View from Room, Mount Royal Hotel, Banff

"If we can't export the scenery, we'll import the tourists."

W.C. Van HorneCanadian Pacific Railroad President, 1888-1899

Castle Mountain

Here is a photo from a while back taken in Banff National Park...  Happy Thanksgiving!

Kananaskis Village

A view from the loop walk around Kananaskis Village.

Ribbon Creek

It is warming in the mountain valleys.  This view is from the bridge across Ribbon Creek as you head into Kananaskis Village.

Canada Geese

The geese must think spring is coming - they have been flying back in the last few days.  This pair perched on our 14th floor balcony for a few minutes this morning before moving on.

Vermillion Lakes and Rundle

The weather was great today - the first weekend in a while with really nice weather.  It was above freezing, sunny, and not much wind.

Skiing down Main Street

Today we were in Canmore where they were having Nordic racing for the kids down main street.  It reminded me of swim team back when we lived in Kingwood and our kids were little.  Some were styling it like the little girls at the top.  Others were really getting into it and were definitely there to win.

It's not Spring Yet

It has been unusually cold this last couple of weeks.  Today warmed up to about -13 deg. C.  Not many Chinooks lately.  Punxsutawney Phil must have seen his shadow.  Actually we have our own woodchuck who does the forecasts here in Canada.  Since Canada extends further East than the United States, we get our forecast before folks in the United States.

The photograph above was taken on Princes Island in Calgary.

America's Last Surviving Veteran of the First World War

I read last week that Frank Buckles, the last surviving veteran of WW I from the United States, died at the age of 110 on 27 February, 2011.  The article said that there are only two surviving veterans in other countries.  Even though I am in Canada, when I passed this memorial on my walk along the Bow River this afternoon I thought of him.

Pond Hockey

Outdoor hockey on Lake Louise...

Each year there is an ice sculpture contest at Lake Louise.  We were kind of late getting there this year and the works were not in the best condition but I thought this one interesting.  Notice the crystal ball she is holding with the flower sculpted in it.  How do you think they did that?

Bow Valley

This is the Bow River just downstream of the falls in Banff. It was a warm day today, a chinook blew through last night.  But it has been cold and the falls and river were largely iced over.

Above Bow Falls

And because I am feeling a bit artsy, here is a black and white.  Two trees struggling to make it on the cliffs above Bow River Falls.



The dock houses in this photo float on pontoons out in the lake.  In the summer you can rent a boat and head out on the lake to fish.  Today was very windy and for the first time I saw a large "snow devil" from the car - kind of like a dust devil.  Snow swirls all the time but this one was 10 meters high with nice funnel shape.

Young Ram Foraging in Snow

I haven't seen much wildlife lately so even though sheep are pretty common I stopped and photographed this young fellow near the road to Lake Minnewanka in Banff.

Catching some Air

This guy and his buddy were taking turns jumping off of a small home-made ramp below the road up Mount Norquay.  One would climb the hill up to the road, then take off down and over the ramp while the other photographed from below.  Looked like fun to me....

Cat Tails

Finally, back out in the mountains again.  This is Vermillion Lakes at a spot where I photographed a Red-winged Blackbird last year.  I walked out on the frozen lake to take the shot, whereas last year I was up on the bank to the left.

Snowy Calgary

It has been snowing in Calgary and when it gets to a certain temperature we just don't feel much like getting out.  Last week we were up to 50 deg F, now we are down to -2 deg F.  Even this statue in downtown Calgary looks cold.

Cold Duck

It wasn't that cold today, in fact it was above freezing, but you couldn't tell that from this mallard drake and hen hanging out by the lagoon on Princes Island.

Vermillion Lakes (again)

Vermillion Lakes is mostly frozen except where the springs are.  There were kite skaters out on the lake today.