Still Riding!

All the colour without the trees
Originally uploaded by Unknown species

Just when I thought the season was over, the weather gods smiled on me. Indian summer, so named because the early British soldiers thought it resembled the weather in India--a wonderful surprise after last week’s blast of winter. The pathways were clear and dry and there was only a trace of mud to be found down by the weir. So off I went for one more ride. No bike shorts this time I'm afraid--thermal longjohns under the blue jeans and three sweatshirts. Still, it was a beutiful day and great to get out one more time.

I started down in Shephard just like I used to back in April. Eighty-fourth street has become too dangerous for a bicycle these days; some of the residents of our little cul-de-sac seem to figure speed limits, rules of the road and even common sense are completely optional. The other day one of them passed me while I was turning left. That’s right, he cut inside me and turned in front of me in order to gain thirty seconds, thirty seconds he then wasted at the next light. As the saying goes: the hurrier they go the behinder they get.

Everywhere they go, everything they do, they're always in a hurry. It would be amusing if it weren't for the fact that they put others at risk with their antics. If only they could slow down and appreciate the view all around them. That's what I love about the bike paths--no one's in a hurry and if the odd cyclist passes me they usually say hello as opposed to giving me the finger as they speed by.

There wasn't a whole lot in the way of wildlife out and about this week although I did manage to startle a muskrat almost as much as he did me. At first I thought it might be a beaver but he's much too small and the tail too skinny. The shot was supposed to be of the muskrat but I love the way the reflections make everything look upside down.

As always this time of year, there were thousands of geese on the lake though not very many in the air. The water level in the lake was very low and the geese were strutting about on the exposed mud flats. The noise was a bit like being stuck in rush hour traffic--a constant unending honking. I caught the sound of swans as well and was lucky enough to photograph them, albeit from a considerable distance.

There are days when I pine for a telephoto lens but it would be impractical to carry while cycling so that's life I suppose. Between dumb luck at being in the right place at the right time, the inherent abilities of my little camera and the imaging software I am only now learning how to use the pictures continue to improve. Some of the feedback I've been getting has been very encouraging.

Pictures of the old truck on the MacKenzie Century Farm have garnered quite a bit of attention, so much so that I felt compelled to go back and snap a bunch more. Sadly, they're not quite as impressive without the green grass.

Never-the-less I have plenty to play around with. It amazes me what the software can do with a bit of tinkering. Old trucks and sepia tone seem to go together--I'm not sure which I like best in this case though.

Either one could serve as a greeting card:

Autumn Flight

There was simply too much crystalline dihydrogen oxide laying about for me to go riding this week. So I drove out to the lake and went walkabout instead. As always, I managed to find a few things to take pictures of. This has been the year of the hawks for me and this day was no exception. I particularly like the way the trees frame this shot and focus your attention on the bird.

As well as the hawk there were geese by the thousands. As I was walking beside the canal they flew over me. The noise was incredible: wave after wave of them coming in for a landing on the lake.

By the time I returned, the lake was covered in geese. If the snow on the ground wasn't enough of a clue for you, the gathering flocks spell it out. Winter is coming!

Take heart though. There's only 156 more days until spring...

October Skies

I did it! I managed one more ride and in October no less. It was a bit chilly but after about ten kilometers or so it wasn't so bad. Hard to believe the weather is still this nice--harder still to believe I actually felt up to the ride a mere five days after they yanked the last of my teeth out. I am now officially old since I already have bifocals and cannot stand today's music. The new teeth not only look better but actually hurt less than the factory issue ones did.

I didn't bother to make my usual stop at Tim Horton's on the way back this time--teeth aren't quite up to one of their sandwiches yet let alone a donut. Next time, if there is a next time this season. The wonderful thing about the weather here is you never know. This is also the terrible thing about the weather here. You pay your dime, you take your chances. Here's hoping we have one of those mild winters Calgary is famous for.

I was hoping to get more pictures of the trees in all their splendor. No chance. The prairies winds had done their job and those leaves were halfway to Saskatchewan. Skeletal trees dotted the landscape where only last week all the colours of the spectrum blazed. Even the canal had all but dried up.

It wasn't exactly cold but there was a definite bite to the air that declared summer a distant memory and winter a foreboding vision. The endless cycle of life continues and one season follows the other. Still, I have my favourites and winter is no longer one of them.

Autumn on the other hand, does have its merits so long as the snow doesn't cover everything up. There was a time in my life when winter meant skiing but those days are long gone. Now it's just that cold miserable season when everything hurts. Only 171 more days until spring...