March 31st

4pm: The stormy snow clouds that have been hanging over the mountains are very evident in this shot that I took on my way home from a day's work in Calgary. Calgary was warmish & clear, Chinook conditions even but as I got closer to Canmore the temperature dropped. Love these views you get on the Trans Canada, something different in the sky or on the ground every time you make that journey. One sure sign of spring is the melting lakes & the arrival of lots of waterfowl migrating north - the freshly arrived black beaked Trumpeter Swans in particular mean that summer is not too horribly far away.

March 30th

11pm: So it was another cold one today, and a long day as well - rounded off by boot camp & a solid bit of guitar practise. I am slowly getting better, but man! do you need to practise a lot & often - i had a break of a few months without really picking the instrument up & I have suffered for that. Probably taken me a solid 4 weeks to get back to where I was & a couple of lessons as well....memo to self; don't do that again!!

March 29th

11pm: A little blast of late winter today, cold & snowy all day.............

March 28th

2pm: We're off & it's Dads vs Kids in the slalom at Norquay. I thought I would have to hold back a little, to let Tabby beat me - I needn't have worried, she absolutely flew down the course & it was all I could do just to keep level. Tabby is wearing a Hawaiian Hula Hula skirt - it was the final day of the season for her racing club & there was all sorts of stuff going on - barbecues, prizes & lots of fancy dress. Really enjoyed the racing, we went at it a few times, she won every time. Her day was complete when she won a trophy at the end (all the kids in her class did) - she got a faultless, glowing report - a proper little ski racer. Most importantly she said at the end as we drove home, I am really going to miss my classes..........

March 27th

4pm: So today I hooked up the chariot to the bike & went for a ride with Charlie, accompanied by Lisa & Ava. Here we have stopped for a break, about 10km into what was probably only a 20km ride. Nice to get out on the bike again, although I was feeling very sore from one of my crazy Silvertip climbs the day before. Silvertip is a very steep hill climb, about 15 minutes of non-stop uphill pedalling as you literally cycle up a mountain. The kids kind of enjoyed the ride today, although when it got windy Charlie was letting us know in no uncertain terms he didn't appreciate it. Seemed to be a lot happier when we stopped at the play park on the way home & he had a mad 20 minute dash around.

March 26th

11pm: Just heading out of the Bison in Banff with George & Lesley after a really nice dinner. The food at The Bison is really, really good, lots of local flavours & a really smart, casual ambiance. Better than the food though was the company, George & Lesley are our ex-neighbours & we love them - really enjoyed the night out without the kids - Lesley is pregnant & bold predictions were made by myself, Nicky & George that it's going to be a girl. Tabby this morning confirmed this prediction!

March 25th

1pm: Summit Cafe, Canmore. After a few days away from the family it was nice to be back home & to celebrate we headed up the sunny side of the Valley to the Summit. A nice, simple lunch & some warm rays of sun. Keeping Charlie still long enough for him to eat his food was another matter though, like a jack in the box all lunchtime.

March 24th

9am: Two of many things I like about Vancouver. Whole Foods Market, the gorgeous new store on Cambie. In the foreground, green buds on the trees in March.

March 23rd

7pm: Not all of Vancouver is quite so scenic, from the river shore looking west you can see the industrial units of Mitchell Island, a little blob of land in the middle of one of the many tributaries of the Fraser River. I was still stuck working & snuck out to take this shot as the sun disappeared over the horizon. Later we ended up at the house of one of our customers for some of the best Indian food I have ever had the pleasure to eat - a hard days work, with a very nice denouement.

March 22nd

11pm. Another insanely busy day, this time in Vancouver & I am finally back in my hotel - however there is a nightclub by that white van & the music is pumping out. Not good & I need some sleep. Earlier had been to The Lift, a real beautiful eatery on the harbour overlooking Stanley Park - as photogenic a spot as you could wish for, if you had remembered to take your camera with you that is!

March 21st

6pm: Clear paths, finally the warm weather has melted pretty much all the snow downtown & the bike trails are negotiable. I had taken the kids skiing all day, but the season is drawing to a pretty snowless close & biking begins in earnest. This is a lovely view of the mountains, no matter where you look in Canmore you are rewarded with stunning landscapes.

March 20th

 

8pm: I was pretty tired after a busy week & devoid of inspiration, but with such a cloudless sky, the vapour trail of this Westbound jet looked pretty neat as I glanced up from our back garden.

March 19th

4pm: Smokey the Bear, just on the outskirts of Revelstoke, BC. A beautiful but tiring drive back over Rogers Pass & home to Canmore. Smokey can be found guarding a campground near Revelstoke, he's a pretty impressive beast, even if he has been used for target practise by local egg chuckers by the looks of it.

March 18th

11.30pm : I went all the way, a six hour drive from Canmore to Vernon, BC - through some stupendous scenery & the only picture I got was this!! It was a very busy day though, 7am depart, 1 pm arrive, 2pm start work, 11pm finish.........oh well, one of those days I guess. Photography for the most part was the last thing on my mind. A desperation shot in my nondescript hotel room before crashing out.

