down a trail September 18, 2026

How fortunate to have the best of both worlds almost right out my front door!  After spending Wednesday hiking alpine meadow trails in Banff National Park with far off views, today I enjoyed walking trails where I could see what was close up right before my eyes and at city level elevation. What I saw was just as beautiful as those alpine sights yet in their own very special way.  The trails offered colour and canopy-like coverings.

The trails led to open views!

Along one trail, up in the canopy, I spotted the current resident Great Horned Owl. This time I needed no human help to find it. I found the Owl myself after listening to.....

.....a Cooper's Hawk screeching! I found the Hawk then saw the Owl!

You can see both the Owl and the Hawk in this photo.

This photo was taken from the backside of the Great Horned Owl.

The Cooper's Hawk kept the Great Horned Owl wide awake!

The Great Horned Owl kept its eyes on me!

After seeing the Owl, I felt satisfied and would have been content to head on home, the sighting made my day.  Yet, I knew by continuing further on down the trail, there would be much more to see.  So, down a trail I went! Many Yellow-Rumped Warblers are still here. No doubt the heat wave we are experiencing has them confused and feeling no need to head south yet to warmer climates.  

I spotted a White-breasted Nuthatch, I focused in and then snapped the shot.  I looked at my photo on the screen to see if it was clear and this is what I saw, a male Downy Woodpecker.  In the split second when I snapped the shot, the Woodpecker flew in and the Nuthatch flew away. 

I eventually got a photograph of the White-breasted Nuthatch. 

The Cedar Waxwings are still here too!  

This pair hung out together for quite some time.  

When I look at the bottom one, 

I see a cool dude with a windswept hairstyle wearing sunglasses!  

The sun shone brightly today and when it shone on the Common Grackle, the bird lite up!  Just like that, a very large flock of Grackles (a few dozen) arrived on a grassy section by the pond.  It was quite a sight to see them flitter about with the sun shining on them.  OK I need the Waxwing's sunglasses!   Oh and ear plugs too, they were a noisy crew! 

Many Black-capped Chickadees were spotted.  Some will migrate yet lots will winter here. I did not see them amongst the autumn shades yet I would love to have.  In my mind, this is what it would look like if one were to be on a branch amongst colourful leaves.  I will keep my eyes open, maybe I will see an actual sight like this!

I hope you enjoyed this little journey down a trail and it brought a smile to your face! 

High on Sunshine September 16, 2026

high on Sunshine both figuratively and literally

🏔☀️🏔☀️🏔☀️🏔☀️

After monitoring the weather and my schedule, the stars finally aligned for one last ride up to "the top of the world" before the gondola shuts down for the hiking season on Sunday.  Employees were already at work preparing for the upcoming ski season on the Sunshine Ski Hill.  After riding the gondola up, I then veered off to follow the hiking trail further up instead of taking the chairlift up. The temperature was barely above freezing which meant frost cover was scattered here and there. 

I wondered what the colours would look like!  

No need to wonder any longer!

I was first to arrive at the viewing platform at Rock Isle Lake.  The tell tale sign was there were no boot prints in the frost on the bridge until I crossed.  It was chilly with not even a breeze.  After leaving the viewing platform and.....

.....rounding the corner, the view of Rock Isle Lake was even more spectacular, yet it was the cloud at the base of the mountains in the background that caught my eye.  

Oh my what a crazy sight! Somewhere down there are Grizzly and Laryx Lakes.  

Today's plan did not include hiking in that area. I opted to head west along the Twin Cairns Trail. This area was closed when I was up here back in early July.   

I came here for the ground colour, for the possibility of golden larches, to see snow-capped peaks and for the peacefulness.  I got it all tenfold! I saw no one once I left the intersection for Standish Viewpoint/Twin Cairns. The ground cover colour was at its prime. Many larch trees were at their peak while others were mid way and many had not started to change yet.  

There were the little things and the big things that captured my attention.  

I was in no rush to get anywhere, I was on "high on sunshine" time.  

When frost meets autumn shades, the detail is wondrous!

Oh my what a crazy sight!  

That's Mount Assiniboine behind the top end of the Standish Chairlift.  

It was the big things like this alpine meadow with a mountain range backdrop.

It was the little things like this ice with a sun sparkle in the middle.

I took some time at the Monarch Viewpoint to have a hot beverage paired with snacks.

The trail descending from the viewpoint leads to a favourite spot to spend a little time.  Along the way there are beautiful sights to see.  Even the ponds took on the autumn shades.

a thriving Hippie-on-a-stick

This is a favourite spot to sit awhile.  

The boulder is big, it's flat, the views are spectacular.

Yesterday I removed certain patches from my backpack. I kept Iceland and Canada then added the others.  I have room for new patches which I hope to collect next spring. The patches become conversation pieces. The middle top patch is Norway which I purchased in April. While hiking today, a guy noticed it and asked when was I there. As it turns out he's from Trondheim Norway.  

a perfect Golden Larch Tree

After spending significant time at that favourite place, 

I ascended to begin hiking the trail that would descend back to Sunshine Village. 

another valley covered in cloud

It was the little things like this small patch of red!

It was the big things like this whole meadow dressed in red! 

This was the view upon arrival back to Sunshine Village. The sun still shone brightly and it felt a tad bit warmer. I felt completely fulfilled and was in no need of anything more other than to hop on the gondola for the ride back to the parking lot.   

What a wonderful Wednesday it was being high on Sunshine!

navigating through a little hiccup in life

When a hiccup recently happened in life, I still could not just let life pass on by! September's shades are starting to show and I am, sure as the sun rises, going to see some.  In addition to actually being out there amongst the shades, I have visions of them, then placing those visions on watercolour paper to create a greeting, to You! 

The sunrises too have been sights to see. 

Through the trees, I saw the day was dawning beautifully!

Through the fog, another day dawned in a spectacular way! 

Do you see what I see?  

Yes, the shades are sweet but do you see something even sweeter?

On this day instead of the fog clearing soon as it was forecasted to do, it grew thicker.  While I was navigating my way through the fog, I watched a herd of deer navigate their way through the fog and the river. This was the last deer to cross. 

through it all,  I admired the reflections

Through it all, brightness appeared!

Orange-crowned Warbler

On the clear days, there was much in the way of bird migration activity to be seen!  A flock of White-throated Sparrows found a feast! This angle clearly shows why this Sparrow is called White-throated. They were sharing space with a flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers.

one of the many Yellow-rumped Warblers

Between the Sparrows and the Warblers, many Cedar Waxwings were feasting also!

The sweetest sight of all over the past few days was this Great Horned Owl. It was not that far up in the tree. We spoke softly while admiring it. The Owl needs its naps as it navigates migration. Sweet dreams!  I feel fortunate to have seen this Great Horned Owl and also a Long-eared Owl over the past few weeks. 

My favourite shades of summer's end are not only the Orange/Golden Larch Needles but moreso the Orange/Red Maple Leaves. Maple Trees do not thrive in Calgary's weather. They do better in eastern Canada and on the west coast.  The Maple Leaf is displayed on our Canadian Flag. I like what it represents!   

I find cheer and colour help get me through life's hiccups!