Vacation 2013 – Part 17 – The Final Full Day!

Today was the last full day we spent with Kyla before she moves into her new place. Last minute items were picked up and a few things organized. Apple was good to us this week, when we arrived Kyla reminded me of her iPhone having some issues and with us being beyond the warranty period Bell couldn’t really help us. We made a call to Apple and got a guy in Georgia, we explained the problem we were having and tried a few things but nothing solved the issue. Apple decided to replace the phone and would try to have everything back to normal before we would leave Kyla here in Lethbridge. So, a box had to be sent to us, Kyla’s phone would go in it and be sent back and then a new phone sent back to her. We had about 6 days to pull it off. Today the phone arrived and we got everything working. Apple rocked! Apple has been good to us on repair issues before so we weren’t really surprised. We didn’t do much else today. Dale wasn’t feeling the greatest (I am betting on it being because tomorrow we leave) so, we really just kind of hung out. Jenna and I made dinner, Dale rested, Megan read (as usual) and Kyla worked on setting up her new MacBook Pro and her new iPhone. I actually did some work on a couple of magazine articles I have been writing (both now done and submitted, w00t w00t) and now this post. I also got a few work things out the door. In last night’s post I talked about our night photography fun. Well, I am including some of those images here. Some with light painting and a glow ball and some with just long exposures. Again it was a fun night. Tomorrow we start our journey back home, just four of us. Kyla will spend her first night in her new place (without us), she seems quite excited. I am proud of her and I am sure she will be amazing. She will be missed though, I wonder if we will make it to Christmas or will we be back in Lethbridge before than! Anyway, here are some images from last night. Enjoy, thanks for be around and as always Happy Shooting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Glow Ball got stuck in the tree. No one thinks my tall tripod is stupid now, lol.

Vacation 2013 – Part 16 – Catching up.

As I said earlier, tonight I did two blog posts to get caught up with our actually days of travel. This is the second post but, if you have been following along you know that already. Today was another day with no commitments and it was good. I spent the morning working on Megan’s MacBook while everyone slept in a little. Kyla has a new MacBook Pro for her University studies and Megan wanted Kyla’s MacBook as it is newer than hers. Jenna wants Megan’s because currently Jenna doesn’t have a laptop. So, after making sure all of Kyla’s info transfer correctly, I wiped Kyla’s old computer and transferred Megan’s info to it. Time Machine actually did all the work, I just provided the internet and the time. Both computers appear to be working great and the girls are quite happy. Jenna has to use Megan’s old MacBook as is until we get home. Home is where the OS disk is, lol. I am sure she will be fine. After that it was over to hang out at Kyla’s place, get a quick dinner and then sit by the campfire for some family fun. Unlike the last few days the camera was out today, tonight actually. Tonight I took some long exposure shots. We played with light painting, threw a glow ball around and other night photography stuff. It was quite enjoyable. I snuck out of the activities early to get these blog posts done. It was another great day. Now I have to run and help with some clean up but first, here are some more images from our travels so far. Watch for some of the night photography stuff soon. Enjoy, thanks again for hanging around and as always Happy Shooting.

 

 

 

 

Vacation 2013 – Part 15 – Kick Ass!

Well for the first time in a few years I skipped a day of blog posting during our summer travels, it wasn’t that I didn’t have images to post (I already said I have a surplus). It was that I just got busy doing nothing at all. We did our usual shopping for the apartment, putting things away in the apartment and we didn’t even cook as we just picked up dinner. After dinner when it was about the time I usually sit down to do the blog, I asked Kyla if we should go catch a movie. Kyla, wanting to see Kick Ass 2, jumped on my question with a big yes and we were off to the 10:20 pm show. At around 12: 30 am we were back at the RV. Megan and Jenna were still up watching season six of Doctor Who and Bella the dog waited by the door. It was a great day of no commitments. To make up for it I will have to do two post tonight. This is the first, here are some images from our trip so far. Enjoy, thanks for keeping up and as always Happy Shooting.

