A Powell River Photo Blog

Rocky Mountain Stoneworks

2012-01-29T00:15:00.001-08:00

When I saw these empty crates at the back of the local Rona my curiosity was piqued as to what had been in them. Turns out Rocky Mountain Stoneworks makes stone veneers. Ludicrous isn't it? - nothing but rock all around us and we haul in crates of the fake stuff.

Snip!

2012-01-28T00:15:00.000-08:00

Some signs are more appropriate than others.

This one is a hairstylist on Marine Avenue.

Once A Sidehill ...

2012-01-27T00:15:00.000-08:00

... now a pile of rocks.

"Sidehill" for "hillside" is one of those quirks of West Coast language that delighted me when I first came to BC. Not a usage I was taught in Ontario, to be sure.

This is at Powell Lake, above the marina, you can see it in the header above also. I read somewhere what the intent here was, but can't remember what it was, nor where I read it. Sigh!

The Canadian Coast Guard 50th

2012-01-26T00:15:00.000-08:00

The Canadian Coast Guard celebrates its 50th anniversary today. By chance, our local Coast Guard crew held a training exercise at Willingdon Beach last Saturday, where one of their mates played injured and the others rescued him, giving me a wonderful way to note the anniversary.

Above, the "injured" party lay waiting on the beach, and below, help arrives in the form of the Coast Guard Zodiac.

It was quite the exercise, right down to applying tape across the patient's forehead, to keep the head from moving.

And onto the Zodiac, and away to the North Harbour, where theoretically an ambulance would be waiting.

It's good to see them honing their skills, even as we

hope they never have to use them in a real event.

And thanks for the 50 years of service!

The Glen Rover

2012-01-25T00:15:00.000-08:00

The Glen Rover, in her nice bright livery, moored at the
South Harbour on Monday.

This is a tug with a history. She started life as HMCS Glencove, one of 16 Glen-class steel-hulled tugs built for the Navy during World War Two. She was commissioned in 1944 from a yard in Owen Sound, Ontario, and was declared surplus by the Navy in 1946. She's changed hands a few times since, and, like a lot of us from Ontario, has ended up here on the Coast.

And while she may be old, I think she's still very pretty!

I understand the Glen Rover is for sale if you have about $720,000.

The Collector

2012-01-24T00:15:00.000-08:00

Collector of what I couldn't tell, but definitely totally immersed in the job,
and blissfully unaware of anything around him, including my camera .

Riding

2012-01-23T00:15:00.001-08:00

With the weather we've been having, the gumboots and rain pants are a must

when you're off-road riding.

Ho-Hum ...

2012-01-22T00:15:00.001-08:00

.... just another Bald Eagle picture.

Actually, I love these birds, and there isn't anything ho-hum about them. When I see one this close, I take pictures! And it wasn't till I saw my pictures on the monitor that I noted the errant feather on the right, so he may have been in some distress. Pretty sure it's a "he", smallish for an eagle, and the females are the bigger of the two. Taken from the Seawalk oceanfront, last Sunday.

For the technically minded, this was shot at 500mm, f/7.1, with exposure compensation of -0.7, hand-held, no crop. I had the ISO bumped up to 1600 to give me a decent shutter speed if he flew, which, alas, he didn't.

And that's what it takes to shoot an eagle!

Retirees

2012-01-21T00:15:00.001-08:00

These four gents - all retirees from the Catalyst Mill - put paid to the cliché of the old retired guys hanging around the coffee shop swapping stories and gossip. These guys walk while they swap their stories and gossip.

Good on you men!

The snap was taken, of course, before this round of rotten weather hit us.

A Dusting

2012-01-20T00:15:00.000-08:00

A dusting of snow is all we've had, less than the weatherman forecast. These "flowers" were at the viewpoint memorial, where there wasn't much snow, but where the wind off Malaspina Strait on Tuesday morning was bitterly cold.

Sunset - North Harbour

2012-01-19T00:15:00.000-08:00

A setting sun catches the pilings off the Westview pier and the boats
in the North Harbour, two weeks back.

