tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54041355187951295732024-03-12T21:15:18.728-07:00Fir & FeathersAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10948844042931065928noreply@blogger.comBlogger142125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404135518795129573.post-416085250930262302012-07-07T22:05:00.002-07:002012-07-08T12:11:51.009-07:00Misumena vatiaWarning! This post contains photos of spiders. If you are uncomfortable about that, as I used to be, I suggest you read some posts about <a href="http://firandfeathers.blogspot.ca/2010/02/sunday-afternoon-cute.html" style="font-style: normal; ">baby cows</a> or <a href="http://firandfeathers.blogspot.ca/2011/01/reduce-reuse-recycle.html" style="font-style: normal; ">cats</a> instead.<div style="font-style: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; ">A couple of weeks ago I was inspecting the mock orange bush I'd bought for my mom a few years ago - it's one of her favourite flowers, and my grandfather had a lovely specimen growing in his yard when I was a child. I bent down to sniff a particularly lovely blossom when I noticed it was occupied!</div><div><br /><img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/spider1.jpg" /><br /><br />This crab spider, sometimes called the goldenrod crab spider after the flower it normally lives in, or more accurately <i>Misumena vatia</i>, is a fascinating little creature. It produces a yellow pigment that it stores next to the surface of its skin, allowing it to blend in quite spectacularly with yellow petals, where it waits for its prey. However, if the spider manages to find nicer real estate on a white flower, it can get rid of its yellow pigment, reverting it to its natural white colour. It's like a chameleon spider, but with fewer colour options. </div><div><br /></div><div>Its strategy seems pretty successful, because a few days later I checked back on it to find that it had snared a little bee.</div><div><br /><img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/spider2.jpg" /><br /></div><br />A bit sad because I love bees, but I try to remember that spiders need to eat too! And you have to admire how this one manages to find its dinner.<div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10948844042931065928noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404135518795129573.post-60346168526251082262012-04-28T10:30:00.001-07:002013-05-10T19:06:17.429-07:00Perioral dermatitis diaryMy perioral dermatitis journey began almost exactly one year ago, right in the midst of first-year vet school exams. It started with a dime-sized reddish raised oval patch on my chin that looked almost, but not quite like acne. It waxed and waned over the next two months but never completely disappeared. A family member gave me some of his high-strength topical steroid cream and let me beg you now to never, <i>never</i>, <b><i>never</i></b> take prescription drugs from anyone other than your doctor even if you think you have the exact same condition. As it turns out, this was the absolute worst thing I could do.<br />
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Over the summer and autumn, the steroids kept the rash more or less at bay, and in addition to this I went off birth control and had to deal with the resulting acne. Starting around Christmas, I found that if I went more than a day or two without applying the steroids, the rash would come back and eventually it started to spread to both sides of my chin, then to around my nostrils, and in the lines between my nose and mouth. I started to use the steroids every day as prophylaxis, even if my skin was clear. In February I decided I had enough of the break-outs and went back on the pill, which cleared up the pimples but did nothing for the rash. I became concerned about this chronic steroid usage, as I knew that it could be damaging long-term and could lead to skin thinning amongst other bad things. I started to look up some more information about facial rashes, which is when I came across photos of people who had perioral dermatitis - and they looked exactly like me.<br />
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As it turns out, perioral dermatitis can either be caused by or at least exacerbated by topical or oral steroid usage. I don't think I was using steroids a year ago when my rash first started so I'm not sure exactly what caused it - some people also blame a sensitivity to sodium lauryl sulfates in soaps and shampoos or fluoride in toothpaste, and others claim it is an overgrowth of either bacteria, <i>Candida</i> yeast, or <i>Demodex</i> parasites. Who knows? Of course, the steroids I started using eventually did not help at all. I'm keeping track of my progress here for anyone else suffering from perioral dermatitis who may be interested!<br />
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<b>Day 0</b>: A week ago, the day of my last exam for second-year, I stopped the steroid cream cold turkey. By that point, it was starting to lose its effectiveness anyway - there were persistent red patches on my chin and around my nostrils that refused to clear.<br />
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<b>Day 1</b>: The next morning, I looked a mess - the red patch had spread to cover my entire chin and below and around my nose. I even had some bumps on my eyelids.<br />
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<b>Day 2</b>: By Sunday, the red patches became a mass of tiny, zit-like pustules which were filled with a clear, serous fluid as opposed to the white, purulent junk like you normally find in pimples (and you can thank my veterinary gross pathology class for these awesome descriptions). We drove from Guelph to Montreal to spend a few weeks with Davis's family before heading to my family and summer jobs in Vancouver. I kept hoping it would clear up before I needed to start my job.<br />
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<b>Day 3</b>: The pustules were angry angry angry, slightly oozy and itchy, sore, and painful. I hid in my bedroom most of the day, only venturing out of the house to buy sodium lauryl sulfate-free replacements for all my soaps and shampoos. I settled on <a href="http://www.kissmyface.com/product/item/65">Kiss My Face shampoo</a>, Green Beaver <a href="http://www.greenbeaver.com/hair/conditioner/apple-mint-shine-enhancing-conditioner.html">conditioner</a> and <a href="http://www.greenbeaver.com/oral/tootpaste/frosty-mint-toothpaste.html">toothpaste</a>, a <a href="http://druide.ca/Product.aspx?ProductID=41218&Langue=">Druide soap</a> bar, and <a href="http://www.dermamed.com/product_details/natural_skin_care/dmacne_wash/default.asp">DermaMed</a> face wash. I was looking for the simplest ingredient lists possible - the shorter and more natural, the better. I also bought probiotics, based on some suggestions I'd read online. That evening, I started taking the probiotics, salmon oil pills (for the anti-inflammatory benefits), and two tablespoons of raw organic apple cider vinegar, again on an internet recommendation. I also put a 1:1 dilution of the apple cider vinegar on the rash, which some people claim is a miracle worker. I also iced my rash for a few hours, which brought temporary relief. Starting this morning, I had also resolved to cut out a lot of crap from my diet - no refined sugar, no pasta, no bread - this stuff is supposed to feed the yeast, if that is indeed the causative agent. Of course I wouldn't follow this perfectly, but I figured a reduction was a good start at least for my overall health if not the rash specifically.<br />
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<b>Day 4</b>: Little change. Of course, I know nothing happens instantly but I was hoping for at least some relief from the soreness. I couldn't even blow my nose without pain, as both my nostrils were crusted and inflamed. I continued morning and night to take the probiotics and salmon oil, as well as drinking the apple cider vinegar and putting it on my face. Desperate for relief, I went out to try and find calendula cream, which is also supposed to be anti-inflammatory and another potential miracle. Sadly, the health food store wouldn't have it in stock for another week, so I bought a calendula tincture and went home. The tincture was probably not the greatest idea - I don't think it made things worse, but it was alcohol-based so it stung like a bitch. By evening, some of the pustules had started to dry out.<br />
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<b>Day 5</b>: The pustules were mostly dry and crusty but still painful and so itchy. I stopped drinking the apple cider vinegar, since it was making me nauseous but I still continued with the probiotics and salmon oil. I longed for some kind of lotion or salve to put on the dry skin, but I was too afraid to try anything. My boyfriend suggested aloe - pure aloe, since we have a plant. We cut off a leaf and I rubbed the juice into my rash every few hours. I didn't notice any improvement this day, the rash was still dry and itchy but I figured the aloe couldn't be hurting. I also put a yogurt mask on twice, but didn't notice any relief or change. If anything, it made the itching worse as it dried.<br />
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<b>Day 6</b>: I stopped using apple cider vinegar on my face. For one, it burned and itched in a way that did not seem healing to me. Also, it stank. And it was not a good stink... it smelled like rotting and decay, and I couldn't stomach my face smelling that way even if that is the natural smell of the vinegar. It was making me depressed and I had a nightmare of my face turning black and necrotic and collapsing into my skull. I also quit using the calendula tincture, and continued to put aloe vera on my rash every couple of hours. I was fortunate because I had a few weeks off between the end of classes and the start of my summer job - I slept 8 to 10 hours a day plus naps and refused to feel guilty - my mother has always taught me that the body needs sleep to repair itself. That afternoon, my mother-in-law went out and bought me some pure vitamin E oil, which was a huge relief. The pustules were all gone by this point and all that was left was a red patch of dragon-like dry skin. I put vitamin E oil on my face every couple of hours - as soon as it was dry again, I reapplied it until it absorbed. That night I tried a honey mask on half my face, but it didn't seem to have any effect good or bad.<br />
