Sechelt Sunset

The sunset seen over Vancouver Island from Sechelt, British Columbia.


Sunsets are one of those things that makes photographers late for dinner. Good light will do that. Sunrise, sunset, sun being filtered through clouds, all set the photographic heart atizzy. Because in one picture is immortality. A connection and link is formed in that moment that will last for us as long as we live. In the focus of that impassioned moment, other commitments disappear and fade away behind the glory of that glowing goodness.

Some will understand. Some won't. It is a link between those who chase their passion and find themselves at the whim of their muse.

So what? What does this mean? Well..
A) Enjoy sunsets. They're awesome. ;)
B) Hopefully we can develop some compassion and understanding for others when they get caught up in their passions, even when they aren't OUR passions. Oh heck. Hopefully we can all relax a bit and realize that people get caught up in things, and if it's something they love and are passionate about, then that's awesome! I want to support people living passionately and powerfully, chasing dreams and discovering wonders. So be it reading, writing, playing an instrument, carving wood, knitting, or whatever, let me know that I may cheer you on!

Because what the world can use, is more people living passionate and purposeful lives of awesome ;)

Lets do it :D

Adventures in Sillyness - Year in Review 2011

Adventures in Sillyness - Year in Review 2011

It being the end of the year, I've delved into the video archives from my youtube stream and selected my favourites of 2011 and shall present them in 4 categories.

Adventures in "How To" Photography

Adventures in Nifty Places

Adventures in Sillyness

Adventures with Friends

Now we're getting to the good stuff ;) For I do enjoy being silly. At some point while wading through the crap of life I realized that we can laugh, we can smile, we can look around and see things in different ways. So I tend to do that. And oftentimes other people will laugh and smile too. So with no further ado, I present my favourite Adventures in Sillyness from 2011.


A Cautionary Tale involving a Mooseskin Jacket and a Woodwind

Storage Units are Creepy

If I ever own a truck and a recliner...

Discovering Mysterious Structures of Unknown Purpose

The Sechelt Wharf... cautiously

A Poor Man's Whale Watching Trip in Horseshoe Bay, British Columbia, Canada

This concludes my 2011 Adventures in Sillyness.

But don't worry as I saved my favourites for the next, and final, Year in Review 2011 video recap when I'll look at a number of Adventures with Friends from last year ;)

May you find the adventures that are waiting all around :)

Sechelt BC in the Summer - Places I've Wandered

Sechelt BC - Places I've Wanderer

The yerba mate is brewed and the world out the door beckons


I ambled a few driveways down to see what my step-dad was up to. Mi Madre and he had just gotten in from the ocean where they'd taken the boat out to check the crab traps.


I walked across town to look out at the sea.


Sechelt is on an isthmus. An isthmus being a piece of land that connects an island to the mainland forming a peninsula, in this case the Sechelt Peninsula. So it doesn't take that long to walk across town.

View Larger Map

As the glaciers from the last ice age came through they deposited large amounts of gravel on the hill above where the town now exists. Hence the large gravel pit seen from space on the map. There is a large conveyor built to load the gravel onto barges to be shipped to places as far away as California.


If you don't want to look at the conveyor you can just look a bit more to the right.


Walk further west along the path and you'll pass a bench. I hardly ever see anyone sit there. Maybe they're paranoid that people who pass behind them would make faces behind their backs. Who would do such a thing?


It's a neat little Canadian coastal town.


And even though it's summer here on the Sunshine Coast we've been getting a bit more rain than usual, but I don't really mind as we do live in a rainforest. It tends to rain in them. Makes tall trees.


Door to the Sechelt Art Centre


Beneath the Power Lines

near where I saw the coyotes a while ago.







and back to Grandpa's garden


There have been challenges returning to my old hometown to live with Grandpa. It has been a growing time and a stretching time. And I don't regret the decision at all. Though at times it is tough and I miss my friends. Then I go for another walk.

