All this beauty right under our noses…

Well it’s just a little crazy that summer 2017 is history! But it has been a fabulously warm one here for us with deliciously record-breaking heat just perfect for somebodies that find themselves a little too far north for real comfort.

This morning drizzle turned to snow for a bit, so I think we can safely suppose that any brave flowers still out there won’t last long.  The elk have yet to come for the ones on my porch but this year I’m hoping they’ll come by and turn their fading remains into elk-fuel to spare me having to uproot them myself.

But before I lose the chance I wanted to post some pics from the Cascade Gardens in Banff.  We pedal to and from Banff quite often but have not slowed enough to notice all this beauty right under our noses. These gorgeous gardens are tucked around the Parks Canada Administrative Building, which is itself an impressive sight!  They made for a delightful end-of-day stroll.

And with these I bid summer 2017 farewell!

–LS

The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever. Is.40:8

Busy B’s in the Bow Valley

I’m excited! I got an upgraded ‘phone’ which also means an upgraded camera!  So I’ve been snapping pictures at every chance!

 Of creatures that bumble about in my flowers…

 

 And Buffalo berries that draw bear-ies and cause trails to be closed for human traffic at this time of year…

But this one by the Bow River stays open…

Thankfully.

Closer to home… we went scavenging for Wild Raspberries and were rewarded with a pound of berries, various stickers in our socks, a refreshing dip in the chilling pond! and the beautiful light of early evening outback…

There’s no better pastime for a day off work than a quiet nap in the park in Banff while clouds compete with sun overhead on a record-breaking hot day!

 

We don’t take clear skies for granted right now though. There is a great wildfire blazing just over the  mountain range. Some days ash is falling and you’d rather not have to breathe.  Others we sneak away on the tandem in search of cleaner air to fuel our exercise…

And that’s the latest of summer in the Bow Valley.

–LS

May the glory of the LORD endure forever; May the LORD rejoice in His works.  

He looks on the earth, and it trembles; He touches the hills, and they smoke.

Ps.104:31-32 NKJV

A Summerific July!

I’ve let the pictures collect for too long.  Now I don’t know where to start… July has been summerific! Beautifully hot and peppered with…

bike excursions…

 

 

 

a hike or two…

 

 

a fair–the legendary Calgary Stampede…

 

 

Family from out of town!

and of course flowers!

Enjoy the smorgasbord!

–LS

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.

In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.

Ps.95:1-4