HEAD-SMASHED-IN BUFFALO JUMP
Looking out over the admittedly bleak landscape is rather awe-inspiring if you can withstand the icy blasts of wind that shoot across the plains. Looking now at the vast expanse of snowy farmland, it’s hard to believe that once endless herds of bison met a grisly death as they paraded off the ledge featured above in an incredibly elaborate and developed Blackfoot tradition. They called it a Pik’Sun, which translates directly according to the museum that my cousin and I visited, “Deep Kettle of Blood.” Quite.
ENDLESS BLUE, ENDLESS WHITE, IT'S 2010
It is on some level difficult to believe that it’s already 2010. Which also of course means that it’s January again. It’s hard to disguise a a certain amount of distaste for a month that is punctuated by bouts of bone-chilling cold, incessant darkness, and a certain level of tedium. It’s hard not to spend a certain, more than minimal amount of time, fantasizing about warmer climes. Tahiti sounds like a fantastic place to spend January.
TEMPTATION
In its most innocuous form it bedazzles us, blinds us to the consequences of our actions, tricks us into believing the convenient lie of the one-time occurrence, and leads us into perdition. It’s so easy to believe, to want to believe, in in the minor justification, the temporary slip that becomes ever so permanent. As appropriately postmodern children, we believe in the total existentialist worldview of our father Sartre, in which all decisions are mutually exclusive of the next, that the rules of causality are bent by mere force of will and desire. After all, they teach it on Oprah, it even has a pseudo-scientific name — the Law of Attraction! You can read all about it in modern spiritual tome, The Secret.
SLOPPY, SLUSHY SOUP
At the beginning of the season, and usually towards the end, there is a period of nature’s indeterminacy that we mortals must inevitable suffer through, soaked shoes and dirt flecked pants as proof of our endeavours. Of course, it is those without vehicles that suffer the most, tossed carelessly to the whims of the streets and the elements. As you may have guessed, I am one of the innumerable societal rejects of whose plight I so eloquently previously described. Sadly, yes, winter has arrived in full force to strangle the life out of all those that dare to brave its icy tendrils.
H1N1 AND WINDOWS 7
Well, I like to think that this October, I got both. Ok, luckily for me, I mean the vaccine for H1N1. The province advertised general availability of the vaccine, and made it available for free, so I decided to get it right away. With my exposure as high as it is with travel, public transit, time at two universities, and my general propensity to come down with whatever is going around the office, I decided it would be in my best interests to get the vaccine as soon as possible, especially since it takes up to 14 days to generate any immunity. Naïvely, I went immediately after work, and proceeded to wait for the next 3½ hours. That was ridiculous, although, now, a few days later, I realize I was rather fortunate to get it at all. I really hate getting the flu.
FALL CAMPING
It's been a challenging few months as I come out of the summer and look into the bleak darkness that is the beginning of winter here in the Great White North. As something of a last hurrah, a friend of mine and I would up going down to Kananaskis Country to camp for the weekend. It was a fantastic weekend; wonderful to get out of the city for a while and look at actual stars. There were a number of campfires, great views, and an excellent hike. It was also cold and rainy for part of it, but that is the risk you run with off-season camping. The upside is that the fire is appreciated all that much more, and you really cut down on the crowds.
AUGUST PANIC
August is usually the pinnacle of the summer season, but also signals its near end in Edmonton. Unbelievably to me, I am now looking at the waning side of the summer, and it seems like it just got here. I have never looked forward to the summer more than when I moved to Edmonton. Somehow, it became so much more valuable to me. I have been rather sick the last week or so, but now that I am on the path to recovery, I have every intention of making the most out of the time remaining.
SYLVAN LAKE AND PAINTBALL
Not wanting to waste a single summer weekend, so spare are they in Edmonton, I have been spending many weekends getting out of the city into new locales and limited warm weather activities. I spent this most recent past weekend in Red Deer where I went paintballing for the afternoon. IT was fun, but I was covered with some fairly nasty welts, sunburn, and slick sheen of sweat from crawling around in the woods for 3½ hours. In end, we wound up diving into the massive lake in the picture above for a dip to cool (and rinse) off before going to get some dinner. I think the groom was fairly glad to be done after having been made to complete a gauntlet lined with paintball guns for his bachelor party.
MOUNTAIN PANORAMA
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GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
After spending the weekend down in Glacier National Park, I am decidedly sore but contented. I have made many trips to the Rockies over the year, and weather is never an element one can plan for; I have certainly seen it go both ways. I am very grateful to say that for this particular trip, the weather was excellent. We had a bit of rain, but not until we were driving back up after finishing our weekend. Thankfully, the rest of the trip was graced with sunny clear skies and and pleasant temperatures.