So Long 2021

Good-Bye 2021

While navigating through 2021, I gave an old college try to keeping an upbeat outlook.  It took work, with an extra effort at times yet that work was well worth it.  Confirmation of that came a little while ago when the time arrived to ponder what I wanted to share in a Good-Bye 2021 post. I browsed through my photos and as I swiped my way through the days, weeks and months it became so clear that I experienced an abundance of extraordinary moments in time!  When I reflect back on this year and what it looked like for many in the world, compared to how my life played out, I attest to the fact that I need to be thankful for the blessings that came my way.  My initial thought was to pick one photo for each month but that became an impossible task so I went with eleven for each quarter.  That alone says something.  The quarterly photo collages will tell a better story than finding words worthy enough.   

  

In 2021 new doors opened right before my eyes!  There was no hesitation on my part to excitedly walk through to see what faced me on the other side.  I welcomed what I found with wide open arms.  With an abundance of importance placed on maintaining physical and mental well being, my new found endeavours fit the bill to a T.

🏅In January I jumped on board to participate in the conqueror virtual challenges.  To the seven challenges I completed, I attribute 1942 kms of the 2119 kms that I covered: via mountain hiking & urban hiking, in total this year.    

🐦My interest in bird songs and sightings took off in a frenzy in 2021!  Lots of mornings throughout the year, the excitement of the possibility of hearing or seeing something new was what got me up with the birds and out the door.  I saw, captured photos and identified 99 different species.  

🖌Becoming lost in the art of coloured pencil sketching was a favourite past time this year. These past few days I have been trying my hand again at watercolour painting but this time with brush pens.  I am excited with the progress made so far and look forward to experimenting with using coloured pencils and brush pens in the same project.  

Numbers are a core of my being, always have been always will be!  I tracked the ground I covered both vertically and horizontally each time I went out for a mountain or urban hike.  I also recorded the distance covered while skating and cross country skiing but those numbers are not included in the chart.  At the beginning of the year, I had no set goals.  As time went on new goals came with each virtual challenge I joined. The numbers then played a big part of the game. Yet still, I made sure that every time I was "out & about", I took tonnes of time to "remember to breathe".  With my feet firmly planted on terra cotta,  the ground I covered in 2021 is shown below.     

still Making Waves on top of the world

Over the past months I contemplated whether to change the name of my blog.  After consideration, I decided to stay with "still Making Waves on top of the world" along with the photo from Sentinel Pass overlooking Paradise Valley.  Here are my thoughts on why I contemplated a change! My interest in doing nothing but mountain hiking and reaching summits had always been at the forefront for the past many years.  When our world changed in March of 2020, the freedom to accomplish those was taken away.  In the hours on end of downtime, I looked elsewhere to find fulfilment and joy until our world got back on track.  As our freedoms were slowly restored, I did not retreat to those old ways.  New doors opened and I found an abundance of other ways to feel fulfilled.  It was time to embrace a whole new outlook.  I remember back to when I gave the original blog the title "making waves on top of the world" it represented an inner feeling rather than being at a physical location.  That feeling of feeling like I am "on top of the world" now comes from so much more than I ever thought it would. 

In addition to investing time in my newly discovered artistic interests, along with conquering and birding, I also look forward to where new paths may lead while being "out & about" in 2022.  I do have a numbers goal that I am in the process of designing a plan of attack for. I will share a little more on that in the days to come. Yet, the main goal I have is to do what it takes so I can feel that feeling like I am "still Making Waves on top of the world"!

Happy New Year

Wishing you everything that makes your heart sing loud with peace, joy and happiness!

on the days over Christmas Mother Nature gave to me...

🎵🎶 frigid cold temperatures, wickedly high windchills, 

ice crystal showers and a skating rink-like roadway 🎶🎵

Staying safe means many things these days!  With the weather we welcomed (or I should say did not welcome) over the past few days, I made sure to find ways to still be active outside while staying safe from the conditions.  In addition to the outside active hours, I spend many, many, many hours inside being creative to keep my mind safe and sound.  As the days go on with these extreme weather warnings, the blog title could become 🎵🎶 on the twelve days of Christmas... 🎵🎶  

When it was time to be "out & about" I stayed close to home and kept the time and distance on the shorter side.  I monitored the forecast and was out the door for the warmest time period.  An hour was a safe enough time span at Nose Creek on this day.

I have been a good girl and rewarded myself for that! I purchased a set of watercolour brush pens and they sat under my tree until Christmas day. I always wanted to paint with watercolours, I took lessons through the city years ago but had no luck with making progress nor with finding enjoyment in the craft. Earlier this year I watched many tutorials and gave it a try again yet with no success.  The look of the softness of watercolour projects appeals to me and I was not ready to give up.   I discovered watercolour brush pens and on this day when it was not safe to be 'out & about", I opened the pack and laid some shades.  These projects were created from watching beginner tutorials on how to lay the colours. 

