Showing posts with label Calgary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Calgary. Show all posts
Tuesday, 7 October 2014
Light the Night
It was an honour to be asked to photograph "Light the Night", a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada.
I wanted to share the most meaningful photo to me. An older woman was holding the little girl up, and she said to the little girl, "Write your name on his shirt, because he's walking to support you."
I wanted to share the most meaningful photo to me. An older woman was holding the little girl up, and she said to the little girl, "Write your name on his shirt, because he's walking to support you."
Thursday, 18 September 2014
My contribution to Wikimedia
I couldn't help but notice the Wikipedia Loves Monuments contest happening this month. I looked at it, and discovered that there was an unphotographed monument very close to my house. So I went for a walk recently and ...
now Wikimedia has a photo of the Bow Valley Ranch House, aka the William Roper Hull Ranche House.
now Wikimedia has a photo of the Bow Valley Ranch House, aka the William Roper Hull Ranche House.
Wednesday, 2 July 2014
Baby you're a
Yesterday I went to Heritage Park with a friend, for their Canada Day/50th anniversary celebrations. I stayed all the way to 11, for the fireworks show. It was a fantastic show to top off a great day. Here are three of the 770 pictures I took:
Thursday, 29 May 2014
Monday, 12 May 2014
Weekend catch-up - deer, chasing aurora, bathtub selfie!
Lately, I've been going to Carburn Park after my knitting group. It's still looking rough after the floods of last June. And it was raining.
The park is a hidden gem in Calgary. One reason is that it's fairly easy to see deer there.
That evening, the space weather reports began to show a good possibility of viewing Northern Lights. My friend and I drove out. The sky was clear, the night was beautiful ... but the solar activity dropped and we didn't see any aurora. My friend the tree-hugger asked me to take a photo of this tree and it was my great shot of the night.
Sunday, I went to an arts and crafts show with a knitting buddy. I'm proud to say that I stuck to my $20 spending budget. Outside, a group of young people were practising on drums. They sounded great!
I spent some time in the garden clearing up from last year. And then I took a selfie in a well-deserved bath (Day 131).
Saturday, 10 May 2014
Calgary, Dragon Age and Donuts!
I had the pleasure of meeting Felicia Day three years ago when she was at the Calgary Expo. I have a raging girl crush on her. Meaning, I'd love to sit on the couch and watch Star Wars with her and eat the doughnuts from the above video. And if she wanted to make out, I'd be up for it.
Thursday, 17 April 2014
Catch up post
Proof that I went outside and didn't just spend the entire on the couch eating chips while playing games on the iPad.
Day 105
I went hiking on Nose Hill Park with a couple of friends. It was cold.
Among many things, we talked about vision. I mentioned I'm farsighted. Later, I proved it by spotting a porcupine.
Day 106
I don't normally blow-dry my hair because of heat damage, but I did today, so that my hair would be dry by the time I got to lunch with a friend. One of my better hair days.
I impulsively stopped by Carburn Park after lunch. I hadn't been there since the flood last year, and it was depressing. The trees were still full of leaves and debris from where they were underwater.
I did spot some deer hiding in the brush.
Day 105
I went hiking on Nose Hill Park with a couple of friends. It was cold.
Among many things, we talked about vision. I mentioned I'm farsighted. Later, I proved it by spotting a porcupine.
Day 106
I don't normally blow-dry my hair because of heat damage, but I did today, so that my hair would be dry by the time I got to lunch with a friend. One of my better hair days.
I impulsively stopped by Carburn Park after lunch. I hadn't been there since the flood last year, and it was depressing. The trees were still full of leaves and debris from where they were underwater.
I did spot some deer hiding in the brush.
Wednesday, 2 April 2014
Lost and Found
Part one:
Last week, on Tuesday, I was standing on the train platform, waiting for the train to arrive to whisk me away to downtown. As is my somewhat OCD habit, I patted my coat pockets. My keys were in my left pocket. My cardholder ... was not in my right pocket.
