Welcome to our home
New Year's Day family photo...at 5 AM before David and Joel went back to Ohio. Happy 2009
New Year's Day family photo...at 5 AM before David and Joel went back to Ohio. Happy 2009
New Christmas Decoration
I have a collection of snowmen and noticed that there is a new snowman in the collection this morning.
Another View
This is a view looking from the side. You can see the one "wayward" screw is really doing its job. Hopefully this hardware will just remain permanently, but some people have to have it removed at some point.
One View of my Hardware
This is a view of my post op hardware. This view is looking front to back with the hardware going up the inside of my ankle. Everyone comments on the one "wayward" screw. It is just the angle. It is not through the plate, but is instead holding the two pieces of bone together.
Christmas Crow
There is nothing like a crow to brighten your day! This one was outside the conservatory and made me smile.
Owl at Sunset
We stopped by the airport so David could get some pictures of airplanes and found this short eared owl on the fence at sunset. It is always a good day when you see an owl!
Joel and David
Joel and David at the Conservatory
Golden Pheasant
This guy was wandering around and caught my eye. The picture does not do him justice! His colors were amazing.
More Poinsettias
We had no idea there were so many different varieties of poinsettias.
Bloedel Conservatory
We visited the conservatory today and they had many Poinsettias on display. They also have hundreds of tropical birds free flying in the dome.
David and Mom at the Pier
I could have never made it to the end of the pier on crutches so it was nice to have the wheel chair.
David and Joel at the Pier
David received a new camera for Christmas so we went to the pier to let him try it out.
White Rock Pier at Christmastime
The pier is lit with multicolored lights at Christmastime. Joel rented a wheel chair and took me to the end of the pier to see the view. I suggested that he just push me over the end of the pier and be done with me, but he opted to keep me. He is taking excellent care of me.
Albert and Amos are Excited
If the cats would leave the ornaments alone, it would be much better but when they are resting peacefully under the tree, they are extremely cute. Amos even put his favortie toy "purple glitter ball" under the tree.
David to the Rescue
David, having been through surgery on his leg years before, knew how to comfort me. A hug goes a long way!
Fracture Boot before surgery
for the first ten days, I was in this fracture boot. While it was quite painful, I liked the fact that I could take it off and take a real shower.
Flowers from some coworkers
Beautiful and fragrant flowers from the Sales team arrived to brighten my day.....
Holiday Sailboats
After the accident, we had to hike about a half mile back to the car on the fractured ankle. While I knew that we needed to go find an ER to get things looked at, it was also the one night of the year that people in White Rock decorate their sailboats and sail past the pier. We pulled up to the curb to get one shot before heading home to find the closest emergency room. While the boats are blurry, you can see Orcas Island, this time from White Rock, in the background.
Orcas Island
Orcas Island is one of the smaller islands between the mainland and Vancouver Island. It is one of our favorite islands especially at sunset. This was from the dyke.
on the other side of the dyke....
This is the view looking to the right as we hiked the dyke. The peaks are called "the twin sisters" and with the sun setting, the snow on the mountains looked pink. You can see a harrier flying along the marsh and thousands of water fowl out on the water. This is what we were watching when the dog slammed into me.
Golf Course
This is a course which David and Joel want to play. The small bit of gravel in the foreground, is the dyke we were hiking when the dog fractured my ankle. This was taken just a about a half hour before the accident.
Peregrine Falcon
This peregrine was sittinng on top of a power pole. The lighting was not great but it is always nice to see these falcons.
Bald Eagle
This baldie was sitting in the top of a pine as we were leaving the sanctuary. The lighting was really nice and he cooperated and didn't fly off.
Black Crowned Night Heron
Reifel Bird Sanctuary is the only place in British Columbia which has an over wintering colony of black crowned night herons. You can normally see as many as 6 here during the winter. While they are normally roosting by day and "fishing" by night, we caught this one stretching its wings.
Canadian Robin
This tree was loaded with berries, much to the delight of this robin in Canada.
Gas Works Park
Later in the afternoon, we went down to Gas Works Park and the boys all threw baseball. You can see the Seattle "Space Needle" in the background. The Needle was built in 1962 for the World's Fair.
Waiting for the bus...
