Changes & No Changes In My World

I WAS WISHING my recent visit to New Westminster was due to something more enjoyable than an appointment with an eye specialist to follow up on the laser surgery I had last year to repair tears to my retina. It was raining hard so a lot of people brought umbrellas that they parked on chairs in the waiting room. Each umbrella seemed to say something about its owner and I sensed a cheery attitude in the gloomy gray of one woman's selection.

Earlier at the parking lot it was impossible not to notice a monster hole nudging the side of what looked to be a lovely old heritage home. I can't remember what was there previously. But it is not unusual to see construction transformations everywhere.

I'm guessing that soon there will be a very tall highrise next to the small wooden structure similar to those in the background. The house clinging to its little patch of earth (photo, 2011) reminded me of my retina trying to stay attached to the back of the eye wall.

The doctor saw no change or worsening of my condition so it was a pleasant ride home in the rain. Gazing out the window I recalled similar weather during a previous visit. The rain is constant as are the mail carriers (pictured above) in their bright yellow coats who let "neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night ... " stop them from getting a letter to its destination. Technology has made communications so swift, however, that this traditional method is fondly referred to as "snail mail". Changes amid the sameness are inevitable.

I have also made changes to my blogging and will spend much of my time at Postcards From Penelope Puddle. Hopefully folks who have links to me now will visit me there. It is refreshing to create an alternate space like a different room in a house attached to the same place.

To enjoy more sights from around the globe visit Our World.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Cystic Fibrosis: Longing For A Cure

AS THESE BANNERS hanging over a Vancouver City street show, May is Cystic Fibrosis month in Canada. Coughing forcefully and frequently coupled with great difficulty breathing are common characteristics of this inherited disease that attacks the lungs and threatens the very young. I joined the Great Strides fundraising event at Queen’s Park in New Westminster last year. The weather and setting could not have been better. It appears the annual walk will be held there again this year on May 27. Click here for details.

Gates & Their Differing Traits

GATES ARE inviting for different reasons. They can be decorative or humble and appear impenetrable, broken or ominous. The photographs I took of gates and found when searching for a word beginning with the letter "G" unlocked my imagination and reminded me of how fascinated I am with these conflicting constructs that function both as barriers and passageways.

Some gates give hints like this peek-boo view of Meg's Place, a Bed & Breakfast at Crescent Beach that catches my eye whenever I walk by. Other gates are solid so no one can peer through.

I have always been curious about the gates I encounter. Each gate is like a cover of book from which the plot of the story inside, fairly or not, will be judged. Each gate is the introduction to a mystery.

Some gates swing open and some slide. All gates lead to somewhere on the other side, including Bill Gates, born with the perfect name to foreshadow his role in opening communications through technology world-wide.

Some gates are stunningly glamorous like this famed gold-painted gate at the Palace of Versailles that I, along with thousands of other tourists, couldn't resist photographing during a visit to France.

Some gates stand alone in quiet dignity.

Perhaps only special people are allowed to venture inside this gate.

Some gates are locked like this one tucked away in New Westminster at Antique Alley in BC.

Some gates are wide open but with a warning sign like the one at 1001 Steps in Ocean Park.

Some gates squeak and groan as if in agony. Some barely make a whisper. Some have complicated latches while others swing open with relative ease.

Despite their differing traits and eccentricities each gate holds a key to the opposite side of the same place.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

This post showcases the letter "G" for gates. If you think words are fun and enjoy playing with the alphabet, visit ABC Wednesday.

Bridge To A Cloud

TRAVELING OVER THE ALEX FRASER BRIDGE involves driving alongside a gigantic web of steel ropes. The 1,525 foot structure opened in 1986 and was (at the time) the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world. It was named after a local BC politician who happened to have the same surname as early explorer Simon Fraser for whom the river beneath the bridge is named.

It sometimes seems as if you could soar to the clouds in an unending horizon when the sky is not gray. When going back and forth across the bridge from Surrey into areas such as New Westminster and Burnaby, there are typically thousands of cars scurrying like spiders on all six lanes ... three in one direction and three in the other. Recently, I was was able to enjoy a blue cloud-filled view while my husband kept his eyes firmly fixed on the road.

See more skies from around the globe at Skywatch.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

New Westminster & The Street Time Forgot

I VISITED ANTIQUE ALLEY in my world recently on Front Street in New Westminster, BC. The heritage waterfront area is in disrepair and sits tucked away in the shadows of an overpowering modern-day parkade.

Across the street from the string of shops, a railway and cement structures block views of the Fraser River. This once important harbour area of the 1920s looks a little shabby nowadays.

Some doors are closed to the public along the short commercial strip.

Businesses have failed to bring in substantial local or tourist traffic.

