Beautiful Lake Louise in Winter

As winter comes to a close and CTB will be saying good-bye to winter forever (???), as we prepare to move to the Caribbean, I wanted to share some images of the Great Canadian icon in winter. Lake Louise, a short drive from Calgary, feels like it is a world away. You have seen the photos of the surreal turquoise waters, but have you seen it in winter? It is stunning, breath-taking and surreal in a new way. The elevation allows for great snowfall amounts. The trees look like they are covered in icing and the views look like a movie back drop. The dry cold makes you soon realise it is for real.

In late November, once the lake is completely frozen, the Chateau Lake Louise builds an ice castle and skating rink. Cross country skiing, snow shoeing and horse-drawn rides are also things to enjoy. Not far from the Chateau you can even go for dogsled rides! In January, there is an ice carving contest. As long as the weather allows, the ice sculptures sparkle in the sunlight and add to the surrounding landscapes. We enjoyed just walking in the snow and taking in the beauty of it all. Soon this will be traded in for hot temperatures and new vistas. I feel like Frederick from Leo Leoni’s book and soak it all into committing and etching it to memory.

 

Frozen – Lake Louise in a new way

The Ice Castle on the Lake

 

The boat house cabin patiently waiting for the spring thaw

Have you ever been to Lake Louise?

Stay tuned…

 

Winter Wonderland

Winter has arrived in parts of the Northern Hemisphere. In the Rocky Mountains of Alberta snow has been falling regularly over the last few weeks. In Lake Louise in a 24 hour period 54cm fell. We happened to be there that day and look at the fantastic views.

Lake Louise. Along the path to the Lake. A small ‘cabin’ near the Chateau Lake Louise.

Unfortunately the turquoise lake was under a thin layer of ice and the heavy snow blocked out the majestic mountain view. The snowflakes were quiet and wrapped the area in a surreal silence.

Banff -The snowy walk pack to the parking lot from the Hot Springs

You may have wondered where I have been lately. It has been weeks since I posted anything. I have taken to Twitter and have been using it more frequently to do a quick post right from my phone. You can get the link to my Twitter feed to the right of the posts. I don’t think you need an account to view, but may to comment and like. I will try to get back here more frequently and post.

 

Change: Photo Challenge

Wednesday was the first day of fall in the Northern Hemisphere… change has been felt here in Alberta throughout the month of August and September. Light snow flurries have been spotted in the city and more in the nearby mountains, on more than one occasion, since we arrived out here August 13th. Not only is it a change of seasons, but a change for me. Living in Shanghai for 5 years we didn’t see a lot of snow and maybe this kind of weather in January or February… not summer!

3 Seasons in 3 Days

September 11-14 we saw a big change… 3 seasons in 3 days. We climbed to 30c and dropped to single digits, snow in the mountains. The leaves had started to change colour too. This photo looks like I added colour and black and white, but it is the snow blocking out the green of the grass and evergreen trees. A few days later we were back to mid 20s. Welcome to Canadian weather… ever-changing.

You may recognise this photo. I posted it on twitter. I have been taking to twitter more and more as I have a quick pic or idea I want to share. Sometimes I tweet a random thought, event or idea instead of a posting here.  To check out my tweets, take a look at the sidebar on the right and click away.

Change can be interpreted in many ways. Here is a link to WP too see more ‘change’.

Stay tuned…

Warmth – weekly photo challenge

This week’s theme is warmth. Many posts show people in warm places, or dreaming of warmer temperatures. Coming home to Canada I am wishing for snow. Crazy I know, but it has been a few years since I enjoyed the soft quietness and fluffy feather like snows that coat the land in a peaceful blanket that glitters in the sun.

Here is my Christmas gift; mittens in a soft suede to keep me warm on cold snowy days.

This photo was taken with my iPad.

Stay tuned….

Wind: Pixelventures

Wind is one of the main elements associated with earth. It is also the theme for this week’s photo challenge set by Bastet over at WDBWP.

