Sunday 30 June 2013

Post #5a Chemainus Theatre's "Singin' in the Rain performance"

Nope. I am NOT biased. Despite the fact that both my eldest son, and his girlfriend, are in the show!
Chemainus Theatre
This is the poster in our hotel's lobby!
It is a great show, and a good one, which has withstood the test of time. The young people beside me, who seemed to know the major actors, were quite impressed. I don't think they had seen the movie?!

Who knew my son could tap dance?!
His big scene is Moses Supposes. He is the vocal coach, as well as playing other parts! You can find out more about Jesse Martyn, the actor, here!

The actors have put their heart and soul into it.
This show is one which provides historical significance.
It really demonstrates the shift the theatre world made from silent movies to talkies. It is done with humour, joy, and great fun. They pre-taped some film, as in the original movie, with Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds, was meant to show the actors trying to gain a footing in this talkie world.

Katrina, Keegan,
my brother Robin, me.
My late grandmother (1883 - 1978) adapted to cars, television, and all sorts of technology. Her generation managed well.
My mother learned to use a computer at work when she was 55 in 1980. She retired at age 66.

My generation learned to use computers in the workplace, too. It's all a learning curve!

This couple turned up
in costume!
First, I took a photo of a couple who dressed up. He made me take their photo three times with his camera until he was happy with it!
Next, it was fun seeing my brother, and his family, at the intermission. I last saw Keegan when he was 12-years-old!

The theatre is beautiful.
On the one side is a beautiful statue and fountain.
On the other side, in Heritage Square, is another pond, with statues celebrating the story of the snipe catchers. One of the statues, I presume, was off for repairs.

The story is an amusing one, about young men led astray by locals, waiting in the dark for snipes to appear.

Chemainus sculptures are wonderful
While the murals are amazing, there are several sculptures about, as well.

Bubbling fountain outside our hotel.
Dedicated to the Chemainus Theatre,
which has helped turn the town around.
Spirit of the Earth


Designed and cast in 1986, by Glenn Spicer


The irony of it was:
we were standing waiting in the rain for the actors to emerge!
 
Afterwards, we went out to dinner. It was much fun!
Katrina took our photos. She made us laugh so hard!

Post #5b The Chemainus Theatre - Jesse emerges!


Jesse Chemainus Theatre from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
After Jesse & Stacie's show, Singin' in the Rain, at the Chemainus Theatre in British Columbia, we all waited for the kids to come out the stage door.

It was a family affair: Caitlin and I; my brother, his GF; Keegan, his GF; Rob's step-daughter, her husband; Stacie's mom and 2 friends.

The other actors were surprised with the 13 of us standing there after the Sunday afternoon matinee, in the rain! Their faces were quite fun as they scanned the crowd.
It was quite a thing to travel 3500km for a weekend visit, but well-worth it. I just wish I could see Jess tap dancing again, pretending to be new at it! He is quite the comic! He plays a funny copper, too.
I am so proud of him!
You can find out more about Jesse Martyn, the actor, here!

Kitties, birds, ticks, rainfall, flowers: it's JUNE!

cats to walk– Dorah takes a rest


Tick Report July 8th: 80

Dorah: 35; Daisy: 38; Buster: 4; Sadie: 1; Jenn: 2.
I've found 3 fleas.

It's been a heck of a week for us. I'm glad it is nearly over. We like our road trips, but we've been busy with one thing and another.

This retirement isn't for chumps!

The backyard calls me. There is lots to do.

There's been much rain lately. I am happy it fills up the dry wetland. There is no joy in the swamp without moisture.
We won't mention how prolific the mosquitoes
Robins to watch
are, as I can't complain about the cycle of life!
Mind you, I've harvested 80 ticks in the past three months. We check the cats, and ourselves, very carefully. I grab a piece of tape for the ticks that aren't yet attached, roaming around Dorah's face looking for a place to purchase. Dorah is the winner as she seems to be a tick magnet.
A friend paid her vet $200 to remove a fully-engorged tick. We know you have to get them out fast and early. You don't want them putting the Lyme Disease bacteria into its victim. You don't want to put goop on them, either, as they may discharge or throw up stomach contents on you.

The woodpecker was upset with the jays, grackles and red-wings on the feeder and chose the hummingbird feeder, instead!


Rainfall Data
There was 120 mm of rainfall in May.
This month we are doing well, too. The June 7th rain was remnants of Hurricane Andrew.



2013
Date rain in mm
1-Jun 9
2-Jun 1
6-Jun 4
7-Jun 30
9-Jun 1
10-Jun 49
11-Jun 9
16-Jun 37
26-Jun 16
28-Jun 44
TTL 200

Cosmos is blooming, too

poppy in full bloom



Saturday 29 June 2013

Post #4 Next we visited Duncan, B.C.: totem poles!

Here we be: road trip post #4.
Caitlin particularly liked this one!

I first visited beautiful British Columbia in 1979, when I was a young 23-year-old, pregnant with Caitlin! My first husband and I went to Vancouver, Burnaby to visit his friends, and then Port Alberni, to visit his aunt. We went to Victoria and into Butchart Gardens, too. I went back between husbands, around 1997, and visited my brother who loves in Campbell River. He took us whale watching.

My first, real selfie!
Saturday, noonish, we arrived in Chemainus, B.C. from Ottawa, via the Nanaimo airport! We missed the first flight, as it was full!
We rented a car and took off south. Caitlin kindly drove; I was the drive-by shooter!
We checked into the hotel, had lunch with the Jesse (my son), Stacie (his GF) and Stacie's mom and her friends.

They had an 8 p.m. performance, we planned on attending the matinee next day, and so Caitlin and I decided to go for a drive.
I was awed by the hills and mountains behind every building and around every bend.

(The show was fabulous and I wish we had gone to two shows. More about the shows next!)
Poor Caitlin. I kept singing:
♪♫The hills are alive, with the sound of music!

But, for an Ontario landlubber, like me,
the mountains are amazing.



Duncan, as with many of these coastal towns
on the island, were changed by the trains.

Cleverly, they have maps of the totem poles,
but, as with the murals in Chemainus,
you can follow yellow footprints for a self-guided tour!

We were fascinated with the totem poles. For posterity, I photographed each totem pole with the description.
<

Not to be outdone,
Duncan has murals, as well!


Isn't this fun?! 
An interesting part of Duncan, is how they have honoured the contributions of the Chinese people who worked in logging and on the railroad. 
Whilst the old homes have been torn down, there is an alley with large photos and testaments to those who toiled in their new country.
The crane is working on the new bank,
old houses, now torn down,
in the back.
This man was a tailor, who went into the camps
to outfit people.