I recalled sitting down and twisting around to say hi to my bus buddy, only he was involved in his phone and didn't respond. So when I got off the bus, I was thinking about how he snubbed me and didn't check the seat to see if I'd left my cardholder on the bus. Like I did once two years ago and which is why I'm kind of OCD about that.
I checked all of my pockets and my backpack. I got on the train - not consciously thinking I was boarding it without proper fare. I ended up tweeting Calgary Transit who said to call customer service. So I called, and relayed which bus I had been on at what time, and while I was on hold, the train went into the long tunnel south of Stampede Park and I lost the call.
I figured the odds were really low that I would get the cardholder back that day, so I bought a book of tickets. I also bought a transit pass for April and wrote my name and phone number on the back.
The cardholder had my transit pass and my blood donor card and my zoo pass. Plus a bunch of store cards that I get once for the discount, then rarely use. So nothing really important, but I wanted it back, to avoid the hassle of replacing the blood donor card and zoo pass.
The next day, I had planned on dropping by Calgary Transit's Lost and Found before work, but I was tired. I decided I would go during my lunch hour.
The phone rang about 10:30 am. A very nice lady from the Calgary Zoo called, to tell me that my cardholder had been found and was at Calgary Transit's Lost and Found. She gave me a claim code to retrieve it with. I thanked her.
So this must have happened - someone at Calgary Transit had looked at the cards for a contact phone number, didn't find one, so they called the Zoo because of my zoo pass with my name on it. And the Zoo kindly passed on the information.
It doesn't get more Canadian than that. :-)
I went to the Lost and Found office at lunch and got the cardholder back. Happily, my transit pass was still in it so I could stop using the tickets.
Part two:
Tonight I stopped at Wal-mart on my way home. I got some groceries - finally, gluten-free Bisquick! I also got some chicken. I paid for my purchases, grabbed a bag, and walked home. When I got home, I took the bag into the kitchen so I could put away everything, especially the chicken.
I didn't have the chicken. The bag I had contained everything but. So I grabbed the receipt and drove back to Wal-mart because I must have left the chicken there.
The cashier remembered me. She said, "Oh, the lady behind you said 'That woman forgot her chicken!' so she took the bag and left!"
The other cashier said, "she just took the chicken?"
Yep. The cashier told me to just go get more chicken, which I did. All I can say is, I hope that the woman who took my chicken needed it.
Monday, 24 February 2014
Thursday, 20 February 2014
Northern Lights
Via Flickr:
Another photo from last night - took some extra processing to bring out the aurora.
Another photo from last night - took some extra processing to bring out the aurora.
The Northern Lights
One thing that Calgary has over California is the Northern Lights. I've long admired a coworker's photography and wished I had the nerve to chase Northern Lights like he does.
Normally, there's a cloud cover when an aurora watch is issued. Tonight there wasn't. And I decided that for once, I'd go for it. I grabbed my trusty Lumix and a tripod and set off for a nearby park area.
And now I'm going to bed.
Normally, there's a cloud cover when an aurora watch is issued. Tonight there wasn't. And I decided that for once, I'd go for it. I grabbed my trusty Lumix and a tripod and set off for a nearby park area.
And now I'm going to bed.
Sunday, 15 December 2013
Training walk
I'm going to do a Mermaid Marathon in San Diego next year. Mermaid Marathons are women only. I'm doing it because I work out better when I have a goal like this, I'll get to meet many online friends in person in San Diego, and it will be a nice break from winter in Calgary.
I went for my first training walk today.
I go to work in the dark, and I come home in the dark. This much sun hurt my eyes. But it was a good walk.
Friday, 6 December 2013
Calgary is freaking cold
-40 wind chill advisory. If you value our friendship, you will be kind if you share the current temperature in your area. ;-)
I haven't driven my car since last Saturday and with the -40 advisory, I knew I had to plug in the block heater tonight. I speak from experience that if you don't plug in a car in -50 wind chill, the compressor can freeze and it will take a mechanic to get your car to start again.
First, I started Lily to make sure that I could. She protested a bit in the beginning, but started without any coaxing. I let the engine run while I did everything I needed to.
