Friday, October 09, 2009
Raccoons
We were surprised one morning this week to find a family of three raccoons walking around in the front garden. We have seen three (and presumably these same three) raccoons on several occasions in the garden at night but this was particularly unusual seeing them during the day.
Dog Mountain - Sept 2009
A week or two ago the weather was forecast to be good so Mojo and I headed onto Dog Mountain on Seymour Provincial Park.
Lots of sunlight through the forest
Mojo sitting to attention, while still nice and clean.
Arriving at First Lake.
A cabin is perched on the bluff above the lake
Down beside First Lake.
A brief panorama of First Lake. It was beautifully peaceful & quiet (with the exception of Mojos annoying bear bell).
Up on the mountain it was a glorious, blue-sky day
Mojo managed to get really mucky racing around First Lake and some of the trail was wet as we had quite a lot of rainfall in a few of the days preceeding our walk.
Once up on Dog Mountain we discovered that the lower elevations had become very hazy and cloudy. Very little of the city can be seen
However, the higher level views West & North over Grouse and surrounding peaks were beautiful and clear
A zoomed in view of the new wind-turbine & observation tower being constructed on the top of Grouse Mountain. Since this photo was taken they have now completed the tower, added the viewing pod and the blades for the turbine.
More views of the surrounding peaks
A very hazy glimpse of Lower Lonsdale comes into view
You can just make out the silhouette of Mt Baker
Finally another view at the views to the North and we head back down through the forest to the car.
Lots of sunlight through the forest
Mojo sitting to attention, while still nice and clean.
Arriving at First Lake.
A cabin is perched on the bluff above the lake
Down beside First Lake.
A brief panorama of First Lake. It was beautifully peaceful & quiet (with the exception of Mojos annoying bear bell).
Up on the mountain it was a glorious, blue-sky day
Mojo managed to get really mucky racing around First Lake and some of the trail was wet as we had quite a lot of rainfall in a few of the days preceeding our walk.
Once up on Dog Mountain we discovered that the lower elevations had become very hazy and cloudy. Very little of the city can be seen
However, the higher level views West & North over Grouse and surrounding peaks were beautiful and clear
A zoomed in view of the new wind-turbine & observation tower being constructed on the top of Grouse Mountain. Since this photo was taken they have now completed the tower, added the viewing pod and the blades for the turbine.
More views of the surrounding peaks
A very hazy glimpse of Lower Lonsdale comes into view
You can just make out the silhouette of Mt Baker
Finally another view at the views to the North and we head back down through the forest to the car.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Sheena Easton
On 25th September we went to see Sheena Easton at the River Rock Casino in Richmond. I was somewhat uncertain that this was a very good idea, but was veto'd by David after I wouldn't let us go to a show she was performing in Las Vegas a few years back.
I was pehaps sceptical more due to ignorance as I couldn't really name any music I knew of hers I was just under the impression she produced bad '80's pop rubbish. Well, actually yes she does produce some of that but she is also quite a strong female vocal performer who kicks out some reasonable slower ballad and folk numbers too.
The other great aspect of her show was that it was in the small River Rock Theatre so we were in row 'K', just 11 rows back which made it an intimate environment, great acoustics and you could clearly see and hear her both when performing and talking.
I was pehaps sceptical more due to ignorance as I couldn't really name any music I knew of hers I was just under the impression she produced bad '80's pop rubbish. Well, actually yes she does produce some of that but she is also quite a strong female vocal performer who kicks out some reasonable slower ballad and folk numbers too.
The other great aspect of her show was that it was in the small River Rock Theatre so we were in row 'K', just 11 rows back which made it an intimate environment, great acoustics and you could clearly see and hear her both when performing and talking.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
False Creek Seawall
A couple of days before Mum and Dad were to return home the weather was good and I wasn't tied up on appointments so we ventured into the city for a walk neither David or I had done before.
We walked the seawall around False Creek. We have completed the section around Stanley Park a number of times but the same seawall continues around most of the downtown penninsula and made a nice urban waterside stroll. The total loop is approximately 10kms although we did a little less than this as we took the Aquabus from Granville Island to Stamps Landing, cutting out perhaps 1.5kms.
So we parked on the South side of False Creek and walked to the waters edge near Stamps Landing.
Views here across False Creek towards the Yaletown neighbourhood of downtown.
Looking due North from the south side of the inlet again at Yaletown
Looking in a North Westerly direction towards downtown, the dome of BC Place just appears on the right and the Cambie Street bridge is here also.
We walk a little further along in an anti-clockwise direction so soon Science World appears at the end of the inlet.
Looking across to Coopers Point, BC Place behind and the Northshore mountains in the distance
We walk along the front of the Olympic Village, which is nearing completion ready for the Winter Games in February 2010. The landscaping incorporates a sensitive man-made eco-system, which we don't think is quite functioning yet given the state of the tidal creek in the foreground.
We get closer to Science World and will indeed walk along front of it, around the back of the inlet and then along the North side of False Creek. Science World was built as part of the Expo '86 fair and has remained a landmark building and tourist attraction in the city.
This is the Plaza of Nations which was also built as part of the Expo '86 fair. However this building was only designed to be temporary so in 2007 much of the site was demolished as the repairs and maintenance became unviable. It had originally housed a 4,500 seat open-air but covered auditorium plus further indoor conference and meeting facilities. The auditorium and associated office blocks have been torn down but the conference facilities have been converted and now house the Edgewater Casino.
