Surf - Design Planet

Surf - Design Planet Blurp No.29

2008-07-04T22:35:00.012-07:00

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY ...AMERICA"
July 4th, 2008

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Collection of Murray E. Breen

"The Star Spangled Banner"

Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light,

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?

And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,

Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,

What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,

As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,

In full glory reflected now shines on the stream:

'Tis the star-spangled banner! O long may it wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore

That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion

A home and a country should leave us no more?

Their blood has wiped out their foul footstep's pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:

And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand

Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!

Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just,

And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."

And the star-spangled banner forever shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

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And speaking of the 'home of the brave' here's a great movie to watch this weekend:

Surf - Design Planet Blurp No.28

2008-07-02T14:38:00.024-07:00

Four reasons I'm thinking about Cars ...again!

1. On July1, I visited our district's Canada Day weekend celebration called "Westside Daze". Included in the Canada Day celebrations was a classic car and motorcycle display. This is the second one I have seen this summer. It was not large - but it did include a very nice selection of cars. Everyone loved to display and talk about their classic and muscle cars; even though the temperature hit 100 degrees (38 celsius). Enjoy the Photo selection here.

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2. British Columbia, Canada will pay more at the gas pump as the provincial government's carbon tax on all fossil fuels takes effect Tuesday, July 1. The Tuesday tax increase works out to an extra 2.4 cents a litre on gasoline, increasing to 7.24 cents per litre by 2012. Note: Regular gas in Westside, B.C., where I live, was $1.42 a litre on June 30.

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3. On a quick photo trip to our local Gellatly Bay Beach Park in Westbank, B.C., I noticed this very large pick-up parked across the street. I had no idea what it was. It had characteristics of a transport and a Hummer as well. On blowing up the photo I noticed the letters on the side which were MXT. I guess they are still building larger monster trucks!

I found this blurp on the vehicle: "The Hummer H2 SUT is officially dismissed. The new International MXT is a true truck-guy’s kind of truck, boasting a 16,000-pound towing capacity, a chassis payload capacity of 4,000 pounds, and a gross vehicle weight rating of 14,000 pounds. So keeping drinking that Budweiser and eating those trans-fat laden McDonald’s french fries – the International MXT can handle your widening frame, and four of your buddies, with ease, along with all your gear."

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4. My daughter - from San Francisco; who visited me in early June, was in the market to buy a new car. Her present car no longer met the new tougher California emission requirement laws. She told me how hard it was to find a very safe smaller car, that was well equipped, nicely designed, and with good gas mileage. Note: I did not say great gas mileage.

1959 Metropolitan (American)

Most new American designed cars did not fit my daughter's needs at all. My daughter is a web developer, and very efficient at researching vehicles that are on the market, but it was a still a very long, tough decision. Well she did finally make a decision on a non-American model. I won't tell you what she bought, but I think all auto designers should read this article titled "I just wrote a genius post about the auto industry, but my computer ate it. - July 2, by Oliver Blanchard - The BrandBuilder Blog" -scroll down to his July 2,'08 blog.

...Ok, this is her new Toyota Matrix!

Surf - Design Planet Blurp No.27

2008-07-02T07:26:00.010-07:00

I thought this would be good to put between July 1 (Canada Day) and July 4 (Independence Day).

"It Gets Lonely at the Top, When There's No More Butt to Kick."

I watched the movie Canadian Bacon last evening on TV. A great comedy starring John Candy. Probably, this movie is funnier now than when it was first put out in 1995.

A tribute to John Franklin Candy:
Reference http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001006/

John Candy is one of Canada's greatest, and funniest, character actors. His well-known role as the big hearted buffoon earned him classics in Uncle Buck and Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987). His career has handed him some dry spells, but Candy always rebounded.

Born in Toronto, Ontario, in the year 1950, Candy found his passion for drama while attending a community college. He found a number of bit parts in Canadian television shows, and also in such small films as Tunnel Vision (1976) and Find the Lady (1976). However, his big success came at the age of twenty-seven, when he became part of the comedy group "Second City" in Toronto. Alongside such soon-to-be Canadian stars as Catherine O'Hara (one of Candy's lifelong friends), Eugene Levy, Rick Moranis, and Harold Ramis. Candy was also part of the television show the group inspired "Second City TV" (1976) It earned Candy a reputation for his quirky humour, and his uncanny imitations of others.