I also haven't brushed the snow off of Lily since last Saturday. The snow on the hood was over a foot thick. I brushed off the hood so I could open it to pull out the plug for the block heater.
So now Lily is plugged in and I have the assurance that she can run when needed. I hope I won't need to go out into this cold again.
Lily is a 2007 Saturn Ion with standard transmission. I used to have a Nissan Micra with standard transmission that needed coolant antifreeze below -10C, I'm happy that Lily is much hardier.
I haven't driven my car since last Saturday and with the -40 advisory, I knew I had to plug in the block heater tonight. I speak from experience that if you don't plug in a car in -50 wind chill, the compressor can freeze and it will take a mechanic to get your car to start again.
First, I started Lily to make sure that I could. She protested a bit in the beginning, but started without any coaxing. I let the engine run while I did everything I needed to.
I also haven't brushed the snow off of Lily since last Saturday. The snow on the hood was over a foot thick. I brushed off the hood so I could open it to pull out the plug for the block heater.
So now Lily is plugged in and I have the assurance that she can run when needed. I hope I won't need to go out into this cold again.
Lily is a 2007 Saturn Ion with standard transmission. I used to have a Nissan Micra with standard transmission that needed coolant antifreeze below -10C, I'm happy that Lily is much hardier.
Monday, 21 October 2013
Model shoot - October 20
Yesterday I went to a photography meetup - it was a bit of a mess. And I underestimated how much walking there would be and how much it would affect me almost 7 weeks post-op. I was exhausted yesterday and today. But it was a good learning experience for trying different locations and about photographing people. We were split into different groups of photographers and rotated models.
Sunday, 20 October 2013
Tuesday, 2 July 2013
Heat Wave
First it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. I didn't keep track, but it sure felt like it.
Then came the floods. Fear of the unknown. Would my basement flood? Did I stock the fridge with enough water? Am I on the same power grid as the evacuated parts of Deer Run? Do I have candles and a lighter in a central location? Would I have to evacuate? (No. Yes. No. Yes. No.)
I have never in my life seen so many emergency alerts on TV. None of them were a test.
There was the horror and sadness. I've seen floods on TV before. I've seen the annual floods in New Brunswick. But I have never seen Calgary flood like this. The train tracks for my daily commute buckled and the tunnels filled with water.
I am one of the lucky ones. I can stay in my home with my cats. We are safe.
Water restrictions went into place. Quick showers. Trying to use disposable plates and cups and cutlery to avoid using the dishwasher.
The uncertainty of working from home. Am I doing okay?
And then days without rain. I watered the garden with rainwater from those 40 days and 40 nights. I'm almost out.
Today the temperature rose to 36 degrees Celsius. (97 degrees Fahrenheit). Felt higher, with the humidity. It's been a long time since I've had to deal with such hot and humid conditions. I used the timer on my phone to remind me to drink a full glass of water every hour.
The cats were limp. I found Hermione huddled up against the cold air vent in the living room while Chloe slept upstairs and looked miserable. Charlie was subdued.
None of them seemed to want to go into the basement, Charlie and Hermione wanted to stay in my vicinity.
The mayor asked people to reduce their power usage ASAP as rolling blackouts had to be initiated.
So I grabbed some catnip, some cat beds, and some blankets. I went down into the basement and rubbed catnip on the bedding. Charlie and Hermione came down first. I tried to catch Chloe but she wouldn't let me. She came down on her own.
I turned on one light and started organizing the basement a little better. When the cats were looking perkier, I turned off the light and brought out the laser pointer. We had fun playing Red Dot of Doom.
I didn't do any gardening until 9:30, when it was cool enough to be bearable. I sprayed myself with Off and got to work. I'm going to lose some of the sweet peas to the heat and lack of rain.
Now we're under alert for a severe thunderstorm. High water alerts have been issued for places north of Calgary.
There have been good moments. My sister came to Calgary this weekend to be my guest at a coworker's wedding. I got to practise some reiki on Mary-Anne and she loved it. We had a great time at the wedding and reception. It was the first time I'd seen my coworkers since the flooding started.
