Sunset Ski

December 2021 - Xmas Ski

As the days are shorter and shorter my afternoon ski has turned into a sunset ski. But the advantage is the beautiful sunsets that I get to see as I ski in Leflay Trail. Here is a photo of my view today. As the sun rays came through the trees it was so peaceful and beautiful.

Forest Bathing

December Forest Walks

I was out for a walk on Leflay Trail and I looked up and thought the trees looked so magical. So I snapped this photo. It made me remember the Japanese term of forest bathing. I did feel relaxed as I walked through the snow and trees. Maybe it is a mindfulness practice of walking and taking in beauty of nature. 

The term emerged in Japan in the 1980s as a physiological and psychological exercise called shinrin-yoku (“forest bathing” or “taking in the forest atmosphere”). The purpose was twofold: to offer an eco-antidote to tech-boom burnout and to inspire residents to reconnect with and protect the country's forests.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/forest-bathing-nature-walk-health#:~:text=The%20term%20emerged%20in%20Japan,and%20protect%20the%20country's%20forests.

Merry Christmas

December 25, 2021

My 2021 Christmas card photo! I was slow sending out my cards and several of them are still sitting on my desk.....but never the less I am sharing this photo with you to wish you a Merry Christmas. We had a lovely little tree that dad and Trent had cut down right out of our yard.  It is always special to be able to grow your own tree. 

Art By Joan

Cedar Wax Wing

This is one of Mom's paintings. We were in Saskatoon to visit a family friend and this picture was hanging in the guest room. It was nice to see this artwork. I recognize this picture as I believe mom was very proud of this work. It is painted from a photo of a Cedar Wax Wing in the front yard eating cranberries. 

Take A Break

Regina, Saskatchewan

We had a trip to Regina as dad needed to go to the eye doctor to get new glasses. I use this opportunity to visit a coffee shop. That is one thing that I miss from my old life in Hong Kong. I use to visit my local coffee shop a few times a week. I love to order a latte.  Today I decided to also have a treat since it was cold and snowy outside. So here I am enjoying a little treat and a break. I am trying to write out my Christmas cards while I sit here. I can't believe it is already December and I have so many friends to contact. Time sure goes fast!

Winter Walks

December 2021

The Leflay Trail is now a snowy walk. It is a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. I try to get out for a walk every day but sometimes I skip my day if the weather is not great. Sometimes it is really windy and cold and not the best day for walking. I usually try to complete a monthly walk challenge to walk 50km a month. I am not sure if I will be able to complete this challenge for December. 

Snowshoeing

December 13, 2021

Out for a snowshoe walk on the Leflay Trail. The snow has started falling and there is a good amount of snow on the trails. It was a beautiful day with sun and blue skies. I walked 4km and enjoyed -10c temps. 

Winter Walks

November 19, 2021

Out for a snowy walk while the temperature is still nice I found a heart rock! There were not be many more chances to find heart rocks as the snow continues to fall and cover the ground. This might be the last heart of 2021!

Remembrance Day

November 11, 2021 in Saltcoats

Back in Saltcoats, Saskatchewan and I attended the annual Remembrance Day celebration. A collection of town folk gathered in the cold weather at the Care Home and we marched together to the cenotaph. It was a quiet ceremony as the wind howled and the snow blowed. But it brought back memories of standing here with large crowds and older seniors dressed in their military uniforms. Now-a-days there are no longer any WW2 soldiers standing in uniform but it is still important to take the time to honour their sacrifice.

Sunsets at the beach

November 6, 2021

One of the great things about staying at Loreto, Baja is the sunsets. Each night we were treated to an amazing display of colors and reflections on the water.  I tried to capture the color but my photo doesn't do it justice. You will have to visit Loreto to experience the true beauty yourself...

Beach Time

November 2021

Just outside of La Paz we found this amazing beach.  We enjoyed a lunch of fish tacos and beers as we watched the beach activity.  The water is so blue and so clear. We could see fish swimming along in the water from where we sat at the restaurant. We were at: Beach Club El Tecolote and I would recommend a visit there if you are ever in La Paz.

Cactus

November 2021

Hiking along a trail we came across this cactus that was in full bloom.  I thought it was photo worthy.  I am amazed at all the variety of cactus here in the Baja. They seem to come all different shapes and sizes. 