We took the bus from Tomo's apartment to downtown Seattle. For the day after Thanksgiving, it was not too crowded and the buses were right on schedule.
Beautiful Day in Seattle
For November, it was a beautiful day in Seattle. The Market was dressed up with holiday greenery and looked really nice.
Seattle Vogls
James, Tomo, Thomas and Jospeh all added their gum too.
Joel added his...
everyone sticks their chewed gum to this wall. While it is quite colorful, it is really disgusting.
No trip to the Market is complete...
Without a trip to the gum wall......
Flowers
Flowers are also inexpensive at the Market. These huge bouquets were only $10.
Thanksgiving in Seattle
We went to visit Tomo in Seattle for the US Thanksgiving holiday. We went to Pike Place Market where the produce is bright, fresh and the prices are incredible. Where else can you find asparagus in November for $1.99 a pound!?
Female Harrier
Here is a female harrier in the same field. Note how her head is shaped differently from the owl. She hunts by sight and the owl hunts by sound. Amazing birds and we were fortunate to see such a great show!
Owls and Harriers
While we were watching this owl, a male harrier landed on the next fence post. Harrierrs and Short Eareds prefer the same habitat. Usually Harriers hunt by day and more commonly the short eared owls will hunt by night (although they do hunt during the day as well). They seemed oblivious to each other. Male harriers are smaller than females and are a beautiful grey color. Females are larger and colored more like the owl.
Posing on a Fencepost
There were two owls sitting on fence posts on the edge of this field. This one was closer
Dish Shaped Face
You can really see how their face is dish shaped so they can concentrate sound to help them hunt...much like the big plexiglas dishes you see on the sidelines at football games to capture conversations.
Amazing Wing Patterns
The owls have amazing coloring in their wings.
Owl Show
We moved to another area along the dyke and saw several short eared owls hunting over the fields.
Dunlin
This little sandbar was covered wtih thousands of Dunlin (sandpiper type birds). The flocks flying out over the water were impressive. I can't even guess how many there may have been.
Boundary Bay
We hiked the dyke at Boundary Bay and saw this short eared owl roosting out in the marsh.
Snow Geese
As the snow geese arrive, they move from field to field to feed and rest for the next leg of their journey. It is always a treat to see thousands of them against a dark fall sky.
Black Turnstone
We were taking a walk at Point Roberts and flushed out a black turnstone. They blend in with the rocks so well, that we had no idea they were there until wee flushed this one out into the surf.
Spotted Towhee
This spotted towhee wanted in on the food as well.
Chestnut Backed Chickadees
We always take along some sunflower seeds to feed the chickadees. The chestnut backed chickadees will readily eat out of your hand. We are easily amused by these little guys!
Fall Hike at Campbell Valley
This is a park near our house where we like to hike. The trail is always damp and fresh and the moss is incredible. This trail is very "birdy" and we usually don't see too many people on the trail.
Fall Hike
We hiked this short trail near Cultus Lake. The smell of the forest this time of year is really rich and clean.
Spawning Salmon
One of our hikes took us across a small bridge and when we looked down, there were many salmon swimming against the current. Some were close to three feet long. They have light colored patches on their skin. They were really pretty. These were Sockeye salmon. There are 5 different types of salmon in British Columbia. This was a "late run" group of fish which are the last to migrate in the season. They have migrated from open ocean to the freshwater lake where they will spawn and then die. The concentration of eagles around the lakes increases as they find the dying salmon to be easy prey.
Blueberry Fields in Fall
In the fall, the leaves on the blueberry plants turn bright red. There are so many fields around that it is beautiful to look out across the valley and see all the red color. This was a small farm near Cultus Lake.
Great Blue
It is about time for the great blues to start "hunting" in the fields. During the winter they are common in the farm fields and along the roads where they hunt for mice over fish and aquatic life.
Snow Geese have returned
We saw the first snow geese of the season today. They have arrived from the acrtic and will stay for the next month or so,with their numbers growing to 50,000-60,000 before they head to Washington for a few months. They will return in late winter and stay until they return to their nesting ground in the arctic. They look and sound beautiful.
Rutabagas
Do you know where rutabagas come from? Canada. I think there were enough in this one field to feed all of North America for a year!
