A Bitter Sweet Year!

2010 is almost over and I for one cannot be happier. This has been a year of ups and downs. Very downs.

Most of you know that in April of this year I had spinal surgery which I blogged about  here  Blue Herons. It was a long go for me at the time. I could not drive for months and when I could it was apparent that my neck would not allow me to drive safely so many hours of physiotherapy ensued and months later I was almost my old self again. I was feeling good and despite my surgery Fred  and I had a good spring and summer. In early May while he had holidays we traveled to Nelson BC to check on his house.  For the rest of the summer we went to as many Canadians ball games as we could and every day off e could manage we played tourist in our own town visiting many parks and water falls. In July Fred and my daughters created a wonderful birthday dinner for me and Fred gave me a trip to New York to photograph with the new camera he also gave. I was ecstatic and could not have been happier.

 Unfortunately in September I went for a routine mammogram and was diagnosed with breast cancer which I blogged about The Impact of A Word - A Few Mountains to Climb. 

I took that trip to New York and enjoyed it immensely. Probably even more than I would normally have. It was a great escape! For a week I could live in denial.  I made the most of it!  Despite the fact that I was told that New Yorkers were not helpful or polite I found just the opposite.  Most people went out of their way to show me how to get to various places or tell my about something I might find interesting, but no one was kinder than a lovely lady I met on the PATH train to Jersey one evening.  She kindly picked me up the next morning from my hotel, took me to her home, that over looked Ellis Island and Liberty State Park,  fed me breakfast and then we went on an adventure to Ellis Island. We had a great time and we talked nonstop for hours. Finally she took me home sat me out on her balcony with a glass of wine  to watch the sun go down and made me a lovely dinner. It was a day in my life  that I will never forget. I took hundreds of photos which can be viewed on my flickr page New York City! All too soon my trip was over.

I came home and ten days later had a lumpectomy and all of my lymph nodes removed on my right side. The reality of cancer was beginning to sink in.  Appointments with oncologists and radiologist and bone density tests and a great deal of overwhelming information to digest. By the end of November I was exhausted, but again my partner and my rock decided that it was time for a holiday and packed Lucy and I up and drove us down the Oregon Coast! It was lovely. I have always enjoyed the beach, but this beach the beaches on the Oregon Coast were wonderful.   We spent many hours walking on the beach with Lucy and just watching the waves crash on the sand. I took lots of photos which can be seen  on flickr at Oregon Coast. 

Back home the pace of medical appointments increased.  Being poked and prodded and listening to specialist after specialist has left me depressed at times and struggling to sort through all the information to make good decisions.    However there were several pieces of good news.  I will not have to have chemotherapy and the news that Canada and in particular British Columbia has one of the highest rates of  cure for breast cancer patients anywhere in the world is heartening. Unfortunately I have found out that the path to the cure can be long and unpleasant.

All in all ... at the end of this year despite the rough edges of it this year has not been so terrible for me. I have learned a lot and I have begun to view my life and the world through very different eyes. I have been blessed with a very supportive partner. He never complains despite working till late at night and driving me to early morning appointments. He really is a saint and I ask myself how I could have gotten so lucky. I have  a wonderful dog. She puts a smile on my face on days when I think that I will never smile again. Every one should view the world the way Miss Lucy does.  I have two wonderful daughters who try their best to see that I am happy and well looked after.  I also have some really great supportive friends and colleagues.  What more could I ask for?

Happy New Year!

That Must Be Some Powerful MSG!!

Ancient soup found in China

A Chinese Archeological group has discovered a pot of bone soup near the site of China's terracotta army in Xian.

The soup was judged to be at least 2,400 years old.

It was still liquid, but not edible.

Hmmm.... makes one wonder about the digestibility of that Chinese smorgasbord!

The Mayonnaise Jar

The Mayonnaise Jar

When things in your life seem too much to handle,

When 24 hours in a day is not enough;

Remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and has some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordless, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and started to fill with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full and they agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.

The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full.

They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar, of course the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more the jar was full.

The students responded with a unanimous “yes”

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.

The students laughed.

“Now” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things – Family, children, health, friends, and favourite passions. Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house  and car.

The sand is everything else – The small stuff.

