Photo Finish Friday - Year's End!

The tree the city put up, in green and gold for our football team colours. We hosted the Grey cup this year, sadly we were not playing in it though.

 

A not very great shot of the Legislature grounds and the Province's tree.

Another shot, different angle, better focus ;)

I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year!

Holiday Lights

As politically incorrect as it is these days to flaunt your Christmas Spirit, there are several places around the city that do just that. There is one street in the city that has been doing it for almost 40 years, we call it Candy Cane Lane and on their web page is a link to Flickr photos of the street.

The video below is Maisie's Christmas House on the north end of the city that we went and visited a few nights ago. (and there is a much better video of the decorations)

If you follow this link, there are a few other wildly decorated homes through out the city and the bedroom communities that we are going to try to get to eventually. We may not get there 'til next year though as some are pretty far away.

The great thing about all these places is that they all have bins to collect food for the food banks of the area.

I hope every one has a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

Photo Finish Friday: Merry Lunatic

This was last month's Hunter's Moon. Taken with my friends film Nikon with a telephoto lens. I think it came out (after some adjusting) quite well. This gives me hope for the eclipse photos I took with the same camera the other night. And makes me yearn for a DSLR so I can play with lenses and get immediate results. This waiting is for the birds ;)  This last batch will be ready tomorrow, but I am not going near any shops until the 29th if I can help it!

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!


Take care all!

PFF is the brain child of my cousin Leah over at The Goat's Lunch Pail.

Solstice Eclipse

What an event last night was! The first lunar eclipse on the solstice in 372 years! In spite of the cold (-25 C wind chill) I dashed out and took some photos. This is from my digital and amazingly enough, hand held! My friends film camera with the big telephoto lens was on the tripod. I really hope I did as well with the film, but, I won't know for a few days.

Those were the best three shots. I even managed to get a few stars with the last one, so if you click to enlarge, the white spots aren't dust on your screen ;) I didn't stay to see the other side, I was frozen and tired. I also didn't manage to see any shooting stars. I imagine if I had been able to get out to the country where it is darker, I might have seen a few. Oh well, there will be more meteor showers in warmer temperatures long before we have another eclipse like this :)

Happy Solstice all!

My Town Monday - Christmas Windows on Whyte

Back to Old Strathcona we go. Not to see the architecture or the murals this time, but, to see the Christmas displays that they have put up in a few of the windows. They call it The Return of the Magic and I was quite impressed, never having seen this as a child.

The last large scale animatronic display in Edmonton was sometime in the '60's, according to the history on the site. Even if my parents had manage to take us kids down town to have a look, I would have been but a babe in arms. Sorry for the poor quality photos, but please click to enlarge.

The Nativity Scene

Santa's Workshop

Winter Wonderland Romance

The Honeytones Bear Band

 

The Candy Land Kids

 

Gnome Family Christmas

Snowman Stan & The Magnificent Monkey Band

The Christmas Eve Adventure

 The Nutcracker

This last one was my favourite. I have linked each title to it's own page on the website, each page has a link to a story on the making of the display and a soundtrack to go with the scenes. Quite a lot of effort went into making these displays and I am proud to have them in my city. 

The only thing I think would have made them better would have been music outside each store. There were a number of people that just walked by without even a glance, in spite of the three of us oohing and snapping photos. Yes, they provided more than one method to get the MP3 files, but I know myself, I didn't have enough room to download all of them for one night and several people I know do not even own them. That is minor though and we quite enjoyed ourselves.

To enjoy more MTM posts from around the globe, drop by the MTM blog.

Have a good day all.

Photo Finish Friday - Lights

Whyte all all dressed up for Christmas.

PFF is the brain child of my cousin Leah over at The Goat's Lunch Pail.

Have a good weekend.

Photo Finish Friday

So, this is what happens when you get up at the crack of dawn!

 

Have a good weekend all!

PFF is the brainchild of my cousin Leah over at The Goat's Lunch Pail.

Photo Finish Friday

Keeping an eye on the trail!

From back in October when we went for a walk in the dog park.

PFF is the brainchild of my cousin Leah over at The Goat's Lunch Pail.

Have a good weekend all.

Photo Finish Friday

Playing with my food :)

 

PFF is the brainchild of my cousin Leah over at The Goat's Lunch Pail.

Have a good weekend all.

