Blogging

Shortly after I came out to British Columbia in early 2006 I had a case of severely high blood pressure. It wouldn't have been fair to an employer for me to work for them until I got my health situation sorted out. I was on medications to lower the blood pressure and it took until early 2007 to find the cause. I finally went to a naturopath who found that a microscopic parasite was the cause for all this.

While getting my health in order, I took up blogging to share my photography. This way I wasn't wasting time and others got to enjoy the photos, not just me and those close to me.

In May of this year I had a mini-stroke cause again by severely high blood pressure. I may end up gong to the naturopath again since the specialist and other MDs can't seem to find the cause. This has only been a problem out here. Before that in Ontario, the blood pressure was only marginally high, not severely high like in BC.

Knowledge is good because being forewarned is forearmed!

All that said, enjoy this blog and all the photos I share with you.

Monday, December 31, 2007

Snow in the Mountains

Well, the lower Fraser Valley may be green, as the above photo of Hastings Park in Vancouver will attest, but the mountains certainly have snow. The image below is of Grouse Mountain on the north side of Burrard Inlet. There is certainly enough snow to make the skiers happy! These photos were taken a week ago today (Monday). It was sunny, above freezing temperature-wise but there was a cold wind blowing which made it feel much colder than the thermometer would suggest.

In the Heights, a suburb of north Burnaby founded in 1909, I found a beautiful Monkey Puzzle tree back in October and couldn't resist taking a few more photos. The first image is of the crown and the second is of the whole tree on a side street. It's not the largest specimen I've seen (there are much larger ones in the area) but it will give you an idea what the tree looks like. There will be more photos later since I plan a trip to Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver where large trees are found.

Monday, December 24, 2007

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas is fast approaching, so to get you in the mood, here are some lights from St. Paul's Hospital on Burrard Street in Vancouver. These photos are from last year though but they're up again this year as bright and beautiful as ever. My work schedule (and the weather) doesn't allow me to get around as much as the previous year unless the days off and the weather co-operate. Enjoy these images just the same.


Merry Christmas - Joyeux Noel - Frohe Weihnachten - God Jul
However you say it and however you care to celebrate the Holiday Season, have a wonderful, safe Christmas!

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Boundary Road Photos

Last week during a break in all the rain and before the colder weather with snow came, I got off the bus early and decided to walk the rest of the way home after a night of work. The fresh air and the walk did me good. Despite the approaching winter, all is not dead and lifeless yet. There are some shrubs in flower and colurful berries to see. Note the holly berries below.

I believe this is a larch tree but the photo below is of the crown of a Monkey Puzzle tree plus a close-up shot. The Christmas season is fast approaching! Perhaps these images will help inspire you.

Autumn Colour on Burnaby Mountain

After just over two months without the internet, I'm back. Toward the end of October I took this photo of a grove of cherry trees in colour. They are on the western end of Burnaby Mountain behind the Horizon Restaurant. Enjoy! There will be more to come.