Volker's Photo Blog

Lauterbrunnental

2011-11-14T07:16:00.001-08:00

Yesterday afternoon I was watching a program on tv hosted by Rick Steves. It was about Christmas traditions in Italy (Rome) and Switzerland (Gimmelwald). We are, after all, half way through the month of November with Christmas and the end of the year just around the corner. It dawned on me that Gimmelwald was familiar for some reason. When I checked the maps for the area, I found out why. I had been to the same mountain valley back in 1972. Above is one of my photos I took at the time of the Lauterbrunnen Valley and the Staubbach Falls, where the water drops about 900 feet to the bottom and is more like vapour (hence the name Staubbach, Staub meaning dust or it could refer to vapour in the case). The maps is from one of the local websites from the area. Check it out! - V

view from Sapperton

2011-10-25T21:45:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday I went for a walk to check out a new grocery store near home. These are just a few photos that I took along the way. Above is a view to the northeast of Eagle Mountain where I had done three hikes this summer. You can see the microwave tower (red and white) just to the right of centre. There is a great lookout there with an awesome view below.
The second photo show the Fraser River as seen from near the top of the Fraser Cemetery in Sapperton. The image below shows the view of the mountains to the northeast from the same location.
Then there are photos of a mighty oak tree in the cemetery, one of the crown, one just looking up near the base of the tree and another looking at the moss on the bark of the trunk of that tree.
There is also a Monkey Puzzle Tree in the Fraser Cemetery. The photos below show the tree and a close-up of the crown. I hope you've enjoyed the photos.

Strasbourg, France - Strassburg, Frankreich - more photos from summer 1972

2011-10-20T21:48:00.000-07:00

Here are some more photos of the city of Strasbourg in eastern France (Alsace) taken during the 1972 trip that summer. You can clearly see why I was drawn to the region three times in a row and I am hoping on another visit at some point in the future. There are a lot of picturesque spots in the inner city (Altstadt) in and around the cathedral (Dom) that is captivating feature in the centre of the city. The image above was taken not far from the swing bridge and the photo below was taken on the River Ill which flows parallel to the Rhine River in a south to north direction. There were numerous tour boats taking people on excursions and there still are. The people of Alsace speak a dialect of German very similar to what is spoken in the Black Forest (Schwarzwald) region of Germany across the border. French is the national language but many locals understand German. Its a complicated history that I'll discuss at some other point in time.
Above is a photo of the Kammerzell House facing the cathedral square (place in French or Platz in German). The image below shows the front entrance to the cathedral. Its impressive, close up or at a distance.
Then I found a street just filled with flags hanging with coats-of-arms from various towns in Alsace. Can you identify some of them?
The next few images show scenes of a part of the inner city called "Petit France." I find it very picturesque, don't you?
The photo above shows the lock on the canal system. The swing bridge is off in the distance (background).
I also found this fountain in the River Ill and as I've said there are picturesque houses from the middle ages everywhere. That's the swing bridge in the photo below.
Even Alsace is known for its chocolate (Chocolat Schaal). Try taking a street view (Google) of this city and see what it has to offer. Perhaps you'll see how much has changed since 1972 and how much hasn't. I took a journey through Strasbourg using street view over the last two days and found a few changes and other spots I had missed on previous visits. I hope you've enjoyed the photographic journey through Strasbourg's inner city! - V

Strasbourg, France - Strassburg, Frankreich - summer 1972

2011-10-19T22:39:00.000-07:00

During my trip to Europe during the summer of 1972 I visited three places in France, Carcassonne, Paris and Strasbourg. This is a street scene I photographed looking up a small street in the inner city. The cathedral is in the background. Its very historic and you can't miss it. This is one of my favourite regions in France: Alsace! When you see the rest of the photos, you'll know why. There are more photos coming along with descriptions. Meantime, enjoy this one! - V

monkey puzzle

2011-10-17T22:34:00.000-07:00

On my way to Burnaby Mountain on Sunday afternoon, I decided to walk to the SkyTrain station. This took me past an excellent specimen of a monkey puzzle tree a few city blocks away from home. You're looking at the crown (top) of the tree which is native to the Andean Mountains of South America. The tree's Latin name is Araucaria araucana. You can clearly see the cones (brown). There are several interesting specimens in the lower mainland. This one in Sapperton (New Westminster) is but one of them. There is another in the Fraser Cemetery, at least one on Capital Hill (Burnaby) and some near the Lion's Gate Bridge in Vancouver. There are others as well. - V

Hope for Wildlife I | Knowledge Network

2011-10-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

Hope for Wildlife I Knowledge Network

When you have the chance, check out Hope for Wildlife. They do some awesome work rescuing andreabilitating injured and found wildlife. Have a look at some of the videos. They are awesome! - V

alpine flowers and other stuff

2011-09-28T21:50:00.000-07:00

I started a vegetable garden in the spring of 1969 some months away from my 16th birthday. I was mostly vegetables of various sorts but also some flowers which I started from a few packet of mixed alpine flower seeds that I had ordered from a seedhouse in Ontario, where I lived at the time. This series of photos documents my first attempts at gardening.
Above is a view of the garden from the back looking toward the house. I also tried growing grapevines as well as red current bushes. The red current bushes grew very big before I decided that where they were at the back of the vegetable garden was not the place where I wanted them. I started new bushes from cuttings and planted those cuttings next to the cedar hedge on the west side of the property. The original currant bushes were discarded. They were taking up too much space. The image below shows the corner that ended up containing the alpine flowers, etc.
Above is a look at the scene from the patio near the house. The photo below was taken from one of the upper windows of the house.
The bell flowers (Campanula latifolia) start to send up flower stalks (above). Below is an example of my attempt at growing grapes. When I moved the alpines to a flower bed in the front yard near the porch, I used the stones you see here as an edging in the new planting to give the bed some height on two of the three sides (the new planting was triangular).
Onions, carrots and kohlrabi were vegetables that I grew amongst others such as green beans. I also included herbs such as parsley as well. - V

Eagle Mountain - September 4th

2011-09-22T21:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I've edited most of the photos taken on the September 4th hike up Eagle Mountain, the one on the Labour Day weekend. The top one is of some wild geranium flowers found in bloom along the Coquitlam Crunch Trail. There is a photo of wild asters as well. The mountain is Mt Baker across the border in Washington (state). The last photo has some huckleberry bushes in it. I was eating the berries as we went along. They are related to the blueberry. I'll let the images speak for themselves. Enjoy! - V

