Long day today. 2 provinces and 3 states. Left Lethbridge after a great visit with Jeff, Carrie, Oscar, Jack and Milo. We were on the road for about 10 hours but we were mostly on local highways with great scenery and a very relaxed pace. Lots of small towns and stops along the way to take in the landscape. Interstates are great for making good time but you sure miss a lot.
The wind never stops blowing in southern Alberta. Perfect for a wind farm.
We left home on Friday, Oct 21 for the start of our 7th snowbird adventure. 1st stop was in Medicine Hat to take in a hockey tournament. We have been primarily staying in the Choice Hotel chain and the Comfort and Quality Inns are usually fairly nice with good hot breakfasts. The Econo Lodge is also in that same chain and while ok we usually try to avoid them.
We booked into a Quality Inn and found the hotel to be about 50 years past its best before date. Certainly not up to the standards of most others we have stayed in. Our impressions were further tarnished by the front desk employee who clearly did not know what she was doing and compounded when we had someone trying to enter our room at about 11:00 followed about 30 minutes later by the front desk staff knocking at our door trying to confirm who we were and what we were doing in the room they gave us. Got that sorted out and the rest of the stay has been uneventful.
Saturday we headed east on Hwy #1 to Irvine, Ab. to take in grandson Milo's hockey game. He is the goalie for his team and backstopped his team to a 3-3 tie while facing 50 shots including stopping a breakaway with 7seconds left to preserve the tie. Their team presents a fur coat to their game MVP and Milo was proudly wearing the coat as he exited the dressing room. He won't be taking it off until it is presented to the MVP of the next game.
We are taking in a second game on Sunday (Milo will be the backup for this game) before we head to Lethbridge to stay with Jeff and Carrie for a couple nights.
A few days ago we had an amazing sunset and I captured the image below.
The retention ponds are starting to freeze and it is humorous watching the geese skate across the ponds, slipping and falling on their duffs or breaking through the thin ice.
We leave on Friday for a rather protracted trip to Az and I am sure many of these feathered friends will be hot on our tail. Our first stop is Medicine Hat to take in a hockey tournament where grandson Milo will, now that his broken arm has healed, return to his goaltending duties for his team. Then off to Lethbridge for a few days and then we head to the Oregon coast and San Francisco before heading back east to Gold Canyon.
Last weekend Lori and I took a drive over to Oak Hammock Marsh to catch the sunset and watch the geese preparing for their trip south. We should have stuck around a bit longer as the full moon rising over the horizon was spectacular.
Some of the birds were settling in for night however most of the geese were still off in the neighbouring fields picking through the left overs from the farmers combines.
The dog definitely wanted to give chase but the owner has him on a short leash and the duck seemed to be unconcerned.
I had my new Sony A74 out for the first time and was amazed how well the focus tracking did its job by staying with birds in flight. In this picture the bird eye auto focus locked onto the birds eye and followed it as the bird fidgeted about. Gonna like this camera.
Tip for next time. Don't shoot at the birds in low light when the subject is between the camera and the rising sun. Ended up with lots of grainy silhouettes.
Did get a shot of one of the last groups to leave the marsh. The geese float around in the marsh and when they start a honking you can be assured that a few seconds later they start a flapping and then they are off to bulk up in a nearby field.
Some more pictures from one Heclava day. (Borrowed that one from Neil....!)
Next up Oak Hammock Marsh or perhaps Pinawa Dam.
Saturday we took a day trip up to Hecla Island with Debbie and Don.
2 hour drive, great weather, beautiful scenery including a couple of eagles, deer and some great shots. We had a fabulous lunch at the Lighthouse Inn Restaurant which included fresh pickerel, cold beer and a view of the harour. Couldn't ask for more.
Last day in the mountains and we get some sun and blue skies.
Combination of clear skies, sun and snow and blue becomes the dominant colour.
Will have to get back here when the temperatures are warmer. Would love to see Lake Moran but roads were still snowed in.
Day 2 of our stay at Lake Louise we took the drive to the Columbia Ice Fields. Another grey overcast day but despite that the scenery was still breathtaking.
Seldom did we see the tops of the mountains.