With another day of windchills in the high minus thirties and dipping into the low minus forties, it would be another day keeping my mind active and healthy.  I spent hours on end searching for lessons and practicing with the brush pens.  This time I was ready to learn all about blending.  In addition to learning about blending, I learned I need to purchase artist tape to tape down the paper which prevents the paper from rippling when it dries.  I will also purchase watercolour paper rather than using the multi-media paper that I have on hand.

When I woke this morning and checked the forecast, it showed a short window of opportunity to safely be "out & about" after the wind died down somewhat and before the snow began falling.  I ventured a bit further up the skating rink-like road to Nose Hill.  This time around, two hours was a safe enough time frame. Today was my first time ever seeing Bohemian Waxwings!  These are five of the couple of dozen that were flying about.  I learned they come to cities over the winter where they are often visible but stay in mountain forests the rest of the year and are hardly ever seen.  

Merry Christmas

 

Skate etching & sketching December 22, 2021

My mind mulled over how to create some kind of unique signature.  That was as far as I got.  A few days passed with still no vision of what I wanted it to look like.  Then, just like that, the mulling began to produce ideas and this is the outcome.  I rendered a version of my blue skates. I tried to sketch two identical skates but at different angles and had no luck with making the second skate the same as the first.  Then I had a light bulb moment!  I sketched one skate, laid a piece of wax paper over it and traced an outline onto the wax paper, placed the outline where I wanted the second skate to be then traced the outline.  Voila, two identical enough skates!  The original sketch measures five inches by five inches.  I'm happy with the look and feel it is a cute touch to include with my skating blog posts!    

A right time arrived for a second opportunity to skate at Bowness Park.  My intentions were to begin at The Ice Trail, skate there until my heart was content and then skate along the connecting trails over to The Lagoon and have a whirl around there.  Right now the set up is different than it was last season, there are no connecting trails.  Maybe that will change as the days pass.  I was too lazy to change back into my boots, walk the five minutes over to The Lagoon and then put my skates back on.   What I did instead was double the distance on The Ice Trail then what I covered last week.  

With in a matter of about five minutes of skating, I stopped to capture photos of The Ice Trail lit up.  I got two pictures then the lights went out, I am assuming for the balance of the daylight hours.  Next time, I will have to arrive earlier.  

Once the lights went out and the snow sweeper finished her job, then the flooder truck began doing loops.  I like it when the lights are lit, yet I love skating on freshly flooded ice.  I want both!  Here are a few photos from my thirteen kilometre skate this morning.

My skates are once again sitting on the floor by my front door.  With what weather is forecasted for the next few days, only time will tell when I will lace up again!  

Christmasy Creativity

The thoughts of being nestled all comfy and cozy in a cabin in the woods brings on such a joyous warm feeling.  I have experienced it and I like to remember those times.  I also enjoy rendering those moments so much so that the numerous brown shades in my pencil tin have been replenished twice already.  If you follow my blog you will have seen a number of sketches that include cabins of some sort.  This time I veered a bit off track from sketching a comfy cabin in the woods and sketched a Christmasy cozy birdhouse in a backyard.    

On the side of the table sits a  7" X 10" coiled mix media sketch book. It's always open to a blank page for when the mood hits.  I love lots of bright cheerful vivid colour but there is something about simple basic black lines that appeal to me also.   I wondered how do I add that Christmasy feel to a black india ink sketch and still keep it simple and basic.  The box with the bow on it and the gold in the street lantern bring me to that feeling!  

When I began coloured pencil sketching early last year, it brought so much pleasure right away.  Creativity has been such a healthy escape.  For something a little different, I branched out to work with india ink and knew right away sketching with this medium was something I wanted to invest more time in.   Another medium has peaked my interest and I look forward to experimenting with that in the days to come.  

 

Carburn Park December 19, 2021

With camera and warm layers in tow, I headed to Carburn Park just after sunrise with hopes of seeing some wildlife and pretty sights.  The Park was very quiet for my entire visit, I imagine people prefer to be at home when the windchill hits -25C.  Even after many days of frigid temperatures, the skating rink is still not ready for the little ones.  Later in the morning the parks people were drilling to test the ice depth.  

view along the Bow River

a little lagoon off the Bow River is frozen and shows off a gorgeous reflection

I took the trail that leads through the forest to a creek that runs from the Bow River.  

This is a favourite spot of mine, it's where the birds bathe in the warmer weather.    

There was no bathing happening today but I did spot a Wilson's Snipe.  It was my first time for seeing this species.  Movement caught my eye and a few seconds later I saw it as it blended in with the water and the rocks.  

