From Here and There

On our way home from Alberta this past week, we stopped for a picnic lunch at Hemlock Grove in Canada's Glacier National Park. The boardwalk is a short loop through the forest, over a stream, and a good place to stretch one's legs after hours in the car. 

A marmot showed up for the picnic, but he didn't want to eat anything we had (we didn't offer). He posed prettily for his photo, standing up straight and tall.

We traveled through several mountain ranges, although it's difficult to tell where one ends and another begins. It's wave after wave of beautiful peaks, fast-running streams and green coniferous forests.

Victoria to Red Deer is 1200 kilometres, and we make very few stops. These photos were all taken from the car. 

I'm always in awe of the early explorers and engineers who envisioned railways and roads through these mountains. What a daunting task.

I've been spending hours in the garden since our return. Thinning, pruning, weeding, deadheading. It's satisfying work. Raspberries are in season and we're enjoying them each day, as well as freezing some for the winter. 

Linking with Mosaic Monday, hosted by Maggie of Normandy Life.  

The End of June

Morning, not too early. The grass is still wet with dew. I walk first to the raspberry row and pick to fill the bottom of my bowl. Then up the sloping lawn to the blueberries. Topped with yogurt and some chopped nuts, this is a grand breakfast.

I look around my garden and am amazed at what has happened in just 10 days. Hydrangea bushes are filled with blooms, 

poppies bloom profusely, their flowers lasting a short while, then replaced by new blossoms. 

There's a lot of work here. Weeds have flourished alongside the flowers. There are many more blueberries and raspberries to be picked. Rose bushes need to be deadheaded. All in good time.

Tim and I left home last Monday and returned yesterday. Twelve long hours of driving plus a 90 minute ferry ride each way. It was a rather sudden trip. For four days we sat by Tim's mother's bedside in the hospital and watched as she slipped away from earth to heaven. A hard time. A holy time.

Over these 10 days I completed my marking and report cards, from a distance. We spent much time with family, sharing stories from the past. We held a funeral. We went through Mum's belongings and tried to help so that those who live near her won't have so much to do. 

I'm so very tired. And I'm rather looking forward to more time in the garden, alone with my thoughts. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.  

Over the Mountains and Home Again

Last week the two of us boarded a plane and flew over the mountains to Alberta. What a difference 90 minutes can make. This was the view. Brown fields, cloudy skies, and the snowy Rockies in the distance. 

One morning I looked out the window and saw fog. Chilly, it was. I took a walk around the still-ice-covered ponds. No green anywhere.

We had a good time with family at a wedding, a wedding shower, family dinner, and more. Unfortunately, I left my camera (sob) behind, on a table at the reception. I was quite upset with myself when I realized it. It was too far to return that night, and I knew that the cleanup crew would find it. It's taken awhile to track it down, but a family member has it and will return it to me. Whew! 

So all of these photos are from my phone. It took awhile for me to figure out how to download them to my computer - in fact, I couldn't figure it out, so I used my Surface Pro 3, and that worked well. 

The contrast from Alberta to our green BC island was nothing short of astounding. In the short 5 days we were gone, the cherry trees burst into bloom. I stepped out into the street in front of our house to snap the above photo. 

Then I went into the garden. These hyacinths were curled tightly, barely poking above ground. Such an explosion of colour!

School began on Monday and it's a whirlwind. The break was needed and we're all energized for the final push to June. Is there anything prettier in Spring than blooming trees tossing in the wind?

Beside the Pond

The prairies are beautiful, in a very different way from our rocky island. This afternoon I took a walk around the ponds close to my mother-in-law's condo building. 

The poplar trees chattered to each other softly in the wind. How I love those rustling leaves. 

Several families of ducks drowsed on the pond, their heads tucked into their feathery breasts. 

I leaned my arms on the wooden bridge railing and watched for a long time, letting the sun soak into my back. Occasionally this particular duck splashed and stretched his wings, perhaps tired of napping.

Cattails lined the edge of the pond, providing shelter for dragonflies, ducks, and other hidden creatures.

This trio sailed by as I once again began my walk. Perhaps they, like me, were beginning to think about dinner.

Thank you for all your kind words, thoughts, and prayers for my mother-in-law. When we arrived four days ago, she couldn't get out of bed without assistance, but is now walking (with a walker), climbing stairs, getting to the bathroom, and becoming more independent each day. 

