Goat Lake Hike - Waterton National Park

On July 4th, 2009, Greg, Chris, my daughter Amberle and I hiked from the trailhead / parking lot at Red Rock Canyon to Goat Lake. Of the four of us, only Amberle had done this hike before, but as we started down the trail, we all got a big surprise!!!
As we ate lunch at the lake, the partly cloudy sky darkened and we got a good downpour. Thankfully, we had some large evergreens to hide under. Only a few drops landed on us. After the short shower, we meandered behind the lake, past the tenting campsite and enjoyed a spectacular meadow filled with yellow columbines. I wish you could have all enjoyed the day with us, but at least I had a camera with me. As we walked, we heard a strange, piercing noise. It sounded like a raptor sound effect off of the movie Jurassic Park. We were rather freaked out until we located the source. it was a hawk.
Check out the slide show to see it all.

Hearts of Courage – The Gillam Plane Crash by John M. Tippets

Published in 2008, “Hearts of Courage – The Gillam Plane Crash” is a true account of intense tragedy, unimaginable wilderness survival, desperation, death, compassion, selflessness and last, but not least, incredible faith and courage. The fact that this story has not yet been turned into a major motion picture bewilders me! In 144 short pages, John M. Tippets leads us into the 1943 world of his own father—a world torn by war; a world wrapped tightly in the bands of a merciless Alaskan winter. As I read this extraordinary tale, I laughed a little and I wept a lot. I sat in awe at the feet of unwitting heroes who offered their own lives to rescue others. I felt the sting of dreams, teetering towards extinction. I felt the sweet joy of rescue and the comforting warmth of compassion. What a story!! If you only read one book this year, this book should be the one!

To obtain your very own copy of “Hearts of Courage – The Gillam Plane Crash” visit Amazon.com

Summer Break???

Hey everyone,
Just a note to let you all know that I am yet alive and well - just extremely busy adventuring, etc...
Since I last posted, I've been on a backpacking trip, kayaked down a river - twice, been Tiger Hunting in the Hoodoos, photographed some exotic places, read an amazing adventure story (which I will be reviewing in my next post), been camping, sat around several fires, carved a little, played with my grandchildren, visited with my daughters and son, been sailing, photographed two weddings, got published in the book "Famous Family Nights" by Anne Bradshaw, worked on my own book, "Three Seconds On, Three Seconds Off", partnered with a gifted artist (to complete the artistic touches on two of my children's stories), made new friends, been in contact with old ones, attended the Calgary Stampede, created a brand new business card, hiked to Goat Lake, dealt with a sewer backup, worked to pay for it all, and generally had a great time so far this summer. (The sewer backup, however, didn't make the "great time" list!)
As for my book, "Three Seconds On, Three Seconds Off", it is a little closer to print, but my publisher was unhappy with a few things and I am currently going through the manuscript for time #7. I hope to be done and see the book in print for Christmas, but still no commitments as yet.
I would like to post more frequently and will try harder to do so. I have many photos and adventures to share, so please stay tuned. Thanks for stopping by. I hope your summers are all going great too!!!

Lucy In The Barley

On January 27, 2009, I saw a sight that I have not seen in nearly 500,000 kilometres of driving my Super B Train all over Alberta and Saskatchewan – Lucy in the barely! It happened like this:

My twin trailers and tractor bounced and lurched over the uneven and frozen ground of the farmyard. I was there to pick up a routine load of barley. For late January, the day was balmy, but the temperature was still a touch below the freezing mark. A warm sun sparkled over the patchwork of snow and yellowed grasses causing me to squint, even with my sunglasses on. As I dragged my lead and pup trailers around a large pile of nature-chilled barley and under the spout of the waiting grain auger, a large dog bounded my way. Cody, the farmer, arrived on the dogs heels and I scrambled to open my trailer’s tarps while the auger motor roared into life. When I climbed back down to the ground, the massive head of the Great Pyrenees, hybrid-cross farm dog was waiting. Brindle-coated and friendly, the shaggy dog greeted me with a wagging tail and a gentle chew on my work gloves. I patted the big animal and then moved to help Cody.

