Lunch in Horseshoe Bay

View from the pier at the former site of the Boathouse Restaurant!
It's a major construction site of a huge development.

Lots of pleasure boats but no rentals any longer!

Busy day at the ferries and lots of people enjoying the sunshine!

Troll's one of the first and best seafood restaurants in Horseshoe Bay

This is a picture of the development taking place at the former site of the Boathouse Restaurant!
It's a huge construction site right now

Artist drawing of the finished construction project!  

It was such a gorgeous day we decided to drive out to Horseshoe Bay.  We came back Marine Drive and drove through Dundarave and North Vancouver.  It's been a long time and the growth is amazing!

Fly Over America

Fly Over Canada is a virtual flight ride experience with a breathtaking flight ride across Canada.  The theatre is located at the north end of Canada Place.  During the last month they have been showing Fly Over America.  From New York to Hawaii, it sounded like a great way to spend the afternoon.  The ride is only 10 minutes but it's incredible.  We took skytrain downtown and when we got there it was a two hour wait!  If I would have been on the ball I would have purchased tickets online.  So, we didn't wait and I'm sorry we didn't get to see it.  We had a wonderful walk downtown on a gorgeous day!  It ends on Monday and I hope because it's so popular they will hold it over.

From Canada Place looking towards Stanley Park

The walk to the end of Canada Place where the theatre is located

Cruise ship terminal.  The Star Princess is the first large ship this year and will dock April 10th

Totem pole inside Canada Place

Colourful planters

From Skytrain crossing the Fraser River looking east

From Skytrain crossing the Fraser River looking west

Teachers make a difference that lasts forever!

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down. It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.

That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.

On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. 'Really?' she heard whispered. 'I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!' and, 'I didn't know others liked me so much,' were most of the comments.

No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.

Several years later, one of the students was killed in Vietnam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature. The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin. As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. 'Were you Mark's math teacher?' he asked. She nodded: 'yes.' Then he said: 'Mark talked about you a lot.'

After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.  'We want to show you something,' his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket 'They found this on Mark when he was killed.. We thought you might recognize it.'

Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him. Thank you so much for doing that,' Mark's mother said. 'As you can see, Mark treasured it.'

All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, 'I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home.'
Chuck's wife said, 'Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album.'
'I have mine too,' Marilyn said. 'It's in my diary'
Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. 'I carry this with me at all times,' Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: 'I think we all saved our lists'

That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.

The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be.

So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late.

Time for a laugh

The farther down you scroll the worse they get!  Happy Thursday.

Now that's a bum view

I love these windows errors....almost as nice as the blue screen of death

My mom was right!

I have a growth on my head.  It's hidden in my hair at the crown area of my head.  It doesn't hurt but every time I get a bad headache, I think I need to have it checked.  Last week I had an ultra sound.  The doctor confirmed "there is nothing in there", which is exactly what my mother told me.

I've loved following Mason and the other BC Cadets on their trip to the European Battlefield trip.  Cheryl was a member of the Richmond Thunderbirds Baton and Drum Corp from age 8 to 18!  She traveled with the group and I was fortunate enough to chaperone on some of the trips.  Because I worked for the airlines I would take all the "standby airline children" while the others went on a scheduled trip.  We went standby and it saved the parents a lot of money in airfare.  The trips were such bonding experiences and the children had so much fun.  The chaperones had a blast too.

The cadets arrived back in Vancouver around 8 PM last night.  They flew from Paris and changed planes in Toronto!  Their flight was delayed and they must be exhausted. I'm sure all the parents are happy to have the cadets home. 

Here is the last communication from the group:

Sending this summary slightly late, as another busy day in Paris. But the group has gone through security now, all checked in, and en route home.

We had a wonderful day in Paris, on our last day of the tour -- our best weather yet! We started the day with a bus tour of the city with Cid, our local guide, with the Arc de Triomphe and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier our first stop. Many of the places we've visited along the way are inscribed on the arch: Bergen-Op-Zoom, Ypres, and others, and we got a good view of the crazy traffic zipping around the arch itself. After a quick photo stop of the Eiffel Tower at Champs de Mars we continued to see predominantly the rive droite (right bank) of the city, seeing the Champs-Élysées, Place de la Concorde (Guillotine and the French Revolution), Madeleine Church, the Opéra Garnier (setting for the Phantom of the Opera), Place Vendôme (the city's most luxurious square), and finally the Louvre.

We said goodbye to Cid, and then have some free time to grab some lunch and explore the city. Some of us went to the Galeries Lafayette Gourmet, sampling Parisian macaroons from Pierre Herme,and grabbing dumplings and Vietnamese soup for lunch...others took takeaway and people watched on the steps of the Opéra...others still went for croques monsieurs and crêpes in various brasseries.

After a couple of hours of free time, at 15.00, half the group went back to the tower, this time successfully reaching the top, climbing the stairs to the second level and the elevator all the way to the top; and half the group ambled down the river Seine, leisurely window shopping along the way. We have a lot of Parisian sweets headed Canada way...