 

 

 

Vacation 2013 – Part 14 – Jenna’s View

It was a hot, humid day today, around 34 degrees celsius without the humidex. I was up early, had the truck serviced and got a few work phone calls in. Then it was another round of shopping. Dale and Kyla went to a few stores and Megan, Jenna and I went and looked at new RVs. Jenna believes we were inside the one she wants (watching her try to convince her mom will be fun, lol). It was nice looking at what we can buy when all the kids are gone, but Dale doesn’t want to discuss that either. Later it was back to the apartment to unload and sort today’s purchases. Kyla and Stephanie’s apartment is looking pretty nice. Today was another day without any images created by your truly but, by now there is a small surplus of photos to display. Jenna has been quietly snapping some images with her old iPhone 3GS. A few times she has let me know she is shooting and other time she just snaps away. Yesterday Jenna and I sat down and went through what she has done and we loaded them into Aperture 3. I did some editing with Jenna’s input and once she was happy with the few we had chosen, we left the remainder for future editing. Tonight as I write this post, Jenna is sitting next to me. I told her we would post some of her work today and at 11, she gets pretty excited when we do these things together. I will admit that I do as well. It is nice when the girls show an interest in photography. So here are eight of Jenna’s images from our trip so far. They are from several days of travel starting in the NWT all the way to northern Montana. Jenna and I hope you enjoy them, we thank you for popping by the blog and as always, Happy Shooting.

 

From Waterton Lakes National Park

 

Traveling Highway 3, NWT

 

Proof there is Montana Moose, Piegan Border Crossing, Montana

 

A top Logan’s Pass, Glacier National Park, Montana

 

Driving under the High Level Bridge, Lethbridge, Alberta

 

Rocky Mountain, Canadian side

 

Coming out of Waterton, Alberta

 

Rocky Mountain and the Moon, United States side

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vacation 2013 – Part 13 – Walsh Drive West

After yesterday’s madness, we decided to hang out in Lethbridge today. Kyla’s roommate arrived and we helped move her things into the apartment. From there Kyla, Megan and I did some computer shopping and just checked a few places out. We found a great outdoor store in Lethbridge (which I am sure Kyla will never enter again, lol). For the most part it was a relaxing and uneventful day. This evening, about 30 minutes before sunset, Dale and I went for a short drive past Kyla’s apartment building and west on Walsh Drive. There was an area there that I though would be great to shoot just before the sun went down. We weren’t gone much more than 45 minutes or an hour and that included time at Save On Foods. We both captured a few images before loading up my gear and heading back to the RV for a relaxing family night. It was a fantastic day. Here are some samples of what I captured while we were out, enjoy them, thanks for showing up and as always Happy Shooting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vacation 2013 – Part 12 – Waterton/Glacier

What a crazy day we had today. Each time we visit Lethbridge we will always take one day and make a family trip to Waterton Lakes National Park. This trip was no different and today was the day of our Waterton drive. Something different happen today however, today as we were leaving Waterton, we started to drive each side road coming out of the park. The final road we took was highway 6 south. Highway 6 takes you to the Chief Mountain Border Crossing in Montana. As we drove south I decided maybe we would just cross the border and do a quick turn around and we could than say we went to Montana on this trip. It became the plan but, once we got to the border we asked what was the closes town, we were told it was Babb. Then we asked how far to Glacier National Park and the Going to the Sun Road, we were told about 30 miles. We were off again. Once we got through Babb and got to St Mary (where the east entrance to Glacier is), we ask the Park people how long the drive on Going to the Sun road would take us today. We were told there was construction happening but, normally without stops about 2 hours. It was around 3:30 pm the road closed at 7 pm and the Chief Mountain Border crossing closed at 9 pm. I figure we had time. The Park people then asked where we wanted to cross back into Canada and when we told them they said it might be better if we come back to the east entrance for our return. We were told we should have time to do that. Again we were off. We drove through Glacier until we reached Lake McDonald (just 15 miles from the west entrance). There we turned around to make our way back. The problem became that on the way back I stopped at quite a few places to photograph, places I noted on the drive west. This added just a little time to our return trip. Considering with the construction we were about 2 hours to get to Lake McDonald that started to become a problem. It was 5:30 pm when we started our return and we were about 3 hours getting back to the east entrance. Traffic coming in from the east had stopped by the time we reached St Mary but, we could get out of the park without a problem. Now we had to cross back into Canada at Piegan towards Cardston as the Waterton Lakes area crossing would be closed. That was fine as it would shorten the Canadian part of our return to Lethbridge. We headed back to Lethbridge and arrived a short 14 hours after we left, a great short day of driving, lol. Everyone had a great day and we enjoyed the free spiritedness of just doing whatever came to mind. Of course Dale, the Girls and Bella the Dog all crashed when we got back but, I had to stay up, load images, edit a few and write a blog post. So, 3 parks (Waterton, Glacier and the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park) 2 countries, 1 state and 1 province today, it was Awesome. Here are a few images from Canada and the US. Enjoy thanks for following along and as always Happy Shooting.