Decaying plaster on old buildings reveals brick construction beneath. What is beautiful in the eyes of some beholders ...

is slathered in blue by others, as a bright solution to the faded façades.

A chain link fence keeps people from the back entrance of the building that faces the more frequented Columbia Street on its frontal side.

The former glory of Antique Alley is somewhat in tatters, although a few shopkeepers and property owners do their best to keep up the historic charm. Amid collector's treasures and potential movie props, the most obvious antique is "the alley" itself. Even today, it seems too precious to be abandoned and perhaps could do with a public outcry to stay alive.

Explorers can discover more sights from around the globe at My World.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Cystic Fibrosis Is No Picnic In The Park

THOUGHTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE dealing with a fatal disease followed us every step of the way during the Great Strides Walk for Cystic Fibrosis at Queen’s Park in New Westminster, BC, on Sunday, May 29th.

May is Cystic Fibrosis (CF) awareness month in my world. I was personally made aware of the condition several years ago when my daughter introduced me to a bright young gymnast and classmate named Amanda who became a close friend.

Amanda lived an active optimistic lifestyle despite the illness and bouts in the hospital. She passed away at age 24 leaving a huge imprint in our lives. In fact, the original printing of With My Umbrella, I Can … The Magical Journey of Penelope Puddle was dedicated to Amanda and her energetic spirit.

Management of the disease has improved significantly since CF was officially recognized in the 1930s. Hope for a cure refuses to fade for the surprisingly common genetic illness that affects mainly the lungs. Although life expectancy has increased, there is a great deal more to do. That's why some 500 people, sharing the same goal, worked their legs at the annual fundraiser.

Although the event last May was held at a different family friendly location, a great choice this year was Queen's Park. I haven't visited in quite a while and had forgotten how the mature trees reminded me of giant leafy umbrellas.

The weather was warm and the forest was the perfect setting not only to walk but to play. There were places to slide, swing and climb.

There was a craft table where children explored their artistic sides.

I realized nothing could top nature's art ...

when I saw the proud peacock nearby.

Its pretty feathers were eye-popping to say the least.

School children also entertained outdoors with plays, dance and song.

A pet with lovely long lashes (click photo for detail) dressed for the occasion.

This fellow was not at all sheepish about being touched.

The Petting Zoo included a pair of adorable piglets.

The sun glinted on the ripples the ducks made in the pond at the park.

It was fun to cool off in the water ...

especially when running through the blast of sprinklers.

The Rainbow Playland theme fit the fundraising mood ...

where a real pot of gold would be to find the cure for Cystic Fibrosis.

Postscript: Sept. 1, 2022

Since writing this piece great strides have, indeed, been made. Check out a video about a new medication that appears to be remarkably effective HERE.

A Short Sighted World

MY WORLD INVOLVED a trip to the Retina Surgical Clinic in New Westminster, BC. Rain spattered on the car windshield as my husband drove me into the city last Friday. My view would be murkier were it not for the invention of glasses and laser surgery to stop the progression of tears to my retina. Such tears can lead to a detachment.

I treasure techniques available to improve my vision as well as prevent disaster. But although I don’t like my personal light shows, floaters and tears, I do enjoy seeing ripples of rain cascade down glass, distorting the world into an impressionist painting. There were more sights to see along our way.

In the mid-1800s during colonial times, New Westminster was briefly the capital of British Columbia. It has struggled to maintain its significance and resources over the years and recover areas fallen in disrepair.

Many older houses have kept up their charm while some have not. I found this well maintained home and street very appealing.

New and old structures can be seen side by side in the hilly city that climbs upward from the fringes of the Fraser River. Heritage events and a dedicated community keep New Westminster alive and in touch with its important past.

My husband parked the car after getting to the clinic early.

I watched passersby huddle beneath their umbrellas.

Newspaper stands brimmed with information about local and world events.

Most people hurriedly walked by without a glance.

I spied a few birds on some branches. They didn't seem to mind the drops and were singing amid the showers.

Inside the building were more umbrellas. Nearby offices were packed with people needing eye care. The long wait for my laser surgery was an opportunity to chat with other patients and to hear their stories. I spoke with a young diabetic woman whose retina tears began in her early teens and a fifty-five year old woman who suddenly woke up at the age of 38 with a partial detached retina. Another woman in her 70s was blinded in one eye by an infection during childhood and now her “good eye” had holes and tears.

I had enlightening conversations with people struggling to keep their sight intact. Fortunately, my eyes are examined regularly to resolve new issues quickly. But as we drove home I realized BC’s deteriorating health care system (which no longer provides free eye examinations every two years) contributes to undetected problems that are more serious and expensive to treat over time.

Sadly, BC's health care is oddly short-sighted when it comes to visual issues.

Eyes are our windows, and much like houses, in need of constant care.

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