Isn't that Interesting...

Here are some shots from our first assignment, which was to find an interesting person.
BELLEVILLE; Ont. (12/09/09) -- 58 year old Oakville native, John McNair, now resides in Belleville where he is "working through some things." While reluctant to speak of his current struggles his soul finds sanctuary in the arts. With an interest in photography he can also often be found taking advantage of the many resources available at the Belleville Public Library and John M. Parrott Art Gallery. Photo by Shannon Storey.

BELLEVILLE, Ont. (12/09/09) -- Dawa Chodeon immigrated to Belleville from Lazo, Tibet two years ago where her and her husband now sell handmade Tibetan jewelry at the weekly farmers market. Photo by Shannon Storey.

Class in Session

Once again I find myself wondering where time has gone...and realizing it has been oh, so long since I have posted anything here. But let it be know that will change right now...at least for today.

Classes are in full swing and I am loving it so far. Never thought I'd grow to love anything remotely associated with school, but alas.

In this photo we all went outside to do an exercise in depth of field so here are some of my esteemed classmates. We're a motley crew but we have fun.
(consider yourself blessed you don't have to see their shots where I showcase my Top Modeling skills...I do a mean catwalk down grocery aisles...I've been compared with the likes of top Reitmans models!)

About Belleville...

This weekend I went on a little photo walk about Belleville to give a glimpse into this city for those who have never "glimsped" it before. It is quite a beautiful city full of old Victorian houses, old ornate churches, and the waters of the Moira River and Bay of Quinte.

Here is one of my favorites of the day. Originally I saw this Retirement Home and thought it would be funny to take a picture of it and say that was my home (a joke that arose during my visit in Revelstoke). But as I walked by I noticed something peculiar in the back...could that be a bouncy castle?! Yes, it is a bouncy castle! At the retirement home! Maybe I should have moved there instead...those seniors know how to party. (You may have to click on the photo to enlarge it)

I only move to places where I can co-habitat with lions.

This is probably where I'll be spending most of my time this year. Here and maybe the Tennis Club, Country Club, and Golf Club...you know, "clubbing".

Click here to see all the Belleville photos

The goal was 5 days driving nearly 5000kms across Canada from Abbotsford, BC to Belleville, ON. On August 24th Dana and I set out bound from BC for Belleville. Who knew this country was really this big! On September 1st it was sadly time for Dana to fly back to BC so we spent some time in "The Big City" before she flew out that evening which included a trip up the world renowned CN Tower. The space like portal where you got spritz with high pressure air was worth the price of admission on it's own.

We found this gentleman posing on the glass floor where he continued posing like this for upwards of three minutes. I think he was European. Wherever he was from...it was entertaining.

We found this picture on the wall and she looked like she was having so much fun we had to give it a try and see what all the fuss was about...

Apparently squatting and pointing is actually quite thrilling!

For all the photos go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/shannonstorey/

Symphony in Deer Lake Park

Here's a little glimpse of this year's VSO Symphony in the Park at Deer Lake Park in Burnaby. Last summer Dana and I attended for the first time and so this summer we set out for round two. This year we were more prepared and with elbows sharpened and up we set forth straight to the front of the park where we shimmied ourselves into a front row seat. Easy as pie. Once again a wonderful evening of music, food, portable bathrooms, and people watching.

To see all the photos go to my flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shannonstorey

The park

Our front row seats

Our neighbour keeping entertained

The Cello Men

The Soloist

Captivating!

Cellos at rest

The Score

It got a bit too loud for some...

The ladies of the strings stand to receive their praise.

(Celebrity spotting: Yes, that indeed is our own Calvin Dyck in the background!)

A New Do...

I'm working on a new look as the giraffe's of old didn't seem to fit anymore. So here's a temporary new do.

I have arrived...

This is a brief update for everyone who isn't (and is) on Facebook. I must apologize as I pledged long ago not to fall victim to that devious social networking site and exclude those who still hold their ground against it! I digress...

I made it safe and sound here to Belleville. Dana and I drove for what seemed like 4 days straight. Perhaps it was. Canada is large and seemingly unpopulated. We arrived on Saturday night in an exhausted stupor to find my new 1870's apartment just as described and my landlords as pleasant as I imagined.

I sadly sent Dana off yesterday after a few days of setting up and hanging out in the big city of the T-Dot, as the young people call it. Now time to settle in. I'll give more details shortly and need to work on a little face lift on this 'ol blog...as I have yet to see any giraffe and history tells me this Ontario ain't no Africa!

I'm off to try and find a running track...

It's a Gleaners Life For Me!

