Halifax Writer, Susan Mersereau, reads in Banff at the Whyte Museum with the Robert Bateman exhibit behind her.

Susan read an amazing story and she read wonderfully, amazingly well.

The second photo is Susan with Edna Alford, Faculty Director, Writing Studio, Banff Centre.

Visitors & Snow

This week my friend, Sue came through Banff with her friend Vicky, and they were treated to a snow flurry May 15 - spring in the Mountains. Though Vicky and I had never met before it was astounding to learn that she spent her summers at a cottage only a few kilometres from ours in Bayfield....and her husband grew up in London and his family owned a variety store only blocks from our house. 

Canada is huge, Canada is a neighborhood.

Last weekend at the dog park in Canmore, Santiago was thrilled to find the pond had started to melt. She was a happy dog swimming or more often than not just standing in the water.

The bottom photo is of the deer "crosswalk" in front of our house.

Trucks are big here aren't they!

Our place is on the left about where the maroon truck is parked.

I thought these birds were as shocked as I was that it was snowing today....

It snowed for several hours but fortunately melted as it hit the ground.

This is a flock of starlings that just arrived in town this week. First starlings I have seen since I arrived in Banff. They must have thought winter was gone so they moved back in only to find this snow today.I saw a Kingfisher over the river on the weekend...made me think of Nova Scotia.

 

What you don't see

What you don't see is what I heard - a nuthatch, a mountain chickadee (striped head instead of a solid cap),  a junco (millions of them here it seems this spring and different colouring than the ones out east) their song sounds to me like a handful of tiny, tiny gold coins dropped from one palm to another., and the magpie, squawky bird that can sound like a good honk or a car horn.

Every day when I climb up Tunnel Mountain to the Centre - I have to plan for stopping time to see and listen to the birds. Saw an eagle twice, yesterday saw a woodpecker and a nuthatch and I hear all sorts of birds and I cannot always identify them. Fortunately the bird society has started early morning walks...so I plan to go on some of the walks to learn more about the birds here.

I bumped into Bambi on the way home

This little deer was not the least bit bothered by my walking by on the sidewalk and stopping to take pictures. I think this would be a baby from last fall. Don't know if we actually see the littlest ones - I can only hope.

The last photo is the view from outside a building at the Banff Centre. A lovely location in which to work.

A DAY WITH SANTIAGO - She gets cookies wherever she goes - the bank, the post office and of course our house