Seen Around Town

Top two photos were taken using my IPhone camera.  

The bottom two photos were taken by my son Matt.

In another area of the city, I spotted two pairs of Canada Geese at a man made lake near my house.

Summer is just over a month away and we are finally enjoying spring.  My son Tyler just shared with me photos of a black bear that they saw while working on a road crew near Cold Lake.  He said they saw five bears in total, four of which were black and one brown bear.  

Near our house and to the south is a natural area with a fenced in water catch basin.  The last two mornings a light fog shrouded the area and I had to get it on "film," so to speak.

That's the extent of my neighbourhood walks this week.  What's happening in your neighbourhood?

Warm winter days and hoar frost photos

The first photos here were taken when it was relatively warm, before Christmas.  

 

Christmas saw average highs of -20 Celsius and lows in the negative 20's with windchill bringing it as cold as -39 C. 

 Hoar frost is so beautiful!  These trees were lightly touched by the frost, but the last three photos were taken by my husband in the Bonnyville/Cold Lake area where the hoar frost was thick and beautiful.

How's your weather?  Today we expect highs around -4 which is downright balmy!!  Where's the sunscreen?

Bigger Than Golf Balls - Hail Storm Near Cold Lake Alberta

Last Sunday, which would have been August 14,  I am told a nasty hail storm went through the Cold Lake area.  The hail stones were huge, larger than golf balls.  One of my husband's customers collected a few and froze them so he could show everyone.  He said they melted a bit before he got to them so they were actually larger than this as they came down.

An interesting cross-section of one of the hail stones.  Look at the rings.  I wonder just how windy it was up there in the clouds before they actually got so heavy that gravity played a role on their release.

I'd hate to have been outside during that storm!  There was no mention of significant damage.  Can  you imagine?

Ode to Trees

TREES by Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918)

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by people like me,

But only God can make a tree.

Poplar

Spruce

Schubert Chokecherry and Spruce

trees in Louisiana above and below (photo taken by my son Tyler)

Amur Cherry

Pine tree in Cold Lake

maple

Ahh, the beauty of trees!

Watery Wednesday

This photo was taken the last week of August at Cold Lake, Alberta by the camp ground.  Looks cold, doesn't it?  It was but it is so beautiful there that not even the cold could dampen our spirits as we had a short vacation taking in the beach, the townsite and marina, Race the Base and car show.

Take a Peak II

The second in my "Take a Peak" series.  This house is across the street from the marina in Cold Lake.  Another beauty featuring a country style garden.  Many of these homes house businesses such as hair salons, plumbers, etc. 

Take a Peak

Recently we travelled to Cold Lake, Alberta with the intent of going to Race the Base (see http://shirley-adventuresinanotsounusuallife.blogspot.com/2010/08/race-base.html) which we did, and I found so many lovely homes near the marina and around town that begged to be photographed!  Here's the first in this "series".

I love this style of home.  It looks traditional (I always lean toward the more traditional in interior decor and landscaping) and reminds me of the grandeur of homes from Gone With the Wind though perhaps on a smaller scale.  Isn't it beautiful?