Bow Valley, AB – Page 18 – Skelton Sketches

Grotto Canyon…

Posted on April 22, 2016April 28, 2017 by lindaskelton

We had just enough time if we hurried.

Day was at its fading end as we reached the canyon…

Ice still lingers here—cause for careful steps!

And then, as the canyon opened up we found the grotto…

Scaling the slope was much harder than met the eye.

I just watched; I have new hiking boots on order…

Then we hastily retraced our steps

Emerging from the canyon in time to catch the pinking of the sky…

What a lovely way to finish out a day ( :

–LS

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge.
Ps. 19:1-2, a psalm of David

No want of places to hike…

Posted on April 17, 2016April 29, 2017 by lindaskelton

Well, I am a few hikes behind in posting pictures here. There are a world of hikes to be had here and scenery everywhere!

I have joined up with a little group of regular hikers for a couple weeks in a row now. They are older than I but still hitting the trails every week. They’ve been doing it for 11 years faithfully so I have lots of places to discover.

We strolled to Middle Lake in Bow Valley Park one Thursday…

And I learned all about Scotland on the way thanks to this gal’s great story telling…

(She’s also quite a photographer!)

There are hot springs active here…

And less active one-legged geese (lol)

And migrating swans…

And the first wildflowers are just making their appearance… The “Prairie Crocus”, also known as the Pasque flower, is the first harbinger of spring, though it’s not a crocus at all, but an Anemone. We are now officially acquainted ( ;

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The next of “Ruthie’s Hikes” took us into Banff on a cool day with weather brewing! We walked the circuits surrounding Johnson Lake…

This was once mining country…all traces of the town that lay below this overlook are now gone.

We stopped by an old hermit’s cabin along the way—seems he lived here for 27 years avoiding society.
I’m sure there have been many more visitors to his cabin since his passing than in his lifetime!

A few of us oldies tried out a trailside swing over the bluff. Eeks!

Despite the day’s chill spring is making headway here…

I for one will be glad to see it warm up a bit. I have not yet learned to dress just right for the fickle weather. I ended up borrowing a coat!

–LS

The earth is the LORD’S, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Ps.24:1

Our Moving Company

Posted on April 6, 2016April 28, 2017 by lindaskelton

Backing up a bit today to replay our recent move in slower motion…

Easter weekend “Grandad”s Crocuses saw us off with just a small contingent of our possessions to head to Alberta and start work in hopes of also finding a place to call ‘home’.

We took the Kootenay Lake ferry to spare the heavy-laden old Toy a steep mountain pass…

Yay for a free ferry! (Too bad this idea couldn’t catch on back in Powell River.)

We spent Easter with the Calgary kids…

before heading into Canmore (an hour’s drive) on Monday morning to our temporary lodging for the week…

While Jim worked I scouted about…

looking and waiting for the right doors to open in a tightly closed up housing market… We considered even just renting a residential room for the month at the tune of $1000!

…But then I saw it, on Day 2–

A picture perfect suite with endless ‘yard’ space, far exceeding anything we had yet seen, and I thought of my city grandkids and how perfect this would be… and then it was only a matter of waiting to see if the property management’s vision concurred with our own!

How had this place not been snapped up sooner—we are confident God was holding it for us. The timing of its availability was impeccable. As we checked out of the hotel we were free to pick up keys for our new home on April 1!

All that remained was to fetch our trailer load of goods and get a moving crew ( :

Saturday was move-in day…

HOME!

The moving crew…

Time for treats and a rest…

And when all the boxes were in there was time to play the day away…The parents got time out in town while the kids and I went for a nature walk…

Elk droppings and spruce cones were the highlight!

I sent them home with pockets full (of cones!) in hopes of many nature walks to come, now that we live so near!

And Monday morning the sun came in to say ‘Good Morning’ and we old folks shared a cup of tea before Jim went off to work in his new career as a Bicycle Mechanic in a town that thrives on bicycle use…

God has done great things for us. Our hearts are full of wonder and joy.

–LS

“He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.” Ps.145:19

My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! Ps.34:2,3

Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! Ps.34:9