Happy Halloween

So Halloween is a big deal here in North America. Not something we have really got into until this year when we are going to a friends for a big party. Apparently their fave holiday of the year.

We have opted for a low key costume and had to carve a pumpkin as bringing one is compulsory so that the whole house is surrounded by them??!

Here is our pumpkin. They are so easy to buy & very cheap for Halloween. This one cost $3.49.

After cutting a lid you scoop out the guts!
Then carve the face. At this point we wonder how many people end up in hospital with knife injuries?
Mojo was most bemused.

All done and ready for the fun!!

Happy Halloween everyone

Lighthouse Park, Oct 2009

A couple of weeks ago we revisited Lighthouse Park for a walk. It had been a good year or so since I had last been and of course Mojos first visit.

The forecast had been for the day to be bright and sunny but unfortunately it turned out to be more bright and overcast so not a great day in the end for photos, but there are a few here from our walk.

Views of a tanker anchored offshore

Looking back towards the city, on the skyline from left to right the Lions Gate Bridge, Stanley Park and Downtown.

Then a panorama view from Eagle Point. The background noise is the very noisy tanker offshore.

Then we saw a seal swimming in the water, not a great photo but you can just see it's head above the waterline

Views along the coastline of Lighthouse Park

Looking back at waterfront houses in West Vancouver

Mojo, king of the rock....and no, we haven't 'Photoshopped' his tongue, it really is huge !

More coastline views

Starboat Cove

We walked past the actual lighthouse without stopping as it was really busy and onto West Beach where we were treated to this view of a seal sat on a rock just offshore. It keeps looking down into the water, presumably hunting for fish.


Views of Passage Island (small) and Bowen Island (big island in the background)

Closer view of Passage Island

The Coastal Renaissance ferry returning from Vancouver Island heading for Hoseshoe Bay

Another panorama view, I think this one was from Shore Pine Point.

These views from Juniper Point looking across Howe Sound

And zoomed in on the Bowen Island ferry.

Lynn Headwaters, Sept 2009

I realised there were a couple of photos taken on a walk last month in Lynn Headwaters. It wasn't anywhere we hadn't been before, but it was a beautiful day and one of the last opportunities to see the peaks before they get snow covered again.

These views from the attractively named 3rd debris chute.




Down beside Lynn Creek

Mojo having a drink and paddle

Views of the neighbouring peaks

Practising our 'sit'

Thanksgiving Dinners

A couple of weeks ago it was Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada. Thanksgiving here is on a Monday, perhaps a little more practically than the Thursday it falls on in the US, so typically it turns into a big holiday weekend, usually the last chance for families to get together or away for a break before Christmas.

We enjoyed two dinners with friends over the weekend. On the Sunday we had Sig & Helen and the kids, plus their father Bill over to ours. We initially met up in the park and walked the dogs (they brought their black lab Buddy over) so the four-legged ones could burn up some energy and we could burn off a few calories in readiness for putting them back on !

David had already prepared the veg and the chicken and potatoes were in the oven before we went out so once back in the house half and hour of slaving in the kitchen by David and dinner was ready. Rather than a traditional Canadian thanksgiving dinner we prepared a good traditional English roast. Chickens, carrotts, peas, brocolli, cauliflower, roast parsnip and everyones favourite - roast potatoes. We even had Paxo sage & onion stuffing mix we found in a British import food shop.

Desert was made simply and do-it-yourself as we put together a chocolate fondue. Sig & Helen had brought loads of cut-up fruit, cream puffs and we already had some marshmallows so it might not have been the healthiest desert but it was definately good.

We have no idea where Bas managed to tuck so much desert away. Underneath the choclate dip & skor pieces there's a piece of fruit....honest.

Bill and Max enjoying desert

Bella & Sig pretending to be healthy and only eat the fruit

Max, Helen and Bas on the sofa with Buddy. We had been unsure how well Mojo would react to Buddy being in the house with him because although he's great out on walks with other dogs we've not had another dog in the house with him before. However,. Mojo was great, infact all he wanted to do with Buddy in the house was play with him.......continually.......which if anything just annoyed Buddy. Then again Buddy is a mature 5yr old rather than a sprightly 8mth old puppy.


The next day we were invited over to Deb & Bobs condo for a traditional Canadian Thanksgiving dinner, and a good-bye party as they were heading off the following day on a long sailing holiday around Australia.
This was more typical of a Canadian Thanksgiving meal with roast turkey, large salad, roast vegetables, mashed potatoes and candied yams.

All in all a fun weekend, a great practise run for Christmas !

Pitt Lake & Grant Narrows Regional Park

Last week Mojo and I explored a new area to us alongside the south end of Pitt Lake in Pitt Meadows. There is a long dyke running along the southside of the lake which connects up with a number of other gravel top dykes south of the lake which form the Grant Narrows Regional Park.

Views across the farmland in Pitt Meadows approaching the lake.

This is where the Pitt River leads off from the south end of the lake. Views here from the end of the lake / beginning of the river and looking up the lake, which is in total 25kms long.


Looking West down the River.


There are a number of privately owned cabins further up the lake accessed only by boat and a number of small craft passed us on the walk

Looking South over Grant Narrows Regional Park.

The flat gravel top dykes make easy walking

The view North across the lake opens up.

And a panorama of the lake and park. Aside from the quiet humm of a jet overhead on it's way to YVR, there's no other noise. The park is quite a long way from major roads.

While the lake does get deep in the middle (I believe 140m at its deepest point) the edges are very shallow. Mojo here running in to fetch a stick and barely getting his belly wet !

Mojo posing on the walk

As well as the motorboats on the lake there were a couple of people using a slower method of travel

There were a number of observation towers as we were walking in a protected wildlife habitat, the towers enable you to see further as well a into the tree canopys for bird watching

Looking East from an observation tower

Nearby peaks on the edge of Goldern Ears Provincial Park

Boat ramps

The Pitt River continues in a south westerly route away from the lake, before eventually joining the Fraser River and into the Pacific Ocean

More views of the Pitt River

Finally a panorama of the Pitt River, south west of the lake.

It was a terrific and easy walk which beautiful scenery was greatly enhanced by the great weather.