This next trip isn't ours. Analu came for a visit after being here last in 1991 as an exchange student. This time her 'luggage' included her 7 year old son, Mateo.

It didn't take us long to figure out that Mateo is part fish. He was his happiest in water!

Our first stop in Vancouver was the Aquarium at Stanley Park.

We could relax while watching the belugas from below as there was no chance of being drenched by them outside during their 'show'.

We enjoyed the white sided dolphin show.

A display of jelly fish was transfixing!

It's okay, Mom, I'll dry quickly! Mateo had a ball in the water park.

Di and Analu are watching Mateo playing in the water park at Lumberman's Arch in Stanley Park. Vancouver's harbour and North Vancouver are in the background.

Mateo loves the water. For a 7-yr old, he is an amazing swimmer!

Once again, Mateo is enjoying himself in a hot tub. Here we are in the hot tub at our place at Whistler where we are going to spend a couple of days.

Dianne, Mateo and Analu stand beside one of Whistler's gondolas before we begin the trek to the top of Whistler.

Symbol of the 2010 Olympic, this Inukshuk, greets visitors to the top of Whistler Mountain.

What a thrill! Mateo gets to walk on snow for the first time in his life.

Mateo learns that not only can you throw snowballs, you might also get hit by them!

Dianne helped Mateo create his first snow man.

Analu shows Mateo how to make a snow angel.

This Hoary Marmot set himself up for a photo with the Black Tusk in the background. The marmot 'speaks' with a whistling sound that gave Whistler its name.

We watched them work on the terminal on Whistler of the new 'peak to peak' gondola that will join the peak of Blackcomb, in the distance, with the peak of Whistler.

Looking down on the harbour of Vancouver with Mt. Baker in the background...from the drive up to Cypress Bowl in the 'north shore' mountains.

Cruise ships dwarf Canada Place. Note the expansion of the convention centre going up to the west of Canada Place

We drove past the totems in Stanley Park.

Mateo's taking part in a Vancouver tradition...watching the sun set over English Bay

The sun sets over English Bay.

Mateo's enjoying a little fishing as the time for heading to Madison approaches. Analu and Mateo were heading to Madison, Wisconsin, to visit Caty, Analu's sister.

In September, the crew from our Zihuatanejo adventure in April got together again for a few days at Gun Lake near Gold Bridge. Here, Dave and Lois Watkins, Maurice Tremblay and Di and I are eating lunch in the cafe at the Gold Bridge Hotel.

The 'wall paper' in the pub at the Gold Bridge Hotel brings greetings from travellers from all over the world.

It's easy to see why Dave and Lois lived at Gun Lake for so many years.

Moe and I go for a ride in the canoe on Gun Lake.

A sow black bear tells her cubs to skedaddle, 'I'll hold 'em off!'

The 3 cubs found some refuge in a tree beside the road.

On the way back we watched some First Nations people drying freshly caught Sockeye salmon on the banks of the Bridge River

In August we visited Greg and Rita Dean...we will never get tired of their view out over Lake Okanagan.

The paddle wheeler, The Fintry, still plies the waters of Lake Okanagan...taking tourists for a loop of the lake in front of the soon to be completed new bridge.

We were lucky enough to be able to catch a show of the Canadian Snowbirds over Okanagan Lake.

'belly to belly'

Now, that's close!

An adult osprey and three young ones sit on their 'nest' atop a pole near Okanagan Lake in Kelowna

One young one comes in for a landing after a brief loop...and his sibling waits expectantly, lest there be a meal arriving!

A pair of the young ospreys start flapping their wings and practicing their pre-flight routines.

And another osprey is finally airborne...and loving it!

In August we travelled to Oregon for a family get together. We stopped in Portland for a visit to the beautiful Rose Garden in Washington Park

It is now operating as a test rose garden with over 8 000 varieties grown there.

The 5 acre garden was established in 1917 when rose growers in Europe became concerned about losing their roses due to the bombings during WW1.

We enjoyed one last meal from a wonderful restaurant overlooking the bay at Zihuatanejo. The end of a wonderful trip.

...and they really got close!