Photo Finish Friday

OOPS! I don't know what I did with the first roll of film, but it didn't turn out, or at least the lab didn't think they did. In spit of being told they were dark shots. You can see the moon on the negative in about three shots, the rest of the film is pale grey except for a couple of sections that are medium grey. Oh well, at least they were kind enough not to charge me for it. Lets hope the other roll turns out when I am finished with it.

In the meantime, I took this with my digital while I was playing with the film camera.

Sadly the zoom on my camera, while amazing, is not the same as my friends Nikon, there was so much detail looking through that lens. Well, I will try again.

Have a good weekend all.

Lest We Forget

Some of you may have already seen this and the website it's on. I thought it worth running today.


Standing Strong & True (For Tomorrow) Official Music Video (HD)





Please take a moment to remember our armed forces, past and present. If it weren't for the dedication with which they serve, we would not enjoy the freedoms we have today.

My Town Monday: Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'...

Wow, it has been awhile since I did one of these. This post was inspired by a wonderful photo taken by someone else. I wasn't aware this was going on on Saturday or I might have tried to go there myself and take a photo or two. None of which would compare to this:



Darren Kirby kindly allowed me to post his photo and a link to his Flickr page. I think y'all should check out the rest of his fabulous photos.

This was the cattle drive through down town Edmonton. I just love the juxtaposition of the cattle and the ranchers on their horses, against the new and ultra modern Art Gallery of Alberta.

This marks the start of the Farmfair Agricultural Showcase here in the city, which is held in conjunction with the Canadian Finals Rodeo. Yep, we's cowboys here and we remember that before there was oil, there were ranches and farms. Of course, if we keep building the way we are going, there will be no place for the cows or the crops, but, such is progress?

So, from the 5th to the 14th of November, if you visit Edmonton, you'd better bring your boots and hats, or you will just blend in with the rest of the city slickers.

For more My Town Monday posts from all 'round the world, click here.

Have a good day all.

Photo Finish Friday

These are but a few of the dogs we saw while walking in the dog park a few weeks ago.

Because I used B&W film, it is going to take 2-3 weeks to get them developed, so there is going to be a bit of a wait to see how badly I did trying to get moon shots and so on :( I still have 1/2 of another B&W to finish and then I will do a colour film.

Have a good weekend all.

PFF is the brainchild of my cousin Leah over at The Goat's Lunch Pail.

Photo Finish Friday

It is Friday, right? The last couple of weeks have been so busy trying to get the painting done, working extra hours at work, recovering from trying to paint so that I can paint some more. I have also been playing...I borrowed my friends Nikon SLR film camera, to remind myself how to use f-stops and apertures etc. because I want to start saving for a DSLR.  I know there is nothing wrong with the camera I have, but, I also know I can make better photos. Of course, once I get the film developed, I may just tuck my tail between my legs and give the whole idea up ;)

So, until I see how those came out, here is a shot from the dog park we went to a couple weeks ago. (no, none of us has a dog)

Ha! You thought is was going to be a dog! No, it is a tree penis! By the time we found that in the middle of the path, I was tired and getting a bit punchy. According to the map that was on the trail, it went around in a big circle. The only problem is it goes around in several circles, some of which are only open for cross country skiing and we had to back track a few times before finding our way back to the open field. The trail in the wooded section is covered in roots and you have to walk with one eye pointing down to avoid tripping and one up to avoid getting whacked in the face with a branch. I will do a proper post on the dog park at a later date...once I have caught up with a few things around here.

So, hope you all have a wonderful fun filled weekend!

The PFF is the brainchild of my cousin Leah at The Goat's Lunch Pail.

October, A Pink Photo Finish Friday

October means Breast Cancer awareness month. I have turned my blog as pink as it's going to get and put up another badge as a reminder of this important cause. Men need to check their ta-tas too, so everyone help out your significant other with a simple check.

If found early breast cancer can be beaten. I can't site statistics, because I'm lazy not that kind of girl.  If you find yourself with a diagnosis of cancer there are plenty of sites out there to help you understand what is going on, Breast Cancer.org is one that is helpful. There are also plenty of emotional support sites such as CommuniCancer, which provides support for any type of cancer.

You can also visit the Booby Wall for some very moving photos and dedications. I think I might just put this up this year.

Fortunately with a bra, it is not that obvious! (That is one of two things I own in pink, not my favourite colour.)

On that note I leave you with a partial new verse for this:

...one pointed North and the other pointed South.....

(We learned slightly different words than the link above)


Have a good long weekend all ;) Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canucks! Now, try and get that out of your head!