The next day, I took her to the labyrinth in Silver Springs. I walked behind her. I noticed at one point she paused to look at a dark butterfly.
Afterwards, she hugged me and told me that she thinks the butterfly was our father, that he was happy to see the two of us together. She said that black butterflies are meant to represent souls of the dead. I thought it was pretty.
Now I'm tired and sweaty and covered in dirt and Off. Time for a quick shower before bed. I want my normal back.
Then came the floods. Fear of the unknown. Would my basement flood? Did I stock the fridge with enough water? Am I on the same power grid as the evacuated parts of Deer Run? Do I have candles and a lighter in a central location? Would I have to evacuate? (No. Yes. No. Yes. No.)
I have never in my life seen so many emergency alerts on TV. None of them were a test.
There was the horror and sadness. I've seen floods on TV before. I've seen the annual floods in New Brunswick. But I have never seen Calgary flood like this. The train tracks for my daily commute buckled and the tunnels filled with water.
I am one of the lucky ones. I can stay in my home with my cats. We are safe.
Water restrictions went into place. Quick showers. Trying to use disposable plates and cups and cutlery to avoid using the dishwasher.
The uncertainty of working from home. Am I doing okay?
And then days without rain. I watered the garden with rainwater from those 40 days and 40 nights. I'm almost out.
Today the temperature rose to 36 degrees Celsius. (97 degrees Fahrenheit). Felt higher, with the humidity. It's been a long time since I've had to deal with such hot and humid conditions. I used the timer on my phone to remind me to drink a full glass of water every hour.
The cats were limp. I found Hermione huddled up against the cold air vent in the living room while Chloe slept upstairs and looked miserable. Charlie was subdued.
None of them seemed to want to go into the basement, Charlie and Hermione wanted to stay in my vicinity.
The mayor asked people to reduce their power usage ASAP as rolling blackouts had to be initiated.
So I grabbed some catnip, some cat beds, and some blankets. I went down into the basement and rubbed catnip on the bedding. Charlie and Hermione came down first. I tried to catch Chloe but she wouldn't let me. She came down on her own.
I turned on one light and started organizing the basement a little better. When the cats were looking perkier, I turned off the light and brought out the laser pointer. We had fun playing Red Dot of Doom.
I didn't do any gardening until 9:30, when it was cool enough to be bearable. I sprayed myself with Off and got to work. I'm going to lose some of the sweet peas to the heat and lack of rain.
Now we're under alert for a severe thunderstorm. High water alerts have been issued for places north of Calgary.
There have been good moments. My sister came to Calgary this weekend to be my guest at a coworker's wedding. I got to practise some reiki on Mary-Anne and she loved it. We had a great time at the wedding and reception. It was the first time I'd seen my coworkers since the flooding started.
The next day, I took her to the labyrinth in Silver Springs. I walked behind her. I noticed at one point she paused to look at a dark butterfly.
Afterwards, she hugged me and told me that she thinks the butterfly was our father, that he was happy to see the two of us together. She said that black butterflies are meant to represent souls of the dead. I thought it was pretty.
Now I'm tired and sweaty and covered in dirt and Off. Time for a quick shower before bed. I want my normal back.
Monday, 24 June 2013
The Mermaid Garden 2013
This update has been a long time coming. I've had a busy year, with new meetup groups and new volunteer work and interests. So when I go into the garden, I just want to garden, not take pictures and blog after.
Plus, it's been raining. And raining. And raining. So a lot of my garden time has been doing quick weeding in between the rain. I'm happy to say that I wasn't personally affected by Calgary's sudden floods this month.
Now, my efforts are bearing fruit (literally), and now is the time to start blogging!
The 2013 garden started indoors, with a heated mini-greenhouse and grow lights.
Not all of the seedlings survived - starting them in the basement wasn't the best idea, when they grew too tall for the greenhouse and I had to take the lid off. These are part of the survivors, outside to start hardening off.
