Clingy Wall Garden At Semiahmoo Library

CLINGING TO A SPACE that yearns to be green, the foliage growing in a vertical garden at the Semiahmoo Library and RCMP Facility in South Surrey is off to a healthy start. The idea came to bloom in September of 2010.

Said to be the largest of its kind in North America, the almost 3,000 square foot wall was planned to inhabit some 10,000 plants of over 100 species and includes ground covers, perennials, shrubs and small trees.

This lovely living work of art on a concrete canvas is expected to benefit the environment.

Much more than a pretty façade, it is intended to save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and infuse a busy street corner with cleaner air.

The soil free garden is self-sufficient and will obtain water and nutrients from within its own vertical support system rather than the ground below.

Small birds, butterflies and bees will soon buzz around the urban garden.

Its first Spring, the design has evolved into somewhat of a zoological tapestry. At the upper right of the building, I can clearly imagine a tall gray giraffe munching on a menagerie of sprouts gripping the wall.

Explorers can find more sites from around the globe at My World.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Future Up In The Air

MY WORLD is also your world that we share and will officially celebrate on April 22nd. This yearly homage to the natural environment started in 1970 and has had a growing impact on our attitudes towards the globe. Earth Day is a sign we are learning more about the green jewel we call home and our vulnerabilities in it.

We are awakening to recycling and preservation needs and paying more attention to the dangers of pollutants and global warming. As we strive to take charge of the issues, some matters are under our control while others are not.

Not only must we contend with the natural evolution of earth, we must also deal with manmade disasters. One of our biggest battles on the can-do list is to end war and its use of weaponry. Pummeling our gorgeous globe with explosives and bombs disrupts the ground that sustains us and sends destructive vibrations throughout the planet to perhaps hasten potential earthquakes.

The picture I took when visiting a hilltop village called Montmartre overlooking Paris last year reminds me that the globe is a perfectly balanced orb spinning in space amid meteorites, stars, suns and worlds. Its course could change at any moment like the ball the boy is whirling. Although Earth will likely continue its galactic path, how long humanity remains onboard is up in the air. Our voyage could be extended significantly if we stop pounding the foundations of the vessel that has swept us up on its miraculous journey.

Explorers can find more sites from around the globe at My World.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Fleeting Petal Power

SPRING PETALS have a powerful allure when the day is dull.

But the shy pink and snowy white flakes are already on the wane.

Dusting blankets of confetti beneath trees ...

they land helter-skelter on the grass and pavement ...

dissolving into puddles of April showers.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Strings & Things In My World

NO STRINGS WERE ATTACHED to me during a recent brisk walk on a windy day in my world. It was uplifting being out in the fresh chilly air.

And it wasn’t just the breeze that tousled the clouds, cords, foliage and trees. I also noticed manmade metal contortions were twisted and entwined.

Bendable wire in the shape of a basket clung to an old bicycle in a front yard garden. Thin spokes were strung onto rims of wheels strangled by greenery.

The ornate steel gate was coiled and curled.

Branches, twigs and last year's leaves were a tangled mess.

Leafless trees and evergreens were woven into the shrubbery.

Pink petals prettily dangled from swooping branches.

Some blossoms had already faded; some died never reaching full bloom.

The sun suddenly peeked out. I stepped on shadows as wind-whipped daffodils with bent heads stared wistfully at their stems on the sidewalk.

Explorers can find more sites from around the globe at My World.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Green Creeps Into Spring

IT IS ELEVATING to go down 1001 Steps to the beach in Ocean Park, BC.

Bird chatter, salty foam slapping the rocky shore below and a rustling of creatures beneath the canopy of bare trees are spellbinding sounds broken by the clatter of an occasional train coming down the track.

Newborn leaves are slowly unfurling in the forest ...

painting dusky browns and soulful grays ...

a bright spring green.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Comforting Remnants Sewn Into My World

HOMEMADE ORIGINALS, not stamped out by the thousands, hold even more significance when the hands that create them belong to someone special.

My mom enjoyed needlework and gathering threads to make one-of-a-kind items she hoped would be useful to her children in their future homes. Were she alive today, I think she would be pleased to see her efforts are not forgotten. I appreciate her handy-work each time I glance at the crocheted circles framed on the wall or rest my head on the velvety cushions she made.

The adorable crinkled little dress that she handmade and embellished with embroidery is an irreplaceable garden of flowers that grows more precious with time. (I can see Penelope Puddle wearing this dress were she ever to take off her hat and raincoat.)

Mom's eye-straining attention to detail was beyond compare. Occasionally, I studied her hands as she choreographed needles or hooks to form patterns on fabrics. I took note but didn't learn the techniques in a meaningful way.

Although the latest machinery can now sew similar designs in seconds, they cannot diminish the dedication woven into each hand-sewn stitch. Nowadays homemade pieces made decades ago can be found descarded or given to charities where they are newly discovered by strangers. Sometimes these floundering fragments of family history go unrecognized by the children and grandchildren of those who entwined a bit of their love into every stitch.

Explorers can find more sites from around the globe at My World.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Character Bench Replaced At Kwomais Park

IT IS NICE TO SIT DOWN and enjoy the view. This welcoming new bench at Kwomais Point Park in Ocean Park, Surrey, BC, replaced …

the old bench that was fashioned out of wooden planks. I miss seeing the warm and woodsy character bench where I used to sit. Perhaps it is being used elsewhere and not demolished. Its disappearance is part of the ongoing reconstruction phase to make the park more people-friendly.

The change hasn't dampened the scenery or stopped clouds from bursting across the sky. But I hope the rustic bench is still someplace sitting pretty.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms