been a food court employee.

Millenium Gate

Down the street from the Sun Building is the Millenium Gate which marks the west most point of Vancouver's Chinatown.

Sun Building

The Sun Building has a certain kind of attraction. May be it is the copper dome which is very rare today. Until the 1960's it was the tallest building in Vancouver.

Bay view

The construction activities along Kingsway as viewed from a window in The Bay's Bridal registry.

Early spring

The garden behind the Burnaby Art Council in early April

Cookies

Display of canned cookies at the store's front entrance

Summer

Today is the first day of summer. Thought should have an outdoor photo that with at least some sunshine. In Vancouver, this can be a pretty rare thing as it is raining right now.

Dishwashers

Dishwashers at the Sears home appliance section.

Water fountain

A small water fountain offers a refreshing resting place after some heavy duty shopping.

Wedding cake

You've guessed correctly. We were at a wedding over the weekend.

Happy Father's Day

A Happy Father's Day to all the fathers!

Crocs

Here is a stall selling Crocs look-alikes at a fraction of the cost. Personally I think they are ugly. Many people, however, had sworn to the comfort and pain-relief these shoes provided. One said it is so light that she almost worn it to bed.

Caps

Without a doubt Vancouver is a hockey town. But it is summer with football season is just around the corner one would expect more BC Lions less Canucks or hockey caps. Plus the Lions are the defending Grey Cup champions. This stall, however, still allots half the space for Canucks caps.

Going, going....

A&B Sound has been one of the city's iconic retail outlets. It is famously known for its music and Boxing Day sales. Things started to go wrong since the turn of the century. Really accelerated when online music became popular. This outlet used to be a bee hive of activity with shoppers filing in and out. As far as I know they have closed 2 stores already. Thought I better take a photo as a keep sake before A&B Sound joins Kelley's, Woodwards, BowMac, and Eaton's in the big shopping mall in the sky.

Vitamin C

A bin full of oranges at a Real Canadian Superstore

YVR II

More aboriginal arts on display the Vancouver International Airport

The Great War

This is on display at the local mall as part of the promotion for the aviation society.

Kermit

Kermit is now selling sun glasses? Never mind Disney Studio. Most important does Miss Piggy know he is flashing pictures of other females in addition to singing with the kids from Sesame Street? After all none of us want to see a messy divorce in Muppet Land.

Turtles

Three turtles in Sun Yat-sen Garden resting

Kids Market

Kids Market is an entire building on Granville Island with a kids theme. In addition to merchandises it has a play area for the younger set.

Jack and the beanstalk

Saw this Jack and the Beanstalk inside Granville Island's Kid's Market.

Wal-Mart special

It has been a long while since it last rained here. And longer still when it rained early in the morning. I was totally out of it this morning when heading out for my run. Could be brain fog. Early morning rain brings morning brain fog. Or a senior moment!

Anyway, knew it was raining yet still stepped out of the door without my water-proofed running jacket. Retrieved it and headed out the door again. Got to the driveway before realized the visor wouldn't do in the rain. Reentered the house for my $1.99 Wal-Mart special.

The best part of running is the stretching afterward. Something to look forward to when struggling up a slop and my legs are calling the entire exercise stupid.

Care Bears

Are the Care Bears making a comeback? Always like them. Too bad when they first came out in the 1980's it was almost coincided with the Cabbage Patch Dolls Madness. Even to this day I can't understand the Cabbage Patch Dolls' popularity. I mean they are, and I'm charitable here, just plain ugly, if not the ugliest.

Evergreen

Over the years I've passed by here more times than I can remember. Yet today is the first time that I notice this majestic evergreen. Based upon the building behind it, it is more than 60 feet tall.

YVR

Located near the domestic arrival area of the Vancouver International Airport. A reflection of west coast aboriginal heritage and arts. It houses other works of art which I'll post in some other days.

Public transit

Due to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games the rapid transit line from Downtown Vancouver to Richmond and Vancouver International Airport, known as the Canada Line, bumped the Evergreen Line connecting Vancouver to the northeast part of Lower Mainland off the funding list. The construction of this 19 km project has dissected the city two parts along Cambie.

The original proposal and plan was to have all the tunneling done underground. Because of rising cost VANOC and the provincial government had agreed to the construction consortium's proposal of eliminating a station along the line and employing the cut and fill construction method. The consequence is Cambie now resembles a war zone with many businesses closing its doors.

The photo above is the exist of one of the tunnels through Downtown Vancouver. The tunnel for the Skytrain heading the opposite direction will be underneath this. Not sure how it'll connect to the existing lines' terminal down the block, the Seabus Terminal.

The is the view facing the tunnel. The continuation of the line to link up with the existing two lines.

Centre of attraction

I was truly struck by the emptiness of this mall, International Village. It has three levels. I was standing on the second floor. This picture was taken close to 11:15 AM on a May Saturday. You can see all those shops without lights, most are vacant. This fella just happened to be there when I pressed the shutter. No idea who he is or where he was going but his presence emphasizes the mall's emptiness. For this I thank him.

Click here for some insight to this mall.