Do It Myself Blog – Glenda Watson Hyatt

Yesterday afternoon, amidst a wintery downpour, Darrell and I headed back to Surrey’s Celebration Site; this time to meet Mom in line in hopes of getting tickets to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Musical Ride. We succeeded! We enjoyed!

Thanks to Surrey’s Mayor Diane Watts, our Holland Park will have hosted 21 showings of this Canadian heritage experience during Olympics. Without Mayor Watts extending an invitation to the RCMP Musical Ride, this internationally-recognized piece of Canadian identity would not have been present in the area during the 2010 Winter Games. Go figure!

Also praiseworthy are the measures taken to make the entire park accessible to individuals using wheelchairs and walkers. The tent arena, used for the RCMP Musical Ride and the Agility Dog shows, has a wheelchair seating section with plywood sheets covering the ground, preventing wheels from getting bogged down in the thick sand. Sitting in this section, we had an unobstructed view and couldn’t be much closer without being atop the horse, to which I would not have objected!

The rest of the park has been covered with rubber tiles – no mucky dirty or grass fields with unexpected dips to navigate. The hard surface makes for easy wheeling!

Raised platforms – both in front of the main stage and inside Surrey House – provide wheelchair users with an improved vantage point for enjoying the many performances.

Overall, I am very impressed with our Holland Park and the work put forth by the City of Surrey in organizing and hosting this 13-day event, giving Surrey and Fraser Valley residents an alternative to dealing with the crowds in downtown Vancouver to celebrate the Olympics and Canada’s outstanding athletes!

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Saturday afternoon – yet another beautiful day during the first ever Spring Olympics! – found us back at Holland Park. This time we went to see the Kee-Gigg K9 Agility Team.

I shot this rough video to share the experience with you, my readers. These dogs (and their owners) were definitely having fun!

We then grabbed a quick bite at the Jamaican food booth; Jamaican patties are flat meat pies with a spicy kick! Good though.

We headed home before the expected 20,000 arrived for the evening concert. I’m impressed with our small park in Whalley!

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Wednesday afternoon – a spring-like day here on the west coast, not unusual for this time of year – I ditched watching Oprah in exchange for going back to Holland Park, currently Surrey’s Olympic Celebration Site, with my husband Darrell.

I’m loving being able to capture moments, from my eye level. I haven’t used a stock image for a blog post since my hubby gave me a Nikon Coolpix for Christmas ‘08. Me, a photojournalist – who would have thought it? But, that’s what blogging is all about!

Unlike LiveCity Downtown on Saturday, there was no lineup to wait in. Darrell and I wheeled right on through.

The first noteworthy sight was the long row of pot-a-potties, including two wheelchair accessible ones. These facilities aren’t the most pleasant to use, unless absolutely necessary, then they’re such an relieving experience!

The Surrey site has a winter carnival atmosphere, complete with cotton candy, pizza and hot dogs. The mini doughnuts were calling me! I’m still munching while I type, which means I’m twice as long on the bike while watching Oprah tomorrow. Oh well. We live once, so live it!

Unfortunately, tickets for the evening’s RCMP Musical Ride were already gone. However, the horse stable was open to the public. I introduce my current scooter to the inside of a barn! It has been a while since I’ve seen tack boxes, mucking outs and horse blankets. Seeing the city kids holding their noses was quite amusing; such woosies! I even got horse goober on my coat – yes!

I’d be ecstatic if the barn and the riding arena became permanent fixtures of Holland Park as an Olympic Legacy! Imagine being to ride again only five or six blocks from home. That would be so cool!

An outdoor ice rink allows for some good old-fashioned family fun time! Kids, young and old, don skates for the first time is entertaining to watch.

A clear day meant a clear night sky. I captured the moon for the first time. A beautiful sliver of the moon.

Inside Surrey House is where I’ll likely be should Canada play in the men’s hockey gold medal game on the 28th! Hockey and Randy Bachman – it doesn’t get any more Canadian than that!

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Saturday Darrell and I met up with my aunt and cousin and went to LiveCity Downtown – one of the many ways to experience the Olympics for free! Yes, it was raining, but, being Vancouverites, we were well prepared while waiting in line. At the CentrePlace Manitoba, we learned about the Canadian Museum for Human Rights being built in Winnipeg. I’d love to be there for the opening in 2012!

With all of the road closures, the streets are almost eerie! I’ve never seen West Hastings so quiet! The streets, that is; the sidewalks are another story! I kinda like it though. What are the chances it’ll stay this way?

My man in a toque! He’s still handsome!

I love how most store fronts have got their “Canada” on! We can show our patriotic colours when we choose to!

Down in front of Waterfront Station, the sidewalks were like I’ve never seen them: jam packed with people from everywhere! Welcome.

The Olympic Rings floating on Coal Harbour. So cool when seen at night!