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<b>Day 7</b>: No topical treatments other than alternating aloe vera goop and vitamin E oil. Some of the dry dead skin is starting to slough and I'm trying not to pick at it. I'm feeling less depressed, and less inclined to curl up in bed with a book all day. Boyfriend says rash looks better but it's hard for me to see.<br />
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<b>Day 8</b>: Woke up with a thumb-sized patch of normal (if still red) skin on my chin. Actually, the entire patch of rash is still obviously reddened, but the dragon-scale texture is receding. I'll continue with the aloe vera and vitamin E all day. Also ate a crapload of sugar today. :(<br />
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<b>Day 10</b>: Things are looking much better. There are some new red bumps, but the background redness is still shrinking. I may be able to go out in public soon! Still just using aloe vera plant juice and vitamin E oil, and still taking 4 salmon oil caplets a day plus probiotics.<br />
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<b>Day 12</b>: Dermatologist today! I was probably in with him for less than 5 minutes, long enough for him to pronounce it officially as perioral dermatitis and hand me a prescription for oral minocycline and topical clindamycin and metronidazole. I'm usually a proponent of preventing disease naturally as opposed to loading yourself with drugs, but in this case, I just want to get rid of this thing and live normally and the fact of the matter is that for the majority of people, the drugs do the job. I also bought some Desert Essence <a href="https://www.desertessence.com/store/daily-essential-facial-moisturizer">moisturizer</a> because although the vitamin E oil felt great, I felt like my skin needed something that would sink in a little more. This stuff seems pretty natural and has jojoba oil, sesame oil, and aloe vera so it seems like it should be good. I also bought some Kiss My Face <a href="http://www.kissmyface.com/product/item/256">lipbalm</a>, because I just really like their stuff now. :) Will keep updating about the meds.<br />
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<b>Day 16</b>: Well, no adverse effects from the drugs yet, which was one of my main concerns since I had read so many online accounts of the antibiotics (especially topicals) actually making the rash worse. I don't see a lot of improvement yet, but it can take 2-3 weeks to see any changes. Boyfriend thinks the rash on my chin is getting better, but unfortunately my 'mustache' rash (so sexy) is still red as ever. We're driving to Vancouver in a couple of days, meeting up with some friends in Seattle, and then I start my new job in two weeks, so it would be REALLY nice if my face looked better by then. We'll see...<br />
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<b>Day 42</b>: Sorry I haven't been updating - the past few weeks have been crazy busy! Well, the drugs did do magic - the redness on my chin started fading within a week of starting the drugs and is now totally normal. My 'mustache' redness took a little while longer to fade, and it's still a little darker even now, but it's nothing that can't be mostly hidden with foundation, and I don't even think anyone would notice unless I pointed it out. I never had any side effects from the medications, and they've even cleared up the small amount of acne I had before the dermatitis. I still have a few more days of the oral antibiotics to go, and I'll keep using the topical creams for a while yet to prevent recurrences, but I was telling my boyfriend yesterday that it was the first time I actually felt pretty in almost a year! I stopped using the probiotics while I was on the antibiotics, but I'll probably start those up again with the salmon oil once the antibiotics are finished. I also started using some different shampoos from Lush that are a little more chemically than Kiss My Face, but so far no reaction. I also accidentally used some fluoride toothpaste a couple of times and that seemed okay too, so I'm not sure what exactly it was that I was sensitive to in the first place. In any case, I will still try to stick to products with short, natural ingredient lists because it can't hurt!<br />
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<b>Day 100+</b>: I don't even know how many days it has been. Day 0 was in April, and it's now mid-September. I've sort of stopped using the topical clindamycin and metronidazone, and my dermatitis has been pretty quiet - I may have had a minor flare-up a couple of weeks ago, or it may have just been acne. I used the topicals for a couple of days, and it went away, but left some wicked dry skin in its place (may have been the drugs...) I rubbed in jojoba oil every chance I got, and that seemed to take care of it. Stopped the topicals again. Skin is great. I've been cheating and using 'bad' products full of crap, and it doesn't seem to have much effect. NOT saying there's any reason to go off of limited-ingredient stuff... but if you slip up, it MAY not be the end of the world.<br />
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<b>One year later</b>: happy to report that I've had no flare-ups since the last time I updated this entry, not even a peep. I still pack my topical creams when I travel, just in case, but I just went through an extremely stressful 4-week final exam period AND I was eating like crap AND not sleeping AND using all sorts of random face/hair products and my skin has been behaving itself wonderfully. There is hope!<br />
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<u>Some perioral dermatitis resources</u><br />
- <a href="http://curezone.com/forums/am.asp?i=1078845">violet extract</a>?<br />
- variety of <a href="http://mary-earhart.suite101.com/natural-remedies-for-perioral-dermatitis-a150071">natural remedy</a> suggestions<br />
- <a href="http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1071128-overview">MedScape</a> reference<br />
- Ack! I've Got <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/perioraldermatitis">Perioral Dermatitis</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/dermatitis.html">EarthClinic POD forum</a> (lots of suggestions, but critical thinking suggested)<br />
- another <a href="http://www.rosaceagroup.org/The_Rosacea_Forum/showthread.php?20598-Perioral-dermatitis-questions!">forum</a> on POD<br />
- <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1949299/">article</a> from Canadian Family Physicians<br />
- <a href="http://www.epinions.com/content_966500484/show_~allcom">calendula</a> and other ideas<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404135518795129573.post-13415267593731340882012-01-17T20:24:00.003-08:002012-01-17T20:30:18.332-08:00Steak rolls<div style="text-align: left;">Can I just reiterate how much I love <a href="http://pinterest.com/victoriasarah/">Pinterest</a>?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Although I already knew about Steamy Kitchen, it was on Pinterest that I found this great recipe for <a href="http://steamykitchen.com/363-pan-seared-steak-rolls.html">steak rolls</a>. It can sometimes be hard to find recipes that fit our no-grains, no-starch, no-bread diet and that keep us full, since it's so easy to use potatoes and rice as a filler. My pictures don't do the recipe justice because I'm a sloppy cook, but it tasted really good, which is probably more important than presentation anyway.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/IMG_0078.jpg" /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404135518795129573.post-68744139540814947892011-12-05T19:20:00.001-08:002011-12-05T19:25:37.348-08:00The birds and bees at the Toronto ZooA couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes tour of the Toronto Zoo with the theriogenology club at school - one of the many perks of being a vet student! Although, considering I spend an hour every other Monday with my arm up the wrong end of a cow (is there a right end?) I think we deserve these small bonuses. :)<br />
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We started off with a chat about camel insemination, with baby Kumar being the product of such a procedure:<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/bDSC_0011.jpg" /><br />
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Here's one of the daddy camels, who unfortunately has not 'taken' to any of the female camels... possibly because he finds his food bowl overwhelmingly attractive instead (honestly, that's how they collect his, uh, gametes).<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/bDSC_0022.jpg" /><br />
This was a massive, massive animal - Bactrian camels weigh up to 1000 pounds. For some reason, I kind of expected them to be llama-sized. Sadly, they are critically endangered, with only 800 animals remaining in the wild.<br />
