BT Edmonton Blogs

Awesome Ontario!

We welcome a long distance fresh air photographer from Scarborough, Ontario ~ And what a debut!    Amanda is from Scarborough and these cliffs are layers of sand and clay –  and those layers have been traced back to the last stages of the Great Ice Age.    The dimensions:  they are 14 kms (8.7 mi) long, with some peaks as high as 65 metres (210 ft), or about 17 storeys.    They are found along Lake Ontario.

The geology:  the sediments contain the fossils of both animals and plants.    in the first 46 metres (150 feet) are fossil plants & animals that were deposited in a large river delta,..oh about 70,000 years ago during the first advance of the Wisconsinan glacier.    They are covered by 61 metres (200 feet) of boulder clay and sand in alternating layers left by four subsequent advances and retreats of ice.    The final withdrawal of the glacier happened about 12,000 years ago.

DID YOU KNOW?    The Scarborough bluffs were named in 1796 by Elizabeth Simcoe.   (She was the wife of John Graves Simcoe, the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada).    They reminded her of the white cliffs near her home in Scarborough, Yorkshire, England.    How cool is that!

YOU BEING COOL IS A FRINGE BENEFIT OF BECOMING A MEMBER OF OUR FRESH AIR PHOTO NATION.     ON OUR MAIN WEBSITE PAGE CLICK “CONNECT WITH US” — AND SCROLL DOWN TO ‘SEND US YOUR PHOTOS”.

It’s always neat to watch students quiz a true master. Tha’s what we arranged to happen on BT November 17th for several U of A law students.

The man taking questions — none other than retired Chief Justice Allan Wachowich.

Also check out more highlights with Allan Wachowich here!

Lake Isle

The sun warm on your face, the sound of the water gently lapping onto the shore.    Courtney has been there … and takes us along in this fresh air photo.    It’s a pretty good example of what a happy place looks like … & this looks like Isle Lake to me.     Head west of Edmonton for about 80k,…turn right at Gainford and you’re on the southwestern shore of the 25feet deep sparkling lake.    Most of Isle Lake’s water flows from the southwest through the Sturgeon River.    The lake’s outlet is ALSO the Sturgeon River at the eastern end.   That water then flows east to the North Saskatchewan River via Lac Ste. Anne, Matchayaw Lake, and Big Lake.

DID YOU KNOW?   Gainford is a hamlet.   When the post office opened in 1910, the existing settlement of Seba was renamed for Gainford, a centre in Durham, England.

DID YOU KNOW?    WE ARE WAITING FOR YOUR FRESH AIR PHOTO … UPLOAD YOURS TODAY.

Say Hey to Grade 6!    These budding geniuses are Mr. Stern’s class at Thorsby Elementary in Edmonton.    This curious bunch wanted to know where and when they could see the International Space Station and the Space Shuttle Atlantis pass over Edmonton.    I supplied the dates and times — and they supplied the eyewitness reports, discussing what they saw in class.    Well done young scientists!    If you would also like to see the ISS in orbit, check the dates and times below the photo.       

Grade A~Grade 6!

 & THERE’S MORE!   For any and all Carl Sagan types, here’s a wonderful website showing many more dates and times:   http://www.heavens-above.com

Cape Breton beauty

Wowza!    The fall colours reflected perfectly as we gaze at the pride of Nova Scotia .. Cape Breton.    This is a slice of heaven called Coxheath.    Lucky for us,  Jimmie thought of us when he was there for a family wedding in October — and this was the view from their backyard.  

DID YOU KNOW?    Cape Breton is connected to mainland Nova Scotia by the Canso Causeway.    One of the world’s largest salt water lakes (Bras d’Or–”Arm of Gold” in French),  is in the centre of the island.

FOR YOU HISTORY BUFFS:   Oh,….about 300 years ago (the late 1700s),  soldiers were stationed in Sydney to protect the British possession of Cape Breton.    Fast forward to the year 1758:  the British have defeated the French at Louisbourg twice,…so the soldiers started to enjoy where there were–and took time to relax and travel.    During “his” free time, Captain William Cox would sail along Sydney River (then referred to as “ Spanish River ”).    He wanted to settle the area to farm–and he did!    In 1790, he obtained land “on the condition”  that the farm fresh produce be provided to the Sydney soldiers.    No problemmo he says,….and the land became known as “Cox’s Heath”,  or Cox’s hill,  and the general area was deemed the “Garden of Cape Breton”.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A HISTORY BUFF TO BECOME A MEMBER OF OUR FRESH AIR PHOTO NATION!   BUT YOU DO HAVE TO TAKE A PICTURE OF MOTHER NATURE-OR HER CREATURES-AND SEND IT IN ASAP.

