Weeda Stamps: News


FOX TALES ON STAMPS Edition #473 Friday, June 26, 2009
A Hike in Goldstream Park
	We decided the boys needed a bit of exercise so we took Malcolm and his buddy Zachary for a hike in the woods. We picked Goldstream Park and the Niagara Canyon (no, not the one in Ontario) for our outing. Here we are at the tunnel that goes under Highway 1 from lower Goldstream Park to the Niagara Canyon streambed. During periods of heavy rainfall the water flows in a raging torrent through this opening. You can imagine by looking at the bare rocks what the stream must be like in high season. Malcolm and Zachary were happy to explore on their own. Teenagers need their distance apparently. The air is noticeably cooler in the area at the foot of the falls. Niagara Falls are 47.5 metres high and tumble into a deep pool before disappearing below grade during dry season. The only wildlife we got to see on this trip was an indigenous banana slug. This one was a baby, only about 5 inches long. Once the trail reaches the top of the falls, it crosses over the stream and heads up towards the Niagara Canyon railway trestle bridge. A small plaque commemorates historical activities in the area which included significant gold mining operations at one time and a "last spike" driven by Sir John A. MacDonald on the E & N Railway line. The Niagara Canyon railway bridge is an imposing steel and stone structure, all the more impressive for its placement in the surrounding wilderness. You can see Malcolm and Zachary waving from one of the "oops, there's a train coming" balconies on the side of the bridge. Relatively certain of the train schedule, we headed out across the span. Note that there are no railings and you can see straight down between the ties. Not for the acrophobic. We had so much fun crossing it the first time, we decided to cross back over it again. Malcolm having a bit of quiet time before we head down. We put a few of the traditional pennies on the track and waited for the train to come but we were a tad out of sync with the real schedule. We got tired of waiting but heard the rumble and whistle of the train when we were about 15 minutes down the trail. We'll plan better next time. Those pennies will make a nice souvenir for the next hikers up to the bridge. We noticed this weathered memorial at the north end of the bridge. No idea who the person was but we were reminded of the fragility of human life. Many of the trees in Goldstream Park are huge. Only when we see massive stumps like this one do we remember that most of this area was logged, mined and otherwise degraded during the late 19th century. We are most appreciative as British Columbians of the restoration efforts made by several generations of caring citizens. If you want to explore Goldstream Park online, check out these links: http://www.goldstreampark.com/ http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/goldstream/goldstream_park_map.pdf http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/goldstream/
My Dad's 80th Birthday
	On the weekend of June 13th-14th my parents were in Vancouver for the Andre Rieu concert. My brothers and I chipped in for the tickets as an 80th birthday present for my Dad. They loved the concert and we all had brunch together at Granville Island on the Sunday. Here (from left to right) are my brother Ron, his wife Eleanor, my Dad, me and Andrew.
The Salvation Army Quiz
	We show you a minute portion of the design of a postage stamp. You have to determine which stamp it is. Send us an email with your answer. We hold this contest every second week. For every correct answer we will donate $1.00 to our favourite charity, the Salvation Army. Click here to go to the The Salvation Army International Home Page to see what services they offer to communities around the world.
Answer to Last Week's Salvation Army Quiz
	We received nine correct answers to last week's stamp identification quiz. That means a $9.00 donation to Salvation Army. Here's the portion of the stamp we asked you to identify Here's the answer - Canada #832, the 1979 Yukon Territory issue.