A few normal minutes passed. The loading was typical. Suddenly, Cody’s son, Colin, and his uncle Murray wandered into the mix. It was a school day, but Colin had opted to avoid his sixth grade ski trip. Not to be outdone, Cody had quickly recruited his vacationing son to help us with the load. Lucy, the large dog, padded up to Colin for a little attention and then moved out of the way. On the shaded side of the pile, shovels and machines sang out in a concert of disorderly dissonance.

After several minutes, Lucy’s distinctive coat caught my eye. The big dog shambled to the sun-smitten edge of the pile of barley but didn’t stop there. She just kept on moving, climbing over the crusted edge of snow and plunging her paws into the upward slope. In seconds, Lucy floundered nearly to the peak of the pile of sun-warmed barley. Once there, the shaggy dog nestled her chest into the grain and dropped her chin to rest. I stopped shovelling long enough to use the camera on my phone to snap a photo. The sight was awesome!

For much of the loading, Lucy nested in the grain, moving her resting place from time to time. I was secretly jealous of her flaunted laziness. But as the pile diminished, a strange event took place. Kernel by kernel, Cody’s tractor blade pushed the pile towards the auger intake and, in turn, the auger slowly filled my trailers. Murray, young Colin, and I cleared snow from the edges of the pile and made certain to stand clear of the continual scraping of the tractor’s blade. With the shrinking of the pile however, docile Lucy became increasingly agitated. As the peak of the pile gently ran towards the ground, Lucy was forced to move. When the pile was only four feet in height, the big dog showed her colours. Instead of lying near the top of the pile, seemingly oblivious to our efforts, she took to lying exactly in the path of the tractor’s blade. It was with some effort that we got her to stay out of the way. It became obvious that the pile of barley belonged to her and that we were the intruders. Quite amazing how some animals act!

Spring Snow In Southern Alberta

I took these pictures of our side yard just a few minutes ago. The snow flakes are rather large and appear to be blotches on my lens.

Yesterday, believe it or not, the day was so warm that I ran my truck's air conditioner for several hours. For the past few days, our furnace has not even needed to run. The great outdoors has lured us with an abundance of short-sleeve weather. Late last night, however, a storm front came in. I hate it when that happens! Mother Nature never has consulted me - I guess I should stop waiting for it. Now all that remains is damage control. I hope my snow shovel is lost under a drift!

“The Deep End” by Traci Hunter Abramson

Book Review

I recently listened to Traci Hunter Abramson’s book, "The Deep End", on CD and quite enjoyed it. The narration is abridged, but since I’ve not perused the pages of the actual book, sadly, I can’t articulate any differences. On the CD however, the narration begins with character introduction before rapidly plunging into a plot thick with intrigue and action. I quickly found myself absorbed in the imaginative saga. The story shelters several unexpected twists and turns, and I thought Traci did a fine job of protecting the surprises―unveiling them at just the right times. Occasionally, when I sensed predictability forming in the plot, Traci sent my notions into wild tailspins. I especially liked the emotional rhythm of the story. On the downside, there were some minor moments when I thought the tale would have benefited from a little more development, but after all, it was the abridged version I listened to. Overall, Traci’s book was richly entertaining. “The Deep End” gets a big round of applause from me!
You can check out all seven of Traci's books on her blog.

Extreme Sports Or What???

I was doing a bit of surfing this morning and came across some very wild sporting events. “Outlandish, amazing, over the top and crazy” are only some of the words that came to mind as I gazed onto my screen! (I think my mouth is still hanging open!) Here are the websites. Feel free to enjoy a good laugh too!!

Swamp Soccer & Snowshoe Soccer – Finland- make sure you look at the photo gallery (Just in case you need to know, the scroll tabs come up along the upper edges of each photo when the mouse cursor passes close enough.)

Wife Carrying – Finland, USA, Australia, Ireland

Mobile Phone Throwing Contest – Finland – top throw was 85 metres (279ft)

World Bog Snorkeling Championship - Wales

"Faith Of Our Fathers" by N. C. Allen

“Faith Of Our Fathers” is a four-book series written by the talented hands of author, N. C. Allen.