Disappointedly, the Olympic Cauldron is behind a chain-linked fence; no doubt for security reasons – for both the visitors and the cauldron. After wandering around the waterfront, I finally got a half decent photo.

Amazing to think that this flame traveled all of the way from Greece and then across Canada, viewed by millions of Canadians during the longest Olympic Torch Relay in history.

Sunday I enjoyed the Olympics from the comforts of the couch, with my Faith kitty curled up in her spot behind my knees. I had my red jammies on though!

(This party has been a long time coming and I’m going to make the most of it. Please bear with me! Regular posts will resume shortly.)

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Thursday evening my wonderful husband Darrell surprised me with free tickets to the dress rehearsal of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Musical Ride here at Holland Park – Surrey’s Olympic Celebration Site!

I have often seen the RCMP Musical Ride on television, but never live. For someone who rode for years many moons ago, this was an exciting opportunity! Wheeling into the tent arena, the distinctive smell of leather and horse instantly hit me, bringing back a flood of memories. I was in heaven!

I shot this video (until my camera card filled), raw and uncaptioned. Please excuse the few headless horsemen!

I will definitely return for a second show and, possibly, a third, if I can get away with it! You are welcome to join me.

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Yesterday Darrell and I unplugged from our computers and headed out for a photo wheel – a photo walk on wheels, of course! – to capture signs the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 2010 are, indeed, coming to Vancouver!

The first stop was, naturally, the countdown clock. At that moment, the Olympics officially begin in 16 days, 4 hours, 39 minutes and 49 seconds, precisely!

On the opposite side, which many people likely don’t check and, hence, miss, is the countdown clock for the Paralympics – one of the very few signs I spotted that the Paralympics are also coming to Vancouver, but I’ll save that rant for another post! These segregated games begin in 44 days, 4 hours, 32 minutes and 42 seconds.

These lantern trees were made by Taiwanese children for the Taiwanese art display – part of the Cultural Olympiad.

Looking up at these paper lanterns drawn by children half a world away, I realized these Games are touching millions of people around the globe. And, despite the protests, the budget overruns, the road closures and other annoyances, for better or for worst, these two world events are going ahead. We might as well as enjoy the party while it lasts – the bill will come soon enough. This is our chance to show off to the world what we, the locals, already know: Vancouver and surrounding area is the best city to live in!

Who says Canadians aren’t patriotic, eh?

I like how this downtown building is wrapped in a gigantic Canadian flag.

My lunch date! Ain’t he handsome?

I love spending time with him, being with him. We can talk for hours – and we do! – about ideas we have, projects we want to create, and whatever else is on our minds.

This last photo is my favourite from the day. I learned nighttime photography with a slower shutter speed and jerky cerebral palsy are not the best of friends. But, after several shots and extreme patient (by both myself and my husband), I finally had an amazingly clear photo of this eagle sculpture – part of the Eagles in the City project by the Lions Club Society.

Determination and perseverance do pay off!

Visit Flickr for many more shots from the photo wheel.

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Dear Santa,

Christmas cards have been mailed, gifts wrapped, and dinner planned. All that remains, before tucking myself in for a long winter’s nap, is to write you a quick note.

Once again I am stumped what to write. I do not have a long list of gifts that I would like under the tree. You see, I have everything I could want or need – and then some.

The only one thing that I would like to ask for is that my family and friends, near and far, receive the one gift that they truly need at this point in their life’s journey.

Wishing you and the reindeer a safe trip. Merry Christmas!

With love from, 
Glenda 

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My holiday video message to my readers, friends and fans:

For those preferring the text version:

Hi readers, friends and fans,

Thank you for a most awesome year!

I would like to wish you a Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

All of the best to you and your family in the New Year!

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With the tail end of the swine flu hopefully departing, I am eager to get back into my groove, doing what I do. Yesterday my desk received a thorough de-papering and cleaning and is ready to go.  Now the left thumb needs engaging to get this office up to its full earning potential. After all, any office with a chandelier is destined for greatness!

On this week’s to-do list:

• Write my Fight for Preemies post for Tuesday. This event now has 383 bloggers uniting to raise awareness of our more fragile babies. Awesome!
• Get going on creating the website for a non-profit organization.
• Conduct an accessibility review on a lawyer’s newly redesigned blog.
• Finalize the details for this year’s ebook for raising funds to feed Christmas dinner to 100 people in need. This year, readers will choose which posts to include in “The Best of the Left Thumb Blogger…”. Stay tuned for details!

What is on tap for your week?

Make it an awesome week!

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Wow, June 30th already?

That means 2009 is half over! Will the second half be as crazily busy, in an equally good way?

That means that tomorrow is Canada Day! With all that is happening around the world, I am even more thankful and grateful to be Canadian. The words “With glowing hearts we see thee rise, / The True North strong and free!” hold extra significance at the moment.

Happy Canada Day! Cherish the freedoms we have in this beautiful country.

Does anything more need to be said?

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