Thursday, December 29, 2011

SkyWatch Friday - December Sun

I took this photo about three weeks ago - in anticipation of posting it for Christmas.  
It is a fair representation of the usual 
Christmas days in Alberta!
However, we are having a wonderfully welcome mild and snow-free "brown" Christmas week
and it feels more like March.
  There is only a little residual snow on the sides of paths, and the grass is dry, brown and crunchy, with a smattering of white ice in the crevices and creases of the landscape.
The mountains are looking wonderful - there have been clear blue skies, warming chinooks and then icy breezes, and an occasional hint of heat from the sun.
And no-one is complaining! 
The sun pours in through the Big Window for Nosy Dogs.
Mild temperatures have been running between 
3ºC - 9ºC (37ºF - 48ºF) which is perfect for end-of-year 
walks with Smudge & Honey.
Who seem to have lost the use of their limbs.
Ahh, Bliss - There is nothing better than a 
self-medicated snowy back rub.

And Wishing You A Really Happy New Year.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

SkyWatch Friday - Christmas Reds

The chinook winds blew in again this week.
Sigh.  So pretty.
Wishing everyone a very happy 
 - and peaceful Christmas weekend.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Our World Tuesday - December days

A drive out to Banff (Banff National Park, Alberta) is about an hour and five minutes from my home town, and is usually a fantastic opportunity for bloggie photos.   
My camera twitches in anticipation. 
NOTE: The above two pictures were taken 
in the summer months.

And now for the December shots. 
The roads conditions during last week's drive to Banff were mostly OK, until we passed through the gates for the National Park - and then one definitely had to slow down and take care 
- and yes, that line through the middle of the photo is my obligatory cracked windscreen - a essential rite of passage for all worthy Alberta vehicles!
The clouds were so very low.  Socked in, as they say here.  This picture was taken in Canmore.  A smudge of vague blue to the left of that first peak hints of a beautiful sky just bursting to show through.  
C'mon baby, you can do it!
Flurries of snow during the day kept floating around, not amounting to much, but sufficient to disguise voluminous mountains and transform them into a bump on the landscape.
The Three Sisters at Canmore became 
the One Point Eight Sisters.
Banff Main Street was positively white.
And those clouds stayed low and smothering all day.
And then the Spirit of Christmas showed up.
As the sun set (what sun? No sign of the sun in these pictures), the street transformed into one of those little china
 village scenes.

Monday, December 12, 2011

My World Tuesday - Where is everyone?

Let's take the dogs for another walk 
on this cool and grey December day in Alberta.

Soft white flakes carpet the paths again over the weekend, and the heavy clouds threaten to dump a little more snow.  
The day has no colour.
There is not another soul around.  
Maybe all sensible people are currently huddled in front of a roaring fire?
No-one new to play with.  Best go and do some investigations then.  The river remains unfrozen, but is far too chilly for a swim now.
But hey, look over there - yay, another dog.
Let's see who can race to him first.
And suddenly, they are coming out of the woodwork.
The off-leash park comes alive and there are canine friends everywhere you look.

Now this is more like it!!

See more Tuesdays from around the world here.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Scenic Sunday - And we're off

Winter arrived properly last night.
Sideways snow storm.
Eight inches of the white stuff 
is quite heavy to shift off the driveway.
I think my husband might need one of these for Christmas!