Mojo and I
A group taking dragon boat lessons
Dad, Mum and I
We stop outside Science World for some lunch. Shortly after we continue our walk, this view across the park next to Science World looking towards the condo towers on Quebec St with the skytrain in front.
A good view of the two stadiums. BC Place on the left - home of the BC Lions and large concerts such as the Madonna show we went to earlier this year. On the right is GM Place which is home to the Canucks and smaller stage concerts such as the Bon Jovi and James Blunt shows we had been to.
A good view looking back across False Creek to the Olympic Village we had walked along the front of earlier. The assortment of towers will house the athletes for the games next year and then be sold off as condos afterwards.
Looking back up False Creek, Plaza of Nations on the left and Science World on the right.
A couple of art pieces on the North side of the inlet
We continue on the North Side of False Creek here we are adjacent to David Lam Park.
A funky new condo tower The Erikson being built.
This view is looking South over False Creek neighbourhood with the waterfront Charleson Park in the foreground.
View back to Stamps Landing where we had started our walk, and will return to by water taxi shortly.
View of Granville Street bridge
House boats along the side of the inlet
We walked under the Granville Street the view here across to Granville Island.
Looking West towards the Burrard Street bridge.
We then catch the first of two water taxis, or Aquabus as they are called.
The first Aquabus took us across False Creek to Granville Island, where we needed to change and get another one up the inlet back to Stamps Landing close to where the car was parked. Dad, Mum, Mojo and I waiting for the second of the Aquabus
Mum and Dad on the Aquabus
Mojo tolerates the ride although would have prefered to stay on dry land.
In fact Mojo is quite exhausted after this walk as it was actually his second one of the day having had a long off-leash stick throwing kind of a walk in the morning and then this longer on-leash stroll. He was ready to get home and snooze.
An excellent walk making terrific use of the waterfront and gave a different perspective to the city.
We walked the seawall around False Creek. We have completed the section around Stanley Park a number of times but the same seawall continues around most of the downtown penninsula and made a nice urban waterside stroll. The total loop is approximately 10kms although we did a little less than this as we took the Aquabus from Granville Island to Stamps Landing, cutting out perhaps 1.5kms.
So we parked on the South side of False Creek and walked to the waters edge near Stamps Landing.
Views here across False Creek towards the Yaletown neighbourhood of downtown.
Looking due North from the south side of the inlet again at Yaletown
Looking in a North Westerly direction towards downtown, the dome of BC Place just appears on the right and the Cambie Street bridge is here also.
We walk a little further along in an anti-clockwise direction so soon Science World appears at the end of the inlet.
Looking across to Coopers Point, BC Place behind and the Northshore mountains in the distance
We walk along the front of the Olympic Village, which is nearing completion ready for the Winter Games in February 2010. The landscaping incorporates a sensitive man-made eco-system, which we don't think is quite functioning yet given the state of the tidal creek in the foreground.
We get closer to Science World and will indeed walk along front of it, around the back of the inlet and then along the North side of False Creek. Science World was built as part of the Expo '86 fair and has remained a landmark building and tourist attraction in the city.
This is the Plaza of Nations which was also built as part of the Expo '86 fair. However this building was only designed to be temporary so in 2007 much of the site was demolished as the repairs and maintenance became unviable. It had originally housed a 4,500 seat open-air but covered auditorium plus further indoor conference and meeting facilities. The auditorium and associated office blocks have been torn down but the conference facilities have been converted and now house the Edgewater Casino.
Mojo and I
A group taking dragon boat lessons
Dad, Mum and I
We stop outside Science World for some lunch. Shortly after we continue our walk, this view across the park next to Science World looking towards the condo towers on Quebec St with the skytrain in front.
A good view of the two stadiums. BC Place on the left - home of the BC Lions and large concerts such as the Madonna show we went to earlier this year. On the right is GM Place which is home to the Canucks and smaller stage concerts such as the Bon Jovi and James Blunt shows we had been to.
A good view looking back across False Creek to the Olympic Village we had walked along the front of earlier. The assortment of towers will house the athletes for the games next year and then be sold off as condos afterwards.
Looking back up False Creek, Plaza of Nations on the left and Science World on the right.
A couple of art pieces on the North side of the inlet
We continue on the North Side of False Creek here we are adjacent to David Lam Park.
A funky new condo tower The Erikson being built.
This view is looking South over False Creek neighbourhood with the waterfront Charleson Park in the foreground.
View back to Stamps Landing where we had started our walk, and will return to by water taxi shortly.
View of Granville Street bridge
House boats along the side of the inlet
We walked under the Granville Street the view here across to Granville Island.
Looking West towards the Burrard Street bridge.
We then catch the first of two water taxis, or Aquabus as they are called.
The first Aquabus took us across False Creek to Granville Island, where we needed to change and get another one up the inlet back to Stamps Landing close to where the car was parked. Dad, Mum, Mojo and I waiting for the second of the Aquabus
Mum and Dad on the Aquabus
Mojo tolerates the ride although would have prefered to stay on dry land.
In fact Mojo is quite exhausted after this walk as it was actually his second one of the day having had a long off-leash stick throwing kind of a walk in the morning and then this longer on-leash stroll. He was ready to get home and snooze.
An excellent walk making terrific use of the waterfront and gave a different perspective to the city.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)