Grand Adventure - Day 2

Hullo... can you guess where we are today?? Well... it's not hard to figure out... we're on the beach!

In Vancouver... except the weather took a turn for the worse overnight sooo... it is beary cool and blustery.

Good thing there is a Starbucks nearby where we can all warm up!

Full Post Below

Hullo! We are in Vancouver and it is beary early... like 6 am early. Ugh... Mama says we are going to go and take pictures of the sunrise.

Jerry spotted a few flowers along the way - these are a type of bleeding heart.

And some beary pretty roses...

But Mama said we couldn't stop to smell the roses otherwise we might miss the sunrise! Let's hustle...

Ooohhh... the bubble drain cover!

Beanie will like this! Hi Beanie!

Vancouver is beary quiet at this time of the morning... where is everyone?

Heh-heh... this is fun... we can run around without getting accosted by dogs!

"Seriously," said Ben, "where is everyone?? Are you sure zombies haven't come and carried everyone away?"

Ooohh... dogwood tree!

"The dogwood is the provincial flower of BC" said Jerry, "it's beary pretty!"

It is pretty... but this one looks a bit more ornamental... most dogwood flower petals aren't quite so pointy.

"Hey," said Ben, "Sandy's missing his pin!" Whoops!

Whew!! Here it is... That would have been disastrous.

Speaking of disastrous... it was beary windy last night and clearly a bit dangerous.

We'll just tip toe our way around that...

Made it! We're at the park near the beach and... it's almost time for the sunrise!

Ummm... it looks a bit cloudy... beary cloudy in fact out to the east... no sunrise for us.

But that's OK... we can have some photo ops instead.

And climb some cool old trees. Last one up has a baggy bum!

Well... I guess that would be Jerry... Jerry, what are you doing??

"There's a hole in the tree here... might be some bees, you know!"

Alas... no bees... but we did have some fun... "Yes we did," giggled Ben, "lots of fun!"

And finally... the ocean! But it was not a calm ocean... still beary wavy from last night with lots of flotsam and jetsam washed up.

"Ooohh... Aaaahhh... look at the waves coming onto the sand! Closer and closer..."

Ack!! Everybody run!!!!

Whew... clearly this is not a day for a walk by the calm shoreline.

Even photo ops are comical... little bears getting blown over by the wind.

That's better! We sure do look cute...

Oh hey... a boat got washed up!

Attached to a crab trap... "Too bad there aren't any crabs in there," said Ben, "I could have made crab cakes."

"Speaking of cakes," said Jerry... aren't there any Starbucks nearby?

 "I can smell one," said Ben... "let's go!"

 Well... this looks interesting... a bunch of chairs sitting out along the edge of the beach...

They have words stenciled through them... "Nothing at all. Nothing complicated. Everything"... "That's weird," said Jerry... "Beanie could probably explain this... he's artsy!"

"oooohh... this one's in French" said Ben.... "but it doesn't make much sense either. 'Geography wear size nature? Huh?"

Hmmm.... I don't know that they're supposed to make sense!

But the most important thing is... they aren't Starbucks chairs. Let's go guys!

Oooh... there it is!!! But... believe it or not... it wasn't open yet? Sigh...

Neither was the ice cream shop that Jerry spotted... It has a bear in the window!

But after hiking uphill... we did eventually find a Starbucks that was open... whew... what a morning!

Grand Adventure - Day 1

Hullo... Sandy Bear here! I am wresting control of my blog back from Mama. She got a bit too comfy writing my posts while I was away visiting Ajdin and then Jerry and Ben. Thanks Mama but... now it's my turn!

Having said that... err... well... um... we are having technical difficulties. Mama's camera has a Sony Memory Stick and while her old laptop could accept that... the new one can't! And... she didn't bring her usb camera cable (who uses those anyhow??) Sigh... good sekrebearies are hard to find.

Sooo... we are going to pull a page out of Beanie's book and post teaser photos for the next few days... Full posts coming in a while!

This Grand Adventure involves a ferry ride!

Jerry said that "Ferries are fun! Their big engines make such a rumble it tickled my tummy!"
Ben wanted to know "Why aren't their more bilingual signs on the ferry?" Good question... we are beary far away from Quebec is the short answer!

Full Post Below

The start of our Grand Adventure. We are all beary excited (Jerry: "Beary beary super-duper excited!!)... yes... to be going to Vancouver today! It's a glorious sunny day - perfect for a ferry ride.

Jerry and Ben like the ocean (Ben: A lot!!).

