Stopping to See…

We were on our way home last week, driving through Kootenay National Park. I was ready to be home.  But Jim suggested we stop and see what this ‘Marble Canyon’ sign was pointing out.  I’m so glad we did!

There was more there than met the eye from the highway…At first it was just another stream, albeit a beautiful turquoise blue one…

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And more dead pine trees (amazing what a beetle is capable of!)…
These ones stood like teeth on a comb…P1170802P1170804

But there were flowers along the way…P1170845P1170846P1170818P1170810

And then we came to this impressive slot canyon with water rushing through…

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Just an everyday sight to this picnicking critter.

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But well worth stopping to see.

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..before we proceeded on down to the valley

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–LS

And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight…Ex.3:3

On the go…

I’m posting on the go this week—returning ‘home’ from a trip to celebrate our firstborn’s firstborn’s 6th birthday.

six now6th birthday six

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IMG_20150612_203526992_HDR  We’re thankful for safe and scenic travels…

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We did a little sight-seeing coming and going, stopping at places we would normally just drive on by, including the site of Canada’s first national park, in Banff–

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Thermal hot springs have created exotic algae beds in the stream’s current……

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(OK, sorry it looks like sludge here. In real life it’s fascinating to watch as is waves in the current)

And of course the Rocky Mountain backdrop is always spectacular…

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We got in some cycling time too, as we’re ramping up for a tandem rally…

The prairies have more hills than meets the eye.  And more wind!

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IMG_20150616_164732380 Thirty-five mile an hour gusty cross-winds were a memorable first!

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There’s so much sky here… and sunsets and clouds.  What  awesome declarations of God’s glory!

The whole earth is His studio.

–LS

P.S. And I need to add these impromptu shots, created by chance with the ladder brought in to do some picture hanging.  And picture-perfect!

ladder

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We found a ferry

We found another ferry ride—and this one was free!

We got up early Friday morning to join the local ‘bun run’ riders.  Twenty quick miles later we arrived at a wee cable ferry that carried us across the Lake for a delightful country road pedal to the home of the best cinnamon buns in the west!

IMG_20150605_075637443IMG_20150605_075641790_HDRIMG_20150605_075739154 (It was actually a sunny day; the fog just added a mysterious ambience to the 5 minute crossing)

The giant sweet buns were hot from the oven shortly after we arrived and well worth the wait!  Sorry no photo;  it never even occurred to me to pause for a picture before helping Jim gobble ours down!

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Seems we are discovering our new world via tandem these days.  We made our most difficult ascent ever to the skiing town of Rossland one hot afternoon this week.  It is a ride we won’t soon forget despite the want of photos.  It stretched me to the boiling point.  I didn’t know my face could get so red; nearly matched my new shoes.

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But the ride down at 50MPH without pedaling was oh so fast and oh so thrilling.  Here we are at the top before I tucked the camera safely away!

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And then a little further along when the way had levelled out…

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This is a country of wild icy rivers—a sweet reprieve when the thermometer climbs into the 90’s as it has this week.

 

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Later in the summer when the current has calmed and the water has warmed, this river will be swimmable. For now we we just wade in and it’s so cold it hurts!

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–LS