Hammock

We've had a grim spring so far. Endless rain. Cool drizzly days. It's depressing. I even posted on flickr a shot taken from my apartment window of the murk and cloud, titled: This is what despair looks like.

However, on a rare sunny day last week, the first day I actually got out on my bicycle this year, I happened upon a couple of enterprising souls who had managed to string up a pair of hammocks on this piece of public art. I'd been meaning to get a photo of this sculpture for months, as it's near my neighbourhood, and very close to this and this. Glad I had my camera with me!

Post title from this song by Elevator Suite.

Celebration of Light - IV*

The crowd on the beach at English Bay about an hour and a half before the show begins.
After this it got too dark to take any more photos of the crowd. There were live concerts near the beach, streets were closed, and people started to head to the roof to enjoy a glass of wine on a perfect warm Vancouver summer evening before the fireworks began.

This post is part of a series about the fireworks competition called the Celebration of Light.

Celebration of Light - The Third*

The beach crowd grows at English Bay, about three hours before the show begins.

*This post is part of a series about the annual fireworks competition hosted at English Bay called the Celebration of Light.

Celebration of Light - Redux*

The beach at English Bay, about four hours before the show begins.

*Part of a series of posts about the annual fireworks competition in Vancouver called the Celebration of Light.

Celebration of Light

I want to catch up with all the missing posts from July before the end of the month, so I'm going to cheat, and post several, all on the same topic, in one day. Shhh. Don't tell anyone.

The Celebration of Light is an annual international fireworks competition that takes place above the waters of English Bay. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the event. There are usually three or four countries competing, on two consecutive Wednesdays and Saturdays at the end of July. The fireworks displays, set off from a barge in the bay, are choreographed to music and last 30 full minutes each night. It's a huge celebration for the city. About 300,000 people crowd onto the shores surrounding English Bay to watch it every evening of the competition. It just happens that I have a view of the beach at English Bay from one of my apartment windows, and a view of the fireworks barge from the roof of my building. The photos over the next several posts should give you an idea about the size of the event.

The beach at English Bay, about seven hours before the show begins.

Post title from this song by Marina Ray.