Under Cover Of An Umbrella At Bowen Island

HAZY VISTAS are common this time of year in many West Coast places and Bowen Island is no exception. My daughter took this picture during a recent visit to the small island that is some 15 miles northwest of Vancouver. It is accessible by water taxi from Granville Island some months of the year as well as year-round from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver.

The convergence of light and mist captured the magic of the moment as did the splash of a blue blanket keeping a friend warm in the foliage. The winter has been mild this last while so sleeping under the stars is not out of the question for adventurers with warm clothing, sleeping bags ... and an umbrella, of course, to ward off the sprinkles.

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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

When The Sky Is A Ceiling

I REMEMBER AS A CHILD lying on a grassy knoll under a cloud filled sky gazing at the different shapes. Sometimes birds would fly by or a bee would buzz overhead. But I was reminded recently that the sky can be a ceiling, too, sometimes in a hospital setting when looking upward from a bed.

My husband was a little groggy after having a common procedure done to shed light on his puzzling health issues. Although he will be up and about seeing the true misty blue of BC skies today, I took pictures of his view from yesterday where there were inspiring notes from above to consider. I was struck by words from an unknown author that said, “You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.”

Monumental strength is required, at times, simply to push back against the tide of negativity and to stay optimistic when faced with challenges in life.

See some real skies from around the globe at Skywatch.

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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Eerie Cloud Cover Softens My Horizon

THIS SUNDAY MORNING felt insulated as if I was walking through a cloud. The low lying mist so common during West Coast winters muffled footsteps and the voices of people strolling along the Crescent Beach shore.

Everyone huddled a little like this bird. Moisture from the mist touched our faces and life seemed to soften around the edges.

It was as if I had been pulled into a pencil drawing of delicate muted strokes. Every step brought me closer to color, though, and assured me there was much to be found within the eerie blank horizon.

It felt cozy and safe with the focus on what was in front of me without seeing too far ahead into the foggy future. Sometimes mist settles in a heavy shroud but on Sunday it wrapped around me gently like a fuzzy cloud shawl.

And despite the blurry start to my day I am compelled to quote from an old proverb that says, "A misty morning does not signify a cloudy day."

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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Special Gift For A Rainy Day

THERE IS a new umbrella in my life. My husband bought it months ago to put under the tree as a Christmas present. He remembered it was one that I admired and wrote about in a previous post. It was meant to be a rainy day surprise when he needed to give me a gift for a special occasion and couldn’t get out on his own due to his health issues this past year. He cleverly grabbed an opportunity to make the purchase without me knowing about it. Because I heard it was bad luck to open an umbrella indoors I went outside Christmas morning to unfold it to its fullest potential.

I dislike being superstitious and was annoyed at my own slight apprehension when I recently took some pictures of it indoors. In truth I believe it is the significance we place on such things rather than the things themselves that have sway in our lives. I choose to believe umbrellas opened and closed, indoors or out, brim with good fortune. And for those who think an umbrella has no significance at all there is no doubt it can offer protection from too much sun and stormy weather.

Where did the superstition come from? It seems in rainy old England the tough metal spokes in umbrellas, also used as walking sticks, were poking folks causing pain. Knickknacks were also being broken so it was simply smarter not to open one indoors.

The earliest umbrellas seemed to spring up in China and India before covering other parts of the globe. In ancient Egypt the mother goddess, Nut, was associated with the umbrella because her body arched over the entire Earth with her fingers and toes touching the ground.

An umbrella representing the goddess was for the elite only so ordinary people standing in its shade were supposedly bringers of bad luck. It was also thought that opening an umbrella in the shade as well as indoors insulted the Sun god Ra. Such ideas are great reminders that some knowledge that we hold true today will be the superstitions of tomorrow.

Mankind has long found comfort in superstition seeking reassurance through stories created to give meaning to the mystery of existence. Good luck or bad how can it be wrong to crave certainty in this vastly unknowable universe?

Whether keeping an umbrella closed to prevent disaster or breaking open a fortune cookie to peek at the days ahead we seek control in an unpredictable world. And who knows … there could be something knowable … hidden clues woven into the curtain separating today from tomorrow about the outcome of our choices that when realized could impact our futures.

I am lucky to have a husband thoughtful enough to give me a gift he knew I would love and then keep it as a secret until the time was right. Now I just need to find the perfect outfit to go with these colorful dragonflies.

To explore sights from around the globe, link to Our World at the sidebar.

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle to view more BC scenes.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms