Winter Magic in Kananaskis Country

“The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?”

~ J. B. Priestley

December Snow

Hooray! Finally! Finally, the snow has come! It’s been a long wait this year. I love white Decembers, especially with the glow of all the holiday lights. My partner and I have been waiting for the snow to arrive, just so we could head out to the mountains and tromp around in it. There’s nothing we love more than a snowy day in the mountains of Kananaskis Country, Alberta.

Autumn Bliss in the Mountains

Each moment of the year has its own beauty,
a picture which was never before and shall never be seen again.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

A Crisp Autumn Day

A few days ago, my partner and I enjoyed a fabulous mid-week hike in the mountains. It was one of those walks that stays with you for a long time. I’m still thinking about it today.

The morning dawned still and crisp and clear—it couldn’t have been a lovelier day for an autumn walk. We set out for Wedge Pond, in Kananaskis Country, about an hour’s drive west from home here in Calgary. The drive there is gorgeous, a treat in itself: the land covered in honeyed morning light, mist rising from the ponds, golden fields dotted with hay bales, and, in the distance, beyond the rolling foothills, the beautiful Rocky Mountains rising to meet a clear blue sky.

Baba Who?

Baba Ganoush

Baba who? That’s what I said many moons ago when I first heard of Baba Ganoush. Friends had made the dish as an appetizer and I’ve been hooked ever since. Baba Ganoush is a tasty, smoky eggplant dip made from grilled or roasted eggplants, tahini (a paste made from ground raw sesame seeds), fresh lemon juice and garlic. Originating in the Middle East, the dish has (happily) found its way to North America.

Enjoying Late Summer’s Bounty: Three Easy Vegetable Side Dishes

“Earth is here so kind, that just tickle her with a hoe
and she laughs with a harvest.”

~ Douglas Jerrold

Vegetable Heaven

Farmers market day is my favourite day of the week. As summer slowly winds to a close and the bountiful harvest continues to pour into our city’s farmers markets, I stand in awe of the beauty and abundance that surround me every market day. I’ve been in vegetable heaven for weeks now. But each time I get to the market and take in all the beautiful (if somewhat precarious-looking) pyramids of colorful fruits and vegetables, something strange happens—it’s as if an odd spell has been cast on me, causing me to completely forget the promise I made to myself: Do not overbuy! But I always do—I always overbuy!

Little Pond on the Prairie

We cannot see our reflection in running water.
It is only in still water that we can see.

~ Taoist proverb

A Trip We’ve Taken A Million Times

Early in July, my Sweet Bear and I packed up our vehicle for the 600 kilometre road trip from Calgary to my home town, North Battleford, Saskatchewan. Our car was chock-a-block full, containing everything needed for our contribution to my mother’s birthday party: two homemade cakes, one poppy seed cake and one orange-almond cake (careful where you put them honey, they can’t be squished); an electric hand-mixer and a large stainless-steel bowl (to make whipped cream for the cakes); five strings of fairy lights (for a splash of magic); assorted plates, utensils, cutlery and fancy napkins; two small suitcases and one garment bag; two pillows and one yoga mat; one guitar and an entire sound system, which included two heavy and somewhat bulky microphone stands, two speakers, a very heavy amp, a sound mixer, a big box of cables and wires, and two microphones—all equipment required for the live entertainment (Sweet Bear and I were the live entertainment.)

Our Fine Furry Friends

“I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature,
which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright.”

~ Henry David Thoreau

Be Still and They Will Come

If one treads softly or sits quietly in the woods, it isn’t long before its inhabitants will come out to play. Some of our favourite woodland and wetland residents are rodents. My partner and I have a special fondness for these furry critters, and we take great delight in spotting even the smallest mouse.

Summer Flutters By

“There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly.”

~ R. Buckminster Fuller

Flying Metaphors

Butterflies don’t know that, to us, they are flying metaphors—powerful symbols of transformation. They are blissfully unaware that they teach us life lessons, like the wisdom of letting go of the old to embrace something entirely new. Oblivious to the lessons we learn as we watch them morph from crawling, leaf-munching caterpillars into delicate-winged beauties sipping on the nectar of wildflowers, they just simply be themselves. They don’t try to become a butterfly; they don’t try to change. They just let it all unfold, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Don’t you just love that about butterflies?

Here are some of the butterflies we spotted this summer:

Above: Silver-bordered Fritillary on a bright yellow King Devil blossom at Bebo Grove in Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary.

The Joy of Summer Wildflowers

“The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful.”

~ e.e. cummings

A Delicious Thing

For me, perhaps the greatest joy of summer is to amble about a wildflower meadow or mosey down a narrow, winding path in the woods, looking for beauty in all of its diverse forms. Few things make me happier than getting lost in photographing summer wildflowers. It’s a delicious thing to lose myself in light, colour, shape, and bokeh. Time disappears. Oftentimes, I come away with a photograph I know I will like. But even if I don’t capture a single successful image, simply trying to always leaves me feeling high—because focusing on beauty, for any reason, is always a good thing.

Here are some shots of this year’s summer wildflowers:

Light, Magical Light!

“Is there anything more loyal than the sun?”

~Mary Oliver

The Magic of Early Morning and Late Evening Light

All photographers know that early morning light and late evening light are magical: colours seem to liquefy and pool upon water, transforming it into a shimmering mass of quicksilver. Silhouettes are crisp and the world is gilded in gold. Early morning and late evening energy calm my soul; the energy is more subdued—the world is either just waking up or winding down for the night. It’s a sublime time to be outdoors with a camera as, almost always, something magical appears. Here are a few shots I took during magic hour this summer.

A Place to Pause: My Little Garden in the Sky

We will be more successful in all our endeavors if we can let go of the habit of running all the time, and take little pauses to relax and re-center ourselves.
And we’ll also have a lot more joy in living.

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Summer in My Little Garden

We are having a beautiful summer. The days have been a mixed bag of everything—sunny mornings, afternoon rain showers, perfect humidity, warm temperatures, deliciously cool evenings (perfect for a good night’s sleep), terrific storm clouds rolling in from the west in the late afternoons, bringing grand displays of lightning and crashing thunder, and quintessential calm summer days with blue skies peppered with soft animal-shaped clouds and a cool gentle breeze. I love it all. And, so, it seems, does my little balcony garden in the sky–it is thriving!

This post is dedicated to my dear friend, artist and photographer, Skylark.

The Birds are Back in Town

Coots (Bridlewood Wetland Park, Calgary).

The birds are back—and so am I!

The birds have long been back in town. And while I haven’t been blogging these past few months, my sweet partner and I have been out and about ambling through our city parks, taking long walks whenever we can, armed with our cameras, breathing in the fragrant summer air, and thoroughly enjoying nature and the abundance of bird life in Calgary. And what could be more uplifting than seeing new chicks and ducklings thriving right here in our city parks?