July 1st is Canada Day here in Canada. There are parades and festivities. The usual national huzzah that most nations partake of to foster nationalism. It's enjoyed by many people. But not really my thing. Case in point. I had some friends visiting from out of town so I went to the parade. There were many floats. Lots going on. But I talked with my friends and played a bit with their kids. We made up humourous play-by-play commentary as the parade went by. And I only took one photo. That likely says something about my values and priorities. Here it is.


another day, another walk. To the sea to dream.


To juggle the desire for distant shores with being present to where I am right now.


For there is much goodness possible wherever we choose to be

Go well my friends and thank you for your kindness, support, and encouragement

~ The Maplemusketeer

The Greatest Photography Secret! Revealed

So you want to be a better photographer/dweller of the earth?
The secret is...
to do it. Get out there.

Let me illustrate this.

Most people want to shoot great pictures when they get to that other place where great pictures are waiting, like in Europe (unless you grew up there then you want to come here to North America to shoot) or by the ocean (unless you grew up by the ocean and want to shoot prairies,etc). Hopefully you're beginning to realize that the beauty is right outside your door. Waiting.

The time is now. The place is wherever you are! Hone and develop your skills and share your unique place with us!

Evidence as follows. Lets start at a tiny local grove of trees that most people drive by in the town of Sechelt that I currently live in, on the stretch of coastline I grew up on, and my Mom grew up on, and my Grandpa grew up on.



This is our "normal, ordinary, everyday" park. To you it is not. What does your park look like?

Our park has trees.


The trees have very spectacular branches.


One of the trees has a birdhouse. What things are in your park?


It was an overcast cloudy day. Do you only wait for "good" weather? What makes weather "good"?


Yep. Just a little boring park. ;)


Ok ok.. what if we drive 15 minutes and go to a regional park? I happen to live in a very wet foresty climate. To many who live here it looks like a wet foresty climate and is rather boring because they drive past it every day. Where do you live? What does it look like there? I suspect I'd think it's pretty cool :)

Let's go look in the local woods at Cliff Gilker Park in Roberts Creek.


The larger conifer trees (firs, cedars, hemlock) get most of the light and there is less ground cover where there is less light.

When trees blow down/fall/etc it allows new light in and the forest floor springs to life!


Trees fall down often, only being cut in the park where they obstruct trails, and are left to decay and continue the cycle of life in the forest. Here being host to some moss as sword ferns grow up around.


This region of the continent has been heavily shaped by glaciers and their deposits. The ocean brings moisture laden air which falls on the slopes, nurtures plants, and forms creeks that erode and carve their way back to the sea.




Different layers of life growing and dying in relationship.

An amazing story unfolds around all of us be it in city or park, woodland or plain, coast or mountain.

Or along a simple path.




at this point some of you may still be saying "Oh you silly Maplemusketeer! You have rainforests, and little town parks with trees! We don't have those where I'm from!" Ok.. fair enough. Lets go for one more walk ;)

Up a driveway from a residential house


at the top of the driveway


walking along the road passing under neighbors' trees





turning to walk up under the local powerlines



Where wild flowers and grasses grow


There you have it. The greatest photography secret of all. Where you are is incredible and will never be again. You have the power to freeze that moment for eternity. To capture a flash of it. Wherever you are.

Please let me know how it goes ;) And if you ever find yourself on the Sunshine Coast feel free to take some amazing photos and drop a link in the comment section of this post ;)

In Transit - From hilly viewpoint to spinny spot

From up on my local favourite look out after the sun had set. These were taken after I saw the crows chase the clever hawk.

The crows flew about the Eagle Tree as it was nearing time to go home

Darkness begins to clothe the world

And different options start to come to light

Oh how reflections catch my eye and make me creatively curious

The lights have lit..

While one last chunk of light hits the trees across on Mt.Elphinstone

And I descend towards town past the skate park

Different paths and options always present

So I head right

before going to the other side mid-course to find more paths under the magnolia

Then down past the school

I love the monitor

where I found a spot to spin ;)