( NOTE: apparently there have been problems with people leaving comments. Google is aware of the problem (which showed up in the new "thread mode"), and in the meantime has suggested that the comments page be changed to the "pop-up" type, which I've now done. Hopefully this solves things, apologies in the meantime to the few who have had problems.)

Take-Out

2012-01-18T00:15:00.000-08:00

First Window

Second Window

Lunch is served!

(And it was totally serendipitous that the colour of the vehicle paired with the colour of the pylons, to match the colours of the "golden arches" logo!)

Second Beach

2012-01-17T00:15:00.000-08:00

Second Beach, below the trestle on the Willingdon Trail, at mid-tide.

This site was the local public beach, situated about halfway between the Townsite and Westview, before Willingdon Beach Park was opened in 1927. I don't know what it was like then, but today there is barely a whiff of sand to dignify it
with the name "beach".

(I'll note that in a post last year I mistakenly called that stretch of sand at the hulks "Second Beach", which only shows that even after 40 years I have a lot to learn about my community!)

Fungi

2012-01-16T00:15:00.001-08:00

I spent some time looking at fungi pictures on the internet, trying to find a name for this one, with no luck. Believe me, there are a lot of fungi pictures on the net. Whatever its name, there is a lot of it about right now, with all the warm wet weather we had before this cold spell.

Great Blue Heron - A Portrait

2012-01-15T00:15:00.000-08:00

This picture was taken near the end of October. I've been catching up on doing some prints, and coming across this, decided it had a place here in spite of my having done several Heron posts already.

That big yellow eye and the gorgeous blue water in the background makes this one of my bird shots of the past year that I'm most pleased with.

"Click" on it - make it bigger!

Fresh Snow - Vancouver Island

2012-01-14T00:15:00.001-08:00

Fresh snow on the mountains of Vancouver Island.

This is a 5-shot panorama taken last Wednesday morning. I have lived here the best part of a life-time and have yet to tire of this view.

The format here doesn't do it justice, so be sure to "click" on the pic
and make it bigger.

If This Seems Early ...

2012-01-13T00:15:00.001-08:00

... it is.

These Narcissus are potted plants for sale at one of the local grocers.

Willingdon View

2012-01-12T00:15:00.000-08:00

A view that's hard to beat when the weather cooperates

(Make it bigger - "click" on the pic.)

Balmy

2012-01-11T00:15:00.000-08:00

When it's a balmy 8°C and not raining you take your coffee and paper

and join the smokers in the great outdoors.

Greater Scaup

2012-01-10T00:15:00.000-08:00

Another of the duck species that migrate from the north to spend the winters on the coast is the Greater Scaup. The drake, above, will show a lovely iridescent green on his head if you can catch him in the sun. The hen, as in most duck species, doesn't look quite as good as her mate. These are colloquially know as "Bluebills", because of the drake's bill colour, though all the ones I've seen the bill is more grey than blue.

The male is an archive picture; the female was captured off the Seawalk a few weeks ago. We see these Scaup here both on salt water and fresh. Unfortunately this is another species in decline - while not yet threatened, numbers have dropped steadily since the 1980's.

Rising Moon

2012-01-09T00:15:00.001-08:00

After a week of dreary grey skies I couldn't resist shooting a blue one!

Happily, it held a newly risen moon Thursday, not quite full.

Unhappily, the blue skies didn't last long.

The Memorial Wall

2012-01-08T00:15:00.000-08:00

The Memorial Wall at the Westview Viewpoint. When this fine viewpoint was built they sold memorial tiles for the walls to raise the funds, and continue to do so. Some years later it's common to see people scanning the tiles, looking for
familiar names.

And the older I get, as more tiles get added there are more names I know.

The Stormforce

2012-01-07T00:15:00.000-08:00

I mentioned in a previous post that the re-opening of the Westview pier gives a great prospect for taking pictures of tugs, and here I'm proving the point. This is the Stormforce, heading south with a logboom in tow, photographed from the pier. She's pictured against the backdrop of Savary Island, at top, and Harwood Island, below, with the mountains on Vancouver Island in the distance,
beyond the cloud cover.

Stormforce is a semi-regular in local waters. Her home base is Campbell River,

but this was the first time I'd spotted her here since August.

