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.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Cold. Have I mentioned that before?
But for cold weather, you can put on more clothes and stay inside. When it’s too hot, you can’t get away as easily. The shopping centers and office buildings have air conditioning, and some people have it in their homes, but not many. I hope it never becomes necessary.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Here are more of the pics I took yesterday while driving around, mainly from the south to downtown and back.
Today’s highlight was breakfast at Pfanntastic Pannekoek Haus, a Dutch pancake house on Crowchild Trail just south of 50th Avenue SW. You can get to it from northbound Crowchild, but if you are southbound, take the 50th Ave exit and head left (east), and work your way south a couple of blocks. Easy.
Mine was bacon, raisins, apple. Suzanne had brown sugar and lemon juice. Our mystery guest had the same as I did. All enjoyed the meal.
This is a Calgary classic and always reliable for a tasty and filling mid-day or even evening meal. The pancakes are giant crepes that lie flat on the plate. You get one, with your choice of 80 topping selections (including some combos). Very tasty. One is a meal.
Yesterday’s driving pics.
Crane images on Zoo overpass. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, February 22, 2011.
Pedestrian ramp to reach Bridgeland C-Train station by crossing Memorial Drive. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, February 22, 2011.
Where the Calgary General Hospital used to be. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, February 22, 2011.
Copper domes on church. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, February 22, 2011.
Entering downtown on the 4th Avenue flyover. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, February 22, 2011.
Booker's for seafood. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, February 22, 2011.
New condo apartments for sale near the Bow River. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, February 22, 2011.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
I took these pictures on an average day at the very tail end of rush hour. It was still busy (around 8:30 a.m.) but in Calgary the downtown workday starts at 8 o’clock. We were more into the school run and people like me doing their errands. The pictures are a bit blurry because I took them (a) through the car window and (b) while moving, but not while driving. Someone else was doing that.
School bus morning run. Photo by Jill Browne. Calgary, February 22, 2011.
Lafarge sand and gravel and concrete. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, February 22, 2011.
Concrete pipes by Lafarge. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, February 22, 2011.
Driving toward downtown on Memorial Drive. The haze is partly from the windshield dirt. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, February 22, 2011.
Truck carrying yellow pipes. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, Feburary 22, 2011.
Big trucks through a dirty window. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, February 22, 2011.
Red and yellow Max Bell Arena. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, February 22, 2011.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
No kids at school today. Family Day, an Alberta holiday originally, because we needed something to relieve us in February. I see that Ontario has got it now too.
But Peggy the mail lady still had to do her rounds, because federal workers do not have Family Day. They have to enjoy their nearest and dearest on their own time, in this particular instance.
Here are some more pictures of Calgary from my 2011 collection.
Cecil Hotel (the green building). Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, January 3, 2011.
Plus 15 near Centre Street. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, January 1, 2011.
Calgary Chamber of Commerce building. Photo by Jill Browne, January 3, 2011.
Calgary Tower, with new Bow Building on the left. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, January 3, 2011.
Workers on Bow Building site, No. 1 of 3. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, January 3, 2011.
Workers on Bow Building site, No. 2 of 3. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, January 3, 2011.
Bow Building site, No. 3 of 3. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, January 3, 2011.
The shadow of a hawthorn tree, by Jill Browne. Calgary, February 13, 2011.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
That picture of the shadow of the hawthorn tree is from Sunday. Today I noticed the shadow again, but since we’ve had light fluffy snow all day, the branches’ shadows look twice as thick.
Wednesday is Breakfast With Suzanne Day!
Today: Cora’s in MacKenzie Town. Or maybe that was just MacKenzie. And maybe it’s McKenzie. Anyway, if you live in Calgary, you know what Mac or McKenzie is. The restaurant isn’t obvious but it’s in the same little corner on 130th just east of Deerfoot as The Keg.
The food today: Bacon, scrambled eggs, fruit, blueberry crepes and a latte. Beans as an extra (for the protein, dear).
What we found out when it arrived is there was also toast and potatoes.
Enough food for a day, in other words.
Nice food. Atmosphere better than Ricky’s, not as relaxing as Over Easy, my current #1 pick. I think I prefer Nellie’s in the Loop to Cora’s for the #2 spot, but only by a whisker, and it’s only if we get the right table. For the food, Cora’s, for the atmosphere, Nellie’s, so take your pick.
We were at about plus 12 on the weekend. Minus 17 today with snow.
And unfortunately when I went for a grit refill, the box was empty. Oh no! May have to buy cat litter if we don’t get grit, for our sidewalk.
A big hardware store and parking lot, Shawnessy, Calgary. Photo by Jill Browne, February 5, 2011.
Grey sky with snow lightly falling, Shawnessy, Calgary. Photo by Jill Browne, February 5, 2011.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
A colder day with light snow falling and a very grey sky. The camera flare exaggerates the sun; really it was just a dull yellow hole in an even duller sky.
I didn’t mean these pics to be depressing but they really don’t have much life to them!
We had to go out foraging for food and office supplies, thus ending up at this mall in Shawnessy. The mall is at MacLeod Trail and Highway 22X, but there is a lot more of Calgary even south of there. If you haven’t been here for a while you may be surprised at how much the city has expanded. This is the last shopping I can think of this far south on MacLeoad, though.
Calgary provides free sand to residents in winter. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, February 4, 2011.
What passes for sand in Calgary. Photo by Jill Browne. Calgary, February 4, 2011.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
It’s Melting! The snow is melting today, as the temp has been above zero (freezing) and sunny all day. This is my favourite weather, actually: from zero to ten degrees C, sunny and calm. Very uplifting.
But the melting snow turns to ice at night or when the daytime temp goes back down, as it will do again and again. We have to put “sand” on our sidewalk to prevent people from falling.
We get the sand free from the local fire station. It’s a help yourself arrangement, and there is a limit on how much you can take, but a pail full at a time is well within the limit.
Take a look at what we call “sand”. It’s angular grit! Gives good traction but a real irritation when a pebble hits your windshield.
Hey, should I apply for work as a hand model?
jill