Veronica

2011-09-20T22:18:00.000-07:00

In the 1970s I started growing various kinds of alpines and other flowers suitable for a rock garden or along a flower border. Veronica (V. longifolia) was but one of them. Campanula latifolia was another. This is a series of photos (all Veronica) taken in 1977 (London, Ontario) in the back garden. I later moved the alpines to another flower bed in the front yard. I had ordered a few seed packets from a seed house that contained mixed alpines and veronica was one of those included in the mixture. There were still some of these flowers growing in the garden when I sold the house in 2005. As you can see, the bees loved them! - V

grey squirrels

2011-09-20T07:07:00.001-07:00

Let's take a small diversion from the photos taken in Europe to have a look at the antics of a grey squirrel back in late summer of 1977, in London in southwestern Ontario. The photos were taken in our backyard. Squirrels, rabbits and many birds frequented the yard. I'll let the series of photos speak! - V

Bad Herrenalb - Ettlingen

2011-09-20T06:55:00.000-07:00

Back in 1972 I used Ettlingen in southwest Germany as a base to go to Austria, Switzerland and France. The image above shows Bad Herrenalb south of Ettlingen. This is at the northern end of the Black Forest (Schwarzwald).
There are some old buildings of note in the town but a higher elevation gives us an even better vantage point. Ettlingen has a streetcar service that takes you into the city of Karlsruhe. City life has its points of interest but I love nature and the mountains the best of all. - V

Carcassonne, France 1972

2011-09-05T18:06:00.000-07:00

After my visit to Switzerland in 1972, my next destination on my itinerary was France. I ended up leaving southwestern Germany where I was staying with my half-sister, took a train through Alsace on the way to southern France. This route took me down the Rhone River valley and on to Arles before heading west to Narbonne on the Mediteranean coast. From there I caught a train heading inland to the city of Carcassonne which was my first destination. The old fortified city dates from the time of the Visigoths, a Germanic tribe originating from the Swedish island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea that settled this area and on south into Spain. The Visigoths left their homeland during the movement of various tribes into what was left of the Roman Empire. The walls were restored in the mid-19th Century. There was a television program that I watched in the early 1960s about a war between the English and the French (Black Prince). Carcassonne was the setting for this program. I was intrigued enough to want to see the place firsthand. Google to find out more!
Here's a view of the typical countryside in southwestern France. It was overcast weather but warm, not ideal weather for taking photos but I did my best.
Here's a view of the castle which I ended up taking a tour through and a view of the River Aude with the old city of Carcassonne in the background.
And what would France be without vineyards!
After my stop in Carcassonne it was off to Paris and then Strasbourg, Alsace in eastern France. I took no photos in Paris (it was pouring rain when I arrived at my hotel on the Rue de Gramont) but I did take a walk the next day in the old streets of Paris before heading off to Strasbourg where I did take quite a few interesting photos. The weather in Paris was starting to get better as I left. Its known for its rainy weather because of its proximity to the English Channel and the weather systems coming off the Atlantic Ocean. You'll see the photos of Strasbourg next. Meantime, enjoy these!! - V

Lauterbrunnental, Switzerland - summer 1972

2011-09-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

During my 1972 summer trip to Europe, Switzerland was another destination. In this case it was the Lauterbrunnental (Lauterbrunnen valley) in the Bernese Oberland in central Switzerland. The photos I took show you what the area looked like at that time. Since then, I've heard that the glaciers are receding due to the changes in the global weather patterns. I stayed with a farm family above the village of Lauterbrunnen (elevation 795 meters). I arrived on a Friday. The Saturday was the first full day in the country. In the scene above you see the Staubbach falls which drop 297 meters from the edge of the cliff above. By the time the water hits the ground below it is like a mist, hence the name.
On the Sunday I went on a long hike further up the valley to a cable car station at Stechelberg (960 meters elevation). From there it was by cable car (Seilbahn) to the village of Muerren where the next station was located (1650 meters elevation). Then it was a trek up the Schilthorn mountain to a cable car station at Birg. I had originally wanted to hike all the way up to the summit at 2,973 meters but decided against it due to time limitations. The photo above shows the scene on the walk from Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg.
From Muerren and on the way up it is possible to see various mountains such as the Jungfrau (4,158.2 meters), the Moench, the Eiger and the Breithorn. As the following images will attest, its a very scenic view from this height.
A view looking south where the elevation is even higher. There are glaciers behind these mountains. The image below was shot near the ski lodge. The area was used as a setting for the James Bond film called "In her Majesty's Service." The entire cable car system and stations was built for the movie by the studio and then given to the Swiss when the filming was done. The filming took place a couple of years before I arrived to view this scene.
Above is the view from the cable car station at Birg looking across the Lauterbrunnen valley toward the Maennlichen in the foreground at 2,343 meters in elevation. Below is another view looking toward the south.
On the way back down to Muerren, I took this shot of a group of farm buildings at Sonnenberg. Monday it was time to return to Interlaken by the narrow gauge railway and then on to Basel and into Germany. Two two photos below show the train (regular gauge) passing through the town of Thun on Thunersee and finally the main railway station in Basel, Switzerland before continuing on to Germany. I planning the itinerary I ended up crossing destinations off my list just because there wasn't enough time or money to see them all. Time was probably the biggest factor. I was only in Europe for seven weeks and had a two month student railpass to get about ($120 at the time through the Germanrail office in NYC). The visit here and to Salzburg set my interest in mountainous environments. Is it any wonder? I hope you have enjoyed the photos! Feel free to ask any questions. - V

Salzburg, Austria

2011-09-03T16:56:00.000-07:00

In July 1972 I flew back to Europe for the first time since we left Germany in 1957. One of my many stops was the city of Salzburg in Austria.
There was an excellent vantage point that I found above the old town from where I took a number of photos. I walked there from my hotel which was in a newer part of the city.
There was an excellent view of the surrounding mountains in the Austrian Alps and a view of the countryside.
Then there was the view of the castle, Hohensalzberg!
The image above shows a typical view of a street in the old town. Remember, this was July 1972!
I met up with my former grade 11 German teacher and we drove to the base of a mountain called the Untersberg where we took a cable car (Seilbahn) up to its summit.
I took a photo of her trying to make sense of the telescope and its instructions. Below is an image with a view of Salzburg and the countryside through a break in the clouds. Salzburg was used as a setting for the 1960s movie called "The Sound of Music" starring Julie Andrews as Maria von Trapp and Christopher Plummer as the Baron von Trapp. The film is based upon a true story but the real story is different from what appears in the movie. I hope you've enjoyed the photos! There will be more as I made quite a few other stops on this trip. - V

Buntzen Lake trails

2011-08-28T21:37:00.000-07:00

Normally, I start hiking in May and keep going through the summer. With the mini-stroke I had in early May this year, things were delayed but I've done the best I can with the season that is left. Seeing the view from Eagle Bluff last weekend has been inspirational but do some homework before you go out hiking, where ever you are!

