Stroll along Rideau Canal & Yellowjacket & Knifefish

Here are some photos I took last weekend while walking along Rideau Canal.  Originally I was hoping to take some more photos this weekend but ended up too busy working.

A kaleidoscope image of water reflection.

Daily life in Colorado - Part 1

I am certain I will have many posts like this which are just random assortment of photos that I take on a daily basis.

Research

Collecting Mertensia fusiformis flowers.

March Update

Sorry for not posting anything in March until the very last day.  Life is just too hectic at the moment.  I sometimes still bring my camera with me and take photos whenever opportunities arise, but it's hard to dedicate time solely just to go out searching for wildlife and taking photos.  Plus, the freezing temperature dampens my enthusiasm when I stay outside for too long and start to lose feelings in my face and hands.  The weather is getting warmer now though, so hopefully I will get back out photographing again in April.

Here are some of the photos I took this month.

March 3rd - walked along the canal on a nice but cold day (I think).

Guelph University & The Arboretum - Part 2

It was rainy and cold on Monday, so I attended the conference throughout the day.

My presentation took place on Tuesday, and in the afternoon I went the Arboretum again to get some fresh air.

A peaceful place to settle one's mind.

Wolf Lake, Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park

A couple of friends and I went for a nice canoe paddle at Wolf Lake in Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park today.  Our original destination was to portage to the adjacent Crab Lake, but we couldn't find the route so we ended up just paddling around the lake.

We launched our canoe at this spot.

Beautiful Fall Colours in Algonquin

We left for Algonquin Park early this morning hoping to be there before most of the visitors arrive, but due to construction and like-minded people, the park was packed when we arrived.  As we slowly drove north from Peterborough, the fall colours did not change very much (even outside the park), but as we entered the park itself, the changes became evident and there were some leaves falling already.

We started off with hiking along the Peck Lake Trail.

Assortment of vibrant colours (pretty much the theme of today) - green conifer trees, yellow/orange/red deciduous trees, and blue sky/lake.

Canoeing along Otonabee in the evening

I sort of invited myself to a canoe ride along the Otonabee River this late afternoon.

Cattails.

But now no more...

Drove my mom to the library today to get some books.  Afterwards we went to Terra Nova for a walk.

After learning about the passing of my friend, I just can't stop thinking about it.  I kept thinking that this is all just a bad joke or a dream, but then I would realize it's the truth and I need to accept that.  I would then think about her family and friends, and how happy they probably were when they know she was going back home early for Christmas, but now no more.

My friend loved all forms of life and was very passionate about conservation and sustainability.  She was definitely someone who was going to make positive impacts in others' lives, but now no more.

My friend, now no more.

My heart now also goes out to the families of the victims of the Newtown shooting.  The world is feeling very grim lately.

Raccoon Family at Lost Lagoon

I accompanied my mother to downtown Vancouver today to pick up prizes that she had won from a local newspaper contest.  Afterwards, while it was still early, we decided to bus to Stanley Park and walked around the Lost Lagoon.  According to this post (the photos from that post have all been taken down by the server, sorry), the last time I was there was more than three years ago!?

Anyways, today was a nice day to be out - although there were too many people to our likings.

Several Mute Swans around the lagoon.

Last few days in Inuvik

I flew out of Inuvik this afternoon and am currently in Edmonton, where I will be spending a night before flying back to BC tomorrow afternoon.  The past few days in Inuvik had been more fulfilling than expected.

2012/7/17 (Tuesday)

After dropping off some field equipment at Parks Canada office, I was rushing back and forth between the transient housing and the cafe (with internet connection) to change all of my flights.  In the afternoon, I visited the Great Northern Arts Festival.

Beautiful but expensive carvings by the artist John Sabourin.

Strolling in Terra Nova and seeing a lifer - Greater White-fronted Geese

Today, I drove my father to work so my mother and I could use the car to run errands, e.g. buy groceries, etc. Afterwards, we went to Terra Nova for a stroll.

