random reflections

Summertime Scavenger Hunt 2015

Our vacation gave me ample opportunities to collect photos for Rinda's Summertime Scavenger Hunt. This post is probably too long, but the truth is, I could have posted even more photos! 

#3 A person walking a dog. That would be me, walking Sarah's dog, Sadie.

#4 People playing cards. I was sitting enjoying a glass of wine, looking out the windows at Many Glacier Hotel when I heard the shuffling of cards behind me. I asked if I could take their photo for the scavenger hunt, and as happened many times during this trip, the request was kindly granted, and interesting conversation ensued. These men all live a few miles from my daughter in Chicago.

#9 A tent. I had a couple images for this item last month, but found two more I liked on the trip.

This tent was part of a historical display on the grounds of the Fairmont Jasper Lodge.

And finally, on the beginning of the trail to Laughing Falls, I found the kind of tent I hoped for, a tent made for camping. You can see Takakkaw Falls, the second largest falls in Canada, in the background.

#10 A college or university. I could easily have found this one in Rochester, but we took a day trip to Missoula, Montana, and I decided it would be more fun to have one from the trip.

#12 A public restroom. I knew just where to go at home if I didn't find something interesting on the trip, but I did.

At The Iron Horse in Missoula

Couldn't resist this one of the walls of the ladies room at Coco's Cafe in Jasper.
The definition was too perfect.

And who would expect an old stove as a decorative element in a restroom.
At The Truffle Pig in Field, British Columbia.

#13 A merry-go-round. I found the first two the first day we were in Calgary at the Calgary Stampede.

Love the little girl in the red cowboy hat.

This merry-go-round was even fancier.

But this merry-go-round in Missoula has the best story: "If you will give it a home, and promise no one will ever take it apart, I will build A Carousel for Missoula.”  That was the promise Missoula cabinet-maker Chuck Kaparich made to the Missoula City Council in 1991.  Kaparich, who had spent many childhood hours on the carousel at Columbia Gardens in Butte, Montana, had already carved four carousel ponies and had purchased an antique frame in thousands of pieces.  The Council agreed and Kaparich’s dream of A Carousel for Missoula became the dream of a community.

#15  A flagpole with at least three flags.

#16 A panoramic view, taken while standing someplace high in the air.

Taken high above Lower Medicine Lake in Glacier National Park. 

#17 At least two people wearing matching uniforms. This was the most fun item on the list. I started a photography project two years ago, called "100 Strangers." I haven't posted anything about it, but I will this fall when I get the images all organized. I actually don't know how many people I have in my collection. The deal is you must ask to take their photo, and every time I have, I've had a wonderful response, and frequently, a wonderful conversation to follow. I found the first two pairs at the Calgary Stampede.

We walked and talked with these two mounties for about ten minutes after the photo was taken. They had to be so hot. It was nearly 90° that afternoon, and those uniforms are not lightweight.

Two cute gals at the information booth.

One of two bands that performed at the rodeo at the Calgary Stampede.

Two Babb County, Montana sheriffs waiting for dinner at Two Sisters.
We talked to them for about 15 minutes while we all waited for a table,
and learned all kinds of things about the area.

#18 An overloaded truck. The first one was on the expressway in Rochester.

Tracy said I had to get this one, too. Check out the beads hanging from the sideview mirrors.

#20 A natural body of water. I could have shared at least 20 photos here, but I picked five of my favorites.

Bow Lake off the Icefields Parkway.

Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park

Moraine Lake, in Lake Louise. (Photos of Lake Louise are here.)

Upper Waterton Lake, taken from the front of the Prince of Wales Hotel

Third Lake, in the Valley of the Five Lakes. In June 2014, Parks Canada placed six sets of red Adirondack chairs in quiet and scenic locations throughout Jasper National Park for visitors to enjoy the exquisite mountain and lakeside vistas. Since then, they've added several more pairs of them. We saw at four or five of them and had our photos taken in the pair in front of Takakkaw Falls.

#21 A photo of you with a sign "2015 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt." I printed out a sign before we left and carried it in my backpack waiting for a good moment. We decided it was time when we got to Emerald Lake.

 And last, but not least, the three alternate photos:

People eating outside (at the Calgary Stampede):

Someone holding an umbrella:

A rocking chair at the gift shop at Many Glaciers Hotel:

I still have two photos left to find, the turtle and the ornate door knocker. I know just where to find the turtle, and I'm thinking a walk down East Ave. in Rochester will produce the ornate door knocker. 

Be sure to stop by Rinda's blog to see photos from all over the world captured for the scavenger hunt. To see all my captures for this year's scavenger hunt you can click on the icon on the side bar which takes you to my SmugMug album.

Pairs: The Fickle Weather

One thing we discovered quickly in the Canadian Rockies (and Glacier, as well) is that you can't count on a weather forecast. Early in our trip, one of the waiters told us that "if you don't like the weather going out the front door, go out the back." Not far from true! These photos were taken within minutes of one another--one out the front window of our car, looking east and the other in the side view mirror, looking back to the west.

East and West

Front and Back

Stormy and Clear

You can find more interesting Pairs at Helena's blog.

Pairs: Foggy and Clear

We had a bucket list for this trip, and #2 on the list was a visit to Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park. It didn't disappoint, and we managed to fit in another three hikes as well. (Frankly, it was a bit of overload. We both loved the last hike, but it was long, and by the end we were really tired.) 

When we arrived (early to beat the crowds) Emerald Lake was fogged in.

While we waited for the fog to clear, we hiked up to Hamilton Falls. When we came down, it was another absolutely perfect day---sunny and clear. The hike around Emerald Lake is long--about two  hours, but not a difficult one. Here's a shot from about one-quarter of the way around the lake.