In-KNOCKulated

Sour Grapes?    Maybe.    Is this cartoon fair?    You decide then let me know, blog me!

And I thought growing a “Mo” for a month showed commitment to the cause!

The minute we heard there were four Edmontonians intent on taking Movember support to a whole new level by tattooing ”finger Mo’s,” we had to meet them. Carly, Jessica and Brian joined their buddy Stephen in a tribute to his dad, a prostate cancer survivor. The foursome teamed up with Brooks Bliss, Curt Semeniuk and Shane Ford from Crimson Empire Tattoo for a group tattoo session in our BT studio.

Click on the images above to check out these “MO-rever reminders” of the importance of prostate cancer awareness. Click here to take a look at my own MoSpace page.

Speaking of permanent ink, do you have a terrible tattoo that needs an overhaul? We want to see it! Click here to upload a photo - we’ll be giving one lucky viewer a $250 gift certificate to Crimson Empire during Monday’s show!

One week and counting until the Movember Gala at Empire Ballroom…

rpj.

Jerry takes aim with his camera.    The locale:  northern Alberta near Cherry Point – a few miles east of the BC Border.    

Dear deer

This buck — a mule deer, gets his name from his large, mule-like ears.    As you can imagine, mule deer are very sensitive to sounds.    They are called  “jumping deer” & “jumpers”  because when they hear something, they jump (almost bounce)!    Jerry (aka Mr. Wonderful) is about to head out for a winter camping trip with renowned chef Pierre from Jasper.   If only I could be a fly on the wall …    Be safe guys–hope you shoot many more fresh air photos. 

DID YOU KNOW?     -The antlers of bucks are a distinguishing trait.    The beam of each antler divides into two equal tines, and in older bucks these may divide again.    They shed their antlers from January to March.

SNAP AND SEND US YOUR FRESH AIR PHOTO.   IT’S FREE AND YOU COULD WIN YOUR VERY OWN BLOG ENTRY, FAME, AND BRAGGING RIGHTS.   ON THE MAIN PAGE OF OUR WEBSITE, SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTO GALLERY .. AND VOILA! 

Glorious garden

Welcome to the renowned gardens – all 56 acres – of Edmonton’s Legislature Grounds.    Each spring, more than 100,000 annuals are planted — and Lorraine is grateful for every flower, every blade of grass.    I spy a bench.   It’s easy to imagine me sitting there on a hot summer day. 

In 1978 it was Alberta’s 75th birthday.    That’s when an expansion included:  a reflecting pool, fountains, wading pools, underground pedways and a new visitor centre.    The project cost $62 million and was finished in 1982.

DID YOU KNOW?    In 1802 Fort Edmonton moved to the Rossdale Flats, just east of the present-day Legislature.    Then, in 1906 the newly created province of Alberta purchased the land in and  around the fort for the new provincial Legislature Building.

EARN A PLACE IN FRESH AIR PHOTO HISTORY AND SEND US YOUR PIC OF MOTHER NATURE OR HER CREATURES – TODAY.    YOUR MASTERPIECE WILL AIR ON BT AND BE FEATURED RIGHT HERE ON THIS VERY BLOG.

Nice Legs!

I am sure the photographer Don has very nice legs, but I am referring to the bird above, the Lesser Yellowlegs.   He/She is a shorebird – and looks a lot like the larger Greater Yellowlegs, but is not closely related.

Adults have long yellow legs and a long thin dark bill.    The body is grey brown on top and white underneath; the neck and breast are streaked with dark brown.   The tail is white.

Don was quiet enough to see this guy at Clarkdale Ponds in Sherwood Park.    Don writes: “The water reflections bring out the metallic vibrancy of liquid”.     Yellowlegs ”summer” in our neck of the woods, and “winter” in places as far away as the Gulf coast of the U-S and South America.

DID YOU KNOW?     Oology is the study of eggs.    Both mom and dad Yellowlegs share incubation duties, and the 4 eggs hatch in 22-23 days.

DON’T WAIT ONE MINUTE,  LET ALONE 23 DAYS TO SEND IN YOUR FRESH AIR PHOTO.    OPERATORS ARE STANDING BY TO ACCEPT YOUR PIC — UPLOAD YOURS TODAY.