PFF is the brainchild of my cousin Leah over at The Goat's Lunch Pail



Hilary of The Smitten Image has honoured this post as The Post of the Week, which makes me proud/embarrassed ;) and lets me display this:

Thank you so much Hilary.

Photo Finish Friday

I got paint on the wall!

And the floor and the cupboards, but I washed that off ;)

Sadly it will need two coats and just doing that section, contorting myself to get behind the fridge and stove (galley kitchen) and on top of the cupboards, was enough to hurt me (hip especially) for two days. Good thing summer has arrived ;)

Have a good weekend all.

PFF is the brain child of my cousin Leah at The Goat's Lunch Pail

Special cake!

I was not expecting much at all on my birthday yesterday, my friend is having me over for bbq on Sunday. However, when I got into work, one of our tenants came in and gave us a box with two Moon Cakes, to celebrate the full moon. So, I had part of a Moon Cake for my birthday! As it says in the link, the salted yolk in the centre is an acquired taste. The rest of the cake was quite gummy and very sweet.

It was also the first time in forever that my birthday was in summer and that there was a Super Harvest Moon on my birthday. Does that mean this will be an auspicious year?

Sadly I wasn't out in time to catch it close to the horizon.

A friend of mine believes that whatever you do on your birthday, you will do throughout the year (also New Years), so she makes sure to have a glass of wine and steaks etc. to be able to enjoy them throughout the year. Well, the last several years, I have managed to avoid doing things like laundry or cleaning on my birthday, but still have had to do the chores throughout the year. This year, I just went ahead and continued the cleaning (so I can paint). Does this mean I will not have to do any cleaning this coming year? Yeah, that's what I thought too. You can only win the lottery if you buy a ticket ;)  And yes, I had steak for supper ;)

Have a good Autumn all.

Busy, busy, busy

I have been working hard to get my apartment clean so that I can finally paint now that my hip is behaving itself. We were supposed to have an inspection today for bedbugs, so I timed it that I would have it clean(ish) for that, then I could paint after.

Turns out the fumigator thought she was only inspecting a few suits around a recently vacated suite that was a horror. So, now we have to re-book the inspections and follow much more stringent (no scent in the apartment for 24 hours, no smoking etc.) set of guidelines. Oh, did I mention they are bringing a dog around to sniff everything? No? Well, apparently, they have a dog trained to sniff out bedbugs. Bedbugs have only been a problem in our city in the last 2 or 3 years. Prior to that very few incidents.

I have decided to hell with that, I am going to continue on with washing and then painting the walls, if they happen to book the appointment for while I am painting, oh well. It has been cold enough that if I don't do it soon, it won't get done while I can still open windows.

I am 100% sure that I don't have them and 97% sure that none of the neighbours in the wing I live in have them. (I would even venture to say I am 90% sure of the whole building and 80% sure of the whole complex, but that would just be inviting trouble.)

So no photo this Friday, I have been trying to play with a few and hope to have them up soon though.

Have a good weekend all.

Photo Finish Friday

We went for a drive on Tuesday out in the country. We stopped at Legal, AB and had a look at their murals. They were all very interesting, but this is what caught my fancy ;)

For those too young to recognise the graffiti, check this link.

The PFF is the brainchild of my cousin Leah over at The Goat's Lunch Pail.

Have a good weekend all.

Photo Finish Friday

Helping me make the bed! Yeah, that's it!

PFF is the brainchild of my cousin Leah at The Goat's Lunch Pail.

Have a good long weekend all.

Up & Down

My physio appointment on Friday was very interesting. Jo-anne, my therapist, had discussed my hip with the other therapists there and they came to the conclusion that (from what I described) it is possible that I have a loose piece of something floating around in the joint that impinges on it's mobility etc. So, she wrote a letter for me to give to my Dr. asking to get an MRI or a CAT scan done. YES! Thank you! I almost had to twist her arm to get her to give me the order for physio (which I then discovered I didn't need) and she just brushed me off when ever I mentioned something else is wrong with the hip than just arthritis. So, I'll be off to the Dr. in just a little bit.

In the meantime, Jo-anne pulled and twisted my leg... and I can walk! It's like a miracle! So, she is going to teach a friend of mine how to pull and twist, so that I can continue to walk after the 6 (yes - SIX) appointments are done. The city is so lacking in facilities & personnel that an MRI appointment may take up to six weeks and who knows how long it may be before I can actually get anything done if they find anything.

The acupuncture was interesting, the first needle she put between my toes, she hit a reflex point and my whole lower leg jerked, then it just hurt, so once she was done with the rest, she had to reposition that one. I am not sure if it helped any, this was after the pulling and twisting, so who knows.