After the television series, Candy appeared alongside fellow Canadian Dan Aykroyd in the Steven Spielberg flop 1941 (1979). However, other jobs followed, and Candy landed a role, once again with Aykroyd, the successful classic The Blues Brothers (1980). Candy played a police officer who is part of the chase after Jake and Elwood Blues. The film was a hit, and Candy followed up accordingly.

Candy acted in the smash hit Stripes (1981) where he played a dopey, overweight recruit affectionately nicknamed 'Ox'. After the success of Stripes (1981), Candy returned to the Second City with the other former stars, in the television series "SCTV Network 90" (1981). Candy also hosted "Saturday Night Live" before landing himself a role in the Ron Howard film Splash (1984), a romantic comedy about a mermaid who washes ashore and learns to live like a human. Candy played a sleazy womanizing brother to the character played by Tom Hanks. The film was a bigger success than even Stripes (1981), and a number of people have said that Splash (1984) was his breakout role.

Candy took a second billing in the comedic film Grewster's Millions (1985) where a man must spend thirty million in order to inherit three hundred million from his deceased relative. Candy played the man's best friend, who accidentally gets in the way as much as helping out. Candy continued making films tirelessly, including the film Armed and Dangerous (1986) where he and Eugene Levy play characters who become security guards.

1987 was an especially good year to Candy, giving him two classic roles: Barf the Mawg in the Mel Brook's comedy Spaceballs (1987) and the bumbling salesman Del Griffith alongside Steve Martin's uptight character in the John Hughes film Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987). The latter film is a golden classic, and is one of Candy's greatest films. He followed up immediately with The Great Outdoors (1988), once again alongside Dan Aykroyd. Candy landed another classic role in the film Uncle Buck (1989) which was about a bumbling uncle who must look after his brother's three children.

Although he was in the smash hit Home Alone (1990), Candy's career fell into a slump, turning out unsuccessful films in the early nineties. This caused him to change his strategy by taking more serious roles. The first of these serious roles was the corrupt lawyer Dean Andrews in the 'Oliver Stone' film JFK(1991). The film was a big success, and Candy moved on from this victory to make the film Cool Runnings (1993) about the first Jamaican bobsled team.

Candy was well known for his size, usually at six feet two, and weighing around 250 pounds. However, he was very sensitive about the subject, and in the nineties tried to lose weight and quit smoking. He was aware that heart attacks were in his family: both his father and his grandfather died of heart attacks, and Candy wanted to prevent that happening to him as best he could.

In the mid-nineties, Candy filmed the Michael Moore comedy Canadian Bacon. He went to Mexico to film the western spoof Wagons East (1994). It was in Mexico that Candy had a heart attack, and passed away in March 1994. "Canadian Bacon" was released a year after his death, and is his last film to date.

Candy was loved by thousands of people who had loved his classic antics in Splash (1984) and The Great Outdoors (1988). He was well-known for his roles in Stripes (1981) and Uncle Buck (1989), and he himself never forgot his Canadian background.

John Candy was a hard act to follow, and his legacy will remain with us for many more years.

God Bless Canada, God Bless the USA!

Surf - Design Planet Blurp No.26

2008-07-01T08:25:00.020-07:00

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANADA"

"O Canada"
was proclaimed Canada's national anthem on July 1, 1980,
100 years after it was first sung on June 24, 1880.

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

Fathers of Confederation:

The term Fathers of Confederation usually refers to the representatives of the British North America colonies who attended one or more of three major Canadian confederation conferences - the Charlottetown Conference in 1864, the Quebec Conference in 1864 and the London Conference in 1866. Canada in this context refers to what are now the provinces of Ontario and Quebec.

Becoming a Nation:

With the passing of the British North America Act in 1867, Canada became a Dominion in the British Commonwealth and John A. Macdonald became Canada's first prime minister. This did not mean that it was a fully independent country, though. It remained a colony of Britain for many more years.

Growing independence from Britain and early struggles between the provinces and the federal government are hallmarks of this period.