Before you go out on a hike, familiarize yourself with the area and the lay of the land. Be sure to dress for the weather. Read about what others have done in the way of hiking. Invest in a topographical map for the area of interest. Be sure to take along some water and something to nibble on. Even a good flashlight can come in handy if your hike is longer than planned. You can find a lot of useful material online that will help keep you from having search and rescue sent out to find you. The trail map above is just one of many. If you do get lost, stay put and call for help! Its a safety issue at that point and may prevent you from getting into some real trouble that'll give the search and rescue people a nightmare! Don't let your ego get you into trouble! Good luck, and stay safe! - V

Note: For those challenged and unable to find their way around the landscape easily, invest in a compass, so that you map can be pointed to the north. Some of us can find our way by the position of the sun during the day and the moon and stars at night. Easily memorizing the landscape is a great help.

If you want to avoid bears, wild cats (such as lynx, bobcats and cougars) and coyotes, avoid hiking when the animals they prey upon are around (at night and in the early morning). True, you won't see deer or rabbits but you won't have a black bear breathing down your neck. If such things are not a concern to you, then carry on! Regardless, be aware of your surroundings!!! - V

Eagle Bluff - photos

2011-08-24T21:41:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of Saturday's hike on Eagle Mountain. The goal was Eagle Bluff which I reached without incident. Enjoy the photos and the scenery! The hiking route took me up the Coquitlam Crunch Trail once again, to a view of the lower mainland and then on to Eagle Bluff. I couldn't have asked for better weather. I plan to post some more photos taken during the beginning of the hike but these will suffice for now. Enjoy!
That's the approach to the bluff above and tread marks in the sand from trail bikes in the photo below.
Here's another beautiful shot of Buntzen Lake above and a shot of the trail from where I came.
The image above looks down to Burrard Inlet and Burnaby Mountain. The photo below shows the top edge of the Eagle Bluff. Its a significant drop down from there.
Finally, this is a shot (above) across the top of a rock found near the edge of the bluff. The view alone was well worth the effort in getting there! - V

view from Eagle Bluff

2011-08-21T20:19:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, rather than hike up the mountain I decided to complete the original hike to Eagle Bluff and the view from there of Buntzen Lake was more the worth the effort to get there. More photos are coming as soon as they are edited. Meantime, savour this one! - V

Eagle Mountain hike - photos

2011-08-18T22:01:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday afternoon took me to Port Moody by a combination of bus, then train and then a bus once more (B-97). Then I walked to the start of the Coquitlam Crunch Trail in neighbouring Coquitlam. It turned out to be a much nicer day than I had originally imagined. It was bright and sunny, not to mention very warm. It was so warm that I took off the t-shorts I was wearing. I didn't need them, nor did I need the sweater I brought along in case it was cool. Part of the trail was sponsored by someone named "Mr. Bear." I saw neither Mr. Bear nor the furry creature, so all was well. Anyway, the weather was peerfect!
Going up the trail there are some courts of one description or another. The one pictured was used to play a sort of field hockey.
Raspberries and such are in season. Canes are found in many places. The photo above gives you an idea. Then the rules were posted for the safety of those using the Eagle Ridge Greenway.
The photo above looks south and the one below shows a bee visiting a buttercup (flower).
Rugosa-type roses are to be found with plenty of flowers or buds about to open and the rose hips that I found are large and plentiful.
Another wildflower to be seen is the Goldenrod, a sign that autumn is getting close. There is a close-up of a bee visiting one above and then a grouping growing along the trail in the photo below. The yellow blooms look lovely against the blue sky.
There is tall grass dried from the recent dryness plus vetch and crown vetch grow in the grass as well.
That's Yarrow in the image above and a view of the Golden Ears Bridge across the Fraser River in the photo below.
There is another field and a lovely view plus a photo of daisies in bloom on a hillside in the photo below.
I found a clump of Western Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea var. occidentalis) growing at the base of a tower. Below is a close up shot of one of them.
Eagle Mountain is off in the distance. Below is a shot of one of the mileage and elevation markers along the trail. The one shown was the last one at the end of the Coquitlam Crunch Trail.
I encountered several guys on motorbikes and trail bikes during the hike up the mountain and back down. On the way down I encountered a group of three I had seen earlier plus one other that stopped to ask permission regarding biking on the trails, then yet another before I made it back to the road.
There are all sorts of wildflowers along the trail if you take a careful look (see above). Eagle Mountain is ever closer as I proceed further up in elevation.
Thistles are associated with summer time and as I hiked up there were more and more of the Western Pearly Everlasting to be found along the trail.
There was moss-encrusted rock along the road. Below is a close-up shot.
It wasn't all Western Pearly Everlasting. I found some yarrow growing along the road and trail as well. Something that caught me by surprise was finding the bed of a railway freight car along the trail. I keep finding surprising things. Now how did that get there?
I encountered three streams on the hike. The one pictured is just one of the three.
Again, I couldn't get over the weather. We normally get such weather much earlier in the summer, but not this year. Huckleberries are in season now. A bush is show below and a close-up of the berries below that. The shrubs are related to the blueberry. I was nibbling on them as I hiked along.

A short trail is shown in the photo above. It lead to a wonderful surprise, a beautiful vantage point to see the area from the height of Eagle Mountain.
That vantage point is near a microwave tower. And again, lots of the Western Pearly Everlasting are to be found.
There was another vantage point looking west, southwest. Here you see Burrard Inlet, then downtown Vancouver and Stanley Park plus English Bay behind that. The photo below shows where Indian Arm meet Burrard Inlet at Burnaby Mountain (looking southwest).
The above photo looks west toward the mountains around Buntzen Lake. There is fireweed as well (below).
I had intended to hike to Eagle Bluff (image above). There is a view of Buntzen Lake from there but time ran out and I had to turn around to return home. There will be another attempt on the Labour Day weekend.
Then there are fish habitat signs posted, in this case regarding salmon!
I saw a nurse stump on the way back down that I had missed on the way up and on the road I found this big black slug crawling along! Enjoy the photos and feel free to comment or ask any questions! - V

Port Moody from Eagle Mountain

2011-08-14T13:46:00.000-07:00

This is a photo taken from Eagle Mountain looking down to Port Moody, the start point of the hike up. The photo was taken near the microwave tower on the southern end of the mountain. More photos are coming. Meantime, enjoy this one! - V

Eagle Mountain

2011-08-13T23:34:00.000-07:00

I managed to hike up Eagle Mountain this afternoon and returned home after 9 pm having left home at about 1"30 pm to catch the bus. Despite not getting as far along as I had planned, I did manage to get some awesome photos. Once they've been edited (starting Sunday) I'll post some of them. Now I plan to get some rest! Good night all!!! - V

Hollyburn Mountain and the chipmunk!