Point Roberts....what a place!
We were sitting on the beach reading, and a pod of orcas cruised by!. This is a female.
The sea was really rough
The orcas were not far off shore and you could see the spray from their blowholes
The dorsal fins are different in males and females
The bulls have a longer, straighter dorsal fin, more like a sail. The females have a shorter, curved fin, more like a dolphin.
There were about 30 orcas in this pod
This male was close to the shore. When they moved further out, one came up out of the water so that its head was completely above the surface, showing his wihte throat. It was too far out to get a good picture but was awesome through binoculars!
We have been going to Point Roberts frequently for this very reason
There are 3 different pods in this area and in July they can be seen almost daily. As it moves into fall, the sightings become less frequent as they move to other waters to feed. We were really lucky today to get such a great show. It is September 26th today.
Joel captured an orca and a gull together
What a great shot of the male in this pod and a gull!
Pounding surf
We werre just enjoying the pounding surf and the sunshine and having a nice place to sit and read a book. We were not expecting to see the orcas today. What an incredible experience. We really were in the right place at the right time today. It was incredible.
It is good living closer to Tomo
With Tomo living in Seattle which is only 2 hours from Vancouver, we have been able to spend more time with him.
Visitors from the States
Mike and Kate flew out from Denver, into Seattle and joined Tomo for a trip to Vancouver. We went to Steveston for dinner. Steveston is a small fishing village not far from our house.
Rock Balancing in White Rock
After dinner we went down to White Rock where Tomo introduced Mike to the art of rock balancing. Mike had been mocking Tomo all night but had a change of heart after balancing his first rock!
Grandville Island
Saturday we headed to Grandville Island. This is along False Creek in downtown Vancouver. There is housing and a large public market here.
Rock Balancing in Stanley Park
Tomo found more rocks to balance down in Stanley Park. it is funny to watch people walk past and try to figure out how a rock ended up like that.
Mike and Kate in Stanley Park
Mike and Kate enjoying Stanley Park....you can see Canada Place in the background with the big, white "sails". This is a mall, convention center and cruise ship terminal. There is a sea plane terminal just to the right as well.
Tomo and Joel
Tomo and Joel enjoying a joke in Stanley Park....
Perfect Day
We never tire of seeing Mount Baker.
Fishing Boat
The Salmon are running right now so there are lots of fishing boats out on the water.
Harlequin Ducks
These females were feeding off the coast of Point Roberts. I thought they were pretty.
David Heads Back
After having David home for most of the summer, he headed back to school at the end of August. We will really miss him.
Sandhill Crane
Hiked at Reifel and saw this beauty.
Boats at White Rock
Just another nice shot..........
White Rock Pier in the morning
It is always nice to take a walk on the pier.
False Creek
This is along the waterfront downtown.
There was a small park along the waterfront
The views of the city were great.
Olympic Village
This is where the athletes will stay during the 2010 Winter Games
Nice Day on False Creek
We enjoyed being down along the waterfront where the Olympians will stay
David's Last Day of Summer Vacation
This was David's last day in Vancouver for the summer and it was a really nice day.
More Olympic Village
This bridge is just outside the village
Stanley Park
No day to downtown is complete without a trip to Stanley Park.
Sandpiper Golf Course
David and Joel let me tag along while they played a round of golf at the Sandpiper. I was hoping to see birds. The course was beautiful.
Golf Buddies
Joel and David were able to play a lot of golf this summer but no course compared to this one.
Golf course views
each hole was amazing.
Good Round
Another fun day in British Columbia!
Nice Day
It was fun walking the course and watching the guys play golf
Elgin Park
David by the boats at the marina at Elgin Park
Another nice afternoon
At White Rock. It is relaxing to go sit on the beach after work on a sunny day.
Classic Canada
I just liked this shot....classic Canada
My friends, the crows
I love crows. We went down to Crescent Beach to feed the crows and found a nice lineup.
White Rock
We went down to the shore after work just to relax
Larabee State Park
We drove down to Washington to visit Larabee State Park
Tide was up
The weather was perfect and the tide was coming in.
Hike through the rainforest
At Larabee, you hike through the rainforest to get to the beach.
