Monthly Archives: April 2020

Nature, Photography

Eagle Creek Walk in Burnaby Yields Flickers, Woodpeckers

We had an order to pick up in north Burnaby today, so we took the opportunity to stretch our legs on trails near Eagle Creek and Squint Lake. Access to the lake was closed, but other trails were open, and there were almost no people using them.

Happy to spot a Northern Flicker grooming, a Downy Woodpecker, and assorted flora.

northern flicker burnaby bc

downy woodpecker burnaby bc

walking eagle creek burnaby bc


It’s interesting that in some parts of Burnaby salmonberry blossoms are nearly done, while in other areas they’re still strong. Different elevations and microclimates. . .

Food, Nature, Photography, Sustainability

Starting My Victory Garden

Another home project: got 60 liters of soil and a bag of seed potatoes.

We don’t have garden space to speak of aside from our townhouse balcony, but we do have a wood half-barrel that we can move to a sunny spot beside the garage.

The barrel is in pretty sad shape, with the hoops fallen like old socks, but the wood is still pretty solid so I think with some TLC I can revive it.

Haven’t grown potatoes in over 40 years, but this should be fun.

potato barrel
Moving the old barrel into place and fixing it up a bit


Adding soil and seed potatoes


Finished. Plenty of room to add soil as plants grow. . .

Yumi is the green thumb in our little family, but she says I’m on my own for this one .

Total cost was $6.50 for the soil, some of which Yumi will use for potted plants and flowers to help support our balcony mason bee box. Add a buck or two for the seed potatoes, and if my foray into farming is not very successful, it’s not like we’ll be out a big investment!

Business, Society

What Happened to the $1 A Year Men?

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau?

Finance Minister Bill Morneau?

Members of Parliament?

Canadian corporate execs?

There used to be a tradition in Canada, and other advanced nations, that if you were in politics, and wealthy, in times of trouble like WWI or WWII,  you’d quit drawing on the public purse.

Same for corporate executives.

Here’s a reference for you:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-dollar_salary

Yes, overall your salaries are a tiny slice of the national budget, but symbolically they are huge.

Apologies to women, it has been evident that nations run by women have been much faster to step up to issues like this.

Photography

Living Room Still Life

Obi (kimono sash), kame (turtle), piano, light saber still life.

Noticed this beam of light zapping the piano lamp as I headed up from my basement office to get a coffee this morning.

The only adjustment I made was to move the turtle a bit. . .

obi sash kame turtle light beam

Society, Technology, Travel

Washington on History Channel

Watched the first episode of Washington on the History Channel tonight. Well done, warts and all. Looking forward to seeing more.

When the family lived in NYC for a few years in the late 60s/early 70s, I was was the blossoming pre-teen history nut who insisted we visit every Revolutionary War and Civil War site within weekend driving distance. . . .

One of the interesting things about both of those multi-year conflicts is how many of the major battles and events transpired in what we today consider relatively small areas geographically.

It’s something I found hard to get across to kids when I did my teaching degree with a major in history — that people/armies walked everywhere and lived off the land. That at best it would take months for communications to cross the Atlantic Ocean and back. . . .

Heck, even when my ancestors came to Canada in the late 19th/early 20th C, they knew it was a one-way trip and that they would likely never see their families, friends, and neighbours face-to-face again.

Japan, Nature, Photography, Travel

Photo Review & Sorting Project Reveals Cool Photos

I have reached the end of 2007 in my stay-at-home review of my photo archives. Deleting some redundant shots, and posting some old “finds” to FB.

Here are a few from today:

garter snake byrne creek burnaby bc
Northwestern Garter Snake on the Byrne Creek dike in SE Burnaby, BC in October, 2007. We used to run across snakes at least a few times every summer, but the last few years sighting have dwindled to near zero.


Black-Crowned Night Heron in Inokashira Park in western Tokyo, Japan, October 2007.

black-crowned night heron Tokyo Japan
Juveniles?

ruddy kingfisher nagasaki japan
Ruddy Kingfisher, Nagasaki, Japan, fall 2007.

koi nagasaki japan
Koi, Nagasaki, Japan, fall 2007.

egret nagasaki japan
Egret, Nagasaki, Japan, fall 2007

herons hiroshima japan
Herons on the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima, Japan, fall 2007.


In this overall view, the herons are top right, on the flashing at the second ring from the top.