The Maple Leaf

Well before the coming of the first European settlers, Canada's aboriginal peoples had discovered the food properties of maple sap, which they gathered every spring. According to many historians, the maple leaf began to serve as a Canadian symbol as early as 1700. Following are some examples of how the maple leaf grew in public consciousness as a symbol of our country until it finally became official on February 15, 1965, as an integral component of the national flag of Canada. In 1834, Ludger Duvernay is reported to have proposed the maple leaf as an emblem of Canada when the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste was founded on June 24 of that year. In 1836, Le Canadien, a newspaper published in Lower Canada, referred to it as a suitable emblem for Canada. In August 1860, at a public meeting held in Toronto, the maple leaf was adopted as the national emblem of Canada for use in the decorations for the Prince of Wales' visit. In 1867, Alexander Muir, a Toronto schoolmaster and poet, composed the song The Maple Leaf Forever.

In 1914, many Canadian soldiers wore the maple leaf on their military badges, and it was the dominant symbol used by many Canadian regiments serving in World War I. In 1939, at the beginning of World War II, numerous Canadian troops once again used the maple leaf as a distinctive emblem, displaying it on regimental badges and Canadian army and naval equipment.

Red and white: Canada's national colours:

History records that in the first crusade, Bohemund I, a Norman lord, had red crosses cut from his mantles and distributed to the 10,000 crusaders, who then wore them as a distinctive badge on their garments.

In subsequent crusades, each nation was distinguished by a cross of a different colour. France long had a red cross on its banners while England used a white cross. Time and again in history, red and white are found as the colours of France or of England.

Red and white were approved as Canada's official colours in the proclamation of the royal arms of Canada in 1921 by King George V.

In 1957, the colour of the maple leaves on the shield of the Royal Arms of Canada was changed from green on a white ground to red on a white ground in recognition of Canada's official colours.

The search for a new Canadian flag started in earnest in 1925 when a committee of the Privy Council began to research possible designs for a national flag. However, the work of the committee was never completed.

Later, in 1946, a select parliamentary committee was appointed with a similar mandate, called for submissions and received more than 2,600 designs. Still, the Parliament of Canada was never called upon to formally vote on a design.

Early in 1964, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson informed the House of Commons that the government wished to adopt a distinctive national flag. The 1967 centennial celebration of Confederation was, after all, approaching. As a result, a Senate and House of Commons Committee was formed and submissions were called for once again.

In October 1964, after eliminating various proposals, the committee was left with three possible designs -- a Red Ensign with the fleur-de-lis and the Union Jack, a design incorporating three red maple leaves, and a red flag with a single, stylized red maple leaf on a white square. (Pearson himself preferred a design with three red maple leaves between two blue borders.)

Two heraldry experts, who both favoured a three-leaf design, played a decisive role in the choice of our flag: Alan Beddoe, a retired naval captain and heraldic adviser to the Royal Canadian Navy, and Colonel Fortescue Duguid, a heraldist and historian.

The names of Mr. John Matheson and Dr. George Stanley are well known in the story of the evolution of a new Canadian flag. Mr. Matheson, a Member of Parliament from Ontario, was perhaps one of the strongest supporters of a new flag and played a key advisory role. Dr. Stanley was Dean of Arts at the Royal Military College in Kingston, and brought to the attention of the committee the fact that the Commandant's flag at the College -- an emblem, i.e. a mailed fist, on a red and white ground -- was impressive.

Dr. Stanley's design is based on a strong sense of Canadian history. The combination of red, white and red first appeared in the General Service Medal issued by Queen Victoria. Red and white were subsequently proclaimed Canada's national colours by King George V in 1921. Three years earlier, Major General (later the Honourable) Sir Eugene Fiset had recommended that Canada's emblem be the single red maple leaf on a white field - the device worn by all Canadian Olympic athletes since 1904.

The committee eventually decided to recommend the single-leaf design, which was approved by resolution of the House of Commons on December 15, 1964, followed by the Senate on December 17, 1964, and proclaimed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, to take effect on February 15, 1965.

In due course the final design of the stylized maple leaf was established by Mr. Jacques St-Cyr, the precise dimensions of red and white were suggested by Mr. George Best, and the technical description of precise shade of red defined by Dr. Gunter Wyszchi.

The national flag of Canada, then, came into being, credit to those eminent Canadians: the Right Honourable Lester B. Pearson, who wanted a distinctive national flag as a vehicle to promote national unity; John Matheson, who established the conceptual framework for a suitable flag, then sought out and combined the appropriate components to create it; and Dr. George Stanley, who provided the seminal concept - the central concepts of red-white-red stripes with a central maple leaf - in this process.

