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Before the Mission Bridge was built to right of this railway crossing, vehicles also shared the bridge to cross the Fraser River.
I can remember being a small child, sitting white knuckled in the backseat of my parent's car, scared out of my wits, with my eyes closed tight. My dad's old car had a tendency to break down at inopportune times.
My fear was this might happen on the bridge before we could make it to the other side.
Fortunately, we always made the crossing safely. :-)
Catching the light during sundown.
The Mission Railway Bridge is a Canadian Pacific Railway bridge spanning the Fraser River between Mission, and Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada.
Replacing an earlier bridge built in 1891, which was the first and only bridge crossing of the Fraser below Siska in the Fraser Canyon until the construction of the New Westminster rail bridge in 1904, it was constructed in 1909 by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). The Mission Railway Bridge is supported by 13 concrete piers and is approximately 533 metres in length. Before completion of the Mission highway bridge, highway traffic to and from Matsqui and Abbotsford with Mission used the bridge as a one-way alternating route, with traffic lights at either end to control direction. Rail traffic often held up car crossings, causing long and often very lengthy waits, which were a part of daily life in the Central Valley until the new bridge was completed.
Beneath the bridge's north abutment is an important river-level gauge monitored during the annual Fraser freshet. The bridge is also the location of the end of the Fraser's tidal bore - downstream from the bridge the river is increasingly influenced by tidal influences from the Georgia Strait.
Swing span
The Mission Railway Bridge has a swing span which has a vertical clearance of 4.9 metres above the water when closed. The swing span is fitted atop a circular concrete pier, the 10th from the north bank of the river. The 10th pier is protected from shipping traffic by two 46 metre wood piers extending upstream and downstream respectively perpendicular to the bridge which are tapered at both ends. The navigation channel past the bridge is 30 metres in width. At night a fixed white light is displayed on piers 9 and 11 as well as at the up-river and down-river ends of the protection pier.
The majority of marine traffic consists of log tows and gravel barges, which are permitted to use the navigation channel beneath the fixed span between piers 5 and 6. The swing span is used for wood chip barges and other vessels which cannot navigate beneath the span between piers 5 and 6.
CPR maintains a bridge tender 24 hours per day at an office on the north bank of the bridge. Vessels requesting passage through the swing span contact the bridge tender on marine VHF radio, whereby the tender walks the bridge to a control booth situated on the swing span. Wikipedia
Stay healthy
Happy Clicks,
~Christie (happiest) by the River
** Images best experienced in full screen
Before the Mission Bridge ( not seen in this image ) was built next to this railway crossing, vehicles also shared the bridge to cross the Fraser River.
I can remember being a small child, sitting white knuckled in the backseat of my parent's car, scared out of my wits, with my eyes closed tight. My dad's old car had a tendency to break down at inopportune times.
My fear was this might happen on the bridge before we could make it to the other side.
Fortunately, we always made the crossing safely. :-)
Catching the light during sundown.
The Mission Railway Bridge is a Canadian Pacific Railway bridge spanning the Fraser River between Mission, and Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada.
Replacing an earlier bridge built in 1891, which was the first and only bridge crossing of the Fraser below Siska in the Fraser Canyon until the construction of the New Westminster rail bridge in 1904, it was constructed in 1909 by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). The Mission Railway Bridge is supported by 13 concrete piers and is approximately 533 metres in length. Before completion of the Mission highway bridge, highway traffic to and from Matsqui and Abbotsford with Mission used the bridge as a one-way alternating route, with traffic lights at either end to control direction. Rail traffic often held up car crossings, causing long and often very lengthy waits, which were a part of daily life in the Central Valley until the new bridge was completed.
Beneath the bridge's north abutment is an important river-level gauge monitored during the annual Fraser freshet. The bridge is also the location of the end of the Fraser's tidal bore - downstream from the bridge the river is increasingly influenced by tidal influences from the Georgia Strait.