2011-08-10T22:29:00.000-07:00

Now that I've recovered enough from my mini-stroke that I had in early May I am considering doing a hike up Eagle Mountain this Saturday, weather permitting, which will allow me to rest before I head back to work on Monday. The mountain is on the east side of Buntzen Lake northwest of Port Moody. There are a few small lakes (ponds more likely) up there plus a couple of waterfalls and some great views. I'll post the best images here when its all done.
Meantime, these photos are from a hike I did up Hollyburn Mountain in August 2009. The view there were well worth the effort of getting up to the summit. I found a wooden bench at the top and I wasn't there more than a few minutes when a chipmunk joined me where I was seated. In this case it was a Least Chipmunk (or Neotamias minimus in Latin). Here are a few shots of the little fellow who rolled in the dirt after getting a handout of mixed nuts (unsalted, of course!). The little fellow isn't exactly underfed as you can see. I saved the dried fruit for myself. I hope the next series of photos are as good or better. There are such beautiful vistas to share with everyone, and if you live here, take the time to see what nature has to offer firsthand. - V

Western Pearly Everlasting - more photos

2011-08-08T22:52:00.000-07:00

Here are some more photos I took on that hike. The image above shows a clump of the alpine flower, the Western Pearly Everlastings (Anaphalis margaritacea occidentalis) plus more photos of the same flower. As I said in my previous post, they were all over the place, and I had just seen Blue Gentians (another alpine flower) previous to this. Enjoy! - V

Western Pearly Everlasting

2011-08-08T22:05:00.000-07:00

In July 2009 I hiked some of the lower trails on Hollyburn Mountain and in August of that year I made it all the way up to the summit. On the upper parts of the trail I saw plenty of these alpine flowers, the Western Pearly Everlasting, or Anaphalis margaritacea occidentalis in Latin. There were clumps of them growing here and there along the trail. This included finding a bumblebee resting on one such flower. These bees are known to be docile but I wasn't about to test the theory. Enjoy these photos and the new header photo! Feel free to comment or ask any questions. - V

update

2011-08-07T21:08:00.000-07:00

I had a mini-stroke in early May, took five weeks off work to recuperate and then returned to work. As my strength improves, I'll be out again taking photos as usual. There are some more trails I'd like to explore northwest of Port Moody on Burrard Inlet. Eagle Mountain and Eagle Ridge are in my sites. I may have a friend of mine join me in the beginning as things continue to improve health-wise. - Volker

Fly Agaric

2011-07-31T10:53:00.000-07:00

In the fall of 2007 I posted some photos of the Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) and other wild mushrooms. This fungus looks pretty but its poisonous, so enjoy the looks of it but keep your hands of it and keep it out of the kitchen. I've decided to use the first image as my latest header photo since the one with the goldenrod and the honeybee has been there for a while (2007). That one was taken at White Rock, British Columbia. The Fly Agaric series of photos was taken at Hastings Park in Vancouver in the autumn of 2007. Enjoy them once again! - V

Niagara Falls

2011-07-28T21:22:00.000-07:00

Until early 2006 I spent most of my life living in southwestern Ontario, other than the few years we lived in Germany up until 1957 and the six months I spent in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1991 into early 1992. In 1968 we went to Niagara Falls for the day and went there at least twice. These are photos from one of those visits. The photo above shows the Horseshoe Falls from the Skylon Tower in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The Niagara Gorge is below it.
The American Falls as seen in the image above is not as beautiful as the Horseshoe Falls but you have to appreciate it too.
A photo taken from near the edge of the Horseshoe Falls shows you the power of the water going over the edge into the gorge. If you look very carefully in the last photo you'll see a rainbow in the mist above the falls. If you've never seen them, a visit is recommended. Its well worth the trip to see the falls and the floral clock to be found to the north of Niagara Fall, Ontario. Enjoy the photos! - V

Wide-leafed or Giant Bellflower

2011-06-19T20:24:00.000-07:00

Back east in southwestern Ontario I had a home with a garden I maintained since the late 1960s. The home used to belong to my parents. I grew bellflowers in the garden in the back since the 1970s. These were the Wide-leafed or Giant Bellflower (Campanula latifolia) that spread easily around the yard. In fact, I found them growing in the cedar hedge row! I used to allow the seed heads to dry (brown) and then collect the seed in large mason jars. When they were young plants, it was easy enough to transplant them but once established, it was better not since they had long whitish taproots! They're easy enough to start from seed anyway. That's how I got my planting started back in the 1970s. The image above is from Wikipedia but I plan to check my own photos for some and post the best ones here. I grew other alpines, not just Campanulas! Note: This bellflower is native to central and southern Europe and is found as far east as Russia. There are 500 species of Campanula in the world. This is but one of them! - V

the bumblebee

2011-06-11T15:30:00.001-07:00

Late yesterday afternoon (Friday) I spent a little time at Queens Park near home to photograph some bumblebee activity there. The species seen is the Yellow-faced Bumblebee (Bombus vosnesenskii) which is native the the west coast of North America from California to British Columbia. As a note of interest, there are 50 species of bumblebees native to North America. This is but one of them! The bee is taking nectar from the flowers of an Allium, a member of the onion family. Enjoy!!!- V

Davie Village Community Garden

2011-06-07T21:55:00.001-07:00

A visit to Vancouver today gave me enough time to visit the Davie Village Community Garden. This is an assortment of photos I took while there. These include shots of foxgloves and poppies in bloom, a bumblesbee, a butterfly (cabbage butterfly, I believe). Enjoy!!! - V

peacocks

2011-06-06T23:48:00.000-07:00

Sunday I went for a walk to nearby Queens Park just south of my place. There's children's zoo with all sorts of birds and animals. I managed to get a couple of decent shots of a peacock (male), front and back. There are two adult males and one juvenile male but the accommodations for the birds is not enough for the number. The peacocks need more space. Enjoy the images just the same! I'll have more photos at a later date. The female, by the way, is called a peahen! - V

Grimsvotn volcanic eruption 2011

2011-05-22T21:38:00.001-07:00

This is an interesting perspective shot of the erupting volcano in Iceland, the Grimsvotn. Check with the Icelandic Meteorology Office for a lot more details on this one. If you're flying across the Atlantic, you might be wise to check on any flight delays or cancellations and news on why this might be the case. This eruption is not totally surprising given the other one that occurred in about the same region of Iceland about a year ago. The winds apparently aren't as bed as with the previous eruption. Forewarned is forearmed! - V

tulips

2011-05-19T22:49:00.000-07:00

Spring is most definitely here and the sun and warm temperatures prove it. Locally the tulips are done for the year but these are some that were on the dining room table in April. I thought I would share the photo as you might enjoy them!