Mount Baker and Snoqualmie Park
We hiked at Mt. Baker Snoqualmie Park in Washington. This is a view of the peak of Mt. Baker from the parking lot.
Shuckson
The peaks right next to Mt. Baker are called Shuckson. They are covered by glaciers as well.
We hiked with Tomo
Tomo drove up from Seattle and we met at the trailhead. It was a beautiful day.
Table Mountain
We hiked to the top of Table Mountain. There were many switchbacks leading to the top. This is a picture of Table Mountain from a distance. It was great climbing to the top of this mountain!
The Views
The views along the way were incredible.
Mount Baker
Every view of Mt. Baker was better than the one before
More Vistas
Everywhere you looked the views were amazing.
The Trail had loose rock
Once the trail leveled out, the footing was much better
The Surrounding Peaks
The surrounding peaks were also very rugged.
At the top
There were Inukshuks and cairns galore at the top
Snowfields
There was still some snow along the trail.
More from the top.....
the four of us at the top.
David at the Top
It was chilly at the top. Sunny but cold.
Joel at the Top
You had 360 degrees of incredible views at the top.
Not a bad way...
To spend the day with my guys!
Sunday Morning at Crescent Beach
We enjoy early morning walks at Blackie Spit. It is a good place to see harbor seals.
Golden Ears Provincial Park
We went back to Golden Ears. There are still remnants of the old growth forest that was here 100 years ago. This is a stump from a massive tree.
Clear Mountain Stream
The water was so clear!
A friend from Maine
My friend Diane who also works at IDEXX, was in town and joined us on our hike.
We hiked above the falls
Above the waterfall was a beautiful but rugged area.
The Albion Ferry
We rode the Albion Ferry for the last time. This little ferry was the only way across the Fraser River in the area. They built a new bridge and this was the last weekend to take the ferry. We liked it. It was little and you usually had to wait, but it was quaint and best of all, it was free!
Baldie
On the way home, we stopped by the eagle nest near our house to see if the eaglets had fledged. They were way out on the branches and ready to fly. This is one of the parents.
Point Roberts
We spent the day at Point Roberts hoping to see orcas. It was a beautiful day, perfect for skipping rocks but we didn't see any orcas.
David at the Beach
This beach has a lot of driftwood. It is nice to come out here and just sit on the beach and listen to the surf. It is never crowded.
David on the Ferry to Vancouver Island
We took the Coastal Inspiration to VI for a few days. It takes 2 hours by ferry to get out to the island. The ferries are huge
Once on the Island...
We stopped along the way at this lake up in the mountains. This is Lake McMillan. It was really a pretty view.
Mars Water Bomber
Timing is everything. We stopped at Sproat Lake, also along the way, up in the mountains on the island. They have the only 2 remaining water bombers in existence located there. One was leaving for California in the morning to be ready to help battle wild fires there. These planes land on the water and can take in 55,000 gallons of water in 22 seconds and then releases a "blanket" of water on the fire. The one which was leaving for California was in the air and we were able to see it do a "fly by".
Kennedy Creek
Kennedy Lake is another huge lake on the island. This is a popular place to stop along Kennedy Creek, which of course, feeds into Kennedy Lake. The water is incredibly clear.
Alpine Flowers
The wildflowers are quite remarkable. These little ones were growing between the rocks along Kennedy Creek. I think most people never even see them because they are looking at the creek and the views of the mountains!
Our View From our Room
David was quite pleased with where we stayed. We were right on the water, just above Tofino Air's dock. Sea planes were coming and going constantly.
David and the Beaver
David was able to check out the sea planes. He talked to the pilots about job opportunities and it was quite apparent that these guys love their jobs. Who wouldn't, flying in and out of this area?
We Hiked Through the Rainforest to Get to the Beach
We went to Comber's Beach which requires a hike through the rainforest to get out to the beach. It is a beautiful hike. Once out on the beach, you can see sea lions out sunning themselves on the rocks. We watched whimbrels, sandpipers, eagles and an osprey here.
Sunset over Tofino Inlet
Tofino Inlet, on the Pacific Ocean, provides some fantastic views of the sunset. We were lucky the first night to get these views. The other nights we were there the fog blocked out a lot of the sunlight as it dropped lower in the sky. This was taken from our balcony.
