Visiting Gramma

Good Morning! I am barely awake but was dragged out of a sound sleep to catch a bus and then the Skytrain... apparently we are off to the airport. Blink blink... beary tired...

But... once we got to the airport, Mama plied me with hot chocolate... which woke me up a bit.

But then I had a look around... where is everybody?? This is too early in the morning for a little bear!

So... we are heading north... and... after a lot of clouds... I saw trees and... snow!! Oooohh... snow!!! That's why I wore my winter gear!

 Maybe I'll get to go hiking or skiiing?

If we can actually land of course... it sure is cloudy down there.

 Oh... oh... I think we're going to make it!!!

Yay!!! We landed... except it's not snowing... it's raining. sigh...

Gramma wasn't there to meet us cause... well.. cause Gramma was in a car accident a few days ago and totaled her vehicle and bunged up her knee. She was beary beary lucky that this was the only major injury. Beary lucky. The other guy was OK too although his vehicle was toast as well. That is a nasty bruise...

I decided that I needed a hot chocolate the next morning and Mama and I walked down to a local cafe... This is main street on a Sunday morning at 9:15 a.m. Seriously... where is everyone?? And where is the snow?? I need my rain gear I think...

Righto... another hot chocolate... it is OK but...

There's no one else here either!!

Am I in some zombie apocalypse movie where all the people have been taken away??

A Trip!!

I am off on an adventure!! Yay!!! First step...

Get a Hot Chocolate of course... you always want to start off a trip with a stuffie on the right paw...

Second Step - wait for the ferry... we are off to Vancouer!

 Third Step - plan exciting adventures in Vancouver...

 Based on where we are staying, I identified three possible Hot Chocolate Festival locations... After perusing their flavours... we settled on one!

It was a packed bus from the ferry so... no bus pictures... but we stopped off at Auntie's place to drop off the suitcase and say hello to Daisy...

And Sasquatch... the new cat... hmmm... just like the real Sasquatch, he is beary camera shy!!

Anyhow... off on the grand adventure!

Although I must admit... I wonder why Mama said I needed to pack my winter clothes...

Seriously... does this look like winter weather? I'd have been better with my rain slicker.

Success!!! We found the 49th Parallel Cafe... alrightee...

I ordered the Saturday Nut Fever hot chocolate... it is a hazelnut flavoured hot chocolate...,mmm... can't wait!

Ooh... and it comes with cookies!!! And a pretty design on the hot chocolate...

The two whitish cookies were crispy, maybe an egg white and sugar concoction? They were OK... But the dark brown ball was pure heaven... soft delicious ganache rolled in nuts.... mmmmm. As for the hot chocolate it was... meh... OK. Nothing to write home about though. Sigh...

 Anyhow... back home and Sasquatch deigned to pose for the camera. He shared a tin of Ferrero Kuesschen with me (that's Ferrero Kisses). You can only get them in Germany and a cousin sent some to Auntie... They are soooooooooo good!

A whole tin for me??? Mmmm....

By the way... in case you were wondering... Sasquatch is named for his Big Feet.... he is a polydactyl cat with extra toes everywhere. Which means extra claws... They call him Mr. Sassy Pants for short but...

I think I'll just call him Mr. Sasquatch... claws and stuffie fur don't go well together you know...

Although... it seems like he is quite friendly with Daisy!

Prepping for Washington D.C. Stuffie Tour!

Hello there. Sandy Bear here... reporting momentous news! Yep... I am going to go and visit Ajdin and take his Washington DC Stuffie Tour!! I am beary, beary, super duper excited (imagine a whole stream of exclamation points). This will be the first time I've traveled on my own without Mama. Now that is a first.

Also... I am now on Facebook (sigh). I caved in and created an account... my moniker is Alexander Mackenzie Bear...

Sooo... Mama has said I'm going to travel as a VIPP... I think that should be VIB (Very Important Bear)... But I guess it means Very Important Priority Passenger. Which is fine with me. I imagine there will be flight attendants serving me honey and smoked salmon in VIPP Class.

I asked Mama about luggage and she said that I could use this box... I think that'll be big enough for all my clothes and snacks. I apparently won't have to touch it between home and DC soooo... that's good.

Best of all, it's a Starbucks box!!

Oh... and before I forget... I put a Canada pin in my hat... just in case there are other little bears on the tour who look like me.

Anywho.... I am off to DC!! Mama says it can take a while to get through customs and I need to be there by March 20. I will, naturally, be incommunicado during that time but... for your viewing pleasure, I've got a bunch of blogs pre-posted to keep you entertained (I hope).

(Editor's Note: VIPP actually means Very Important Parcel Post... but don't tell Sandy that!)

Pussy Willows!

Well... it's getting to be that time of year... time for... The Great Pussy Willow Hunt!!

It's been beary wet lately so the trail is a bit murky...

Good thing I have a sherpa to carry me over mucky sections.

Today we are hunting the elusive Power-line Pussy Willow... shhhh... be verwy verwy quiet...

There, do you see it??? Right between my ears...

I see them...

I snuck up on the pussy willows and they are stunning.

Beautiful specimens!

What do you think??

Now... mrph... if only... I could.... erg... find.... the pocket knife!

Whaddya mean there's no pocket knife??? I thought we had this discussion last year about keeping the backpack full of Important Items! Sigh... good help is hard to find.

But... they were easily ripped off. I didn't take a lot...

After the exertion of hunting pussy willows... it was nice to have a quiet stroll by the lake. Nice picture but...

I think it looks better with a bear! Don't you?

As Ajdin would say... Life is Beary Good!