Tag Archives: MacKinnon bridge

Dark Clouds, No Rain

The city under cloud

Well, in spite of being followed by these dark, rumbly clouds, we got our full walk in, with just a few drops in the last five minutes. We even saw some pelicans flying above our heads, but the photo was ‘inconclusive’ (bad).

A closer view
From MacKinnon Ravine

In the end it didn’t even rain, at least not in Glenora or Oliver.

16C, 11596 steps.

The Glenora Fountain Flows Again!

The fountain is fountaining!

Very happy to see the Alexander Circle fountain in Glenora is back on this year! In 2020, with the city shut down and the economy devastated from Covid, very few if none of the public fountains were running. Not sure I agreed with that since the outside was all we had, but whatever, it’s back on!

View o’er MacKinnon Bridge

It was a beautiful and ludicrously green walk with Tom in and around Glenora and Ravine Drive. I guess if there is one benefit to being laid off, it’s the loads of time it affords me to walk whenever I want.

This place has really gone to seed…

About 20C. 11,483 steps.

https://www.facebook.com/100003321575267/videos/pcb.4448225171964825/4448224751964867

A Blooming Buddha

Two days later, the Buddha Bunny!

Today’s 17C degree walk with Tom included the following: a blossoming Glovewood Tree, a giant raven (wish I’d brought my actual camera), a budding tree, a flowery Buddha, assorted children’s art along a fence, and a possible sighting of Zack Kassian pushing his daughter in a stroller (no photo cause you know, rude). What a beautiful afternoon!

The Glovewoods are blooming!
This raven looked huge from below
The view from my bridge (MacKinnon Ravine)
A form of pussy willow?
One of the many kid paintings along the frost fence at Glenora School
A duck kicking a bluejay...or maybe it’s a branch
Roadkill beaver

17C/13,346 steps.

Cool Clouds

MacKinnon Ravine looking extra beautiful

Solo walk in MacKinnon Ravine. I wanted to see what the ratio was between ice and pavement. It’s about 90% pavement and 10% ice. For the ice part up the hill, I’m glad I brought my spikes.

Along River Road

I started along Victoria Promenade, and then down into the golf course. Most of the road was ice free, as was the entirety of River Road up until the last part of MacKinnon Ravine. Lots of deep puddles. Since I had my spikes on (I put them on half way) I walked along the adjacent path in the trees. A short but very pleasant diversion of the main trail.

The sky was amazing! Really unusual, streaky clouds. A great day for a walk.

More sky!
The adjacent south trail along MacKinnon Ravine
The fleeting display of spectacular cloudage now dissipated

7C 13,142 steps

Holy Coyote!

Hi doggy!

AMAZING walk today with Tom. Aside from the usual niceness, we spotted a coyote, just below the MacKinnon Bridge. There was a family (with a stroller) about to walk into its path. I yelled down but I think they’d already spotted it and backed up.

The coyote was watching them closely, but turned the other way once it got to the top of the hill. He looked really beautiful and fluffy, but possibly moulting? A friend suggested mange. I hope not. I contacted the U of A Coyote Project just to get their thoughts.

UPDATE: I contacted the very nice Colleen St. Clair at the Edmonton Urban Coyote Project and she said this: “My colleagues at Animal Damage Control agree that those are shoulder mites on the shoulders, which coyotes seem to get from dogs. They weren’t sure about that black patch on the tail. It might just be black fur, but it might also be the start of mange.” Poor coyote. He looked very healthy and alert, other than the fur.

Always love spotting wildlife, especially when I can grab a photo or two. Also saw a leaf that looked like a tree and another example of the rare Glovewood Tree (in bloom), but not as spectacular as the coyote!

The rare Glovewood Tree (in bloom).
This leaf looked like a tree to me, maybe from whence it came?

12,000+ steps, about 2C.