John Harvey Photo

June 2019

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Inter tidal Walk at Stanley Park

Claira With Stary Flounder
Nara did an intertidal exploration at Centennial Beach back in 2016. Nara wasn't feeling well so Claira and I drove down to Stanley Park to take advantage of beach walk organized by Nature Vancouver to coincide with a very low tide.  Parking was nutso (we parked about a km away), but we did get to the event on time.


Kelp Lace Bryozoan
The first find was Kelp Lace Bryozoan - a colony of small animals that grow on kelp.  They make regular patterns on the kelp and slowly weigh it down, basically causing their own demise.  I had never seen this before so it was an amazing detail to find.


We had a "Sea Star Wasting Disease" die off on this part of the coast starting around 2013.  It was once common to see Purple Sea Stars all over the rocks, but now they are quite rare.  I was quite surprised we found several hiding on the rocks and tide pools.

Baby Mottled StarsLeather Star In WaterOchre Star With Wasting Disease

There are lots of things to be found looking under the rocks.  Claira liked the snails.

Looking Under The Big RocksNucella_lamellosa
 

Siwash Rock

Sunset wasn't going to be until late and it was a cloudless night so I went out to shoot a timelapse.  I've taken a timelapse near Siwash rock before but that night was cloudly and I wondered if I could do better.  I got more of a sunset but I had trouble with the exposure changing between images.

Claira Graduates Chinese Class Kindergarten

Our kids are in Chinese class on Saturdays.  The roughly follow a grade system - two years of kindergarten and then a year a year until the kids graduate grade 12 with roughly Grade 12 level Chinese.  The have a ceremony for the kids that pass kindergarten, grade 7 and grade 12 and this year was Claira's year!

Claira In Grad GownClaira And Older Sister In Gown
The hall is quite dark so taking photos is quite a trick.

Claira IWalking To StageClaira Walking Off Stage


This is Claira's Kindergarten class.  The grade 12 classes are much smaller, but kids do make it all the way through.

Claira And Tristan On Stage

(Nara graduated in 2017)

Fishing at Berry's Bait and Tackle

The kids have participated a few "learn to fish" events at various campgrounds (Okanagan Lake in 2018 and ).  Berry's Bait and Tackle in Richmond puts on a fishing event where the kids get rods and fish out of a stocked pool. They still didn't have luck here, but they did have a good time!

Watching Fish Come ByFishing At Berrys Bait And Tackle

Happy Birthday Claira!

Claira And Friends Walking
This year Claira wanted to have her birthday at the Play Palace in Kerisdale.  We had it a few days early because the next weekend was a long weekend and hard to get everyone together.



Claira And Charolette On Big SlideWilliams At The Bottom Of SlidefJames At The Bottom Of The SlideMarcus Having Fun
 
Claira Following Nara ClimbingEmrys And Mina Planning

Claira Riding Plasma CarClaira Riding With AdrianaEvan Learning To Drive
 
 
Nara Reading To Tristan And ClaireEvan And Nara In Baby Park
 
Evan With Goody BagClaira With Birthday Cake

Overnight at Fort Langley

Last year, Jin visited Fort Langley and found out that overnight camping in the fort is an option.  Fort Langley has 5 "oTENTic" semi-permanent tents where you bring a sleeping bag and food for an overnight stay but almost everything else is provided - BBQ, cutlery, washrooms and lights.  Of course they are popular and you have to book them the day they become available.  We failed to get reservations, but David was able to get two night and Jin got two nights.  We were kindly invited to come out and join the party!

Claira With Hot Dog
BBQ cooked food has some limits, but the kids love hot dogs.  We didn't do too much planning, but there is a grocery story just outside the fort and you are free to come and go as you please.

Dinner Ourside Otentik


Cooking Marshmallows
Of course the kids are here for the campfire and the roasted marshmallows.  There is one central fire pit that all the families share and there is campfire wood on site you pay for as you use.  As soon as the kids saw fire, they wanted the ingredients for smores.

Getting Campfire StartedCooking Marshmallows Over Campfire
 
  David With Wide Angle Lens
Kids eating smores makes for a fun time taking photos.  David has an APS format camera that makes his 50mm closer to a 75 and he took some very nice portraits. 


Lorne Eating S'moresNoelle Eating SmoreAbby Eating Smore

I only bring one camera to these kinds of things so I left mine on a tripod taking pictures of the fire pit during sunset.  This can turn a bit tricky in post (for some reason, my camera does a poor job auto exposing dark blue skies consistency) but with enough time you get something acceptable.


Sunrise In The Fort
The next morning, you are still in the fort!  During the day you rarely hear the trains but at night you find they are running just outside the walls.  I was up early enough to see sunrise.  The kids woke up not that much later.


Lorne On The Grass

Goats In Pens
The fort has a sample garden - the real for had a 2000 acre farm outside the walls.  The fort also has a small collection of animals - goats, sheep, rabbits and chickens.  In the morning the and the animals have each other and not much distraction.


