West Coast Train Museum, Squamish, BC

Bright and early, we booted it up to Squamish, BC along the newly beautified Sea-to-Sky Highway (the #99) on Saturday, a typically rainy, grey spring morning in this part of the world. We got to the West Coast Train Museum in good time and found the place - to our delight virtually deserted - only because of the relentless rain. But that suited us just fine. We weren't being jostling by absent-minded elbows or excitable youngsters or waiting for idling bodies to get out of our shots. It was a blast climbing in and out of the cars that were open to the public even despite the steady rain and there were some fascinating things to shoot. I was disappointed to see no passenger cars. If there ever were any, they may have been gutted to house the 'museum exhibits' (a lot of which were behind plexi-glass or obscured by "do not touch" signs. But it was interesting just the same. We also managed to take a tour of Brightbill House (circa 1930).


Engine car
Brakeman's perch in Caboose
Brakeman's quarters
Canadian Pacific place setting
Dining car
Telegraph car
Brightbill House
Inside Brightbill House

Taking stock?

A friend asked me recently if I'd submitted anything to competitions lately. Good question. Anything I've submitted has been through the Royal City Photography Club - of which I am a member. I've never entered anything on my own. I think I'm going to post the (club) ones I can remember submitting so far here (in no particular order) to keep track of them. I will probably post a batch from time to time just to keep a record for myself (hopefully there's a noticeable improvement in the quality of the images improves). I think I might finally join CAPA (Canadian Association of Photographic Arts) now too. They have competitions for individuals as well as clubs. Time to step it up. Thanks for the suggestion Deb, it was a good idea. :o)

Cafe on Hastings
Fraser Heights river walk
Bloedel Conservatory
Cleveland Dam
Burnaby Village Carousel
My living room
The Othello Tunnels
Bloedel Conservatory
The McQueen's front room

Wow! Are we already chipping away at April? Where the heck did March go? I hardly got a chance to take any pictures.
Well, spring is here - in all its rainy, windy dullness. We are getting the odd fleeting glimpse of sunshine to keep us from giving up the will to live until summer gets here but right now it's dreadful. We were nearly blown away by a nerve wracking wild wind storm just the other day (shades of the storm that changed the face of Stanley Park about four years ago!) And another is on the way supposedly!
Before March closed its doors, the sun managed to shine for us here and there.
There were looming clouds everywhere most of the time but, see look, we do get sunshine out here in the spring.


The front rock wall of a neighbour's house that shows off its purple cascading blanket every year. It slows traffic it's so beautiful.


Looming clouds with the promise of the rain that was to come later that week.


It may only be March but I guess no one told the dandelions.


Or the magnolia.


Oh, and as often I can, I like to throw in a random critter I've had the pleasure of running into or spending time with. Hi Rocky!