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Friday 12 February 2010

Canada Welcomes the World!

It starts today. Canada hosts the world at the 2010 Winter Olympic games in Vancouver, British Columbia. Now that's exciting! The world will be impressed. And it should be. Vancouver is a beautiful city. Vancouver skyline
Vancouver skyline - Click for larger
It has even been rated by The Economist Intelligence Unit as 2010's best city in the world to live. But British Columbia is also a beautiful province. Duffey Lake Provincial Park
Duffey Lake Provincial Park - Click for larger
They really weren't kidding when they put the slogan "Beautiful British Columbia" on their license plates. Everywhere you look there is a beautiful vista such as snow capped mountains, lush rainforest, and rugged Pacific coast.Goldstream Provincial Park
Rainforest - Click for larger
Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim - Click for larger
Mount Robson The province boasts the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies - Mount Robson with its head in the clouds at 3954 m. 12,972 ft. <---Mount Robson - click image for larger view It also has clear mountain lakes and tourquiose streams. The tourquoise and emerald lakes and streams are caused by the way the pulverized rock in the water called rock flour reflects the light.Emerald Lake
Emerald Lake - Click for larger
And there are spectacular waterfalls too - lots of them. Like Helmcken Falls in Wells Gray Provincial Park. It's a 141 m. (463 ft.) high plunge type falls and the fifth highest waterfalls in Canada.Helmcken Falls
Helmcken Falls - Click for larger
There are many ways to get out and enjoy all that wonderful scenery.Paddling a canoe
Paddling a canoe - Click
Fishing
Fishing - Click for larger
Lakeside camping
Lakeside camping - Click for larger
Surfing
Surfing - Click for larger
There is also the diverse and interesting wildlife. Everything from these tiny little Pikas - a relative of the rabbitPika
Pika - Click for larger
to Stellar Jays (British Columbia's provincial bird)Steller's Jay
Steller's Jay - Click for larger
Caribou, Caribou Calf
Caribou Calf - Click for larger
Bison, Black Bears and Grizzly Bears to name a few. Grizzly Bear
Grizzly Bear - Click for larger
Even delicate wildflowers like these Sparrow's-Egg Lady's-Slippers (a wild subarctic orchid species that is found only in Canada and Alaska) are found in British Columbia.Sparrow's-Egg Lady's-Slipper
Sparrow's-Egg Lady's-Slipper - Click for larger
Yes indeed - British Columbia and Vancouver are beautiful. No doubt the city and the province will make all of Canada proud.

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Tuesday 2 February 2010

Groundhog Day

February 2nd is Groundhog Day. That means today in places all over North America like in Wiarton, Ontario we expect a woodchuck,Groundhog
Groundhog - Click for larger
this large furry rodent more commonly called a groundhog, to predict the length of winter. Usually winter looks something like this in Southern Ontario:Winter at Presqu'ile
Winter at Presqu'ile - Click for larger
Normally in our area a groundhog would be hibernating at least until March. But on this day the legend has it that a groundhog will awake from its winter sleep, poke its head up out of its den and look around. Groundhog
Groundhog - Click for larger
If it sees its shadow then it goes back to hibernating thus predicting another six weeks of winter. If the groundhog doesn't see a shadow then it will be an early Spring.Trilliums - click for larger
Trilliums - Click for larger
In Wiarton this responsibility is given to one woodchuck named Wiarton Willie. This year he predicted that there will be another six weeks of winter. Considering the official start of Spring is at least six weeks off then odds are, he is right.Scarborough Bluffs Winter
Scarborough Bluffs Winter - Click for larger

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