Swing span
The Mission Railway Bridge has a swing span which has a vertical clearance of 4.9 metres above the water when closed. The swing span is fitted atop a circular concrete pier, the 10th from the north bank of the river. The 10th pier is protected from shipping traffic by two 46 metre wood piers extending upstream and downstream respectively perpendicular to the bridge which are tapered at both ends. The navigation channel past the bridge is 30 metres in width. At night a fixed white light is displayed on piers 9 and 11 as well as at the up-river and down-river ends of the protection pier.
The majority of marine traffic consists of log tows and gravel barges, which are permitted to use the navigation channel beneath the fixed span between piers 5 and 6. The swing span is used for wood chip barges and other vessels which cannot navigate beneath the span between piers 5 and 6.
CPR maintains a bridge tender 24 hours per day at an office on the north bank of the bridge. Vessels requesting passage through the swing span contact the bridge tender on marine VHF radio, whereby the tender walks the bridge to a control booth situated on the swing span. Wikipedia
Stay healthy
Happy Clicks,
~Christie (happiest) by the River
** Images best experienced in full screen
Mt. Baker & fields in Abbotsford, B.C. framed by what used to be, I presume, a sign! The ribbon of vermillion in the left panel are the autumn colours of a blueberry field.
Mill Lake, in the center of Abbotsford B.C. rarely freezes over in the winter, so a unique opportunity to enjoy the extended snowfall this winter (2021 - 2022) with Mount Baker, Washington in the background.
Part of a statue at Abbotsford's city hall--called "Unity". I presume the bird is a dove and may "reflect" Canada's commitment to being a peaceful, peace-keeping nation.
Mill Lake, in the center of Abbotsford B.C. rarely freezes over in the winter, so a unique opportunity to enjoy the extended snowfall this winter (2021 - 2022) with Mount Baker, Washington in the background.
Mill Lake, in the center of Abbotsford B.C. rarely freezes over in the winter, so a unique opportunity to enjoy the extended snowfall this winter (2021 - 2022).
Fierce winds blow across Mt. Baker creating a brilliant halo at sunrise. The foothills, still in shadow, emerge as dark blue hues. Across the middle of the mountain sun rays create a line of separation between light and shadow. Photo is taken from my balcony.
This series of 3 amazing wood carvings of motorcycles are intricately crafted by Dan Reimer of Abbotsford, BC. The first is of the first Harley-Davidson; the second is of the 100 year anniversary edition. Some talent! They are on display at Rose's Café. Some day I'd love to see them photographed with better lighting and backgrounds.
This image captures both the Mission Heritage Railway Bridge, and if you look closely, left of the bridge, you will also see the snow capped peak of Mt. Baker - Volcano ( It is located 53 kms away, in a South - Eastern direction)
Mount Baker, Washington USA .... as seen from BC Canada
Mt Baker also known as Koma Kulshan or simply Kulshan, is an active glaciated andesitic stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the North Cascades of Washington in the United States.
The Mission Railway Bridge is a Canadian Pacific Railway bridge spanning the Fraser River between Mission, and Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada.
Replacing an earlier bridge built in 1891, which was the first and only bridge crossing of the Fraser below Siska in the Fraser Canyon until the construction of the New Westminster rail bridge in 1904, it was constructed in 1909 by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). The Mission Railway Bridge is supported by 13 concrete piers and is approximately 533 metres in length. Before completion of the Mission highway bridge, highway traffic to and from Matsqui and Abbotsford with Mission used the bridge as a one-way alternating route, with traffic lights at either end to control direction. Rail traffic often held up car crossings, causing long and often very lengthy waits, which were a part of daily life in the Central Valley until the new bridge was completed.
Beneath the bridge's north abutment is an important river-level gauge monitored during the annual Fraser freshet. The bridge is also the location of the end of the Fraser's tidal bore - downstream from the bridge the river is increasingly influenced by tidal influences from the Georgia Strait.