I'm off to north Burnaby tomorrow and will be taking more photos plus I have others to share as well. Have a good night! - V

comments

2011-05-19T22:39:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, when you do leave comments do not leave anonymous ones or ones that have nothings to do with the content of the post in question. Such comments are sure to be rejected and deleted. That's why I check all comments before posting them. Anything that smells like a spam comment is rejected (pardon the pun!). So far you've been good, guys! Keep it up! - V

upper mekong river

2011-04-27T21:32:00.000-07:00

For the past few weeks I've been watching a series of programs on the Knowledge Channel (based here in British Columbia) that has to do with the Mekong River in southeast Asia. That river has its source in the Tibetan Plateau in China (Tibet). A map from Wikipedia above shows the countries through which the river flows on its way south to the sea.
The larger map above, also from Wikipedia, shows the Tibetan Plateau in greater details. Its an important source for a number of important Asian rivers, the Mekong River being just one of the many.
There are a number of endangered species of animals in the upper Mekong River (Yunnan) before reaching the Tibetan plateau. Some are the Yunnan Golden Monkey (above), the Red Panda and the Asiatic Black Bear to name a few.

The program also dealt with fishing with cormorants in one of the alpine lakes. To learn more about this and other aspects of the Mekong River you can start your research by Googling. This is a fascinating planet, don't you think, despite all the harm we've done to it in recent times? - V

geothermal energy

2011-04-03T13:04:00.000-07:00

Iceland has long been known for its volcanic and geothermal activities. I've had an interest in the country proper, including its history, since the 1960s. Founded in 874 A.D. the island country sits on both the North American and European tectonic plates with the major fault line running through the middle of the island from north to south.
Iceland gets its power from three sources: geothermal (24 percent), hydro electric (75.4 percent) and fossil fuels (0.1 percent). Fossil fuels are used by mostly vehicles and the fishing fleet.

The photo above shows the Blue Lagoon Thermal Spa which is situated on a lava field at Grindavik on the Reykjanes Peninsula 39 km (24 miles) from the capital of Reykjavik. The water from the thermal plant is the source of the blue water in the lagoon. The water is changed every 2 days and gets its blueish colour from the minerals in it.

Aside from Iceland there are a number of other areas where geothermal energy is in use or in use as a trial project. Northern California, Soultz (Alsace), France and Basel, Switzerland come to mind. I was watching a special program on tv last evening which dealt with the geothermal issue, especially that in northern California and in Soultz. You can learn more about the European Hot Dry Rock Project in Soultz by going here.

The project in Basel had to be stopped because of seismic activity. If you go to Google and search on geothermal energy, you will find the countries named where projects are underway. Surprisingly there seems to be no mention of Canada, even though British Columbia certainly has the potential of producing geothermal energy.

Then there is solar energy which will be the focus of another post. Geothermal and solar energy appear to be the way of the future with fossil fuels on the way out. You be the judge! - V
P.S. - All three photos concerning Iceland are courtesy of the Wikipedia Commons and posted according to the GNU Free Document License. Check out Google for more on Iceland plus other countries and projects mentioned here.

leaves

2011-03-15T07:11:00.000-07:00

Back east in southern Ontario I used to grow grapes in the backyard garden, well an attempt at it anyway! During the growing season one summer I decided to give the leaves a try, so I picked a few young, tender leaves and steamed them in the kitchen. Since I found them rather tasty, I continued to have some through the summer. If the Greeks use them in some of their recipes, so can we.

The photo above was taken in the backyard in the spring in the mid-1980s looking at the hollywood swing through the grapevine. The swing was one of my mother's favourite places to be when the weather was warm! - V

Putzie

2011-03-03T07:04:00.001-08:00

Back in the late 1970s years before I left London, Ontario I bought a pair of peach-faced lovebirds that later turned out not to be so lovey-dovey at all and had to be put in separate cages. The last straw as it were was when they were let out to get some exercise and were fighting in my hand.

The one got the name of Schmutzie because it would make a mess of the cage like turn over the water tray and other stuff. The other was Putzie, the cleaner of the two. It was my mother that came up with the names. They lived just over ten years but when the one passed on the other followed soon after.

When I let them out to get exercise, the two favourite spots for them was the top of the oil painting above the fireplace or at the top of the living room drapes. They never seemed to go anywhere else and were perfectly content being there until it was time to return to their cages. When I moved into my first apartment, they had to stay behind because the new place didn't allow pets. Well, they kept my parents company, particularly my mother later! - V

Saxonia, the ship (1954-62)

2011-02-26T22:10:00.000-08:00

I've been scanning older photos, mostly those taken by my father in the 1950s and early 1960s, a few each day as time permits. In amongst those were some images of a cruise ship coming into Montreal harbour on June 25, 1957 after the Arosa Star which we were on had docked. It was only after scanning these photos that I was able to take a close-up look at them to find that the ship was the Cunard ship, the Saxonia. So here they are.
Here is a short history of the ship. The Saxonia was built by John Brown and Co. of Clydebank for Cunard in 1954. She was launched on February 15, 1954 and had her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Quebec and Montreal on Sepember 2, 1954. She weighed 21,637 gross tons, was 608 feet in length, carried 110 first class and 819 tourist class passengers and had contemporary interiors. The ship reverted back to Cunard's traditional interiors in 1957. Her sister ships were the Ivernia, the Carinthia and the Sylvania.
By September 1962, the Saxonia had completed 116 trans-Atlantic voyages when she was sent back to John Brown and re-appeared as the Carmania (1962-73) with Cunard's cruising green livery. To find out more about the Saxonia and its various other names (there were three) google the name. Feel free to comment. - V

the Arosa Star, the ship that brought us to Canada

2011-02-17T21:17:00.000-08:00

I've been scanning older photos a little at a time, as time itself permits. This photo is of the ship, the Arosa Star as it was known then in 1957 when we came over from Germany as a family. The photo is actually from a postcard issued by the Arosa Line. I'll post a few more photos of the ship later. My father took a number of images during our crossing of the Atlantic in June of that year.

The ship was originally built in 1930 by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation in Quincy, Mass. She was name the Borinquen, was 466 feet in length, had a width of 60 feet, tonnage of 17,114. She served as a cruise ship under various names as the ownership of the vessel changed hands. She served as the Arosa Star with the Arosa Line from 1952 until 1958. Bankruptcy forced the owner of the company to sell the ship. That fate had various reasons, such as competing shipping lines with newer ships, an increasing influence of air travel, just to name a couple.