At 18h, we reconvened to hop on the metro to dinner, where we had Flammekueche, a thin-crust pizza originating from the Alsace-Lorraine region in northeastern France, and after a few speeches at dinner we hopped on board out bus back to the hotel to pack for departure.

Tax fraud

It's tax time.  Mine are not only filed, I've got my refund!  I love the way you can complete it online.  Not that I file my own taxes, I love technology and where it's taken us.  Just in case you are thinking of "cheating" on your taxes, here's a reason not to.  People will come up with these schemes constantly.

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) announced that D. Anderson of Chilliwack, British Columbia, was sentenced, in the Supreme Court of British Columbia to four and a half years in jail and fines totalling $35,026.71. Ms. Anderson was convicted and sentenced in relation to charges of income tax evasion, goods and services tax (GST) evasion, and counselling fraud.

A CRA investigation determined that Ms. Anderson failed to report total income of $165,731.45 for the 2005 to 2007 tax years and, as a result, evaded $22,689.90 in federal income tax payable. In addition, Ms. Anderson failed to collect and remit $12,336.81 in GST for the 2005 to 2007 tax years.

Ms. Anderson was an “educator” with the Paradigm Education Group (Paradigm), a fraudulent scheme that counselled people across Canada to evade taxes. Paradigm sold products (books, DVDs, and CDs), organized and taught fee-based seminars, which “educated” people on how to structure their affairs in a way to illegally avoid taxes.

The preceding information was obtained from the court records.

The CRA warns all Canadians to beware of “tax protesters” who try to convince you that Canadians do not have to pay tax on the income they earn. Canadian courts have repeatedly and consistently rejected arguments made in these tax protester schemes. For those involved in tax protester schemes, the CRA will reassess income tax and interest, and charge penalties. In addition, if convicted of tax evasion, the court may fine them up to 200% of the tax evaded and sentence them for up to a five-year jail term.

If you have made an omission in your dealings with the CRA, made a tax mistake or left out details about income on your tax return, the Agency may give you a second chance to correct your tax affairs and avoid criminal prosecution. The Voluntary Disclosures Program (VDP) may give you the opportunity to come forward, make things right, and have peace of mind. Disclosures that are made before the CRA launches an enforcement action such as an audit or criminal investigation may only result in you having to pay taxes owed plus interest. More information on the VDP can be found on the CRA website at Canada.ca/taxes-voluntary-disclosures.

Update on the BC Cadets!

I understand when you are busy on a trip how hard it is to keep a blog or Facebook post updated.  You are so busy enjoying yourself it just slips your mind.  This appeared on Facebook this morning and I appreciate the author keeping all the parents and interested people informed.  It sounds like they are having a fabulous trip.  They will be home soon and will have wonderful memories!

Yesterday, we left Caen just after 8.30 for the little village of Bénouville to see Pegasus Bridge, so named for the historic efforts of the British airborne forces n the early hours of July 6, 1944 as part of the Normandy landings of the Second World War. After taking a few photos, we witnessed the raising of the French, Canadian, Belgian, Dutch, Polish, Norwegian and American flags at the nearby museum, and boarded the bus for Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery, where we left several flags, both Canadian and provincial.

At 11.00, we left for the Juno Beach Centre, and had a tour of the beach, including a bunker discovered only a few years ago, and walked down to the beach to play a Piper's Lament. After a bit of spare time to experience the beach, we headed for the Juno Beach Centre museum and exhibits, which included the stirring film 'They Walk With Us.'

At 13.15, we left Juno Beach for Gold Beach, up the coast in Arromanches, where we had free time to grab some leisurely lunch and explore the remaining pontoons in the water just off the beach. Quite a few of us did some souvenir shopping, and we returned to Caen for a bit of free time to explore Caen Castle--home to Guillaume le Conquérant, who became William the !st of England after the battle of 1066--and packed up for our departure to Paris.

We're just back in the hotel after an epic day in Paris. We had an early start this morning, including a time change for Daylight Savings, and after dropping off our bags at hour hotel at 10.00, we caught our last lift with our Dutch driver, Ramon, to the closest metro stop and headed straight for Notre Dame Cathedral, the heart of Paris (both figuratively and literally).  We had a bit of time to explore the cathedral on Palm Sunday before grabbing some lunch, and walking through the Latin Quarter en route to the Musée de l'Armée at the Hôtel National des Invalides. Most of us headed straight for the Tomb of Napoléon Bonaparte, and after seeing his opulent resting place we went to dinner via metro.

At 19.00h, after eating a three-course meal of feuillette au fromage, boeuf bourguignon and choux vanille, we took the metro again to head down to the Eiffel Tower, one of the busiest areas in the city. And after attempting to get to the top, we had a bit of free time to take photos, before heading back to the hotel around 23.00h.

Tomorrow, it's our full day in Paris.

The Masters Golf Tournament at Augusta

The 2018 Masters will be held April 5 - 8.  I thought this article was really interesting. I know three people who've attended The Masters and say it's an awesome experience.

