Pride 2016

Yesterday was the Pride parade and festival.  Definitely one of the more colourful and festive of the summer events that happen here.  Nice that people are able to express and celebrate their sexuality openly.  As a societal shift it's happened pretty quickly as these things go.  And, of course, now the corporate sector has discovered a new demographic to market to.  Just saw a "PRIDE in appearance" advert in a bus shelter for some cosmetic company.  The legendarily tolerant and benevolent TD Bank led the parade (they must have been the title sponsor).  

 

 

Victoria's Mayor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6hx55P3PfA&feature=youtu.be

Lily's Graduation

On June 20, my granddaughter graduated from high school and, like a good grandfather, I made the trip down to Seattle to attend the event.  It was the usual US style high school graduation extravaganza complete with many speeches and musical interludes.  And with 400 graduating students it took a while. 

The graduate

The graduate's big brother, Sam and little cousin, Lucien

Proud mother and grandmother with graduate

Dad, big brother, graduate, mom

Ballard High class of 2016

 Some Amazon creations in Seattle

A visit to a friend who lives in a beautiful part of the world, off the grid, making beautiful art.

A nice little family of garter snakes that live under the dock.

An evening boat ride down the river to the bay

Birthday Bash Part 2

Many of the party attendees stayed in the newly completed hostel across the street from Rolf's. 

This place deserves a description.  At one time it was the Alta Hotel, a sort of flophouse.  After that it was a brothel and more recently had been unoccupied.  

After running an outdoor adventure business in Argentina for many years, Zack, who rents a cabin from Rolf next door, bought it and he has spent the last four years painstakingly renovating it to create affordable lodgings for tourists.  Zack is quite an amazing character.  Maybe 40, and seemingly laid back and a little spacey, he is very detail oriented and extremely thorough, pretty much learning the renovation business as he went.  Now his partner, Abbey, is taking a role looking after the housekeeping details. Truckee gets a lot of visitors who come for the many outdoor activities:  skiing, hiking, rafting, mountain biking and, other than camping, there are no budget accommodations.  This place should go gangbusters. 

 

Floors in the kitchen and common area are old newspapers with a verathane covering.  

 

It really wasn't open for business yet but close enough that our party people could stay there and we were able to use the big kitchen, 

common area 

and deck for expanded festivities. 

A bed in the dorm, cubby with big storage unit at the foot of the bed.

The pocket doors in the bathroom were required to be self closing.  Instead of installing the usual electronic device at some cost and effort, Zack devised this simple pulley and weight system.

  

The bar.

Zack and Abbey are lovely people and it was nice to include them in the party.  I think he is a bit hesitant to open, afraid that the tourists will mess up his nice place. 

Birthday Bash Part 3

While at Rolf's we did a couple of excursions around Lake Tahoe.  Rolf, Tanzy and I drove to north shore of the lake to check out tubing possibilities on the river.  The river was way too low but it was fun to see Tahoe City where my parents retired to some 50 years ago.  Such a beautiful lake in a spectacular setting.  

We checked out the old neighborhood and the house where my parents lived, 
now pretty ramshackle.  

On another day, a group of us went to Emerald Bay, one of the most beautiful features of the lake. 

 

Yes, the water is an emerald hue there as you might guess, waterfalls cascade down the granite cliffs.  

 Lance and Laurie

 

 

 

And there's a replica of a Viking castle built in 1928/29.  http://vikingsholm.com/

Some critters joined us for lunch.

While we were admiring Emerald Bay, the others were still partying fiercely back at Rolf's where his community friends gathered to honour him.  (And totally glut him with sweet goodies)

Death by chocolate