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We then got to tour the reproductive physiology unit, where veterinarians and researchers are learning more about how these exciting animals breed! This is not just neat because you get to help make cute baby animals, but the Toronto Zoo is also involved in <a href="http://www.torontozoo.com/conservation/captive-breeding.asp">a number of conservation programs</a>, breeding endangered species to help preserve their genetic diversity and raise enough animals to return them to the wild. This is something that I've always wanted to be involved in, and I'm so excited to get a chance to meet some of the leaders in this field. I think the amount that we still don't know about these animals is amazing - it was fascinating to hear the staff talk about how difficult it is to get these animals to breed. Reproduction cycles of species like the cow have been so thoroughly mapped out that it's relatively easy to follow a protocol to get your cow pregnant - in some of these exotic species, we have no idea how often they come into heat, when they ovulate, what their hormone levels are, how to maintain the pregnancy, what the animal needs for a successful birth... there's so much to be learned, and I can only imagine how rewarding it must be to put that knowledge to use and one by one help build up the populations of some critically rare species.<br />
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After that, we got to visit one more animal - the Indian rhinoceros! We met a young male rhino who was about 2000 kg in weight, but who calmly lay down on his side when asked by his handler. This isn't just for tricks - these animals are taught how to respond to simple commands like this in order to facilitate their handling and treatment by veterinarians. With the rhino on his side, we were able to touch and examine his feet - to my surprise, they were warm and soft... softer than mine! We then got to feel his tough, boulder-like skin and feed him apples, which he scooped up with his extremely mobile, triangular lips. Sadly I don't have any pictures of him!<br />
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We were then free to tour the zoo on our own, and the first animals we visited were the lowland gorillas. This species is also critically endangered due to bushmeat hunting, the pet trade, and habitat loss.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/bDSC_0149.jpg" /><br />
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We saw some slender tailed meerkats:<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/bDSC_0158.jpg" /><br />
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A pygmy hippopotamus!<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/bDSC_0177.jpg" /><br />
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THIS IS A RED PANDA IT IS THE CUTEST THING IN THE WORLD<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/bDSC_0184.jpg" /><br />
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Some Barbary apes:<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/bDSC_0221.jpg" /><br />
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<i>Have I ever mentioned I'm a little afraid of monkeys? These apes aren't so bad because they don't have those creepy, clingy tails, but macaques and stuff just give me the heebie-jeebies. I think it's because of the movie Outbreak.</i><br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/bDSC_0204.jpg" /><br />
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And finally, the breathtakingly beautiful and heartbreakingly endangered snow leopard.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/bDSC_0242.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/bDSC_0226.jpg" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404135518795129573.post-36481939723431355372011-10-28T11:49:00.000-07:002011-10-28T11:49:07.158-07:00That's a negatoryI have an exam on Monday - I should probably sit down and start reviewing my notes.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/DSC_0099-1.jpg"><br />
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Well, I guess I have been working a lot lately. It would be nice to get creative and do some crafting.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/DSC_0120.jpg"><br />
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Jeez. Maybe I can just sit down and - <br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/DSC_0125.jpg">Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404135518795129573.post-55276596329512395552011-09-03T11:14:00.002-07:002011-09-03T11:16:06.490-07:00Eye see you<br />
<center><img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/eyeseeyou.jpg" /></center>Marsh wren (<i>Cistothorus palustris</i>), Iona Beach Regional Park, Richmond BC<br />
<div>.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404135518795129573.post-10970942213882877092011-08-22T05:32:00.002-07:002011-08-22T05:35:14.582-07:00Saving Shelter Pets fundraiser!Just a quick blog post to let everyone know that from August 22 to 31, I'll be participating in my third annual Saving Shelter Pets fundraiser, where 20% of the proceeds from my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheMossGarden">nature-inspired jewelry shop</a> during this time period will be donated to help fund low-cost spay and neuter clinics. As a veterinary student, this is a cause that is pretty close to my heart, for many reasons. An intact female cat, for example, can produce over 100 kittens over her lifetime - and that's not counting her kittens' kittens, or the number of kittens that a male can produce with multiple females. Most of these kittens or puppies won't find homes, and will end up on the streets or euthanized in a shelter. We adopted our <a href="http://the-moss-garden.blogspot.com/search/label/Cats">cats</a> from the SPCA, and sometimes I think about what might have happened to them if nobody had wanted them, and it makes me pretty bummed.<br />
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Spaying and neutering is also in the best interests of both you and your pet - it can help eliminate unwanted behaviours such as urine marking by toms, howling during heats, and blood spotting by female dogs. Additionally, health benefits for your pet include reducing mammary tumors and reproductive tract infections - some of which I've seen first-hand, and are really painful for the animal and just gross for us.<br />
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So, if you're interested in supporting this cause, please check out some of the great shops that are participating in this fundraiser over the next two weeks:<br />
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<center> <a href="http://savingshelterpets.com/etsy2011.html"><img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/etsybanner2011.jpg" /></a></center><br />
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And to find out more information about Saving Shelter Pets, check out <a href="http://www.savingshelterpets.com/">their site</a>.<br />
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Thanks guys!<br />
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Oh, one more thing: <b>how do you know I'm actually going to donate this money?</b> Last year I had some questions from buyers about how to know that I was donating the money as promised. I assured them I would send them a copy of my donation receipt at the end of the fundraiser, but forgot, which is terrible. So, here is a screen shot of my Paypal receipt:<br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/donation.jpg" /><br />
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And a newsletter after the fundraiser, acknowledging my participation (my name is Victoria, by the way).<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/newsletter.jpg" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404135518795129573.post-22744289566144927292011-08-18T13:09:00.002-07:002011-08-18T18:23:46.851-07:00Takeoff<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/eagle2.png">Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404135518795129573.post-29147806271113984122011-08-10T22:48:00.001-07:002011-08-10T22:50:06.392-07:00I can now die happy a.k.a. peregrine falconAlaksen National Wildlife Area, Delta BC, August 2<br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/bDSC_0120.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/bDSC_0123.jpg" /><br />
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Peregrine falcons are among my favourite birds - I can't say they're always at the top, but they do spend a good deal of time there. I'm not sure why I love them so much - it might have started when I learned to fly a falcon to a lure while I was working at a raptor rehabilitation centre. Her name was Bertha, and we taught her how to chase a bird-shaped piece of leather with some meat on it in order to test her flight and hunting skills. Afterwards, she would sit on my glove and snack on chicken bits. Even though she was recovering from injuries, her eyes were still fierce and she was happy to take a chunk out of your finger if you got any crazy ideas like stroking the top of her head.<br />
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Afterwards, I read a book on the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Peregrine-Falcon-Stories-Meanie-Herring/dp/0292706243">peregrine falcon recovery project</a> by Jim Enderson and wrote a lit review on adaptations of the peregrine falcon for a natural history class. When the peregrine hunts small birds, it ascends high into the sky and comes plummeting down at speeds conservatively estimated at 252 km/h but could be as fast as 560 km/h. The impact of the falcon on its prey is usually enough to kill it instantly.<br />
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This is the first peregrine I've seen in the wild.<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404135518795129573.post-46985418418989796442011-08-02T20:35:00.001-07:002011-09-03T11:18:04.729-07:00Light paintingThings you will need:<br />
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* digital camera capable of long exposures or, preferably, a bulb setting<br />
* tripod<br />
* light source (i.e. flashlight)<br />
* dark area (a room, a park far from the city)<br />
* remote shutter release for your camera (not strictly necessary, but makes life easier)<br />
* friend<br />