I found pansies in the remnants of last year's vegetable bed - spawned by last year's Johnny Jump-Ups. Neat!
Last year, my vegetable bed was more of a breeding ground for weeds and grass. In my haste, I didn't put enough time into killing the undergrowth. So this year, I laid down cardboard and garbage bag to prepare the site for an idea from Pinterest.
Inspired by this pin, I laid down a pallet to use as a garden bed. Then I decided to bracket it with trellises for more vertical space. I knew I'd be planting lots of climbing plants.
Like these snow peas.
I love how they reach out and grab onto the sticks I've placed.
The remainder is dedicated to peppers I started inside, and sweet peas and poppies.
One thing I learned from last year is to keep these pots as level as possible. When tilted, they tend to lose water and dry out fast.
A lot of my gardening is done by the seat of my pants. When this plant appeared and shot straight up, I decided to keep it. Even though I don't know what plant this is. I suspect it's some kind of weed - can anyone identify it?
My garlic chives from last year grew again and bloomed!
Inspired by the same pin I used for the pallet garden bed, I decided to try planting herbs vertically. So I got this pallet.
I borrowed a staple gun from a coworker and stapled mesh to it. Had I done any kind of research or thinking through, I would've stapled it halfway up and then filled it with dirt. But I didn't, so I have to fill it with soil one spadeful at a time.
Which is partly why I've only filled one corner. Also, it would be pricey to fill it out with bedding plants. In 2014, I'll start more herbs from seed.
I wanted to try growing fruit bushes in containers this year. I'm not sure that the raspberry bushes are going to thrive, because their container isn't draining well despite my efforts, and all of the rain is drowning them. I've started draping plastic bags over them everytime it rains.
These blueberry bushes are thriving.
I may have squeed when I saw these berries today. :-)
Plus, it's been raining. And raining. And raining. So a lot of my garden time has been doing quick weeding in between the rain. I'm happy to say that I wasn't personally affected by Calgary's sudden floods this month.
Now, my efforts are bearing fruit (literally), and now is the time to start blogging!
The 2013 garden started indoors, with a heated mini-greenhouse and grow lights.
Not all of the seedlings survived - starting them in the basement wasn't the best idea, when they grew too tall for the greenhouse and I had to take the lid off. These are part of the survivors, outside to start hardening off.
I found pansies in the remnants of last year's vegetable bed - spawned by last year's Johnny Jump-Ups. Neat!
Last year, my vegetable bed was more of a breeding ground for weeds and grass. In my haste, I didn't put enough time into killing the undergrowth. So this year, I laid down cardboard and garbage bag to prepare the site for an idea from Pinterest.
Inspired by this pin, I laid down a pallet to use as a garden bed. Then I decided to bracket it with trellises for more vertical space. I knew I'd be planting lots of climbing plants.
Like these snow peas.
I love how they reach out and grab onto the sticks I've placed.
The remainder is dedicated to peppers I started inside, and sweet peas and poppies.
One thing I learned from last year is to keep these pots as level as possible. When tilted, they tend to lose water and dry out fast.
A lot of my gardening is done by the seat of my pants. When this plant appeared and shot straight up, I decided to keep it. Even though I don't know what plant this is. I suspect it's some kind of weed - can anyone identify it?
My garlic chives from last year grew again and bloomed!
Inspired by the same pin I used for the pallet garden bed, I decided to try planting herbs vertically. So I got this pallet.
I borrowed a staple gun from a coworker and stapled mesh to it. Had I done any kind of research or thinking through, I would've stapled it halfway up and then filled it with dirt. But I didn't, so I have to fill it with soil one spadeful at a time.
Which is partly why I've only filled one corner. Also, it would be pricey to fill it out with bedding plants. In 2014, I'll start more herbs from seed.
I wanted to try growing fruit bushes in containers this year. I'm not sure that the raspberry bushes are going to thrive, because their container isn't draining well despite my efforts, and all of the rain is drowning them. I've started draping plastic bags over them everytime it rains.
These blueberry bushes are thriving.
I may have squeed when I saw these berries today. :-)
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