Farewell to the books

Today I returned the remainder of my secondary literature from my research. At one point I had close to 100 books out of the University Library, in addition to several from the Public Library and several more from Interlibrary loan. Now, I have approximately five books out, and none of them are thesis related.

If I Had a Hammer

Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary dies Shared via AddThis I've often thought that if I could have the voice of any female vocalist, it would be Mary Travers from Peter Paul and Mary. Strong and clear, tonal and tightly harmonizing, yet understated and best fit for a group, not a solo. I've learned a lot about harmonizing from Peter Paul and Mary.

Belgian farmers dump milk in massive protest

Belgian farmers dump milk in massive protest Shared via AddThis Wow, I don't know what to say about this except that (1) while I agree that it seems like a crime to waste all this milk when people in the world are starving (2) I admire these farmers' determination to make their case heard. In my opinion, governments throughout the world should take whatever steps necessary to ensure the survival of a local food economy.

Significance of the Sweater

Perhaps the significance of this sweatshirt will be lost on you. Then let me present some enlightenment. I promised myself that before I was all said and done with my education at the University of Calgary, I would purchase a UofC hoodie or sweatshirt of some sort. To commemorate my time there. Consequently, presence and attire of said article of clothing means only one thing: I am officialy K, holder of a Master's Degree in History. And what a run it has been. Copies of the much-berated, oft-forlorned, and now small-revisions-from-being-completed thesis may or may not be obtained from the author.

Well Hello

Oh hello Fall. I see you've arrived.

Though summer seemed far too short, and August over far too quickly, I think I will like you too.

So long as you give us some gloriously sunny and cool days with evening sunsets hazy with harvest dust.

Breathe gold and yellow and orange and red into the leaves but don't blow them off the trees too fast.

Cover the grass in frosty icing in the morning that melts by the light of the sun.

Be cool enough for light jackets, but not cold for winter coats.

I hope you'll last at least until October 31st, please. Keep winter away at least until November. Halloween's more fun for kids when they don't have to wear winter coats underneath their costumes.

Laundry

Laundry is my favourite chore. Nope, not kidding. I like sorting the dirty clothes into loads. I like adding soap to the washing machine. I like the rhythmic sounds made by the machine as it churns and spins. In the winter, I like pulling the dry clothes out of the dryer all warm and good-smelling. I like making neat uniform stacks of folded clothes, ready to be put away. But most of all, I like summertime use of clotheslines. I like clothespins with their funny little shape and practical purpose. I like hanging out clothes in multi-coloured strands or flags. I like seeing the sun shine on the clothes and watching the wind blow the clothes gently. I like the crisp feel and smell of the clothes after they're dry. They seem to take on the smell of the sun and wind. And too, I like the fact that it saves us money and energy by hanging things out to dry. Clotheslines should be legal everywhere, without question.

To Waterton and Back

It's a good thing not very many people know how beautiful Waterton National Park is, because then it would be way more busy (she says as she writes a public blog post on the topic).

Well, I'll say it anyway: Waterton is breath-taking.

It helped that the weather was 100% cooperative while we were there, certainly.

We got a campsite overlooking the creek, overlooking the prairies jutting into the mountain valley, and overlooking the mountains themselves.

The campground had no showers and no hot water, so our bathing was done in the creek--fine by me! It reminded me of the good old days spending weeks at Kootenay Plains working at summer camp.

I've been wanting to do the Crypt Lake Hike for years, ever since I first read about it in the Canadian Rockies Trail Guide, and saw a picture of a guy climbing through the side of a mountain. Our route looking forward (Brent has added a red line where we walked): Our route looking backward:

In order to do this hike, you need to cross the lake by ferry. Then in addition to the usual switchbacks, valley-walk, creek-crossings and what-not, you have to climb a metal ladder and, crouching down, squirm through a 60ish foot natural tunnel in the side of the mountain, before emerging on the other side. Then you skirt around the side of the mountain, holding onto a cable if you're worried about the drop-off or are feeling unsteady on your feet.The following picture makes it look like the tunnel is huge. It's not. Brent pretty much had to crab-walk to get through.

Then a little further up and over the lip of the valley and you drop into a cirque where the ice-cold Crypt Lake lies. On the far side of the lake, part way up the scree slope, is the border between Canada and the United States. So we could almost say that we went to the US without passports...

We took the nine o'clock ferry across (you could also catch one at ten) and took the four o'clock one home (you could also take one at five thirty). The Waterton Shoreline Cruise Company ran the boats that took us across. The staff were friendly and entertaining and apparently the company does a number of other ferry-trips for hikers upon request (at a cost, of course.) Aside from the hike, the scenery in general was lovely.

We saw three bears and plenty of deer. Sunday morning we got up early so Brent could get some shots with the long-shadowed sunrise lighting and I just sat and took it all in: the scents of pine and berries and grass, the sunshine streaming across the prairie , the mountains and hills and lake, the wind whistling in the grass and trees....I would like to preserve that moment forever. God's creative power was visible everywhere.