 

Red Rock Canyon, Waterton Lakes National Park

 

Driftwood Beach, Upper Waterton Lake, Waterton Lakes National Park

 

Looking to Canada from the top of Logan Pass (6646 ft), Glacier National Park, Montana

 

 

Vacation 2013 – Part 11 – Beware the endangered!

Over the past few years we have visited Lethbridge several times, this is our second visit here this year. We have learned quite a lot about the southern Alberta city. One of the things that is interesting to me is Lethbridge’s snake population. Most of you are probably thinking garter snakes, bullsnakes or something similar but, what I am thinking about is the Rattlesnake population. Here is a City of Lethbridge posting from early May of this year;

“As rattlesnakes emerge after a winter in hibernation, the City of Lethbridge is providing information to residents about the key role rattlesnakes play in our ecosystem, particularly to the rodent population and what residents should know.

If you encounter a rattlesnake, walk away from it slowly. Be sure to look where you are walking, just in case there is another one nearby.   Give the snake plenty of room to escape from you.

The rattlesnake population in Lethbridge is small and likely dwindling.  Most rattlesnake sightings are in the Southwest area including Paradise Canyon, RiverStone, SunRidge, Popson Park and Cottonwood Park, however they have been occasionally spotted throughout the City.

Rattlesnakes are not aggressive and given a choice would rather retreat than strike.  When walking in areas known for rattlesnake sightings such as Popson Park, Cottonwood Park and Canyon Crest Playground, keep dogs on leash and controlled.  Please do not run over rattlesnakes on the road. 

Rattlesnakes are blued-listed which means they have undergone declines in population or habitat and may be at risk. It is illegal to kill rattlesnakes, possess rattlesnakes or their parts or damage denning areas.  There are significant fines and charges for killing a rattlesnake in Alberta.   

If you require a rattlesnake to be removed from an urban or recreational area, please call the Rattlesnake Call Line”

One area of Lethbridge with Rattlesnakes is Popson Park. The interesting thing about Popson Park is that it is a great walking, hiking and biking area and is also an off leash area for dogs. My understanding is that Popson Park is an area that is a natural habitat for Rattlesnakes and there are quite a few hibernicula (Rattlesnake dens) there. Another area is the Bridge View Drive area. Bridge View Drive is what we use to get from our RV site to Kyla’s new apartment. Bridge View Drive is a snake crossing area and signs are posted at both the top and bottom of the drive. I have yet to see a Rattlesnake here, last year I photographed a garter snake a few metres from the exact RV site we are in this year (we have the same site this year as we did last). Rattlesnakes are protected here in Lethbridge and killing one would be very problematic if caught. In 2005 while visiting Red Rock Canyon near Denver, Colorado, Kyla and I went to Rattlesnake School. It was a short class that taught attendees about how the snakes react to us, what the rattle sounds like, what to do if you encounter a snake along the trails and we were even given a rattle to shake and examine. Do you know more people die from bee stings than by Rattlesnake bites? Tonight as I went for a quick drive I stopped along Bridge View Drive and walked next to the grassy area. I heard a lot of crickets but, I am sure that I heard a few snakes as well. I was sure to keep a good distance between myself and the tall grass (a Rattlesnake can generally attack from about twice its length). It was cool and kind of nerve raking at the same time. Today we also visited some family and one of them is a nurse here in Lethbridge. With Dale being a nurse there was a little hospital talk and one of the questions was if the hospital here gets many snake bite victims. We were told that there are usually a few but it seems to be rare. That is good to know.

So, that is my interest fact about the City of Lethbridge. If you ever visit here go to Popson Park and check it out or not, lol. I need to go rest up as there is a Waterton Park trip planned for tomorrow and my camera and I need to be ready. Here are some shots of what to look for when hiking around the Lethbridge area. Enjoy, thanks for being here and as always Happy Shooting.

 

 

 

 

Vacation 2013 – Part 10 – The Bucks stop here.

