BT Edmonton Blogs

I will not be going to a party that requires me to wear open-toed shoes.    My idea of ringing in the new year is “10 toes up” – with food and drink at arm’s length.    On the menu:  a baked garlic, sour cream and onion chips, garlic sausage, and blue cheese.    Suddenly, you realize why I am spending the evening alone  :).    Below are some quotable quotes about New Year’s Eve and resolutions.     See you in 2010~!

Bring it on!

Youth is when you’re allowed to stay up late on New Year’s Eve.    Middle age is when you’re forced to.
Bill Vaughan

May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions!
Joey Adams

Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits.
Anonymous

He who breaks a resolution is a weakling;  He who makes one is a fool.
F. M. Knowles, A Cheerful Year Book

Gold Beach Normandy

An absolutely stunning picture.    But what you are looking at today … is  much much different from D-Day of 1944.    This is GOLD BEACH at Normandy, France where allied forces landed during World War II.     My colleague Phil took this picture just before Christmas – and he’s not shy to admit he got a little choked up.    Understandable.    Here’s something amazing too:  those brown ’slabs’ you see are remains of just one of the artificial/temporary harbours built “in secret” in Britain and towed to the beaches.    The codename for this harbour on Gold beach was Mullberrry B.    The harbours were needed to offload men, vehicles, and supplies after D-Day. 

DID YOU KNOW?       There were two harbours built:  Mulberry “A” and Mulberry “B”.     Mulberry A, built for the Americans off Omaha beach, was destroyed by a storm halfway through construction.    But Mulberry B erected for the British & Canadians survived.    It was  two miles wide-one mile deep, and took fourteen days to construct.

GO BACK IN “YOUR” HISTORY … LOOK THROUGH THE IMAGES FROM YOUR DIGITAL CAMERA,  DIG OUT THAT PICTURE YOU DREW.    WE INVITE YOU TO  ENLIGHTEN US WITH THAT  MOMENT IN TIME PICTURE  OF  MOTHER NATURE OR HER CREATURES.

iheartedmonton.com

Do You?    I do.    So does Emil.    I am talking about how much I  ”love Edmonton”.    If you want to check out a website that celebrates all there is to love about our City of Champions … click here:   http://www.iheartedmonton.com.      There, you will see pictures like the one above,  read a re-cap of Edmonton ‘09,  find out about things to do,  places to go,  and people to see.    Oh, and speaking of people to see – look for me.    I was pleased and honoured to be interviewed by Emil about why  ”I heart Edmonton”. 

DID YOU KNOW?    The name Edmonton was used to honour the home of Hudson’s Bay Company governor James Winter Lake who was from Edmonton, England.    Wayy back in 1795,  Edmonton began as a fur trading post built by the North West Company.    The same year – competition moved in (HBC), but they built a walled fort on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River.

HERE’S A GOOD TRADE FOR YOU.    YOU SEND ME A PHOTO & I’LL POST IT RIGHT HERE ON MY BLOG.    BUT WAIT,  THERE’S MORE!    YOU CAN ALSO AMAZE AND IMPRESS YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHEN IT AIRS ON BREAKFAST TELEVISION.    UPLOAD YOURS TODAY!

Northern Alberta

OK everybody, exhale.    We take you to Leland Lake in Northern Alberta.    Mick and Candy from Red Deer tell me it’s worth the trip, only accessable by air.    Leland Lake is a stone’s throw from the Northwest Territories not far from Fort Smith.    Their days are as calm as this shot suggests.    This is their escape  – their little slice of heaven – their release.    And speaking of release, I am sure they caught and some big, delicious trout, walleye and pike!

DID YOU KNOW?   In this part of the world you will see the Canadian Shield … some of the oldest rock on earth, left behind by the Ice Age glaciers about 10,000 years ago.    The Canadian Shield in Alberta is “visible” in the small northeastern corner of the province but unseen,…it actually plunges under the mountains and plains.    It forms the foundation under the rest of the province – more than 6 kilometres below the surface.

OK EVERYBODY – TAKE US TO “YOUR” HAPPY PLACE!    ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS POINT AND SHOOT WITH MOTHER NATURE ‘OR’ HER CREATURES AS YOUR SUBJECT.    WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR FRESH AIR PHOTO ON BT AND ON THIS VERY BLOG.

This video (below) speaks for itself. Let’s just say I’m no Dean Martin…or Michael Buble…or even Nick Lachey.

Thanks to the talented Ryan Sigurdson and my fabulous co-host Bridget Ryan for letting me join their little singing party!

From our “family” to yours…Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Cheers,
rpj.

Raptor's snow dive

You might look at this picture and wonder …. “OK  McDougall – what gives?”    Don’t worry, I wondered the same thing.    Only I said:  ”OK  Murray – what gives?”.     Well, under the heading of  HOW VERY COOL:   Murray tells me this is a plunge hole in the snow made by a raptor.    The winged warrier was looking for lunch - most likely a rodent done-rare.    The wing marks are small, so Murray surmises a Saw-Whet Owl  on the hunt.    Great Grey Owls have been known to catch their prey under 10 inches or more of hard snow.    I repeat – how very cool.

And while you are looking at this next picture below .. think about what kind of seed to feed the need … of the Chickadee that is.

Chilly Chickadee

Our local bander of birds wants to remind us that hardy chickadees like chopped/unsalted peanuts.    If you look closely, you can see the tiniest of icicles forming on this beak.    No wonder – poor thing!    The temperature was ”minus ridiculous” when he stopped by for a snack.    Oh, and one more thing — feeders close to kitchen windows make for great viewing.

DID YOU KNOW?    Chickadees drop their body temperature at night by 10 to 12°C below daytime body temperature, to conserve energy.

‘YOUR’ FRESH AIR PHOTO DOES NOT HAVE TO BE FROM THIS WINTER … IT COULD BE FROM LAST SUMMER – OR YOUR CARIBBEAN CRUISE.    UPLOAD YOUR PIC TODAY!

Sands of time

 Welcome to Juno Beach in France.

In memory

There is a tourist centre at Juno Beach.    It was built to honour & pay tribute to the Allied Forces, including the Canadian men and women who served and lost their lives during D-Day and WW II.    My colleague Phil was just there.    He tells me he went through many emotions as he stood on the beach.    I admit welling up as I look at his photos, thinking about those brave souls.    Below, you can see the plan of attack.

The landings took place along an 80 km stretch of the Normandy coast divided into five sectors: Utah,  Omaha,  Gold,  Juno and  Sword.

The landing

http://www.junobeach.org      The Juno Beach Centre is a museum and cultural centre  in Courseulles-sur-Mer, 270 kms from Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle airport in Paris.

DID YOU KNOW?    While planning .. the “D” in D-Day was used to mark the day that a particular operation was to begin.    Each operation had a D-day and an H-hour.    On June 6th, 1944(D-Day) Operation Overlord became the largest amphibious assault in military history.

DON’T LET THAT CAMERA LEAVE YOUR SIDE.    REMEMBER, WE OF THE FRESH AIR PHOTO NATION ARE WAITING FOR YOUR PICTURE … OF MOTHER NATURE OR HER CREATURES.   IT CAN BE FROM YOUR VACATION OR YOUR STAY-CATION.    UPLOAD YOUR PHOTO(S) TODAY!!