The last owner of the ship of the ship couldn't afford the mooring fees and left it at anchor off shore (California) where it ran aground in a storm. The lower hull now makes part of the breakwater at Port Hueneme, California. The end came on April 13, 1970. Not a very noble ending for such a lovely ship! - V

winter scene - London, Ontario

2011-02-09T22:20:00.001-08:00

Now that I'm getting the hang of using the new photo scanner here's a photo I took one bright winter day back in the early 1980s during an afternoon of cross country skiing. The scene is in a park just west of the Coves in London, Ontario. I ended up skiing for over six hours. The sun had set by the time I called it quits for the day. In the end I estimated that I had skied about 7 or more kilometers from one end of the park system to the other and back. I enjoyed the workout and the great night's sleep! I'll have more photos to post soon. - V

scanner ready!

2011-01-21T22:04:00.000-08:00

After weeks of trying to get things set up, my Epson Perfection V500 photo scanner is finally ready to go after I cleaned up the files on my laptop plus did a defrag of the head drive. Now since the software is installed, I'm ready to start scanning. This weekend is the time. I'll post some images before the weekend is out. Come back to see more! - V

the honeybee and the varroa mite

2011-01-02T13:52:00.000-08:00

Over the last year or so I've posted something about the honeybee and the problem with the varroa mite. A friend of mine and former co-worker sent me the link to a news article recently. It would appear that scientists in the United Kingdom have found a way of solving this riddle using genetic means. The article is entitled, "Genetic breakthrough in fight against honeybee killer." You can check it out by going to the Guardian website here. Comments, as always, are appreciated.

I plan to post more images once I have purchased a new laptop. The old one is starting to show its age and has its issues. In the meantime, I wish all a very happy, healthy and rewarding 2011!!! - V

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-25T22:31:00.000-08:00

To all that read this humble blog of mine, Merry Christmas! Meet your family and friends and enjoy the festive season!!! More news coming as we close in on the new year. - V

new scanner

2010-11-13T13:00:00.000-08:00

I purchased a new photo scanner on my way home from work yesterday, an Epson Perfection V500! It scans photos, slides, negatives and documents. There were a total of three Epson photo scanners that I was interested in. This model happened to be on sale. I could have bought the V600 for another 20 dollars but the main difference between it and the one I purchased was that it could identify characters in documents and one had the option of making changes. Since I don't have any documents that would require that option, I opted to go with the one on sale and wait until the technology improves, and it will, before getting a scanner with that option.

So, now I plan to work on setting up the scanner over the weekend and then do a few test scans to see what it can do. After that, I have about 40 or more years of my own photos to work with and then more that belonged to my father. My father's photos are from the late 1940s and the 1950s. His photos taken during the 1930s and early 1940s were lost as a result of WWII. There are also family albums and other photos going back to as far back as 1916. I'll be scanning as time allows and will do this over the winter months. I hope to start with slides from my trip to Europe during the summer of 1972. Berlin (Germany), Strasbourg (France), Carcassonne (France) and Lauterbrunnen (Switzerland) seem to be a good start. What do you think?

Have an awesome weekend! Look for more soon!!! - V

Admiralty Point Trail - some photos from August 28 - 2010 - Part II

2010-10-16T11:51:00.000-07:00

Now that you've had a sampling of photos from the start of the Admiralty Point Trail, here are some more, lots more, but even these are not all of the images taken on August 28th. They will certainly give you an idea what can be seen along the way. I like the way the sunlight illuminates the trail beckoning us further. Some of the trees are tall and ferns make up a common undergrowth.
I managed to get a good shot of a spider web caught in the sunlight. I did try to get a few more but the light breeze blowing at the time caused the shrub to move too much to get the camera to focus. Holly bushes can be seen here and there as the image following that of the web will attest.
The ship, an oil tanker, was anchored in Indian Arm where it meets Burrard Inlet. You could hear the motours from the ship from the trail on shore. In places along the trail the noise was loud and out of place for the setting. There is an oil refinery along Burrard Inlet on the north shore!
I hike down the 100 meter trail to Admiralty Point from the main trail and here are a few images taken along the way. The sunlight in the opening invites us to check out the point. These roots on the trail were interesting enough to photograph. What do you think?
The photo above shows Cod Rock where people were fishing from crabs and Rock Cod. I did take a few photos there but mored on to quieter places with less activity.
I also took a series of images of the area along the west side of Indian Arm from Burrard Inlet on north.
There's a plaque at Admiralty Point which states that the property there is federal land leased to the city of Vancouver for 99 years. That lease will be up soon, so what then? The land includes Admiralty Point and Burns Point further to the east on the north side of Burrard Inlet.
In the image below you see me resting my feet at Admiralty Point with the plaque at one of my feet.
Back at the main trail I tried to get in a few shots of a Douglas' Squirrel I saw on the trunk of one of the large coniferous trees. The two of the squirrel weren't very clear but here they are anyway. Its a great big tree too!
Then it was on to Burns Point. Shortly after getting underway again I saw some fungi growing on a stump. There is a series of images of them.
After the fungi photos it was off again further up the trail to Burns Point with the odd view out on to Burrard Inlet. It was an odd place to see a Hydrangea bush but I loved seeing the colour just the same.
The trail even gave us some colourful surprises as the next series of images will attest.
The early signs of autumn were present if you looked carefully. Check out the photo above and the close-up below.
Ferns were everywhere. There's a shot of a grouping above and a close-up below.
Here is a series of images taken of an overturned conifer tree with roots exposed. Conifer trees are shallow-rooted and easily blown over in a severe wind storm such as we had late in 2006.
There are more very tall trees in this area just suitable as a perch for bald eagles which frequent the area.
There is more colour, such as fireweed above, and then I found more fungi growing on a fallen tree trunk as seen below.
Then there's the odd stump seen with or without fungi and suitable places for wildlife to feed or to sun themselves. Burns Point is just a rock high up above Burrard Inlet on the north shore east of Indian Arm. A series of photos taken at the point follows, including two with a trig point. I have seen the odd one here and there in this area. The high voltage hydro-electric lines run across the water and there's a constant humming or chirping coming from them.
Again the beginnings of autumn colour could be seen if you looked carefully. I hope you've enjoyed these photos taken on August 28th while I was hiking the Admiralty Point Trail. Feel free to ask any questions. Aside from checking out such photos, this is how we learn and then have even more questions to ask! - V

Admiralty Point Trail - some photos from August 28

2010-09-15T21:05:00.000-07:00

On August 28, a Saturday, during the afternoon, I did a hike down the Admiralty Point Trail and thoroughly enjoyed it. Here are some photos taken along the way. The trail is within Belcarra Regional Park northwest of Port Moody. I'll let the images do all the talking for the most part.
Next you'll see a series of photos I took of a conifer tree growing on a nurse stump. What do you see? What do you think?
It was sunny and warm that day, the last weekend of August and just perfect for a hike.
Here are some huckleberry shrubs growing on a moss-covered log. I hope you've enjoyed the images. Come back for more soon in Part II. - V

