John Harvey Photo

June 2020

Go to Slide Show Smaller Images Great weather.  Now how to avoid people?


Walk at Iona Beach

Ankel Deep In Mud
The covid outbreak had flattened and were were told to avoid crowds, but that some normalcy could return to our lives.  Being June, every day of good weather is a call to get outside so finding places to go without crowds was a bit of trick.  We checked the tide table and decided to go for a walk at Iona Beach.  The beach is basically a giant mud flat and very rarely do people actually go for walk out there.


Of course kids don't mind mud between there toes (and all over their clothes and hair) so it was a good time walking out looking for creatures in the mud.

Messy HairSplattered In MudTrying To Follow My Footsteps

Beaver Lake, Stanley Park

Stanely Park effectively closed to cars.  You could still drive around if you were going to the Marina, military base or had a disability sticker, but traffic was a tiny sliver of what it normally would be in the summer.  The kids got out their bikes and we went for a brief ride to Beaver Lake.

Stellars Jay Looking For HandoutsGreat Blue Heron Walking Through Lily PadsTaking Photos On Dock

Pink Water LilySingle Water LilyMale Wood Duck In Water Lilies



Happy Birthday Claira!

Nara's birthday in April was a virtual affair - other kids were on a facetime call, but we didn't get to see them in person.  The rules had relaxed a little by June so with some heroic planning, it was possible to see other kids.  Claira's actual birthday fell on a Friday so we had a family birthday cake on her actual day.

Claira With Birthday CakeClaira Blowing Out Candles


Helen had actually organized a part!  Claira really likes Piñata's so we made one at home!  Our last Piñata was built too hard and couldn't be broken open (we used cardboard and packing tape) so this one was built more to be broken - two layers of paper with glue (and a few staples) holding it together.  Being paper on the outside, it readily took paint.
Claira With PaintPainting Pinata


  The actual day was quite a trick.  We rented a shelter at Stanley Park from the City of Vancouver.  Normally we might have used a community center (all closed) or the play area at Granville Island, but they weren't available.  The City had a long questionnaire and they were quite serious about keeping kids apart and absolutely not cross family contact.  All of the food was from a commercial kitchen (pizza delivered for lunch, cupcakes packed in groups of four).  Each family got a box of items at the start of the party and the kids could do activities in parallel but not together.
 
 Nara Inflating BubbleSelf Portraits In Bubble
 
Helen has been working on bubble solution for quite a while so we now had the right formula and tools for the kids to make giant bubbles.  This was a socially distant appropriate behavior.

Looking Down BubblesMaking Bubbles With An AudienceClaira Breaking Bubble

Claira With Marshmallow Sticks

We tried doing a construction project with marshmallows and dry spaghetti.  Turns out Claira liked the Marshmallows more than she liked winning.


And Claira's favorite part - breaking the Piñata!  Each kids got their own break it stick and the candy was stored in bags (with a kids name on it) so that there wasn't a scramble to get candy once the paper ripped through.  The paper did stand up pretty well - everyone got at least three hits before it started to break apart.

  Claira Attacking PinataFloating SwingNara Winding Up
 
 
Three Girls On Disk Swing
So how did we do on the Social Distancing?  Fine until the kids decided to check out the playground.  The city opened the playgrounds a few weeks earlier and perhaps the disc swings should have stayed closed because they don't really promote social distancing.

Four Kids Not Social DistancingClaira On Disk Swing
 
Everyone had a good time!  Nobody got sick.  Claira got a party where should could see at least a few of her friends.  Good day.


Taking Photos On Dock
Altitude: 3m (9 feet)
Location: Go To...
Claira Blowing Out Candles
Person: Claira
Four Kids Not Social Distancing
Person: Nara, Claira
Tags: playground, Stanley Park, swing
Painting Pinata
Person: Nara, Claira
Tags: painting, piñata
Male Wood Duck In Water Lilies
Species: Aix sponsa (Wood Duck)
Location: Go To...
Tags: reflection, Stanley Park
Claira Attacking Pinata
Person: Claira
Altitude: 7m (22 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: piñata
Trying To Follow My Footsteps
Person: Nara, Claira
Nara Winding Up
Person: Nara
Tags: piñata
Floating Swing
Tags: piñata
Claira On Disk Swing
Person: Claira
Altitude: 3m (9 feet)
Location: Go To...
Nara Inflating Bubble
Altitude: 9m (29 feet)
Location: Go To...
Ankel Deep In Mud
Person: Nara, Claira
Tags: beach, Iona Beach Regional Park
Three Girls On Disk Swing
Person: Claira
Tags: playground, Stanley Park, swing
Single Water Lily
Species: Nymphaea odorata (Fragrant Water Lily)
Altitude: 3m (9 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: invasive, Stanley Park
Pink Water Lily
Species: Nymphaea odorata (Fragrant Water Lily)
Tags: invasive, Stanley Park
Claira With Marshmallow Sticks
Person: Claira
Altitude: 1m (3 feet)
Location: Go To...
Messy Hair
Person: Nara
Claira With Birthday Cake
Person: Claira
Tags: birthday cake, candlelight
Great Blue Heron Walking Through Lily Pads
Species: Ardea herodias (Great Blue Heron)
Altitude: 1m (3 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: Stanley Park
Making Bubbles With An Audience
Altitude: 11m (36 feet)
Location: Go To...
Self Portraits In Bubble
Altitude: 16m (52 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: bubble, portrait
Splattered In Mud
Person: Nara
Claira Breaking Bubble
Altitude: 20m (65 feet)
Location: Go To...
Claira With Paint
Person: Claira
Tags: paint, painting, piñata
Stellars Jay Looking For Handouts
Species: Cyanocitta stelleri (Steller's Jay)
Altitude: 6m (19 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: Stanley Park
Looking Down Bubbles
Altitude: 16m (52 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: Stanley Park(7), piñata(5), invasive(2), swing(2), playground(2), painting(2)
People: Claira(11), Nara(7)
From: John Harvey Photo > Blogs for 2024 to 2005 > June 2020

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