Jill Browne, from home and away

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Looking north toward the Centre Street Bridge, Calgary. Photo by Jill Browne, February 22, 2011.

We’ve been on daylight savings time for a while now. Why it started in early March is a good question but OK, it did.

This means it stays light later in the evening, and that’s nice.

Going to work in the morning, for those who have to travel any distance, is still dismal and dark.

This picture from February could have been taken today, a month later.

The picture is of Centre Street, looking north. In the distance is the Centre Street Bridge, crossing the Bow River. It’s a two-level bridge. Every year, usually on the first day of the Calgary Stampede, someone who can’t read road signs will drive his RV, or attempt to drive his RV, across the lower deck and get stuck because the bridge clearance is too low for his vehicle.

Some day I hope to get to the scene and watch the RV extraction process. It’s sort of a rite of passage. (Watching, not being the driver.)

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.

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 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.

From yesterday’s Where Am I quiz, the fifth and final question was:

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.

That is a giveaway! Answer and explanation of the clues in the next post. Have you figured it out?

Yesterday’s Where Am I clue number four was:

Where am I?

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

This town was dry from 1917 until 1961.

Have you figured it out yet? One more clue and then the answer in the next two posts.

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.