I was late getting out of Calgary as I was working on some edits because I hadn’t done many in a while. In addition it was grey and gloomy in the city. Once I hit the road I traveled South down the 22. It felt good to be back on the road, especially knowing that I’m closing in on home. I love this form of travel, I could do a lot more of this. Right now though I’m getting excited to get home and reconnect with my friends and family and experience some of the Olympic energy in the city I call home. I’m sure by summer I’ll be jones-ing for another trip though.
As I drove today I was watching the sun fall behind the Rockies with just a hint of open space between the clouds and the mountains. I saw a few old cars but they all seemed to be on private land on working homesteads at the end of long driveways so I simply moved forward. No matter what happens at this point my creative well is full. More shots would be awesome but if the weather simply isn’t there or the opportunities don’t present themselves I’ll just keep heading West.
There’s a lot in BC that I still want to see, but since I live here, some weekend trips will definitely be taken later on this year.
In Sparwood BC tonight. It’s trying to rain. Funny, I can’t remember the last time it rained on me, kind of missed it.
No Continental Breakfast For You
Category: Cross Canadian Road Trip 2009-2010
Tags: Alberta, British Columbia, Calgary, Canada, energy, Olympics, Photography, photos, rain, Rockies, Sparwood, travel Leave a Comment
I’ve spent a few days here in Calgary catching up with some friends as I once lived here. For seven years “Cowtown” was home while I played music and experienced a different city.
I’m all set to get on my way tomorrow and am looking forward to my last leg of this awesome trip that has taken me completely across this country we live in. However, my friends back in Vancouver are demanding that I get back to town and experience some of the Olympic energy. Despite how I feel about the politics, commercialism and corporate involvement in the games I also feel like it’s a once in a lifetime experience as well. So as I leave here tomorrow I’m going to be watching the weather carefully and if I feel like I’d rather wait to take some shots I may find I may just keep driving through. It’s not like I’m far from home and smaller road trips to my home province are always fun.
So with that said, I do feel a bit sad that the trip is coming to a close. That however, doesn’t meant that I will stop posting here, as a matter of fact, once I’m home and as time allows the photo section of this become quite extensive as I have more time to edit some of the thousands of shots I’ve taken.
Anyway, I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon. Until tomorrow.
W
The Disappearance
Category: Highlights
Tags: Alberta, Calgary, energy, festivities, Friends, Olympics, Photography, photos, Vancouver, Vancouver 2010 Olympics, weather 2 Comments
So I started the day leaving Vermillion in dense, thick fog. I’d like to say it was more like potato soup. On top of the bright white, zero visibility driving conditions I also had myself a serious headache for some reason. So I drove between South and West most of the morning, not getting anything for shots except for a few of some trees covered in the frost. Around 12:30 pm I crested a hill and the sun was stronger than the fog and I was in the clear the rest of the day. I found a couple abandoned homesteads and got some interesting shots both outside and indoors of these old buildings. Found another calendar hanging on a wall in one of them, this time it was from 1982. The other house I had to share my time with the resident pigeons, who strangely calmed down a lot as I talked to them.
As I made my way I spotted another house up on a hill, far from the road. I turned around looking for a possible driveway but didn’t see anything. Then I went down the nearest Range road to see if perhaps the entrance to the property was around the back. As I turned down the side road I saw seven deer springing across the road. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a clearing. In the clearing hanging out in the clean white snow was four moose. Now I’m not a moose expert but it looked like a double date to me.
I hopped the fence and slowly walked towards them. Obviously I wasn’t about to approach them but I had a whole field between me and them. I walked along the fence line and made my way to get a slightly better shot. They slowly walked away from me across the field but I managed to get close enough to get some decent shots. Between shooting I just watched in awe at these beautifully huge beasts. I’ve crossed this country and haven’t seen a moose until today and the wait was well worth it.
Moose!
Category: Cross Canadian Road Trip 2009-2010, Highlights
Tags: Alberta, calendar, fog, foggy, frost, homesteads, moose, snow, Stettler, Vermillion One Comment
So the last few days have all started off a little gloomy. Grey, some snow, perhaps a bit drab. But as I get going things start to lift. I’ve been traveling some distance each day mainly because the shots and the weather seem to be co-inspiring and coming together for the afternoons. So much so that when the sun is going down I’m still seeing stuff to shoot.
As I crossed into Alberta today and slipped into Cold Lake for a coffee I hadn’t taken a single shot and it was well, grey and flat. As I started heading South (still using my coin flip navigation) I was soon stopped and out of the truck. For most of the afternoon I’m guessing I traveled 10 miles between the 3 photo stops I made. One abandoned homestead I was at for at least 2 hours as it had so much to shoot. Red barns, shacks, machinery, and old Kenworth, old cars, icicles, and all covered in a nice coating of fresh snow.
After that there was a couple shorter stops and then the sun set and was gone. I drove a little in the dusk and came into Vermillion where I’ll be for the night. If every day was this good, I’d be a very happy man.
Camouflage
I think last night was the hardest night in the truck. Just a little colder than I would have liked but you know what they say about things that don’t kill us. I got going, zigging and zaggin across the mid section of Saskatchewan. The more shots I’ve been getting of snow covered cars and trucks, abandoned homes and open fields the more picky I’m getting. Mainly because I’m getting to know the difference between the good and the “golden”. Obviously I just love to shoot so some of my shooting depends on light, distance, what’s in the background and lately, just a little, how much snow I have to trudge through.
On that note I did a lot of driving today. It was a coin toss day as I didn’t know which way to go half the time so I let the universe guide me and boy did she come through. Even though there was some distance between them, the shooting possibilities were awesome today. Including two yards full of old cars and trucks. One with pristine snow drifts to add some angles.
I have to apologize for the lac of new additions to the photos. I’m simply just having too much fun shooting. Financially I have to slow down a little so there may be a day in a library in my near future so I’ll get some edits done and some shots up then.
Ending today in Meadow Lake Saskatchewan, may slip into Alberta tomorrow and work my way across and down. I have a bunch of people in Calgary I’m going to try to touch base with so may be there a few days. I nice break before my last leg home.
Eldon Schoolhouse
