Chasing the twilight at Fraser Foreshore Park and Taylor Park in south Burnaby, BC.
Unpacking Folk Songs?
From the overanalyzing folk songs files:
I have this Ukrainian folk song running in my head. It’s a humorous song about a cowardly kozak who is attracted to a girl and her aromatic pyrohy/perogies.
But a group of hunters comes along, and carries off the girl and the perogies.
So in the punch line/final stanza the kozak wails: “Oh you horrible enemies, take the girl but bring back the perogies!”
Ha ha ha. . .
I have several recordings of this song ranging from polka bands to an opera-style baritone backed by a small orchestra.
I know, I know, folks have been chortling at this song for centuries, but there is a message to unpack. . .
No idea why this popped into my mind today, but there you go.
Superb Birding Day at Fraser Foreshore Park in Burnaby
Several hours spent wandering Fraser Foreshore Park in south Burnaby, BC, resulted in lots of birds seen!
Bald Eagles
Screaming Red-Tailed Hawk
Ring-Necked Duck
Great Blue Heron
Gadwall
Wood Duck
White-Crowned Sparrow
Steller’s Jay
Spotted Towhee
Starling
Golden-Crowned Sparrow
Brooding Bridge, Birds, Berries in SE Burnaby, BC
I walked from Edmonds Skytrain Station in SE #Burnaby to 22nd St. Station and back after lunch. It was quiet, only a couple of Anna’s Hummingbirds (one at our feeder and one on the trail), a few robins, and assorted sparrows in Taylor Park.
There were some lovely colors to be found in berries and leaves along the way. . .
The Alex Fraser Bridge as seen from the urban trail. Deliberately underexposed to enhance the brooding appearance.
Lots of Mergansers in the Hood
On our ramble to and around Central Park in #Burnaby today, we saw lots of Hooded Mergansers in a pond.
Feeling Squirrelly in Central Park, Burnaby
We were feeling squirrelly and needed to stretch our legs, so we walked from our place at the east end of #Burnaby all the way to Central Park at the west end of Burnaby and back.
According to Google Maps, it was about an 11 km ramble.
We hadn’t walked Central Park in a few years but the fluffy-tailed rodents welcomed us back. They are fed constantly, so can be pretty aggressive.
Finches, Blackbirds ‘n More in South Surrey
Finches, Red-Winged Blackbirds, Golden-Crowned Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, Junco. . . Historic Stewart Farm, South Surrey, BC.
Hawk Watching Sunset at Fraser Foreshore Park
There was a lovely sunset late this afternoon at Fraser Foreshore Park in SE #Burnaby, BC, and this hawk seemed to be enjoying it, too. . .
Salmonella Killing Pine Siskins – Please Remove Feeders
Yumi found this dead Pine Siskin yesterday. She picked it up using a plastic bag, and buried it.
She found it near the Green townhouse complex on Southridge Dr. in SE Burnaby, not far from Taylor Park Elementary School.
It exhibited the symptoms of salmonellosis — emaciated, discharge at mouth, etc. Do not touch birds with bare hands, this can spread to other species.
Please take down your feeders, folks, as more cases of salmonellosis are being reported. Apparently Pine Siskins are particularly vulnerable as they flock to feeders around this time of year.
The advice is to take your feeder down for at least two weeks, and clean up any seeds on the ground.
More info in this Burnaby Now story about Wildlife Rescue.
When Your Product Sells Itself
Our consummately professional and constantly bantering Toyota saleswoman contacted us to wish us a happy new year and let us know that she’d love to discuss new-car-smell options with us 
.
We have a RAV4 Hybrid, and it’s been a solid vehicle with a combo of AWD, phenomenal pep, super gas mileage particularly in town where the electric drive gets the most use, and perfect reliability.
Just out of curiosity we asked about the RAV4 Prime, a plug-in hybrid version that can run on electricity only for about 70km before the hybrid gas/electric system kicks in.
She laughed and said, “you can give me a deposit on a RAV4 Prime today, and you can expect delivery in two to three years.” She wasn’t kidding. . .
Apparently they can’t get enough of them and have long waiting lists.