Swing span
The Mission Railway Bridge has a swing span which has a vertical clearance of 4.9 metres above the water when closed. The swing span is fitted atop a circular concrete pier, the 10th from the north bank of the river. The 10th pier is protected from shipping traffic by two 46 metre wood piers extending upstream and downstream respectively perpendicular to the bridge which are tapered at both ends. The navigation channel past the bridge is 30 metres in width. At night a fixed white light is displayed on piers 9 and 11 as well as at the up-river and down-river ends of the protection pier.
The majority of marine traffic consists of log tows and gravel barges, which are permitted to use the navigation channel beneath the fixed span between piers 5 and 6. The swing span is used for wood chip barges and other vessels which cannot navigate beneath the span between piers 5 and 6.
CPR maintains a bridge tender 24 hours per day at an office on the north bank of the bridge. Vessels requesting passage through the swing span contact the bridge tender on marine VHF radio, whereby the tender walks the bridge to a control booth situated on the swing span. Wikipedia
Stay healthy
Happy Clicks,
~Christie (happiest) by the River
** Images best experienced in full screen
Canadian National Railway train crossing over the Mission Train Bridge
Mission
British Columbia, Canada
The Mission Railway Bridge is a Canadian Pacific Railway bridge spanning the Fraser River between Mission, and Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada.
Replacing an earlier bridge built in 1891, which was the first and only bridge crossing of the Fraser below Siska in the Fraser Canyon until the construction of the New Westminster rail bridge in 1904, it was constructed in 1909 by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). The Mission Railway Bridge is supported by 13 concrete piers and is approximately 533 metres in length. Before completion of the Mission highway bridge, highway traffic to and from Matsqui and Abbotsford with Mission used the bridge as a one-way alternating route, with traffic lights at either end to control direction. Rail traffic often held up car crossings, causing long and often very lengthy waits, which were a part of daily life in the Central Valley until the new bridge was completed.
Beneath the bridge's north abutment is an important river-level gauge monitored during the annual Fraser freshet. The bridge is also the location of the end of the Fraser's tidal bore - downstream from the bridge the river is increasingly influenced by tidal influences from the Georgia Strait.
Swing span
The Mission Railway Bridge has a swing span which has a vertical clearance of 4.9 metres above the water when closed. The swing span is fitted atop a circular concrete pier, the 10th from the north bank of the river. The 10th pier is protected from shipping traffic by two 46 metre wood piers extending upstream and downstream respectively perpendicular to the bridge which are tapered at both ends. The navigation channel past the bridge is 30 metres in width. At night a fixed white light is displayed on piers 9 and 11 as well as at the up-river and down-river ends of the protection pier.
The majority of marine traffic consists of log tows and gravel barges, which are permitted to use the navigation channel beneath the fixed span between piers 5 and 6. The swing span is used for wood chip barges and other vessels which cannot navigate beneath the span between piers 5 and 6.
CPR maintains a bridge tender 24 hours per day at an office on the north bank of the bridge. Vessels requesting passage through the swing span contact the bridge tender on marine VHF radio, whereby the tender walks the bridge to a control booth situated on the swing span.
Happy Clicks,
~Christie (happiest) by the River
** Images best experienced in full screen
Moon rise behind Mount Baker while the sun is setting and casting a warm glow. Taken from my deck in Abbotsford., BC., Canada.
First light striking Mt. Baker and Mill Lake. A guy, sitting in a floatation craft with his legs in the water, fishing. Various water fowl enjoying a quiet moment (except when they're honking or quaking). Tranquility. "Morning has broken like the first morning...."
Whether poised at a river bend or cruising the coastline with slow, deep wingbeats, the Great Blue Heron is a majestic sight. This stately heron with its subtle blue-gray plumage often stands motionless as it scans for prey or wades belly deep with long, deliberate steps. They may move slowly, but Great Blue Herons can strike like lightning to grab a fish or snap up a gopher. In flight, look for this widespread heron’s tucked-in neck and long legs trailing out behind.
I was checking out the birding sites in Abbotsford and I made my way to Willband Creek Park where there were many Common Yellowthroat working the tall grasses.
