peacock

Once I got to Queens Park I managed to get a good shot of a peacock without the fencing interfering too much. The enclosure has two adult males (peacock) and one juvenile male but it would seem the accommodations for these birds is too small for the number. The female is called a peahen, by the way. Enjoy! - V

red-shafted flicker

Sunday I took a walk south of my place to Queens Park. On the way I noticed a flicker making a determined effort at getting at an ant colony, it lunch for the day, or snack! The Red-shafted Flicker is native to western North America while its related cousin, the Yellow-shafted Flicker is native to the eastern half of the continent. The call is the same and very distinctive. The rock you see in the photo was crawling with ants which the bird was busily eating at leisure! The weather was sunny and warm. - V

on the wild side!

On Sunday I went on a short walk to Queens Park just up the street from where I live. I try to walk each day to get in shape and regain that strength lost on the left side. So far so good!

While observing, I noticed a pair of ears and a head bobbing in the tall grass and buttercups in flower. I turned out to be a coyote, or Canis latrans in Latin! It can also be referred to as the American Jackal or prairie wolf. I managed to get a couple of good shots in before it ran off. This was after track it for a few minutes! I posted the photos on my Facebook page and someone commented that he'd like one. They are unpredictable alone and in a pack can be dangerous! I would re-think that idea! I'll have some other photos soon. - V

snow scene

The winter of 2008-2009 offered us some snow as well, not just in November 2006 as posted previously. Here children are using a snow-covered hill in New Westminster's Queens Park to full advantage with seemingly boundless energy fully absorbed in their task. Snow in the British Columbia's lower mainland is not as rare as people might think. Fifty years ago or so this was the norm! - V

Changing temperatures

This was the scene in New Westminster's Queens Park last Sunday and most of the week until temperatures changed overnight. It was snowing yesterday but that changed during the night. When I looked outside my window this afternoon, I could see water dripping from a Japanese maple outside my bedroom. A robin was perched on one of its branches. I managed to get a shot but the robin had disappeared by the time I showed up at the window again with my camera in hand. I'll keep you posted.

Friday evening I was turning off the Grundig radio I keep in the kitchen and turned off the power switch on the electrical cord when the switch sparked and a flash came out and blackened my finger. I guess I was lucky enough not to get a shock! I immediately unplugged the radio. This morning I checked to see if the radio was working but found nothing. The switch is gone at the very least and perhaps the entire cord will have to be replaced to get the radio working. There's a lot of history in that radio. I used to listen to shortwave radio back in the early 1970s with my brother and often spent hours on my own listening to radio stations around the world, such as from Radio Netherlands from Hilversum, or Voice of America from Washington, DC/USA, Radio Moscow, Radio Japan, Radio Australia from Melbourne, New South Wales, or Radio KUSW from Colorado/USA and so on. The furthest away station was one from a transmitter north of Perth, Western Territory/Australia where I caught a variety show early in the morning after returning home from work. The sound was so clear, as if it was from a station in the city where I lived. I continued to listen to the radio for years after my younger brother passed on. Like I said, lots of memories! Let's see if I can get this thing working again!!!

Meantime, I have been busy today sorting stuff and separating that which is to go to the auctioneer apart from that which I am to keep. Its a chore. More coming, including photos!

Merry Christmas - Frohe Weihnachten - Joyeux Noel

This afternoon I took about an hour or so to go on a walk over to nearby Queens Park. As you can see, the snow is coming down once again. There is also another snow warning out on the Weather Network from now through Friday. I've no idea of the amount but we'll have to see. Meantime, children are playing on a hillside in the park and if we remember back to our own childhood, we would have been out in the snow for hours with boundless energy!

The trees in the park had a fresh coat of snow on them. The photos would have been better with some sunshine but I guess that's not coming today. When the sun does shine, you'll see some bright photos but these pics give you an idea how much has fallen!

Next year's cones are ripening and waiting for a visit from bird and squirrels. These condos are near home, covered in fresh snow, as even more of the white stuff comes falling down. The lower photo shows the condos along McBride Blvd near home with Queens Park in the background. Enjoy the photos! There will be more!!!

Condos near Queens Park in New Westminster

Scene with row of condos near Queen's Park in New Westminster, British Columbia. There are plenty of new ones like these in the area. - Volker