Notes:

I lived in the Toronto area of Ontario, Canada most of my life. Then in 1995, I moved to Hawaii. Our family stayed there until May, 2007. We then returned to Canada, moving to the province of British Columbia. We've now been back in Canada one year and a month.

Canada Day Links:

What does it mean to be Canadian?

Canadian Report Card

Canada Day - B.C. Carbon Tax

Canada Day - Capital of Canada - Ottawa

Canada Celebrates its 141st birthday

Surf - Design Planet Blurp No.25

2008-06-27T21:27:00.009-07:00

Lifeguard Station 4B, Sandy Beach, Oahu

I have previously shared a small selection of my paintings in my Blurp No.10 and No.16. I also have links to a few of my scale models and dioramas in the right sidebar, as well as a few paintings of Hawaii. I have just put photos (good, and older poor quality copies) of a large amount of my paintings, as well as ink drawings and sketches that I have produced (going back to 1959) on Flickr. Enjoy! They may be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfthearts/collections/72157605780879165/

Comments are always welcome!

Surf - Design Planet Blurp No.24

2008-06-21T08:28:00.010-07:00

Models by Murray E. Breen

Small scale:

My fine art modeling and painting news updates are on hold for this Summer due to the selling of my separate studio mobile home space, as mentioned in my Blog Blurp No.22.

Front Landscaping - Dry River Bed, Pond and Walkway

Full size diorama:

I also just added a photo above, and at the bottom of my Blog Blurp No.22 showing the completed landscaping of the front of our home that I designed; along with links to Flickr photos of the landscaping. Our front and rear yard was under construction for the whole month of May. We are now very happy with the finished results.

Bow Lake & Glacier by Murray E. Breen

Larger than life:

I took time to make a quick trip (my first trip) to Canada's Rocky Mountain National Parks for three days in early June. My eldest daughter was visiting from San Francisco. Her and I stayed in the town of Banff, Alberta, and hopped around in the rain taking pictures. It was cold, damp, and their was patches of snow on the ground at higher elevations. The magnificent Rocky Mountains took our cold breath away. Seeing icy glaciers, together with turquoise waters and majestic mountain peaks all around was more than awesome, even in the rain. Please take a moment to enjoy my photos of a tiny bit of Canada's Rocky Mountain National Parks at http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfthearts/collections/72157605673236095/

Surf - Design Planet Blurp No.23

2008-05-21T20:02:00.025-07:00

Different Wheels For Different Folks

Evening Wheel Surfing:

I've been busy with my home landscaping design project during the weekdays this month, as mentioned in Blurp No.22. In the evenings, as well as searching the web for local area landscaping reference, I often check a couple of sites to see what's new in bicycle and vehicle design. I thought I would share a couple of interesting bicycles and vehicles with you that I found last week:

http://bicycledesign.blogspot.com/
This is a great bicycle blog on a variety of bicycle design types and related news. This site is listed in my Links - right hand column of this blog.

This month he noted a SwissBike by Montague. A full size folding bicycle. The bike looked similar to my Hummer bicycle, that I purchased in Hawaii about four years ago. I use this bicycle often for cruising around ...it gives me a good workout. The bicycle (shown below) is quite comfortable and sturdy for my two hundred pound, six foot frame. My bicycle came with front and rear heavy duty cargo racks which makes it hard to fold. Luckily, when traveling it fits into the rear of my Honda Element with one rear car seat folded up.

A commenter on bicycledesign noted: "The swing frame design employed by the Montague Paratrooper, SwissBike LX and the Hummer folding bikes are one in the same. In the late 90's, Montague received funding from the US Dept. of Defense to build a new folding frame bike that would be sturdy enough to be deployed in combat. The design became known as the X-Series. Eventually, the military allowed Montague to release the frame on the commercial market. It is now available in several variations; however, most employ the very durable, oversize mono top tube frame design..."

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At http://bicycledesign.blogspot.com/
he also bogged on an Italian designed bicycle for sale on eBay, which eventually sold to an Australian bidder for $10,601.US. The bicycle is an early nineties carbon fiber Ferrari Colnago C35 with gold plated C-record components. Whether one likes the design or not, it has lots going for it: It's Italian, it's red, it has the Ferrari name, it has C-record gold high-end brand components, it's light - carbon fiber frame, and it's one of a design kind.

