Tag Archives: Emily Murphy

Is He Smiling at Me?

August 2, 2021

*I think this is a Common Green Darner Dragonfly*

Interesting lunchtime walk today. It was only about 21C because of the smoke, but hella humid. Walked over to Emily Murphy Park and then back up the steep MacKinnon Ravine hill. Other than visiting the lower riverside trail in Emily Murphy for the first time this year, the highlight of the walk was a inadvertent photo of a dragonfly. At one of the lookout points in MacKinnon Ravine, I was taking a shot of some common tansey (as one does) and noticed the dragonfly, or perhaps a damsel fly. Upon closer inspection, I could see that he was smiling! Or at least, it looked like he was smiling. Maybe because we both agreed that we did not miss the sun pounding on our backs.

The trail in Emily Murphy was really wavy, like an intestine.

Also saw this bastard in Emily Murphy. His antenna (or eyebrows?) were on point.

12,010 steps.

Monday in the Woods at Lunch

January 14, 2019

A much-needed walk today at noon on a 55 minute loop through Emily Murphy Park. I blew a couple of opportunities to walk this weekend – stuff to do, I guess – but I knew it would be nice today as well, so I brought my spikes and off I went at lunch. The blue sky and sun were amazing, but down in the woods, it was pretty frosty. About -7C. Later in the afternoon, it was 4C. Although we are gaining light (32 minutes since the solstice) the days are still so short it takes a long time to warm up. Once I was walking up Emily Murphy hill, I had my gloves off.

Approaching the LRT Bridge…whatever it’s called

On the trail that runs parallel to the river, my phone died. The cold sucked its will to live. I know the feeling, but -7? I think I need a new battery. Or a new phone.

I didn’t walk much after Christmas. It was super cold, and as per usual, I was super lazy. On January 2, I was back at work, and we had a record breaking day at 7.9C! It was a drippy, beautiful day. I went for another lunch time walk just around campus. We’ve had so many freeze-thaw events it’s virtually impossible to walk in the river valley and ravines without micro-spikes. Or even the sidewalks some days.

A January 2 walk around campus on a record-breaking day.

Moments before my camera died just before the trail into Emily Murphy Park

12:00-12:55/-7 or thereabouts, 4 above later.

Smoke on the Water (walks #1 & 2)

July 24, 2017

The bridge…in Glenora over MacKinnon Ravine.

Once again, I’m behind on my blogposts, but happily, not my walks. Now to write three posts.

Wednesday evening (July 19), I went over to Tom’s for a walk. The sky was filled with smoke and the sun was an orange orb. You could look right at it without setting your retinas on fire. We walked our usual loop around Glenora. Other than the sun and smoke, nothing remarkable.

The next day, Thursday, I spent my lunch hour walking around a smoke-filled river valley. All week we’ve had a smoke advisory because of the forest fires in BC. It’s not as bad as it was in 2010, but it still makes for some ethereal landscapes.

The hour-long walk was great, although I didn’t bust 10,000 steps. I walked down Saskatchewan Drive to Emily Murphy and then hung a right through the trail along the river. Usually that path is wet and humid but it’s been very dry of late after a wet spring. Even scanning the horizon, the hills and boulevards on the way to Hawrelak are yellow, in contrast with the spruce trees and the green bushes (of various leafage).

Lots of colour in the river valley, as long as you don’t look up

Because I am writing this a few days after the fact, I can’t remember what the temperature was, but the heat was tempered by the sheath of smoke. Probably about 22C.

Donna's River Valley

A Walker's Observations