442 Squadron

2012-01-06T00:15:00.000-08:00

I've always thought of 442 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force as the "Search and Rescue" Squadron, but apparently the correct designation is 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron. While based in Comox - the only Air Force base in BC - both the Squadron's CH-149 Cormorant Helicopters and the CC-115 Buffalo Aircraft are constant visitors to our local airport.

A week ago I heard a Cormorant Helicopter overhead and took its picture, and then went up to the airport to find both the helicopter and one of the Buffalo Aircraft at the site. Which for an airplane buff is a plus! The Cormorant was just leaving as I got there, and I waited to catch a shot of the Buffalo on the runway.
Big and noisey both - great!

Winter Viewing

2012-01-05T00:15:00.001-08:00

Even when we aren't blessed with any sun, it's not hard

to find someone taking in a view.

The Dusty II

2012-01-04T00:15:00.000-08:00

The troller Dusty II heading in to the South Harbour on a raw day here on the upper "Sunshine" Coast. She was out prawning, but as the commercial season is closed till May, she took her limit "sport fishing".

Prawns are a Christmas season tradition - sautee them with a bit of garlic,

serve with some crackers, add a cold beverage of your choice

.... mmm mmm good!

Coincidentally, I've snapped the Dusty II before, sport fishing,
though she's changed her colours since the last time I caught her.
And the weather was a tad better!

My Holiday Goose

2012-01-03T00:15:00.000-08:00

Just at the start of the holidays I spotted this immature Greater White-fronted Goose down at Lindsay Park, hiding in amongst a flock of of its Canada cousins. I have seen a number of these geese on Vancouver Island, in the fall and spring, as they do their migration, but I've never seen a single one on our side of the water. So this youngster is special. And as it's also the first one I've managed to get a decent picture of, getting this shot was a holiday treat.

So this particular holiday goose was not one for the oven!

Foolhardy

2012-01-02T00:15:00.000-08:00

Definition: foolhardy - boarding down lower Westview Avenue

on an icy winter morning.

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T00:15:00.001-08:00

I like to sit on a bench along our Seawalk on a sunny winters' day and take in the great view up Georgia Strait. And I hope the coming year gives me many more opportunities to do the same again!

Happy New Year everyone, may your views this year be as grand as this one!

Seasonal Lights

2011-12-31T00:15:00.000-08:00

I'll close the year showing some seasonal decoration, in pictures taken on a drive around town with friends, checking out the lights.

Frost-Proofing

2011-12-30T00:15:00.000-08:00

While our coastal temperatures are generally mild enough that we can even grow some palms in Powell River, we have seen some very frosty mornings already. Brenda and the municpal gardening crew have frost-proofed these shrubs at the Rose Garden on Joyce Avenue, but for the life-of-me, I can't remember what it is they've covered up. So I'm in for a surprise when these get their winter clothing removed in the spring!

The Creek At Willingdon

2011-12-29T00:15:00.000-08:00

The creek at Willingdon.
An autumn picture, technically speaking, as it was taken before the 22nd, and it's been winter a week. And it does feel like winter. Cold and damp.

Winter Loon

2011-12-28T00:15:00.000-08:00

A Common Loon in its winter colours. They may not be as pretty this time of year, compared to their breeding colours, but still pretty enough. And in winter it is much easier to get them within decent camera range. This bird was checking me out, I don't think it's ever seen a camera before!

Rigging

2011-12-27T00:15:00.000-08:00

When there isn't much happening on a gorgeous sunny day I like

to go down to the harbour and look at the sailboats in the probably

vain hope that someone, one day, will offer me a ride on one.

This is a shot of the Carlotta.

Before and After

2011-12-26T00:15:00.000-08:00

The bird - before the carving and after.

I hope everyone ate as well as I did over the holiday!

Merry Christmas To All

2011-12-25T00:15:00.000-08:00

Best of the season, whichever holiday you celebrate!

Are You Ready?

2011-12-24T00:15:00.000-08:00

Are you ready for your visitor tonight?

Gulp

2011-12-23T00:15:00.000-08:00

Friend, to me : "And what did you do today?"
Me, in reply : "I spent a fascinating ½ hour watching a seagull trying to swallow a starfish."