Another quiet day in Lethbridge, Dale, Megan and Jenna just wanted to hang out and relax but, Kyla and I wanted to try to get a few things done. We split up, Kyla and I left for the University to get a few things looked after and a trip to the mall followed. Megan and Jenna went to the pool and Dale just hung around the RV reading and watching Bella the Dog. Each evening as we are winding down I think the shopping is done but, the next day the spending continues (I may be partly to blame for the issue, lol) when will it end! Today as Kyla and I went around the city we had time to just be dad and the young adult. It felt different from shopping at home, knowing the things Kyla was purchasing were for her new temporary home, it just didn’t seem the same as when we shopped as father and daughter. She even paid for her things today. I will say that I was quite proud. Kyla is amazing! She is ready to go and seems quite excited about it. On our way from the RV park to Kyla’s apartment, we noticed some deer feeding in a valley along Bridge Drive. I quickly grabbed my camera and snapped a couple of shots but, no matter how long I waited those hungry deer would not lift their heads for a picture and with things to do I couldn’t wait all day. Kyla and I moved on to complete our tasks. We discussed a future vacation blog post and planned a couple of shots for it. One shot we have and the other will wait for another day. It will be a good one so watch for updates. For now here are a couple of images of the bucks stopping to eat, maybe the next time they will want some portraits taken but, then again who knows. Enjoy, thanks for staying tuned in and as always Happy Shooting.

 

 

 

Vacation 2013 – Part 9 – Visitors

No moving today but shopping continued. Bella the Dog went to the Dog Spa (Groomers, lol), she had her nails done, her hair done, a nice bath and shampoo and she even got some scented spray. It was a three-hour spa treatment and while she was gone we got in some shopping where we could all go without someone staying behind with the pooch. It was a pretty good day. We picked up a late lunch and headed back to the RV. We ate, cleaned up and even got in a late afternoon rest. Early evening, we went for a drive around Lethbridge and we had a couple of visitors (I think it was us who were doing the visiting). While on the U of L campus, we visited with a lone deer. The deer seemed quite content to just lets us watch while he/she ate. A few minutes later while we were down near Whoop-Up park, we visited with a couple of small rabbits who seemed to be having their dinner next to the road. It was fun to visit. There are some other interesting animals in the Lethbridge area but, I will leave those for another post, for now here are a couple of shots of todays visits. Enjoy, thanks for visiting and as always, Happy Shooting.

 

 

 

Vacation 2013 – Part 8 – The First Dinner!

Another great day in southern Alberta. No one got up to early this morning, I was first and I did some organizing before any of the ladies were up. Bella the Dog decided at about 7:45 am that I had slept long enough and she jumped up on the couch and squeezed and squirmed until I had little to no room so, I got up and she then went back to sleep. I guess Bella thought that if Jenna could get away with taking my spot in the bed than she could take my spot on the couch, lol. It is a good thing our RV sleeps nine because I need the space. Once everyone was up, we ate and quickly made our way to Kyla’s. Yesterday Kyla got her power connected so, we went over and did laundry-let’s see how her budget works when four family members are in town, lol. I have a feeling mom will make sure everything is ok, if she hasn’t done that already. We tidied up and organized a few things while we were there and Megan got in some good Sims 3 playing time. Dale and I made a couple quick trips to the store for supplies and a few apartment needs. Megan and Jenna wanted to stay over at Kyla’s for a night before we start heading north and we heard about that several times today. What we did do for the first time was have a family dinner there. Pizza and Tacos was the meal of choice and during our dinner we helped Dale get caught up on some Walking Dead episodes (Kyla’s new TV rocks). We also put an old Bill Haley album and had the turntable spin the tunes while we hung some posters and a few other items. So the dishes were done, the trash was taken out and we were heading back to the RV. Remembering that I said I would have time the create some images, I decided to take a detour and went up to the Bridge for a few images. The light was fading fast as it was already 9:00 pm (man the sun sets fast here compared to Yellowknife). I wanted to try to get the setting sun and the worlds longest and highest train trestle (known as the High Level Bridge over the Oldman River) in one image. I found a place to get my shot and didn’t even get hit by traffic while doing it. It is too bad the light had faded because as I was setting up for my long exposure landscape a family of deer walked right in front of me about 40 metres away. I even had my 120 – 400mm with me but, it was way to dark to capture them. I did get a few bridge shots. Here is my favourite shot from tonight. Tomorrow, I am sure, will bring some more adventure but for now, enjoy this image. Thanks for hanging around and as always Happy Shooting.