Jill Browne, from home and away

Where am I?

Your final clue (should be pretty obvious by now): Everyone likes the sound of this place so much they want to own it.

Where am I?

Used to be pretty hard to get a drink around here.

Have you figured out where I am yet?

The third clue: This is where you can see the Big Canoe in winter.

Where am I?

Clue number two: Once you get here, you can jump in the lake.

Away on a whirlwind trip.

Clue: Famous First World War flying ace is a big name in aviation around here.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Away: Guelph and Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada

The drive from Guelph north on Highway 6 always makes me feel like I’m heading up there to make my own clearing in the Queen’s Woods.

Nellie McClung was born along this road. There are still two or three of what I take to be original cabins. Please don’t tell me they’re only repros.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
and
Away: Guelph, Ontario, Canada

My first trip of the year!

Guilt: flying so far for such a short trip.
Guilt: leaving home when I really shouldn’t.

OK, that’s over with.

The in-plane experience was OK, crowded but OK. Usually I’m lucky and get on flights that are less than full, but this one wasn’t.

I can’t report any big travel experiences from today. I got safely from A to B and when I got to B, I went to bed!

I’d love to regale you with tales of Guelph, which is really a beautiful and historic city, but that will be a story, or many stories, for other days.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

I love, love, love to travel.

I hate, hate, hate to pack.

Hmmmm.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

As the city limits expand, there are more opportunities for humans to move into the territory of the native wildlife.

A couple of years ago I was driving around to the southwest of town and saw a cougar up close and personal. It was chasing a coyote.

The cougar had an exaggerated jutting jaw, just like the Pink Panther.

It was also much more of an orange colour than I expected. In the zoo and in photos, cougars always looked tawny to me, more golden than orange.

The truly orange animal is the fox, though.

On another day, on that same road, I sat in my car and watched a curious, beautiful fox for ten minutes. They really are gorgeous creatures.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

At the beginning of February, we look for the groundhog to foretell the winter and spring dividing line.

If that doesn’t work, we watch the first of March. “In like a lion, out like a lamb.”

I actually think that’s it, that’s the whole saying.

But, in grade school when we were little kids, we would treat it as a prophesy.

“In like a lion, therefore, out like a lamb.
In like a lamb, therefore, out like a lion.”

The thing is, at the end of the month we would be too distracted by the thrill of April Fool’s Day to remember to watch the weather.