Burnaby Lake Park

What a joy it is to wake  in Burnaby with the sun and blue skies showing through clouds.  I wanted to see what birds were at Burnaby Lake right now. I’ve seen robins are back.  Some new sparrows are showing up in the trees near me. Madigan, my cockapoo loves to walk.  Post covid I do need the exercise.  Aerobic exercise is certainly the principle means to ward off ill health and dementia with aging.  I used to run but now walking the dog is the pace I enjoy.

Roots in Brunette River by Burnaby Lake, Caribou Place 

Beginning of Burnaby Lake by dam near stables

I have my Nikon P1000, to date, the ultimate birder camera for me.  I ‘ve also my iPhone 13, the camera and telephoto itself sufficient for most bird pictures.

I couldn’t have walked 15 minutes before I had to open my jacket and put my togue in my pocket. It’s already spring warm.  Lots of joggers passed me.  I love the women in the skin tight space brigade leggings and tight little jackets. The guys have the same skin like leggings but more often vests.  

I associate the jogging clothing  with Sci fi astronaughts, an impervious layer of flexible skin imitating bullet and tear resistant light weight silk like material couples with a helmet and 180 degrees of glass visibility.  I envied this clothing when I was a teen reading adventure space stories .I still love the Captain Kirk era Star Trek costumes.  

Now all these folk are  just running past me.  No space ships handy. Young people.  Some old. Some fat. I admire them. I’m among the fewer in number dog walkers. We’re all dressed in variations on North Face jackets, wind proof water proof, certainly not form fitting, definitely still haute couture for the outdoors dog walking set.  The dogs are a wide variety from German shepherds to corgis. Most are friendly like Madigan who thoroughly enjoys the social occasions. A delightful miniature collie does a circle when she sees him.

Her owner, a happy man in his 30’s says , »She always dances in a circle when she sees a dog she likes. I’m thinking of getting her a ballet tutu to wear. ». We laugh and pass going different directions.

I don’t know what this is? ?Skunk Cabbage

Even before covid I was reclusive. People are friendly walking dogs and on the trails. It would be easy to befriend folk and then my social circle would increase but I’m reticent about that. I’ve lost too many friends in too few years. I know I should replace them. But they took 20 plus years to love.  I’m slow to begin again. I know I’ve probably a decade or more to go but it’s lonely and my own fault I don’t call up those who reach out and begin that long slow journey of trust again.

I love the signs of spring. The cherry blossom trees are blooming. I have already taken pictures of the white daffodil.  

It’s 8 am and the morning light is rich in shadows on Burnaby Lake. I’ve seen nothing of interest at the damn but like the wood ducks and Canada geese at the entrance to the lake. I am blessed to get  a shot of geese flying off to the North.  It’s apparent that the excess of ducks in the winter months have thinned by so many flying on to their own favourite lakes in the interior and north now that the thaw is on.  

Robin

Red ringed black bird

Madigan, cockapoo

I don’t see the squirrels that are usually along here.  When we do get to the ducks by the Piper entrance there are the coots, teals, mallards, wood ducks and geese.  I delight in shooting a few pictures. The reward for this morning’s jaunt with a camera is a group of ducks perched in the tree. Perhaps they do this each night. Whatever it makes for a good picture.  Madigan is happy with the outing.

Green winged teal 


I’m home an hour and a half later, quite exercised. I admire a couple of older female friends my age who tell me they walk their dogs 2 hours every day.  I was walking 2-4 hours on holidays visiting museums and galleries but I’m definitely going to have to up my game because I’ve been doing a series of half hour walks when I really need to get more exercise if I want to continue to enjoy my sloth and gluttony as I do.  

Madigan is very pleased that he’s begun the day on such an up note. The studies say that waking as close to dawn and exercise before 10 am is best for depth and quality of sleep and overall reducing anxiety and improving mood. I’ve been a month away from work and it’s hard to face the onslaught of anger, depression, anxiety and even despair.  Lots of folk stewing rather than doing. Also sadly increasingly numbers of older folk in the city afraid to go outside because of the lawlessness in communities with increasing government corruption, increasing taxation.  People are paying for administrative talkorgies and committee porn but little actual to show.   This smug sociopathic government overeach is  the new world order Fascist Neo communism.

I actually caught myself on my walk having negative thoughts about the verbally abusive sociopath I spoke briefly with. Here it is a perfect morning. I’m walking the dog. I’m in Burnaby Lake Park and my mind which should be on glory and gratitude for God and life has had a psychotic break and slipped gear into a flashback from days ago at work. Then I’m while writing about my glorious walk with God and ducks and Madigan and what happened I’m sidelined into thinking about the criminal politicians masturbating in Ottawa.  I really do need a proctologist to help keep  my head out of my ass. Get your head in the same room as your ass is. Carpe Diem. 

 Thank God for the glory and beauty of nature. Thank you for the physical capacity to walk. Thank you for the crazy delightful companion. Thank you for the City workers and government who maintain this park and the police services that ensure that it’s safe here.  Thank you for the sunshine though it’s cloudy now. Thank you for my home and the expresso machine and Saltspring Island coffee. Thank you for my camera and photography and the fun of something so joyful and simple. Thank you for the Richard Channing’s Bird book of BC.  Thanks for all my friend who enjoy my bird pictures and Rob and Graeme and others who help with identification.  Hallelujah! What a wonderful day to be alive. Thank you Jesus.  Thank you Creator. Thank you Yahweh. Thank you God of Gods.  Hallelujah!  Love Burnaby Lake Park!