CHARLIE DIED last
winter.

We called him Charlie right
from the beginning, because he
wasn’t the kind of plant you
could just dig in and forget.
He had presence, and big
floppy leaves and he was big
and, yes, fleshy.

‘He invited the glad hand,
the affectionate grecting.

If he’d been a person he’d
have played basketball with the
focal kids and let his shirt hang
out,

He'd stood by our front
door for several years at the
townhouse, and when we came
here to live he got a place on
the little balcony outside my
writing room. Searching for a
word, I’d look up and see him
there, lush and familiar.

It was a big mistake. That
valcony looks right at Mt.
Baker, into the teeth of the
east winds. I hadn’t thought of
his tender roots in a draughty
box, and in those icy January
nights it got to him.

The frost stopped him cold,
to coin a phrase — he looked.
next morning like a bundle of
rags caught on a post. Poor
old Charlie.

With that added to what had
happened to the pretty little
dogwood earlier, ] was feeling
really low.

She was brought from the
other place too — she’d stood
in the corner of the fence next
to the clematis and the first
time she bloomed there was
dancing and singing.

LIFESTYLES |
Elegy on the untimety passing of a leafy frien

Eleanor

THE VINTAGE YEARS

Five pink flowers she made.
We were so proud, Each
subsequent year saw the count
mount until number couldn’t

hack it — she simply bloomed.

Arrived here, she got the
outside corner of the front
balcony, so that our view of
the waterfront was partly
through her branches. It was
sort of like having an upstairs
park.

That is, until the spraying.

When the planes went over
the fourth and final time last
year, bent on killing gypsy
moths, they were lower than
on previous sorties. I’m an
early riser, so | saw one of
them flying just inches above
the highrise towers across the
park from me, already releas-
ing its poisonous cargo.

It continued to drop a pale
yellow scarf of mist as it
swung down over the Mos-
quito Creek basin. Rising to

clear Stanley Park it had
nothing left, Its burden was
spent.

It was the next day that the
dogwood shrivelled in place.

All its leaves turned brown
and crisp. They didn’t fail,
just clung reproachfully all
through the fall and winter.
Wind and rain didn’t dislodge
them, giving us hope they’d
renew life in the spring.

No such luck. It stayed
dowdy and lifeless. Removal
had to be undertaken.

It was hopeless to try to pull
it out of its considerable box.
We'd have to chop it down,
then | could grow nasturtiums
over the stump.

The landlord allowed that he
did indeed have a saw and
would do the job for me, if I
liked.

We went together to the ex-
ecution site. | leaned down and
said, “I think there, as close as
possible to the bottom.”? And
as | leaned and spoke I saw
the lovely little new shoot.
‘It’s alive,’* I shouted,
‘*there’s a new leaf. It’s alive.
Hurrah!’’ And there were
others.

Almost every branch and
twig had sprouted evidence of
renaissance, awfully small, still
crumply new, but it’s life.

It may take years to bloom
again. It can take as long as it
likes. I’ve stripped off all the
dreary hangers-on and now
you don’t have to walk right
up to it before the evidence is
obvious — it’s alive!

Too bad about Charlie. The

east balconies will display only
annuals from now on. Andif

CORRECT JON NOT ICE

in our B5-2A Home flyer, Sportex
Training Wheels on page 6 will be
substituted at the store.

In our BS-2 Father's Day flyer, Pierre
Cardin Knit & Waven Shirts on page
11 will be substituted at the store.
Rings on page 25 excludes birth-
stone rings. Suzanne Specialty Bras
should have stated “Our price
19.99":

Sorry for any inconvenience this
may have caused.

spraying is still on the menu,
we'll get a tent,

20 SESSIONS / 4 FREE

s

ony ®QQ se

You can share with a friend
Offer ends june 27/93

#1028 1124 Lonsdale Ave. 986-0110

(next to North Shore Credit Union)

Effective June 21, 1993
For North Vancouver

This summer we will be making a number of schedule
adjustments and improvements in your community to
meet the seasonal changes in demand for transit service.

Service changes are as follows:

fy seasus

Offer expires June 30, 1993

For Spectacular Savings - Cut these Coupons & SAVE! SAVE! SAVE!

CHANGE OIL*» CHANGE 70 PETRO CAN OIL FILTER™
LUBRICATION, CHECK AIR FILTER, CHECK
ANTLFREEZE ANO ALL FLUID LEVELS
* UP TO4 LITRES OF PETRO CAN 10W30 OIL
* SURCHARGE MAY APPLY

INCLUDES ELECTRONIC ENGINE ANALYSIS,

NEW SPARK PLUGS, CHECK MOTOR, CHECK ALL
FILTERS, TIMING RESET, ADJUST CARB IF NECESSARY,
POINTS & CONDENSER EXTRA.

WE USE ECHLIN IGNITION PARTS.

TUNE
UP

REPLACE FRONT PADS, REPLACE REAR SHOES,

\ EBL RESURFACE DRUMS & ROTORS, CHECK BEARINGS
NOSES, SPRINGS AND PARKING CABLE.

METALLIC PADS EXTRA.

E E WE USE AIMCO BRAKES,

MINIT-TUNE & BRAKE AUTO CENTRE

YOUR CERTIFIED AIRCARE CENTRE
STOP IN OR CALL
COMPLETE CAR REPAIR SHOPS

1525 CLYDE AVE., WEST VANCOUVER 926-7353 (in

396 West 5th Ave. 879-2411 7006 Victoria Dr. 324-9770
N15 Kingsway 879-8863 966 S.W. Marine Dr. 321-3778

Increased summer service, From June 21

to September 6, Sunday and holiday service
increased to every 15 minutes between the
following hours:

From Lonsdale Quay:11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. /
From Waterfront Station:11:15 a.m. - 6:15 p.m. -

Upper Lynn Valley/Vancouver

Minor adjustments to midday and p.m, peak
period departure times from Burrard Station.
Blueridge/Phibbs Exchange/Vancouver

Trip scheduled to leave Sechelt at Hyannis at 7:30
will operate only to Phibbs Exchange. For service
to Vancouver transfer to the #210 or #211.
Lonsda‘e Quay/Pemberton Heights/

St. Patricks

Service will operate during a.m. peak period;
early morning Saturdays, Sundays and holidays
and one daily late-evening trip. After 8:30 a.m.,
board the #236 for service to Pemberton Heights.
Service to the W.E. Lucas Centre suspended for
the summer.

Upper Lonsdale/Lonsdale Quay

To meet additional SeaBus sailings during the
summer, additional Sunday and holiday service
will operate between Lonsdale & 23rd Street end
Lonsdale Quay.

Lonsdale Quay/Grouse Mountain

Midday service increased to operate every 30 min.
Upper Lonsdale/Vancouver

One a.m. peak period trip discontinued for the
summer months. ;

For more information on these and other Service
Changes:

-Read the June 18 edition of The Buzzer

-Pick up new timetables, free of charge, at public
libraries, city and municipal halls, chambers of
commerce and Travel Infucentres.

-Call Transit Information 261-5100

BC Transit 2 BA wezesegs