People in your Neighborhood

We finally got some halfway decent weather in time for Car Free Day.  Our street shuts down to traffic and local artisans and business expand to fill the space. It makes for good people watching, dog watching and street meat.

Geordie and I stopped to listen to a guy rap about sandwiches while a pickle in a cowboy hat grooved. They guy in the red was really working it. It was a very enjoyable performance which made everyone laugh and clap in appreciation of sandwiches and dancing pickles. No drugs were involved in the taking of this picture. The homeless guy in the middle really ties the weirdness of our neighborhood together as retirees, hippies and the down and out all party together with a cowboy vegetable.

I don't like clowns. This particular one we see near Stanley Park fairly often. But on this Sunday he was plying his trade on Denman St. Kids balloons and mild acrobatics. Still not a fan but I appreciate the scuba fins.

Five Years of Bliss

 Today June 21 or yesterday (The Summer Solstice) depending on how you count it was Geordie and I's 5th wedding Anniversary! That is a whole hand!  So here is a picture from that lovely warm first day of summer in 2007!  

 This picture was taken in 2005 and was our first little vacation together. We are camping at Falcon Lake in Manitoba. We swam, went horseback riding and hiking, made an inukshuk and picked blueberries! This is back when Geordie wore white undershirts alot. He doesn't any more.....not sure why......

 So here we are now in 2012 in Sooke, BC. After eye surgery, a big move, and (at least for me) a couple of hair cuts this is us now. Loved the eye surgery, not the surgery itself but the results.  I appreciate all the wonderful time we have together and love the fact that I have had five whole years attached to the best man in the world that I love so much. I hope we have five million more.

Red-eared Sliders

They sound like they should be a spicey burger type but Red-eared Sliders are in fact these little turtles. They are invasive to Stanley Park from released pets. It is a really really bad thing to release any pet invasive or not into the wild so just be responsible and don't do it. At any rate Lost Lagoon is now home to lots of these guys. They disappear in the winter and come out in the spring and are very fun to see sunning themselves.  The trio below were charmingly lined up on a bit of exposed rock. All looking in the same direction they reminded me of famous trios such as The Three Tenors, The Three Muskateers and the Three Stooges.

The same rock but a pair. The one on the right is demonstrating Terrapin Tai Chi which is practiced only on sunny logs and rocks and combines Tai Chi with foot splaying stretches. This one is a long practisioner and he is demonstrating 'Green Turtle Cools Foot', an advanced pose which is held until the observer loses interest and wanders away.

Several weeks ago Geordie and I came across a balancing act. A turtle had crawled up and had precariously perched himself on this upjutting root of a fallen tree. Before the only contact the turtle had was his shell (perhaps another Terrapin Tai Chi pose). No camera on us though. Fortunately yesterday we had a camera (after we walked back and fetched one). This guy must be less advanced as he as that one foot on the tree.  Still he is has a very smug pleased expression and seem very happy as he performed a balancing act. This spot is hidden by the Nature house so keep an eye for it and you might be rewarded with this acrobat. How we got up there is a mystery as it seems high.

Lynn Canyon

Geordie and I used what is turning out to be the only nice day this Spring to hike Lynn Canyon. If we had a bit more forethought we may have done the back country but as it turns out we had a great time puttering around. We did get off the designated path though (don't be like us as it can be dangerous). Lynn Canyon is a nice secret place in North Van but it seems to be getting popular with tour buses. When we left there were tour groups and a large crowd on the Suspension Bridge so arrive early to beat the rush. Morning is best. Then there is just birds and the occasional dog walkers. The odd bear comes through too. The Bridge is 50 metres above the canyon and was independently built around 1912.

This was a good spot for birds. We watched American Dippers brave the cold waters. It was freezing cold from all the melt waters so I will give it some more time before I go swimming and wading. Careful where you do this though as the waters are fast.

Some of the trees are 100 years old. There are a few spots that have been logged a long time ago and you can still see some springboard hacks. Geordie has a fondness for little trees growing out of an old stump or nursury tree.  The photo below was taken with his fisheye lens.

