Long Beach: Part II

Sunset. Long Beach, Pacific Rim National Park, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. August 13, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 0, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/13.

My family enjoys surfing and boogie boarding at Long Beach in Pacific Rim National Park. Unfortunately, I could not get a positive ID on this shell because it has been to thoroughly eroded by the sand. It's a nice picture, though. Well-eroded snail shell. Long Beach, Pacific Rim National Park, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. August 12, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 200, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/5.6, 1/400.

The paintbrush flower (in this case, a common red paintbrush) is always a delightful edition to any set of photographs. It grows in a wide variety of habitats, though this one was growing in a coastal dune. Castilleja miniata. Long Beach, Pacific Rim National Park, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. August 12, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 200, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/250.

The mist highlights the greens very well in this picture. A little to the left of this picture, people are surfing. It wasn't this trip, but once when we were very young, my brother Daniel was playing alone in the waves. Suddenly, a massive, bull sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) appeared right behind him. Oblivious to the 1 tonne behemoth watching him a few meters away, Daniel continued to frolic in the waves. Every time my brother would turn, by chance to face the sea lion, it would drop below the surface unnoticed. My Dad, however, certainly noticed and ran frantically into the water to get my brother's attention. There was, of course, no incident, but one can't help but wonder what the sea lion was thinking. Coastal dunes. Long Beach, Pacific Rim National Park, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. August 12, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/640.

Although I believe this is a Pacific tiger beetle, I can't be sure of the identification. Tiger beetles are, without a doubt, at least when you're looking at them, the most amazing invertebrate known to man. Cicindela oregona. Long Beach, Pacific Rim National Park, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. August 12, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/400.

The American sea rocket also grows in Canada, apparently. It is tolerant of a lot of sea spray. Cakile edentula. Long Beach, Pacific Rim National Park, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. August 12, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 200, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/500.

I met an older man taking pictures on the ridge above the beach when I snapped these shots. He had a DSLR camera and I was jealously asking him questions about pricing and brands. Clearly, a newer, better camera was on my mind and the very next month my PowerShot was put on the shelf. I still used it periodically after that, but this trip left sand in the gears, and a earlier encounters with rain and pond water and gotten moisture in the lens. It served me very faithfully, even after a lot of abuse, but I don't think I've used it for at least five years now. Sunset. Long Beach, Pacific Rim National Park, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. August 13, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 0, 14.41mm, 0 EV, f/4.5, 1/25.

Sunset. Long Beach, Pacific Rim National Park, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. August 13, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 0, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/10.