A bit of a hiatus

I've been away from the blogging world for a while. Although I've been catching up on other's blogs (even though I may not leave comments, Josh and Brandi), I find that after work, the last thing I want to do is spend my weekends and evenings on the computer. A quick summary of what's been up:

• Work is great (good people, interesting projects...my 3 month probation period ends on Nov. 9)
• I bought a car...a little 2006 Honda Civic (which I will be paying for over the next 4 years...yikes!...But I love her anyway...Miss Blue)
• I spent Thanksgiving weekend in Disneyland with my brother...what can I say? I'm 25 going on 10...so much fun!
• I've taken up yoga again, after 2 months off (it's good to be back)
• I'm taking ballroom dancing on Sunday afternoons and a short series of (3) Tahitian Hula classes on Monday nights (once a dance addict, always an addict)
• Went wall climbing with my friend Melanie Barron on Tuesday for the first time in a long time. (Thanks for the invite, Mel. I had a great time!)
• I donated blood for the first time last Thursday...and plan to make a habit of it.
• I'm going as a "Charlie Brown" ghost for Halloween. If you don't know what that is (and no, it's not the ghost of charlie brown) watch "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown"
• I'm missing my friend Brandi, who's having a tough time and has hidden herself away.

sigh

Katherine

My Rising Sign is Cancer

Your Rising Sign is Cancer

You are compassionate and kind - and the one who gives security.And while you sometimes tire of it, people always turn to you for advice. Emotions are your domain, and you use tend to use them for good.But you've also been know to be very manipulative when you need to be. You're quite loyal to those you love most - friends and family.For everyone else, you tend take time to build up trust.

What's" Your Rising Sign?

Just for fun

Dance Photography

I have some mixed feelings about this post. I'm doing something that I don't really like to do...stealing the artwork of someone else without first asking their permission. However, my intent is to fully acknowledge the incredible work of these two photographers.

As most of you know, I've had (have) a long-standing love affair with dance, and I am fascinated with the way photography allows us to view a "real" thing with different eyes, simply by changing the light, blurring some images, or expressing a view that we may not have seen on our own. Thus, it's fitting that I find dance photography indescribably beautiful and expressive. A picture speaks a thousand words. Movement is the oldest and purest form of self-expression and communication. Together they are explosive.

Lois Greenfield has always been a favourite of mine and I recently stumbled across the work of Angela Sterling (http://www.angelasterlingphoto.com/index.html). I hope these bring a little inspiration to your day.

Angela Sterling Photography

Lois Greenfield Photography

Autumn

© 1997 by Randy Wang

The day becomes more solemn and serene

When noon is past; there is a harmony

In autumn, and a lustre in its sky,

Which through the summer is not heard or seen,

As if it could not be, as if it had not been!

Thus let thy power, which like the truth

Of nature on my passive youth

Descended, to my onward life supply

Its calm, to one who worships thee,

And every form containing thee,

Whom, SPIRIT fair, thy spells did bind

To fear himself, and love all human kind.

-Percy Bysshe Shelley,

Hymn to Intellectual Beauty, 1817

Dynamic Lands

This is a blog of few words. Here, pictures will tell the story better than I could write.

Alberta is well known for the charismatic beauty of our Rocky Mountains; postcards, calendars, tour busses, chartered planes. But there is another type of landscape that is equally as spectacular, if one knows how to look.

I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to do some field work in the SE corner of the province and have come to have a much greater appreciation for the prairies. Actually, I am quite in awe of these desolate lands, much to my own surprise. The light is different here, and the borders of time fade. Looking out from a hilltop, across a floodplain and over a river valley, it's easy to let the sight of the buildings fade and imagine this place in a different time. A time before Europeans came to criss-cross the rolling prairie with roads, power lines, and a patch-work of planted fields. Here, I have found a deep sense of isolation, different from that of the mountains. A sense of quiet, as a breeze blows right through me. Utterly alone and yet connected to all.

Below are photos from some of my trips to the prairies this summer as well as photos from my most recent trek through the mountains: Old Goat Glacier hiking trail. I hope they add a little awe and inspiration to your day. Enjoy.