“If you put sand into the jar first, “ he continued, “there is not room for the pebbles or the golf balls. .

The same goes for life.

So…

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups

Take your partner to dinner.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap.

Take care of the golf balls first – the things that really matter.

Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The Professor smiled.

I’m glad you asked.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.

From -10C to +2C in Two Days!

Typical West Coast weather - we were freezing with temperatures plummeting and the wind making it even colder for three days! Then like a miracle we got up in the morning and it was warm and snowing and snowing and now raining and raining! Yep that's BC! 

The worse thing about the snowy cold weather is trying to get around the city.  Most people here go into complete panic mode when there is 4 centimeters of snow on the road and drive like idiots which encourages the rest of us to head to the public transit which doesn't work well in cold weather (yep you heard it right).   Everyone gets up early and tromps to the bus stops only to stand and wait and wait. The buses can't get around or are seriously behind and people stand in the wet and cold for an hour or  more usually to get to a sky train station to complete their journey to work or appointments. However once at the sky train station things can be a little dicey there as well. Fortunately we had the Olympics last year forcing the powers that be to come up with a way to make these trains work in cold weather just in case we needed them during the Olympics. As luck would have it that was not necessary and thankfully so, because today we, the tax payers who pay for this system,  were treated to the new Canada Lines problems. People got to experience what it was like to be stuck, in the train cars, in  the middle of the train bridge across the Fraser for over an hour because apparently the Canada Line can't run if it has an inch of snow on the tracks! Nice work you guys!! Oh well, by tomorrow it will just be a memory.

Needless to say there were a lot of angry people in the city today including my daughter whose trip to work, which is usually about twenty minutes,  took almost three hours!! 

There is one girl who was happy that it snowed today and that was our Miss Lucy. She loves to play snow soccer and was in fine form today! 

Ooops.... just one problem here ... that soccer ball belongs to the neighbors!

New Family on the Block

A family of Hooded Mergansers have taken over the pond at Foreshore Park. I have never seen them there before this year.  They are very shy birds making it difficult to photograph them especially with the diva of all dogs along.  They are such a distinctive looking bird that they fascinate me and I am always trying to get a closer look.

Winter Has Arrived!

Most of us, here in the lower mainland, woke up to a winter wonderland on Saturday morning.  The weather had been so good for all of the fall  that it came as a surprise to realize that winter was upon us. Normally the days get colder and wetter as we move into late fall/early winter giving us a warning of what is soon to come, but this year it just seemed to pounce on us!

The temperatures have dipped into the minuses and  is expected to dip as low as -10C on Tuesday, but the days are sunny so it doesn't really seem too bad. The mountains, shimmering in their winter finery, are beautiful!

 This picture was taken just a block from our house. No matter how many times over the winter I will see this sight it never ceases to fill me with awe.

Sunday Morning on the Drive

My Sunday morning latte in the Italian district!
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Just Plain Creepy??

Dragonflies Dance

Dragonflies Dance
By Paul McCann

Between heaven and hell, where the dragonflies dwell,
There’s a garden filled with colour and light .
In a hovering way, they put on a disarming display
And dance to the king of flight .
Dressed in dewdrops of dawn, when the darkness has gone,
see how distinguished are these debutantes .
In the garden of the king, all the secrets you bring,
can be shared when the dragonflies dance .
So don't delay or dismay, at the end of the day ,
even dragonflies must fly away .
And as dragonflies say, you can dance all the way-
just be happy in a heavenly way . 

Water, Water, Everywhere

Well the summer appears to have left the west coast for now. It has been raining for the last few days and it has become quite chilly especially at night.

I sat here today watching the rain pound down on the balcony and thought of the nice summer that I have had taking pictures and playing at the lakes and beaches with Miss Lucy and Fred.

One trip they didn't take though that I did was a trip to Nanaimo. The weather was lovely and I captured some really nice shots on the ferry over.

This is what people all over the world come to see.

 View the rest of the pictures from this trip at Long Weekend Trip to Nanaimo

 We have the mountains seeming to rise right out of the sea. On a nice day the view is breathtaking.

What I personally always marvel at is the amount of green space that we have in this country. We are so fortunate to have miles and miles of pristine wilderness and tracks of land that are not developed. I hope that never changes. I often wonder what people in countries that are over populated think when they see these kinds of pictures. It must seem as though we live in the land of milk and honey.

