smashing pumpkin donut festivities while parking with the Queen
We followed the mixer with dinner at a Thai restaurant — a place with great food and a huge salt water aquarium. The highchair wasn’t quite high enough for Auriane, but she really liked watching the fish.
The weekend was full of fun. We began by visiting a local Pumpkin Patch. (It was a first for Christiane.) We enjoyed warm apple cider, pumpkin donuts, a hayride, a trek through a corn maze and pumpkin donuts..
“.. you already had pumpkin donuts, Dan!” Nazy interrupts.
“Really?” I reply. “Can’t blame a guy for trying,” I thought.
The weather was windy and crisp and the ground somewhat soggy as we headed through the fields in search of the perfect raw material for the family Jack-o-Lantern. After several of my suggestions fell on deaf ears…
“… because your suggestions featured damaged, non-symmetrical and usually damaged…”
“Nazy!” I interrupted. “When you make the Jack-0-Lantern, you’re going to chop the pumpkins up. I”m just trying to give you a head start.”
After checking every pumpkin in a vast field, I wheeled Nazy’s choice to the cash register. But, before I could pay..
“… let’s look at those over there,” Nazy whispered.
“Those are part of the Official Pumpkin Patch display stand,” I replied. “You can’t…”
“… ah, but I can.” Nazy interrupted. “Put the pumpkin that you picked..”
“Do you mean the one that you selected?” I asked.
“Whatever. Exchange the one that you have for that one,” Nazy replied pointing. “And pick up that little one, too.”
“The display will be barren and misshapen, Nazy.”
“This is the last hour of the last day of this event, Dan. I think that you can..”
“… do as you suggest, my dear?”
“Precisely.”
Bellingham is very close to Canada. And, since Christiane has (finally) obtained appropriate paperwork, it is now possible for everyone to visit Canada. And..
“How long has it been since you’ve been to Vancouver, Dad?” Darius asked.
“The last time I was there, we attended the World’s Fair: Expo 86.”
“Thirty Three years?”
“Assuming that your math is right — Yes.”
“Let’s go back, Dad.” Darius continued. “On our trip tomorrow, do you think that we can see Queen Elizabeth Park, Granville Market, our old house at 690 Knockmaroon, Gas Town, Robson Street and Shannon Falls before topping off the trip with dinner at the Salmon House on the Hill?”
“Of course we can, Dar.” I replied. “If we start yesterday,” I thought. “Or maybe in 1986.”
Our trip down Nostalgia Lane continued when I rented a Minivan. (We were taking two children, four adults and enough ancillary supplies and equipment to (almost) warrant an attached trailer.
It was a quick drive to the border, where for some reason the Canadians didn’t seem too worried about caravans of Americans seeking refuge. We breezed through the formalities and headed to Queen Elizabeth Park. Nazy and I have a watercolor of the view form the park. It was fun to visit old haunts. The view was as beautiful as we remembered.
Note: Memory was augmented by the fact that we’ve seen that watercolor in our bedroom every day for the last 33 years.
We strolled through the Bloedel Conservatory where we admired the plants, flowers and tropical birds. The weather was cooperative: blue, sunny and rainless skies, coupled with spectacularly clear air.
From there we headed toward Granville Island Market. Granville Island is a peninsula on False Creek (a short inlet) just south of downtown Vancouver.) Expo 86 was held on Granville Island.
We headed to the Public Market for lunch. I had memories of fresh seafood and colorful berries stacked into pyramids. All of that was still there.
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