february 29

The only building left standing on South False Creek is this old warehouse.

february 28

On a brilliant September Saturday, W and I ate ice cream from Mario's and peeked at the construction zone for the Olympic Village development along South False Creek.

february 27

I am becoming more and more obsessed with the construction/destructionof Vancouver. It's all I can think about.

But I've only slowly woken up to the idea of documenting it. This was my first attempt, last April.

I parked one morning in the permit zone on Barclay Street, just west of Burrard, as the old YMCA building was being torn down. I happened to have my camera with me, and no meetings scheduled that morning, so I stopped for a few shots.

10 years ago, I volunteered here as a conversational English teacher for Korean students.

Today, another condominium is going up in its place.

february 26

While I'm on the topic... my former view of the West End, and the former Safeway at Robson & Denman.

february 25

I love my Eastside house and neighbourhood, but sometimes I miss my West End views.

february 24

English Bay sunset from the 31st floor of the Coast Plaza hotel. This was the view from Kevin's 2008 Oscar Party suite.

february 23

In Vancouver these days, you're never more than a block away from a crane. This construction site at Seymour and Nelson was lit up prettily Friday night, as I walked past on my way to Maury's 40th birthday. It's a little fuzzy despite my best attempt to hold my breath and keep still while hand-holding a night shot.

february 22

I love this shot of my sister and nephew on the pumpkin ride, at Remlinger Farms near Seattle.

Clayton's birthday is just before Hallowe'en. He's crazy about pumpkins and loves being scared.

This ride was a little slice of Clayton heaven.

february 21

In Kiwassa, the next neighbourhood east of Strathcona, residential and industrial share the same street, and half-million dollar heritage homes sit 15 feet away from the railway spur to the port.

I ride over these tracks on my daily commute along Union Street, but today was the first day I stopped to really look.

february 20

From December - a shot from the Winter Solstice Lantern Festival, at Sun Yat Sen gardens.

february 19

Cypress lights just as the snow stopped, January 2008. I held my breath for this handheld shot with my 5-year-old, 3 megapixel Olympus.

february 18

Caught the sunset from Third Beach just as the camera battery faded away.

february 17

valentine's tulips, day 3

february 16

Warren's happy place - a bike shop.

february 15

Stopped my bike on the Dunsmuir Viaduct to capture this shot of the construction around the Stadium skytrain station.

february 14

In honour of Valentine's Day:

Fraidycat, loving one of Warren's shirts just a little too much.

february 13

Strathcona has always been one of my favourite areas of the city. The ramshackle old houses were hidden gems to me.

Over the past decade, I've watched Strathcona transform from run down and neglected to a vibrant and colourful neighbourhood.

As I rode to work this morning, I stopped at McLean Park to capture the unexpected winter sunlight on the houses along Keefer Street.

february 12

Wandering around a while back, I found some barbies for sale in a thrift shop. Stripped down, wrapped up in plastic, hung from pegs on a wall - I found their smiles intriguing.

february 11

This is Warren's father's property near Manado, Sulawesi.

It's not a photo I took, but I'm posting it as a preview of photos I'll be taking on our upcoming trip there in April.

I'm feeling quite smug about my travel coup. Two days of obsessively searching out the best flights and fares paid off nicely yesterday: I booked two tickets from Seattle to Manado, via Tokyo and Singapore, for $1180 return each -- nearly $700 per ticket less than the $1850 fare out of Vancouver that Flight Centre quoted us.

Yay me!

february 10

I love the colour at the port, especially after a snowfall

february 9

On Hockey Day in Canada, I hosted our corporate suite at the Vancouver Giants game.

As un-Canadian as it is to admit this, I'm not a big hockey fan. I was more interested in the Zamboni.

february 8

In Moab, on the main street as you come into town, there's a little bookstore called Back of Beyond. In the bookstore lives Abbey, an aloof white cat named after the writer Edward Abbey.

My sister's dog Rose loves cats - loves to chase them, loves to play with them, loves to just be close to them.

As we walked by Back of Beyond on our nightly walk through town, Rose caught sight of Abbey keeping sleepy watch over the street from her windowsill perch. Rose pulled us to the window, ears erect, enraptured by this marvelous creature - so close!

Abbey lazily taunted Rose, slowly and indifferently stretching and rearranging herself on the sill.

They stayed like this, Rose rigid with anticipation, for several long minutes; until Abbey - bored of the spectacle - hopped down to seek solitude in a darkened corner of the bookstore.

february 7

I haven't had time yet to decide on the rules for the photo a day blog. Like, does the photo have to be taken that day? Should there be a theme?

So today I'm cheating a bit and posting a photo from the weekend. On Sunday morning, I got up early for a quick ride out to Stanley Park, through Strathcona, Chinatown and Coal Harbour.

This is one of my favourites, from the corner of Gore and Pender. I love yellow buildings.

february 6

I am obsessed with the construction (destruction) boom that's happening in Vancouver. There are at least 20 cranes on False Creek south, and even more downtown. Every second corner is covered with enormous billboards promoting condo developments. I want to capture the transformation as it happens, as I'm already starting to forget what Vancouver used to look like.

february 5

The first daily photo: Fraidycat has a drinking problem.