Saturday Morning Walk

I'm beginning to understand the magic of photography. I've never had a camera like this one before - and I know that the tool does not create the artist -but having a camera that allows almost instant feedback changes how one takes pictures. And, then, sorting through those pictures and picking the ones that you love, and that capture how your day felt and what you experienced, it turns a mostly average walk with Sam and Sean into a something remarkable.

This crow had his heart set on convincing Sam, Sean and I to leave. He followed us around, squawking, and generally indicating that he really didn't want us around.

Despite it being grey and starting to feel like early spring again, flowers are out and gorgeous.

After having enough of de-tangling Sam from various fences, bushes, and other obstacles Sean and I have decided to teach him to go over instead of under or around. This is him, mid jump, looking a little like Dumbo.

Special thanks to Grant for lending me his (incredible) camera.

Some days just feel like summer

Even in mid May some Vancouver afternoons feel like the most delicious days of summer.

Everyone at my work (sadly, not on The Drive) is currently obsessed with Starbucks faux-Italian Frappuccino Happy Hour. In case you somehow haven't heard, Frappuccinos are half price from 3 - 5 every day from now until May 16. At 3pm there is a stampede from my office to the Starbucks across the street for cheap, syrupy, frozen coffee treats. And while I did have an extra-coffee-no-whip-caramel-drizzle today the hardly-tastes-like-coffee concoction inspired me to highlight the my personal top 3 espresso related drinks on The Drive.

1. Without a doubt the most superior way to enjoy coffee on the drive is an Affogato. Traditionally an Affogato would be espresso over vanilla gelato, but there is no reason not to have it over, say, chocolate hazelnut for a truly decadent coffee treat. And, of course, Dolce Amore (1590 Commercial Drive) is the best spot to stop in for a Affogato to go.



2. Did I ever mention that 10 years ago I spent a beautiful autumn as an au pair to 3 darling Italian children in Torino? I think that the combination of growing up in Nelson and spending time in Italy is what makes The Drive feel like home. And, Giancarlo's (1865 Commercial Drive) is home-away-from-home. The cozy Italian Sports Bar/Coffee Shop is the ideal place to get a perfect Italian latte (extra hot, no sugar please). Another important selling point, if you enjoy looking at Italian boys who make incredible lattes, is Giancarlo himself. Seriously, adorable. (Love you, Sean! Don't worry, I'll try not to run away with an Italian Barista)



3. When I was studying Communications at SFU I had to take the class that all CMNS students dread - CMNS 260, Quantitative statistics. In the days before I lost my mind and signed up for a Computing Science degree I mostly spend my undergrad avoiding all things that even looked a tiny bit like math, and Quantitative statistics is a giant math party. Whereby of course "party" means "4 month torture session". I was fortunate enough to have an incredible prof who would tutor students for the price of an espresso at Joe's (1150 Commercial Drive). I spent a lot of that semester buying espressos. And drinking iced lattes. Joe's Cafe may not look like much from the outside, but instead of trying to impress you with perfectly matching accent chair's Joe's will impress you with amazing coffee.

Autumn Afternoons

Days are getting shorter here on the west coast. And, well, everywhere in the northern hemisphere. By 8pm the sun is gone with only few spikes of colour left on the horizon, but nature makes up for these shorter days with beautiful afternoons. The sun has changed from the bright white light of July piercing through coconut scented sunscreen to the gentler golden glow of late September. The air is crisp but by afternoon it is back to t-shirt weather.

Sam and I have been trying to get off work early enough to enjoy at least a few hours of the late afternoon. We've been watching the leaves change colour and start to drop, well I have been watching, and Sam has been frolicking in the newly fallen leaves. He goes up to a leaf, pushes it with his nose, and jumps back in surprise when it moves. Then, he pounces, and shows that leaf who is boss. Our walks go a little slower, but watching Sam play more than makes up for the delays.

The other perk of autumn is the best food season of the year. Berry season is winding up, but apple season is in full force. Squash and tomatoes are deliciously plump. Pears are plumping up. Late season peaches are ripe and full, and nectarines tempt from every fruit stand. Oh, and the grapes. Tart, sweet, tiny gems of perfection.

Saturday morning Sam and I and our best friend Dayl will be exploring the East Van Farmer's Market, and look forward to reporting all of the treasures we find.

