Hiking boots

After I moved to the Mountains I suppose it was inevitable that my pace would slow down from that of a ballerina~figure-skater~roller-skater wannabe to that of a walk. Although I still got my need for speed kick from zooming around on my mountain bike, I spent the other weekend day with a pair of hiking boots laced to my ankles and slowly over time built up stamina for longer day and overnight hikes throughout Banff/Lake Louise/Field.

Zamberlan, in the end, became my hiking boot of choice. I don’t remember how many pairs I wore out over the years…this pair, likely the last pair, are still in my closet.

Although there are no mountains to hike around Lavender Hill, I occasionally put on my hiking boots and I feel like my mountain-girl-self once again.


Time to get back into the studio

Time to get back into the studio and continue works-in-progress. This is a paper-cutting design that I’ve been playing with entitled Smoke Clearing Kananaskis Country. Its inspiration is a photo I took summer 2018 in the Canadian Rockies when lots of smoke was pouring into the Valley from forest fires.

I spent time watching this Raven or rather trickster, as I prefer to see the Raven as a symbol of change and transformation (for the good), dancing about as we enjoyed a break from the thick smoke lingering down in the Valley.

Design Work ‘Smoke clearing K-Country’

Trainspotting

I’ve always had this ‘thing’ for trains. When I was very young my dad would take me to his fishing spot and we’d have to cross over railway tracks in the middle of a dense forest. It was at a time when trains had an engine at one end and a caboose at the other end. What a thrill it was to stand alongside my dad waiting as the train (somewhat) rushed past so we could cross over and continue to the fishing hole but not before my dad pointed out the caboose man and encouraged me to wave; and the caboose man waved back! wow…remember the younger you and that feeling of joyful wonderment?

After that I always waved at the caboose man whether he could see me or not and then I waved at the engine man and hoped for a blast from the horn. After these summer days ended a train set showed up under the Christmas tree! How Santa knew will forever remain a mystery.

On Grey Road 9 hidden for most of the year behind dense forest is CN Caboose 78111. Remembering those summer days with my dad and a time when trains had a caboose and a human being who through a simple wave and smile put some magic in childhood….

 

CN Caboose on Grey Road 9

If you like what I do and would like one of my paper-cuttings visit my e-shop or if you would like to commission a paper-cutting contact me.

By the way I still have the train set and it has a red caboose.

 


I’m a Real Woman Green Dress Saturday paper-cutting

Where did the week go? It’s Saturday and I’m happily wearing my I’m a Real Woman Series Saturday Green Dress but I’m not getting any gardening done.

I’m a Real Woman on Saturday

 
This morning I surveyed Lavender Hill for any damage from yesterday’s wind storm and while there are lots of small branches down and one large evergreen tree snapped in half (it was dead to begin with and is in an area that poses no threat) I am happy to report no damage.
 
Next chore was to get all the mice droppings out of the camper van and that took quite some time ~ yuk! I had checked over the winter and it was clean but those pesky rodents took a spring break inside!
 
Then, during a quick-lunch, I noticed my younger GSD was absent? I found her in the back yard wrestling with a very crumpled 6′ long drain pipe. Argh. There must be something inside. I picked it up and didn’t notice anything moving. Both ends are completely crushed with teeth marks acting like rivets so nothing is ever coming out of this pipe again.
 
Oh! then I feel a little counter-balance and hear a little scraping slide noise from inside. OMG! there is some poor thing trapped inside this aluminum coffin. I carry it to an area of the garden behind a gate and away from the dogs. It takes all my effort to bend the drain pipe back and forth at a point in the crumbled aluminum closest to the section where the pipe isn’t crushed. A piece breaks off but the pipe is still pinched together. I grab the closest tool at hand in the form of a wooden stake and try to wedge it between the pinched aluminum trying to pry an opening. Suddenly a little furry chipmunk tries to squeeze its way out so I retract my tool and the little guy squeezes some more…only to get stuck! It’s looking at me, I’m looking at it….Okay I say back in and let me try to make the opening bigger…in it goes and I manage to get the drain pipe opened large enough for a full-body exit.
 
I’ve never been this close to a chipmunk before. It came out of the pipe and as if thanking me came over to the edge of my elevated work surface within a foot of my face and inches away from my hands and just looked at me. I said, “don’t jump on me” and moved back a little. It was in no hurry to go and retreated back into the pipe!. Oh no I said…out you go as I raised up one end and out it came again.
 
And that’s it (for now) for my I’m a Real Woman Saturday Green Dress day; although I do have a replacement part to put into the pressure-washer…but the instructions are 5 pages long. YES FIVE pages! okay they’re illustrated…but still 5 pages! that will likely take up the remainder of the day.
 
Click, click, click, I go in my matching green heels to lug out the pressure washer…now what do I need for tools……