Pulpkin

Considering we're now 2 weeks past Hallowe'en, I may have to administer last rites on the old pumpkin and transfer its slimy blackened carcass to the compost bin before it slides down the front steps of its own accord.

Didgeridoo

While waiting for the Langdale ferry yesterday I was reading a portion of a chapter in a book which described an ancient form of tuning instruments to the natural frequency of the earth. The subject matter of the book is a bit dry by pop culture standards I guess, but lately I seem to be into such things. The gist of the book consists of research of comparisons between ancient societies and their accomplishments concerning the structures they built without the aid of modern conventional engineering. The book began with Stonehenge with its celestial orientation and compared it to other structures like the Egyptian and Aztec pyramids that pre-date written records.

The basic principle that was discovered is that the earth is based upon circle geometry consisting of 366 degrees rather than the conventional 360 degree circle that is the norm today. Like I said, it’s a bit dry but nonetheless interesting. I’m getting towards the end of the book now and it’s currently comparing other systems outside the realm of measurement, i.e. music to see if the 366 system could be applied in that field, and if so what the ramifications would be. Skirting around the theoretical heavy lifting detailed in the book, suffice it to say that the researchers discovered that their data indicated a harmonic frequency associated with a fundamental measurement unit from Stonehenge-era data generated a note in Hertz just slightly above our modern day C sharp. Further research provided the surprising revelation that this slightly higher C sharp was used in ancient times by Australian Aborigines to tune their didgeridoos for playing music to the earth. This particular note is considered to be the most sacred of all tunings.

If anyone has managed to read this far without drowsiness overtaking them I will say that it has been with some purpose that I had to set the stage in this fashion. Because really, how often is it that one considers the didgeridoo at all, especially in North American culture? That’s what makes what I’m about to say so interesting.

Quite literally I was reading the passage about the digeridoo as the lined-up ferry traffic ahead of me began to move. I tossed the book on the passenger seat without even marking my place, started the car and fastened my seat belt as I caught up with the cars ahead of me.

As one of the weirdest coincidences I’ve ever come across, just as I crested the stairs into the ferry’s passenger lounge from the car deck, the very first person I saw was a seated young woman blowing into a didgeridoo! I could probably count on one hand the number of times in my life I’ve ever even seen a didgeridoo in person.

It was just a little too strange for words.

Halloween

It never ceases to amaze me how popular Halloween is in East Van. It's not just the Trick or Treaters either (we had 138 this year). People get pretty creative in our area. I walked our dog earlier in the afternoon and noticed quite a few yards all decked out. Everything from a giant tarantula in probably a 8' x 8' web to a front yard guillotine was on display.

You don't want to walk into this spider's web; especially at night!

The bats flew in to East van during a special daylight flight.

Even a local restaurant was advertising for the occasion.

Even Batgirl and Clark Kent made an appearance.

Wolves and Caribou

A couple of weeks ago I was leafing through an issue of The (Vancouver) Metro in a restaurant while waiting for a sandwich I'd ordered when I came across this awesome photo of a wolf. I don't know how the photo was taken; I can't imagine a wolf allowing a  photographer to get that close. I flipped through the newspaper but either I somehow missed the article or the page it was printed on was missing from that particular paper.

Check out those eyes! From that angle he looks more like a domesticated dog than a wild wolf. I guess it's because the snout looks shorter than I would expect to see on a wolf.

Since I didn't read the related article I can only guess that National Geographic is spotlighting the current issue regarding the BC's intent (or proposal; I don't know what stage it's at) to conduct a wolf cull in parts of the province to protect other species that are at risk of becoming endangered.

It's one of those minefield issues; should humanity intervene or let nature take its course?

This swimming caribou herd is another great photo (from the Vancouver Sun) I came across recently that I really wanted to post. What magnificent antlers! But again, it's another dilemma; should humanity intervene in attempt to "save" them? Or in doing so would we only inadvertently cause havoc in a different area?

Trow Demolition

I had an appointment in Coquitlam yesterday which took me past my old office in Burnaby. It's only been a month since I photo documented the site last time. Since then full demo has begun. Probably more than half the building has been demolished.

On the way home I parked around the block from the old Telus offices and walked around the building the where Trow's area was. It's rubble now.

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Storms

Another storm is upon us this weekend. Is it just me, being amped up by media reports of predicted increased intensity of storm to afflict us due to global climate change, or are we already getting more frequent stronger storms?

It was only the end of August we got hammered by a windstorm similar in intensity to that experienced in December of 2006 when a large swath of trees were toppled by winds in Stanley Park. Just this past week this most recent wind event was reported to have cost the Metro Vancouver region $25 million in damages and clean-up costs.

This weekend we’re lucky to have missed the most intense portion of this storm, the tail end of a hurricane that developed close to Hawaii. The main impact is reported to be farther north, affecting the north part of Vancouver Island and Haida Gwai. On the plus side, it sure is warm. I’m wearing shorts and a t-shirt today and it’s a third of the way into October!

And not to forget, we’ve had both of these storms after the hottest, longest summer in many years.

Victoria Via Air

Work flew me to Victoria last week and gave me a choice of float plane travel versus vehicle ferry. Since I really didn't need a car for the assignment I chose to fly. It turned out to be a really good choice as I was offered the seat beside the pilot. I've never sat there before. What an awesome vantage point, especially on such a clear early Autumn day.

I arrived at the terminal just before dawn.

A lot of gauges to keep track of.

Taxi-ing past Brockton Point with the Lions Gate Bridge in the distance and the Lions themselves peeking over the ridge..

I got almost a mirror image of the other side of the bridge on my last flight. 

Directly overhead the Victoria Airport, just outside Sidney.

After dinner on my way back to my hotel I noticed a photo op due to the still water in Victoria Harbour.