Sandy Shadows

All week long, our little dog waits patiently for Sunday. While she is walked several times each day, Sundays are for adventure, given over to shady groves, woodland trails and the joy of new things to explore!
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We're fortunate to have many parks within easy reach. A favourite with us all is on the edge of the Fraser River, underneath the Patullo Bridge.

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Its main appeal is a huge mountain of sand that borders the park. It is not picturesque sand in an idyllic beach setting, but is strictly utilitaran...a great mound piled onto an empty lot in an industrial site to prepare the ground for construction.
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No matter...Meeghan and I love scampering through sandy dunes of any sort, (though it's more accurate to say she scampers and I plod clumsily behind her)!

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I love to watch as long afternoon

shadows mark deep, dark creases across the dunes. The drifting sand with its peaks and swirls mimics perfectly the landscape of the world's great deserts.

I grab my camera to get pictures of Meeghan as she and her shadow lope happily across the rippled sand.
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There is something about this sand that reminds me of the moon with its cool, pocked surface and oddly shaped formations. Of course, my imagination has a tendency to run away with itself.
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I see much beauty in this cluster of weeds, the light tracing spindly shadows outward from each plant, as if penned by a calligraphic hand.
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The shifting silver sand and sharp shadows are a perfect place to explore the play of light and dark that I so love.

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Many thanks to 'Hey, Harriet' for hosting this Sunday event! To see more shadowy shots, do drop by her page at...

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http://heyharriet.blogspot.com/

Sunday Rambling

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For us, Sunday is a day to wander. With our little dog in tow, my husband and I explore places near and far, changing plans and directions as the mood takes us. Yesterday, we set out for the shore, only to come across a local park we had not been to before. We ended up staying for the afternoon and never did make it to the beach.

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I knew it was the right choice when we came across one of the abandoned buildings that I so love to photograph.

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Watershed Park is so named because of an underground aquifer that feeds into the neighbourhood water works.
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The derelict remains of an old pumping station immediately captured my attention, and unlike the places we so often explore, there was no sign prohibiting entry!

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I might have wished for better light in which to photograph. After an uncommonly hot, dry summer, we've slammed into a gray and damp September. Our normally lush, coastal rainforests are subdued and pale
and the sun has hidden itself away.
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That did not deter me from taking shots as I wandered through the brambles and moss that had overtaken the ruins.
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The park is mostly evergreen, and the odd bright tree stands out like an exclamation point against the darker background.

Continuing on the trail, I focused on the many nurse trees our forests have in abundance as new life begins in old stumps.

Already, the air had the rich, earthy smell of Autumn, and a layer of dampness lightly coated the leaves.
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Shiny salal and skunk cabbage peeked out from the trees, and tall, purple columbine peopled the paths edge.
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We had the park mainly to ourselves. Families of shcool-age children would be at the mall in search of back-to-school clothes, or tracking down the
inevitable list of stationery needs. With no such concerns,
we wandered at leisure, watching our own playful pup as fondly as if she were a child.

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As it neared time to leave, the sun finally put in an appearance, laying pretty dappled patterns across the crunchy gravel path and softening the air. I took a few last shots, packed away my camera and we set off to Starbucks, our normal way to finish off each Sunday walk!

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It was a very good afternoon indeed...

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Boxing Day

After weeks of frantic preparation, followed by the excitement of Christmas Day itself, I find it is Boxing Day I am most inclined to enjoy. Sated with turkey and chocolates, foggy from lack of sleep and relieved that I’ve pulled it off for another year, I fall happily into a day where nothing more is expected of me.

We set out for a walk, the cool, bracing air a perfect antidote for the lethargy that settles in on the heels of the holiday. This bright, chilly morning, we head to the Serpentine Fen with Meeghan, her small dog body aquiver with excitement at the scents and sounds that greet us. Overnight, the world has been transformed by frost. A white, icy mantle coats every surface, reflecting back prisms of light picked out by the winter sun. I stop often to examine the crystal drops suspended from every branch, and try vainly to capture their beauty with my camera.

High in a tree, we spot an eagle, quietly swiveling his head about in search of prey. Around us, the marshland teems with wildlife. Herons stake out their territory, and waterfowl lazily mingle on strips of deep water the frost did not touch. This is their sanctuary, and we give the birds a wide berth, aware that as considerate visitors, we must be on our best behaviour.

It is a restful outing. I am soothed by the simplicity of the day, rejuvenated by the cold wind that chases the last vestiges of the year’s worries from my head. I find myself looking ahead. There is promise in the air, and I am ready to let go of the old, to make room for whatever adventure awaits me…