As we now find ourselves in the epicenter of summer bliss it is also a time of summer employment for myself. I am currently working for an non-profit organization called the Fraser Valley Gleaners here in Abbotsford. Here we take excess and unwanted produce that is donated (usually for superficial reasons...our grocery stores are so fickle!) and then chop it, dice it, spread it onto trays, dehydrate it in industrial dryers, scrape it into barrels, and then in winter it will be assembled into a soup mix and from here it is taken by reputable and reliable distribution partners to various developing countries to feed the hungry. My role is to assist the plant manager with the daily operations and helping to coordinate the daily volunteers that make this operation possible. Every morning from 8:30-12:30 a host of energetic volunteers descend upon the warehouse, most of whom are a young 65+ whom have retired and now volunteer their time and efforts for a great cause. Although now in summer we will see a host of youth groups coming from near and far. Here are few shots from when I took our Jr Youth here this past year while working at Bakerview.

Here's where the magic happens! Upon these humble tables our product finds itself under the knife to prepare for an encounter with the dicer!

Peppers a plenty...donated from a local greenhouse.

Carolyn and Hannah...out with the bad, in with the good.

Then to the dicer where it is finely diced and spread onto trays.

Take a close look at the warning label. Nothing like a graphic representation of completely severed fingers to get a point across. A little dicey!

Then onto the drying racks and into the dryer for a good 8 or 9 hours at low heat.

I take my job as a Gleaner very seriously...and following in the footsteps of my biblical model, Ruth, I must find myself a "Boaz" at whose feet I shall sleep at to see if he shall be my suitor. Well, maybe that part doesn't translate so well today. I shan't.

So if you are ever free between the hours of 8:30am and noon come hang out with us for a morning! (except Fridays because I'm not there and it would be a pity to miss you!)

Pomp and Circumstance...

This past weekend I had the honour of hanging out with two of our Bakerview graduating grade 12 students on our annual grad trip. This year we went to Deception Pass in Washington for a little camping, kayaking, photoshooting, and all around good times. In honour of this achievement we let them go to the "restroom", as it is known to the south, unsupervised...it was a big weekend for them.

Congratulations Cory and Keighley on your academic achievements of insurmountable proportions and your good looks.

Check out photos here:

Deception Perception

Spring Board Log Jumping

Deception Perception at Night

Long exposure shots

Six Lattes for the Price of None...

Thursday, May 21st, Tim Horton's was giving away free Iced Lattes between the hours of noon and 5pm. Being a lady of leisure I naturally took full advantage of this opportunity and got six. I hit up every Tim Horton's in Abbotsford (minus the gas station ones) for a complimentary latte. I could only drink three before I was unable to hold the steering wheel due to the caffeine. I pronounced myself unfit to drive. I know my latte limits.

At the Whatcom location they had run out of ice so they were handing out these coupons...suited me just fine!

Shannon Storey: Chapter 27

The pages continue to turn and Chapter 27 of this Storey's life has commenced with new adventures in store and the closing of past ones.

Here I sit proudly with my cake...a cake that was delicious yet mislabeled and not the one we were expecting so the next day I took matters into my own hands. And after 26 years of letting others push me around I pushed back...and got the cake we were supposed to have...and half our money back. Two cakes for the price of half! I'm sorry Dairy Queen had to be the victim of my new found fortitude...but I really like cake so I guess it's win-win.
My dad showered me with gifts of a practical nature so that now I can change my own oil when I'm on my own, not only saving money on oil changes but making me into a 21st century woman! Who doesn't love a good ratchet set and oil pan!!
To celebrate I took the fam to Seattle to see the Seattle Mariners face off against the Boston Red Sox. Before the game we found this little Mexican restaurant. I can't remember the name but I'm pretty sure it was the Spanish word for "horse"...that or the owner had some strange obsession with them as the place was decked out in the finest horse velvet and brass art one could ever wish for. The food was delectable as well and with one left over tortilla I decided it couldn't go to waste so I put it in my hand bag and headed for the field. In the fourth inning I pulled out my "Birthday Tortilla!" for a nice little snack. I think that shall be a tradition.
Old tortilla's weren't the only fine culinary delights to be found at the ball park. Garlic fries permeate the air at Safeco field. It made Dana's eyes water but if you've never had them you at least have to have them once.
All the tears were worth it weren't they?! The Mariners lost 5-3 but we still had fun...and a Boston Red Sox player waved back at me...that or he was swatting at a fly.

After 14 months of working with the youth at Bakerview Church as "Interim Youth Director," this chapter has come to a close. My successor, Stephen, was hired in April and is now at the helm. Although it was a challenging experience for me in the fact that I felt like I was completely inadequate to be called for such a task and responsibility, now as I look back God has been incredibly faithful in carrying me through everything I couldn't do on my own. And I got to work with the coolest kids in town who really made this job great! I'm sure going to miss them!!!