Catatonically Cute Babies

Ah yes the time of year where a young girl's fancy turns to adorable baby animals. I had to re-solidify my brain several times this spring as this year's crop of baby things arrived into the world. Seriously, they are so cute my brain melted out of my ears and I went slightly catatonic. One of the earliest babies on the scene are Canada goslings. Each year we see proud parents with their brood. One of the best sights as them cuddling up in a heap or running with their wings all akimbo.

We live close to one of BC's Great Blue Heron colonies. This year a nest is in an excellent sight line from the ground and we could see a mother and what turned out to be three babies. The 3rd one's beak is poking out just in back of the middle ones. The adult is on the left. It happens that stronger chicks push out weaker ones. Last time we checked this nest on June 2 we could only see 2. Nonetheless heron babies are kind of ugly compared to the elegance of the adults but no less fun (and loud).

 

Lost Lagoon has many baby species. The mallards are starting to hatch. This lovely family was cuddled up right by the path and had amazing stopping power due to their overwhelming adoreableness.  These are so young they still have the egg tooth. I really like it when baby birds come in heaps so these guys would have charmed my socks off had I been wearing them. We checked on this family on June 2. The family of 7 seems to be down to 6 but they were all swimming, peeping and eating well.

 

Escargots Anyone?

 "There's a big snail on the balcony, you should check it out when you get home."
Sensible enough advise from a wife fascinated by all animals and sweet enough to humor my newfound macro obsession. About the width of a quarter I found this snail eating some bird droppings on the pavement and started playing around with my macro gear. Eventually I poked it a bit as it had retracted into its shell when I approached.

 "Sweet merciful God, why won't it stop screaming?" you are probably thinking at this point. Snails seem to be able to fold up and invert pretty much their entire head, to the point that its eyestalks (which are probably a third of its body length each) can be not only retracted into its shell, but withdrawn completely into its own head.

 Even a pair of tentacles by its mouth (that they apparently use to smell) are likewise suctioned right into the head, presumably so nothing is dangling out and an easy meal for a passing bird. Once the face fully flopped out it peered around with its eyestalks peering in different directions and surveying its surroundings for predators or anything else that should concern it.

Once again I appreciate macro photography for taking the more insignificant things in life and making them stunning. I have seen thousands of snails in my life but rarely stop to take in what a marvel of biology they are in their own right.

It's All Just Bricks in The Wall

Geordie and I  have been to quite a few big name concerts. Seeing Roger Waters nee Pink Floyd's The Wall has always been on my must see list.  Geordie and I saw him when he did Dark Side of the Moon and it was amazing and The Wall was no less then 3 hours of mind-freak fantasticness.  We were stressing about getting in as we had showed up half an hr early and there was a 45 minute wait. Security processing was glacial and problematic. A serious problem as the concert had started and there was still lots of people outside. We made it by the skin of our teeth.  So 'Boo' to bad ticket taking setup but 'Yah' to instantly on the scene medics who aided someone who had gotten badly hurt outside.

Thanks to Chris Arnott who lent us a little point and shoot. Not the best quality camera but we knew we would not be allowed in with our professional gear. The photo below was taken during the polyrhythmic 'Bring the Boys Back Home'. Projections were put on the ever growing wall of Pink's (Roger Waters) isolation. They did some really neat stuff with the lighting and puppetry. A very visual show.

It's not a PF show without a floating pig.  And quasi-Nazi costumes.  And marching hammers. And a gun that fires very convincing blanks. You could see the shells coming out! Our seats were pretty good being just slightly to stage left directly across. Though in the photo below it looks like the hammer flags are drapped over the wall it is actually light projections. On the right behind the scaffolding you can see Waters firing that gun. I like that concerts are filming and projecting the performers so those in the nose bleeds can see.  Oh and they also crashed a plane  into flames onto the stage but I was too busy saying 'GAH!' to grab the camera. So if you ever get a chance go see!