We took a three-day weekend for a trip to Kamloops and then down the Okanagan valley to Osoyoos, where we met some relatives.
View from the Merritt, BC, tourist information centre
Peterson Creek Park in Kamloops
A brooding, choppy Okanagan Lake
Windstorm Knocks Trees Down in Burnaby, BC
Several large trees came down in Byrne Creek Ravine Park in southeast Burnaby in the windstorm today.
These toppled just a few meters from our townhouse complex. Sure glad the wind wasn’t blowing the other way!
Just by chance I saw the one that landed on the trail come down (the one with my foot for size reference). I’d just peeked out the front door this morning, and saw it come crashing down.
City crews cleaned up fast!
Deer Lake Birds ‘n Blossoms
A two-hour ramble ’round Deer Lake in Burnaby, BC, today produced some nice shots.
Northern Flicker
Cormorant drying its wings
Salmonberry blossoms
More blossoms
LL Bean Customer Service Outstanding
I was disappointed that my new LL Bean cargo pants have developed a tear on a seam after just four or five wears.
But I am impressed with LL Bean customer service: a new pair will arrive in three to four days, along with a prepaid label to send the faulty pair back.
Thanks!
Oh, yeah, and it took less than two minutes to get through to a customer service representative on the phone. Impressive.
I like the Bean because they have a wide variety of men’s clothing with long inseams and arm lengths.
DFO Answers the Phone
I am very happy to post a positive comment today, because I’ve been feeling quite depressed and disillusioned in my volunteer stewardship efforts the last couple of weeks.
We live in an amazing country, Canadians.
Today I was working on a couple of letters to senior fisheries managers in Ottawa, as secretary for a volunteer advisory board to DFO. I wanted to check if I was writing to the appropriate people, so I searched the DFO online staff directory on their public website.
I found a couple of department and program Directors listed that appeared to be appropriate to my tasks, and there were phone numbers in addition to addresses. So I thought, what happens if I call?
What happened is that each Director personally answered the phone, and chatted with me about what I was trying to accomplish.
This is the first time in a long time that I’ve been able to say the phrase “my tax dollars at work” with a happy smile on my face.
Back to cranky curmudgeon tomorrow 🙂
Bounty of Birds at Reifel Sanctuary in Delta, BC
Yumi and I wandered the Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Delta, BC, for hours today. Tired, but happy with the number of species spotted and successfully “shot”.
Male red-winged blackbirds were putting on a show
American Coot
Juvenile baldy?
Why not take the biggest one?
Great Blue Heron in flight
Gone fishin’
Standing pretty
Lesser Scaup
Northern Pintail
Northern Harrier
Northern Shoveler
Ring-Necked Duck
Sandhill Crane
Taking cough syrup?
Having a scratch
Saw-Whet Owl
American Wigeon
Wood Duck
Spotted Towhee
Tom Cruise ain’t got nothin’ on me!
Byrne Creek Miniatures
My self-assignment today was to walk Byrne Creek Ravine Park in SE Burnaby and shoot photos using only my 35-year-old Micro-Nikkor 55mm/3.5 all-manual macro lens. I had a great time, and here are 32 shots on Flickr.
The experience was stimulating. Limiting the technology, and reverting to all-manual focus and exposure really made me concentrate, and look, and think.
It’s good to slow down…
Signs of Spring in Burnaby, BC
Had a lovely walk on Byrne Creek in SE Burnaby today. I was looking for salmon fry hatching out of the gravel and spotted several.
Coho fry
Byrne Creek’s Got Babies!
I’ve been looking for salmon fry in Byrne Creek in SE Burnaby, BC, the last several times I’ve gone on ravine walks. Today I spotted what was likely a coho fry, judging by its orange tail. Chum would likely have a clear tail, and I think it’s too early for cutthroat fry.
Not the greatest photo, but I’ll be shooting more whenever there’s a sunny day…
Flickers Flock to Burnaby, BC
I’ve been hearing, and seeing, lots of flickers around Burnaby, BC, these days. Saw at least three in Ron McLean Park on my daily walk today.
Not the best of shots, but had only my teeny pocket cam along, and the birds were being coy, playing hide and seek among the branches.
