This is the third day in a row the eggs in the nest under the Cloverdale Bridge have been motherless. I’ve gone by at different times of the day, so I’m not just catching it at a ‘scheduled’ break. I realize the mum has to leave every now and then to get a sandwich, but this seems strange. Has she abandoned the nest?  I see the geese in Louise McKinney Park every day, so the family is present, they’re just not attending to the nest.  It’s a confusing and sad thing to watch unfold, especially as there is nothing I can do, short of rappelling down the bridge with a rope and a snuggly for the eggs.

On a brighter note, I got rained on today. As soon as I saw the sky outside my door, I realized it was a definite possibility. I wouldn’t choose to walk in the rain, but if the skies open up while I’m walking, well, what are you going to do but enjoy it? Prior to this, I was having a good hair day, but this is now a distant memory. However, the rain made the ravine smell gorgeous, and as soon as it stopped, the Robins came out singing. Who wouldn’t? Worms for lunch! Yum.

1:30 PM/11C

Saturday: Who knew after 15 years of walking Edmonton’s trails I would find another path, tucked into one of the areas I walk most frequently? My intention was to walk up the path that runs parallel to 98th Ave. It’s steep and lined with tall, sun-shielding spruce trees, making it several degrees cooler and a shade darker than other trails. If you continue along the path that circles McNally High School, it not only offers an excellent view of downtown Edmonton, the path eventually leads to the Leave it to Beaver neighbourhood of Riverdale. However, this particular part of the trail is currently inaccessible due to much needed renos on the rust-infested Dawson Bridge.

So, I was just going to walk up the hill, and then back down and over to McKinney. In the unfoliated days of early spring, it’s easy to spot the monkey trails that lead off the main paths. Often they are not any more interesting than the main path, but the opportunities for a swift death at the wheels of a speeding biker are greatly enhanced. Occasionally, these winding paths are spectacular, as is the one I ‘discovered’ today. It runs along the south bank of the river from the pedestrian bridge to the hill, and with few leaves to block the view, it’s basically an elevated walk along the shore. The island that appears when the river is low runs parallel to this path, and the noise from the screaming seagulls that flock there is almost deafening. I’m pretty sure I saw two of them having a private flock on the edge of the island, but perhaps they were just friends.

There are many fallen trees along this trail, and judging from the non-beaver chewed tree stumps all over the place, it appears to require a fair amount of maintenance to keep the path open for us walky and bikey types. Much appreciated. Nevertheless, the trail was full of bumps and curves, with lots to see on either side. Can’t wait to try it out when it’s exploding with green.

In life, and in the river valley, it pays to take the monkey trails.

3:35PM/14C

Good news. There is water…of a sort…in the frog bog. I wouldn’t dip my toe in it, or any part of my body, but I’m not a frog. Slimy and grey is the thing in bog ambience, and I expect to hear a cacophony of croaks, cackles, keening, and every other type of lovesick frog song in the coming days. Oh frogs.

Hmm…the depth of my fascination with amphibians getting in on at the local bog suggests I may need to get out of the river valley more often…

However, I did notice that green is overtaking brown in the city. So nice of nature to oblige my colour preferences. After several days of rain the air no longer smells like the inside of my vacuum. Just fresh, green life….getting it on.

6:05 PM/13C

Sacrifice a good walk for green grass and the sound of rain out my window?

You bet.

4:30PM/5C

Well that was a miserable little walk. Straight down Saskatchewan Drive, which was quite a struggle as the wind tried very hard to knock me into traffic. So, in lieu of a pretty picture of the river valley, here is a pretty picture of my cat, Molly, soaking up the sun:

4:54 PM/7C

The Cloverdale pedestrian bridge, currently under threat from City Hall and the planned southeast extension to the LRT, is a fantastic vantage point for ‘scapes’ of every sort: riverscapes, landscapes, cityscapes, peoplescapes, dogscapes, inline skatescapes, skyscapes, goosecapes, and on occasion, hot-air balloonscapes, which is really something to behold.

For the last couple of years, a goose has built a nest on one of the cement pillars holding up the bridge. You can see it from one of the McKinney paths, with binoculars, or up close through the wooden planks above the pillar. There is really no way to view the goose on her nest without looking like an idiot. You have to find the correct set of planks, stand directly over the space in between, and stare down, like some BIG IDEA has just stopped you dead in your tracks. Or, as I did today, wait until there is no one on the bridge, then kneel down and shove your camera into the space, snapping off a few quick shots before a crowd forms around your crouching body, offering to help you find whatever you’ve lost.

The other thing that’s quite noticeable this year is the island on the eastern side of the bridge. This island comes and goes, depending on the height of the river. Last year was the first time the island stayed visible long enough for grass to grow, which is good for the seagulls, but bad for our water supply. This year, it’s been visible ever since the ice melted. Still waiting for that surge of water from the mountains to submerge the island, but so far, the water level has remained ominously low.

6:02 PM/12C