The Black-Capped Chickadees and Downy Woodpeckers were intent on trying to eat their quota for the day.  During the cold months, the Chickadees need to eat three times their body weight in food each day.  I was surprised when a male Downy Woodpecker came for a snack, that is him in the left and right photos with a  Chickadee in the middle. 

ice sculpture decorating a rock on the edge of the river

There was lots of nature to enjoy even though it was bitterly cold.  The Common Goldeneye spent more time under water than he did swimming along.  The squirrel stayed crouched in this position against the tree.  I realized it found protection from the wind.  The White-Breasted Nuthatch peeked out every now and then.  The deer was staying warm curled up in the bush after having breakfast.  The American Dipper dipped in and out of the Bow River sharing the area with hundreds of geese and ducks.  

  I took a tiny detour to check out a few more sights before calling it a day.   

in the snow globe

Two hours later, now with a red nose & cheeks and fingers feeling frosty, I was ready for warmth!

Marathon to Athens Virtual Challenge Progress December 16, 2021

Well, that did not last long!  On December 10th I stated I would try my best to walk away from these virtual challenges, now I am skating right back into them.  It's the same but different this time!  I will be recording my distances covered for the Marathon to Athens Virtual Challenge but I will only be tracking the kilometres I cover when I skate.  The distance for this journey is only 42.2 kms, yet I picked 84 days as the time frame to reach completion.  For the sport of skating, only a portion (approximately half) of the actual distance covered is used towards the challenge so this will probably take the entire winter to complete if I skate once a week.  

This skating photo from March is the one I choose to use as my marker on the map.

When I registered on December 13th, there were already over 34 thousand other conquerors ahead of me.

This virtual challenge takes you along the legendary route of the original marathon in Greece.  It begins in Marathon and ends in Athens.  Having been a marathoner a number of years back, this challenge peaked my interest when then announced it a few months ago.  At 42.2 kms, the distance was too short for tracking while hiking but it is the perfect distance to track for skating.

the virtual starting location in Marathon

This is my actual starting location on The Ice Trail at Bowness.

I used the Conqueror program to generate my own postcard.

the first postcard to arrive once I began the challenge

a sweet skate at Bowness December 13, 2021

I have been waiting for this day!  It felt so good, it felt so right, to lace up my skates and create etchings in the ice for the first time this season! My skates were sharpened back in October and have been sitting at my front door for when The Ice Trail at Bowness Park opened for business. It's go time!  I like skating when the lights are bright along the Trail but I did not want to skate in the dark for my first skate this season.  My timing was right to see the lights for the first few laps.  The Ice Trail is ready yet the Lagoon is not nor are the connecting trails but that should change soon given our weather forecast for the next little while.  The conditions of the Ice Trail will improve too as the days pass.   

I parked close to The Ice Trail and put my skates on at my car then carefully walked a few feet to the ice and off I went.  There was no one else skating but there was an employee who was walking the trail with a snow blower to blow the snow off the ice.  I did my best to stay out of his way. 

It was a cold and frosty morning skating by the Bow River.   

frosty needles on the trees that lined the trail

the fire pit is ready

view across the Bow River

An hour and a half of skating for the first time this season was enough.  I used muscles that had not been used since this past March and I did not want to pay the price for over-doing a good thing.  My hair was frosty, my cheeks were pink and I felt fulfilled from this first skate!  

This map shows the route I skated.  The crossings in the middle sections was where I wanted to get out of the way of the snow blower.  Soon the trails will open that connect from the Ice Trail to the lagoon and also the trails that lead off the lagoon under bridges and along side forests.  

what recent successes look like

This was a reward where the anticipation of receiving it was up there.  The medal for completing the Road to Hana Virtual Challenge was in the mailbox when I arrived home from my get-away to Banff.  It's a beautiful piece of artwork and with the ribbon being replaced by a lei, this makes it unique to Hawaii.  All along I had an idea of how to document this success so I took the medal with me for a sunrise hike up on The Hill.  The thoughts of a Maui sunrise, the warm ocean breeze, sand between your toes, the soft shades in the lei all pair perfectly with today's reality.  I included a close up photo of the medal's front and back.  

The Black Friday sales were enticing and I wanted to be a part of the hoopla.  The Cornell Lab Bird Academy had a Black Friday year end sale on their on-line courses.  I opted to invest my cash there rather than in a physical item.  There were many courses to choose from.  I picked a basic one called "Joy of Birdwatching".  When I would be "out & about" with my bird nerd friend, he would offer advice on ways to identify birds.  I knew I had so much to learn so this course was perfect in giving me a chance at having more success with knowing what I was hearing and what I was seeing.  With winter setting in, it is not the  busiest time with bird watching but it is certainly a great time to be learning all about it, so I an setting my sights on another bird course that goes into a bit more depth. 

A couple of weeks ago, I laid the graphite pencil work on a piece of Bristol smooth depicting a warm homey cozy setting that offered a view to the cold wintry outside world. When the time was right, I would bring this sketch to life with colour.  That time came when I spent a few days in Banff.  After each day of being "out & about" there, I came back to my home away from home, sparked a fire, poured a glass of white and settled in front of my window with a view to bring this window with a view to life. I look at this piece and see success in that I sense that feeling of being warm and cozy.