Old Pacific Troller
These fishing boats are becoming "extinct" as newer vessels replace this style. For years this was the main type of fishing boat along the west coast. We passed this one on our way out to look for whales.
The fog prevented us from seeing the humpback whales...
But we were able to see some grey whales. This one came up and was feeding close to the surface. As they get ready to go into a deep dive, they show their tail.
Whale Tail
It is a real thrill to see the full view of the tail of a whale!
Tree Swallow...
This tree swallow was using a natural cavity for its nest site. It was beautiful against the white birch bark.
Great Blue Herons
These 2 great blue herons crossed paths over our head.
Bald Eagle at sunrise
This baldie was sitting on a marker off Blackie Spit early in the morning. We never get tired of seeing baldies.
One More!
Ok, just one more bald eagle shot. This one was sitting in a tree being harrassed by crows. He was not happy.
Savannah Sparrow
Blackie Spit is a great spot to see Savannah Sparrows.
Grouse Grind
We decided to tackle the Grouse Grind. This was the most strenuous thing I have ever done.
This was not a hike
The Grind starts at 330 meters and ends at 1250 meters, all in a 3km span. This is just under 2 miles, taking you straight up. There are no flat areas, only steps. Some are rock, some are timber, all are incredibly steep.
Starts out gently
The stairs start out gently....
Rocky steps
Some areas are very rocky and the footing is unstable.
Just keep climbing...
You just keep climbing higher and higher. Some areas are at a 40% incline. Your steps in your home are only 35% incline.
Before I died on the way up...
The Grind takes you straight up Grouse Mountain....all on steps. It is steep and grueling.
We made it!
Some people do this climb every weekend and have done it in well under an hour. It took us hours...and hours....but we made it to the top!
View of the Lions Heads from the top
The Lions overlook the city of Vancouver. They are the two matching peaks.
The view from the top of Stanley Park and English Bay was beautiful
The larger mass of land is Stanley Park. Beyond that is Point Grey. It was a bit hazy but there are cargo ships in the bay if you look closely.
Capilano Reservoir
Another great view from the top. You can see how steep the climb was.
We rode the gondola down
For $5 you could ride the gondola down. It only took 6 minutes to get down.
The Gondola
It was full of stinky hikers! It only took 6 minutes to get down but it was good to step out into the fresh air!
Strawberry Picking!
Tomo and the Boys made another trip to Vancouver. We went strawberry picking one evening. James was a champion picker!
Rock Climbing in Squamish
Tomo brought his rock climbing gear and we headed to Squamish to rock climb. Here is James on the rock.
Joel takes his first climb
Tomo brought extra climbing shoes and taught Joel "the ropes"
We moved to a different and much taller wall
Tomo tied off ropes to this hydro tower which many climbers were using as an anchor. It made for a great spot to climb.
Tomo worked the ropes from below
Tomo worked the ropes, keeping the rope tight as needed.
White Rock
One of the boys favorites places to go when they visit us on BC is the rock at White Rock beach. They climbed to the top on Father's Day so I could get this picture.
Joel on Father's Day
Father's Day was a bit different for Joel with both boys in the States. David will be coming next month and we are excited.
Cedar Waxwing
We found this cedar waxwing along the treeline at the beach.
Happy Anniversary to Us!
We celebrated our anniversary with a trip to the Island
Driving Across the Island
We live in the "lower mainland" of British Columbia. After traveling by ferry for 2 hours to reach Vancouver Island, there is then a 2.5 hour drive to get to the west coast of the Island. The mountains on the Island are beautiful. The Island is huge...it takes about 8 hours to drive from the southern tip to the northern tip.
After a hike in the rainforest
the rainforest opens up to the beach. We sat on the driftwood to enjoy just watching the surf.
Rainforest Wonders
I am always amazed by the life in the rainforest. From the fine details of the emerging ferns......
To this monster...
These trees are 800 years old and massive. Pictures can't capture how majestic they are.
Marco Polo and a sapling...
This tree was a sapling when Marco Polo was exploring the Orient and is still thriving today.
Tomo the Teacher
Tomo taught us the art of rock balancing on the beach in White Rock
Success!
I was thrilled to balance this monster!