Like Lake Louise, the water is a beautiful turquoise, but it's the reflection of the mountains that is so stunning. 

We also hiked to Takakkaw Falls (2nd highest in Canada--less than a mile hike), and then to Laughing Falls, which is almost as beautiful as Takakkaw Falls. We were so glad we'd added Yoho National Park to our itinerary.

Today we hiked through Sunshine Meadows--definitely our second favorite hike so far. I'll eventually have photos to share of the amazing wildflowers and beautiful lakes there. Tomorrow we drive up the Icefields Parkway to Jasper which is our last stop on the Canadian Rockies hiking adventure. Then it's a night in Edmonton, and back to Calgary to fly to Chicago. 

Here's a high five for Helena who hosts the meme "Pairs" every Wednesday. Check them out.

Pairs: Near and Far

There hasn't been much computer time on our trip because we're having such a wonderful time. Since leaving Calgary, we've been on the trails almost every day---first in Glacier National Park, then Waterton Lakes, and now Banff and Lake Louise. We've just about hit the 50 mile mark for hiking; should make that tomorrow. We've had a couple days of rain, and the forecast is a bit iffy, but yesterday was absolutely perfect. #1 on our bucket list of hikes was the hike to The Plains of Six Glaciers. It starts at the Chateau Lake Louise and ends at a tea house high in the mountains. I'll have more photos of the hike and more details about the tea house once I get home. But I uploaded two photos for this week's Pairs (thanks, Helena!), so you'll get an idea of how beautiful it is here. 

This photo of the Chateau Lake Louise was taken from the lake shore path which is the beginning of the hike up The Plain of Six Glaciers. The water really is that turquoise!

If you look carefully, you'll see the Chateau at the end of the lake. This was taken before we reached the tea house.

Both Tracy and I are awed by the beauty and grandeur of the Canadian Rockies. The scenery in Montana and Waterton Lakes was wonderful, but the magnitude of the Canadian Rockies is simply amazing. We have three more days in the Banff/Lake Louise area and then head up the Icefields Parkway to Jasper for four days. 

 

Pairs: Up and Down

Quite awhile ago, we gave up trying to drive the whole way from Rochester to Chicago, and usually break it up into two shorter trips. This week we decided to go all the way since we only have two days with Sarah, Adam, and Caleb before we fly out to Calgary. But we decided to break up this trip with an adventure that would get us out of the car and on our feet for an hour or two. Initially, we thought we'd visit a museum, but both of the ones on our bucket list were closed on Mondays. So we decided to stop at the Indiana Dunes State Park, and take a hike. 

We had a choice of 10 different trails, and chose one listed as "Moderate" in difficulty that went along the shore of Lake Michigan. It turned out to be more challenging than I expected for two reasons. First, the trail is composed of deep sand---not easy to walk on, and especially difficult when climbing. Our legs got a good workout. Second, it was 88° and humid, and I got overheated about halfway through the hike. Luckily, we had lots of water with us, and I could splash some cool water on my face from Lake Michigan. We were rewarded after the hike with dinner at a great burger and craft beer restaurant in Chesterton, IN. I don't remember the last time I enjoyed a beer quite so much.

Here's one of the trails up to the top of the dune. You can just see Tracy on the top of the path on the left side of the photo.

I waited until Tracy got down the other side of the dune before taking this photo so you can see how high these dunes actually are.

 

I'm not expecting such hot, humid temperatures in the Canadian Rockies, but the forecast for Calgary the next two days is exactly the same as we had at Indiana Dunes. It's going to be HOT at the Calgary Stampede! When I checked before we left, the range of temperatures for Jasper, AB (our most northern destination) , the temperature ranged from 39° to 90° so we're prepared for almost anything (except snow!) 

Linking up with Helena (as always) where you can find more Pairs each Wednesday.

Doodling Some Thanks

A few months before I began my sketching journey, I started some doodles in a little sketchbook, and read a few books, one being Joanne Fink's Zenspirations, which belonged to my son-in-law. I'm pretty sure the doodle flowers on the card below were inspired by a drawing in that book, but it was some time ago, and I don't own the book. The card was sent some time ago as well, but never posted.

After drawing and coloring the flowers, I used Papertrey Ink's "Wet Paint" to stamp the sentiment. It still seemed to need something so I added a strip of thin Washi tape to the bottom.

Here's a more traditional floral thank you card created with the W Plus 9 "Fresh Florals" set. I love this set, but have a terrible time getting a design I like. This one is at least version three, maybe version four. The rest hit the trash bin.

I recently purchased some Fresh Snow Linen cardstock from Papertrey Ink after reading rave reviews of it. I love the slight texture, and the fact that you can get a clean stamped image on it. The card is a premade card by Memory Box---another item from a purchase long ago.

 

We're off tomorrow morning, very early, to drive to Chicago. We'll spend a couple of days with Sarah, Adam, and Caleb before flying from Chicago to Calgary, AB. Luckily, Matt lives just a mile from us and will take care of the mail, yard, and watering plants. We've been so busy it wasn't until this week that I had time to get excited about this trip, but I'm really looking forward to it. Glacier National Park and the Canadian Rockies have long been on our bucket list. I'm not sure how much internet time or access I'll have the rest of the month so you may not see many comments for awhile. I expect to post for Pairs once a week at the very least. 

 

Pairs: Rowers On the Canal

My friend, Debbie, and I walked 5 1/2 miles along the Erie Canal this morning, and I found my "Pairs" for this week. The girls' two-person boats were out for a practice run.

More two photo pairs can be found on Helena's blog right here.