We also have one of the most abundant clean water supplies in the world.  I cannot understand why anyone in my province chooses to pay Coca Cola an outrageous amount of money for a bottle of water when we have much cleaner and better water right from our water taps. How incredibly blessed we are because according to Water Aid America over  1 million children a year die because of a lack of clean drinking water. Hard to believe. In my country we don't even think about turning on a water tap or playing in the garden hose on a hot summer day, but for children in poor countries around the world it is a luxury they will never know.  All they ask for is clean water to drink everyday.

So next time you think about buying that bottle of water at the gas station, that costs more than a liter of gasoline, why not give that money to Water Aid America where for few thousand dollars they will help a village dig a well to keep them in clean drinking water.

The Beach on the Other Side Is Always Better!

 We have been taking Miss Lucy to a dog beach called Angus Beach. It is on the Fraser River and she loves it.  However, when we are there I can see lots of dogs on another beach across the river and I (of course) decided that we should check out that side because the other dogs looked like they were having more fun than Lucy. Well that is my excuse and I am sticking to it! Actually anyone who knows me well knows that I love to check out new places especially if they involve dogs, water and of course Miss Lucy having fun!
So last Sunday my very sweet partner decided to let me have my way. He has been resisting the my whining, but finally I guess I hit the right pitch because we went exploring to try and find it. After getting lost a few times we did find it and Miss Lucy and I were in heaven! it is a much bigger area for her to swim. As well it is a much bigger beach for us to walk so we can get some exercise as well. It is not really much farther to drive to than Angus beach so it all worked out for the good and even my partner is happy with my whining this time!

 I snapped this picture of Miss Lucy sitting  in the branches of a fallen tree just
before we left and she almost looks to be hiding. I don't blame her I didn't want to leave either.

I Love West Coast Sunsets!

August is one of the best months on the West Coast for sunsets. The colors are so vibrant. There is something about watching a sunset on a warm late summer evening that is so peaceful and calming.

 Scenes like this make you want the summer to go on and on!

The Impact of a Word - A Few Mountains to Climb

 This summer, despite my spinal surgery and intense physiotherapy  has been wonderful. Fred and I have spent days at the lake with Miss Lucy playing ball and eating picnic lunches. We have gone to the baseball game where our favorite team The Vancouver Canadians are in first place and should make it to the playoffs. 

I have taken hundreds of pictures with my new camera. It is such fun to learn new setting and see what happens when you work with them.  As everyone knows I love to take photos and wish that I had more time to learn how to do it all better. 

Then of course the really great fun has been planning and dreaming of my trip to New York in October.  Every spare minute I could I researched things to see and do. I have bored my friends and partner to death with facts about New York not to mention regaling them with all the food that I want to eat while I am there.

Yes, I have been having a great time this summer! I also have been getting my business back up and running now that I can turn my head better to drive. Life seemed to be getting back to normal for me. However, as you all know, life has its own schedule and idea of what is to come next in our life. 

I decided that I needed to get a check up including a mammogram. Here in BC we use a clinic that requires no referral from your doctor. You just make an appointment and pop in and get the screening done. I did just that a week ago and recieved a call telling me that I needed to go to the diagnostic center as my films needed clarification. This is not unusual. I had this a few years ago and went through the diagnostics and everything was actually cleared so I was not concerned. I figured that they had been unable to obtain my previous test results because I have moved and they sometimes need that to compare.   Shortly after arriving I realized that this may not be as routine as I thought. This time they had found spots in both breasts. They had me do the ultrasound and sent me off with the assurance that these films would be delivered to my doctors today and to make sure that I follow up with him in the next week.  

Can't be that bad I told myself as I went off to White Rock for lunch with a friend. We spent a couple of hours sharing. Catching up on each others lives and eating Greek food. I hugged her goodbye and was driving down the road planning out what I needed to do for the next few hours when my cell phone rang and it was my doctors office.   He said " I am watching the reports come in from your tests this morning. It is not looking good. It looks like it may be cancer. We need to get a biopsy as soon as possible. I am putting in the referral today." His words sent a chill down my spine and my heart fell to my feet.  When I think about it I must seem like a fool to him. I didn't ask any questions. I didn't say much of anything. I merely drove home in shock.