As she says wind is hard to capture and up on the 14th floor of a high-rise we don’t always see the effects that wind have since we are so high above the trees. We were hoping for a good wind this week to blow away all the bad air and pollution that has blanketed much of China over the last few weeks. It slowly sank down to Shanghai this past week and as a result we had 2 days of indoor recess. Levels over 200 on the 2.5 scale (the yucky dangerous particles smaller than dust that can get into the body and cause troubles) call for indoor play and cranked up air purifiers. My eyes watered and nose tingled while the air had a smokey acrid smell. My throat itched and I coughed, while even the cat had watery eyes and she is always inside. It was an air you could taste.

Here are 2 views from our balcony of sunrise. One was taken in September when levels were well under 100 (probably around 40-60). The second is a similar view into the same vantage point taken this past Thursday when levels were about 214. Can you see the haze? Shouldn’t air be clear? It creates a spooky feeling and sucks away all the colour and depth perception as my eyes strain to look into the distance. It has become a part of my daily routine to check the weather and pollution levels when I wake up. At least we were not as bad off as Northern cities who had levels skyrocket into the 400-500 range. Schools were closed and people were told to stay home. Car accidents happened more frequently that week due to poor visibility. Even the CBC had articles and pictures posted on their website of the haze that swallowed China.

Sept. 2013 -sky and morning clouds

Nov. 7/13 -haze at sunrise and clear sky with no clouds

The other picture shows wind and a different kind of storm. It was taken back in Canada last February during a snow storm. Winds howled, snow fell and kiddies got to stay home from school. This is the kind of day to snuggle up with some hot cocoa and a good book, but I couldn’t resist going out into it to snap some pics since it was 3 years since I had seen ‘real snow’. The cold wind whipped my face and the snow make my cheeks burn as the little icy pellets bombarded me, but it was worth the effort to enjoy an experience I hadn’t had since living abroad in China.

Snow, Cold and Wind

Be sure to head over the Bastet’s page and see more examples and learn more about the earthy elements.

Stay tuned…

Water :Photo Challenge

I have been invited to join another photo challenge by my fellow bloggers Bastet. Check them out here to find more about their photo challenges. They have set a theme WATER for this week. Water can take many forms and here is my example… a photo taken on my recent trip from China. This year I connected through Vancouver, Canada and flew over the Rocky Mountains. Somewhere between Alberta and British Columbia I saw many forms of water… clouds, rivers, snow and ice. Here is my take on ‘forms of water’ from above.

Rocky Mountains – a view from above

 

Stay tuned…

Waiting for Spring

This past week in Shanghai we had a taste of Spring. The winter season is shorter here and milder temperatures can come as early as mid-February. I enjoy the promise of spring, the longer days and warm sunshine.

Here are some dried flowers that I found in a garden when I was home in Canada this past December. It held on and is waiting for  the return of spring.

 

The original shot

focal black and white

pencil outline

lomo-ish

I played with a photography program and tried different effects with the same shot. Which is your favourite?

Stay tuned …

Snow Shanghai Style

This week it snowed in Shanghai! Snow is a rare occurrence with our location about comparable to the latitude of Texas in the United States. Winters are usually mild, but feel colder due to the high humidity which translates into dampness that chills you to the bone! The first year I was here we had 2 small snowfalls one in December and the other January. Last year during Chinese New Year it was a biting cold with snow flurries, but nothing on the ground. This winter was cold and came a bit earlier than usual. I expected snow, but I never saw any. In early January just before we all returned to work there was snow, but I can’t speak of amounts since I missed it. The day we returned to work it did snow, and a few flurries filled the air and mere skiff covered the ground. It was short lived though.

Have you ever seen snow on a palm tree before?

