Scenes of Hawthorne Park - Surrey

These photos were taken Tuesday afternoon (February 27) at Hawthorne Park in north Surrey, BC. As you can see, the little bit of snow we had is melting. The day was partly sunny with some cloud. It was cool but warming up nicely. A pair of ducks was seen on one of the two ponds in the park (I think they are Hooded Mergansers but I'm not certain). The other pond was full of mallard ducks but a fallen tree did not make for a great view or photo. The first crocuses are coming up as you can see in the second image. The spring heather (Erica) is now in bloom as seen in the third photo. The last two images give you a better idea what part of the gardens at the park look like. As we get into spring, the azaleas and rhododendrons should come into flower making for a great show. There are enough of them to do just that.

Snow in Surrey (Again!)

This was the scene early this afternoon as I looked out my dining room window which faces east. So once again the weather is throwing us some twists. Then the fog started to roll in. Now both have stopped but it is still overcast. I wonder whether Al Gore winning an award for "An Inconvenient Truth" and my doing research on glaciology last night had anything to do with it? Ah, probably just coincidental. What are your thoughts on climate change?

The Ecosystem, Climate and Earth Changes

The weather has been "odd" throughout North America and indeed around the world lately. Above, the top photo was taken from my dining room window on Friday, February 23/2007. Below that is roughly the same view but as it was on Monday, November 20/2006 after a weekend snow storm. People here in the lower mainland of British Columbia had never seen such weather in over twenty years. I talked to one crossing guard on a nearby street and snow had never been seen in an entire lifetime to that person's recollection. So what is happening here and why? Read the article at the following link, do some research and then based on your own experience together with what you have learned, come to your own conclusion. If you haven't seen Al Gore's DVD, "An Inconvenient Truth", perhaps you should consider it. It'll be mind bending and an eye-opener. Knowledge is power!

Al Gore, international rock star Al Gore, the Oscar hopeful known to his most fervent fans as "The Goracle", has gone from failed presidential contender to the most unlikely of global celebrities in the wake of the release of his film, "An Inconvenient Truth."[!]
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17321273/from/ET/

Scenes of Vancouver and Stanley Park March 2006

English Bay at sunset

Sunset Beach

Freighter entering Burrard Inlet

Looking toward Grouse Mountain

Birds near Siwash Rock

English Bay Beach

Seawall at Stanley Park looking north

Sunset at Third Beach

Sun disappearing behind Vancouver Island

Weatherwise, will March 2007 be the same or better?

Surrey - A break in the rain with a patch of clear sky and sun

Tuesday we had a break in the rain with a patch of blue sky and sun above. That didn't last too long because the rain came back by late afternoon. The photos show the view outside my dining room window looking to the east and northeast. Not to worry. There was cloud all around us just none above us. It was nice to see the sun just the same.

Star Trek Inspirational Posters

Star Trek Inspirational Posters: I found these posters on a blog this afternoon and then had to view the rest of them at the link provided. Since I watched the first Star Trek series religiously when it first came on TV, I had a soft spot for these posters. And this is probably giving away my age too! This is a departure away from birds and the seashore but still in keeping with outerspace (like the comet). Enjoy these and have a look at the rest of the posters at the following link:

http://echosphere.net/star_trek_insp/star_trek_insp.html

Waterfowl at Lost Lagoon - Stanley Park

On Thursday afternoon I was in Vancouver's Stanley Park to visit the waterfowl at Lost Lagoon. The Mute Swans (Cygnus olor) were great to look at as usual. As adults, they have pure white feathers with an orange bill and black bulb near their nostrils. I had previously referred to Trumpeter Swans but that apparently was in error. Their bills are black as adults and are Cygnus buccinator. It can be a challenge identifying birds and animals at times. There was a little Barrow's Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica) that I wanted to get a photo of but it seemed to disappear into the water a couple of times I took a shot. There is one image of a bubble in the water made by the duck as it dove in. Then there was another shot of just the tail as it went yet again into the water. On the third try I finally got the bird. The ducks in the second last photo are called Scaup (Aythya) but I am uncertain whether they are the Greater or Lesser Scaup (anyone know?). In the final photo you can see that it was an overcast day even though the sun was making an appearance late in the afternoon but too low on the horizon to make much difference to the quality of the images. The photos look so much better with a blue sky and the sun out. So, enjoy the photos just the same!

Pink Sky in Surrey

During the end of January we had a number of days with clear, sunny skies. This was approaching the full moon on February 2nd (Friday). The day these two photos were taken the eastern horizon was pink before the sky turned blue. You can see the moon rising (top centre) in the top image and you may see a tiny point of light in the sky in the second photo. We are on a flight path for planes approaching Vancouver International Airport. The jets and other aircraft can be seen quite often. Enjoy the photos!

More on Comet McNaught

Here is another photo of Comet McNaught that has been such a sight. This image was taken by Gordon Garradd at Siding Spring Observatory, New South Wales, Australia on January 20/2007. Go to http://www.ozemail.com.au/~loomberah where you can view his comet and other photos. As you can seem, it is yet another fantastic shot of the comet. My thanks to Gordon for allowing me to post this image.

Comet McNaught

The source of the first image is from wikipedia.org and Hannes Pieterse of Bloemfontein/South Africa graciously granted permission to have two photos posted (latter two). Check out http://www.assabfn.co.za for further images. Some photos may also be viewed at http://www.astropix.za.net .

For further information and images of Comet McNaught plus other comets go to the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/comet_mcnaught

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/comet

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Hale-Bopp

http://www.space.com/spacewatch/070104_comet_mcnaught.html

http://www.spaceweather.com/comets/gallery_mcnaught.htm

Or you may try various search engines, such as Dogpile, Google, Lycos and Yahoo, and see what results are achieved. You will find the above mentioned links and others.

The last comet I saw was Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997 when I was living and working in Toronto. I remember seeing it in the evening after sunset and again in the morning. Even the city lights where I worked did not blot it out.

For information on planets, stars, and so on, try http://www.solstation.com/stars.htm . I am sure there are many other possibilities. Even for those that do not have a camera, there is nothing that a computer and an internet connection can not solve. Good luck with your research and viewing.

Some Views of White Rock - Summer 2006 Part 2

summer heather (erica) in a hillside garden



fish, mussels, barnicles, seaweed...

Amtrak train passing through White Rock

the "white rock"

starfish on rock

boardwalk looking south toward the U.S.

sightseers on boardwalk

Hot summer days are very popular in White Rock. Its a great destination for young and old. There are picnic tables along the promenade facing the ocean and plenty of restaurants along Marine Drive to please any palate. I hope you have enjoyed the photos and that they have allowed you to appreciate the beauty plus provided some inspiration!