The big freeze

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve visited Calgary, so have witnessed the Bow River that runs through the heart of the city at different seasons. What I hadn’t experienced was the Bow completely frozen.

What do you do when it’s -30?

No matter how many layers of clothes I wear, stepping outside when it’s -20 or lower, doesn’t cut it for me; and I’m sure I’m not the only one to feel this way.

Calgary’s backstreets

Hiking the back streets of south-west Calgary means it’s not only quieter, but I gain a slow motion tour past tasteful houses. I like that most of them are not huge monsters like many on the west coast.

Wildlife in Calgary

I like to hike the back streets of Calgary. It’s quieter — away from traffic. It’s where I  garner a little shade if the streets are lined with trees instead of shops.

Chilly Churchill

I flew north from Winnipeg over snow covered ground. We passed beside South Indian Lake as the sun set. Lights flickered near the Missi Falls before darkness set it.

Sand hills in the middle of Canada?

I had to see this. On my last drive to Calgary, I thought I’d travel the extra kilometre or thousand into the next prairie province. If I thought Alberta’s roads hardly varied from straight and flat, I hadn’t hit Saskatchewan. My arms were locked in the same position on the steering wheel for hours it seemed until I searched for the Great Sand Hills. I discovered like those before and after, that Sasketchewan doesn’t seem to get that signs to its interesting sights need to be before a turn off, not on the turn off.

Alberta’s Head-smashed-in buffalo jump

I think this site, west of Fort MacLeod, sealed my fate. I was doomed to journey around southern Alberta alone because after this excursion, my daughter thought up some reason or other not to join me on my explorations of her province.