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Crossing the finish line
Originally uploaded by Dave Traynor

I’m turning the feature photo over to my wife Heather today. She snapped this pic at the end of Jaime’s first half-marathon, which she ran on Sunday. The race was in Comox. Jaime had originally planned to run it with her roommate but when she had to pull out, Heather decided to take her up there so she could race it herself. (Jaime, that is, not Heather.)

Jaime said it went better than she had hoped for. She ran the first half at a good pace, but realized at the half-way point that she could go a lot faster. So she spent the second half of the race passing people ahead of her — great fun for a kid that never gets tired of competing. When she was rowing in high school, she used to race the dump trucks driving along the shoreline in the morning.

This was her first half marathon – in fact, it was her first distance race of any kind. A very impressive first outing. She’s already looking forward to the Vancouver half marathon in May. She may have caught that running bug that’s going around – fortunately, I’ve dodged it so far…

A Forest Path in the Morning
Originally uploaded by Dave Traynor

I have a thing for paths that head out of the picture. I like to take shots that include trails or roads rolling away into the distance. Combine a path with early morning light and some sunlight bouncing off the greenery and I can’t resist. This is one of those shots. I love the shadows of the trees. They look like they’re curving around the path. It’s a nice illusion.

Today’s photo is going to need an explanation. (Click on the pic to see a larger image on my Flickr site) You’ll have to take my word for it when I tell you that the birds you see flying around (they are the black specks floating around the top of the photo) are Great Blue Herons. They’ve established a rookery in the park near our home.

Their long-established rookery used to be in Beacon Hill Park in Victoria until a bald eagle destroyed it last year. Local birders were concerned that they wouldn’t re-establish it anywhere in the area, but then they showed up in our park. Last year, there were only a handful of nests. Now there appear to be dozens.

Today, I was out walking and I happened to look up to see about 35 birds flying above me. While I grabbed my camera, they circled, then settled into the trees. It was an amazing sight. They have a huge wingspan and float effortlessly into the trees. When they move from branch to branch, they spread their wings and just move over to the next branch. They seem to defy gravity.

Unfortunately, I have a small camera, with a short lens. So the beauty that I was watching today was for my eyes only. If you get a chance to watch these remarkable birds in your area, take the opportunity. You’ll enjoy it.

Here’s a link to a Wikipedia page about the herons, if you want to read some more about them.

A reflecting puddle in a ditch in North Saanich
Originally uploaded by Dave Traynor

Today’s photo is another shot from my miniature series, although this shot was taken in North Saanich today. A series of culverts ferry water down the roadway. Occasionally, the flowing water gathers in a small pool This one was just a few inches across. The small rocks and twigs stacked up beside the pool and the stones under the water create a nice mix of textures. And the sky reflecting off the surface creates more depth.

I’m not sure this picture is finished yet but I’m about done for tonight, so I’ll post this now. (Click on the photo to see a larger version on my Flickr site.)

Moon setting over Victoria
Originally uploaded by Dave Traynor

With apologies to Ansel Adams, who once saw the moon rise over Hernandez, New Mexico, I saw the moon setting over Victoria the other morning from my bedroom window and I couldn’t resist shooting my own version. (Click on the pic to see a larger version on my Flickr site.)

I always like it when the sun rises just as the moon sets. But my favourite time of the year is late summer, when we get those enormous harvest moons poking up on the horizon, just as the sun sets in the west. It’s magical.

Did you know that the moon is part of one of the world’s most-viewed optical illusions? The next time you see a large moon rising in the east, when it looks so large, hold up your hand and measure the size of the moon. It’s usually about the size of your thumbnail, or a dime. Then try it again when it’s directly overhead and it looks so much smaller. You’ll be surprised to find out that it’s actually the same size. There’s something about its proximity to the horizon that makes it seem larger. I used to think the view was magnified by the atmosphere but I was wrong. It’s just an illusion.

UPDATE – Here’s the link to the Wikipedia article about the moon illusion

Dawn’s first light
Originally uploaded by Dave Traynor

Today is St. Patrick’s Day, when people around the world celebrate the Irish saint, who is best known for creating green beer. I wanted to pay tribute myself, so I found a photo with a bit of green in it. There are lots of other colours here too, thanks to the effect of the sunlight on the camera. An interesting effect and one that I’m sure St. Patrick would have approved of.