Ludicrous isn't it? But I have the pictures to show for it! Even then I missed the dénouement. Getting tired of waiting to catch the final gulp, I put the camera back in the bag, only to turn around and see the starfish gone. Next time!

Triple Play

2011-12-22T00:15:00.000-08:00

Sometimes the photography gods only half cooperate. I've been looking for this type of shot for some time. Two tugs is hard enough, but getting three to line up is, well, tough. And so the gods, to tease me, lined them up on a raw day with virtually no sun. This would have been a super shot on a sunny day. Ah, the trials and tribulations of a man with a camera!

From front to rear, the Seaspan Master, the Hecate Straits and the Island Navigator, earlier this month.

Toys R Us

2011-12-21T00:15:00.000-08:00

To paraphrase Mark Twain, toys make the man. I found two "older boys" playing with their toys at Mowat Bay recently, a radio-controlled boat and floatplane.

Not enough light to get good pictures of the plane in the air, but fly it did. I've always said that everyone needs a hobby, and this looks like fun. That black tube on top of the floatplane is a camera that will take a movie in full 60 frames-per-second high definition. Neat!

And, um ... Christmas is coming! There's still time. (Hint, hint.)

Basking

2011-12-20T00:15:00.000-08:00

The Sea Lions have been back at the Catalyst Mill harbour for a number of weeks already. This one was one of a couple of dozen animals, basking in the autumn sun. If you locals haven't seen this year's herd, head on down to the Mill logpond. You won't be the only one there, lots of other people are enjoying the show.

La Casita Mexican Restaurant

2011-12-19T00:15:00.000-08:00

A little touch of ethnic food on Marine Avenue. And, unfortunately, probably

the closest I'll get to Mexico, this winter anyway!

At The Workshop

2011-12-18T00:15:00.000-08:00

At Santa's workshop - where the workshop was the local mall, and Santa

was getting his picture taken with the local youngsters.

Ol' Blue Eyes

2011-12-17T00:15:00.000-08:00

Up close and personal with a Double-crested Cormorant.

Not the most handsome of birds, except for those aqua-blue eyes.

Unlike most water birds, these Cormorants don't have a lot of oil on their feathers, so the feathers aren't waterproof. That means the birds have to spend a fair bit of time with their wings outstretched, "air-drying".

Slow Smokeless Burning

2011-12-16T00:15:00.001-08:00

I pass this wood-pile every now and again on my travels, a wood-pile that has obviously been sitting for at least one winter, and probably longer, unused. And every time I pass it I think of one of my favourite poems by one of my favourite poets, The Wood-pile, by Robert Frost. To read the whole poem, follow the link - I'll just quote the last part of it here -

I thought that only

Someone who lived in turning to fresh tasks

Could so forget his handiwork on which

He spent himself, the labour of his axe,

And leave it there far from a useful fireplace

To warm the frozen swamp as best it could

With the slow smokeless burning of decay.

Gingerbread Village

2011-12-15T00:15:00.001-08:00

Who can resist the scrumptious smell of Gingerbread!

The Town Centre Hotel lobby is filled with that great smell, coming from their Gingerbread Village.

And if you pop into their lobby, you can vote on which one of the Village creations you like best. Any donation (of over $1) gets you a ballot, with all donations going to the local Fire Fighter's Burn Fund.

Ballots for "most popular" will be counted on the 23rd, and as well, 3 names

will be drawn from the ballots for prizes. Sounds like win/win to me!

Jag

2011-12-14T00:15:00.000-08:00

If I owned one of these I think I'd have second thoughts about taking it out in the weather. But then I don't own one of these. The iconic hood ornament.

Horizontal

2011-12-13T00:15:00.000-08:00

This young lady was enjoying herself, virtually horizontal,
on the swings at Willingdon.

At The Mill Viewpoint

2011-12-12T00:15:00.000-08:00

The Mill from the Marine Avenue viewpoint, in a shot from last month.

Now that I've been retired for a few years it almost seems like I didn't spend the last 25 years of my working life "down the hill" at the Mill. I had a good job there, but retirement is better. Much better!

