Something completely different

Tired of Covid-19-related conversations, e-mails and news? So are we. On Tuesday, John and I decided to head to Iona Beach Regional Park in Richmond to look for something completely different. We found silence (in spite of the proximity of the airport), fresh sea air, and sweeping views. It was like a trip to another world. Here are some photos from the day; all except the first are by John Denniston.

John with camera balanced on a log near the end of our walk on the North Arm Jetty. We chose the longer, more rugged route over the more cultivated Iona Jetty because there were fewer people on it. Less dodging of strangers, fewer chances to overhear Covid conversations. 

The route is interesting because of its variety. In this section, I look like I'm in the middle of a country walk, but not far away is the oceanfront.

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At the start of the walk, you pass massive piles of bleached logs and other wood detritus from the beach. 

All those abandoned woodpiles have a bit of an apocalyptic feel. Better not think that way!

Even though the park is close to Vancouver International Airport, the silence was impressive. We heard only about six planes in two hours; at times the only noise was the howling of seagulls. A man we met along the trail said the park hasn't been this quiet since the World Trade Centre attacks. 

On our walk out, the ocean is to the left, the river to the right. If we walked right across the river, we'd end up at the University of B.C.

Pilings from old booming grounds stick out of the ocean sand.

The walk back: river, Carol, rocks and ocean.

Eroding sand below the dyke forms interesting patterns under a cloudy sky.

A bleached-out tree lies in the sand, decked out with ropes for an unknown reason.

 A quiet pathway through the trees, where we're told the birds like to hang out. We saw only a pair of crows here, but maybe they have company at different times of the day. Iona Beach is famous for its wide variety of birds because it is part of a migratory flyway.