Prairies: Desolate Beauty

Blonde and Blue

Dawn's Early Light

A group of pronghorn herding up for the winter

Overlooking the Bow River valley from Crowfoot's grave

Mountains: Rugged Majesty

Onwards and upwards (from left to right): Scott, Melanie, Geoff, Evelyn, Trudy, and Allan

Hangin' out on the moraine

It always amazes me how something so delicate can add life to such a hostile environment

Scrambling up to our lunch spot

Fall colours paint the slopes

One of my most favourite things: rocky streams - this delicate mix of rocks, water, trees, and light holds a touch of the sacred for me

Holy Shit, I Think I Just Bought A Car!

No, wait, I did just buy a car. Aaahhhhh!!!!!! Someone grab me a paper bag, I think I'm going to hyperventalate! Breath. Breath. Breath. I feel a bit stunned....like a deer caught in the headlights. Yep, I put down my John Hancock and joined the majority of the population to enter the wonderful world of major debt. It feels good. And I get a pretty, shiny red car, too! 2006 Honda Civic LX to be exact. Actually, what freaks me out more than signing my life away to car payments over the next 4 years is that I know more about different cars on the market right now then I ever wanted to know....considering I'm the kind of girl that has no idea how to boost another person's car (although after this weekend I now know how to do that!) Note to self, make sure to carry a pair of booster cables in the car in case someone (not naming any names, right Geoff?) leaves the lights on their car when going for a hike.

Seriously, though, I'm glad I made the purchase (sort of....I don't know if you can call a $500 deposit on a $24,000 car "making a purchase"). But it is pretty scary. What's really scary is just how easy it is to do that. They only asked me for my name, address, who I live with, where I work, job title, phone number, and annual income.......then punch some magic keys and the amazing virtual world spits back a great big check mark that says "Yes, we would be happy to take your money".

Weird world.

I hope I can sleep tonight...seeing as I now REALLY have to keep getting a steady pay cheque.

Yipppee!

Hiking in Dinosaur Provincial Park

Last Saturday, a group of us sacrificed our Saturday morning sleep-in to hit the road bright and early. Destination: Dinosaur Provincial Park. Five of us crammed into Geoff and Evelyn's small little Accord for the 2.5 hour drive down to the park.

Two pee stops, a breakfast stop at McDonalds, an evil look from a couple in a van, and several iPod tunes later, we arrived at the park for our 10am guided hike. We met up with a friend of Evelyn's, Brian, who works as an interpreter at the park and gave up a lazy morning to hike with us through Camel's End Coulee. There's a reason why they start the hikes in the morning, and by the end of it was glad for our early start. For those of you unfamiliar with the area, the badlands get incredibly hot during the day...it is a desert, after all.

The hike follows a meandering coulee (a temporary waterway that is usually dry). It was a little muddy due to a fair bit of rainfall the week before, which for me, added to the fun. The views were spectacular and the guide had lots of interesting info. It's amazing to see the plant and wildlife that manages to survive in such a hostile environment.

After the hike, we headed back to the interpretive center to have lunch (and ice cream!), wander around, and catch one of Brian's shows. Then we piled back into the car, which by this time was a wee bit warm....both us and the car. We finished off with supper at Peter's Drive-Thru....mmmm....burgers, onion rings, and milkshakes...the best! Then we all made our ways home, completely exhausted. A great day.

(For those of you who check out Evelyn's blog, the following photos may seem familiar. Yep, they're Eveyn's photos (thanks, Ev!). I did take some of my own, but my lap top is not being very internet-friendly at the moment so I'm using my Dad's computer and, hence, Evelyn's pictures)

The Badlands

Camal Hoodoo

The Crew: Justin, Evelyn, Geoff, Brian, Myself, Jenny

Dino-Head

I'm Baacckkk! - and tagged, too.

Well, I'm not really sure if anyone checks this blog anymore (if you do, post a comment, any random thing you want, so I have some sort of idea who still sees this). Regardless, I'm going to try (try being the main word....I've always got great intentions) to do this more regularly. So....what's been happening to me?