Ferry to the Island
The ferry trip to Vancouver Island is a 2 hour sailing. We always like to be on the outside deck when we take the ferry. We had the deck pretty much to ourselves. We like to watch for dolphins and whales on the journey.
Windy Trip
The ferry ride is always very windy and chilly....you really don't pack away your winter coat while living in Canada!
Our "Cabin in the Woods"
Joel found a "cabin getaway" for our anniversary on the Island. It was fabulous!
Sunset on Chesterman Beach
This beach was just a short walk from our "cabin" in the woods.
Bear Watching on Vancouver Island
We went out on a boat through Browning Passage to look for bears. Our destination was the back side of Meares Island, the bigger island in this picture. This is in the Pacific Ocean in Tofino, BC.
Bald Eagle on the Mudflat
This bald eagle was sitting on the mudflat as we cruised past. The day before there had been a wolf on this same mudflat. We were not fortunate enough to see any wolves while we were there.
Harbor Seals
While we were out on the ocean looking for foraging bears along the shoreline, we found these harbor seals
Get too close and they dive
These seals dove into the water when we got too close. They tend to be shy.
Brave Seal
This seal was brave enough to stay on the rocks. It had been sunning itself on one side so its side which is dry appears lighter grey.
Bear Watching at Low Tide
We went out on a boat at low tide to observe bears...
Incredible Beast!
This bear was estimated to be 3 to 4 years old. It was foraging for food under the rocks along the shore at low tide. Bears do not reach their full size until they are around 7.
Sure Footed on the Rocks
The bear was amazingly agile and sure footed on the rocks.
More Bear...
It was searching for food under the rocks, growing on the fallen trees and along the shore.
And to wash it all down...
It stopped to take a drink. I was impressed by the toenails.
Thank Goodness for Digital Cameras
I took over 400 pictures of this bear!
Sproat Lake
On our way home we stopped at Sproat Lake to picnic. There was a large plane on the water. We later saw a sign for a "Mars Water Bomber"....still figuring out what that is!
Point Roberts
Point Roberts is US "owned" as it is a part of the State of Washington. The only access to it is through British Columbia. It is just a little bit of land out on a point which the US claimed. It is odd. With the new passport requirements, we had the beach to ourselves. We watched dolphins and harbor seals in the bay. Several whale watching boats came through but we didn't see any orcas. They say in July you can see whales frequently.
Honeysuckle
The woods are loaded with honeysuckle like this. No wonder there are a lot of hummingbirds here.
Harbor Seal
We went to Blackise Spit early this morinng and saw numerous seals. Some were splashing about. It was hard to get a clear picture of them. It is easy to see why they are nicknamed "sea dogs".
Blurry Harbor Seals
It was really hard to focus on these guys as they were a way out on the water and the water was a bit choppy. Seals always make us smile!
Wilson's Warbler
There is a park near our house which is all woods and lots of birds. We were looking for humminbirds and found this warbler.
Cottontail
We found this cottontail hiding in the grass.
Loon
We watched this loon out on the water. They are in full breeding plumage right now and are quite beautiful.
Albert
Our Albert is a brilliant cat. My little bubbie!
Amos
Our Amos is a sweetheheart of a cat.
White Rock in the Morning
This sailboat was out for an early morning sail. We were down on the pier hoping to see harbor seals. 2 weeks ago, when we didn't have the camera with us, we saw 7 at once. Today we only saw one and didn't get a picture. Perhaps another day.....
Aura
There was a beautiful aura around the sun while we were hiking in the woods today. It completely encircled the sun.
Spotted Towhee
This spotted towhee was singing from the top of a cedar on our hike.
Redwing Blackbird
The marshes are full of redwings.
Mute Swan
The Trumpeter Swans have migrated back to the arctic but there is a fair number of mute swans that reside in BC all year.
Cedar Waxwing
We saw cedar waxwings everywhere this weekend!
Hummingbird Nest
This is a little fuzzy, but this is a hummingbird nest with nestlings. They are close to leaving the nest. The nest is made of spider webs, moss and lichen and is very well hidden.
Marsh Wren
When you walk the marsh, marsh wrens are very vocal.
Tree Swallow
We saw this tree swallow along the edge of the marsh when we were hiking.