Oh... and before I forget... do you see my new pin? That's my souvenir from the Cherry Blossom festival down in DC. That was so much fun with Ajdin!

Here comes the ferry!

Ben said "It sure is big! That's a lot of room for little bears to play hide and seek!"

It takes a while for the ferry to dock and unload so we had a look-see outside.

"There's sure a lot of seaweed down there," said Jerry, "I wonder if bees like seaweed?"

"I don't think so," said Ben, "but seaweed makes great sushi!"

Oooohhh... there are some little jellyfish floating around in there... don't think they make good sushi though.

It was a beary crowded waiting room but... finally... we are on the ferry!

"Maybe we'll see some whales... that would be beary cool!"

Or maybe just some seagulls...

It was a beary nice ferry ride and the three of us ran around giggling madly while Mama saved our seats on one of the lifejacket lockers out on deck. We even saw a stuffed lamb go by!

A beary, beary crowded bus ride later... and a short walk and... we're visiting Rose and her family!! She was super excited to see all of us!

But especially... Ben! Rose is taking French immersion and the two of them jabbered away in French for what seemed like hours.

And... Jerry and Ben got to meet Otto!

It turned out that Otto was beary busy this week and we didn't get to see much of him. Apparently there was a salmon cannery that needed an official taster and he got the job. (Darn!).

And here's Daisy!! What a full day... more later!

They're Here!!!

***Editor's Note***
Well... came back from shopping today and... the new carport gate was ajar. That's not a good sign!

After peeking through the opening... the sound of voices could be heard... very excited little voices...

Ah-hah!!! I see some little bears!

Yup... there they are... Sylvester (cub reporter for Bears Lairs magazine)... Sandy and... that must be Jerry & Ben!

".... I'm pretty sure that was a bumble bee of the genus Bombus..."
"... no no... that was definitely a Mason bee of the genus Osmia... didn't you see the colour"
"... you're all wrong... that was most assuredly a honey bee from the genus Apis... I'm sure of it..."
"... who caresssss!!!!... there's beez and that means there's honeeee!!!"

"... well... not always... some bees don't make a lot of honey.... they don't even have hives"
"... that's true... but, did you see the pollen sacs on the legs... wow... I mean... that must mean..."
"... pollen means honeeee!!!!! Let's follow them!!"

Suddenly Sandy saw me and... well...

"Mama!!!! Mama I'm home!!"

"Oh my goodness... it's sooooo good to be home!!! I can't believe how green it is here and how hot and... did you miss me?? I missed you!! I missed the yard and the house and our adventures and the cats and..."

"Oh... I forgot... Mama!! This is Jerry and Ben!!"

"Hi Sandy's Mama!!! Wow... you sure have a lovely herb garden... I can't wait to check out everything that's in here. Are we making rhubarb relish soon. I brought my apron! Do you have basil yet?"

"Your flowers are super beary nice... we were just admiring the beez on the chive and lavender flowers... there must be honey around here somewhere! I brought my gardening apron cause I want to help with the flowers and maybe even the veggies too"

In the background sat Sylvester, eyeing all the commotion... and noticing something that none of the other bears had seen...

A jar of honey lying on the ground!

"Heh-heh... they dropped this when they jumped up... can't let good honey go to waste!"

But Sylvester is a nice bear and everyone gathered for a group photo... smile and say "honeeeee"!

Jerry and Ben look a bit excited to be here... but a seasoned observer can see that they are a bit tired around the ears. Maybe time for a nap.

"ooohhh.... nap" said Jerry, "that's a beary good idea... of course we'll need a hot chocolate first... bears always sleep better after that..."

As for Sandy... "Mama... I am super beary hot in my winter/spring outfit. I need shorts... and I need them now!"

More later... (editor might need a nap too... four beary excited little bears... oh boy...)

Update on Sandy's Adventures

Regular followers of Sandy will likely know that the went to visit Ajdin in DC back in March for the Cherry Blossom Tour... (it was AWESOME!)

After that, Sandy said Au Revoir to Ajdin and Crew and stopped off to see Jerry and Ben, with whom he's been having a few adventures!

Sandy arrived at Jerry & Ben's last week (only last week?)...

... co-starred on an episode of Jerry's Corner...

... and got to bake (but not necessarily eat) some chocolate chip cookies!

From Jerry & Ben's blog... (that's Jake on the far left)

Now... we are all anxiously awaiting Sandy's return... not least of all, Sylvester Bear, Cub Reporter for Bears Lairs magazine who's eagerly wanting to do a profile on Sandy's garden... stay tuned... we'll distract Sylvester with Before photos of the garden...