Jill Browne, from home and away

Starbucks at the Westin Hotel, Calgary. Photo by Jill Browne, February 22, 2011.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

The picture shows the Westin Hotel on 4th Avenue SW, downtown. It’s still one of the leading business hotels, with a great location for people who have meetings right downtown.

I haven’t visited the Starbucks in there yet.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

My vote for best pizza in town is the Ambrosia at Nick’s on Crowchild Trail across from McMahon Stadium.

Artichokes and sun dried tomatoes and spinach and feta cheese.

Yummy.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

I don’t even have to drive to work and I still hate Mondays.

Calgary traffic lights, Centre Street, downtown. Photo by Jill Browne, February 22, 2011.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

The best thing about living in southern Alberta might just be that beautiful blue sky. Had it back again today. The temp was about -10 at mid-day. Perfect.

Took the dogs for a walk and chipped some hard snow off the sidewalk. Still have more to do but it’s not dangerous as is.

Chinatown, Calgary, corner of Centre Street and 4th Ave SE. Photo by Jill Browne, February 22, 2011.

The Harry Hays Building, Downtown Calgary. Photo by Jill Browne, February 22, 2011.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

I took the dogs out for a walk, since it was sunny and not nearly as cold as it’s been this week. Only about -10 C.

This picture from about two weeks ago shows the east side of the Harry Hays Building on 4th Avenue SE, right downtown. Many people know it as the place you go for passports, though in recent years there has been a more convenient office in the deep south. (More convenient for anyone who doesn’t have to go downtown and isn’t in the far north end of the city. Free parking.)

I remember going there for tax stuff once upon a time, and also I think I had a job interview in there where they fingerprinted me. When I asked if they would destroy the finger prints if I didn’t get the job, I was met with stares of complete incomprehension. Who knows, maybe I’m on file.  That must be what’s been curbing my criminal tendencies lo these many years.

The Harry Hays is one of the few office buildings at the east end of downtown. Very convenient for Chinese food.

The Answer is:

Owen Sound, Ontario

Clue #1: Billy Bishop, Canadian World War One Flying Ace, was born and raised here. The Billy Bishop Regional Airport is named after him, and the family home is now the Billy Bishop Home and Museum.

Clue #2 said you can jump in the lake. Owen Sound is the town’s name, but also the name of the Sound itself, a long, narrow inlet bringing the water of Lake Huron (Georgian Bay) right into town. Owen Sound is half on the east side of the Sound, and half on the west, roughly.

Clue #3: The Big Canoe, or Chi-Cheemaun, is the ferry that runs from Tobermory to Manitoulin Island. In the winter, you can see the Chi-Chee tied up in Owen Sound.

Clue #4: Prohibition until 1961. Owen Sound didn’t get a liquor store until 1961, long after Prohibition ended everywhere else. Signs of such temperance are no longer evident. The town has the same ration of beer stores and bars as its peers.

Clue #5: This was a pun! Everyone likes the sound of this place so much they want to own it.

Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada.  A beautiful place all year-round.

Clue Number Three from yesterday:

Have you figured out where I am yet?

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

The name of the Big Canoe in Ojibwa is Chi-Cheemaun.

Yesterday’s Clue Number 2 post said:

Where am I?

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

And the answer:

This place is so close to the water you have to cross a piece of Lake Huron to get from one side of downtown to the other.

Yesterday’s post for Clue Number 1 said:

Away on a whirlwind trip.

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

Here’s the answer:

Billy Bishop Regional Airport

And on to Clue Number 2 in the next post.

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.