Rotary Park

 

This series of photos is from a few weeks back. The trees are now bare, but back then they were quite spectacular. Just a short jaunt around the west side of Rotary Park yields some interesting tree photos. Above, Twisters Gym rood showing beside a Maple Tree.

 

The drive down to the parking lot by the stadium.

 

 

 

Alongside Tretheway Street there is an old threshing machine display.

 

Very near the pedestrian tunnel that crosses under Trethewey Street.

 

An old hay rake near the threshing machine.

 

The view of Mt. Baker as seen from the parking lot north of the stadium.

Celestail Body

 

Can you see it?

 

Seeing the moon in broad daylight on a clear sunny day is a bonus.

What Is This?

     Can anybody out there help me with this? There is a tree in my neighbourhood that has one branch of very unusual growth. You can see it in the photo as a light cluster of very dense branches and needles. I think this is a Douglas Fir tree. I have Googled a large variety of words and combinations of words and cannot come up with an answer as to what this is or what causes it.
     Somebody once pointed out something similar to this on a different type of tree and said that forestation genetic engineers look for clusters like this to study the aberrations in the genetics and growth hormones of these clusters and try to incorporate this into new seedlings to speed up the growth of lumber producing trees. Can this be true?

    This tree is behind the Colleen and Gordie Howe Middle School on the corner of McLure and Clearbrook Rds. and is best viewed from the soccer fields behind Mouat High School. The unusual cluster is very evident and stands out greatly in the early morning light.

Polar Avenue

 

On one of my photo jaunts through the rural areas of Abbotsford, I took a little side trip down Polar Avenue. It is a short street made up of 5 acre lots and some nice high end homes. Not wanting to invade anyone's privacy, I left any images of homes out of the collection.

 

Lamplight

 

Sunlight

 

North toward Mission and the mountains beyond.

An American Classic

 

'Uncle Tom's Cabin' is a book that is widely known but how many have taken the time to read it? Written in 1852, it was the best selling novel of the entire century and second best seller only to the Bible in the 19th century. A book this popular and influential is what is known a classic and is very much worth our time to read even today.

It caused quite a stir in its day and is noted by some historians to have been the groundwork for the American Civil War. That is quite a claim, but after having read it and having read the lengthy Wiki article, it is understandable.

It has met a lot of opposition over the years. Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author,  has been accused of writing an uninformed and disingenuous accounting of slavery in the Southern States. Many books were published in subsequent years to counter her images. The book is also accused of establishing and re-enforcing stereotypes. But without doubt, it is one of the most important publications in American History and gives testament to the idea that literature can strongly influence the direction of a nation and its people.

As for the story itself, it is written in a very romantic and sentimental style. There are lengthy dialogues of broken Negro/English that are difficult to comprehend, but after a while they can be translated by skimming more that by trying to figure out each and every word. There are many asides that remind the reader that they are indeed outside observers. There are sections that are overly long and sappy and the Christian sentiments are ever present and are the basic underpinning of the story and the cause for all resolution of conflict and dilemmas, so much so as to give it a lack of credibility. But, one must remember that most people of that age were indeed 'God fearing'.

It was satisfying for this reader to finally examine for himself what all the fuss has been over the years. Knowing ahead of time the historical significance of this piece of literature, it was quite interesting, and overall, I enjoyed it.

4  stars 

MacKay CreekTrail

 

It was one week ago that we went for walk along the MacKay Creek Trail which runs along the dike of the Sumas River.

 

It is usually windy here but on this day it was sunny, warm, and only a slight breeze

 

Every few hundred yards I snapped a photo and here are some of them.

 

We especially like the blueberry bushes that were turning red.

 

Near the end we pass the back of a large mushroom farm.

 

Midway on this trail is a park bench that is dedicated to our friend Erv Doerksen who was killed in an accident three years and four months ago. Above, busylizzy is sitting on it, and below is a photo of the spot from across the river. There is a small stream running into the river at that point where the sand bar is raised, and that is where the bench is.

Gone, Gone, Gone

 

As I write this, the rain is pelting down on my roof and in the process, all the wonderful leaves of fall are being pummeled to the ground. If you go to Mill Lake now, you will see nothing but soggy brown remnants of this beauty lying in the grass and on the paths.

 

It was glorious while it lasted and I have nothing but photos to remind me. I have a few more to post, just to drag out Autumn a bit longer, and will have them here in the next few days.

 

After that, what? There is nothing of note to photograph in the winter months, at least nothing colourful.

 

I will try to come up with something colourful, if not in photos, then in words and ideas. Hopefully, it will not be off colour. Speaking of colour, I am reading a classic right now and enjoying it thoroughly. I am sure you have read it or at least heard of it. "Uncle Tom's Cabin" I will be sure to review it when I have finished it.

Same Old, Same Old

 

I had this bright idea that I would discretely photograph the trick or treaters last night. I would get some cute and candid shots, and then on second thought, that I could get sued by some paranoid parent lurking in the dark recesses of my driveway.

 

Then, the very first guy who brought his young child to the door, whipped out his digital camera and snapped a photo of me as I was handing a mini chocolate bar to his kid. I had a sudden realization that I had made the right decision to keep the camera in the bag. I felt a little outraged that this guy mistrusted me so much that he was taking evidence against me lest there be a problem with the mini Coffee Crisp that I dropped in the bag. Halloween can be a bit complicated.

 

We had over a 100 kids and there was nothing noteworthy other than getting my picture taken. My pet peeve of past years was not reinforced as there were almost all small goblins this year. The last guy of the night, with his girlfriend, was an adult in a skeleton outfit, 6'2 and way too old to be doing this kind of nonsense. I suppose that some people's craving for chocolate overwhelms their sense of pride. Me? I just buy too much chocolate and indulge in that way.