As I am sitting at my desk today I am looking out over the fields and misty hills, a downpour of rain interlaced with a low sun. I started thinking about my mountain adventure last summer. It almost feels unreal now that I actually hiked from Munich to Venice. One of the lovely young women I met had mentioned to me that she would love to go hiking in the Alps every weekend if she just could. And so she did, even in winter! Kind of like a mountain addiction which probably resonates with a lot of hikers, mountaineers, anybody who had been exposed to nature for a longer time period as you realize you are not separate but one.
I so missed the mountain after my return to Canada in October, the grand vistas but also the peace that comes with being with yourself only, in your own bubble, and the many hours spent in nature. Such a powerful connection.
I still try to spend as much time outside walking the dogs, and on my own and dreaming of another long distance hike.
I got to spend 4 weeks in Edmonton over the holidays visiting my partner and it seems it always takes me a week to adjust to the different climate and setting, the same thing on the way back!
It was unusually warm for the time of year. Many days above freezing and some of them were very pleasant. The snow and ice was melting during the day and repeatedly freezing at night which makes walking at a faster pace the biggest challenge. Some of the sidewalks are totally cleared and dry, some have a thin layer of ice, and some feel like a sheet of ice. You constantly have to scan the ground or you slide and fall which luckily happened to me only once. I like to explore different neighbourhoods on my longer walks and always find new and interesting sights.
Got my dog fix at the off leash park at Sir Wilfrid Laurier Park (named after Canada’s 8th prime minister), adjacent to the zoo, and found some icy Inukshuks by the North Saskatchewan River.
Also discovered an indoor farmer’s market, the Bountiful Farmers Market (open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays) which was totally amazing and a few new organic/wholefoods stores. The farmer’s market had local produce of many sorts: coffees, teas and spices, a food court, bakeries, wine, preserves, produce, meats, skin care, decorations, dog treats, cheese, and my favourite – mushrooms!
I bought a mushroom kit for pink oyster mushrooms and there were also beautiful varieties of fresh farm grown mushrooms for sale. I had a really neat experience of interacting with the seller who did not speak one word of English but used a translation program on his phone to answer my questions and communicate.
The mushroom kit had a lot of fruiting bodies but in the end only one produced these amazing pink oyster mushrooms. Due to their vibrant colours it felt like having a bouquet of flowers in the kitchen. It gave me a feeling of joy and gratitude talking to my mushrooms and they grew and grew faster every day. A little denser in the flesh but sooo good.
Then my kit decided it needed rest and did no more. I put it into the fridge for 2 weeks and have taken it with me to Victoria. Planning to stop its hibernation soon and bring it back to life. Will keep you posted! I did the same thing with an amaryllis bulb that seemed dead and it developed into this amazing flower and leaves in 5 weeks.
The flight back was just stunning. Sunshine almost all the way, a fantastic view of downtown Calgary and the vistas of the mountains were incredible. I love keeping track of all the mountain ranges from the air. Following the rivers, recognizing the highways and even towns I used to travel with my guests from all over the world: Highway #1, the Bow River, Banff, even Mt. Wilson, all clearly visible.
Calgary Hwy 1/Bow River Canmore Banff Mt. Wilson Rocky Mountain Trench
And as the sun was getting lower it gave this warm glow to the ice and snow. How different it would be below. It indeed always feels like a miracle sitting in an airplane and realizing how small all these many worries become when you remove yourself just a little bit.
Vancouver Gulf Islands Approaching Victoria
I really like your pictures.