A year or so ago, I listened to Nancy’s first two books on CD, but never got around to enjoying the final two volumes until recently. A visit to my public library found me signing out volumes two, three and four – I thought I’d better re-listen to Volume two.

Over the past three weeks, I devoured the remaining bulk of the saga, enjoying each and every minute of it. I thought I knew about the American Civil War. In my Canadian schooling, I studied it in depth—or so I thought. By the time Nancy Allen’s powerful tale was told, however, I realized that my knowledge was painfully superficial. Nancy took me where my studies had never ventured—into the hearts and minds of individuals on both sides of the conflict. In listening to the narration, I saw and I heard, but most of all, I felt. Nancy’s unforgettable characters let me experience the fear of furious and oft-times senseless battles, to weep with the oppressed, to rejoice at the uncountable acts of valour, and to celebrate the ultimate triumph of the noble cause of freedom—a cause that cost so very much more than I had ever realized!

Thank you Nancy for your amazing contribution to the literary world! Thank you for your contribution to my own understanding!

N. C. Allen’s Series: Faith of Our Fathers
Volume 1 - A House Divided
Volume 2 - To Make Men Free
Volume 3 - Through the Perilous Fight
Volume 4 - One Nation Under God

N. C. Allen’s Blog

A Porcelain Birthday Wish! Ouch!!!!

Happy March 28th! Things are going great here. I hope you are doing the same.

Of late, I've been working on the first story for Three Seconds On, Three Seconds Off - Volume II. It is a very emotional tale from 1964 and I've made use of a series of flashbacks to help me tell it. I enjoy seeing flashbacks in the works of others, but at first, I found them a bit difficult to write myself. I assumed that my writing habits were in the way so I did some brainstorming.
I tend to get small blocks of time in which to write - typically five to fifteen minutes, zero to five times a day. The sporatic intervals of interruption totally prevented me from remembering where I was in the telling, so I finally got creative in my approach to writing flashbacks. I took the story's timeline and wrote it succinctly. With the short outline in easy reach for reference, coming back to the place I had left off wasn't too tough. The story is progressing nicely now and I hope to begin work on the second one in a week or so.

As for my recent adventures, I don't often stop my semi just to take photographs, but yesterday I made an interesting exception. Over time, I have taken several nice shots. Some are artsy, some are scenic, this one is funny. In honour of this picture, I have launched a new slide show category: Adventures in Trucking. Enjoy - and thanks for stopping by!

Family Gatherings and Changing Weather

On March 21st, Diana and I took our family out to Boston Pizza for a very tasty and fun supper. Our two grandchildren, Triston and Brandi and their parents had come to visit for a couple of days. The main purpose of the visit was to assist our youngest daughter and her husband in moving to Dawson Creek, B.C. With the U-Haul trailer packed to the rafters and the apartment clean, we gathered to eat, relax and enjoy. March 20th and 21st had been beautiful days. It was shirt-sleeve weather both days, but by Sunday morning, a nasty storm front had moved in. The entire Province of Alberta was blanketed with snow. The warm temperatures initially melted the moisture, but after a few hours, the roads were covered with ice. The trip from Southern Alberta to Dawson Creek can be made in less than twelve hours of driving - if you travel over 110kph (70mph). We worried all day as six members of our family navigated the route. They left at 5AM and finally arrived in Dawson that night, just after 10PM! Ouch!! We were grateful they had visited and grateful for the wonderful weather to load in, but the final day of their excursion was brutal! Here are a few shots of the snowy aftermath.

Sun Dogs and Lightning Strikes

As a writer, I try to present a groundswell of movement in my work, whether it be fiction or non-fiction. Since my last post was rather serious, a little mood lightening seems in order.
These two sets of photographs were taken on August of 1997 and February of 2008. Both photos are multiple images - put together in Photoshop, but the pictures of the lightning began their lives as slides.

