Blogs from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, North America - page 2

The morning news meteorologist made a big deal of explaining the difference between rime frost (when it’s foggy) and hoar frost (when it’s clear). I had new icers to test. A short walk to Rotary Park seemed perfect. The park is high on the escarpment overlooking the Bow River and the skyscrapers of downtown. The planted deciduous trees gleamed with beautiful crystals suspended on sculptural dark trunks and branches. One majestic tree spread so wide it diminished the majestic Bow building downtown. Graceful ornamental cherry trees were dressed in frost that mimicked their spring garb of pale pink blooms. Past the forlorn tennis club, weeping willows still with their seed pods were elegantly draped in sparkling jewels. Only the evergreens disdained the cloak of rime frost, keeping their own distinctiveness lightly sprinkled with icing sugar.... read more

This week Toby, a lively black poodle, took Dee and sixteen others on a race through the first-class dog park in url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/calgaryherald/obituary.aspx?n=sue-higgins&pid=169761533&fhid=5935Sue HigginsPark. Well, Toby raced and the group found a more reasonable pace. While the dogs had the run of several differentiated paddocks, we humans kept to our fenced corridor and made our way onto the Bow River Pathway. Under thick cloud, the rushing water of the river reflected the steel blue of an imminent storm. Actually, the air temperature warmed appreciably, and a shrouded sun lit the bare trees. High in one such distant tree perched a Bald Eagle that occasionally turned its face towards our hopeful cameras. We climbed up a slightly icy ridge and turned to see magnifice... read more

Promised a look at the url=https://www.visitcalgarychinatown.com/ciss#:~:text=Chinatown%20Ice%2DSculptures%20Showcase&text=3%20Tigers%2C%20a%20Dragon%20and,Restaurant%20and%20Great%20Taste%20Restaurant.ice sculptures in Chinatown, we gathered at Pumphouse Theatre for our gentle 10 km trek. The Bow River Pathway was cleared of snow and ice, allowing our minds to wander and conversation to flow. With the chinook developing behind us, trees and bushes were silhouetted black against the frozen white of the river. The detour around the flood-mitigation work near the Centre Street Bridge brought us to the huge Waterfront Condo development. In acknowledgement of its proximity to Chinatown, Waterfront has insta... read more

Winter sunlight filtered through the tall poplars of Carburn Park. The sheen on the far edges of the swiftly flowing Bow River revealed ducks and geese floating, dipping and walking on thin ice. Easily punching through the crusty snow with our boots, our group lined up on the shore to watch the antics of the birds basking in warm winds. Traipsing through the woods on well-trodden paths, we came to a tree selected by a porcupine for being well out of the way of predators and the curious. Curled into the fork of the trunk and a large branch, it occasionally opened its eyes to check if we were gone or not. Our leaving was precipitated by a couple of young deer, attracted to the birdseed offered by hand. Really, the bird seed was for the ... read more

Le 6 août 2021, Après un vendredi fort occupé avec les derniers préparatifs de voyage, on récupère en vitesse les filles au camp de jour et à la garderie. Puis,on prend la direction de l'aéroport, par un beau vendredi soir, tout juste après le repas. Les vacances commencent! Grâce au travel hacking, nous nous permettons le petit luxe de dormir directement à l'aéroport, au Marriott, afin d'éviter la cohue d'un départ en avion au petit matin. La chambre est superbe, avec une vue directe sur la piste de décollage. Ça démarre bien! Le 7 août 2021, Un réveil à 5:00, c'est toujours difficile, et ce matin ne fait pas exeption, même si c'est pour s'envoler vers Calgary. Au moins, nous n'avons qu'à refermer une valise et à prendre l'ascenceur pour se rendre au comptoir enregistrer nos ... read more