Entrance Island from Orelbar Point after last nights big storm.

Happy New Year

I hope that 2011 is a great year for everyone. Pictures of the Spero's at Drumbeg by Nick Halpin:
http://www.eyeswideopen.ca/Spero/index.html

Probably the last Picture from the Olympics

 

Original caption by Peter -

"Bugger off, we're watching the game!"

Three of my Santa Claus pictures from our annual GHCS event

 

No names to protect the innocent!

Picture of the group in Amazonia and the Pantanal

Rhonda's picture is from amazonia - note the snake gaiters. Peter's is from the Pantanal. we were shooting parakeets. For more pictures go to my smugmug page http://spero.smugmug.com

More picture from Brazil

Brazil 2010 - people - spero's Photos | SmugMug

More pictures of people on the Brazil trip on the smugmug site

Brazil Pictures

The first 50 pictures are now on my smugmug site. Please look and comment

http://spero.smugmug.com/

Scrooge the Pantomime

The whole cast on Saturday Night along with the 4 ghosts.

Heron today, Amazonia and the Pantanal this time next week.

What our dog did while we went to Qualicum for the weekend

Picture by Roger

Jane took the dogs to look for chanterelle this weekend while we were away. We were bringing "In Juliette's"s Garden" to the Qualicum Theatre Festival. Lucky stayed next door with his best friend Ruffi (an Icelandic shepherd). The play went really well, I got to play with a really great light board and 48 lights and we had a good weekend.

PS. " The Gabriola Players performance of "In Juliet's Garden", which debuted at Gabriola's own Theatre Festival in August and was reprised for the adjudicated one-act play festival at The Village Theatre in Qualicum Beach on Saturday evening, yesterday received the award for "Best Ensemble" – which honours the cast, crew, director, music, costume, make-up, set design ... well-deserved recognition for everyone, and a special mention for Christine who received a personal excellence award for her wonderful portrayal of Ophelia".

Amphitrite Point, Ucluelet

Spent a few hours near the lighthouse at Amphitrite Point watching the huge waves roll across the Pacific from Japan. The very western edge of Canada.

Went bear "shooting" in Ucluelet again.

Looks like the salmon run is almost over. Fewer bears but good pictures - more to come.

Perfect weather for mushrooms

Lots of mushrooms around the place, more pictures at this website http://www.flickr.com/photos/sperolaw/sets/72157625109487309/

Testing my high ISO shooting with D300

Corduroy

White Lightning

I tried a whole bunch of shots at varying ISO trying to keep the f stop at 5 and shutter around 1/200 or better. I was amazed by this shot of lightning which really seems to work for me. These were f5, 1/200 ISO 3200 lens at 55mm (17-55mm lens).

Harvesting seaweed at Bell's Landing

Ten o'clock in the morning on a foggy day we drove to Bell's landing with our garbage cans and the dog - all of a five minute drive. We collected three bins full of seaweed for our compost heap. Tessa collected some yesterday as well. Underneath the seaweed is whole other ecology of bugs and insects. We couldn't see the boats out in the straight but we could hear their foghorns. The rest of Canada (RoC) was just one big white blanket.

Its chanterelle season on Gabriola

Jane went for a walk with her dog this morning and came back with a huge bag of chanterelle, her second in a week. This was our share so that we could make  an omlette. We are clearing the vegetable patch today and will be replanting according to sonia's instructions.

More Bears

Peter Llewellyn comment and photo of what nearly happened to my camera bag.

That looks like a nice tasty camera bag

I wonder what that Nikon 300mm lens hood will taste like - moral - don't leave your camera bag lying unattended in a bear area!!
http://www.peterllewellyn.com/

On the way to Uclulet and home via Wickaninnish

Early morning mist Uclulet Road

Fall - Big Leaf Maples

Wickaninnish Beach

Bear Safari to Uclulet

 Last Thursday awoke at 4:15am to catch the first ferry and by 8am we were well on our way to Uclulet. We photographed the bears near a salmon hatchery and had quite a good day.

This bear strolled across the bridge I was on - about 8ft away.
The image above him shows what happens when you leave your lunch
in an open bag, near bears.

Kayak trip from Saltspring to Wallace Island, the Secretary Islands and lunch on Mowgli

We went for a 3 day kayaking trip with Linda and Nancy camping two nights on Wallace Island. Weather was good. Started foggy in the morning but by afternoon the sky was clear. The only wind we faced was minimal on the last leg back to Saltspring. We traveled on water about 25 kilometers altogether.

Michael's new home in Cedar, south of Nanaimo

Michael has been living in Cedar for 15 days now. He has a one bedroom apartment attached to Teressa's house. She is his landlady and support worker and seems very nice, conscientious and very supportive of Michael. He likes her and they seem to be getting along. Michael seems calmer than he has ever been - even one of his workers said so. He still has "monster" attacks but the frequency is low and he seems better able to suppress them. He does get angry with himself for letting them take over. We have visited twice and as Michael says its working out OK.