Belcarra to Sasamat Lake - Part II - Sasamat Lake - 10 July 2010

2010-09-05T21:53:00.000-07:00

Continuing on along the Springboard Trail, it hooks up with the Woodhaven Trail which itself in turn hooks up with the Sasamat Lake Loop Trail. Bear warning are on all the markers along the way. Luckily I saw no bears which were either sleeping through the heat of the day or munching on ripe berries to be found throughout the region. What follows is a series of photos taken on the remainder of the first two mentioned trails.
Crossing Bedwell Bay Road in Belcarra the trail soon hook up with the Woodhaven Trail.
I love water scenes in the landscape as above and the bright blue sky when it can be seen as below.
The two images above show water flowing under a small bridge. Then below are many bugs congregating along the water's edge in another stream. Looks like plenty of food for the fish in the water below!
Then there's the Sasamat Lake Loop Trail. I managed to only take part of it: the southwestern part of the trail. So whether is people sunning or swimming at White Pine Beach as above, or swimming across the lake or even boating, Sasamat Lake is a magnet of activity during the summer months as it was that day in July! Feel free to comment. Meantime, enjoy the photos!!! - V

masthead pics

2010-08-25T07:01:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago I was spending some time creating masthead photos for this blog. You've probably seen the one above long enough, so its time to change it. These are from photos I've taken at Burrard Inlet and the Spanish Banks. Any thoughts on these? - V

flowers and bees

2010-08-10T06:59:00.000-07:00

I was in Vancouver's West End a week ago this past Sunday. The photo above is just one of many I took while checking out the Davie Community Garden at Burrard and Davie Streets. I love having birds, or in this case, insects, to help gauge the size of things compared to what we know. There will be more images from my Vancouver visit soon and also more from the Balcarra to Sasamat Lake hike. Meantime, take care!!! - V

Belcarra to Sasamat Lake - Part I - Belcarra to Woodhaven Swamp

2010-07-17T14:18:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday, July 10, I was finally able to get out for a hike plus take a good quantity of photos on a hike from Belcarra to Sasamat Lake. It was the first time we had a weekend where there was no interruption in the sunshine or blue sky. It was also just as well that I did the hike that day because I was in the midst of a gout attack late Sunday which then made walking difficult. A hike then would have been out of the question! I began by hiking up the Springboard Trail from Belcarra where I got off the bus from Port Moody. Then it was eastward to the Woodhaven Swamp which had its own trail around it and then on to Sasamat Lake via the Woodhaven Trail. I'll let the photos do the talking for the most part.
The view above is along part of the Springboard Trail. I saw plenty of signs of salmonberry plants but no berries. I was munching on the small, red huckleberries I found as I was hiking along the trail. Later I even found some ripe blueberries! I guess the bears must have gotten to all the salmonberries first. Who knows!
Next comes a series of photos taken along the loop trail that goes around the Woodhaven Swamp. I loved the view from the eastern end of the swamp but even the western end has its charm. The latter location is where I took the shots of the bleached trees against the bright blue sky. Again, I'll let them do the talking. Feel free to ask any questions or to make any comments! - V

mosses and ferns

2010-07-04T21:50:00.000-07:00

Back in March of this year I did a walk on the trails in Robert Burnaby Park in south Burnaby, British Columbia. Its been a while since being able to edit and post these photos of mosses and ferns growing on the bark of a tree in the park but they're finally done. Feel free to comment and to send me your comments privately. Enjoy the photos!!! - V

more photos from Buntzen Lake

2010-06-29T21:41:00.000-07:00

Here are more photos I took during the walk from Port Moody to Buntzen Lake. I decided to walk rather than wait for the C26 bus. As I was perhaps a quarter of the way up the hill, the bus passed by. Just the same, if I hadn't walked, I wouldn't have seen what I did on the way. The last few rhododendrons were still in bloom but fading and the sky had some clouds in it but it was much more blue sky than we'd seen in a while.
There is a view down the hill or mountain toward Port Moody in the photo above. There were enough flowers to see, such as Scotch Broom and foxgloves as well as seen below. And I love the blue sky against the fresh green growth of conifers. The first wild raspberries were ready for picking. Well, the birds have certainly found some!
There is a beautiful view of the mountains as I walked west-northwest along East Road to Anmore from where the road leads to Buntzen Lake. I found a couple of horses in a field along the road in Anmore and immediately thought of a friend in Pennsylvania who loves horses and has her own. I had to take a couple of photos of which I'm posting one of them.
Then I entered the park and proceeded north along the road to the Buntzen Lake. The water levels at the lake are higher than normal because of construction work below the dam at the north end of the lake. As you view the following photos, you'll see some with picnic tables, signs and trees sitting in water in areas normally dry land.
Swallows were flitting low over the lake and there certainly were enough mosquitos to keep them fed. The birds used this cedar to rest before continuing their foraging.
I also took a few photos of the sky as I waited for the C26 bus into Port Moody at a bus stop in Anmore. We're not seeing enough blue sky this year and temperatures are not as warm but all was well that day! I hope you've enjoyed these photos. There will be more as my trail hiking is only beginning! - V

Buntzen Lake

2010-06-07T06:48:00.000-07:00

After a few weeks delay, I finally made it up to Buntzen Lake to the north of Port Moody on Saturday. I ended up hiking up the 6 km to the lake from Port Moody after taking a series of buses and the train from home. The weather was excellent for a hike. It was sunny with some cloud but certainly warm and pleasant for a hike! I'll have more photos of the trip plus commentary once they've all been edited. Meantime, enjoy this one of the lake! - V

olympic venues

2010-06-03T21:54:00.000-07:00

I did mention the crowds we had during the winter games here in Vancouver in my last post. Well, here is a series of photos I took near the olympic village and ScienceWorld turned SochiWorld for the games. ScienceWorld served as Russia's venue for promoting their winter games at Sochi, Russia. The line-ups were at least 2 hours but better than some other venues where the longest wait was 7 hours. The silver dome is ScienceWorld turned SochiWorld. Enjoy the photos! Feel free to comment or to ask questions. - V