My Hood

Today while Sam and I walked through the aug-tober drizzle I was once again reminded of just how much I love my neighborhood.

I first moved to East Vancouver in 2003. I had just come off a 3 year stint of travelling and schooling that included Italy, Greece, Turkey, Victoria, New Brunswick, and my hometown of Nelson. I was 2 years into a degree but had no idea what I wanted to study, so I decided to take Communications at SFU on the advice of my anthropology prof at Selkirk College (Hi Lori!). Which meant moving to Vancouver.

Growing up in Nelson you would think I would know something about Vancouver - but it turns out that the grade 9 field trip where we stayed at a seedy hotel on Burrard and went to a Hockey Game did not give much insight into the big city. When I mentioned to people in Nelson that I was moving to Vancouver everyone asked if I was moving to "The Drive". So, naturally, I said yes. And moved into a storey heritage home split into 5 apartments. 5! While my first apartment was kind of terrible I was absolutely hooked on the neighborhood.

Now, 6 years and at 5 apartments later I'm settled into the glories of East Vancouver. People who live in East Van don't need to be sold on why it is so fantastic, but for those of you who haven't had the pleasure of living near the drive, here's the reasons I adore living here:

1) Puppies everywhere! Everyone and their dog is out playing and walking all the time. Sam and I never go for a walk without seeing at least a couple of our canine friends.

2) So walkable. Some very clever folks in Seattle created an application that gives your address a walkability score based on the kinds of things that are nearby and they have it hosted on http://www.walkscore.com. My house in Burnaby had a score so low I'm a little embarrassed to admit it - and the house I grew up in had a walkscore of 2/100. My current place has a score of 91/100 - you don't need a car, and it is amazing. In fact, last week my best friend lent me her car for a week while she was in Toronto, and I ended up only using it to drive her to and from the airport.

3) Businesses owned by real people. And by "Real People" I mean people who actually come to that particular shop and work. There are few chains and franchises on the drive, and I hope it stays that way forever.

4) Amazing food. From ethnic grocery stores (Hello Ravioli Store, and Mediterranean import store) to delightful hole-in-the-wall spots to the best gelato in Vancouver, and the best poutine, there is never a shortage of delicious things to try.

5) Neighbors - This may be an artifact of dog ownership more than the neighborhood, but Sean and I have met so many awesome people while we are out and about. It seems like there is always someone with a few minutes to chat about dogs or the weather or whether or not car free days were a good idea. Feeling like one might run into friends and acquaintances at any time is so great.

6) Green space. Sam and I can go play in different parks every day of the week, and not trek more than a kilometre to do so. And the streets are lined with trees. And so many of my neighbors have green thumbs and gardens to prove it.

7) It feels like home. After growing up in a small but charming town I didn't know if Vancouver could or would ever feel like home, and it turns out that there is exactly 1 corner of Vancouver that always makes me feel like I've come home.

The Cast & Crew

Kerry is in her late 20s, is a femininst computer geek, who loves both her husband and her puppy. It is unclear which one she loves more. Kerry, Sean, and Sam live in a charming little ground floor apartment across the street from Grandview elementary. Kerry loves to drink wine on her patio while listening to the sounds of teenagers partying on the playground, and enjoying the view of some very fit (and attractive) crossfitters running past her place. East Van really is heaven. Kerry is currently on a funemployment break - she spends her days trolling craigslist for a coding job, working on her various unfinished but really cool projects, going for walks around the neighborhood, and baking.

Sean is Kerry's darling husband. Sean is generally found geeking it up by playing boardgames or video games. Or, on really geeky days D&D or Magic. (Kerry tries to deny it, but she's usually right in the nerd action too). Sean adores Gelato, Kerry, Playing with puppies in the park, reading science fiction, and pretending to complain when Kerry makes him dress up to go out. Sean spends a good chunk of M-F pumping out C# or C++ code for the Kodak Eastman Company.

Sam is the apple of Kerry's eye - he was born on Nov. 13, 2008 and joined Sean and Kerry on March 25, 2009. Sam is spoiled rotten, but doesn't know it. How spoiled? Let's just say that steak is always bought in multiples of 3. Sam loves Kerry, Sean, Steak, Bacon, Balls, Playing Fetch, Playing Keep-away, Going on puppy adventures, and meeting new friends - either dog or people friends. Sam is usually found napping or trying to steal socks from Kerry's laundry basket.