Tag Archives: Edmonton’s river valley

We Are in Hell

June 27, 2021

I pretty much hate everything about this heat wave, and heat in general. Yesterday (Saturday) was 31C and Wednesday could be 40C, which would be a historical high. In my opinion, anything over 22C is excessive, and the sun (which I normally love) streams though my south and especially west windows until 10 pm. The blinds and fans only go so far.

On the bright side however, Tom and I have been heading out in the early mornings for our walk (today, 6:30 a.m.). The temperature is in the high teens but feels cool and beautiful. Hardly any people, mostly shade, and the cool shower after I’ve come back home feels absolutely gorgeous.

*The morning river, looking west. So quiet.*

One disturbing observation, however. In Glenora south (across 102 Ave), there are worms hanging from some of the trees. I hadn’t noticed that the Elms of Glenora eventually give way to Ash trees, and I fear these might be the dreaded leafroller caterpillars that I’ve written about ad nauseum in previous posts. Up until this year (as far as I know), they’ve only infested Rossdale and the lower river valley near the University of Alberta. Could they be up here now, or is this some other vile pest? In either case, we are able to mostly avoid them by walking down the middle of the street, but that first early morning walk, I had to brush a few off Tom. Ugh.

*Free at last! The hot air balloon aloft, and Tom (Ravine Drive)*

Addendum to this post: the record breaking heat continues. As of Monday, we stopped walking in the mornings. It’s no longer cooling off at night, so it’s already too hot to walk (especially after an uncomfortable sleep). Hopefully we can return to our morning walks this weekend!

*I thought it was interesting that the graffiti artist took the time to add hair sprouting from the arms and legs*

That’s Not a Dog

June 16, 2021

As we were walking in MacKinnon Ravine Wednesday around 1 p.m., a coyote came padding up the trail, like a fluffy medium sized dog. This ravine is the likeliest place to spot these guys, and the second coyote ‘encounter’ we’ve had this year. Always happy to see them, but I would prefer that it wasn’t this close, and if it must be this close, that I have my camera ready.

By the time I got my phone out, he had jumped into the bushes so I only got a few shadowy photos. I kept looking back, but he was gone.

About 22C. 13,525 steps.

Get A Room

June 13, 2021

*And what’s up with those two looky-loos on the side?*

One of those days where I wish my eyes were a camera, because it doesn’t matter how hard I try, I can’t capture how beautiful it is, mid-June, when everything is bursting with life. I mean, even the bugs are busy creating life, right out in the open, with two bonus onlookers!

So yeah, gorgeous, warm, and sunny. This was a solo walk, so I started from Victoria Park promenade, down into the golf course, along river valley road to MacKinnon Ravine, and then back up into Glenora/Oliver.

*MacKinnon Ravine under a crazy beautiful sky*

*I can’t NOT take a photo of the fountain in Alexander Circle….*

*I liked it so much, I took another photo!*

*View from the Museum (on the west side)*

*Paul Kane Park, a block from where I live. A red-winged blackbird has a nest in there, somewhere!*

About 25C, 10,032 steps.

Dark Clouds, No Rain

June 7, 2021

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).

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

16C, 11596 steps.

The Glenora Fountain Flows Again!

June 6, 2021

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!

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.

About 20C. 11,483 steps.

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

Rossdale: the Eve of Infestation

May 27, 2021

*The little historical shack near the bridge in the river valley (near Kinsmen)*

First time since Joanne’s birthday in February that I’ve been in Rossdale, and the last time until July. Although it’s still early, I did spot a few small leaf roller caterpillars, or as I call them $&?@! worms (see this post), just as we entered the trail. The caterpillars, endemic to the Ash trees in Rossdale and the lower university area, will soon swing by the hundreds on their devil strings killing the leaves and tormenting humans until the end of June, so yeah, that’s a nope.

*As close as we could get. By this point, I’d seen two worms…*

Gorgeous day though. We started at 9 a.m. to avoid the heat, but it was still hot. Next week when it gets really hot we’ll go even earlier. Along the Victoria Park Road lower trail, a young snowshoe hare with giant clown feet let me get pretty close for a photo, which was awfully nice of him. I’m seeing more of these smaller rabbits lately, as opposed to the larger jackrabbits. They could almost be mistaken for domestic bunnies, if not for their comically large feet.