Who would steal a Pride flag? And, why? I suppose some people steal things just because they can, or because they need something they can’t afford, or because they want something removed from sight. The last of these is probably the reason my Pride flag was stolen on Sunday night. Edmonton is quite supportive of […]
Tag: Alberta
Driving In A Winter Wonderland
On Christmas Eve my son drove his family and me out to my daughter-in-law’s family for the holiday. They live in Blackfoot, Alberta and the drive took about three hours. It would normally be a quicker journey but we were slowed down by ice on the road part of the way there. Or, as Canadians […]
There’s No Crying In Alberta
“There’s no crying in Alberta. P.S. Get a job & give back. Thank you. Merci. Hyi Hyi. Gratious & such. Be blessed & a blessing. Much love & respect. Strawberry. Amen.” Discuss.
Elk Island In All Her Glory
Elk Island National Park near Edmonton was in all her glory today. I enjoyed a delightful 4 km walk beside Astotin Lake and even saw a Wood Bison near the road on the way home. Perfect.
The Walterdale Bridge
Google Maps thinks this bridge is called the Walter Dale Bridge, but they are wrong. It is named after the nearby neighbourhood called Walterdale and it, in turn, is named after John Walter who was among the early settlers here. He operated a ferry across the North Saskatchewan River at this location. The original bridge, […]
More Images from Elk Island National Park
In early May in central Alberta we are just beginning to see signs of spring. There are tiny green buds on the birch trees and when the sun shines on them they have a subtle green glow. The signs of beaver activity are everywhere. They have felled a lot of trees that lie near the […]
From Riches to Rags
There are a lot of workers in Alberta who are without jobs right now. Aside from the cutbacks due to Covid-19, the resource industries are in decline. In January 2017 there were 297 active drilling rigs but by June 2020 there were only 11. (Government of Alberta) That number has gone up slightly since then, […]
Drying Out
One of the unanticipated side effects of staying home for self-isolation is that some people start drying out. I’m one of them. In case you were wondering, I haven’t stopped drinking alcohol. I still enjoy a couple of glasses of wine in the evening. In fact, I look forward to 5:01 PM when I allow […]
A Great View, A Great Man, & An Angry Flower
What is the connection between a former Premier of Alberta and Bob the Angry Flower? Answer: Grant Notley. On Tuesday I visited Grant Notley Park and, after a little bit of Googling, discovered an obscure convergence of dissimilar siblings. Grant Notley was a prominent politician in Alberta and he had three children. One, Rachel, became the […]
Alberta Miscellany
Here are some things I have seen in Alberta recently. Enjoy.
Cold Lake, Warm Hearts
I spent a wonderful long weekend with my daughter-in-law’s family and I was made to feel very welcome. They gave us lots of marvelous meals, we played a fun card game called Fruit Salad, and we were given a grand tour of their city. The pictures that follow are some of those I took on […]
Feeling a Bit Chilly
It’s cold in San Jose right now, but I feel bad about saying so. At the same time as I am experiencing a northern Californian chill, my family and friends in Edmonton are living through a long and hard Albertan winter with epic amounts of snow. There’s no comparison, really, but we only have the […]
Slacktivism, Activism, and Pipe Dreams
Yes, I am a slacktivist. I am one of the million or more people who checked into Facebook as though I were in Standing Rock, North Dakota, to symbolically support the demonstrators there. The Sioux people and their allies are protesting against the installation of a pipeline that skirts around two native reservations and is […]
Elk Island National Park, Alberta
Elk Island National Park is a conservation area for all sorts of wildlife including wood bison, plains bison, elk, and moose..These pictures show some of the lovely scenery as well as some bison. 26 September 2015