Long week-end. National holiday. Postcard-perfect weather. Sunny skies, happy people. Warm evenings. Street festivals. It’s all flashing before my eyes as I observe and take part simultaneously.

Last night, Saturday night, I took a slow bike ride around False Creek. I watched the sun go down slowly in a cloudless sky. The Seawall was alive, people strolling everywhere, enjoying summer and the Canada Day celebrations.

When I got a little beyond Siwash Rock, just before the Lions Gate Bridge, I stopped, setup the tripod and waited for the West Van’ fireworks.

As darkness fell, herons were flying around and landing on rocks in front of me, not yet ready to sleep, still hungry and busy. I got a few awesome shots of them, which will constitute a post of their own, soon.

Then the fireworks erupted in the western sky and the camera and I went wild.

And today, as the morning already felt hot, I made a late decision to go for a swim in Lynn Creek. Of course, this being Canada Day’s Sunday, I wasn’t exactly alone up there. But Lynn Canyon is a secret still well kept and the crowd was bearable.

The turquoise water, being still quite cold, kept most people on the shore rocks and I had the "pool" pretty much to myself.

First swim in natural water since I visited Vancouver last August and went for a swim in Victoria’s Sooke river. It was about time and felt incredibly good. All the dogs present agreed. What a shame for them to be color blind. But I guess at least I haven’t gone blind to beauty myself. Yet. See next post.