Category Archives: Observations

A Christmas Tree in MacKinnon Ravine

Note the magpie, top left

Much needed lunchtime walk through MacKinnon Ravine, up to Glenora and then home. Not surprisingly, I ran into Tom taking his walk, but he was just starting, and I was near the end. Sometimes we coordinate. Sometimes I just go when I go.

Acetylene sun

The day looked darker than it actually was, with bits of blue sky peaking out here and there. It can be challenging under those conditions to take good photos, when the ‘acetylene light’ of the harsh winter sun (thanks Sting), is glaring from behind the clouds, reflecting on the snow. The important thing was that I got a walk, not great photos.

View of the river from the lower path in MacKinnon Ravine. Looks colder than it was.

However, I ran across a decorated tree in the ravine, guarded by a magpie! Maybe it was his handiwork? They do like shiny things.

Stairs up to Ravine Drive (Glenora)
View from MacKinnon Bridge, heading into Glenora

Definitely needed the micro-spikes for the uphill’s (and downhills and pretty much every path in the ravine). The trouble with our now regular freeze/thaw winters is that there is always plenty of ice, but also lots of bare pavement. Hard to know what footwear makes the most sense, although I err on the side of staying upright…

Noon to 1:30 p.m. 4C.

November Sunset

Groat Road, looking south

A sunset walk to Tom’s and then back to my place. Beautiful skies, nice crunch underfoot.

More Groat Road!

The sun sets around 4:36 p.m. so if I’m walking to his place after work, or today (Sunday) I have to leave a little earlier than I would prefer. Gone are the days, at least for now, when I could leave at 5 or 5:30 in full daylight! This is the worst part of winter for me, the darkness. Well, the darkness and the ice.

Ubiquitous museum trail photo #1
Ubiquitous museum trail photo #2

Still, a lovely walk under clear(ish) skies and not too cold.

The river, looking south west
More sunset!
The river, looking east

-6C, 4:15 to 5:30 pm.

Golden Gorgeousness

Hello gorgeous!

Yeah, I know I keep posting this particular scene at the old provincial museum, but I think it just really captures the season, whatever the season. Monet had his haystacks, I have this trail. Or something like that.

Groat Road looking south, around 4:15 pm.

I was out at lunch and it was cold and overcast. After work, it was cold and sunny, in a twilighty sort of way. This is probably the last snowless day for a long, long time. -1C.

The turquoise river

Addendum to this post: we got about 25cm of snow between Saturday, November 7 to Monday, November the 9th. It’s full winter now. It happens just like that in this part of the world.

The twilight river

Lunchtime Walk

Friedrichian landscape

Beautiful lunch time walk today with Tom. I drove over and we walked his usual route from Glenora to MacKinnon Ravine and Laurier.

Tom, along Ravine Drive
From MacKinnon Ravine

I could only go so far because I had to go back to work, but Tom carried on for another couple of hours. I went down into MacKinnon Ravine and was met with a damp, empty trail. It was a bit eerie. Once I got to the open part of the trail next to the river, there were more people.

More Friedrichian landscape…

The colour in the sky today, even though it was overcast, was quite Friedrichian – greys and yellows. Some blue sky but mostly a mottled grey.

The trail going up to Glenora

13C, about 90 minutes.

Fort Edmonton/Terwillegar (Again)

Looking over the Fort Edmonton Footbridge

Wow, what a gorgeous day! November 1st, and it’s 17C. A bazillion people out and about but easy to distance on the trail from Fort Edmonton to Terwillegar. About 12,000 steps.

Hard to tell, but the trails were packed

We had such a cold second half of October, but the last few days, including Halloween, were beautiful.

North Saskatchewan River from the Terwillegar Footbridge
Terwillegar Footbridge
Terwillegar Footbridge (again)

The Sun Returns!

Frosty in MacKinnon Ravine

I was having a tough time with the weather until lately. It was pretty nice early October, but for two weeks (up until Sunday) it was gloomy, cold, snowy and in all ways just plain ugly. The snow was gross, but the clouds felt like a bag of dead cats on my shoulders. I am really affected by the sky. If it’s not blue, I’m blue.

My beloved museum trail
In MacKinnon Ravine, looking north

The sun came out two days after my birthday however, and it’s been off and on sunny ever since. It rained as well, so all the snow is gone. Today, the sky was bright blue and so I went for a 90 minute walk at lunch (a late lunch, I left at 1 pm) to take advantage of the blue sky and to celebrate a story I just completed for work. I often go after work over to Tom’s to pick him up but the sun sets early now, so around 4:45 when I would normally leave we’re already into ‘the gloaming’, not my favourite time of day. The light is diffuse, like it is now as I write this, obscuring the sun.

At 1 pm, however, it was just gorgeous. I feel so much better!

Looking over MacKinnon Ravine

I walked down into the river valley from the Victoria promenade, and then through MacKinnon Ravine and up into Glenora. In some places, there was still pretty frost on the leaves, but it was mostly warm(ish), bright and lovely. Not surprisingly, I ran into Tom.

The walk up to Glenora (which I did not do)

About 90 minutes in total, 11,000 steps. 7C.