Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Photo Shoot


My sister, Lynda, visited us this weekend and we had a blast but the highlight was a trip to the mountains. Sunday, we woke to about two inches of wet snow on the ground. It is April and it is Calgary--what more can I say?

I did not drag out my winter coat or my snow boots despite knowing snow loves higher elevations. That was good thing as there was no snow in the mountains until we reached places where it still lingered after our long winter.

Since the purpose of our mountain trip was photography, Glen suggested we drive to Johnston's Canyon, our favourite camping spot as it is on a quiet highway with little traffic. We knew the campground would be closed but the path up the canyon was also a cross-country ski trail. Not that we planned doing a hike. Lynda suffers from plantar fasciitis and was in great pain so walking was minimized but that didn't stop us taking some great photos.

We stopped at all the look-offs that normally we whiz past on our way to the campground. Alway anxious to set up the tent and enjoy the camping experience, we fail to stop and enjoy the meadows and vistas along the way. Sunday was different. As is often the case, an out-of-town visitor opens your eyes and senses to what you fail to see in your own backyard.

I have lost count of the number of times I've photographed Johnston Creek as it flows through its canyon. Waterfalls beckon, rocky outcrops demand to be photographed. Always a better picture lies around a curve in the trail or over the next switchback. But on Sunday, I drew my inspiration from the creek flowing past the parking lot at the trailhead. Sparkling water gurgled around ice crusted the rocks. Seed pods clung to dried greenery. Roots snaked across eroded river banks. They all became images for my camera to capture. And who would have thought I'd find satisfaction in photographing a gas pump?

Lynda had never been to Canmore so we took her to our favourite brewpub, The Grizzly Paw. While she and Glen enjoyed Powder Hound Pilsner, I had a pint of Rutting Elk Red. Crisp mountain air with a hint of snow always whets the appetite so Lynda chose the Beef Brisket while Glen had a Classic Burger with fries. I had a perfectly cooked, Grilled Salmon sandwich. We all raved about our meals but I have a soft spot for the Grandma Bee's Roughage Salad which came with Lynda's and my meal. It has shredded carrots and beets, hard boiled eggs, and cheese scattered on top of a mix of greens.

Besides brewing their own beer, the Grizzly Paw makes all their own salad dressings and soups. Their dips and barbeque sauces feature their beers and their pizza crusts are locally made at the Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company. Each menu item has a suggested beer pairing so if you wish, you can drink the variety that enhances the flavour of your meal. The brewery also makes its own sodas and the restaurant's organic coffee is called Frog Friendly Wild, Human Beans for Human Beings.

As always, we left the mountains with a heavy heart only to be greeted by the wide vistas of rolling prairie. The sun had warmed the air so instead of melting, the snow vapourized. Wispy mists danced along fence lines and softened the dark hides of browsing cattle. Tiny calfs, newly born, scampered near their mothers, the fog swirling around them. Such beauty just outside our door.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Hidden Gems


In every place we visit, there are hidden gems. These are usually places off the main tourist maps that offer a sense of what the city or town and its people are like. Sometimes it is a graveyard or a small park or even a café with home cooking. Yesterday, we walked to Victoria's Government House. It is the official residence of the province's lieutenant governor, Steven L. Point, a member of the Stó:lo Tribal Council and a hidden gem just outside the borders of downtown Victoria.

Since the 1990s, the public has been encouraged to visit the gardens and enjoy their serenity and spectacular views. The 36 acres features lawns, rose gardens, a duck pond, herb garden and an incredible stand of gnarly Garry Oaks. The house is on a hill overlooking the ocean so one can sit on benches scattered about a rockery and watch passing ships. Yesterday, about 25 ravens bathed in a tiny pond near our bench and chatted among themselves as they dried their feathers.

We came to the gardens in search of red rhododendrons. We had seen several in city gardens and I felt the Government House gardens would have an impressive display. I've photographed rhodos there before and they are overwhelming in their colour and number. However, it is early in the season and after walking for a half hour, we found only one bush. But the gardens didn't lack for colour and the variety of flowers in bloom was a delight to the eyes and my camera lens.

The duck pond was alive with mating mallards and at one point, they marched across the surrounding lawn towards an elderly couple sitting on a bench. It reminded me of the children's book set in Boston Public Garden called 'Make Way for Ducklings' by Robert McCloskey.

What makes these gardens unique is the tenacity of the plants as they cling to rocky granite outcrops. Thick moss and lichen compliment tulips and daffodils growing in soil trapped between rocky clefts. The formal gardens with fountains and trimmed hedges flourish beside wild spaces alive with native grasses and eerie, almost skeletal, oak trees. Pathways wind between these areas so as one turns a corner, one is surprised by yet another variety of plant.

The Government House gardens are a hidden gem filled with gem-like flowers and moments of peace to treasure.