For the 1997 panorama, we were camping at a lake near Cardston, Alberta. The night was unusually calm, but not across the water. If memory serves, my exposures were in the neighbourhood of 60 seconds each and I used four images to make the finished scene. An hour after packing up my tripod, the wind came up and blew so strongly that the next morning we packed up our wet stuff and relocated to a more protected campground about 30 kilometres away. Oh the memories!

As for the sun & sundogs, the ambient temperature was around –25 Celsius (-5 Fahrenheit) and I was heading south in my semi, after just unloading some grain. Some who view this photograph may think that the giant rainbow-like circle is lens flare, but not so. Except for a bit of flare over top of the snow, what I actually saw was perfectly captured by my faithful camera. Sundogs occur on cold days when there is moisture in the atmosphere for the sun to reflect off of. As the light bounces through the moisture, the effect is similar to a rainbow. Usually, sundogs are not seen in pairs, nor are they normally so large.

My Response to Big Love

Big Love is a television series (in North America) that, as far as I have determined, depicts a man who is married to more than one woman. I understand that the show also suggests that some of its characters are faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (sometimes called Mormons). (I have only seen advertisements for the series - not the show itself.) The polygamous relationships and religious activity portrayed in the show are probably interestingly dramatized. I expect that the quips are witty and that there is plenty of emotional and sexual tension proceeding from the mouths and actions of well-groomed actors and actresses. I think, however, that caution is in order.

Interestingly enough, when we, as human beings, watch a television show or read a book, it is easy to embrace the notion that we are witnessing a lot of truth blended with a little fiction. After all, television and print media can often be defined this way. The real trick is to determine how much of the dramatization is truth and how much is fiction?

Our own particular experience with life lets us filter what we see and come to our own personal conclusion about the percentage of truth and fiction we are witnessing. The opinion of another may even help us decide our own minds. But what happens if our personal filter lacks sufficient experience, information, understanding or maturity to accurately process the scenes that our eyes and ears are gathering up for us to consider? This dilemma, of passing accurate judgement, induces me to worry about a show that dramatizes polygamous and religious relationships - especially when the writers, actors, actresses, producers, etc are diligently and dogmatically working to ensure the success of their TV series. Perhaps Big Love is an accurate portrayal of both plural marriage relationships and the church, but before you decide, I would invite you to consider this…

I've heard it said, "You should never spoil a good story with the truth." For some writers, this line seems to capture the essence of their work. After all, when your next meal depends on your ability to entertain, I can see how easy it might be to rationalize your creative process into ignoring self-evident moral standards and write what sells.

As a non-fiction writer, I have been tempted to embellish truth. As a fiction writer, I have considered creating character interactions that are surreal or amoral, but still believable. Character interactions, in print or on the screen, may be entertaining, but some I have seen and read are nothing more than the effects of an overzealous, morally rationalizing writer trying to provide sufficient sensory experience for their audience, thereby hoping to ensure an enduring pay check (and a next meal). When a book or television program purposefully purports to portray truth, while underhandedly slipping fiction into our minds, I would be a poor citizen of earth if I didn’t condemn the action. I hope that Big Love isn't guilty of this.

Polygamy is a lifestyle that most of us know very little about. How much do you know about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints? In my opinion, it is in the best interest of us all to become informed – because others have the right to write whatever they want, be it truth, fiction or a blend of some sort. If you are interested, the church has made an official response to an upcoming episode of Big Love. If you want to read a good story that portrays polygamy, you could try the book, Season of Sacrifice by Tristi Pinkston.

Contest Give-away

Anne Bradshaw is running another contest on her blog. This time the give-away includes two intriguing books by Sarah Hinze, B.S.- Author, Speaker, Educator, Therapist – and a participant in the forthcoming Famous Family Nights . Not only is Sarah giving away a copy of each of her two books, but she is also adding a CD recording of a show she did on public radio. What a fabulous prize!