Scuba Diving in the Baja

Mexican Adventure

Here we are about to board our boat and head out for a scuba adventure. This was a chance to see some big schools of jacks. October is the month when these big schools cruise through the Baja. 

To see a photo of a school of Jack fish check out this website:

https://peapix.com/bing/35097

We were in luck, we dropped down right into the middle of a school of Jack. It was incredible to see all these fish. They just moved apart and made space for us and then we were sounded by a wall of fish.  It as a surreal experience to be in the water surrounded by thousands of fish. 

Cabo Plamo

Hiking along the Sea of Cortez

We visited a marine park where we went on a beautiful hike along the Sea of Cortez. Then we went snorkelling and saw thousands of small feeder fish. The water visibility was amazing as we could see for thirty feet. There were pelicans diving near where we were snorkelling which made it exciting when swimming along.  

Mexico

Escape Winter

I was able to join my cousin on a 10 day adventure to Mexico. We went to the Baja California Sur. We rented a car and traveled around to check out a few different beach towns. I was a amazed by the cactus. I probably took over 100 photos of cactus. I could not believe how big some of them are. This is a great example of a large cactus. 

Last hike before the snow

Saltcoats, Saskatchewan

I try to go walking each day. I like to do the loop around Anderson Lake.  This takes me on a route around Saltcoats and allows me to log a 6km walk. I don't always manage to complete this walk everyday as I sometimes skip it if the weather is not nice.  However, on this afternoon it was great. It was cool with a light wind but the sun was shining. The snow will be arriving soon as fall seems to be over. 

Happy Halloween

October 2021

Here is a photo of dad all dressed up!  He is not actually in his halloween costume He is prepared to go into the attic to move some insulation around... but I was making fun of him and he agreed that this would make a great halloween costume.

Fall Rose

October 2021

While out hiking and walking through the grass I came across this wild rose flower. It had dried out and I thought it was worth a photo. It had lost it's colour but it still showed the shape of the rose and the peddles. 

Fall Hikes

Togo, Saskatchewan

Out for a fall hike on a Sunday afternoon. Enjoying the beautiful views along the river. The leaves were still holding on but quickly disappearing as winter nears. My aunt Barb and I enjoyed a quiet moment sitting in the sun. 

Puzzle Time

Evening Entertainment

Dad is putting in many hours to this puzzle. He refuses to watch TV in the evening so he sits at his puzzle table instead and works on his 1000 piece puzzle. It keeps him busy and about a week later he has finished the puzzle and he is looking for the next challenge. 

River Walk

Swift Current, Saskatchewan

Thanksgiving Weekend was spent in Swift Current for a visit with family. I went for a walk along the river and snapped this photo of the ducks swimming and feeding in the waterway. It was a beautiful fall day with warm temps. It was a nice spot to walk along and there were several people out walking along the river. 

Blue sky

Saskatchewan's Blue Sky

These old grain bins are on their last legs. I liked the colours of the grass and the blue sky.  

Painting Project

Never Ending Projects

When at home there always seems to be something to do. So many projects to tackle. I last painted this bedroom in 1991 when I was in high school. I painted it this light blue colour.  I finally decided that I should probably update this room and return it to white. But there is so much clutter in this room that it is a challenging project. I also realized that I had used oil based paint back in the 90's so it is even more complicated as I have to use an oil based primer. So a quick project has turned into a slow project. With many small steps along the way.  

Sun Raise

6:00am Adventure

I don't get up early very often but this morning I was up at 6am and I had a chance to watch the sun rise. There was a beautiful glow above the tree line of yellow and orange as the sun came up. It felt very peaceful looking out at the dark world becoming light. The only one up at the house was my dad. He is always up early so we sat together and drank coffee while we watched the sky change colour. 

Autumn kayaking

Last few paddles

I am back out on Anderson Lake for another paddle. It is October and there won't be many more days to paddle around the lake. Winter is coming and the great freeze will be here soon.  I thought I would take a quick tour around and enjoy the fall colours before the leaves are gone. It was a peaceful paddle as I was the only one on the lake. 

Heart Rock

Love from the hills

As I walk around I am always looking for heart shaped rocks and even on this hike in the hills I was able to find a heart. I couldn't believe it as I looked down on the trail and found this perfectly shaped heart! It was is probably the biggest "heart rock" that I have ever collected but also one of the best. It was an exciting find. We didn't spot any animals on our hike but I was still excited about my find. So I am sharing my heart with you to share the love and also to remind you that love is all around!