March 17th

10.30pm - I am numb at just reading the very sad news of the sudden death of Alex Chilton at only 59. Chilton was the lead singer for the influential but at the time under-rated Big Star. Big Star pioneered the way in the whole powerpop genre, all harmonies, ringing guitars & simple, sweet pop songs often quite melancholoy in nature. Really at a time when crappy glam rock & interminable prog ruled the world in the early-mid 70's they were out there ploughing their own furrow. I first heard of them in about 1988, in Brighton at one of the clubs frequented at the time by the likes of Alan McGee, Everett True & Bobby Gillespie. In fact I can clearly remember, as if it was yesterday, the first time I heard September Gurls, (at that little dingy, long gone & smokey club up near Churchill Square), sparkle out of the speakers & onto the dancefloor. Those first few chiming chords seemed to stop the world momentarily & I knew my love affair with music would be taking me in whole new directions. RIP Alex - a sad, sad end to the day for sure.

March 16th

8pm: This is a Leprechaun Trap - assembled with much care & patience by Tabby, but the subject of destructive desires from Charlie & hence a flashpoint at several times during the day. Of course tonight, being St Patrick's Day eve, a little green fella will climb up the straw ladder and fall into the pot - thus becoming property of Tabitha in the morning. I have a feeling he might escape, but not before leaving a couple of chocolate eggs behind*.

* Sobey's having sold out of the more traditional & authentically correct Gold Chocolate Coins earlier this evening!

March 15th

5.30pm: I am getting a bit repetitive I fear, but yet again another very warm, sunny March day here in Canmore - at least 10 degrees & very spring like, the ice on the reservoir up by The Nordic Centre is melting & the trees must be feeling the warmth - although they won't blossom for at least another month.

March 14th

11.30am: Tabby during her first ever ski racing experience at a balmy Norquay. She was a ghost rider, meaning that she raced head-to-head with much bigger/older kids who needed a partner to race against in the slalom competition. Tabby skied beautifully, crashing only once in her 3rd race & winning her 4th against an older boy. I think she really enjoyed the experience, racing in front of a large noisy crowd. It was especially nice when she crashed, that upon getting up & sking out the course she got a massive cheer! I think that boosted her confidence. Also a bit of a landmark day for Charlie boy as he skied his first chair lift run at 2 & 1/2 - I had him on reins & he fell over/sat down about 20 times but he made it down!!

March 13th

6.30pm : This is why we are known at the Dark Side - sunlight floods the south facing side of The Valley, while we shiver under the shadow of the mountain. However here are some reasons why we love our side - the beautiful forests behind us, the proximity to Quarry Lake & The Nordic Centre, the amazing Highline Trail, wildlife and gloriously sunny mornings!! Anyway tonight the clocks go forward, which means more sun later in the day!

March 12th

10am: I suppose I should feel a bit ashamed of myself for posting up such a childish picture - however I couldn't help but notice this reference to the ancient art of Onanism in South Calgary this morning. I have no idea whether it's related to the "Medical Massage" advertised in the bottom left corner?!

March 11th

11am: I spent a couple of hours in Canmore Hospital today, x-rays, ECG & blood tests - the hospital is really efficient & the staff pleasant & friendly. This is where Charlie was born & I doubt you could find a greater contrast to Tabby's birthplace in the Queen Mary in Woolwich, SE London!!

March 10th

11pm: Tabby decided the other day to start writing a book, it's called Charlie & The Lion. She only got as far as the front cover & the first page. What is going to happen to Cahrlie in his adventures with the Lion - I suspect we may never find out..............

March 9th

6pm: So finally, finally we got some snow & the valley once again looked a bit wintery. Today was the first day of bootcamp & as I dragged my weary body home after an hour of torture I took a wee moment to snap the snowy scene from the far end of our street. So the ski season might just be extended by a few weeks, but with more warm weather forecast - who knows?

March 8th

5pm : Charlie with, as usual, most of his dinner on his face rather than in his tummy. He is getting to be a big, boisterous lad - certainly no pushover for Tabby any more.

March 7th

1.30pm: So another, amazingly glorious summer's day in The Rockies. Today was Tabby's second set of ski racing lessons & she out ski-ed me by some considerable distance, seriously at 5 years old she is 10 times better than me!! How can that be? The group skied double black diamond moguls all day, I had to take an easier route down & meet them at the bottom - luckily she is too young (for now) to realise the humiliation this entails....still I had time to stop & take in the scenery, I love this view of the Rundle range beyond the beautifully symetric sloping mountains in the foreground.

March 6th

3pm: A majestic Saturday afternoon & here basking in the sun is Big Head (Canmoe means Big Head in Gaelic I think). So because thsi is Canmore we have a bloody great big head on Main Street, I like him - he gets decorated at different times of the year & I have to admit that I sometimes use his presence to coerce Tabby & Charlie into bed when things get stretched way beyond bedtime. The legend has it (according to me) that every night, Big Head gets up & wanders around Canmore - just his head & a pair of big feet - looking for naughty children who are refusing to go to bed. Of course my two are smart & one late night we drove down Main & he was still there, in his normal place fast asleep - the power of the legend has waned considerably since that night.