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 trailIn 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.
My cheeks are on fire (upper cheeks) but the gorgeous walk was worth the windburn.
View of the river from MacKinnon Ravine (with bonus water outtake)
Sunny, warm enough (capris/tank top) and as always lately, windy. Oliver MacKinnon Ravine 142 Street Ravine Drive Glenora to pick up Tom Oliver. About two hours, 18C, 15,609 steps. (The step count includes a brief shopping trip this morning to Michael’s to buy a particular crow which they didn’t have but I did find some candy eyeballs for my Christmas goats so not totally fruitless.)
Surprise! Another gorgeous after-work walk. 14,488 steps. 24C AND it’s a long weekend!! This will mostly be a photo post. It’s been a long week, and it’s always so rejuvenating to head out after work into the river valley, which is still sporting so much colour.
On my way…More purplely pleasure!Yellowy yarrow (I think)Thickly thistlely IThickly thistlely IIThe start of MacKinnon Ravine, looking eastMacKinnon Ravine, looking northLeaves ILeaves IILeaves III
We’ve had some coolish temperatures in the last couple of days and a few, yellow leaves are blowing around on the ground. I am not looking forward to Autumn. It’s beautiful, and in the thick of it, I love it, but it’s always too soon. Always. We never get a full August without some hint of autumn in the canopy. And once it starts, it’s so quick. As I have said before, September (along with May) is the most changeable month. It starts out summery, and by the end, it is almost past-peak fall.
Folks having fun on the golf course…A summer scene…
The day started off very grey and cold, but by the afternoon the sun was shining. I had planned on making some pies with a huge bag of Tom’s apples, but the draw of the summer afternoon was too strong.
Green!
It was very cheering to walk into the river valley via the Victoria Golf Course and be surrounded by deep, deep green and full, swaying foliage. There were lots of golfers and some physically distant activity happening on the grounds, with the sound of laughter wafting through the trees. It was all so…normal. Kind of a gift.
More riverHeading into MacKinnon Ravine
Once I was past the golf course, I walked along river road and then up into Glenora via the paved trail. It really felt like summer. I then met up with Tom and we walked back into Oliver via the museum, now a favourite route. I ended up with about 15,000 steps. The temperature never got above 18C, but that was OK. The good news? It’s still summer.
I give you, the creeping bell flower. I thought it was a bluebell.
Holy boob sweat! A gorgeous but very humid walk just after a brief rain storm this morning and before the next, apparently bigger storm this afternoon.
Victoria Park Road trail
Still can’t bring myself to leave as early as Tom (5:30 am). Just after 11 am, the temperature was about 22C but with the mugginess it seemed warmer, with the exception of an occasional ‘delicious’ breeze, to quote Marilyn Monroe.
Victoria Park Road trail IIHills of colour
Spotted several spotted Ladybug pupae (apparently) on the creeping bellflowers, which are (apparently) and invasive (but very pretty) wildflower species.
More pretty invasive species…
Overall just under two hours, 12,200 steps. Down the Victoria Park Road to River Road and then (eventually) up the super humid hill in MacKinnon Ravine. I walked over to 107 Ave so that I could take a longer, shadier route to the grocery store (City Market in Oliver Square), where once again I was disappointed by their produce.
Not a ladybug but a ladybug pupae (according to Sharon)
In spite of the humidity, I’m glad that the heat wave has broken, at least for today.
It took me awhile to write that last post about my injury, and throughout the writing and beyond, I’ve been walking. A lot. Yesterday (Sunday) was my longest walk since Scottsdale. Two and a half hours, 16, 887 steps. I would say that six weeks after my slip on the ice, I am fully recovered. I suppose if I were to trip again, always a possibility, I could re-injure my hamstring, but so far so good.
It’s proper Spring, and yesterday was warm (23C) so Tom and I left early, around 10 am. The route I chose was down into the river valley, across the LRT bridge, and then a loop from the Kinsmen to the Walterdale Bridge, Rossdale, and then back again. Once we crossed River Road on the way back, however, we walked up the trail below Victoria Park Road.
Clouds moved in for awhile, and then moved out. View from Victoria Park Road.
Most of my walks have either involved walking to work (semi-weekly, for an hour or two, up Emily Murphy Hill and back home over the High Level Bridge), or various routes to ‘pick up’ Tom on his way over to my place. Since he spends most evenings with me, I often walk over to his place and then we walk back to mine. (He hardly drives anymore, preferring to walk). Lately, I’ve been walking to his place via MacKinnon Ravine and the steep hill up to Glenora. One thing I haven’t done yet is walk on an unpaved trail. The fear of tripping over a tree root is still there, but dissipating.
Magpie public art in RossdaleGoose PatrolGosling patrol
Walking is not what it used to be. People are still friendly but the social distancing can be awkward, and still feels super rude. However, it’s what we gotta do…
Because I haven’t written in the blog since early May, here are a bunch of photos from my walks, in somewhat chronological order.
Dandelions! April 20, my first hill walk since the injury
April 27: “A sunny lunchtime walk in the river valley today, my longest walk yet (since the injury). Walked down Victoria Park Road, under the Groat Bridge, up through MacKinnon Ravine, up the steep hill to the bridge, and then back home through Glenora/Oliver. The ice has mostly melted from the river, but the shore still has bergs. Highlight – spotted my first snake in years, a little garter snake, sunning himself on a log. He slithered away before I could take a photo. I also ran into a friend, Teresa, and caught up on our remote working lives. Her sister also had a hamstring injury, requiring surgery. I am SO lucky I have almost fully recovered, without any medical intervention. About 18C.”
April 27, MacKinnon RavineApril 27, right around where I saw the snake.Still April 27…April 27: MacKinnon Ravine bridge from belowApril 27: MacKinnon Ravine bridge from aboveMay 3 walk with Tom: MacKinnon RavineGlenoraMay 13: “My good deed for the day. On my after-work walk I came across a beetle who was upside down and struggling to right him(or her)self. So I helped him(her), and he(she) beetled off. As many know, I am a fan of beetles. Take care, little friend.”
MacKinnon Ravine 