A New Day

Today is a holiday in Canada and I've spent some of the day tinkering with my blog. I added a few things and took some away. I changed colours and words. I added photos to the Pointer Island Showcase slideshow, and discovered a few spelling errors here and there along the way. It's been a great day so far! I appreciate the many who stop by from time to time to read and enjoy my blog. For those of you who wish to "follow" my blog, there is a new feature from Blogger (in the sidebar near the top) that will allow you to do so with a bit more ease. I haven't seen this feature on anyone else's blog yet, but I expect other bloggers will discover it soon enough. I wonder if you like the colour changes I have made to my blog? Please feel free to offer beefs or bouquets.

On February 12th I was waiting for Mike, a tired farmer, who had to clear enough snow so I could load some of his wheat. It took him and his tractor about two hours, and while I waited, I wandered out in his field in search of a photo opp. Wow, was I rewarded! Tiny patches and filigrees of ice on the stubble field were just far enough off the ground to fit my camera under them! This is nature's jewelry at its finest! I never knew you could grow gemstones in a wheat field. I wonder what other wonders I haven't seen yet??

My life, of late, has been rather hectic. I rarely seem to be able to squeeze out enough time to read the blogs of others and then there's the writing of my own posts that's mostly missing as well! (I do have a good excuse, but I find that excuses only satisfy the one who makes them. Here goes anyway...) For the past two months, my driving job has been inundated with visits to the repair shop. My truck is only two years old, but it has issues! Caterpillar (the maker of my engine) would not pay for warranty repairs unless they could prove that their workmanship was at fault. They sent me to a highly specialized test facility in Calgary - the nearest diagnostic facility with a Dyno (basically, a treadmill for large trucks). On February 5th, I left home at 4:45am and pulled back into my driveway at 10:20pm! Yee Haw! I was so tired!!! Here's the shot of my truck on the Dyno.

Now that the dust has nearly settled, Cat is repairing my semi under warranty and I am driving a rental unit in the interim. The first rental unit I had broke down, and now I have another one for a few more days. The first morning I tried to use the second rental unit, it wouldn't start and required a boost. I am feeling disillusioned and discouraged, since it takes me about an hour to move trucks, not to mention just starting the engine and then getting used to the way the unit handles. I really don't want to run over anyone by accident! (If you see me coming, just stay off the sidewalk and you'll probably be safe!) My unit should be done in two more days, but I'm not holding my breath quite yet. All the stress hasn't killed me (or anyone else) yet, so I think I'll be fine.

An Online Award Ceremony

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!

I received this Blog wonderful award from Ainhoa, a Spanish young author (currently working on a novel). Translated to English, “Premio Symbelmine” means "Sublime Award". I am deeply honoured. Thank you Ainhoa!!
Ainhoa's blog is in Spanish, but you can obtain a fairly good translation by using an Spanish/English Translator. The free version of the translator can handle 500 characters at a time (about 90 words).
As a Premio Symbelmine award recipient, it is my pleasure to find seven other Blogs that I think merit sublime status. I couldn’t settle on just seven, however, so here are eight greats (in no particular order):

1. 
   James Ball - Author - So You Want to be a Pilot, Eh? James’s blog is loaded up with highflying fun!
2. 
   Tristi Pinkston - Author - Nothing to Regret - Tristi’s blog is always a nice place to visit. My wife recently enjoyed one of Tristi’s books.
3. 
   Traci Hunter Abramson - Author - The Deep End - Traci is on the move - another title is about to hit the stores.
4. 
   Anne Bradshaw - Author - Please, No Zits – Anne runs a happenin’ blog with a waterfall of contests.
5. 
   Autumn Ables - Author - As We Greet With A Kiss – Recently, Autumn has been too busy to talk about things in her corner of the world, but when she does, it is always interesting.
6. 
   Adam Letourneau - Author - So You Want To Be A Lawyer, Eh? – Adam’s blog leads its readers into some fascinating facets of the Canadian legal system.
7. 
   Deanna Raybourn - Author - Silent in the Moor – Deanna’s blog always promises something intriguing and unexpected.
8. 
   Candace Salima (LDS Nora Roberts) - Author - Dreams Die Hard, Lost Canyon Springs Vol. II – If you like political stirrings, this is the blog for you – and Candace doesn’t pull any punches, so just hold on for the ride!