
Early lunch and a hike
It’s been a while since I answered a WordPress weekly photo challenge. Today I was wondering why I stopped and thought it was just life…you know…life carries you towards a different challenge on a Friday.
But today I give you “from above”:
Looking down Cleveland dam at Capilano Canyon.
and happily include 5 random thoughts (RT) for Nancy’s Random Five Friday
C and I felt like having a bit of a lunchtime hike and so we packed a little light lunch and drove to Capilano Park and then hiked up to the power line to see our favorite tree, the white pine.
We had a little prosciutto, a little salad, a few bruschetta with fresh mozzarella and roasted pepper and some funky little whole pea crisps.
RT 1: Who thinks to flash dry and crisp whole pea pods? Do you just one day think hmm, I think I’ll make whole pea pod crisps and mass market them! They are good though.
We sat/lay at the edge of the reservoir watching the hummingbirds and swallows zooming around and way up high there were two eagles riding a thermal in great lofty circles.
RT 2: They say that each living creature has relatively the same amount of heart beats in an average life span.
RT 3: I once had a hummingbird’s nest. It was the tiniest most delicate thing in the world made of moss, lichen and cobwebs.
RT 4: It’s illegal to own eagle feathers unless you have First Nation status, but what if one falls down and you find it? I’m voting for finders keepers. (Because secretly I’d love to own an eagle feather.)
Finally we had to tear ourselves away and up the mountain we hiked till we got to the white pine.
Western white pines are rare in Vancouver because of a very bad disease which has killed many off and so a beautiful mature white pine is protected and this one has a designated heritage tag.
The cones are spectacular. I always want to take one home and just keep it to look at, but they don’t belong in my house, they belong in the forest and so we take only photographs and hike back down. And besides, what if everyone who hiked up took one? Tragedy of the commons? I think maybe.
michellepond
Breathtaking.
Veronica
🙂 hugs Michelle, thank you, you sweet sweetie. 🙂
Tina Fariss Barbour
These photos of your views take my breath away. All I can say is “Wow.” And I wouldn’t want to go back to work either!
I like how you just took photos of the pine cones.
Veronica
Hi Tina, thank you so much. I know, it was hard. 🙂
catbirdinoman
Love your “from above” photo of Capilano Canyon and your random thoughts. I especially love #5: “I don’t want to get back to work!” I understand that sentiment perfectly. 🙂
Veronica
I know Cathy, it was so hard to do! Thank you so much. 🙂
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mithriluna
Great set of photos! The food picture made me very hungry!:)
Veronica
Thanks Mithriluna, it was a lovely lunch! Mmm, now I want more. 🙂
larobkitty
Beautiful post, Veronica! Everything about it. I just had to share! 😀
Veronica
Thank you so much larobkitty. 🙂 Have a lovely weekend.
Bev
Beautiful…lunch looks sooo good!!! I would not want to go back to work either!!
Veronica
Oh I know Bev, thank you so much for stopping by. 🙂
JoAnn Bayne
Lovely day- wonderful photographs. I think I like that pea idea.
Veronica
Thank you JoAnn. It’s amazing what people turn veggies into! Good though. 🙂
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lynn
OH my goodness, such amazing photos/post, you’ve made me homesickish, I grew up in Kamloops, lived a long time in Victoria, then went off on a life adventure and haven’t made it back, I’d not heard of your White Pine it looks official with the tag on its bark? i’d never of have thought to eat the peas that way cold. I’m going to pull out our Beautiful BC magazines later 🙂
Veronica
Did you really Lynn? Kamloops has sure grown into a large city now, hasn’t it? I’m part of the year here and part of the year in Europe, mostly England these days, but miss Vancouver after a month or two. 🙂
NiinaMaria
I can’t help it but that kind of pictures give me vertigo.
Veronica
I know NiinaMarie, photos can do that to you. 🙂
Lisa @ Two Bears Farm
These pictures are FANTASTIC!
Veronica
Thank you so much Lisa. 🙂
Colline
Beautiful place for a picnic.
Veronica
Yes Colline, but you have to get there early to get the peace and quiet. The view is so spectacular that it attracts a lot of tourists. 🙂
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amanda watkins
This looks like a perfect day!
Your comment made me smile about having sons with the same beautiful name. 🙂
We found a couple of hummingbird nests growing up, they would build them in the giant pine trees by our house. We had a horse as kids, and the hummers would use her silvery mane / tail hairs to build their delicate nests. My mom still has them in her book case.
I’m with you on the finders keepers thing.
The eagles have been acting really strange here, I think it’s because the lakes are still froze solid so much later than usual, and they can’t fish. They’re hanging out at roads more than ever, I almost hit one when it swooped down from above, behind me, flying parallel. It’s wings were wider than my vehicle when it was suddenly in front of my windshield. I thought i was going to hit it, when it grabbed a road-kill squirrel & swooped back up just in time.
I watched a pair standing in the middle of a small frozen lake the other day.
Hopefully things thaw out soon so they can start fishing again.
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Lucid Gypsy
What a gorgeous day! Do the pine cones really have white tips or…? The dam view is amazing 🙂
Veronica
Yes they do Lucid Gypsy, very snowy white tips. 🙂
Nancy
Hi Veronica, It’s so nice to meet you and see your beautiful blog….These pictures from your day are absolutely stunning. I think it would be very hard to leave such a special spot…..
Veronica
Hi Nancy, thank you. Nice to meet you too. Looks like we have a few interests in common. 🙂
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Robyn
Veronica,
Looks like you had a great hike. What a beautiful place and photos! The 2nd picture and the last are my favorites. Your picnic foods look yummy too.
Thanks for stopping in at my blog and for the rain wishes!
Hope you have a wonderful Sunday.
Veronica
Hi Robyn, Thank you, we had a lovely time. Hope you have a wonderful Sunday as well. 🙂
Zen
I like the first photo. Very very nice shot. 🙂
Veronica
Thank you so much Zen 🙂
Zen
You’re welcome. 🙂
Shirley @ My Bookshelf
Your photos are stunning and my favourite is that of the basket with the mountains in behind. Quite the capture.
Veronica
Hi Shirley, thank you so much. I’m going to try to find your site thru your gravatar so I can come visit you. 🙂
sustainabilitea
I love the mountains (and proscuitto) so I enjoyed your post. In the US, I’m pretty sure it’s illegal even to have an eagle feather even if you find it, which is completely ridiculous to me.
janet
Veronica
Hi Janet, thank you so much for stopping by. Isn’t prosciutto so fantastic? Yeah, I know about the eagle feathers, here in Canada too. Great that you left me your addy because now I can come visit you. 🙂
sustainabilitea
Sounds good!
janet
vastlycurious.com
Love the dam pictures! Glad you participated , you add a LOT !
kristeen
Perfect day indeed – wow beautiful photos — each photo made me feel I was there — great shots!
ditto on #5 — I would not want to go to work after that..
Hugs
Veronica
Thank you Kristeen. Hugs back 🙂
Kate North
I’m not sure RT5 really counts – don’t we all think that, all the time? LOL
Veronica
Lol, you’re probably right Kate! 🙂 But then I never stick to the rules. 🙂
Sara v
Love canyons, mist rainbows, daisies and bruschetta 🙂 Thank you for the lovely hike!
Veronica
Thank you Sara you sweet sweetie. No one else I’d rather go for a walk with. I’m so glad you came. 🙂