Skywatch Friday: The Peace Arch

Happy Olympics Opening Day!

In honor of the Vancouver Games, I'm posting one last shot of our Peace Arch in Blaine, Washington. This picture, like the last two I posted, was taken at the Olympic torch run. It was difficult to take the shot without getting masses of people in it! That's why the bottom is cut off, but I decided it turned out nice enough anyway.

We 'Hamsters have been expecting to be inundated with travellers for the Olympics, as we are only an hour south of Vancouver. However, as far as I can tell there hasn't been a discernible difference. Maybe that will change, but either way it's fun to be close.

Click here to see other skies.

Olympic Torch Run at the Peace Arch

Here's a shot of the Peace Arch just as we were arriving in the pre-dawn hours to wait for the torch run. It was, naturally, one of the coldest mornings all winter (which won't mean much to you midwesterners and New Englanders... and perhaps even the Floridians this year!) and it was quite misty and atmospheric.

The Peace Arch was built in 1921 to celebrate over 100 years of peace between Canada and the United States. It stands astride the Canada-US border, so if you pass underneath you go from one country to the other. On the US side is inscribed "Children of a Common Mother" and on the Canada side it says "Brethren Dwelling Together in Unity."

On a wistful note, I wish our southern border was as open, friendly, and peaceful as this one.

Black and White and Fed All Over

I stumbled across this old picture when I was looking for something else, and thought I'd pull it out and share it. Technically this picture was taken in Blaine, not Bellingham. EJVig and I lived there for a couple years. It's about 25 miles north of Bellingham, and right on the Canadian/US border. I'll have to take some pictures up there soon. But for now, there's this one-- our four cats dining on the checkerboard floor of our Blaine kitchen. From left is: Calliope, CJ, CoCo Puff, and Jo Jo. Calliope is no longer with us, and I miss her every day. She was my very first kitty, and even though she hated most other people, she loved me totally. Aw, I miss my bitchy kitty!