And comes the beginning of something new. This fall I will be moving to Belleville, Ontario to enter the "Belle of Belleville" beauty contest...actually to study photojournalism at Loyalist College. It wasn't until returning home from Zambia that I really even thought about photojournalism but always having had an interest in photography and a new found interest in writing while in Zambia plus through the suggestion of friends I looked into it. And here we are. Who knows where this will lead...besides to Belleville. I don't know if there really is a Belle of Belleville but I would like to make it my mission to become said Belle.
And with the new direction comes something to get me there. A month ago I also said goodbye to my trusty 91 Honda Civic whom I fondly named "Tina Turner" (not to be confused with "Tina Tuna") due to the fact that it was fairly old but just kept on rolling. But now I have a new lovely...a 99 Rav 4 complete with tape deck! I've never owned a car with cup holders so naturally I am quite smitten with it. So in August I shall pack her up and drive off to the wilds of Ontario...because apparently Ontario is mine to discover, or so they tell me.
And so there you have it. Change is in the air...for Barak Obama and myself. I wish change was literally in the air and I could rake it in with a butterfly net. Then I wouldn't have to get a summer job.

Together: A song for Mike and Stephanie

The beginning of 2009 also marked the beginning of Mike and Stephanie Hawbaker. Steph and I traveled to Zambia together for the first time in 2004 with a team from Trinity Western University. Then in 2007 we reunited in Zambia where we were "hutmates" for six months while working with Action Zambia until she left for a new adventure in the bush of Southern Zambia. A little place called Sinazongwe.

Enter Mike. Before his arrival all we were told was that he was a single, mechanic from Kansas. Being we were in Africa and entertainment options were scarce we took to envisioning just what he might be. This would include a grease monkey, who always wore coveralls, a bandanna, and a leather jacket...the kind with tassels hanging from the arms. Turns out this wasn't quite the case but it was fun while it lasted.

Long story short. Mike met Stephanie. Mike fell for Stephanie. Stephanie was initially unsure about Mike. Mike was always sure about Stephanie. Stephanie freaked out. Stephanie figured it out. Mike and Stephanie fell in love. Mike and Stephanie got married. And this is the song, "Together", that I wrote for them and sang at their reception.

(click on the little arrow below to play)

It's beginning to smell a lot like Paska...

It is Easter and that can only mean two things: Jesus is risen and there will be Paska. This traditional Ukrainian Easter bread has found it's way to our table and into our hearts and stomachs for generations.

As a child I was drawn to anything with rainbow sprinkles and copious amounts of icing and, therefore, Paska was a natural fit. (Much like Tim Horton's "Vanilla Dip" donut). Today, in my more mature years, I have come to an appreciation of the sweet bread that lies beneath. However, the fondness for the sprinkles and icing remains strong within me.

Here stand Mumsie and Dana with the fruit, or is it bread, of their labour. Fine work, well done!

The magic of sprinkles and icing...

The results are in...

Nearly two months in waiting, the highly anticipated results of "The 8 Days of Christmas Sweaters" (the term "sweater" held loosely in this instance) are finally tallied and official in what has been deemed the most dramatic sweater results in "The 8 Days of Christmas Sweaters" history! Taking longer to make this official "Sweater Winner" announcement than it takes Dairy Queen to construct a Peanut Buster Parfait, it seems the majestic sweater of Santa's has taken the prize. With those beady yet dreamy eyes and vibrant red lips just screaming for chap stick was it any question? A close second was the Zambian delight and the Scottish Terrier Cardigan. Thank you to all who voted in this first annual "8 Days of Christmas Sweaters" to make it such a "sweaty" success!

Stay tuned tomorrow for the shocking and dramatic follow up post, "After The Results Are In", where it's rumored the first place Santa sweater will be publicly dumped for one of the second place sweaters...something so shocking, so dramatic this sentence cannot actually be comple...

This post is dedicated to the two people who still actually check this. If there are more of you out there leave a comment and I will do a whole tribute post to you.

A Tribute to the Ozmonds!

Upon the conclusion of my conference in Toronto my good pal, Sarah, came and picked me up from "The Castle" and whisked me a way to luxurious Cambridge. The sights, the sounds, the smells of this whimsical place lie vivid in my memory. Notable attractions such as the "Putt Hutt" and "Giant Tiger" quickly captured me. But even with all these features it is arguably the Ozmond family that is one of the finest things about Cambridge...if not Ontario. Mr. and Mrs. O have been faithful readers of this publication while I was in Zambia without us ever meeting. They welcomed me warmly into their home. And when I say "warmly" I'm pretty sure they cranked the heat from what it normally would be for my wimpy BC bones. And so Sarah and I did what we do best...reek havoc in malls...just like the good ol' days at the portrait studio! We don't follow direction all that well. The sign on the glass says to stay back and off the ledge. We were too captivated by the ice and the Zamboni. And of course we had to take the opportunity to pose with our Ontario Olympic heroes. Obviously. And while Sarah had to work I enjoyed the retirement lifestyle with her parents. I came to quite enjoy it. The Ozmonds were all far too good to me...and so here is my tribute to you! Thank you!!

Here is a photo captured of my time with them.