I have heard the word cancer a hundred times in my life, but never did I realize the emotional impact that word when used to describe part of my body would have on me and those around me. From moment to moment I go through so many different emotions. I was able to hold it together and plant a happy face till after my daughters birthday party this past Sunday and then late that night I sobbed and asked the universe  - why me? Why not me - I am no more special than any other person. Life happens.

I have come to the conclusion that for the better part of the time to come I will be spending my life waiting. We are in an agonizing waiting for a biopsy date right now.  Then we will be in more agony waiting for the results of the biopsy.

I usually don't write this type of personal blog post, but if it can wake up one fellow woman to consistently get a mammogram and do a breast exam then maybe my agony of the last few days will not be in vain. Even if you think there is a hint of something wrong bug your family doctor till they thoroughly investigate it.

I asked myself a hundred times how this could have happened? How could I have missed this?  Busy life for the last year or so and I was lulled into a false sense of security because I had been cleared of anything a few years ago and there is no history of breast cancer in my family. 
 I am getting on with life while I wait. I realized that I am still very happy. Despite all of this my life with my partner is wonderful. Filled with love and family and friends. What more can I ask for? I just have a few mountains to climb. Thats all. Who doesn't?

Dog Days At the Park

It has been such a hot August. Some days have been unbearable here in the city and while Fred and I suffer, poor Miss Lucy with her heavy black coat is positively dying in the heat.

So we have been taking her to various places where she can swim and on a hot day this past week we visited a very busy Buntzen Lake dog park where not only the dogs were swimming, but their owners as well. 

This little guy had his fill of swimming and was just sunning himself on a rock!

However this is the one that fascinated me. He never went in the water and did not appear to have any interest. He just slept on his rock or sat and watched the others quite content to do nothing!

Minutes Away - Worlds Apart!

Today it has been scorching hot here in the lower mainland. Usually my choice on a day like this would be to head to a nice cool lake and take Lucy fishing, but my guy had other plans today. He wanted to go an event in Vancouver.  It is the Pivot Rock for Justice and it happens every year. There is all kinds of music and many of the city activists are present. 

So leaving lucky Lucy behind to sleep in front of the fan all day we hopped the sky train and went to the big city. We rarely take the car to the city. It is difficult parking and usually expensive not to mention Fred drives all week for a living so it is not much fun to get behind the wheel of a car on the weekend in Vancouver and fight the crazy drivers yet again.

While Vancouver is only about twenty minutes from Burnaby,where I live, it sometimes seems worlds apart. Vancouver is much less conservative  and can be seen immediately by the way people dress and style their hair. 

Women with hats with feathers on them seems to be quite the rage as well as vintage clothing and yes you are not seeing things the guys are getting into skirts! You can see them all over the city especially on the weekends. 

 As well, more and more women are showing up with tattoos all over their bodies. In times past and in the more conservative areas of the city women would have a little tiny tattoo on their shoulder or ankle, but now it is not unusual to see women with tattoos all over their arms and backs. Ouch! I really don' think I am brave enough to get a tattoo let alone one like this girl. 

 Now I am not sure what was up with this guy. I can't say that I have seen many with this style, buy I can say that dread locks are showing up all over the city yet again. I can remember when I was young and saw these hairstyles and I would marvel at them. I could not figure out how they can stand that matted hair. If I am not able to brush my hair a few times a day or wash it and feel the shampoo foam up and get that squeaky clean feeling at least every second day I would go mad. Yet here the style is back again! 

 There was even a dog with dread locks.

 Even though he has no choice as his  grows that way naturally. (I think) 

 When ever I am in Vancouver I love to people watch. It always amazes me that I can live so close yet People in Burnaby seem to be so very different in style and even in attitude. 

How Fine Has The Day Been...