My weekend was up and down though... my hip would be great for a long time, then it would just start to act like it had before, not supporting me etc. A few minutes of that and it would be fine again for a bit, then not, then fine, then not. I think the worst part was the getting into and out of my friends truck, just enough twist to aggravate the joint. But I was always able to walk it off! I am so happy!

Have a great (mobile) day all.

Photo Finish Friday

Sunsets

and moon rises.

Have a good weekend all.

The PFF is the brainchild of my cousin Leah over at The Goat's Lunch Pail.

Physio & Birds!

Well, I had my first physio appointment today for my hip. My therapists name is Joanne and she wants to try acupuncture on me next time! That should be interesting. In the meantime, she iced my hip and used a muscle stimulator then did some massage and gave me a few exercises to do. She isn't sure what is going on, but is not happy with the feel of the muscles in my thigh and the lack of motion. I think I will only get about 6 sessions paid for, so I hope it will be enough to do some good.

I was at my friends place the other evening for supper and while we were waiting for it to be cooked the birds decided to visit her yard & feeder.

He's very pretty isn't he?

Sorry for the blurry, but this is his back.

It sometimes gets a bit crowded!

So, they have to stand on each other! ;)

Have a good day all.

Photo Finish Friday

Ducks in Hawrelak Park.

I was just getting closer for a better shot and a kid on a bike came along the path they are beside. Such is photography, frankly, I'm surprised the geese didn't take after him.

Have a good weekend all.

Photo Finish Friday

Click to enlarge

This stair takes you from the river valley to street level. There was a pregnant Asian woman that went up and down about three times while we were having our picnic last week. I think she was more than ready to deliver and was trying to encourage the reluctant baby to be born in Canada.


Have a good weekend all.

PFF is the brainchild of my cousin Leah at The Goat's Lunch Pail.

Just stuff

Awhile back I made a comment on Mary Anne in Kentucky's blog Living with the Sun, about fake wasps nests and how they can discourage real wasps from settling in as wasps apparently are territorial. (breathe) Here is a photo of my neighbours:

They are just paper and this is the first one I have seen that wasn't grey. I don't imagine it makes a big difference.

**********

Kcinnova made a comment on one of my posts about using Laughing cow cheese, and how she hadn't really come up with any other ideas. So, this is a simple snack:

These are corn cakes (70 cal/3) (or you can use rice cakes) spread with Laughing cow cheese (68 cal/3 triangles - 1/2 per cake) and then sliced cucumbers. If you eat things like tomato that would be good too I would think, or any veggie, I just love my cucumber. I was very hungry that day, usually I only have four, but as that is still only 208 calories + whatever cucumber adds, I figured it was okay. For the rice cakes, you kind of need one whole triangle, so it is a few more calories.

*********

The other cool thing going on. The apartment down the hall just was painted and the door for the storage room is in an awkward (to say the least) place, so the manager asked if they wanted it removed. The new tenants said yes please, so I asked if I could have it (one less door for me to paint when I get around to it) and it looks so good, I will now have to get off my kiester and get painting. I also lucked into white drapes from one of the other suites. I know that the manager would either leave them in place until either a tenant took them, or 'til they were disgustingly ratty, so I saved them from that (with permission). The tenant that left them had not hemmed them properly so I have been spending the last week picking the interfacing used to hem them (IKEA) off, then I will surge the raw edges and wash them until they are bright and clean. When I am done the walls will be turquoise and the drapes, doors and trim will be white. If I can ever afford furniture, I will aim for brown, chocolatey.

Have a good day all.

Photo Finish Friday

Dinner?

Have a good weekend all.

PFF is the brain child of my cousin Leah at The Goat's Lunch Pail

We went for a picnic

Down by the river valley and Whitemud Creek on Monday. (click to enlarge any photo)

There was a BC fruit stand at the entrance to the park.

This is the bridge over Whitemud Creek.

It's a good thing we brought our own wood for our Smokies!

This fellow serenaded us while we were there.

Good thing his friend came along and was in a better position to photograph.

But it's this shot that leads me to believe these are Cedar Waxwings.

This was our reward after a big wind and dark clouds sent our feathered friends away (there is a bit of rainbow there).

As we were cleaning up, we spotted this lovely Hawk soaring above us. Sadly my zoom is not quite up to the task of getting a very clear shot. (Unless it is a Bald Eagle - except the tail isn't white)

Have a good day all.