While I was away on Chinese New Year holiday this year  it snowed again. Most of us were long gone to other holiday destinations, but a few teachers who stayed behind said it was a good amount for Shanghai and it left 2 maybe 3 cm of the white stuff on the ground. This week it snowed with another 2-4 cm of slushy white snow covering the ground. Reports were saying snow was in the forecast, but because it is so rare it is one of those “seeing is believing” things. I awoke very early Tuesday morning thanks to jet lag and peeked out the window. Everything was wet and it appeared it had rained. In the distance the highway, which is usually visible on clear days, was blurry. I thought there was something on the window or my glasses. When I moved I knew it wasn’t me, but something outside. It must be snow! Sure enough it started to move towards me and the usual landmarks slowly became blotted out. In the street lamps I could see the heavy wet stuff coming down hard. My first thought… snow day???

The slightest snow often causes delays and school or bus cancellations, but no phone calls. School was still on. I kept

Wet Slushy Snow Covering the Flowers

watching as the snow started to cover cars and trees. Deciding not to take my electric scooter I went to catch our staff bus. It was a slushy, slippery mess outside. The flakes were big and fluffy though and it looked beautiful falling down, like feathers in the sky. I snapped a few shots, but my memory card beeped at me to announce it was full. Oh no of all days! The children were super excited about the snow, but we had indoor recess due to how wet it was. No one here comes dressed for snow, so no boots never mind  a snow suit in sight, so we had to enjoy the snow through the windows. By 10 AM the snow had stopped and by noon it was only a memory as most of it was all melted. The children were excited if they found a small pile of slush clinging to existence a little longer than the rest.

What was the weather like where you were this week?

Stay tuned for more 🙂

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Home

Home is what defines us as people. How we furnish it, pictures and knick knacks from adventures, childhood and other milestones give a glimpse into who we are and what we hold as important. As an expat I don’t have a home, but a place to live. I won’t stay there forever, so my home is defined as my country. When meeting people one of the first questions asked is “where are you from?” I define myself as Canadian. People automatically make assumptions about what kind of person you are based on your passport.

Snow Storm Feb 8, 2013

Cultural references need to be explained to others and often the reference or meaning is lost in translation. One of the big things I find myself explaining is snow. Many people assume it is very cold and snowy in Canada all the time. They seem surprised when you mention summer. I fall into the trap when we get the few snow flurries or skiff of snow that barely covers the ground in Shanghai. I can be heard saying “This isn’t snow… you have to see a Canadian winter to experience real snow.” I should tell them the few flurries in Shanghai are the equivalent to a snow in summer in Canada and really mess with them 😉

 This week’s photo challenge is home. I happened to be home here in Canada to experience a ‘real snow’. This was the worst storm since 2008. In St. Catharines we had 44cm of the white stuff. To put it in perspective Toronto has had 33cm of snow thus far this winter, not including the February 8^th snowfall of course. St Catharines had the highest amount where most places 20-30cm fell.  Snow is what home has been defined as since I have lived abroad for close to 3 years now. I am sure many of my coworkers and students will be in awe of my trip home and having the experience of all this snow.

Snowy Street

Snow Blowing the Driveway

Well over 33 cm of snow!

To see more examples of the theme home or to join the photo challenge click here.

What does home mean to you?

Weekly Travel Theme: Glass

This week Ailsa over at Where’s My Backpack has posted the theme Glass. Immediately I thought about my recent trip home where I walked along the Parkway in Niagara Falls. All the trees, fence posts, street signs and lamp posts were in cased in glass, I mean ice thanks to the freezing cold temps. I felt like I was inside of glass menagerie of beautiful figurines. I have seen this phenomenon before and each time it is different, but equally as beautiful. My only wish was I went on a sunny day. How everything would have sparkled and dazzled in the sun light. It was a nice touch that a few days before everything was also covered in snow. It added to the effect.

 

 

Bus loads of tourists were in awe of everything encased in so much ice. The additional weight even broke off some branches or bent some trees into usual shapes and designs.

 

 

 

 

 

Have something you would like to share? Want to see more examples for this theme? Click on the link to take you to Ailsa’s home page.

Stay tuned…