Garden Tour of New Zealand Dec. 2007

Here we are upon our arrival in Auckland- it was warm and sunny, a nice change from the snowstorm we left behind in B.C.!

Our first garden stop was at Auckland Botanical Gardens - we walked and walked. We stopped for lunch at the cafe. . .

Auckland

Botanical

Garden

Cafe

(Paul & Eileen

in front)

We visited Ayrlies garden - probably the most beautiful garden we have seen in our travels. . .

Taxodium Distichum

Paul, Stef and Lisa

Paul with a friendly Jack Russell Terrier
Looks like Monet's garden!
Paul cooling off his feet. .


Lisa, Eileen and Paul

A couple of old goats. . .

A waterfall

More knobbly protrusions!

The Lych Gate

Van Dusen Garden Show

Our family is in the garden business. We love looking at gardens when we travel.

In June, 1995 our company together with Jonathan Craggs, Garden Designer and Total Landscape Care Inc. put together a display for the Van Dusen Garden Show. Enjoy these pictures, taken by Walter Altenmueller at that event!

This is Jonathan Craggs

Vancouver Sun Run May 9, 2010

On Saturday May 8, after attending our son Karl's Spring Orchestra concert in Surrey, we drove into Vancouver and stayed at the Loden Hotel. This is a boutique hotel - very special - and they remembered us!! We enjoyed a nightcap in the hotel lounge.

On the morning of the race, Sarah and Karl came in from Abbotsford on the skytrain and had some toast and tea with us in the restaurant. Sarah and Paul both qualified to start at the front of the race. I walked to the finish line and watched all three of them cross. Sarah ran a personal best! Karl jogged, saving his energy for his tennis match in the week ahead.

Paul finished in approx. 35 min.

Life with a runner

On April 24 Paul and I took a "cruise" on the ferry to Victoria for his race there. We stayed at the Grand Pacific Hotel which was a real treat. The view out our window was of the Parliment buildings. In the evening before the race we walked around Victoria, stopping at our favorite bookstore, Monro's. I had a swim in the hotel pool.

Paul was up early on the day of the race for his morning warm-up; I went down to the dining room and had a piece of toast with tea. More than 13,000 people entered this race; Paul was an elite entry! He finished with a first in his age group. It was fun "people watching" at the finish line.

After the race we went out for a delicious late breakfast at the hotel - much enjoyed by the two of us, and then it was back to the mainland on the Ferry. A very pleasant weekend.