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Set up your camera on its tripod, and make sure it's on bulb and set to your remote. Get your friend to stand approximately where they will be painting, and make sure you're properly focused.<br />
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Right before you start painting, open the shutter using your remote (you can do this without a remote by just pressing the shutter release, but there might be some blurriness due to the camera shaking). If there is any ambient light at all (like there was in our pictures) you'll need to paint fairly quickly, or have a smaller aperture (these photos were all f2.8). When you're done painting, close the shutter.<br />
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Ta-da!<br />
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Here are our efforts, done at Iona Beach after an aborted attempt at photographing stars. It's still a work in progress.<br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0009-1.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0017-2.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0024-1.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0040.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0044-1.jpg" /><br />
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Now here it is, done right:<br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/2653266910_f89fc8b1de.jpg" /><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">credit: </span></i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rafoto/2653266910/sizes/l/in/set-72157606072653053/"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">rafoto</span></i></a><br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZdJHQAL-83WwwIkwWZu3OyWp_HeusoVV2F0e3xrnqz4BweWhS0j3LCYm2KT-Zs5r-D_H_Ka3NRdFLyWiHNc26zF0u50mjZqn_siGQBEfZAnOEPQV943N7qHMDYMdbIW6oJ2MpAwwdYVS0/s400/4766585617_e266da7245_b.jpg" /><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">credit: </span></i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/minamac88/4766585617/sizes/l/"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">minamac88</span></i></a><br />
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<img height="300" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/75/Light_drawing_long_exposure_angel_wings.JPG/800px-Light_drawing_long_exposure_angel_wings.JPG" width="400" /><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">credit: </span></i><a href="http://areographers.com/"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The Areographers</span></i></a><br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7w-X5KCC9T1PXv3ZUV4jE2ArnyVLiqRi8aTkDB8YaaH2qKNVjxmrN-mjTnd3d97TJQFYX4ypYFP6jtLNMaaSV9eVnybU9A2sfBR2OfOs6_IgaPgvowSv-Bh0obMVam37QEjHcT0i6RodS/s400/1.jpg" /><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">credit: </span></i><a href="http://www.attonconrad.com/"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Atton Conrad</span></i></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404135518795129573.post-48485366554191867772011-08-01T10:53:00.000-07:002011-08-01T10:53:51.539-07:00Powell Street FestivalThis Saturday, Davis and I went to the <a href="http://www.powellstreetfestival.com/">Powell Street Festival</a>, a celebration of the Japanese community in Vancouver. <br />
<br />
On our way, we passed this beautiful mural in Chinatown:<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0001-3.jpg"><br />
<br />
with a very thought-provoking quote<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0002-1.jpg"><br />
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The festival is held in Oppenheimer Park in the somewhat infamous downtown east-side. But families and locals were mingling and enjoying the sunshine, music, and food.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0003-1.jpg"><br />
<br />
I just noticed the colourful and interesting houses behind the tents in this photo - I wish I'd had a closer look!<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0005-1.jpg"><br />
<br />
Davis of course was mainly interested in the martial arts demos, but a fairly large crowd had already assembled by the time we got there, and it was hard to get a good look.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0009.jpg"><br />
<br />
So, we headed over to the food area! These are called <i>manju</i>, and they're a variation of a Chinese pastry that contains red bean paste.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0011-1.jpg"><br />
<br />
A similar item is the fresh <i>imagawayaki</i>, which is also filled with red bean paste.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0017-1.jpg"><br />
<br />
YUM!<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0024.jpg"><br />
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As, uh, fascinating as it seemed, we did not visit this tent.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0007-1.jpg"><br />
<br />
But we did try some tofu yaki with Asian slaw, and matcha smoothies.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0022-1.jpg"><br />
<br />
As we left, we were serenaded by Nish Rawks, a Toronto-based rapper of Japanese descent. <br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0032-1.jpg"><br />
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I was pretty impressed.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404135518795129573.post-83174770119850599912011-07-29T17:52:00.000-07:002011-07-29T17:52:04.400-07:00Hummingbird<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/ahummingbird1.jpg"><br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/ahummingbird2.jpg"><br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/ahummingbird4.jpg">Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404135518795129573.post-14185991796000081802011-07-22T06:59:00.000-07:002011-07-22T06:59:42.330-07:00Alaksen National Wildlife AreaThankfully, my poor quads got a break from the mud slogging this week - instead, we split our time between invasive plant removal (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotch_broom">broom</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_loosestrife">loosestrife</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_thistle">thistle</a>) and bird surveying. Sorry, I just have to say that again - <i>they are paying me to walk around and look at birds</i>. I'm not gloating or anything... I just have to remind myself from time to time because it seems so unreal. :) Of course it's not all fun - the plant removal is pretty hard work, especially in the hot afternoon sun. So I enjoy the birds all the more when I get a chance to see them.<br />
<br />
Here are some of the birds I saw last Monday:<br />
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<b>Black-headed grosbeak</b>. This was a first for me! We saw two males chasing each other around the trees.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0006-2.jpg" /><br />
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<b>American goldfinch.</b> These guys were everywhere - mostly flying overhead calling "<i>potato chip! potato chip! potato chip!</i>"and chowing down on thistle seeds. I sometimes get these mixed up with yellow warblers (next) because they're about the only bright yellow birds that tiny. Apart from the black marking on the goldfinch that set it apart, I also find the posture to be different - the goldfinches stand more upright, whereas the warblers are more tilted forward.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0027-1.jpg" /><br />
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<b>Yellow warbler!</b><br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0122.jpg" /><br />
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<b>Spotted towhee. </b>These striking birds are everywhere in this area, and aren't shy about hopping out onto branches and getting their picture taken. They have really strange and varied calls (what I thought for years to be squirrel chatter actually turned out to be a towhee), and you often hear them scratching around in the brush.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0055-2.jpg" /><br />
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We weren't able to identify this guy for sure - I think it might be a <b>Western wood pewee</b>, but I'm not very familiar with flycatchers. If anyone has any ideas, I would be grateful for the insight!<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0097.jpg" /><br />
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<b>Downy woodpecker</b>. Downies look a lot like their slightly larger cousins, the hairy woodpeckers. Apparently the best way to tell them apart is the length of the beak relative to their head - if the beak is about the same length as the head, it's the bigger Hairy, but if the beak is shorter than the head, it's the diminutive Downy. The bright red patch on this guy also indicates he is a male. :)<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0138.jpg" /><br />
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<b>Cedar waxwing.</b> These birds are also super common in the area, especially around berry bushes! I often hear them before I see them - they make a high pitched, almost digital insect sound. I think these birds are so pretty - they look so much better put-together than other birds, like they're made of painted ceramic.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0151.jpg" /><br />
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Juvenile <b>bald eagle</b>. Young eagles take up to 5 years to attain sexual maturity and get the famous white head and tail.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0158.jpg" /><br />