Craft Fair

2011-12-11T00:15:00.000-08:00

I checked out the "Magic of Christmas" Craft Fair at the Rec Complex, yesterday. The Upper Foyer was chock-a-block full of tables full of wares and people looking them over.

It is very nice to see the quality of the products that local crafters

and home-based businesses make.

Sales appeared to be brisk. Good for them!

Vertigo

2011-12-10T00:15:00.000-08:00

I spent a good bit of my working life working off of a ladder, so why does the idea of climbing up the Fire Department's ladder truck give me second thoughts?

The Back Of The Building

2011-12-09T00:15:00.001-08:00

The back of a building can often look more interesting than the front.
The Forestry Museum at Willingdon Beach, a few weeks a go.

Henry

2011-12-08T00:15:00.000-08:00

This is Henry. Obviously fairly new to our world, and doesn't yet understand that some of life's sticks are just too big, so he picked it up regardless.
Henry's master was out on a photo shoot at Willingdon,
and I took a few shots of my own.

Sit A Bit

2011-12-07T00:15:00.000-08:00

The bench is a nice touch, and the "Sit A Bit" sign is inviting, but it does loose a bit of its appeal when you note the sign at the right!

On Burnaby Street, before the leaves were all gone.

("Click" on the picture - make it bigger!)

Parade of Lights

2011-12-06T00:15:00.001-08:00

Saturday evening saw the Powell River Yacht Club put on the Parade of Lights
sail-by. This is an event that was quite popular in the past that
I think they're trying to revive.

There weren't a lot of entries, but it was easy to see that those that
did enter spent some time and effort. So kudos to all!

The Santa Claus Parade '11

2011-12-05T00:15:00.000-08:00

The annual Santa Claus Parade took place yesterday afternoon.

Here's a few pictures of the event.

Powell River Divers

2011-12-04T00:15:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's post featured the tug Seaspan Pacer limping in to the South Harbour after one of her engines kicked out. Once they were tied up and shut down, they asked Ken Stephen's Powell River Divers to do an underwater inspection.
That's Ken, above, in mufti.

I'm sure the job has its pluses, but I think diving into the waters of the South Harbour in December goes into the minus column. I got cold watching him.

Turns out the Pacer had a bent blade on one of the propellers. I think she eventually hobbled back to port in North Vancouver on one engine.

Seaspan Pacer

2011-12-03T00:15:00.000-08:00

As the South Harbour has only recently been able to accomodate tugs this size, I think it's safe to say that this is the first Seaspan tug to enter our harbour. This is the Seaspan Pacer, limping in on one engine, yesterday. She's a regular visitor to the Catalyst Mill, and while I have posted a picture of her before, this is the closest I've been to her. She tied up at the first float and called in the divers to inspect one of her propellers. The divers you'll see here tomorrow.

Morning Fog

2011-12-02T00:15:00.000-08:00

Morning fog at the slough at Haslam Lake.

Can't Do Without ...

2011-12-01T00:15:00.000-08:00

.... their television set.

Strolling through Willingdon Park recently I did a double take on this satellite receiver. The owners of that camper in the Willingdon campgrounds - "The Archibalds" according to their sign - have strung a good length of cable across the creek and through the trees to connect to their free-standing dish. I guess the Archibalds don't want to miss their Coronation Street!

Most surprising of all is that someone hasn't walked off with it.

Late Fruit

2011-11-30T00:15:00.000-08:00

Late November, and surprisingly, there is still fruit on some trees that the deer or the bears haven't found. They looked very tempting, but I remembered the biblical injunction and didn't eat the apples.

This is a young tree that's planted in the Triangle Garden
on Marine Avenue in the Townsite.

White-winged Scoter

2011-11-29T00:15:00.000-08:00

Last winter I saw very few of these White-winged Scoters on our waterfront, so this year it was nice to see several dozen of them on the day I took these pictures. They eat mullosks, and this bird has what looks to be a decent sized mussel in his grasp, which he swallowed whole.

Check out the tongue in this last picture - did you know
duck tongue is a Chinese delicacy?
Me either!

Get a better look by "clicking" on the pictures.