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While looking at a couple of muscle cars on eBay Motors, I came upon this newly customized 1968 Dodge Charger for sale.

Designed by Perfection Autosport the creators of the world’s first E body Charger, and designer David Salvaggio, Jr. at http://www.perfectionautosport.com/media/

This custom 1968 Dodge Charger R/T was named as one of the Top Ten Mopars of 2007 by Mopar Collector's Guide! This incredible car has been featured in Mopar Collector's Guide, Super Rod Magazine, and Mopar Enthusiast!

Today's customizing of older autos uses modern design and engineering technology for "quite a different vehicle" than what was created just a few years ago. I like the design of old Plymouth Cudas and Dodge Chargers. This Charger's design has been taken quite a few steps further. I love the overall design and the use of coppers, but personally, I not quite sure if I like the two tone split body paint scheme.

Some Design and Engineering Details:

Let’s start with the custom design elements present in this stunning Charger:

Sleek, free flowing body lines. The front half was shortened 10.5 inches, and the rear 10 inches.
Roof was chopped 2 inches, moved ahead 4 inches, and the A-Pillar raked back, creating a one of a kind look.
Each panel on the car has been hand-fabricated.
Trunk is 5000 series aluminum, filled with expandable sound deadening foam and completely wrapped in leather. The floor is trimmed in Wilton Wool carpeting and the deck lid in Shammy Mustard suede.
Quarter panels have been shortened and restyled to flow with the doors.
Doors have been restyled with new body lines and a shaved appearance.
Fenders have been shortened, restyled and restructured.
Hood is custom-made, with a steel frame, wrapped in aluminum and filled with expanding sound deadening foam.
One of a kind, custom, hand fabricated valance, as is the retro look of the grill.
The rear of the car is fitted and shortened, with channeled bumper, custom darkened tail lights, and a smoothed-over valance.
The custom trunk floor and frame rail have been restructured. Torque boxes have been added for strength and rigidity and the floor and tunnel have been reconfigured, strengthened and redesigned to fit the new drivetrain.
Psychedelic Candy Gold Orange is a one of a kind color, and is complimented with deep black and Candy Copper striping. The superior paint job has multiple coats of clear, candy and base.
Custom aluminum CBC’d gas cap
Custom fuel cell

The interior in this Charger is nothing short of mind blowing. The following features are present:

7” DVD & GPS Screen.
One of a kind Shammy Mustard headliner
Custom Leather Upholstery. All leather is imported from Italy and is of unsurpassed quality. The one of a kind colors, Oasis Midnight, Fiji Sea Grass and Shammy Mustard, complete the custom, handmade and stitched interior
Tilton Race Pedals
Old Air Products electronic operated air conditioning & heating
Wilton Wool Carpeting, the finest in the world
Flaming River steering column is made of polished aluminum, with a custom Grant steering wheel
Shifter reflects the original Mopar Pistol Grip, newly designed, with a leather wrapped shifter boot
Alpine stereo system with DVD, GPS, CD, MPS and Satellite radio. The speaker system has 10 inch subwoofers, 4 midrange speakers and 4 tweeters
Completely custom leather wrapped dash
Remote Keyless Entry
Power Windows

The engine & drivetrain in this Charger are formidable. Here are the highlights:

Mopar Performance 472 CI Hemi, generating 650 BHP
Hilborn downdraft electronic fuel injection
March serpentine pulley system
Mopar Performance electronic distributor
MSD control module
TTI 2 ¼” ceramic coated headers
Custom TIG welded 3” exhaust, ceramic coated
One of a kind molded tail pipes
Tremec TKO 5 Speed Manual Transmission

The suspension is completely customized, and designed to outperform most modern cars:

Tubular independent tear TIG welded suspension with inboard brakes
9” Ford 3.91 center section, polished
QAI double adjustable coil over shocks
Tubular K-Frame
Tubular control arms
Rack & pinion steering

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While I was touring an Auto Show, mentioned below in this post, I stopped at this unusual three wheel vehicle which I thought was very cool and worthy of mentioning.