In 1934 Bobby Jones requested the USGA to host the US Open at Augusta. USGA said no.
Angry at the rebuff. Bobby Jones and Cliffort Roberts decided to have their own event, which became the Masters. The Masters is not a Championship of anything. "You are the winner of the Masters".



The Masters is one of the most unusual events in sports.

It's all about tradition, and it's defined by a set of odd rules and customs that just don't exist outside of Augusta National. It's great.

We compiled the oddest traditions that make the Masters and Augusta one of a kind.

Food prices are ridiculously low.



People are incredulous when I tell them that an egg salad sandwich is a buck & a half! Same as a beer!

Tipping is banned.



Cell phones are prohibited at all times and cameras are not permitted during the tournament.  I really wonder if they are still enforcing this?



It's one of the only places in the U.S. where there are long lines for payphones.



There's a huge fence around the course to keep out animals. There has been one deer sighting in the last 65 years.



Only four minutes of commercials per hour are allowed during thebroadcast and no blimps are allowed.



TV commentators are not allowed to refer to fans as "fans" or "spectators." They are to be called "patrons," and the rough is to be referred to as the "second cut."



The Masters banned CBS broadcaster Gary McCord in 1995 for saying,"They don't cut the greens here at Augusta, they use bikini wax."



Players had to use local caddies provided by Augusta until 1983.



Players are allowed to use their own caddies now, but they have to wear the Augusta uniform — green hat, white jumpsuit.



Like many golf courses, there is good fishing at Augusta National, but the players don't like to talk about it because it is forbidden.

In 2011, Monte Burke of Forbes interviewed golfers about the best fishing spots on the PGA Tour. When Augusta was brought up, he described their responses as "squeamish" and they only admitted to hearing there were some good spots.

A former caddie was willing to tell Burke that the best spots are the creek in front of the 12th hole ("full of bream"; seen above) and the pond at the 16th hole ("brimming with bass").

Fans, oops, we mean patrons, aren't allowed to wear their hats backwards.



Patrons can bring collapsible chairs to sit on, but those chairs are not allowed to have armrests.



Running is not allowed, unless you are a player.



Grounds crew members used to wear hard hats.

There is an odd myth that the grounds crew at Augusta packs the azalea plants with ice if spring comes early. The idea is that this will keep the plants from flowering too soon before the tournament.



There is a house located in the middle of the Augusta National parking lot because the owners refuse to sell it. The family has reportedly turned down "millions."



You can't apply to become a member at Augusta.



It's nearly impossible to become a member at Augusta. You have to be nominated by a current Augusta member, and new initiations generally aren't accepted unless someone quits or dies. The total membership hovers around 300.  Condoleezza Rice is a member of Augusta!  If you want a good autobiography, read hers!   I loved that book.

Augusta is closed in the summer to keep the course in pristine shape.

Nothing like Yankee Stadium! And MUCH more beautiful!

Even the press conference podium is immaculate.



Players are given a brand new Mercedes for use during the week.



Golf cart drivers who are hired to drive the players around Augusta National also pick up the golfers at the airport in the Mercedes they will be using. The cars also have a number in the back window so that employees can always identify the players by which car they are in.



You can go to jail for selling tickets.



Twenty-four people were arrested outside Augusta in 2012 for trying to scalp tickets.

The course is insane about who it lets into the tournament and it's illegal to sell tickets within 2,700 feet of the gates.

You can only ask for autographs in one part of the course.



Fans always line the ropes at big tournaments in hopes of getting asignature. But this is tougher to do at Augusta.

You can only try and solicit an autograph on the Washington Road side of the clubhouse, near the practice facilities.

The bunkers at Augusta are filled with mining waste.



You know those pristine white bunkers?  They're actually composed of waste product from the mining of aluminum, according to Golf.com

Basically, there's this company that mines feldspar (rocks) for aluminum. This process produces waste in the form of really bright, pure quartz —that's what Augusta uses.

The old media center was enormous.



Augusta opened a new media center this year and it is gorgeous.

The course used cows as lawnmowers in the 1940s.



A close-up picture of the fairways at Augusta .

Augusta is its own universe with a tenuous connection to the outside world (see: all the ridiculous anecdotes in this slideshow).

But WWII affected Augusta just like it did the rest of the country. During the war, Augusta didn't have the manpower to maintain the course, so they set 200 cattle loose on the grounds in hopes that they would "trim" the grass by eating it.

Normandy

Yesterday the B C Cadets were in Normandy.  On our August cruise we've booked a shore excursion with Princess to the Canadian landing beaches!  Most cruise lines just take you to Utah and Omaha, the American beaches, but for the past two years Princess offers an excursion to Juno Beach!

If anyone is interested in a last minute deal to Alaska Vancouver round trip, both Princess and Holland America have discounted their May departures.   If you are interested, act fast as these cabins are disappearing.  We're going next year so I'll pass but it sure is tempting!