How fine has the day been! how bright was the sun, How lovely and joyful the course that he run! Though he rose in a mist when his race he begun, And there followed some droppings of rain: But now the fair travelers come to the west, his rays are all gold and his beauties are best; he paints the skies gay as he sinks to his rest, And foretells a bright rising again.----- Isaac Watts

Shot taken at Angus Beach Dog Park August 13

Last Days of Summer (sigh)

Summer is fading fast here on the lower mainland. We have had some rainy days, but this is the time of the year that I begin to like best. The nights are cool, but the days are warm and the sunsets are unbelievable.
Deer Lake is fabulous in the evenings right now. The lake takes on a golden hue.
Even the ducks and geese seem to mellow out.
I hope where ever you are you enjoy these last days of summer.
Spend a little time in your favorite park. Walk on the beach. Play ball with the grandkids.What ever brings you peace and contentment.
All too soon we will be back to the hustle and bustle of our daily lives.

Shannon Falls, Squamish BC

Fred, Lucy and I have been heading out on his day off for some fun and for Lucy that always means water. Usually we go to or end up at Kilby as that is her favorite place to swim, but this weekend it was a holiday and we felt that the traffic and lake there would just be too busy to have much fun.  We opted to go to Shannon Falls as I enjoyed Bridal Veil Falls so much. As well, we had not been on the Sea to Sky highway since it was finished and I wanted to have a look.

Shannon Falls is the third highest falls in British Columbia and the day we were there it was very busy. There are several view points that you can climb to and you can even climb to the base of the falls, but I really was not that brave. However, many people could be seen up at the base including little children. The power of the water is quite awe inspiring. From where I was taking pictures I could feel the spray and I was a fair distance down.

The creek at the bottom had incredibly clear water and was so cool and relaxing. Many people like this little girl were sitting on rocks out in the middle of it.
The Sea to Sky highway was upgraded for the Olympics and it is a really nice drive. With the sea on one side of it and the mountains on the other it is quite breath taking.
 

There are more pictures of the day on my Flickr badge.

Pride Week In Vancouver

Sunday was the annual Gay Pride Parade in Vancouver. About four years ago someone took me to this parade and I have been attending or walking in it every since.

The Pride parade seems to bring out the crazy in the city. People get dressed up in wild costumes and like the person in this picture dress in as little as possible.
They have water fights in the streets, wave pride flags and dance.
Litterally thousands of people come out to this event. The young, the elderly, families and even dogs get into the act.
There is of course a purpose to all the mayhem even though at first glance it might just seem like a city gone crazy. It is done to help all of accept the differences between us and the diversity of our city.  

I remember when this parade was consider a freak show and few went out to see it. Protesters went out with signs and pamphlets encouraging people to halt the madness and declaring that our city would go to hell ( quite literally) if we allowed this kind of behavior. Now no one in this city wants this event to end and it really is the most joyous event Fred and I attend every year.

The fun and gaiety (no pun intended there) go on all week with Pride cruises and dinners and brunches and night clubbing events.

 One of the people who caught my eye this year was Grand Marshall Nikolai Alekseev. Alekseev, a gay activist,  is considered an international hero for among other things, organizing Moscow Pride which is banned every year.

Another person who caught my eye is Candis Cayne, a true role model for the LGBT rights movement. Amongst her many achievements is her co-choreographic work for the comedy To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. She was also cast in the prime time television series Dirty Sexy Money and was the first transgendered actress to play in a recurring role on a network TV show.  She was quite a knock out! So much so that  the friend I was with did not believe me when I told him that Candis was not what she appeared to be.

I think this parade is the best event in Vancouver. It is so much fun and it seems to bring out the kid in everyone! 

This year my pictures are mainly of the crowd . I find the people watching the parade as interesting as the people in the parade.

There are more pictures of Pride day here.

Porteau Cove, Sea to Sky Highway

Fisheye Fun!

My new Nikon D5000 camera has a fisheye setting and for the first time the other day I tried it out.
I think with practice you could turn out some interesting photos, but for now I just found it fun.
Here are two I took at the lake on Monday.

  

Bridal Veil Falls

In BC the joke is that if you wait fifteen minutes the weather will change. It is so true. 

We have had a strange year. The winter was warm and sunny through February.  Remember all that great weather they were talking about when the Olympics were here? That seemed to be the end of it and all of us waited for that nice spring weather we usually get - okay sometimes we get and we miss it when we don't . The middle of July arrived and I was still bundling up at night when I was outside. I was convinced that we had blown our sunlight along with our tax dollars on the Olympics. Now almost the end of July and the temperatures are soaring. There is  a fire ban in effect throughout the province threatening to spoil a few planned campfires for the August 1st long weekend.