Well, the big news is that I've finally found someplace to put my 7 years, 2 degrees, and $$$$$$$ (okay, it was my parent's money....I know, I know.....spoiled white suburban rich girl) to good use. Yep. I've got a job. Hurray!

I'm working for a company called TERA Environmental Consultants. It's a mid-sized (~90 people) consulting company that specializes in pipelines. So basically my company is hired by oil and gas companies to conduct any environmental studies and to write reports that are needed, by law, to apply for anything related to pipeline construction and maintenance. It's pretty cool and I'm going to learn a TONNE about the industry. The people are also really nice and it's a very open and relaxed corporate culture. Everyone's door is always open....which is nice because I don't have to worry about going through "proper" channels to get information. Plus, I get to do some field work when the weather's good which will be fun.

Hmmm....what else is new.....went to Geof and Evelyn (Tanaka)'s wedding 2 weeks ago, which was really beautiful and I think everyone had a good time. Congrats to the new couple!

Went on the annual white water rafting trip at the beginning of July...Kicking Horese river...kick ass as always. Although we all got eaten alive by these tiny bugs (noceum's maybe?) and looked like we had the measles for 2 weeks after. Itchy as hell! Richard came this year with his friend Faizal for the first time and I think they had a good time.....even though one of the chambers of our raft decided to deflate (right where Richard and Michelle were sitting) half way through the longest and biggest series of rapids! Extra adventure for our money!

Went to the farm for the August long weekend (last weekend) to visit family. I had a really good time and it was nice to see everyone. Ate far too much, played cards, and took home some fresh veggies from the garden. Good times.

Hmm...that's about it.

I was tagged by 2 other bloggers (Kalen and Evelyn...don't worry, I didn't forget!). So here are my 6 weird things about myself (although there are so many more than that!):

1. I'm scared of mirrors in dark rooms. (Probably from playing "'Bloody Mary" too many times as a kid at sleep overs)
2. I always sit on the bathroom counter when I brush my teeth.
3. I love to polka (what can I say, I'm half Ukranian)
4. When I was a kid, I was part of a club of girls that had imaginary pet unicorns. I named mine "Rainbow".
5. I love the feel of flannel against my face (which is why I have two sets of flannel sheets I use in the winter).
6. I like to sing in the shower...it's got great accoustics!

There it is....for all the world on the internet to see. All the people I know who blog (just a small little group) have already been tagged. So I'm going to tag some others....post it in my comments. Brandi, Trudy, Melanie, Tracy, Richard, Stephanie: Tag, your it! Post 6 weird things about yourself either on your blog or in my comments and then tag 6 more.

Cheers all!

Hiking at Ptarmigan Cirque

I got out for my second hike of the season last Sunday (July 2) with Evelyn and Geoff and their friends Rennie, Jenny, and Justin. We had an early start to the day, leaving Calgary at 7:30am and hitting the trail from the Highwood Pass parking lot at about 9:30. We had gorgeous weather all day and the views were spectacular! The trail took us through the sub alpine zone, from a spruce/fur forest at the beginning and breaking out into an alpine meadow awash in blooming wildflowers. Thanks to the early start, we had the trial to ourselves up to our lunch stop at the cirque. For those unfamiliar with mountain geomorph, a cirque is a kind of circular bowl above the tree line of a mountain (near the peak) carved out by a glacier....sort of the seat of a glacier at the top of a mountain.

We enjoyed a sunny break, eating our lunch in the company of ground squirrels and a marmot, before heading back down the now-crowded trail. We took a side track through a short interpretive walk and then hopped in our cars and headed to Cochrane for some of McKay's famous ice-cream. Mmmm.....worth the long line at the shop once we got there. All in all, a great day. Here's some pictures, courtesy of Evelyn and Rennie, as I forgot my camera at home.

The girls: Evelyn, Jenny, and myself

Justin and I goofing around

Jenny, Geoff, myself, Justin, and Rennie

Beautiful views!

Sweethearts

Lunch in the cirque