Author Archive
Think Pink …
Almost 2 weeks ago, a co-worker and good friend of mine underwent surgery for breast cancer. To let her know that we were all thinking of her, the Western Financial Group Downtown office wore pink (even some of the boys!)
Through donations, we raised almost $1,000 for the Cancer Society in just 1 short day. Every little bit helps in the battle against this horrible disease. We all have mothers, sisters, aunts, wives, girlfriends, daughters, nieces and grandmothers …
You can find more information on breast cancer at the Breast Cancer Society of Canada or at The American Cancer Society.
Perseid Meteor Shower
Last night was the peak for the annual Perseid Meteor Shower. I ventured out into the parking lot with my camera, tripod and 50mm f1.8 lens. After almost 3 hours, and 275 shots, these are what I ended up with …
This spectacular show will be visible until August 24th, with 70-80 meteors per hour. Look to the north-northeast after midnight, just below Cassiopeia and you will find the constellation of Perseus. This is where a good portion of the meteors will seem to originate from. The darker the area, the better (obviously), but I was shooting in a well-lit parking lot with decent results.
Grab a lawn chair & a blanket, and enjoy!
23rd Annual Cypress Rod and Custom Show
Saturday afternoon found me strolling through the parking lot of the Medicine Hat College, taking in the sights and sounds of the last 50 years of the Canadian and American Auto Industry. Now, I’ll freely admit, I’m not a gear-head … I know just enough about cars to keep from getting ripped off by shady mechanics, but I do enjoy classic cars.
Some of these cars were nothing but rusting heaps of metal sitting in a field somewhere before they were rescued and restored to their former glory. Below are just a few examples of the blood, sweat and tears invested to bring these beauties back to the road.
1977 Chevy Bel-Air. The first thing that attracted me to this car was the color, and that vibrant blue Chevron on the grille. The squared-off front end and all that beautiful, sparkling chrome didn’t hurt, either ;)
1972 GMC pickup truck - this is more of a custom than a classic, but a beauty nonetheless.
1955 Chevy “farm truck” - this is not your grandfather’s “farm truck”, that’s for sure. Alot of restoration and a little customization went into this truck, making it truly unique. Aptly named “Sunny and Mild”.
1967 Chevelle 427 SS - black cars really DO look better in the shade. There isn’t a gear-head out there that doesn’t have just a little appreciation for this car’s power and beauty. One of my favorites of the day.
1966 Chevelle - beautiful silver paint on the outside, and a gorgeous red leather interior inside. This was the show-stopper for me.
1967 Ford Mustang Coupe - no car show is complete without the 67 Mustang. Now, if pushed to make a decision, I’m a Chevy girl all the way, but I do love the ’67 and ’68 Mustangs.
2001 Ford Mustang Bullitt Coupe - I love the front end of this thing. Her tires are so far back, she looks like she’s floating. This is 1 of only 500 produced for the Canadian market.
I had a great time looking at all the cars, meeting a few of the owner’s, and photographing alot of beautiful history.
Harrowing Experiences in Weather Photography
I love thunderstorms, they are my favorite part of summer, and the reason I started into photography in the first place. On any given day, you will catch me checking the www.theweathernetwork.com for watches & warnings and studying the radar maps. It weirds people out. So tonight, when I heard the distant rumble of thunder, I did as I always do … grabbed my camera & tripod and headed for the door.
Adrienne and I headed over to the park behind our apartment building, in order to get a clear view of the storm off in the distance. I climbed up onto the (metal) playground equipment, set up the tripod, and finalized my settings.
There were a few large strikes, only one of which I managed to capture (above image). They were spaced quite far apart, so I had my camera set to burst mode, in the hopes of anticipating and catching a big one. As I stood waiting patiently, I looked over at Adrienne, and laughing, said, “All your hair is standing on end!”
She looked at me and replied, “Uh, so is yours … “
“Here, take this!” I snapped, as I tore my camera off the tripod. I leaned down to unlock the legs of the tripod, just as a very large fork of purple lightning flashed directly above our heads. Needless to say, we bolted for the house, watching the state of each other’s hair as we did so.
I understand why “Storm Chasers” do what they do … its exciting, fascinating, exhilarating and terrifying all at once. But, that being said, I think I’ll pass on the near misses. That was entirely too close for me!
Lazy Afternoon on the South Saskatchewan
The kids and I spent Sunday afternoon drifting down the South Saskatchewan river with a group of friends, a popular summer pasttime here in The Gas City.
We travelled from Redcliff to the boat launch in Strathcona park (a 10 km journey), and finished off the evening with a BBQ. The first part of the trip took us past Echo Dale Regional Park. These are the red cliffs on the far side of the river that are visible from the park.
This area had the roughest water, by far (which, as you can see below, wasn’t very rough at all).
We even picked up a straggler! Patrick wasn’t able to join us at the outset, as he was working. But he walked along the bank and met us about halfway through the trek.
The bridge on Highway #1 spanning the river marked the halfway point. We all stayed fairly grouped together .. chatting, splashing and generally goofing off.
We soon realized, however, that we needed to get a move on. The sun was starting to set, and we had another 3-4 kms of slow-moving water to travel before it got dark.
I spent the last part of the trip towing Adrienne (not an easy feat!), who had had her fill of paddling. We spotted a few deer along the banks, and a beaver swam alongside us for a little while. As we neared the boat launch, the fish-flies became so thick, it looked as though it was snowing!
All in all, a great time was had. The trip took over 4 hours to complete, and we were all exhausted by the end. I plan to do it at least once more before the summer is out. Below is a complete map of our route.
View Larger Map
The Maiden Voyage of the Dragonfly
My Advanced Elements Dragonfly XC kayak arrived safe and sound on Tuesday, and tonight was her maiden voyage. Bryan, Adrienne and I piled into the truck after work, and headed for Echo Dale Regional Park. We set up our picnic goodies at a spot near the water, and began the process of building the paddle and inflating the kayak.
After about 15 minutes of preparation, we were ready to hit the water. Unfortunately, no one was around to outfit the kids with a paddleboat, which was the original plan, so we all took turns in the kayak. I was a little worried at first, but I’m embarrassed to say, the kids caught on far faster than I did!
I made a few unintentional circles, but it didn’t take long before I had the technique figured out. I paddled out to the small island in the middle of the man-made lake, where I watched a Kingfisher survey the land from his perch in the bushes, and a muskrat puddle about in the evening sun. Of course, since I didn’t want to risk losing or damaging it, I didn’t bring my camera .. and the cheap disposable camera I bought for the occasion was back on the banks with the kids. *Sigh*
We have another trip out to Echo Dale planned for Saturday, and a group outing down the South Saskatchewan river planned for Sunday. My camera will make the trip this time ;)
New Adventures Begin …
I bought myself an inflatable kayak off of ebay yesterday, and I’m hoping to have it by the end of next week. I’ve never been in a kayak before, or ANY type of boat, for that matter. But I have been assured that the type I bought is very hard to flip over. We’ll just see about that …
A friend of mine has a little boat that she likes to float down the South Saskatchewan river in, but since its only big enough for her and her boyfriend, I decided to get my own! It’ll be great for those days when I just need to hide from the world.
Don’t expect too many photos, though. I don’t want to risk losing or damaging my camera until I’m done trying to drown myself ;)
Leah Andres