Reflection on the slough

Ganaraska Forest & Biked to Lakefield sewage lagoon

Another busy week gone by without any free time to take any photos or find anything interesting enough to blog about. Well, I tried Red Lobster for the first time yesterday, it was salty but I definitely had a good time.

This morning, I helped a lab-mate with her research project in Ganaraska Forest. It is a very nice forest - quiet and peaceful. I'd imagine it is livelier in the summer with all the birds and people, but I think I enjoy this time of the year more.

A small part of the forest.

Trent's Blue Trail

There are many trails around Trent University, most of which I had not yet explored. Today's weather was decent enough that I biked to the Wildlife Sanctuary and hiked the 3.7-km Blue Trail. I also brought my binoculars with me, but besides the sparrows, juncos, and chickadees, there weren't many birds to be found (although I think I saw a Northern Harrier flying over a field through some trees).

Below are some of the photos I took this afternoon.

Jackson Park, Peterborough

My mother returned back to BC yesterday, so I am officially on my way through graduate school now. Just need to wait for the classes to start next Tuesday.

I went for a short jog in the morning when I was taking out the garbage. It was incredibly warm and humid but it felt good to explore and discover more of Peterborough.

Then in the afternoon, I went to check out a park nearby where I live called Jackson Park. It is a beautiful place with a small lake right at the entrance with many trails and streams running around it. [Most of the photos in this post were taken with the OM lens. I'll probably use the wider lens the next time.]

Riverview Park and Zoo, Peterborough

One of the main attractions of Peterborough is probably Riverview Park and Zoo, operated by the Peterborough Utilities Group. It is quite an interesting place considering that it is completely free and actually has a fair number of animals to make it a good place to visit if you have a couple of hours to spend.

The first animal that I saw was a Monarch butterfly flying beside the playground. I didn't see a whole lot of them the limited number of days that I have been here.

The classic M on Monarch.

Posting before leaving

So the time has come for me to leave BC and head to Ontario for about 5 days to check out the school and establish the details of my project with my supervisors. Afterwards, I will travel to Inuvik, NWT first (via Edmonton) where I will get settled for another few days before heading to my field site in Sheep Creek, Ivvavik National Park.

This will be very different from my previous (field) seasons. No more comfort of living with relative, no more straightforward directions and responsibilities, and most important, an extended away-from-home experience for more than two years. Sure, I will come back during holidays, but they will be short visits and things just won't be the same. Nevertheless, clocks continue to tick and life goes on, for better or for worse, and I have been waiting for this opportunity to prove my worth on this planet and now that it has arrived, there is no way I am giving it up!

However, with my new responsibilities as a graduate student, I fear that this blog which I had maintained for more than three years now will take a back seat of my life, along with my passion for photography. This blog and my photography will continue but will probably occur more sporadically now.

This is one of my ranting posts, but hopefully I will post again when I arrive in Peterborough.

Heading to the airport in less than 6 hours. Going to sleep now. Good night all.

Thoughts of a sleep-deprived brain

Note: This will be a pictureless post, so if you are someone like me, who doesn't like long posts without any photos, please click away. This is also a very self-centered post, so no comments will be allowed for now.

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Foreword

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It is quite amazing how your brain operates at a sleep-deprived state - when you go to sleep at midnight, trying to fall asleep despite the loud walking and guitar playing from your neighbor above you, and waking up when your father has to go to work at 4am in the morning. After that, when you want to sleep, your brain decides to work at this time of the hour and your body can't do anything except toss and turn. At this time of the day, your brain processes things strangely and it becomes quite an interesting journey of self-discovery.

Abstract photos for a strange day

In the afternoon, the sky was covered by thick clouds in the north but sunny in the south. I quickly pedaled to the library in Steveston to return some books. Afterwards, I took my time slowly pedaling back home.

Biking to Steveston

I rode my bike to Steveston on this nice Sunday. I didn't see too much wildlife so here are some photos along the way.

Art at Garry Point Park.

Last day of work

Today is the last day of my temporary work in Downtown Vancouver. Time to start preparing my grad school application to Trent University and finding the research and school mindset.

The weather was very nice today.

Sunrise from the morning commute.

Polaroid version.