DAY THIRTY ~ 8.13

before i share with you the latest in the Canada series, i would like to take a few lines to say Happy Birthday to the greatest Grandpa a girl could have had. Donald Cletus Cletus Fane, you will never be forgotten. i love when your birthday falls on a Friday like it did today, because it reminds me of how you used to joke "of course it's unlucky, it's the day i was born!" everybody who knew you knows that any Friday August 13 is a very LUCKY day because it's your day, and we were blessed to know you. <3

and now, on to the funny.
WOODSPRITES AND SQUIRRELS: Making the Most of the Canadian Wilderness
as we neared the other side of the Capilano Suspension bridge, Susan stopped, posed purposefully, and said "look! i'm a woodsprite!" here's the photographic evidence:

now, for those of you who are not well acquainted with my mother, you will require some explanation as to her fascination with and continued referencing of the woodsprite. a woodsprite is essentially a woodland elf, a mystical and wholly fictional being. but Susan is a believer. as we drove north to Canada earlier in the day she would comment every now and then on how this or that spot of evergreen forest looked like the perfect home for the woodsprite, elf or fairy. so when she struck her woodsprite inspired pose on the bridge i was surprised at my ability to snap that gem through my uncontrollable laughter. people must have been concerned that the mental institution had apparently let us out to play for the day...without handlers.
once across the bridge you walk along trails through the woods, passing various ponds, lookout points and informational and educational signage. the highlight, though, is what they call the Treetop Adventure. it offers you a "squirrel's eye view of the forest," according to the park's promotional materials. a series of smaller suspension bridges between giant douglas fir trees, leading ever higher toward the top of the forest, make up the Treetop Adventure. as cheesy as it is, you really do feel like a squirrel. i couldn't help myself from thinking about my favorite scene in Disney's Sword in the Stone when Merlin and little Wart transform into squirrels and fly from tree to tree being chased by their respective love interests. it was beautiful and peaceful up there, made even more perfect by the signature Northwest drizzle.



after completing our Treetop Adventure we made the trek back across the big bridge to the gift shop where we purchased a delightful assortment of items. for Jeffrey: a First Nations tranquility bead. which is basically a large stone hanging on a string of beads that is supposed to bring you tranquility (think dreamcatcher, but for stress). really very entertaining choice on Susan's part if you know much about Jeffrey. for Susan: a Christmas globe ornament with a painted First Nations version of the Madonna on it. an indian Mary, how quaint. for myself: a moose keychain (clearly a necessity, considering my love of the moose), a Vancouver shot glass, and a magnet that says "making the moose out of life" depicting an adorable moose paddling a canoe. top notch choices all around, i'd say.
we left Capilano slightly damp but completely satisfied with our first day's excursion in Canada. from there we drove to our hotel in downtown Vancouver, but that's a whole other story...next in DO YOU WANT TO SUCK THE BONE?: Feigned Wealth is Hilarious.