Yeesss!

Wow - today I recieved my first Postcrossing postcard from the Netherlands! Actually it came from the province of Friesland. The card was sent by a woman named Tarla and she wrote this about Friesland "I'm very proud of my roots. We have our own languae and characters. We're very no-nonsense and staight-to-the-point people." She peaked my interest in her country and I set out to find out more about Friesland .
Friesland has been around for over 2000 years! The people of Friesland speak their own language (which is closely related to English)and it is famous for it's black and white Friesian cattle . I have seen many of these right here in the Fraser Valley and never knew where they came from or what the name referred to.
I love sending and receiving post cards from around the world. It allows me to learn about other people and their countries as well as let people know about me and where I live. I know exactly how Tarla feels when she says "she is proud of her roots". I was born and raised in this province and love to share it with others. Thanks so much Turla!

Sweet Surprise Close to Home!

Everyone knows I love to be outdoors in quiet places with few people. For over three years I have lived in this house not knowing that one street over was a beautiful quiet canyon just waiting for Lucy and I to explore.
The canyon has a very steep incline to access it and more than once this spring I have slipped and skidded on my butt to the bottom. Lucy thinks this is just added fun for her walk and tries to beat me to the bottom. She always wins!
Once in the canyon you feel as though you are in another world and the cars and noise and houses that are so close just no longer exist. The path winds along a small creek that bubbles and gurgles. The birds sing from the tree tops and occasionaly you can hear the crows scolding each other from either side of the canyon. To Lucy's delight there are lots of squirrels and she tries desperately to climb the trees to get to them. I swear I can hear them laughing at her from the branches high above the ground.
The trees in the canyon are so tall that they form a canopy letting in little glints of sunlight. Everything is green and lush. There is an abundance of soft beautiful ferns and all around me is the fragrance of skunk cabbage reminding me of my childhood days. On a hot day it is cool and calming. I try to leave all my worries at the top of the canyon and just let nature soothe my tired body and anxious soul. I want to share the canyon with others.... yet I also selfishly want to keep it all to myself.

Friends

Being able to share some of my special spots with close friends is always a joy, but when I share with Aero and Flora, my friends from China, it is more than just a joy- it is always an EXPERIENCE! They both work very hard and get very little time to enjoy themselves so when they get the chance they get right into the whole experience. They have been here for almost ten years and both are now Canadian citizens, but despite that they are like wide eyed children when they encounter a new place or a new food or anything that they have not seen or done before. This weekend we finally got time to get together and I took them to the Bog for the first time. They had a great time exploring the bat cave, playing with Lucy and posing for pictures. Then back to the house to try Mexican food!