Today, just below Saskatchewan Drive by the University, the trees were full of Bohemian Waxwings getting their drunk on, as is their fermented berry-picking way. Such a lovely bird, and so collegial. As I was watching the waxwings swerve fom tree to tree, I spotted another Robin, which is the second one I’ve seen this year. I hear them all the time, outside my window in the morning, and even now…at 7:17 pm. It’s very calming, like the sound of water bubbling over rocks in a stream.

Feeling much more energetic today, so I took one of the routes that takes about 90 minutes, door to door. The little staircase at the north end of the Low Level Bridge has police tape across the rails. Some waste of skin set a fire, and the stairs are now unusable. At least it didn’t spread. The river valley, like everywhere else, is dry as a bone.

Lots of people out enjoying the weather. Lots of dogs, too. A woman near one of the Mill Creek bridges asked if I’d seen a ‘small red dog’ that escaped a neighbours yard. I do try to keep an eye open for strays. You can’t walk through the ravine without seeing a poster for a missing dog or cat. I did find a dog once, or more accurately it found me. Just started walking in step…like we were together, and it took a few minutes to realize the dog was alone. It was a sheltie-type dog, so it probably thought that, like him, I was I was on my way to find some sheep. He was wrong, and after a quick phone-call, the dog was returned to his owner. But today, sadly, no small red dogs. Just a flock of stewed waxwings.

6:05 PM/16C

Feeling blah…so rather than a long walk, I opted for a short walk down Saskatchewan Drive. I’ve walked that walk so many times, it almost fails to register, in spite of the spectacular vistas it offers. Nevertheless, I still changed into my gear, tied up my sneakers, and unravelled my iTouch earphones, all for a 25 minute walk. Listened to a Bugle podcast, episode #107 (I’m two weeks behind) about ethics violations, which was particularly funny, but not even Andy and John succeeded in putting a spring in my step. Must be the going back to work thing after four days off. And the clouds. And the Mr Fruit n’ Nut hangover.

5:07 PM/12C

Every year, around this time, Godzilla returns home from wherever he winters. It’s a momentous occasion. His arrival heralds the beginning of Spring. Forget the vernal equinox, forget daylights saving. When I see Godzilla perched in his terra cotta bowl, spewing water, then and only then is it Spring. Today is the day, and all I can say, is welcome home, Godzilla! Welcome home.

Godzilla lives down the street from me, on a route that leads directly into the ravine. I don’t know his people, just the reptile and his water fountain, so I hope they don’t mind that I took this picture. I’m just glad I brought my camera today. I don’t always, and it’s usually on those days that I see the pileated woodpeckers, and last year, the moose.

In late Autumn, just before the snow flies, the varying shades of brown, black and gold in the landscape are like a Wyeth canvas. In Spring, it’s just brown. Everywhere. It seems artless and dead, and yet, to quote a friend, there is a ‘softening in the buds.’

The ice is breaking up on the North Saskatchewan, and butterflies are flying around my head, casting shadows ahead of me.

And now, Godzilla. It was a great walk today. A Spring walk.

3:10 PM/13C

Can a stroll up to Whyte Avenue be considered a walk?  It’s 12 blocks there and back. No?  Well, of course not. First of all, there are no hills, other than the curbs. No bodies of water either, unless you count  the various puddles along the way, which following a Saturday night, are neither water nor solid but somewhere in between. Sure, it’s ‘hip’ and ‘youthful’, but where are the squirrels?

I cannot consider my efforts today a full-blown walk, but I was under the sun for a short time, and my feet did move in a purposeful way. The important thing to remember is that I was able to carve out more time to dunk chocolate rodent heads in coffee, and on this holy day, contemplate the holy deliciousness of Easter. I’m sure the squirrels will be there tomorrow, as I waddle about on the trails.

2:58 PM/10C

I take it back. There is still some ice and snow in Edmonton, and I found it. Lots of it. Between Emily Murphy and the Kinsmen, just below the University. That path can be iffy at the best of times. It’s at the bottom of  a hill and runs along the North Saskatchewan. In the summer, it’s downright tropical with huge ferns and humidity. And now? Pure ice. Some guy saw me inching my way down a hill and said, ‘Icy?’  Just at that moment, I had to grab on to some wire fencing to catch myself from falling into the river. I prefer to act out my responses to dumb questions. He just shrugged his shoulders, and carried on.

After a morning of shopping along Whyte Ave, I asked my friend Barb to drop me off at the Laurier off-leash, just for a change. So many dogs, so few hands. I fondled as many as I could, but turned away just as many. Got a schedule to keep. Over to Hawrelak where I was immediately met by the smell of woodsmoke. Nice. Also, lots and lots of people, and geese. And seagulls. And ducks.

There seemed to be simultaneous turf wars going on between the geese, and also between the geese  and the seagulls but I didn’t stick around for  the beaks to start flying. The lake is still frozen, and it was a bit incongruous to see people walking around in shorts while ducks skidded on the ice. Even the ducks had a WTF expression on their ducky faces.

Left this bucolic scene for the 20 minute luge through Emily Murphy, and then home. Just under two hours. It was indeed, a nice change, and great to see all that dog and bird life.

4:05 PM/13C