Mill Lake's waterfowl population presently consists of mostly Canada Geese, Mallards, the occasional Pied-billed Grebe and a lot of American Coots.
American Coots are not oddly shaped ducks but members of the Rail Family. Which when compared with the Virginia Rail and the Sora makes sense, there is a family resemblance.
A mixed flock of little birds at Willband Creek Park in Abbotsford yielded this Yellow-rumped Warbler.
DELIVERY SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS
Maximum Tank Capacity:
12,500 litres (3,300 gallons)
DELIVERY SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS
Maximum Tank Capacity:
12,500 litres (3,300 gallons)
The male Ruddy duck has a very distinctive bluish bill. The flock of Ruddy ducks I saw on Mill Lake were actively napping with one bird occasionally sticking an eye out to keep everyone safe. At this point I was lucky to get a male showing off the bluish colored bill.
Finally got back out birding this morning. I have completed the reno of my old place and it is now on the market. It was a bit of a struggle to remember how to do stuff with my camera and computer after having had a break for a month or so.
Now that I am living in Abbotsford I checked out Willband Creek Park and surprised this Green Heron who had been feeding under a bridge I walked under.
One has to understand the culinary customs of the “Dutch-Russian” Mennonite traditions to get these references. Mennonites are part of the Anabaptist (the Re-Baptiisers) stream of the Protest-ant Re-form-action which started in Switzerland and spread north to Flanders and Holland where its foundational doctrines, including pacifism, were formulated by Dutch ex-Catholic priest Menno Simons. Flemish Anabaptists fleeing Spanish Catholic persecution integrated with the Frisian Mennonites of Holland. Fleeing further persecution there, Flemish & Frisian Mennonites moved to the city-state of Danzig (Gdansk), used their Dutch skills to drain surrounding swamp land, gained favour and military service exemption, and settled in farmlands south along the Vistula/Weischel River. Eventually they transitioned from Dutch to German in the then German ruled Poland. As families expanded and more farmland was needed, and pressures mounted for sons to join the military, many accepted Czarina Catherine’s invitation to colonize the recently Russian conquered territory of Ukraine & Crimea. There they thrived establishing Mennonite villages and farms, as well as prosperous factories. As successive czarist governments began pressuring them, and other European colonist settlers, to Russify, many Mennonite families emigrated to North America as the mid-western prairies began opening up to European settlers. They brought their agricultural expertise along with a wheat grain species from Ukraine which did well there and in North America. They also brought their faith, German language, and foods they had adopted in Holland, German ruled Poland and Russian occupied Ukraine, like double decker buns, fruit platz, borscht, and perogies, which they’ve passed down the generations. To learn more about them, check out my Mennonite Album and Gallery for more photos and information about this faith group which held onto many of their cultural customs, including foods, over successive generations. To find traditional Mennonite recipes, go to:
As the fog was lifting I was on the trails at Willband Creek Park. As I came around the bend I spotted this Great Blue Heron in one of the streams. I quickly set up to take this shot as I could see some dog walkers approaching. I did not notice until too late that there was a Belted Kingfisher perched on a post even closer and I missed it completely.
I rarely take landscape shots but I kinda liked the early morning mist at Willband Creek Park in Abbotsford.
I rarely take landscape shots but I kinda liked the early morning mist at Willband Creek Park in Abbotsford.
When it gets this personal all you can do is say "OK" this one. There was seven more pups but like a "Shadow" at one month old this pup has made "his pick", lucky us.
The day after I moved into my new place I heard and saw at a distance a couple of Steller's Jays. They are resident in this area I hear them frequently but mostly at a distance. On two occasions they landed on my balcony with peanuts: as if to say "You want to see us you got to feed us!"
As I was sitting at my desk I spotted one landing on the lawn below the balcony. I ran for the camera, the cat ran for the balcony. I managed a quick few shots before he headed for the big trees.
My first of these guys and hopefully not my last.
The ISO was set incredibly high from shooting in a forest earlier and I just did not think to reset it, but it worked out.