Jill Browne, from home and away

Friday, April 1, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Away: Drove to Edmonton

I didn’t look forward to the drive north to Edmonton today.

OK, let’s get it over with, no one in Calgary looks forward to going to Edmonton, thanks to our inter-city rivalry. But, shock, horror, I’ve lived in both places and each has its charm. The drive between Calgary and Edmonton can be beautiful in the spring, as the migrating birds return.

Spring?

I woke up this morning to see on the AMA’s (Alberta Motor Association) website: Winter weather warning.

Fantastic! Just what I was hoping for!

I was lucky. The bad weather with the snow and wind and ice and all that was west and south of my route.

A calm and pleasant drive to our provincial capital.

Didn’t see any swans at Red Deer though. Too early, I guess.

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.)

Chamber of Commerce Building, Calgary. Photo by Jill Browne, January 3, 2011.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Snow. Had lunch with an old friend at a Mexican restaurant with a pagoda-shaped sign where the Chinese restaurant used to be. Fun lunch, yucky weather.

I took this picture in January. The old Chamber of Commerce building is the home of the Chamber, and a beautiful building it is. It’s been integrated into the modern skyscraper behind it and can be reached via the Plus 15.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

It snowed and snowed and snowed.

To quote Dr. Seuss, “Snow, snow, snow. All that snow has to Go!”

Monday, March 21, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

A week ago I went to the Calgary Zoo for the day. It was bright and sunny, a perfect spring day.

The lions were basking on the rocks. We ran into Kelly, a Zoo educator I’ve known for a few years and found out the lions can bask on the rocks all year round if they want.

The baby giraffe was cute but it was the hyrax that stood out unexpectedly. Usually these little grey guys are few and far between. But this day we saw them piled up on each other in groups of five and six, looking like piles of grey rocks. I guess that’s the point.

Fun day at the zoo.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Big buzz on Facebook, friends waiting for this big moon.

Mother Nature was not kind to us. The skies were cloudy all day, all night.

Was there a big moon up there?

I’ll take it on faith.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Big hurrah, there was more grit in the box at the fire station. In fact, it was even sandy and not just the sharp little pebbles I posted about before.

This winter. Man. It’s snowed and thawed and snowed and thawed more times than I can remember from other winters.

Everyone is sick of it.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

The poor weather was good luck for us: we got parking on the street in Kensington.

Let me repeat: we got parking on the street in Kensington.

I actually avoid Kensington, even though it’s one of Calgary’s more interesting commercial spots, because of the parking. Yes, I am a bit more picky. A lot more picky about parking than anyone else in the world. I don’t care. If parking isn’t easy, why go?

So, poor weather = good parking.

Moving on to the actual food experience, I would go to Wake Bistro again. We sat in a table by the window with a view to the goings-on outside, such as they were.

I had the bacon, eggs, special breakfast, all great, and with an added touch of homemade mango jam. Tasty.

I’d go back.

Had a little stroll in the rain for a few minutes, over to Pages. Bought books.

Admired the green velvet cupcakes in the window of Cravings the cupcake place. Well, green cupcakes. Not something you see every day but perhaps inevitable on March 16. St. Patrick’s Eve.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Maybe I just need to stop being friends with people on the west coast.

One has already got heirloom tomato plants sprouting in her outdoor greenhouse.

Another is blogging about daffodils and such like.

We aren’t.

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.