Sandhill Crane
The sandhill cranes are more brown than they were in the winter. They are feeding more on natural vegetation and take on a brownish tint from the high iron content in the soil. In the winter they are very grey.
Rufous Hummingbird in better light
This was the same bird that was sitting in the pine tree. You can see how different he looks in the sunlight.
Rufous Hummingbird in the shade
This male rufous hummingbird was sitting in a pine tree. Without the sun hitting him, his throat looked brown instead of brilliant red.
Bald Eagle
We never get tired of seeing the baldies.
Bald Eagle Nests Are HUGE!
Look how small the bald eagle looks compared to its nest.
Downtown Vancouver from Blackie Spit
We went to Blackie Spit, near our house, early in the morning and had a clear view of the city. Blackie Spit is a great place to see birds.
Joel at the Spit
Joel loves the beach. We were hoping to see some harbor seals but only saw one and couldn't get a picture.
Larrabee State Park
We went to Larrabee State Park today down in Washington. It was a beautiful day to sit on the rocks and listen to the surf.
Clayton Beach
The forest ends and opens right onto the beach.
Walk to the Beach
The walk through the woods to get to the beach was beautiful. The trees are fullly leafed out.
Joel on the headlands
JOel loves the beach. We ate lunch on these rocks overlooking the ocean.
Looking south
It was a beautiful day to be at the beach.
Mount Baker
We just never get tired of seeing Mt. Baker. 100 miles away and just incredible.
Bald Eagles at their nest
This nest is at the golf course that is near our house. We caught both parents at the nest tonight.
Female Baldie
She was watching the nest below her.
Cheam Lake Wetlands Area
We discovered this area this winter when it was cold, nasty and frozen over. We thought it would be a good idea to come back in the spring. There was still snow on the top of Mount Cheam, but the temperature was comfortable in the wetlands.
We could see Bridal Falls from our hike
With the snow melting, the falls were impressive from even a long distance.
Canada Geese and Goslings
We came upon a pair of geese and their goslings along one of the trails. They drove the goslings into the water, then lowered their heads and drove off the other geese.
Lush Green Trails
The trails were green and lush. There were lots of hummingbirds along the trail.
There was a floating walkway that took us out into the marsh
From here we saw a swan, geese, several species of ducks, swallows, blackbirds and chickadees.
It was a grey day....
But it was nice to get out and see the wildlife.
Spring in British Columbia
There is no way to describe the incredible smell of the air in BC in the spring. It is fragrant and clean and clear and it smells heavenly no matter if you are at the beach, in the woods, walking down the street or walking out of a building. I have never smelled anything so pleasant before in my life. It has to be good for you to take this air into your lungs!
Tulip Festival in Agasszi
We came upon a tulip festival in Agasszi. The fields were amazing. There were millions of tulips and the colors were incredible.
More Tulips
I have never seen anything like this before in my life. It was incredible.
We were in the right place at the right time
They had already harvested many of the blooms but we really felt like we came upon these tulips at the perrfect time.
Tomo and the Boys Came to Visit
Welcome to Vancouver!
Stanley Park
We spent a day in Stanley Park with Tomo and the boys.
James and his Scout Badge
James was working on one of his badges for Boy Scouts and it happened to be on birds. We went to Reifel Migratory Bird Refuge so he could see and identify 20 different species of birds, then he has to write a report on each one. We were able to see 50 species of birds over the weekend. At Reifel he was able to get chickadees, pigeons, mallards and Canada geese to eat out of his hands.
White Rock
We walked on the pier, ate ice cream and the guys climbed on White Rock down on the beach.
I love my brother!
It was great having family come visit us.
The Kollmans Came to Visit
The Kollmans spent a few days skiing in Whistler and stayed with us for a couple of nights. We went down to the pier in White Rock on Saturday morning.
Cool on the Pier
It was rainy and cool out on the pier. We were hoping the kids would see some seals but we didn't find any.
Luke was our Photographer
Thanks for getting some pictures of us, Luke!
Low Tide
Molly and Luke went down under the pier to poke around in some tide pools since it was low tide.
I love my Sister!
How cute is she?
