I took a pre-dinner walk around Byrne Creek ravine in south Burnaby, and though the rain had slowed to a drizzle the amount of water roaring through the creek was impressive.
All posts by Paul Cipywnyk
Rainy Sojourn up the Sea to Sky
I took advantage of a day off to head up the Sea to Sky highway to the Squamish, BC, area to shoot some photos despite the overcast, rainy weather.
Juggling umbrella and camera before leaving the car
Cheakaumus River high and dirty
Lush rain forest flanking the Paradise Valley Road
A stop at Porteau Cove on the way home
Harlequin ducks at Porteau Cove
Dangerous Driving Getting Out of Hand in BC’s Lower Mainland
I’d like to add a few observations and experiences to the recent conversation about pedestrian deaths and dangerous driving. More people are driving badly in BC’s lower mainland, and we need significantly stepped-up education and enforcement to modify behaviour.
In the last year or two I’ve experienced the following:
- Nearly getting T-boned, not once, but twice, at T intersections in south Burnaby, when drivers blew stop signs. In both cases, they didn’t even slow down.
- Nearly getting rear-ended on a regular basis all over the lower mainland because I am apparently one of the few drivers left who actually stops at stop signs.
- In a follow-up to the above comment, I estimate that over 90% of drivers who approach the stop sign on Rumble St. in south Burnaby at the intersection with Griffiths Dr. do not come to a complete stop.
- Coming to a complete stop before turning right on a red light? Oh, please, might spill the coffee, eh?
- In the only accident that I’ve been involved in in the last 40 years, I was rear-ended when I stopped at a crosswalk for a pedestrian. The driver who hit me had time to blow her horn, but strangely not enough time to hit her brakes, though the pedestrian was well off the curb and onto the road.
- I have been passed several times in school zones during school hours when I had the temerity to slow to the 30km/hour zone limit.
- I have had folks honk at me when I have stopped and clearly indicated with my turn signal that I am going to parallel park.
- What about speed limits? What speed limits?! I’d say the average speed in some 50km/hour zones in Burnaby like the Royal Oak hill, the Southridge hill, etc., is likely around 75km/hour. If you do less than 65km/hour, you’re a hazard.
Some time ago I noted in a FB post that I used to enjoy driving, but it’s becoming stressful. I’ve driven Canada from coast to coast, I’ve driven much of the US, I’ve driven in major metropolises like Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Toronto, Madrid, Barcelona, Sydney, Melbourne. . . And never felt as unsafe as I now do here at home.
I wish folks would wake up, wise up, take responsibility, and realize that driving is a privilege that requires practice, skill, and concentration.
Fashion? Me?
Some time ago several of us were chatting on FB about fashion, and its potentially hugely negative impact on the environment. I mentioned that in our little family, I wear stuff until it’s threadbare, and my wife does most of her clothes shopping at thrift stores.
As I was working in my home office today, it occurred to me that what I’m wearing at the moment is an excellent example. It’s a Russell Athletics sweatshirt that I bought at Oshman’s Harajuku in Tokyo over 20 years ago. This has been one tough sweatshirt!
Microsoft’s Windows 10 Update Bricks my Computer – Again!
Microsoft’s latest Windows 10 update has bricked my main computer twice. I am fortunate to keep regular images of my C: drive, but still, each time it’s taken hours to swap drives and restore everything.
I keep clicking on the postpone update message, hoping they’ll get their act together and release something stable. I’ve gone into update preferences and attempted to shut down updates. Yet it appears that the second time MS went ahead and overrode my preferences.
This is extremely aggravating, time-consuming, and costly. And I’m not the only one. Sharing my experiences on social media has turned up plenty of folks, some in major institutions complete with IT departments, who have had the same problem.
Yes, I have Mac and Linux boxes, too, but my workflow has been Windows based for decades, with various utilities and such that I’m loath to give up, or find equivalents for on other OSes.
Meanwhile, today I bought another HD, so that I can keep multiple images of my C: drive. At least having imaged drives reduces the aggravation somewhat, in addition to regular data backups on NAS devices for additional insurance.
Porteau Cove Blues
I took advantage of a day off and sunny skies to head up the Sea to Sky a ways north of Vancouver today. One of my favourite places to stop is Porteau Cove Provincial Park.
Foggy Byrne Creek Ravine Park Walk
After we got back from birding on Boundary Bay today, we decided we still needed a bit more exercise, so we did a Byrne Creek Ravine loop in the fog.
Boundary Bay Dyke Attracts International Photo Gearheads
There were great gaggles of homo sapiens sapiens photographerensis on the Boundary Bay dyke near 72nd today.
This is fast becoming an international destination for nature photogearheads. There must have been nearly half a million dollars of photo gear on the dyke today.
And this is what had all the photogs salivating today — likely the same short-eared owl that I shot there a week or two ago. This owl ought to get an agent and start cashing in 
.
Barnet Marine Park Birding
George Clulow led another of his informative birding walks for Burnaby Parks this morning at Barnet Marine Park.
Sorry honey, Christmas is Long Gone
Aw, sorry honey, Christmas is over. . .
Took down all the lights today. Sigh.
Kitty is mourning the Xmas tree again this year.
I finally took it down today, and “butchered” it in the garage, keeping it for campfire kindling this coming camping season.
And just as in previous years, Choco the Cat has been crying at the door to the garage, going in and sniffing at the remains, and repeating the process.