Crows are, to me, the quintessential bird of the prairies. They fly in great swarms, especially before storms, of which we've had a couple - great bursts of lightning and crashes of thunder that shook the house. 

We'll soon be heading back towards the mountains, away from the prairies. I've noticed a slight tinge of the season to come in the trees and air here. It's still lovely and warm, but the greens are dulling a little. How are you feeling about the ending of summer?

Pattern and Design

Monday morning. Temperatures hover just above freezing. Then the sun comes out. A good day for visiting a farm in Alberta. Su

Sunlight plays through leaves and branches, casting shadows on the woodpile. I can't resist a well-stacked woodpile. All those shapes and textures form a beautiful pattern. 
  

This hen, along with her hen-mates, is truly free range. She clucks and runs hither and yon in utter randomness. Her beautiful feathers ruffle in the wind. The eggs she lays form part of our delicious brunch.
 

The old barn with a (relatively) new roof stands on the hill overlooking the farm like a protective watchman. Patterns here in the wood, some running vertically, others horizontally. Clouds form random and ever-changing designs in the sky.
 

A week or so before we left on our trip, our youngest daughter decided to join the family gathering. All our children would have liked to attend, but family and work commitments didn't allow it. Ashley flew from Vancouver, we from Victoria and we met in Calgary. 

Do you ever wonder anything about the clothes you wear? Who designed them? Who made them? How are they constructed? I never thought too much about such until the past few years. Ashley works as a pattern drafter for Kit and Ace, a new clothing company that is growing fast. She was recently featured in an interview and short video. I thought you might enjoy it, and you might think differently about your clothes after reading/watching it.

In a fun bit of serendipity, I'm meeting a retired pattern designer for tea this morning - I'll be sure to let you know all about it later.

Early Fall on the Prairies

Mid-September mornings in Alberta lean more towards autumn than summer. Clear, bright air. Tim and I flew over the Strait, over British Columbia, and over the Rockies to attend a wedding and an 85th birthday celebration.
 

One morning I got up early to walk around the ponds nearby our lodging. The sun crawled slowly up from behind the hills. Dull-leafed trees changed to gold.
 

Autumn draws the eye with irresistibly colored trees. There's still plenty of green, but yellow will soon take over.
 

Scuffling my feet in crunchy leaves is one of my favorite fall activities. Wonderful sound. I kick the leaves as high as possible and down they twirl. Do you scuffle in autumn leaves?
 

Isn't it lovely?

We're home again, tired and content to sit with a cup of tea and a snack. Suitcases are unpacked and tomorrow will be here soon enough. 

Over the week I'll be catching up with lots of things - what my students have been doing, laundry, and blog visiting - to name a few of them. 

Beauty in the Wild

Yes, there was snow. None at first, then just a little beside the trail and soon we were crunching through the snow that fell yesterday, softened a little and froze again overnight.
 

The temperature was perfect for hiking, not too cold, not too warm. We hiked up to Chester Lake and then around the lake, picking our way along the scree on one side. We are so thankful that we are both strong and healthy enough to enjoy these excursions into the semi-wilderness.
 

Here's a photo of a Vancouver Island tree-hugger in the Alberta Rockies. Notice the new hiking boots? They made the hike even more pleasant.
 

A view on the way down. You'll notice most of the snow disappeared as we descended. But the vistas were just as awe-inspiring.

Confession time: These photos were taken with my husband's I-Phone. I lugged my new camera all the way up and back, but after a couple of photos at the beginning, my battery died. I was rationing photos because I forgot my battery charger at home. The last charge disappeared rather quickly. I'll know better next time. And an extra battery might be included in my bag! 

September comes

The page turns and we're into another month. September - a month of beginnings, a month of endings. Beginning school (although the public system here is in the midst of a teacher's strike so school won't begin tomorrow), ending summer. 

There's plenty of sunny days ahead in this month, typified by the photo above. Trees here in central Alberta are faintly yellow. The morning air is crisp. But the blue skies beguile me into thinking we have long weeks left to enjoy. We'll see.
 

This pileated woodpecked is not making healthy choices. Instead of all the natural stuff, she's choosing to look for bugs in a creosote-soaked telephone pole. Some birds!

We're enjoying our little getaway - visiting Tim's family in Alberta. Will be checking in from time to time. Have a wonderful first day of September!