A few crows, a few trees and a bike.

This evening, on the way home from school, I found a new place in North Van to observe crows heading for Burnaby. Although none of the photos were successful, I had fun doing a practice shoot. For now, just a couple to record the moment.

One thing I realized is that crows in a bland sky, like the one tonight, do not show well. If I could capture the mountains or trees as a backdrop, that would help make a better photo. An attempt here.

No crows in this one, but working on the backdrop:)

A few tree shots just before the Lions Gate Bridge.

The first one looks beautiful, but is sad. That English Ivy wrapped around the tree is choking it to death. Our school students took part in a Stanley Park program to try and control the ivy. Hard work for all of us. We had to follow one strand to its root (a lo-o-ong way) and make sure to get all of it. Then, it had to be put in a plastic bag, as ivy will grow in just about anything. It was a good lesson for all of us. I hadn't realized before that introducing foreign species of anything can cause so much harm.

And this next one appears to be sad, but is in my mind a happier story. This tree was one that I always loved and admired, before the wind storm in 2007. The day after the storm, the sight of it lying on the ground made my heart sink. But, it has been given a place to rest in the park, and look at the life springing from the ends of the branches.

My bike.. just because.

And this nearby tree was one of those "It called to me" moments. It was the one that pulled my bike off the road a few days ago, in spite of my best intentions to go straight to school.

Here goes my test blog to try out Firefox. Hope it works, because it's time to head out to school, this rainy Thursday morning.