sunset

This was the view of the sunset late this afternoon as seen from the western end of Burnaby Mountain.  The sun is setting behind Vancouver Island to the west.  The temperature was warm (nearing 10 degrees Celsius), so with the water still on the cool side, a low-hanging mist formed over the water while the sky in general was clear except for the odd cloud.  Those were very high in the sky.  Enjoy! - V

beaches, summer flowers and sunsets

On Saturday afternoon (September 11th) I went into Vancouver to have a look at the annual flower planting at Denman and Davie Streets plus also have another look at English Bay Beach and Sunset Beach. The cloud pattern also got my interest as well. These are some of the photos that resulted.

Aside from the clouds, the first order of priority was to get some photos of the colourful annual flowers at the corners I mentioned. The flowers were still there last Saturday when I paid another visit to Vancouver (September 19) but I don't expect them to be there for too much longer since spring tulip bulbs will be replacing them.

If you can get a chance to see these flowers before they're gone, do so! Meantime, the cloud pattern above also got my attention and you'll see quite a number of photos with these clouds in them. I'm always looking for something different or out of the ordinary! This set of photos was taken along Beach Avenue above English Bay Beach and more at Sunset Beach as far as the base of Burrard Street Bridge. I do hope you enjoy them all.

The annual plants and flowers in this area was also worth seeing. They didn't look like much back in May but they certainly had grown quite a bit throuh the summer months. That's a close-up of a coleus plant above. Below you can see the cloud pattern above the fan palm which looks like a big bird in the sky to me. How about you?

Sunset Beach also had a few annual plants below and near the few fan palms seen there. That's a eucalytus plant above and in the photo below is a mix to eucalytus, Russian sage and other annual plants.

Then looking into English Bay from below the Burrard Street Bridge is this view of Bowen Island and the mountians surrounding Howe Sound not to mention all the boats on the water that day.

The series of photos above show the cloud pattern and view of English Bay. Then below that are more photos of the fan palms and the annual plants at Sunset Beach before we end with the coming sunset at English Bay Beach. Enjoy the photos and comment if you wish!!! - V.

Sunset

Late in the afternoon today just before sunset someone brought the colour of the clouds to my attention and had also asked if I had a camera. Well, I went outside with my little HP digital camera and took a couple of photos but the sun was setting fast, so the scene was changing quickly. Since this camera only has 6.2 megapixels, it would have been better using my Sony DSLR at 10.2 megapixels but it was back at home. Enjoy these photos nonetheless with the winter olympic village in the background, the setting sun behind that complex! - Volker

Sculptures on Burnaby Mountain: Kamui Mintara, or "Playground of the Gods" - Part II

This post is a continuation of the previous one on the sculptures on Burnaby Mountain: Kamui Mintara, or "Playground of the Gods." The view from the western end of the mountain is magnificent any time of the year. The photos in this series were taken in early and mid-February 2008. Above is a view of Capital Hill (foreground) with Stanley Park and Hollyburn Mountain in the background in a winter setting. Then the photo below shows the snow-covered Coast Mountains (looking north), also in early February.

The western part of the mountain has plenty of activity in the winter with snowboarding as just one example. In summer there is plenty of other activity such as picnics, people admiring the flowers in the rosegarden or just taking in the scenery, which is reason enough to visit the mountain. Then the day I went to visit in early February I stayed late to see the sunset and to see the moon coming up from the east plus take in the sight of two bald eagles soaring overhead. I have seen 13 bald eagles so far this year, most of them at Burnaby Mountain with five being the most I've seen at one time!

Part of Kamui Mintara at sunset (Feb) can be seen in the photo above and the series of plaques in front of the sculptures are pictured below. The plaques tell the story behind the symbolism of the work and the connection between the Ainu of Japan and the Gods that brought them into being. So a question comes to mind: Who were these "Gods" and where did the Ainu come from originally??? Decide for yourself!

Kamui Mintara shown above at sunset and a bald eagle soaring overhead seen in the photo below. I only got a few photos of one of the pair though it would have been great to get both in the same shot.

The piece in the photo above is pointing directly at Kushiro, Japan (Hokkaido) across the Pacific Ocean. Note the Ainu word for the region in the name: Hokkaido. Enjoy the photos, and the scenery! - Volker