Harlequin Ducks
We walk along the pier every Sunday and we were commenting that there weren't many sea ducks around today. We got out to the breakwater and saw this pair of harlequin ducks. They are normally found in rough seas or fast moving streams. They hopped up onto the rocks but I couldn't get a better picture. The males are beautifully patterned. We also saw some Long Tailed Ducks. I guess it was a good day for seeing boldly patterned ducks! These are really beautiful ducks.
Great Blue Heron
We came across this great blue heron while hiking at Serpentine Fen. It was a mild day and we were able to do a lot of birdwatching.
Brackendale, British Columbia
Brackendale is known for being a hot sport for eagle viewing in December and January. This is about a half hour south of Whistler. We drove up to see the masses of eagles that congregte along the Dryden River, feeding on salmon in the shallow waters. Numbers peak in December and January, with as many as 3000 to 5000 eagles being recorded. The website said numbers were good until mid-February at which time the eagles return to thier nesting territories. We saw 3. There were more in the trees along the highway as we were coming and going than on the river. It was a beautiful drive and as you can see, the scenery was great but not what we expected!
Dryden RIver
We were able to watch some ducks along the hike and the mountains were beautiful, but it was cold. We lefft and went to Reifel where we saw many more eagles and on our drive home from Reifel, at sunset, we literally saw hundreds of eagles. They were in groups of 8-10 sitting out in fields on the ground, there were dozens in single trees and every snag along the highway had an eagle sitting on the top. Best eagle viewing in BC? Highway 99 South between King George Highway and 17 to Ladner!
Sunrise over Semiahmoo Bay
White Rock Pier and the sunrise coming up behind the Cascade Mountains and the San Juan Islands
Mt. Baker
The backlighting of the sunrise looked beautiful behind Mt. Baker. Still hard to believe this is 100 miles away. It looks like it is right across the bay.
Joel loves his Pittsburgh Steelers!
We saw more Steelers games while living in Canada than when we lived in Ohio. Joel was able to see all but 2 games and the best of all was seeing them win the Superbowl! He was one happy fan!
Albert and Amos
Looking good in year number two!
Long Lost Mount Baker
After wild weather over the past month, lots of snow, rain and for the past week, intense fog that never burns off, we have not seen the mountains in about a month. This morning the fog lifted over Semiahmoo Bay and we were able to see Mt. Baker again. The bay was very calm and there were a lot of gulls, cormorants and pigeons roosting on the breakwall. You can see the fog lifting, which is over the border of BC and Washington.
Sandhill Cranes
We hiked at Reifel and came across some hungry Sandhill Cranes. Joel had them eating out of his hand!
This one was gentle...
This was a young bird (you can see the brown feathers in his wing) and he was gentle. I fed a different one and it pecked my cold fingers and it hurt!
Bald Eagle
We stopped under this tree and took a picture of this bald eagle through the sunroof of the car. While driving to Reifel, along the 18 mile drive along the freeway,we saw 37 bald eagles. On the way home, we saw 84. They were on fence posts, cell phone towerrs, on light poles, on the ground and sometimes there were as many as 6-8 in a single tree. They come inland during the wnter and peak this time of year. They are now pairing up getting ready for nesting season.
Cheam Lake Wetlands Area
We stumbled upon this wetlands area and although everything was iced over, we think it will be a great place to hike in the spring.
Clear but cold...
The windchill was bitter cold so we decided not to hike today but are anxious to go back.
White Caps on Harrison Lake
It was so windy that there were white caps on Harrison Lake. This is a mountain lake that is about an hour from our house.
The other shore was calm...
This part of the lake was calm. We thought the light over the lake was pretty.
Old Tug
This old tugboat was in dry dock at the marina and caught our eye.
Frozen waterfall
This waterfall along the side of the road was beautiful.
Red Barn in Winter
I liked how vibrant this red barn looked against the winter sky. This was near Kilby, BC
Snow Covered Peaks
The snow covered peaks are incredible. This was also near Kilby, BC.
Trumpeter Swans
Trumpeter swans come down from the arctic to spend the winter in BC. We came over a bridge and saw these.
Flock of fifty or more
there were probably fifty or more swans along this river. These birds are huge with a 9 foot wing span. It was hard to get a picture beacause it was so windy, but all the white objects are swans.