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More pictures (including a groovy orange slug) to come!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404135518795129573.post-71012599870759936742011-07-14T23:25:00.000-07:002011-07-14T23:25:23.030-07:00Salt marshThis week, we've been working out on the salt marshes off Westham Island. A salt marsh, in case it isn't obvious, is the upper part of the intertidal zone where salt-tolerant plants such as worts, sedges, and rushes can be periodically covered at high tide. In the delta of the Fraser River, the marshes and mudflats extend out for probably a couple of kilometers at least. We've been working with a government biologist, counting different types of native vegetation out there in order to assess how much the marsh has eroded over the past thirty years - and the answer seems to be a lot, in some places. From what I understand, the erosion of the marsh is mainly due to rising sea levels and over-grubbing by snow geese.<br />
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It's muddy, dirty, exhausting work - it's a 45 minute slog through the mud and a short canoe ride across a channel just to get to the site, and then we're on our knees in the muck all day getting poked in the eye (or nostril) by bulrush stems. But the sun is (usually) shining, we can see all sorts of birds (harriers, yellowlegs, sandpipers, bald eagles, swallows, wrens, herons, etc), and there's something about working outdoors, especially by the ocean, that really connects you to the planet. Measuring the workday by high tides and low tides and sun and rain makes me feel like I'm remembering something more elemental that I'd forgotten along the way. And the landscape is beautiful - I find it really interesting to see the different vegetation zones change as you move away from land, as different species adapt to different water and salinity levels.<br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aIMG_1065.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aIMG_1068.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aIMG_1085.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aIMG_1090.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aIMG_1116.jpg" /><br />
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This is prime real estate as far as eagles are concerned... this pair built their nest on an old navigation tower, and are raising two young that are about to fledge. This particular site comes complete with adjacent tower (excellent for stretching your wings and letting the wind take you off), multiple perch sites, breathtaking views, and even a small live tree growing out of the corner for shade.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aIMG_1122.jpg" /><br />
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Coyote?<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aIMG_1144.jpg" /><br />
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Mallard nest.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aIMG_1159.jpg" /><br />
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A hanging marsh wren nest, woven around and suspended by cattail stalks.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aIMG_1160.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aIMG_1161.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aIMG_1166.jpg" /><br />
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Our accompanying government biologist suspected this was a harbour seal placenta/birth sac... and NOT the plastic bag we all initially thought it was!<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aIMG_1109.jpg" /><br />
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Tomorrow is our last day working on this project, and I'm looking forward to (hopefully) a more relaxed week of bird counts next week!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404135518795129573.post-22686638292699978032011-07-08T22:55:00.002-07:002011-07-08T23:08:07.615-07:00The British invasionI started a new job this week - it's going to be a hodgepodge of things, I think, but all conservation-oriented, and with hopefully not a few bird surveys. For the past two days, however, we've been mapping <i>Spartina</i> grass on the Roberts Bank mudflats near Tsawwassen, BC. <i>Spartina</i> is an <a href="http://www.invasiveplantcouncilbc.ca/ebulletin/invasive-plant-watch-spartina">invasive grass from England</a> that's been found up and down the western coast. Like all invasive species, it seems, <i>Spartina</i> spreads rapidly and is a pain in the butt to get rid of, outcompeting local plants and decreasing habitat for marine invertebrates, fish, and birds.<br />
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Roberts Bank is a very alien, very magical landscape. Walking toward the water from the dikes, you wade through a few metres of vegetation before coming out onto a muddy soup, which lasts another few metres. Then finally the ground hardens, and what looks like a prehistoric or lunar terrain emerges with cracked mud and channels and pools everywhere that the tide has formed. The oozy mud under the pools and rivers is also strange... there's a thin brown surface layer, but the sludge below is a soft black colour and actually feels really lovely on the skin.<br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aIMG_0978.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aIMG_0980.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aIMG_0984.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aIMG_1011.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aIMG_1013.jpg" /><br />
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Sadly, I couldn't bring my beloved SLR and 200 mm lens out in the muck with me, which was disappointing because I saw so many amazing birds that I just couldn't capture with my point & shoot. Of course there were gulls and swallows everywhere, and little sandpipers that were too far away for me to identify. There was also a small family of killdeer that would shriek and suddenly lift off if we got too close to them, and tons of herons and eagles doing flyovers. The first morning, we also saw a Northern Harrier swooping over the shore grasses looking for a snack. I also identified my first Caspian terns, and solved a bit of a puzzle - Davis and I had been hearing their strange raspy scream all over Richmond but we were never able to get a good look at them to figure out what was making that noise. Mystery solved!<br />
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<strike>If you roll over the images there should be some text popping up - the pictures were just so cruddy in the first place that I didn't want to clog them up with too much writing.</strike> Okay so the rollover thing doesn't seem to work. In the first picture, there are some Caspian terns mixed with gulls in the foreground - the terns have a black crown and a bright red beak. In the distance, what I initially mistook to be a fleet of small sailboats is actually a bunch of great blue herons, fishing out in the shallows. In the second photo, the flagged plant is that dastardly <i>Spartina</i>, and a killdeer.<br />
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<img class="domroll http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/bIMG_1033.jpg" src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aIMG_1033.jpg" /><br />
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<img class="domroll http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/bIMG_1035.jpg" src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aIMG_1035.jpg" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404135518795129573.post-9081447699855046822011-06-30T13:17:00.001-07:002012-07-08T12:28:20.163-07:00UBC botanical gardensA couple of weekends ago, Davis and I went to the <a href="http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/">botanical gardens at the University of British Columbia</a>, which are both extensive and diverse. They're not on the scale of anything like the Butchart Gardens in Victoria, of course, but I really enjoyed the walk through the tall conifers, smelling everything in the medicinal herb garden, rambling through the alpine terraces, and inspecting the vegetable garden (the produce of which is donated to local charities). We also did the <a href="http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/canopy-walkway">canopy walkway</a>, a series of suspended bridges through the treetops. I actually really enjoyed this too - we did the one at the Capilano Suspension Bridge a few years ago and it really didn't feel like much of an adventure at all. But this one puts you pretty high up in the treetops, it's much less crowded, and you even have some thrilling moments of mild peril as the bridge lurches beneath your feet and you peer down at the forest floor 50 feet below.<br /><br />I was hoping to see some birds on this trip - last time we went I saw a creeper - but other than a bald eagle surveying its domain, I was out of luck. I saw lots of beautiful flowers and some neat insects but I am sadly lacking in knowledge of both botany and entomology so, without any descriptions to get in the way:<br /><br /><center><br /><img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0015.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0007.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0008-3.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0027.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0032.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0035-1.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0045.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0140.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0162.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0169.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0123.jpg" /></center>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404135518795129573.post-40127471248593766932011-06-19T15:00:00.001-07:002011-06-19T15:01:54.613-07:00Breakfast saladA couple of months ago, Davis decided to seriously cut down on carbs in his diet on the advice of <a href="http://www.fourhourbody.com/" target="_blank">Tim Ferriss</a>, and I kind of went along for the ride. This made breakfast a little more difficult, since my breakfast traditionally involved a bagel, toast, or pancakes. For a couple of weeks I did fried eggs and sausages - hey, no carbs, right? - but feeling queasy for the rest of the morning cut that trend short. I also tried shakes with berries and protein powder, but it never really kept me full.<br />
