Frosty Morning

Took my little dog for a walk along the beach this morning and we had to be very careful as there was frost overnight and the streets were still a bit slippery. It may have been slick, but it was beautiful. So, here are a few shots where you can see the frost on the leaves. No snow though!



The Canada geese were having a morning swim in the harbour.

Home a Week

I've been home again for a week. Tomorrow is the day so soon I'll be getting back to normal and taking some photos again. It's been beautiful here. Weather and the view.

Full Moon Rising

There it was. The full moon rising over the city...over the mountains. Notice all of the cranes in the foreground of the first photo. Vancouver is getting ready for the 2010 Olympics.

Morning Fog in Vancouver

I was up early this morning and looking out of my hotel room window. The sun rising between the buildings through the fog caught my eye. If you click on the image and view the larger version you can see the shape of the fog swirling. Beautiful.

Ocean Going Traffic

It's been a cloudy rainy day again. Not heavy rain and not constant, but enough to keep me indoors.

Click on the first photo to see an eagle hanging out on the tree top on the right.


The ferry heading out.


A tug, pulling out a log boom. Click on the photo to get a larger view.


Here's the whole boom heading off to market.

November Roses

The climate here is very mild. Our summers aren't extremely warm (usually around 70F) and our winters are mild too (usually around 40F). These roses are still blooming just outside my door. Notice the buds behind the blossom in the second photo. More roses yet to come.

Short Days

It's that time of year. The days are short. It's not light until about 8am and it's dark by about 5:30pm. And we aren't yet to the shortest day of the year so light will continue to be limited for a while yet. On top of short daylight hours, it's been just raining, raining, raining. And who wants to be out with a camera in the rain? Not me and not my pooch.

We've also been having horrific wind storms...which mean power outages. This week we've suffered a power outage and been cut off from the world by a slide that blocked the highway and took three days to open a lane and I hear that today...five or six days since the slide they are still working at the slide site and there are delays in traffic.

I'm working away on things beady so some kind of creative things are happening. I must get out with the camera soon, even if just to record some of the bare trees.

Rainy Fall Days

It's that time of year and I haven't been taking any photos lately...except of crafting I've been doing. I keep thinking I should be taking my camera out with me when I go walking because I'm amazed at the number of flowers still blooming. Soon....

On Being An Artiste

I think one of the things that holds me back artistically is the idea I grew up with that "artists starve" and what an artist does isn't really "useful to society". So there has been a little voice in my head telling me that I needed to limit myself to doing something "useful" so that I wouldn't starve.

I have been working through this idea and as awareness is the first step, I'm on my journey to allowing my inner artist to live and flourish and produce art.

To quiet the voice I hear telling me that I'm not "good enough" to be an artist, I often tell myself that I'm an "artiste" or an "artisan". Today I encountered the following quote which I need to turn into a poster for in my studio.

"Every artist was first an amateur."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Moody Rainy Day

What a beautiful moody rainy day this is today. In the photo, you can see the sun reflecting off of the bushes in the foreground while the sky behind the ferry is so dark and threatening. This is why I love my ever changing view. It keeps me entertained and smiling.

Eagle Alarm

A couple of mornings ago, I woke up to the screaching of eagles and looked out of my bedroom window to see this pair sharing the tree top. Barely awake, I ran downstairs to grab my camera before they flew away. How could I not love somewhere where I fall asleep to crashing waves and wake up to eagles?

For a larger view, click on the photo.

Kayaking

This photo was taken about three weeks ago. It was a monumental day for me...my first kayaking adventure in over two years. The day was grey and rainy but the water was absolutely flat...just what I needed. Though I wasn't moving with much speed, just getting into the kayak and out on the water again had my heart about ready to burst with the pleasure of it.

Rust and Fall Colours

Rusty Folk Art

Wandering around my friend's property revealed some rusted metal bits that I can't help thinking of as "Folk Art". Items abandoned but still revealing a kind of allure; far from being an eyesore if viewed as "art" left by folks.

Garden Walk

How could I resist snapping a few photos in the garden? Though the plants were well beyond their peak, there was still a fascinating beauty to them.

Autumn in The Country

Interesting Sign

I hope that the patrons of this restaurant are absolutely clear on what hours they are open!

Telegraph Cove, 09/15/07

How peaceful a stroll can be on the boardwalk at Telegraph Cove in autumn.


Reflections in still water.



Moss gathers on a rusted old truck.



Mint blossoms.



Abundant salal berries.



Lily stamens heavy with pollen.

Beautiful Port McNeill

When you live somewhere for a long time you can become immune to the common everyday beauty. I often go for walks, hoping to take it all in with fresh eyes. The camera can help me to do that.


Boardwalk glows in the evening sun.




Sun setting at the top of the bay.




Pink sky in the west beyond the fishing boats.

Lynn Canyon on 09/09/07

My good friend and I took a brief walk along the trails at Lynn Canyon on the North Shore in Vancouver today. (Don't forget that you can view the full size version of each image by clicking on it.)


This is William crossing the suspension bridge over the canyon. The bridge was loaded with people crossing and I couldn't wait to get across. Scared? Who me?


I was absolutely fascinated with the quality of light along the trail. Truly the photos don't do it justice.


Unfortunately there is nothing to put the "A" tree trunk in the photo into perspective, but just before I snapped this one, I woman had been standing in the center of it.


This beautiful crystal clear water way was singing and sparkling and dancing over the rocks.


Again...the quality of light caught my interest. How beautiful was the sunshine filtering between the trees to highlight areas of light and shadow.

What a magnificant hideaway here in the center of the city. And the best part...free and open to the exploration of anyone with the courage to brave the swinging bridge. I'm so grateful my friend took me.

Park and Tilford Garden on 09/08/07

This garden continues to be one of my favourite places to take pictures. I was surprised to see that the rose garden was still resplendent with blossoms. Perhaps the best part of being there this day was meeting the amazing retired Quebec couple who had bicycled from Quebec to British Columbia.

Full Moon Rising

These photos were taken from my hotel window in Vancouver on August 27, 2007.



This was taken when I first saw the moon coming up.



This photo was a happy accident caused by a shaking hand. I love the result of the blurring of the lights.

Clouds....

A few days ago, the sky was filled with these beautiful "mare's tail" clouds and I couldn't resist photographing them. The interesting thing about them is that when they are in the sky, it means there will be rain within 48 hours. It's one of the rare methods of predicting weather that has never failed me.

Cruise Ship Season...

This is the time of year where we get to see a lot of cruise ships. These are ships on their way back from Alaska. I'm always surprised at how different all of the ships are.