Pow! Town Roller Derby

2011-11-28T00:15:00.000-08:00

I'm old enough to have caught the last few years of the televised Roller Derby competitions from the 1950's. I've also known that there is a ladies league in Powell River, the Pow! Town Roller Derby League. What I didn't know is the extent to which the sport has been revived in the last 10 years. It's big!

The ladies have a table set up in the Mall on Friday nights and Saturdays
where they're answering questions and selling their calendar as a fundraiser.

You can also find them on Facebook.

The Man Himself

2011-11-27T00:15:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the local SPCA had their "Pet Photos With Santa" event

at the Town Centre Mall. Which meant of course, that

the man himself put in an appearance.

Autumn Gold

2011-11-26T00:15:00.001-08:00

Another tribute to nature's fall colours for 2011, the last one.
Maybe. Though by the time this gets posted trees that look like this
will be hard to find.

The River

2011-11-25T00:15:00.000-08:00

The City of Powell River's eponymous river.

There is only one real word to describe it: short!

This is about ¾ of the total length, looking toward the dam. Behind the photographer - me - is another short section of river, and then Powell Lake. The water held back by the dam is used by the local pulp and paper mill both for process water and hydro power. Without the dam, the original town of Powell River would never have been built.

Harlequins

2011-11-24T00:15:00.000-08:00

Harlequin ducks are among my favourite winter ducks, and they have been seen on our waterfront for about a month now. A small flock of about thirty was taking refuge against the wind and the rough water, on the Willingdon Beach float, when I chanced by with the camera. Though the refugee provided by the float was minimal at best.

You have to admire a bird which will stand and have cold water thrown at it repeatedly, and take it as a matter of course.

Henderson House

2011-11-23T00:15:00.000-08:00

Henderson House - the restoration of the first private home in Powell River is slowly but surely making headway. The exterior looks terrific, and at least some of the interior has been completed, as the Townsite Heritage Society moved their office into the building some months ago. I haven't seen the inside of the main part of the building recently, but if they do the same job on that as they've done on the exterior, it will be a fantastic restoration.

Compare this exterior shot to one in a post in August of last year.

In The Arts

2011-11-22T00:15:00.000-08:00

What's happening in the arts?

There's the performances of The Music Man next week-end at the Brooks Max Cameron Theatre. The 16th annual Festival of Trees opened yesterday at the Town Centre Hotel. November 30th is the date of the Sounds of Christmas Concert with the Powell River Chorus. Handel's Rodelinda is the next Metropolitan Opera screening on the morning of December 3rd. The Parade of Lights is also scheduled for December 3rd, with a bonfire and hot chocolate at Willingdon Beach at 6:30 that evening. That same night is the Christmas Party and Variety Show at the Complex, featuring among others, Walter Martella on the piano.

Also coming up is the Fine Arts Christmas Sale at Timberlane on the 26th and 27th of the month. On December 9th we have the 34th season of Carols By Candlelight at Dwight Hall, with a repeat matinee performance on the 10th. The Chor Musica Men's Choir Christmas Concert takes place at the Music Academy on December 15th. And finally, the Community Band Fall Concert is scheduled at the Patricia Theatre on the 18th of December.

Surely something for everyone!

The pinboard is in the lobby of the Rec Complex - I noted it the other day while doing my civic duty.

Pulley

2011-11-21T00:15:00.000-08:00

The pulley on the Willingdon Beach Trail, part of the display of old logging equipment put up by the Forestry Museum. The pictures weren't taken on the same day of course. I took the one below and when I had it up on my monitor I had an "Oh, I shoudda ... " moment, and went back the next day to finish the job with the picture above.

The pulley itself is leaning against one of the skids of an old steam

donkey, which we'll leave for another day.

Indigo

2011-11-20T00:15:00.002-08:00

One of the rationales for expanding the South Harbour was to attract larger boats. And while I have already seen larger commercial craft berthing here, at 27 metres, the Indigo is the largest pleasure boat I've seen in the new part of our harbour.

When she arrived here the Indigo had spent 3 days cruising south from Bella Bella, with overnighters at Port McNeil and Campbell River, which is something I wouldn't mind doing myself.

A Duck Lake View

2011-11-19T00:15:00.000-08:00

A view of Duck Lake, from the bridge over Lang Creek, late last month.