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Thankfully, a few weeks ago through the miracle of Pinterest, I found this <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/main-dish/the-pleasures-of-a-breakfast-salad-125910" target="_blank">gorgeous recipe for a breakfast salad</a>. It's so simple and relatively quick - the longest part is poaching the eggs, but I start them first and then chop up everything else and make my coffee while they're cooking.<br />
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The base of the salad is one chopped tomato, half to one avocado (depending on the size), and some shredded prosciutto.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/DSC_0183.jpg" /><br />
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I mix these up in a bowl, top with some grated cheese, ground pepper, and fresh herbs (basil, yum!) and two poached eggs.<br />
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Poached eggs? Scary!<br />
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The last time I tried to poach eggs for a <a href="http://www.cookincanuck.com/2011/03/poached-egg-on-toast-with-chipotle-mayonnaise-bacon-avocado-recipe/" target="_blank">yummy openfaced sandwich</a>, I ended up with a pot full of egg foam and two poached yolks. Fortunately, the recipe for the breakfast salad also included a link with <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/how-to/how-to-poach-an-egg-the-video-home-hacks-108958" target="_blank">ridiculously simple instructions</a> on how to poach eggs - and seriously, I've perfectly poached dozens of eggs with this method.<br />
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To reiterate: find a small pot and fill it about halfway with water. If you underfill it, I find the egg doesn't thoroughly cook. Boil the water, then bring down the heat until tiny bubbles are just rising off the bottom of the pot. Add one tablespoon of white vinegar.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/DSC_0185.jpg" /><br />
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Crack your egg into a small measuring up or teacup, and lower it into the water and slowly tip the egg out.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/DSC_0189.jpg" /><br />
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Set your timer for four minutes, and watch your egg poach!<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/DSC_0190.jpg" /><br />
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When the time is up, remove the egg with a slotted spoon to a paper towel to remove the excess water.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/DSC_0192.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/DSC_0195.jpg" /><br />
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YUMMY!<br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/DSC_0196.jpg" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404135518795129573.post-51133713662513211392011-06-11T23:44:00.000-07:002011-06-11T23:44:16.024-07:00Eat! Vancouver food + cooking festAs you probably know by now, I love to eat. So when I heard about the food and cooking festival happening this weekend in downtown Vancouver, I more-or-less commanded Davis to go with me.<br />
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And it was awesome.<br />
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We started off, naturally, in the wine+beer+spirits tasting area. This was probably not the brightest idea as I'd had two pieces of toast for breakfast and Davis had had nothing. But our light buzz probably made the crowds more tolerable.<br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/booze.png" /><br />
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There were so many things to taste, from local wines to wines from as far away as Hungary, delicious microbrews, vodka, spiced rum, sake from Japan, locally-made mead, a seminar on how to make the perfect Caesar - and absinthe:<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/absinthe.png" /><br />
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After our liquid indulgences, we decided it would be a good idea to get something to eat - fortunately, we had plenty of options! We wandered up and down the booths, snacking on <a href="http://www.mountainmanbeefjerky.com/">beef jerky</a>, <a href="http://www.liberte.ca/fr/">yogurt</a>, <a href="http://www.islandfarms.com/">ice cream</a>, <a href="http://www.westernsagehoney.com/">honey</a>, Korean rice cakes, <a href="http://www.doichaangcoffee.com/">coffee</a>, <a href="http://www.salmonfarmers.org/">candied salmon</a>, <a href="http://www.bcturkey.com/">turkey sausages</a>, <a href="http://www.jbbbqsauce.com/">barbecue sauce</a>, <a href="http://www.olivesandthings.com/OLIVESANDTHINGS/Home.html">olives stuffed with lemon and orange</a>, chocolate:<br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/chocolate.png" /><br />
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and delicious TĂȘte de Moine <a href="http://swiss-authentics.com/en?cheese_id=appenzeller">cheese from Switzerland</a>:<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0074.jpg" /><br />
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And we weren't just concerned with filling our own tummies - there were also rows of pet food vendors, all happy to talk about their products and give us some samples for the <a href="http://the-moss-garden.blogspot.com/search/label/Cats">beasts</a>.<br />
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Even though we were unhappily regretting our decision to not wear elastic-waisted trousers at this point, we waddled over to the restaurant booths, where local restaurants were serving up sample-sized portions of their most popular dishes.<br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/atreats.png" /><br />
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There were also celebrity chefs giving demonstrations, and different seminars on cheese and how to describe and pair wines and beers with food.<br />
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<a href="http://www.eat-vancouver.com/index.html">EAT! Vancouver</a> also runs tomorrow - so if any of you reading this are in town, I highly recommend you drop by!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404135518795129573.post-85335416104129259752011-06-10T19:43:00.001-07:002011-06-10T19:47:16.486-07:00Surf's up!Finally - my last blog post in my Tofino/Ucluelet series! I have dragged this on, haven't I... we left over a month ago, and it's taken me this long to digest and regurgitate the trip. <br />
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Tofino is famous for its rugged coastal beauty and all the opportunities it provides for visitors to get outdoors. Arguably the most famous scenic destination is Long Beach, a 16-km stretch of sand, sea, and sky.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0094-3.jpg" /><br />
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Although Long Beach is part of the <a href="http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/pacificrim/index.aspx">Pacific Rim National Park Reserve</a>, many of Tofino's other beaches are not. Cox Bay beach, hidden behind the aptly named Cox Bay Resort, is one of my favourites - and it's also a great place to learn to surf!<br />
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Davis and I took surfing lessons for the first time last year, and we loved it! The water temperature is usually about 12C in the spring, which is only a degree or two lower than the ocean off Los Angeles. But the air temperature is of course much cooler, and that's what necessitates the neoprene getup!<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0003.jpg" /><br />
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Both times we've taken surf lessons in Tofino, we've gone with <a href="http://www.pacificsurfschool.com/">Pacific Surf School</a>. I can't say why I chose them initially, other than maybe they offered a 3-hour lesson instead of 2 and a half. In retrospect, if you're moderately out-of-shape like me, 3 hours might be a little long anyway. But we love the instructors at Pacific, plus they give you awesome stickers, so you can put them all over your stuff and pretend you're a super pro west coast surfer too. And yes, that's exactly what I did.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0065-1.jpg" /><br />
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On our last trip, we decided to actually rent some surfboards and go out on our own. Davis is an impressively good beginner surfer - I was able to stand up the first time we went, but this year was a total flop. But, it's still a LOT of fun, and I promise you don't even notice the cold.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0195.jpg" /><br />
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Neoprene. The new Spanx.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0440.jpg" /><br />
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The other thing that we love love love doing in Tofino is scuba diving! Davis has wanted to dive for years, so three years ago we did a discover dive with the local dive shop, <a href="http://www.divetofino.com/">Ocean Planet</a>. We were insta-hooked. Last year we went back to do our open water certification, and this year we intended to do our advanced open water, but student poverty prevailed and instead we just did a day trip.<br />
