Blogs from Alberta, Canada, North America - page 3

Issy’s feeling worse than ever so she decides to spend the day resting up in her cosy isolation ward at Steve and LeeAnne’s newly christened COVID hospital. We’re still a bit curious as to where she might have caught the dreaded virus. She blames the waitress at the restaurant we went to on our last night in Maui. She ordered a Corona, but when the waitress brought it she dropped the lemon on the table and then picked it up with her bare hands and shoved it back in the top of the bottle. I’d always been told that the lemons were just supposed to keep the flies out, so maybe they’re not so good with viruses? I’m thinking that she was infected a bit earlier than that, and I’m putting my money on someone in ... read more

So today we move just that little bit closer to Emma - a flight to Calgary with a stopover in Seattle. It’s a boring and uneventful day, with nothing of real interest to report - the flights were even on time; so instead, some observations to pad out the entry. It seems that our beloved carrier, Alaska Airlines, has developed a novel way of boarding its passengers. It gets the people sitting closest to the front to board first. Yep. Of course they then all take their time standing in the aisle getting organised, so when they let the people like us sitting up the back on, we can’t get past, which just holds up the whole process. I can’t think of any logical reason for them doing this, unless of course they were at risk ... read more

The ice on the Glenmore Reservoir shone brilliantly in reflection of the blue sky, highlighting the distant snow-capped mountains. Along a forested part of the path, chick-a-dees shouted their demands for attention, although not one showed itself for our curious cameras. The adjacent Rockyview Hospital shone peaceful in the bright sunlight. A quick march over Glenmore Trail and through Bel-Aire brought us to the operational edge of the Reservoir. Atop the dam was a new pedestrian walkway that seemingly invites many walkers, if the number of mothers with strollers was a good indicator. As the path ascended, we had a good stare at the Golf and Country Club, greens still in protective coverings. At the top of the path was the url=https://www.calgary.ca/water/drinking... read more

A dozen of us started in Mallard Point and walked to the Sue Higgins Park, 8 km return. The pathway was sheltered by tall willows and aspens, still showing their fall multi-brown colours. A few evergreens deepened the palette with their sober hue. Near the river, shrunken red berries, golden dried grasses, rushing blue water and crusty white snow expanded the natural shades. To our surprise, we saw tiny new pussy willows, shades of fresh grey announcing spring. Most of the mallards had abandoned their namesake point. One family snoozed peacefully on an islet in the river. A few flew down the river looking for food. Only a couple of Canada Geese strutted on the rocky s... read more

We nine started our just-out-of Calgary walk in the glow of the Rocky Mountains. The whiteness of the snow was carved sharply by blue-black rock too steep to be covered, even by fresh flakes. Tramping down the Bowbend Trail, so familiar in summer, we admired the golden-brown grasses that had shaken themselves free from patches of crunchy old snow. In front of us were magnificent vistas of natural prairie on both sides of the Bow River. Obligingly, a long freight train wound through the bends and bushes, returning us gleefully to our childhood. Dorothy counted 166 cars including four engines. We waved at the conductor but were too far away to perceive a response. Behind us, above the Badger Bowl, were massive remnants of what had once been the flatland, now escarpments in dun winter shades. ... read more