It is a BRP Can-Am Spyder http://spyder.brp.com/

This is a video link: http://video.popularmechanics.com/

Some comments on the vehicle at http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/TKDH679ITUNDLA6QF#comments

They Are Out There Now:

As summer weather now approaches, I have also noticed quite a few collector cars touring around the Okanagan Valley. There seems to be quite a variety of vehicles here. I, and my daughter, took time to relax last weekend and visited the town of Peachland, on Okanagan Lake, just a few miles south of Westbank -where I live. The town had hosted a large collector auto show this past weekend. It was called World of Wheels. It was a beautiful, perfect day for walking along and viewing a wide variety of original, restored, and older/new custom vehicles. I share a couple of photos below.

Peachland:

If you have time, you may also follow this link http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfthearts/sets/72157605126667182/
to my Flickr photos of this great auto show; and view some photos I took last year of this pretty waterfront town of Peachland, British Columbia, Canada at http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfthearts/sets/72157601987893815/

Surf - Design Planet Blurp No.22

2008-05-19T11:01:00.028-07:00

Zoom, zoom, zoom:

I couldn't believe it has been two whole months since I added to my blog. But, I've been a busy bee this Spring with items that I had planned to start; and with a major change that I did not expect at this time.

Unexpected Change:

In my Blurp No.4, I told you that I had purchased a mobile home as a temporary working art and modeling studio, and in Blurp No.11 I gave you a tour.

It worked well as studio space, but circumstances changed, and in April we put the mobile home up for sale. The mobile home sold very quickly and it closed on May17. I had moved everything to my home garage for temporary storage ...as my daughter and her son are presently living with us. It will probably be late Spring - next year, before I will have good home space for my art and modeling studio.

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Another kind of design - Our Home Landscaping:

We purchased our home in June of 2007 and had completed the interior to our liking that Summer and Fall. This Spring we wanted to start landscaping the front, side and back of our home. So, In April I spent time designing and getting quotes for the landscaping.

Before New Landscaping Started

1. Our front lawn was lumpy ...just bad. It required a complete new concept.
(Sketch of dry creek bed, pond, walkway and planting - see below)

"Click any photo or pic to enlarge"

2. Due to a side of our home being very sloped, it required steps to get to the backyard.
(see above photo)

3. The backyard consists of multi-levels of horrible crumbling sandy rock and required new retaining walls, as well as landscaping. (see above and below photos)

Building Retaining Rock Walls & Installing Sprinkler Irrigation

4. We also have a rear linear deck that we want to extend out, at the dining room sliding door area, to create a nice enclosed outdoor screened sitting and dining area (see sketch below) once the landscaping retaining wall work is completed. We are next to a forest park which brings us many bees and other pesky bugs ...but luckily we do not have any mosquitos.

In general, the summer sun is usually extremely hot and dry in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. The landscaping design needs to reflect this climate first, and the local water restriction bylaws.

Research - before calling the landscapers for quotes:

1. I visited new subdivisions being landscaped and took photos.
2. I visited three local landscape nurseries to view and talk to the local experts about landscape types, local plants, shrubs and trees, water wise planting, landscape features and sculptures, and seasonal differences of color.
3. I visited two sand, gravel and decorative rock/boulder suppliers to look at types, color and costs.
4. I looked around Home Depot and Rona Home and Building Retail Outlet Garden Supply areas.
5. I arranged all my photo reference on my computer in folders, created photo sets in Flickr, and printed out thumbnail photos for reference while coming up with design directions.

Note: Planning our landscaping was similar to planning a model diorama - except it was full size and a lot more expensive!

Landscapers have started:

Front Lawn - Rubble Pile

The landscaping was started during the first week of May, and all the work should be completed by the end of this month. I daily meet with the landscapers re any questions or concerns that may come up. "It is great seeing it progress daily. Landscaping is definitely very labor intensive!"

Links (Flickr Photos) of my Landscape Reference, and Our Home Landscaping Progress:
(open files and select "view as slideshow" - top right)

Landscape Reference (2 pages of photos):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfthearts/sets/72157604612456271/

Suggested Plantings - by a Garden Centre Nursery
http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfthearts/sets/72157605180137380/

Our Home Landscaping:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfthearts/sets/72157604957556120/
Note: This Flickr photo set will be updated every day or two until the work is complete.

What a difference!