A mini-holiday

It's hedge-trimming time in our back yard. The noise is horrible. So John and I escaped on Monday to Whytecliff Park in West Vancouver. This panorama shot by John illustrates the opposite of sitting in our living room listening to hedge-trimmers. 

My nephew Etienne and his young family have reacquainted us with the concept of picnics. So we packed up a salad and some biscotti, put them in a carryall, and ate lunch watching the boat traffic on Howe Sound. 

This is Whyte Islet, attached to the park's beach by a rocky causeway. Even though John grew up in West Vancouver, he has never been at the park at low tide, when  you can walk the causeway to the islet. So on Monday, we did.

John climbed the islet to see what was there. A 360-degree view, a group of picnickers,  and a picturesque tree is what he found.

This tree is so perfectly located it's hard to believe it's for real.

Visitors making their way down the rocky islet. It looks easy, but parts are tricky to navigate.

It's a bit hard to see, but one woman decided it might be easier to come down on her bum. We saw one man kick off his flip-flops and use his bare feet instead.

John makes his way down the slope without trouble. 

After our islet adventure, we walked out of the park and down a nearby street to another beach. Mountains, ocean, bare logs -- a classic West Vancouver scene.

John on the same beach.

Back from our little jaunt into another world, we find evidence of the tree-guy's work. Bill will be back Tuesday to continue the job.

Laurel leaves on the walkway by the house. Bill will haul all the debris away when he's finished.

The space between the little boxwood hedge and the laurel is full of trimmed leaves. Nice job, but when the hedge trimming resumes on Tuesday, where we will go to escape?