Lunch, this afternoon.

It was a really cold Sunday afternoon, but at least the rain stopped, giving us some dry respite, so we quickly put on our warm-weather wear and back-packs and headed out for grocery shopping.




The cold temperature and strong winds admittedly made the 3-mile trip seem a little daunting initially, but once we got out it was ok. Indeed it is always a joy to head to our fav grocers and bring home lots of fresh veggies (the highlights are the Guatemalan bananas, Hawaiian pineapple and local white mushrooms) and some meat. What's more, the fresh food here is really very affordable, all it takes is some effort to travel to the grocers that give the best price (we boycott the grocer's near our home because they sell double or triple the prices of those in the Alma/Kits neighborhood). These savings do add up monthly - in fact we surprised ourselves when our total food and household item expenditure for October went under $200, which meant we could actually save some money!

After almost two full days of heavy rain and strong winds that'll literally blow you (or at least your umbrella) away, it was really nice to see some sunlight pierce through the dark clouds (as seen above, the street below our apartment). But not for long. As I'm typing this, the cold winds continue to pound the streets and shake our windows, the temperature look set to drop further (it's around 8degC now), whatever leaves that remain on the trees continue to fall further (many trees are botak now), and the sun rays' all but disappeared (we probably won't see the sun again today, nowadays it gets dark right after 5). All this setting us up for the imminent winter.

For the past week Vancouver's been pretty much soaked in rain, there's probably a lot of moisture being brought over from the Pacific. But the sun finally decided to return this afternoon, and boy oh boy, did the brilliant rays not bring out the best colors of the environment. We jumped at the chance to walk around our neighbourhood and then do some grocery shopping. Indeed, it never felt so good to be out in the sun again!

Apparently fog is very common along the Pacific Coast, but we haven't really experienced one yet (strange, given our proximity to the coast) until half an hour ago. It has been a wet but clear day throughout, till the fog suddenly moved in and reduced visibility in front of our house to a mere 200 metres. If anything, it sure does look like winter has arrived early!

Girl is always excited to receive presents in the mail, and luckily enough, two of our orders arrived today and added a gloss to the celebratory spirit. Now Girl is dancing in the kitchen preparing dinner!

Our wedding was two years ago; the celebration continues to this day.

Dear wife, happy anniversary.

A week of autumn rain later, the foliage around our neighborhood has changed further - now its color mosaic is simply stunning. Luckily the rain stopped this morning, and we were able to spend the late afternoon strolling in the area, it's as if we'd plunged into a sea of rich and vibrant colors!

Hideaki and Ayumi, and an excellent song about growing up.

It's been a rain-soaked week since our nice walk last weekend, so we capitalized on a brief dry spell and took an afternoon stroll to the park across the road. It was still pretty overcast but at least we could enjoy some fresh air. Well, not for long though - just when we were happily taking a few photos and enjoying the tranquil surroundings, it began to drizzle again. Perhaps the fall rainy season has finally arrived!

“Fortune brings in some boats that are not steered.” - William Shakespeare

*****

The past two days have been extremely intense, engendering a swirling concoction of joy, anxiety and ultimate relief. As the feelings settle, the reality gets increasingly layered onto our consciousness: we could now enjoy a renewed ability to make more choices with lesser burdens, and for this, as Girl always tells me, we have to count our blessings. Very much so.

"幾點鐘 也許是 月出的時候
如往常 結束了一天工作
他心中 幻想著 晚餐吃什麼
家裡的 讓他不怕往前衝"



*****

Having the support and presence that makes every moment so enjoyable, so energized, so full of exuberance, is probably the best treasure of all. On this Thanksgiving Day, I would like to thank Girl for making the little everyday all the more extraordinary.

"他從不擔心自己被世界折磨
甜蜜的負荷是他最大依託"

It's our great fortune that nature is quite literally just around the corner, and after a late lunch, we went for a stroll along the lush boulevard where the tall canopies are now burning lustrously - some greenish yellow, some brownish orange, and some fiercely red. This autumn sight is truly a lavish natural spectacle, like a grand finale before the winter curtains are drawn, and hey, don't the leaves resemble flowers in full bloom?

We spent a good part of yesterday evening quietly celebrating a recent award I've won. I'm very grateful Girl has been so patiently supportive, and hopefully with hard work and determination, good results will continue to emerge.