This is spectacular. It was lit by Wayne Gretzky, Canada's pride and the world's greatest hockey player, at the end of the opening ceremonies.

It will stay lit for some time beyond the games and will serve as a landmark in the City of Vancouver, only to be lit for very special occasions.

The Vancouver Olympics had more people demonstrating their Canadian pride, spirit and support for the games than any other country in history.

Canada also won more gold medals than any other country in Olympic history.

This mural was on the wall of the Russian pavillion featuring Sochi where the 2014 Olympics will be held. Very beautiful indeed!

They came to see what they could learn from Canada and to showcase their magnificent venue.

Look at all those flags...

We didn't realize the excitement we would feel being part of this international event. Athletes and representatives from countless countries around the world, along with numerous celebrities, were frequently seen enjoying the sights and thrills of the Olympic festivities.

Vancouver made a special effort to put emphasis on the First Nations' people in the opening ceremonies.

This wasn't the most sophisticated piece of street art but it was fun to look at. Robson Street and Square were the hub of the social center with live entertainment every day and night as well as fireworks. The street was absolutely plugged after the amazing men's hockey defeat of Canada over the USA. The women were victorious as well, finishing undefeated. Yeah Canada!

What a thrill to be in Vancouver during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. This is one of the many pieces of art displayed on Robson Street which was closed to traffic during the games. Every day thousands of people wandered around downtown sporting jerseys, flags and the famous red mitts.

Storm watching is another tourist attraction on the west coast of Vancouver Island. It never disappoints. These views are just minutes from where we live and we make a point of enjoying them almost daily.

We are on the west coast of Vancouver Island where the surfers and whale watchers come in droves for the year-round surfing and spectacular views. Next week is the Whale Watching Festival and 20,000 whales are expected to make their yearly journey along the coast.

These beautifully colorful painted eagles appear all over British Columbia. Each year a different foundation is used and this year it is an eagle. Every eagle is unique in its artistic creation.

Molly's Reach was one of the main stages from the famous Canadian television series, "The Beachcomers" that ran for 19 seasons back in the 1970-80's. It has been converted to a popular restaurant full of memorabilia from the ageless series.

We went on a 5-day camping trip recently to the Sunshine Coast. The provincial campgrounds were officially closed but provided a few free spots for late-season stragglers. The weather was fantastic and the views stunning.

We spent two glorious days in Illecillewaet camped beside the river. It was pretty cool at night at this higher elevation reminding us that fall was just around the corner.

This is Bill and our kids' dog, Vaquita, trekking along the trails.

Glacier National Park is the only interior rain forest in the world. Much of the vegetation is the same as what we've seen in the Caribbean.

At the turn of the century there was a large hotel at the Illecillewaet Glacier that rivaled the Banff Springs and Chateau Lake Louise hotels. It was frequented by travellers on the Canadian Pacific Railway. Many came to mountain climb with Swiss guides and to take in the spectacular views. However, due to the incidence of avalanches and the loss of 200 lives over a few short years, the railway was redirected by tunneling through the mountains. Hotel business slowly petered out with the eventual closure. The footings of the numerous buildings are still evident with a walking trail explaining the history of the area.

This was one of our favorite hiking places when we lived in Kelowna. We managed another trip to the area and a hike along the beautiful trails.

Our daughter-in-law, Tara, spent the day showing us some sights we'd missed. The dog was very resistant to walking across the swinging bridge but loved the rest of the adventure.

We watched these swans in a mating ritual a few weeks ago but didn't have our camera with us. Never leave home without it.

Today we saw the result of the mating. The swan is sitting on a nest right next to a popular nature trail called "Lost Lagoon" in the famous and spectacular Stanley Park in Vancouver. It was a very mild Sunday afternoon and people were out in droves wandering around enjoying the great outdoors. The swan didn't seem the least bit distracted.

Our frequent walks with our kids' dog, Vaquita, takes us to some beautiful parks. Vancouver has maximized its beauty and appeal by developing natural and man-made parks all over the city. This photo was taken in late winter but it is now early April and many trees are in blossom along with spring flowers. I didn't realize how much I missed the change in seasons and spring is my favorite. Bill, on the other hand, would love to be back on the boat. That's his home and anywhere else is a place we're visiting.

If you have to spend time in hospital then how about a room with a view like this. I spent less than 48 hours in hospital in February having major surgery, have now completed chemotherapy and am officially in remission. God is good. Our faith is stronger than ever after the journey we've been on. Never underestimate the power of prayer.

We plan to stay in Vancouver until the fall before returning to our boat.

We have such fun taking Vaquita to the many, many beaches around Vancouver. There are countless beautiful parks scattered throughout the city but this one provides nature trails and beaches.

Stanley Park is home of several magnificent totem poles. The First Nations people pass on their history through these carvings.

If we can't be in a tropical paradise then we want to be in Vancouver. When it gets cold you just put on an extra layer. It's February and the crocuses are in bloom. The folks out east can't claim that. Vancouver is a beautiful city.

Gabriella was fascinated by the salt-water aquarium at Uncle Jamie's place.

We are currently living in Vancouver with Jamie & Tara and loving it.

I've had surgery for ovarian cancer and am undergoing chemotherapy. With the power of prayer I'm doing amazingly well and surprising the doctors. We know our faith can move mountains and mountains are being moved.

Great to be back in Canada for Christmas but look at the snow. This is not typical for Vancouver. Actually we really had fun in it because now it's a novelty for us.

We were blessed to have our family together for Christmas which we hadn't had the privilege of doing in 3 years (although we had been together last March). I determined I need more family time each year and that although boat life is wonderful and exciting, it doesn't replace family time.

We had a wonderful time with our family at Christmas in Canada and especially with our almost 2 year old granddaughter.

What a blessing.

It doesn't get better than this. We were so blessed to have our family together last Christmas for the first time in over 2 years. This is our granddaughter, Gabriella.

We have been in Vancouver since the end of November for medical reasons for me.

We flew from Kelowna to Toronto on March 26, 2008 then caught a direct flight at midnight out of Toronto to Port of Spain, Trinidad. This is the skyline of Toronto.

We landed in Trinidad at 5:30 a.m., March 27, had arranged for a pickup at the airport by Jesse James Maxi Taxi and got back onto the boat around 8 a.m. We launched the dinghy that was mounted on the deck of the boat and had lost its air (another leak to locate). Then we moved the boat off the mooring to the anchorage.

Our time in Vancouver is winding down and it has been truly amazing. We came for Easter and had tremendous quality time with everyone, fabulous dinners and casual walks with the dog. Most of all we connected in a very meaningful way.

I love monkey trees and am forever on the lookout for them when I'm in Vancouver. Isn't this beautiful!

Vancouver in March is spectacularly beautiful with trees and flowers in blossom.

Shannon has been a special member of our extended family for many years and still is. We had a great time together with Jamie, Tara, Shannon and Jessica in Vancouver.

Jamie and Shannon now have their own roofing business in Vancouver called Modern Day Roofing.

Tara and I enjoyed girl time together and never ran out of things to talk about.

Bill and I took the Greyhound bus to Vancouver for Easter to spend a few more days with son, Jamie, and Tara before our trip to Canada was over. We had a fabulous time together and felt totally at home.