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I can't say enough how much I love this dive shop - the owner, Andy, is super nice and has the cutest baby I've ever seen. All his divemasters and instructors are equally as awesome - we have never had a bad time, even the time I lost my fin and had to limp back to the boat along the sea floor. I definitely recommend trying a discover dive - breathing underwater is frightening at first, but I always get so quickly distracted by the bounty of life under the waves - the delicate sea pens, opalescent nudibranchs, feathery plumose anemones, starfish of every shape and colour, crabs scuttling here and there and - if you're lucky - giant pacific octopi.<br />
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In Ucluelet, we usually try and walk the <a href="http://www.longbeachmaps.com/wildtrail.html">Wild Pacific Trail</a>, a non-strenuous trail that winds along the cliffs and through the rainforest. Trees dripping with moss line the path, and suddenly open into breathtaking ocean views.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0090.jpg" /><br />
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There are so many other amazing activities I want to try in Tofino - sea kayaking, fishing, revisit the hot springs, go whale watching, and one day (when I'm in better shape) hike the arduous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Coast_Trail">West Coast Trail</a>.<br />
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What would you do first on a trip to the coast?<br />
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<i>Previous Tofino posts:</i><br />
<a href="http://the-moss-garden.blogspot.com/2011/06/eating-in-tofino-ucluelet.html"><i>Eating</i></a><br />
<a href="http://the-moss-garden.blogspot.com/2011/05/birds-and-beasts.html"><i>Wildlife watching</i></a><br />
<a href="http://the-moss-garden.blogspot.com/2011/05/to-sea.html"><i>Road to Tofino</i></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1Tofino, BC V0R, Canada49.152434 -125.9024929999999920.240526499999998 174.331882 78.0643415 -66.136867999999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404135518795129573.post-61407897938181542522011-06-06T11:18:00.001-07:002011-06-06T11:19:36.897-07:00Ships to shoreThe weather this weekend was forecasted to be the warmest and sunniest in a while, so Davis and I decided to get out of the house and visit Steveston village, a pretty little fishing community south of Vancouver. As we approached, we noticed traffic getting a little heavy - "I guess everyone wants to get outdoors today," I remarked. "Don't worry though, I've never seen the parking lot full."<br />
<a href="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/DSC_0014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img align="right" border="0" height="199" src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/DSC_0014.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
Well, it was - and so was every side street in a four-block radius. "Is there something going on today?" Davis asked, somewhat rhetorically.<br />
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Yes, as it turned out. We finally found a parking spot and started walking toward the village along the dikes when we spotted signs for the Ships to Shore festival - a tall ships celebration featuring four schooners, a Viking longboat, music and food and dancing. This used to be an annual event in the city, until it was suspended to make way for preparations leading up to the 2010 Winter Olympics. This is the first year it's run since 2002.<br />
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Passes were on sale to tour the boats and take a 3-hour sail around the area, but we opted to just look at the boats from the docks. Another bit of luck was that although most ships required prepaid tickets just to get on board and look around, the <i>Adventuress</i>, a 133-foot schooner<i> </i>out of Seattle, was letting people walk around the ship for free. We took a look at all the intricate rigging, posed at the helm, chatted with the sailors, and toured the lower decks.<br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/DSC_0018-1.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/DSC_0032.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/DSC_0068-1.jpg" /><br />
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We also got introduced to a really neat band, the Rakish Angles. They're a 4-piece string band with a bass, violin, guitar, and mandolin. They describe their music as "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">Newgrass, Latin, Gypsy-Jazz and Oldtime." The music was really interesting, so if you like fiddle music or anything similar to that, definitely <a href="http://rakishangles.com/index.html" target="_blank">check them out</a>!</span><br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/DSC_0076-1.jpg" width="575" /><br />
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After checking out the ships, we headed over to the village proper, where vendors and artisans had set up tents for the every-other-weekendly farmer's market. We tried some ridiculously delicious flavoured ganache by <a href="http://lachocolaterie-vancouver.com/" target="_blank">La Chocolaterie</a>:<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/DSC_0079.jpg" /><br />
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Davis's mission of the day was to visit <a href="http://www.bellsbakeshop.com/" target="_blank">Bell's Bake Shop</a> - which he had read about in the paper - and get himself a Stanley Cupcake. Sadly, they were sold out. :(<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/DSC_0082-1.jpg" /><br />
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But we shared a yummy coconut cupcake instead.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/DSC_0083.jpg" /><br />
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Steveston Village is one of my favourite places to visit, even when (or especially when) there's no festival going on. I love seeing the fishing fleet, eating fish & chips on the dock, walking down to the beach and watching dogs play in the surf. The <a href="http://www.stevestonsalmonfest.ca/" target="_blank">Canada Day salmon festival</a> in Steveston is always a lot of fun - we're more than likely going to be heading there on July 1 and I definitely recommend you do too!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404135518795129573.post-88127178291225145442011-06-02T22:36:00.002-07:002011-06-09T14:34:06.272-07:00Eating in Tofino & UclueletFor such a small area, Tofino and Ucluelet have some seriously good eats that, as far as I'm concerned, stack up quite well to some of the posher restaurants in Vancouver. Not that I'm a food critic or anything - as a poor student my gastronomic forays have been quite limited. But I do like eating and trying new things, and I'm always happy to eat in Tofino... although, since your dinner was probably swimming that same morning, how could you not be?<br />
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The first year we went to Ucluelet, we really didn't know the area at all. Our hosts had left some cards for various businesses in our cabin, including one for <a href="http://www.norwoods.ca/">Norwoods</a>. "Sure," we thought one night. "Let's try it."<br />
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The restaurant was pretty busy when we got there, as I recall, so we were seated at the bar in front of the kitchen. It turned out to be the best seat in the house, as we got to watch all the amazing dishes being meticulously prepared, and chat with the owner Richard and his chef Phil. The food is all ridiculously fresh - I usually order fish (albacore tuna is amazing), and it was usually swimming that morning. Most of their ingredients are locally sourced from the Island or in province, and are perfectly assembled and cooked.<br />
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On our last trip, we started with a pomegranate cosmo and a caramel apple martini:<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0479.jpg" /><br />
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Davis ordered an octopus appetizer in a ginger chili sauce. I felt a little odd about eating octopus, but all the seafood is certified by the Vancouver Aquarium's <a href="http://www.oceanwise.ca/">OceanWise</a> program, and it was delicious - buttery soft and full of flavour.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0480.jpg" /><br />
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My appetizer was thin slices of pacific salmon in a mustard dill sauce, which was also very tasty.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0481.jpg" /><br />
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As an entree, Davis and I both ordered fish - what else can you get on a trip to the ocean? Davis chose the halibut:<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0483.jpg" /><br />
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And I got albacore tuna:<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0485.jpg" /><br />
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For dinner, we each had the goat cheesecake. Although the rest of their menu changes with the seasons, the goat cheesecake is thankfully something that seems to have staying power, for which I am very grateful!<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0486.jpg" /><br />
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<img align="right" src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/ukee.png" />Of course, Norwoods isn't cheap, and although one year we blew our budget by eating there three nights in one trip, there are other excellent, less expensive places to eat in the area. Our usual breakfast choice, Rooster's, has since sadly shut down (which is very sad because they had excellent and economical smoked salmon eggs benedict), but <a href="http://ukee-dogs.foodpages.ca/">Ukee Dogs</a> is always a great breakfast choice. Almost everything there, even breakfast, is served hot-dog style on a toasty, soft homemade bun. We always get the Maple Scrambler, which features breakfast sausages smothered in cheese and maple syrup. Yummy!<br />
