Last day (for now!) in Vancouver.

This morning we found a couple of visitors in the back yard - very healthy looking visitors!

The lady in the other downstairs apartment in this house has cats, this being one of them, and leaves a window open when she is not home so the cats can come and go.  Trouble is, the racoons like to eat the cat food as well, so come and go also.  Guess that's why they look so well fed!

Karen, this one's for you - cherry trees on Taylor Way.....

.....and at Ambleside.

There are lots of Dogwood trees in bloom right now as well - they are SO beautiful!  Dogwood is BC's provincial flower.

We went to the pond in Ambleside Beach in West Van - a place I always love to go.  There were lots of these American Wigeons - pretty little ducks!

I don't know if they were eating this grass that's in their mouths or building a nest.

I know the mallard is just a plain old every-day duck, but they really are very pretty!

And here's Mama.

We were lucky to see this pair of Common Mergansers in the English Bay again today.

This totem was given to the people of West Van by the Squamish Nation to "welcome with open arms all who pass our shores".

This is John Shaver, who is well known in the area for his balancing rocks.  There is no glue or anything involved, just balance.  We had heard of him, but hadn't seen him until today.  It's pretty amazing!

This is a portion of the West Van Seawall that we love to walk on, as do MANY other people.  Behind the fence is a dog walk.  The owners walk on the seawall, the dog walks on the path.  It seems to work!

This woman had a trap set, tied to the shore with a long rope.  She had caught some crabs and was stuffing them in the blue bag.  She would only be able to get to the trap at low tide.

When we got to Dundarave Beach at the west end of the sea wall, we went up to Marine Drive to a nice little coffee shop and bakery.  :-)  Yummm!

Another example of art work on the rocks by the seawall.  It's bits of tile and glass - very pretty, and lots of them along the way.

We found this fellow looking for clams or something in a creek that runs into the bay.  He isn't nearly as fat and healthy as the ones in the back yard!

Another example of balancing rocks.  Today he was making bird shapes, sometimes he does inukshuks.

I think these peaks are called the Lions, for which the Lions Gate Bridge is named.

And one last look at the Vancouver skyline - tomorrow we're off to Edmonton/Calgary.