Grief Point - Once More

2011-11-18T00:15:00.000-08:00

Another view of the Grief Point light. The day I took this was a day full of chores, with not much time for my camera. I snuck away for ½ an hour, down to Grief Point, where I can almost always get a picture. The result was a snap I like, so you get to see it too!

(Make it bigger by "clicking" - it looks better bigger!)

Compare this view to the 2 others I've posted, on July 30, 2011 and October 3, 2010 - while the subject is the same, the pictures aren't.

Thank You Powell River

2011-11-17T00:15:00.001-08:00

On Tuesday the Powell River Professional Fire Fighters held the 2nd Annual Sun-A-Thon fundraiser, in conjunction with Sun FM Radio, at the Silke's parking lot on Joyce Avenue. Their Charitable Society raises money which they in turn pass on to other charities. Other local charities.

Thank you Fire Fighters!

Fog at Myrtle Beach

2011-11-16T00:15:00.000-08:00

Foggy autumn morning at Myrtle Beach.

Full Sails

2011-11-15T00:15:00.000-08:00

A brisk wind gave the Revelar full sails, and she was doing a fair clip as she came up to Grief Point, heading west. The downside of the brisk wind was the good chop on the water, which may add to the photograph, but wouldn't add to the sailing experience - for me anyway, I rather think I'd be a fair-weather sailor.

U12 Boys Soccer Jamboree

2011-11-14T00:15:00.001-08:00

Line it up ...

Powell River recently hosted the U12 Boys Soccer Jamboree at Larry Gouthro Park. Six teams, five from the Island - Campbell River, Parksville, Port Alberni and two Comox Valley teams - plus the local side. This young lad was playing for one of the Comox Valley teams.

kick it, eyes wide shut ...

.... and watch it go!

No Mail Today

2011-11-13T00:15:00.000-08:00

Do our posties put the flag up on mail days?

The picture was taken some weeks ago and it's closing in on its best-before date, but I have a space to fill, so here you have it.

The Wharf at Westview

2011-11-12T00:15:00.001-08:00

I missed the official opening of the newly re-done Wharf at Westview, and I've delayed taking my own pictures till I found a day free of the tradesmen and city workers putting on the finishing touches. I must admit it looks good, with the walkways and benches, and the landscaping.

There is a fine view of the boats in the North Harbour, and there is finally access to the pier, which is a great place to sit and watch the tugboats go by.
Or it will be when the weather gets warm again!

Lest We Forget

2011-11-11T00:15:00.000-08:00

To commemorate Remembrance Day.

These are archival pics, taken at the ceremony
at the Cenotaph two years ago.

The Fall Burning

2011-11-10T00:15:00.001-08:00

The fall burning - on Cranberry Lake.

Watching The Salmon Run

2011-11-09T00:15:00.001-08:00

The run of Chum Salmon in Willingdon Creek was almost done last week but there were still people stopping to watch the remaining fish struggle upstream.

Coming up the creek into fresh water is the end of their life-cycle. That means the carcasses of many salmon litter the mouth of Willingdon Creek, a bounty of food for the local seagulls.

And a fairly strong smell of rotting fish!

Turkey Vulture

2011-11-08T00:15:00.000-08:00

For all the times I've seen Turkey Vultures flying above me, it has been surprisingly difficult to catch one on the ground. This bird must have been one of the last ones still here, as they head south as the season changes. I took its picture as it stood on a rock in the water at mid-tide, below Penticton Street, about 2 weeks ago.

Spotted

2011-11-07T00:15:00.000-08:00

I only had a few spare hours in Victoria, just enough to practice my street photography at the Inner Harbour. It's hard to be unobstrusive carrying the camera I do, and this young lad spotted me and just wouldn't look away to give me a "natural" shot. Guess I need more practice being unobstrusive.
These young men were lining up for a group photo, so I suspect the other photographer wasn't happy with him either.

Back to regular PR posting tomorrow.

Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay

2011-11-06T00:15:00.000-07:00

I left Vancouver for an event in Victoria via the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay ferry, with a ride through Active Pass and the Gulf Islands on the

Spirit of British Columbia.

