A Spin around North Burnaby.

Sunday morning. Got a start an hour earlier before the heat crept up the scale.
Not our usual backyard route. We went far afield up into North Burnaby.
The Parkland Refinery Area I just at the mouth of the Barnet Inlet.

We got to watch a barge do a 'donut' before it moved away from its mooring and head off up the inlet - possibly for a load up. Also managed to capture/startle some kind of water's edge critter. He was there, I had a fraction of a second to say 'oh!' and in a blink he was gone. My first fear was that it was a river rat - they can get as big as cats - but this little fella was long and slender. Googling critters - it looked a heck of a lot like a mink. If you know what it is feel free to leave a comment.

barge anchored at the mouth of the Barnet Inlet.

He was there one second and the next he wasn't.

Healthy marine life at the water's edge.

Next all along a very fenced-in area along the road we came across a 'holding pen' for an assortment of 'submersibles' - one looked like Ringo Starr's 'Yellow Submarine' and a few looked like they could be related to 'Minions'. Odd and cute at the same time

"We all live in a yellow submarine".

Not sure what they are and if the sun or sea water has eroded them to this state.

Looks like dry elephant skin.

What do they say about a screen door on a submarine?

In the middle of the refinery. Nature will survive us!

Beautiful summer morning by the water.

Barge with hazy mountains for a beautiful backdrop.

Barge doing a neat 'donut' reverse before chugging farther up the inlet.

Smooth sailing.

Working boats.

Refinery in all its finery.

This would make an excellent apocalyptic movie set!

Refinery.

End of the road

HUGE fuel storage tanks!

It has a winding staircase.

Stairs.

A little rusty but still doing its job.

Cool stairs w/drop shadows.

After the refinery we took at twisty-turny drive onto Capitol Hill with Burnaby Mountain a little distance away. To me Capitol Hill is a pretty clear picture of the 'haves and have-nots'. Lovely homes. Manicured landscaping. 90K+ cars everywhere. You live up in Capitol Hill you're definitely a 'Have'. We 'Have-nots' felt very out of place. Like the downstairs staff sneaking a peek at the upstairs la-dee-das.

An amazing view of downtown Vancouver with multiple barges 'parked' in the harbour was one of our rewards for putting up with the upper crust. I kid. They work hard for what they have. They earned this.

Cluster of fuel storage tanks with Vancouver harbour in the b/g with oh look tankers 'parked' willy-nilly.

View of the city from midway up Capitol Hill.

Such straigh and tidy streets leading into a city known for its one-ways and do-not-enters.

And the piece-de-resistance has to be the weirdest-ass 'monument' -I've ever seen- on the grounds of Burnaby North Secondary School. A 16 foot metal and concreet Viking head and shoulders that has apparently been parked there for the last 25 years! [I managed to get these two shots of it while roaring around the corner]

I'm glad I was in a fast moving vehicle when we blew by him!

I'm sorry. But . He . Is . Terrifying!