Eagle Mountain

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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