Vancouver's Stanley Park Seawall

2011-11-05T00:15:00.000-07:00

While I was in "the City" I took an afternoon and walked the Stanley Park Seawall. I took many pictures - here's a few of the highlights.

The Seawall is a delightful place, and it was far too long since I'd walked it the last time. A thoroughly enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.

More pictures than in a normal post, but I won't be back here for awhile.

Vancouver Cityscapes

2011-11-04T00:15:00.000-07:00

Playing the out-of-town tourist in Vancouver was a great way to spend a few days, but it also means you get my tourist photos posted here. Above, a shot of the Vancouver Art Gallery, while below is a photo of the older Convention Centre taken from the new one. And don't ask what that blue thing is, other than an installation of modern art.

Above, the obligatory tourist "reflection in the glass" picture. Below, a shot of the North Shore, and bottom, the Vancouver Yacht Club moorage, against the background of Coal Harbour's many condos.

The Sun Sets on the City

2011-11-03T00:15:00.002-07:00

I was out of town, so for the next few days you will see pictures that have nothing to do with Powell River. I hadn't been on a "pleasure only" trip to Vancouver for so long that I decided to treat myself, and play tourist. This was the view from my 19th floor hotel room, as the sun was setting.

Leaving

2011-11-02T00:15:00.000-07:00

The view of the Saltery Bay ferry terminal as the Island Sky

sails south, with me on it. Off to the "big smoke"!

The Soccer Players

2011-11-01T00:15:00.000-07:00

What they lacked in finesse, they made up for with enthusiasm. Girls soccer at

Larry Gouthro Park on a Saturday morning.

Haslam Lake Bypass

2011-10-31T00:15:00.000-07:00

This is the new road that will bypass the paved section of Haslam Lake Road by the water chlorination plant. In an article in the Peak dated August last year, the little bridge you see pictured was to have been completed last fall, and this road commissioned a year ago. They have finally gotten around to the bridge in the last few weeks, so I'm assuming this road will be in use shortly. Maybe. Two weeks ago, when I took the picture, it was still just a nice spot for a walk.

Forlorn

2011-10-30T00:15:00.000-07:00

Sitting on a teeter-totter by yourself, even a fancy spring-loaded one

like this one at Willingdon, is not a lot of fun! He was the
only soul on the playground.

Bald Eagle

2011-10-29T00:15:00.001-07:00

Our local Bald Eagles temporarily leave Powell River at the end of August and head north to catch the salmon runs. A week or so ago a friend phoned to tell me that both pairs of Marine Avenue eagles were back on the waterfront, so I scooted down with my camera. This bird did me the honour of giving me a very nice pose.

As always, "click" on the picture for a larger view.

The Old Clubhouse

2011-10-28T00:15:00.000-07:00

The old vacant golf course clubhouse on Marine Avenue was the scene of a fire on Wednesday, with the ruin still smoldering yesterday afternoon. The building was a Townsite fixture since 1929, and many a celebration was held there. They can burn buildings, but they can't burn memories, thankfully.

Fire and police were still on the scene, apparently the clubhouse is the latest victim in a series of local arsons.

The Point

2011-10-27T00:15:00.000-07:00

Looking up Powell Lake. For a sense of scale, note the two-storey

float cabin in the distance, to the right of the point.

Virginia Creeper

2011-10-26T00:15:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite plants for the autumn season.
And it adorns my favourite Townsite gateway.

A Good Day

2011-10-25T00:15:00.000-07:00

If you draw your curtain in the morning and virtually the first thing you see is a female Hairy Woodpecker perched on the telephone pole across the street, then you know it's going to be a good day!

Early Morning - Sunday

2011-10-24T00:15:00.001-07:00

Eight-thirty yesterday, Sunday morning - an autumn scene.

Heritage Home and Its Garden

2011-10-23T00:15:00.000-07:00

The heritage home and its garden next door to the Regional District offices off to the left, in a picture taken from the back lane. It used to be a B & B, though some time back I noted they changed the sign. One of the premiere properties on this stretch of Marine Ave.

(I cheated a little here, by cloning out a power line. You have to love digital.)

Purple Mums

2011-10-22T00:15:00.000-07:00

Purple Mums, found at Veteran's Memorial Park.