Christmas in Banff December 23, 2025

Those visions of Christmas Mountain Scenes that I talked about in my previous posts that were dancing in my head, well I have physically immersed myself into them!  I always wanted to spend Christmas in Banff but never bothered to act on the dream. When things happen in life, it’s a reminder to live out those dreams!  

I arrived to a winter wonderland!  

Banff is all decked out in the festive spirit!

snow removal 

The walkways were clear making for easy walking around the townsite. 

The weather was a most wonderful welcome to this winter wonderland! Everyone was in a festive spirit which added to the welcome. Even with the language barriers, taking each others photos was an obvious request.  

It was’t snowing but the forecast says it will tomorrow.  

To hold me over until it does, I created my own flurries.  

It was a long busy exciting day.  I was happy when it came time to check into my home away from home. After unpacking, time came to decorate my little tree, hang my stocking, get the fire going and settle in with a glass of wine and my book. 

I like when reality far exceeds the visions that dance in my head !

on the 20th day of December......

......I made my last visit to the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary for 2025! Before heading there, I painted the Sugarplum Fairy for the 20th day of Advent.  The instructor suggested doing a test painting on other paper before painting the real thing. I should have heeded her advice but I was too big for my britches.  The Fairy does not look happy as she sits lopsided! Day 18 is a tree called the Western Australian Christmas Tree and Day 19 is brussel spouts which is not a Christmas dinner tradition for me yet is for many around the world. 

Today was the only opportunity I had to visit The Sanctuary one last time this year and it happened to be one of the coldest days so far this season.  At -21 C with a windchill of -31 C (-5.8F with a windchill of -23.8F), I bundled up and braced against the cold while embracing it too.  

Ducks & Geese huddled up at the edge of the river!

These are a female and male Mallard Ducks that were actually performing the mating dance.  

My photo is clear, I snapped the shot through fog hoovering over the river.

Whatever it takes to stay warm!

This is a fluffed up White-breasted Nuthatch!

Whatever it takes to stay warm!

I first saw this adult Bald Eagle.....

.....then I saw this Juvenile Bald Eagle and I wondered....

.....could they be the Adult and Eaglet I saw on May 18th!  I often wondered if that Eaglet survived and began to live its best life!  I am going to let my mind believe it did and I saw it today. I accept the sighting as a wonderful Christmas gift on this 20th day of Advent.

I left that area holding close to my heart, the sighting of the Juvenile Bald Eagle.  I then came upon some action playing out, from what I next saw, I knew why the Young Buck and..... 

all the other Deer were standing on guard!  

Right in front of me, this Coyote came under the wire on the fence and headed down the trail.....

.....following behind this Coyote that was carrying a Canada Goose! Neither looked in my direction, they walked down the trail then veered off into the bushes on the left which happened to be where the Buck and the Deer were.  I watched the Coyotes go into the bush and settle down with the Goose.  I snapped my shots then I was off.  This was not a scenario I cared to be in the middle off.  

After taking off and moving down the trail quite a distance, I felt OK with stopping to enjoy the scenery again before calling it a day and heading on home.  A very narrow section of the creek remains open.  I enjoyed seeing how the icy crystal flowers lined the waters edge.  

oh how dainty yet hardy these beautiful creations are 

So, I am not dainty yet I am hardy!  Two hours after arriving and bracing against the cold yet embracing it, I was ready to cover the last kilometre to my vehicle then hit the road to home.  On this 20th day of December, I was gifted many wonderful sights from Mother Nature!  

Once I got home, I curled up on my sofa under a blanket and just like I shared in my last post, 

I had visions of Christmasy Mountain Scenes dancing in my head!

I used a tutorial to learn how to paint trees like these! 

I added the mountains and included many trees!

Delightful December Days December 14, 2025

While visions of a wintry mountain town.....

.....dance in my head, I am enjoying what is close to home!

My paints, pallet and paper were put to use to create the above image.  I had completed a tutorial on how to paint a big city winter sight at Christmas time.  It was a pleasure to paint.  I decided to paint another picture putting my own spin on it.  I came up with a Wintry Christmas Mountain Town!  While that tree on the main street is gigantic.....

.....one of the trees in my home is petit! This is the seaglass tree my sister made for me!  

Yesterday morning this was how cold it was!  No, my hair is not grey! I needed to stretch my legs for a couple of hours before sitting for a couple of hours enjoying a live performance of "A Miracle on 34th Street" staring my friend's daughter. 

While "out & about" for those couple of hours, I checked in on the tiny sized two foot trees at the Birth Forest.  The majority of them are thriving!  

the trail behind me

it was mesmerizing to watch the water swirl below these hanging icicles

At day's end, I turned on the lights on my two foot tree, 

the one I will enjoy for a few days over Christmas.

The bootie slippers no longer sit under my big tree!  

They will be bringing warmth and comfort to others!

The two stuffed animals I knit earlier this year are with the booty slippers. 

They are worthy of being hugged by a little one rather than sitting on a shelf for me to look at.  

In a twenty-four hour period, the temperature rose roughly thirty degrees.  The weather went from forming frosty fringes on my hair to being concerned the newly purchased butter would melt in my car while I was "out & about" for another couple of hours.  Now it's time to monitor for flooding and burst pipes!  Before checking out that situation, I checked out the goings on at Carburn Park.  The Trumpeter Swans remain a beautiful sight to see, as is the case with this adult and child.  

The adult enjoying being solo settled on the ice!

Common Goldeneye

Male Bufflehead

Male Common Merganser

Male Mallard mating with the Female Mallad

a Muskrat sitting on ice

one of many Killdeer

As I was heading to were the Bald Eagles hang out, this one left that area and flew in my direction.  It actually came too fast and too low for me to react quick enough to get a good shot.  I did see where they are building a nest but did not stick around to wait and watch.

I did wait and watch while the deer roamed across the trail.

Before heading out this morning, I did the Trifle painting for Day 14 on my Advent Calendar.  I am becoming more comfortable painting the very small pictures with the tiny details.  I am so curious when I wake each morning as to what the picture will be for the day.  I like that I am learning about Christmas traditions that are new to me.  Day 12 is a Christmas Bell, a flower that blooms around Christmas time in Australia.  Day 9 is a bag of pepernoten which is a Dutch spiced cookie popular on December 6th in The Netherlands when they celebrate Sinterklass.  I was so intrigued by this sweet treat that I....... 

.....I made my own after being "out & about" this morning! Oh my goodness, how delicious they are! The recipe called for speculaaskruiden which is a Dutch spice.  I made my own using cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and cardamom.  I know when I go to The Netherlands, I will be purchasing the real thing while there.    

I better get back to the kitchen and package up the pepernoten, 

out of sight out of mind, 

for now!