Haley Feeding GoatClaira Feeding Goat
During the day you can buy bags of feed by donation.  After hour that isn't there, but the kids find the grain that other kids dropped and the goats are happy to eat it. 

Nara Feeding Sheep
 
Considering it's a walled fort, you wouldn't expect much wildlife.  We did find racoons living under one of the decks.  A Northern Flicker parent and child stopped by one morning to eat bugs.  The crows were pretty much constantly around looking for unattended food.

Northern Flicker With AntsParent Northern Flicker Feeding Child

The kids played with each other most of the time which gives a little rest to the parents.  Of course the kids get tired out and the behaviour degrades, but everyone had a good weekend.  When the kids got home they had an afternoon nap - the first in probably 6 months.  Thanks David for sharing your oTentnic with us and Jin for the idea!


James At The Bottom Of The Slide
Person: James
Tags: bouncy, Kerrisdale Play Palace, slide
Claira Following Nara Climbing
Person: Claira, Nara
Tags: bouncy, climbing, Kerrisdale Play Palace
Northern Flicker With Ants
Species: Colaptes auratus (Northern Flicker)
Dinner Ourside Otentik
Altitude: 20m (65 feet)
Location: Go To...
Kelp Lace Bryozoan
Species: Membranipora membranacea (lacy crust bryozoan)
Altitude: 3m (9 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: intertidal, kelp, Stanley Park
Haley Feeding Goat
Altitude: 12m (39 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: hand feeding
Watching Fish Come By
Evan Learning To Drive
Cooking Marshmallows Over Campfire
Person: Claira, David, Haley, Helen, Jesse, Loren, Nara, Noelle
Altitude: 14m (45 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: cooking, fire
Emrys And Mina Planning
Sunrise In The Fort
Tags: fort, sunrise
Claira In Grad Gown
Person: Claira
Altitude: 8m (26 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: academic dress, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
Claira With Stary Flounder
Person: Claira
Species: Platichthys stellatus (starry flounder)
Altitude: 2m (6 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: fish, icon triple, intertidal
David With Wide Angle Lens
Person: David
Altitude: 14m (45 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: photographer
Nara Reading To Tristan And Claire
Claira And Charolette On Big Slide
Evan And Nara In Baby Park
Person: Nara
Cooking Marshmallows
Person: Abby, Claira, Haley, Nara
Altitude: 14m (45 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: cooking, fire
Looking Under The Big Rocks
Altitude: 6m (19 feet)
Location: Go To...
Claira Walking Off Stage
Person: Claira
Tags: academic dress
Parent Northern Flicker Feeding Child
Species: Colaptes auratus (Northern Flicker)
Getting Campfire Started
Person: Abby, Claira, David, Haley, Jin, Loren
Altitude: 17m (55 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: fire, fort
Fishing At Berrys Bait And Tackle
Noelle Eating Smore
Person: Noelle
Altitude: 14m (45 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: s'more
Evan With Goody Bag
Claira Riding Plasma Car
Baby Mottled Stars
Species: Evasterias troschelii (mottled star)
Altitude: 1m (3 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: intertidal, Stanley Park
Abby Eating Smore
Person: Abby
Altitude: 14m (45 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: s'more
Marcus Having Fun
Person: Marcus
Tags: Kerrisdale Play Palace
Ochre Star With Wasting Disease
Species: Pisaster ochraceus (Ochre Star)
Altitude: 1m (3 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: intertidal, Stanley Park
Claira With Birthday Cake
Person: Claira
Tags: birthday cake, sparks
Lorne Eating S'mores
Person: Loren
Altitude: 9m (29 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: s'more
Leather Star In Water
Species: Dermasterias imbricata (Leather Star)
Altitude: 4m (13 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: intertidal, Stanley Park
Claira IWalking To Stage
Goats In Pens
Altitude: 16m (52 feet)
Location: Go To...
Claira With Hot Dog
Person: Claira
Altitude: 25m (82 feet)
Location: Go To...
Williams At The Bottom Of Slidef
Person: James, Marcus
Tags: bouncy, Kerrisdale Play Palace, slide
Nucella_lamellosa
Species: Nucella lamellosa (frilled dogwinkle)
Altitude: 11m (36 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: intertidal, snail, Stanley Park
Lorne On The Grass
Altitude: 15m (49 feet)
Location: Go To...
Claira And Friends Walking
Person: Claira, Nara
Tags: Kerrisdale Play Palace, play gym
Nara Feeding Sheep
Person: Nara
Altitude: 12m (39 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: hand feeding, petting zoo
Claira And Tristan On Stage
Claira Feeding Goat
Person: Claira
Altitude: 16m (52 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: hand feeding, petting zoo
Claira And Older Sister In Gown
Claira Riding With Adriana
Tags: Stanley Park(6), intertidal(6), Kerrisdale Play Palace(5), fire(5), fort(4), s'more(3)
People: Claira(11), Nara(6), Abby(3), Haley(3), David(3), Loren(3)
From: John Harvey Photo > Blogs for 2023 to 2005 > June 2019

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