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In Tofino, we usually stop at the <a href="http://www.commonloaf.com/">Common Loaf Bakery</a> and coffeeshop for lunch - I think their giant salmon salad sandwiches fueled my entire open water scuba diving course. It can be a little slow during busy hours and, heads up, they only take cash, but the lemon cranberry squares are worth it.<br />
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During our most recent trip, we discovered a new (to us) restaurant: <a href="http://www.shelterrestaurant.com/">Shelter</a>. We'd seen it the previous year and it looked pricey, but we were looking for somewhere to have lunch after our surf lesson and our instructor recommended this place to us. The giant fireplace is perfect for warming up after a post-ocean dunking, accompanied by a bowl of salmon and clam chowder and coffee served in a French press. It was also at Shelter that I found a new love: <a href="http://www.tofinobrewingco.com/">The Tofino Brewing Company</a>. I tried their most recent beer, the Hoppin' Cretin IPA. My only complaint is that they apparently sell out almost as fast as they make it, so we couldn't take any home! And, it turns out that Shelter is not as expensive as it looks - our lunch bill probably would have been under $30 if only we'd been able to stay away from the basil-infused Caesars.<br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/shelter.jpg" /><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Photo via </span></i><a href="http://www.shelterrestaurant.com/index.html"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Shelter</span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">.</span></i><br />
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I'm looking forward to discovering even more places to eat next time I'm in the area but jeez... I'm really hungry now.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404135518795129573.post-51134273718384373182011-05-20T14:33:00.000-07:002011-05-20T14:33:43.040-07:00Birds and beastsOn day two in Tofino, we woke up to a steady rain. It sounded lovely on the roof, but it didn't bode well for outdoor activities.<br />
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Even this harbour seal seemed unimpressed...<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0011.jpg" /><br />
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Fortunately by the afternoon the rain eased up a bit, and treated us to some lovely island skies. Davis and I decided to go for a walk on the beach and see what creatures we could see...<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0094-2.jpg" /><br />
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A ton of little shorebirds foraged in the sand, and I saw a few species I'd never seen before including dunlin -<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0292.jpg" /><br />
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- whimbrels - <br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0526.jpg" /><br />
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and semi-palmated plovers.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0732.jpg" /><br />
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We also saw a couple different species of sandpipers, but I don't have any good photos of them. There may be a couple hanging out with the dunlin. We were however graced by the presence of an osprey, floating up and down the beach for over an hour, looking for prey. <br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0516.jpg" /><br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0595.jpg" /><br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0596.jpg" /><br />
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The sun started to set...<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0670.jpg" /><br />
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The tide started coming in...<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0747.jpg" /><br />
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So we left the osprey to his search - <br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0905.jpg" /><br />
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...and went back to our cabin, where we were greeted by the usual chorus of sea lions.<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0927.jpg" /><br />
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Up next... adventures in surfing!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404135518795129573.post-19954998446888158762011-05-18T13:13:00.000-07:002011-05-18T13:13:10.398-07:00To the seaWe've been back from our seaside adventure for a few days now, long enough to recover from our vacation (it was not a restful, lying on the beach with margaritas trip, let me tell you) and for me to go through our photos a little. I won't bore you with an endless slideshow of getaway snaps, but here are some of the highlights of day one.<br />
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We stopped as always in Cathedral Grove, a set of trails through <a href="http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/macmillan/" target="_blank">MacMillan Provincial Park</a> on Vancouver Island. This place always seems a little supernatural, a little primeval, a little Lord of the Rings - full of towering trees draped with moss and ferns crawling all over the ground. And the smells like you wouldn't believe - cedar and fir and wet growing things and (maybe my imagination) but a little bit of salt from the sea.<br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0016.jpg" /><br />
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We found a stream with a large log crossing it and stopped for a photo op. I don't know what was on the other side of the stream... maybe next time we'll find out. <br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0023.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0041.jpg" /><br />
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We kept driving along the highway, crossing the island, when we came to a pullout next to a bend in the river with large, flat rocks and rapids running between them. <br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0268.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0290.jpg" /><br />
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There were tons of little waterfalls leading from one level to the next, it was a great place to practice the effect of shutter speed - but that's another post. <br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0136.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0311.jpg" /><br />
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When we got to <a href="http://www.anchorsinn.com/" target="_blank">our cabin</a>, we were greeted (as always) by a chorus of barking sea lions from the docks and eagles soaring overhead. And, a first - by a female common merganser paddling around the harbour.<br />
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<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0363.jpg" /><br />
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To be continued...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404135518795129573.post-32044104514264330412011-05-09T22:02:00.000-07:002011-05-09T22:02:48.166-07:00Depth of fieldHaving completed my sixth journey across Canada (we arrived in Vancouver on Friday), Davis and I left this morning for our third annual vacation to Ucluelet/Tofino on Vancouver Island. The weather today was lovely - unfortunately, I fear, the only lovely weather we might have this week... but I guess a little rain doesn't matter much when you're soaking wet from surfing and scuba diving anyway. At least, I hope I'll be scuba diving... I'm still coughing up some nasty things and my congested nose is making a reappearance from a cold I picked up on our drive out west, so we'll see what the divemaster has to say about that. Here's hoping it magically disappears before Wednesday, although <strike>dunking myself in the cold Pacific</strike> surfing for three hours tomorrow may not be the best way to have that happen.<br />
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I have tons of photos to share with you, from our road trip and from Ucluelet, but instead of posting all the highlights of the day like I did <a href="http://the-moss-garden.blogspot.com/2010/06/ucluelet-day-one.html">last year</a>, I think I'll save them until after we get back to Vancouver and settled in... it's a little too manic processing and posting them each night since I am technically on vacation. But here's a little something I took today in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_Grove" target="_blank">Cathedral Grove</a>... I think I should have tried a few more shots, but it's kind of interesting looking. :)<br />
<img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/aDSC_0004.jpg" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404135518795129573.post-67367554559869911942011-04-14T07:50:00.002-07:002011-04-14T07:51:15.410-07:00tide poolI saw a plaque with this quote at the <a href="http://www.uclueletaquarium.org/" target="_blank">Ucluelet Aquarium</a> on Vancouver Island, and I loved it so much I took a photo of it. I'm over halfway finished my exams - only 5 more to go - and I took a little brain break this morning and created a starfield background to go with the quote to share with you guys.<br />
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And now, back to vital signs of the dog...<br />
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<center> <img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg195/pereregrine/quote.jpg" /></center>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2