Friday, April 23, 2010

Good neighbour fences - 2



One of my favourite haunts is Rathtrevor park on the east coast of Vancouver Island, just south of Parksville. There are many reasons that I enjoy it there: The fresh ocean breeze, the sound of the wind in the trees, the abundant bird life, the friendly people and the endless photo opportunities.

You can recognize me quite easily. I'm the fellow with a camera and binocs hung around my neck, ambling along with the aid of a five foot long, telescoping, silver and black monopod. This latter prop attracts quite a few puzzled glances, and if I pause for a moment to admire a particular view, from time to time, passers-by also pause to ask me what on earth it is. Being a bit of a joker, I sometimes tell the curious that it is a telescoping fishing rod, but few are sufficiently gullible to believe that, and I generally wind up demonstrating the quick release head, camera attachment, and its 90 degree tilt mechanism.

Sometimes I'm tempted to jamb it into the spokes of some idiot racing by at breakneck speed on a fancy mountain bike, or to trip up some young jogger who makes me jealous that I am now much too old to do the same thing. It also comes in handy for keeping at a safe distance, the occasional off leash, unfriendly looking dog, which the park's signs clearly insist "must be on leash and under control at all times".

So far I have managed to resist all of these temptations, mainly of course, because of the risk of damaging the monopod, but also because of the fact that if push comes to shove, I'm quite certain I could not run fast enough, nor far enough, to make my escape.

 Rathtrevor's photogenic fences
Why the headline good neighbour fences? Well all along the trails throughout Rathtrevor Park there are these attractive low level, split cedar log, Cariboo style fences, many adorned with little signs beseeching the passers-by to stay off the revegitated areas. These are my idea of the ultimate good neighbour fence. Sufficiently unobtrusive to never impede a view, sufficiently obvious to clearly delineate your private territory, really attractive in a rustic sort of way, and eminently photogenic.

Oh, and let's not forget the environment, eh... completely biodegradable!
 

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