Hugh's View At Elgin Park & Earth Day Every Day

Earth Day came and went but although the official celebration was on April 22nd, every day of existence is miraculous on this blue-green gem of a globe we call home.

   

I didn’t know Hugh Ward who was honored with a plaque on a bench at Elgin Park. He was likely a member of the family that owned Ward’s Marina and surrounding property before it was purchased by City of Surrey in the 80’s when his view became open to the public. A ladybird beetle seemed to signify the good impression that he left.

Walking along the banks of the Ncomekl River I spotted another beetle. Coincidence?

The bug painted on stone was small as a thumbnail and inserted into a tree branch.   

Perhaps Hugh's loved ones were still close by and roamed the parklands?

Another family caught my eye, snuggled in the sunshine and soft muddy earth. 

Nearby, I noticed the plaque (below) on another empty bench.  

Addy had marvelous qualities reflective of nature, according to friends. 

I reflected that "beauty, grace and vitality" have an expiry date, even in nature.   

If treated like a treasured friend and not immortal or forever, maybe life on Earth ...

would be extended and appreciated more for how rare it is to find a world like ours.

Explore more at OUR WORLD.

Still the kid I used to be

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle and Penelope Puddlisms: BC Life Is A Whale Of A Ride to view more West Coast scenes.

Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.

Visual Impressions From A Not So Sharp-Eyed Photographer

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." - Marcel Proust

   

I don't take the Proust quote (above) literally but since I can barely see past my nose without eyewear, I appreciate how great it must be to spot a mouse, or backyard pet, from what could be a two to three-mile distance.  

My visuals are much closer to home than that of the always watchful eagle, although the modest zoom lens on my handheld camera helps somewhat. 

The bird sees more vividly than I, the Coastal Mountains and homes across the bay ... 

  

and it sees more clearly the children at play. 

With superior colour vision, it can see the Crescent Beach pier in ways I do not. 

I wonder, does its gaze ever stop at the sunbeam constellations below the pier? 

The bird and I watched the boat "Crazy" whiz by. We scanned big puddles at low tide.  

Despite Covid-19, visitors from the film industry stirred-up the scenery. The 80's movie Turner and Hooch is being remade into a television series, minus its star Tom Hanks.  

Set designers were at work on location. I wondered about the circle.

Large machinery (above) was to control the lighting and maybe get a bird's eye view? Below, a camera with a lens that perhaps could surpass the eagle's capabilities.

Filming is disruptive but the masked crew were respectful of locals weaving in and out.

I learned the circle was part of an upcoming wedding scene. 

Parking was scarce because of the many trucks containing everything from costumes, to food, to electronics. The film industry creates a lot of jobs and has suffered sorely during this pandemic that still rages on. I needed a quieter place to walk for a while.

The next day I went to Elgin Heritage Park, a 3-km trail of woods and wetlands on the banks of the Nicomekl River. There, I found a more peaceful setting.

The river flows into the bay at Crescent Beach, the eagle's long-distance view away. 

Explore more at OUR WORLD.

Still the kid I used to be

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle and Penelope Puddlisms: BC Life Is A Whale Of A Ride to view more West Coast scenes.

Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.

Where The Wind Blows, The Mind Goes

"Don't let the winds blow your dreams away ... " - Vin Scully

It's frequently breezy near the water's edge at Crescent Beach. That's when the kites come out. Some "butterflies" get stuck high up in the trees and nest there for months before taken down, their beauty of movement halted, tangled and sometimes torn.

Birds with high-pitched screeches oversee it all, free to fly from the tallest branches.

The stronger the breeze the more windsurfers (below) take to the sea. 

Their large moon-shaped kites are mere specks to the city dwellers across the bay.

Rapidly moving air isn't visible to the eye but it is felt and its ghostly effects seen. 

A couple appeared content to sit and perhaps dream while watching the wind whisk sparse clouds across the mountaintops.  Having a mind-adventure of my own and inspired by the painterly scene, a little photo editing set my imagination adrift. 

Would the pair be together for over 70 years the way Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth were? Prince Philip died on April 9th and was my reason for selecting the tiara from my dusty photo files. Turbulent winds blew in his lifetime but commitment to country, a healthier planet, the well-being of his bride and loyalty to the crown were steadfast.  

Explore more at OUR WORLD.

Still the kid I used to be

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle and Penelope Puddlisms: BC Life Is A Whale Of A Ride to view more West Coast scenes.

Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.

Views From Outside The Shoe Box

As above, so below, as within, so without. - Hermes Trismegistus

I know a woman who lived in a shoe box when compared to the "palaces" built today. Her small red cottage, framed by a white picket fence, was where she housed her treasures ... the antique furnishings and yard-sale memorabilia she adopted over the years. She put her whole heart into creating a cozy haven. But when she sold the home to move closer to her family, it all disappeared. Not a single shingle or coddled bit of shrubbery remains. A new house is on its way and soon few will know that the cottage existed. I regret not having pictures of her home but I still found much to see in the neighbourhood. While the empty lot waits for walls, the words engraved at the Kwomais Park Labyrinth nearby imply the outer world reflects the inner and that we are each a glint born of remarkable star power like the tree, stone, bird and flower.

Explore more at OUR WORLD.

Still the kid I used to be

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle and Penelope Puddlisms: BC Life Is A Whale Of A Ride to view more West Coast scenes.

Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.