Scenery 2

Bow Valley Provincial Park is located at the confluence of the Bow and Kananaskis Rivers, immediately east of the front range of the Rocky Mountains. It is less than an hour's drive west from Calgary along the Trans Canada Highway. This park has an amazing variety of plants, especially, and is a popular place for botanists and birders to explore, not to mention spectacular scenery. Took this photo mid July last year, on a trip with friends to botanize.

Just had to get out of the house for a short while yesterday afternoon, so drove a few of the backroads south of the city, south of Highway 22X. We had an amazing hoar frost yesterday and the day before, but the sky was so dull and so little light, which made taking photographs difficult. Came across two of these beautiful horses on my way home. A strange feeling - almost like looking at something that has used Colour Select : ) I soon discovered that the roads were becoming slippery. Also found out, after plunging up to my knees in the white stuff, that the snow in the ditches that had looked pretty solid was in fact still soft beneath the upper crust! So much for getting to the barbed wire fences to take a few close-ups : ) Today, the weather is even worse, and it is treacherous underfoot. Snowing quite heavily.

We had two days of beautiful hoar frost within the last few days. Very overcast days, and I wasn't expecting any of my photos to come out because there was so little light. Sunshine and deep blue sky would have been perfect, LOL! A couple of days ago, I drove a few of the backroads just south of the city and passed the familiar row of five red sheds.

Passed this little red barn the other day, when I drove a few of the backroads south of the city. That day and the previous one, we had had a beautiful hoar frost, so I just had to go and enjoy it out of the city, despite the fact that the sky was grey and not a glimmer of light anywhere. Was out all this morning on a walk at Griffith Woods. Very few birds to be seen and nothing unusual. I did learn one thing, though - trust your intuition. If a small creek looks just that much too wide for YOU to leap (well, slight exaggeration!) across, then don't do it, LOL! Now I need to go and limp around the local grocery store : ) Thanks for trying, Phil!

I was fortunate enough to go with friends to Lake Louise (past Banff, Rocky Mountains)for the day at the end of January two years ago. The lake is off to the left of my photo, but I wanted to capture a part of the Chateau Lake Louise and the majestic mountains nearby. Such a beautiful place to visit at any time of year. By the way, we didn't actually stay at the Chateau (hate to think how much it costs, LOL!); just went to the mountains for the day.

Well, more accurately, a brown and white world. Taken on the second day of an incredibly beautiful hoar frost, 22nd January. I drove a few of the backroads just south of the city to soak up all the beauty - unfortunately, the light was so dull, not good at all for taking photos, but it was amazing to be in a world of white.

This photo of Castle Mountain dates back to 30th January 2008. This is the view from the highway as you drive westwards from Calgary. "Seeming to stand out in the centre of the valley is a very remarkable mountain... which looks exactly like a giant castle." When Sir Sandford Fleming travelled up the valley during the construction of the CPR he seemed to agree with the appropriateness of the name, writing, "Westward we see Castle Mountain to our right. The resemblance to Cyclopean masonary has doubtless suggested the name, for it is marked by huge masses of castellated-looking work, with turreted flanks. One of the most imposing peaks in the Bow Valley, the bold, castellated southwest front of the mountain dominates the view for much of the journey from Banff to Lake Louise, its bulk, prominent position and reddish colour combining to make this a favourite of many who pass this way." From rmbooks.com/Peakfinder/peakfinder.asp?PeakName=Castle+Mou... .

Another one from my archives, September 2004! This is one of the many views from Kananaskis Village - spectacular in every direction. "Kananaskis Country, established by the Alberta government in 1977, is just 90 kilometers (56 miles) southwest of Calgary. The Park encompasses over 5,000 square kilometers (2,600 square miles) of land, three provincial parks and some of Canada's most spectacular rolling terrain. The name was first given, by 1858 explorer John Palliser, to the pass over the continental divide, in honour of a Cree amed Kineahkis who is said to have recovered from a blow to the head. Since then the name is given to a lake, a set of falls, a mountain range, an alpine village and a provincial park. The word "Kananaskis" comes from an Indian word that means either "meeting of the waters" or "man with tomohawk in head". From foundlocally.com/Rockies/Travel/Near-Kananaskis.htm .

I love to see this bright red, old wagon that sits in Fish Creek Park by the Bow Valley Ranche. This is another of the maybe half dozen photos that came out in yesterday's extreme low light.