Monday  Miss Lucy, Fred and I went to Bridal Veil Falls. It was a reward as such for our girl as she had her annual visit with the vet and needles are not her favorite thing. 

It was stunningly beautiful there.  The sunlight streamed through the trees and bounced off the water. The waterfall truly looked like a brides veil.

We went as far up as we thought was safe with Miss Lucy and stood in awe. It was well worth the climb.

HUH? Our Strange English Language

 

1. He could lead if he could get the lead out.
2.  The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
3. Since there is not time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present. 
4. A bass was painted on the head of a bass drum. 
5. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes. 
6. I did not object to the object. 
7. The insurance was invalid for the invalid. 
8. There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
9. They were too close to the door to close it. 
10. The buck does funny things when the does are present. 
11. A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line. 
12. To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow. 
13. The wind was too strong to wind the sail. 
14. Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear. 
15. We must polish the Polish furniture. 
16. The dump was so full it had to refuse more refuse.
17. The farm was used to produce produce. 
18. The bandage was wound around the wound. 

 

Some thoughts on Canada Day

 Happy Canada Day!

When I was a young woman I lived in another country for about four years. Upon my return I realized how great my country was and I fell in love with it. 

Today I still love my country, but like every thing, as we grow older we tend to change and that is what has happened to my country.  

As a country we began to think that the grass was greener on the other side. Isn't that always the way? We began to change how we viewed the rest of the world.  In order to fit in we began to get into things that most Canadians find wrong. Like the war in Afghanistan. We began to think that we needed bigger and better and to get this we traded with countries like China,  that do not respect human rights. It meant that we can buy that note paper for pennies, but it also meant that we lost manufacturing jobs.  Canadians have always prided themselves on their position on human rights, but now to keep the lifestyle that most Canadians have come to enjoy many Canadians have chosen to turn a blind eye to trade with countries that routinely violate human rights.  I think that makes us more likely to become blind to the human rights violations that take place within our own Country at times. 

So now, I have to ask are we a better country for the changes? Do we want to give up our ideals;  health care for all, human rights, affordable housing? For what are we giving them up?

For me - I still love my country and cannot fathom living anywhere else in the world, but I am not sure that we have or are changing for the better. I think that maybe, sadly some day there will be a better place for my grand children to live. 

Blue Herons

It has been a long time since I have had the time, energy or ability to write in this blog.
I had spinal surgery in April and am still trudging the long road of recovery, but at least I am up and about and almost out of pain.
My recovery has been a challenge for Miss Lucy as I was unable to hold her leash for a long time which meant that I could not take her for a walk. She and I missed that a great deal.
Now that I am able to get out and do more I have started taking her to Deer Lake again and that means that I can also resume my passion for taking pictures.
Early Monday morning, despite the drizzle,  she and I headed down the hill to the lake and encountered a lovely Blue Heron perched on the map sign.

Just before my surgery I had spoken to a gentleman who walks here regularly and he had informed me that he counted over thirty Heron nests on the east side of the lake.  That is a lot for this little postage size lake, but have seen no real increase in the number of herons actually around the lake.

However, later in the day Fred and I went to the Stanley Park seawall for a walk as the day had begun to be sunny and warm. There we encountered an explosion of Blue herons. Everywhere you turned there were herons flying, feeding and sunning themselves.

 This picture told me why they are called BLUE herons and not Gray herons. If the sun hits them correctly they are the most beautiful shade of blue.
I am now hoping that the nests that my fellow walking friend saw are going to produce lots of babies that  I will be able to photograph almost in my back yard!

I took lots of photos that day and they can be seen  by clicking here Flickr to take you to my flickr page

Canada's Official Bird??

The Canada Goose is being proposed for our official bird. They have to be the most destructive bird we have. They literally chew up every blade of grass in the parks hour after hour while simultaneously squirting it  back  out the other end! However they are one of  the most amusing and beautiful birds we have. They come in droves to Deer Lake every summer.

  It is nesting season and all the little goslings are following mom all day long.

Meanwhile mom has absolutely no patience with anyone or anything that goes near her little ones.

 And when mom loses it everyone scrambles to get out of her way!!!