more on the Russian tallship

2010-06-03T07:14:00.000-07:00

We had some lovely, sunny, very spring-like weather back during the winter olympics back in February. Since the end of the games, we've seen a lot of grey overcast skies and rain. This is as if the season has reversed and we're getting now what we should have received earlier in the season. Now that summer is approaching we may finally be seeing a bit more sun. The venues at the games were crowded, the line-ups long but in heading over to Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver to see the Kruzenshtern I was pleasantly surprised. Here are a few more photos taken during that visit on February 21st.
The Kruzenshtern is a Russian tallship, a four masted barque built originally in 1926 in Bremerhaven-Wesermuende, Germany as shipyard number S408 as the Padua. She was given to the U.S.S.R. in 1946 as war reparations (WWII) and renamed the Kruzenshtern after the 19th century Baltic German explorer, Adam Johann Ritter von Krusenstern (1770-1846), descended from Swedish aristocracy (Krusenstierna). Its the only remaining Flying P-liners still in use. The Kruzenshtern is used as a training ship based out of Kaliningrad (the former Koenigsberg), Kaliningrad Oblast (region), and Murmansk, Russia. If you would like to learn more about the ship, Google "Kruzenshtern" for a start.
Getting this shot above was a bit tricky, so I had to keep the sun behind one of the masts. It wasn't overcrowded at all, which was a pleasant surprise as I mentioned earlier.
This series of shots give us an idea of the size of the ship. It doesn't look all that big from a distance but we realize its true grandeur once we get closer.
The photo above shows the Russian flag at the stern with the name of the ship and its home port in Cyrillic script. The year, 1795, is rather misleading since the city of Kaliningrad was then known as Koenigsberg and part of Prussia (later part of Germany after German unification in 1870) and only part of Russia after the end of WWII in 1945.
I hope you've enjoyed the photos. Feel free to comment either directly on this blog or via email. Have a great day!!! - V

Russian tallship

2010-03-17T21:03:00.000-07:00

On the third Sunday of February I spent the afternoon having a look at the Russian tallship called the "Kruzenshtern" docked at Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver. The ship was here as part of the Russian effort to promote their 2014 winter games in Sochi, Russia. These are just a few images of the nearly hundred taken that day and should whet your appetite for more. A complete post on the ship's history along with more photos is coming up soon. Meantime, enjoy these!!! - V.

blog name change

2010-01-01T20:57:00.000-08:00

This evening I opted to change the name of the blog from Haliaeetus to Volker's Photo Blog, a much simpler name and far easier for many to pronounce. Haliaeetus, as some may know, is the first part of the Latin name for the Bald Eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus. There are a few photos of bald eagles on this blog but I do hope to increase the number of those images this year.

Meantime, enjoy the many photos and do comment on them. Remember though, that the comments must be approved. Any comments having nothing to do with the subject matter may be rejected. Those flogging their business beware! For all others, please continue to comment. They are very much appreciated. Have a great 2010! - V.

snowstorm of November 2006

2009-12-27T19:19:00.000-08:00

Back in November 2006 there was a snowstorm that started on the 20th and continued through the weekend. That was my first year in British Columbia's lower mainland after moving out here from southwestern Ontario. When the snow stopped falling, I took a series of photos which you see here. Back east this sort of thing is normal, so the snow can be moved and cleared within 2 - 3 days and in a lot less time if its a minor snowfall.

I did some research on the internet afterward and found that this sort of thing was normal about 50 years ago. People here have been lulled into a false sense of acceptence by higher than normal temperatures and the lack of snow. So with the lack of equipment to move the snow, side streets remained snowbound for over a week. The parking lot where I lived was never ploughed and the management left it for nature to melt the snow. Such scenes were common in the area.

I was living in north Surrey with 104th Avenue and 148th Street being the main intersection nearby. That's where this series of photos was taken after the snow stopped falling. I'll let the images speak for themselves.

I allowed a blogger friend in San Francisco to post the you see photo above. This was before I started blogging myself in February 2007. There first few photos show a rather dull looking landscape but the mood changes once the sun makes an appearance where it shines through a break in the cloud cover to the south. So are we ready to handle such a storm if it happens during the winter olympics? I rather doubt it but we'll see. Enjoy the photos and feel free to comment! - V.

first snow

2009-12-18T06:48:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend (Dec 12 - 13) we had the first snow here in New Westminster, well, snow that stayed for a bit. Its all been washed away by the rain that came during the week but here are a few photos that were taken during a walk late in the afternoon Sunday before it got dark. The walk took me over to Queens Park and then back home. As you can tell, the kids take no proding to get out to enjoy the new snow! There are a few photos of scenes in the park and then the Christmas lights and other interesting features at a condo complex across from the park. I'll let the photos speak for themselves, so enjoy! - V.

Autumn Colour on Burnaby Mountain

2009-10-27T06:48:00.000-07:00

During the last weekend of October I was up on Burnaby Mountain to have a look at the autumn colour. The images posted here are just some of the many photos I took the Saturday that I was up there. The first four photos were taken along University Drive near the campus of Simon Fraser university (SFU) in the city of Burnaby, British Columbia. The colours are not as bright as I remember them from back east in southwestern Ontario and tend more on the subtle side with hints of brightness here and there. We begin with a jogger running by on a trail that runs parallel to the street followed by a photos of one of the street signs to be found along the road in this area. The the leaf colours are subtle but the reason why I took the first three shots was they way in which the sun was shining through the opening in the tree cover. However, it didn't look like much from the other side, so I'm glad I took this photos!

Along the trail going from the road to the western end of the mountain where the Horizon Restaurant and the cherry grove are located, I found some fungi growing out of a crack in a cut part of a tree trunk. I've included a close-up and a view from another angle. With the recent rains it was possible to see fungi in various places if you took the time to look carefully.

The above shot shows a view through the trees along the trail to Burrard Inlet below followed by a series of shots of the cherry trees behind the Horizon Restaurant. The colour on these trees seems to vary each year depending upon the variation in temperatures between day and night and other factors I guess. Variety is the spice of life as it's said, so I appreciate the differences each year.

This view shows Indian Arm at Burrard Inlet. There is an oil tanker anchored with a close-up shot below.

colour - autumn and otherwise

2009-10-07T06:57:00.000-07:00

During the last weekend of September I was in Vancouver to check out the autumn colour in Stanley Park. These are some of the photos that resulted from that visit. While the first two photos have nothing to do with fall colours, I found the design and colour of this highrise condo building along West Pender Street interesting. There are shops on the ground level and then condos above. This building is a few blocks east of where West Pender meets West Georgia Street. There are a number of buildings of interest in the area. Check it out if you're in the area.

The maples along West Georgia Street were starting to show some of their colours. This is in the block as we near Stanley Park.

critters

2009-09-23T06:49:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday while checking out Vancouver's Stanley Park using a route I haven't taken for a while, I found this little squirrel near the small bridge to the south of Lost Lagoon. It's called a Douglas' Squirrel and is fully grown. This squirrel is much smaller than the grey or black squirrels, which aren't native to this area by the way, but the Douglas' Squirrel is. I was easily able to get it to come closer for a great photo but each time people would come along it would dart for cover then come back out once they had passed. These are three photos that worked out fine. The others just had blurrs on them, the blurr being the darting squirrel. Another area of the park where you'll find this squirrel is around Beaver Lake (really just a large pond with lots of waterlies). If you love animals and other creatures, check the park out some time when you're in the area! - V.