Fall Colours

Autumn Fields 

September 2021 - the lazy days of fall. I was out for a walk around the lake to enjoy another warm day. It has been a wonderful fall with many warm sunny days. A chance to get out of the house and walk past the fields as the harvest continues. 

Bike ride

Cross Roads

Out for a September bike ride to enjoy the last few weeks of fall before the snow arrives and my bike is packed up for winter. I like to ride out on the back roads as there is never any traffic and it is quiet out here. Just me and the birds. Sometimes even a deer or two running through the fields. 

Anderson Lake

Pollution

I snapped this photo while kayaking on Anderson Lake in Saltcoats. It is very sad to see how polluted the lake is. The whole lake is green with algae. I would not go swimming in this lake. It is hard to imagine that any thing can live in the lake with this much pollution. However, I did spot little minnows and scuds swimming about in the muck. So as long as we have these little critters than the lake can attract the birds that come to eat them.  

Reflecting Sunset

The Beauty All Around Us

Out on a walk around town in the evening I was watching the sunset and I found a little puddle and I tried to capture the sunset in the puddle's reflection. I thought it gave an interesting perspective.  

Forest Bathing

Leflay Trail

The art of forest bathing.   

The term emerged in Japan in the 1980s as a physiological and psychological exercise called shinrin-yoku (“forest bathing” or “taking in the forest atmosphere”).

I was out walking the Leflay Trail and I was reminded of the term forest bathing. I thought it was true, as I walked I did take in the forest atmosphere and it did bring me a feeling of peace. 

To learn more about forest bathing check out this article. 

Lake Town

Anderson Lake

Out for a walk on Leflay Trail and looking back at the Town of Saltcoats. A relaxing day out on the trails in the sun. 

Hiking

Duck Mountain Park

Out hiking at Duck Mountain Park. We walked 13km to the Rundle Lake Shelter and back. It was a nice day to be out walking. However, the trail was very over grown with lots of thistles and Burdock which made it a little challenging at times. 

Sunset cheers

The End of Summer

It is officially fall. The leaves have changed colour and the days are getting shorter. I was out on balcony to enjoy the view of the lake and the colours of autumn. I thought I would cheers to the beautiful sunset view. 

Fall hike

Adventure Dog

With this beautiful fall weather I decided to go for a small hike through some fields near my house. I found this area with long grass. There were some sandhill cranes in the field but they didn't let me get close enough for a photo. So I decided to snap a photo of my hiking partner instead. The adventure dog. He wasn't too impressed with walking through the long grass as there were lots of thistles. 

Harvest Time

Fall 2021

I was out for a walk and I saw this farmer out with his combine. A true sign of fall is when you see the fields being cleared. It is part of the story of Saskatchewan. Harvest time.    

Fall Photo Shoot

 Autumn 2021

We had a family fall photo shoot to take advantage of all the beautiful fall colours on the Leflay Trail. It was a sunny day and a chance to get mom outside! We had fun snapping some photos and then taking a drive around the countryside. It looks like most farmers are done with harvest around Saltcoats. There were no combines working and all the fields that we drove past were already cleared for winter. 

Scary Movie Trailer

 Macau

https://youtu.be/6dt-oFDdCXI

This was a trailer for a movie that was created by high school students in Macau at TIS. I thought I would share it here to preserve this video and these memories of working on video production in Macau. 

Sounds of Macau

 Memories

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EuSkQ7f0p0

This is a video that was created by Kelly Vong. It brings back so many memories of Macau. I was in the process of going through older emails to clean out my very full in-box and I found this video link. I thought I would share it here to preserve this memory and to let you see some of the sights and sounds of Macau. 

Cabin Time

Time To Relax

Back out at the lake for another visit. It is quiet out here at Duck Mountain as there are not many people out at the cabin. The weather has turned cold and rainy. But it is very peaceful to be here at this time. Everything is green and the leaves are slowly starting to turn yellow as you can see in the front yard. 

We spent 4 nights at the cabin and had a chance to visit with my Aunt & Uncle. We ate some great meals and sat by the fire at night. We went for a few hikes and a boat ride. There was lots of down time and a chance for me to read my book. 

Rainy Days

Rain

After a summer of no rain it has suddenly started raining here. I stayed indoors as it it rained all day last weekend. The weather has turned cold and it is getting down to 6c at night. There was even a frost warning one night. It is the end of August and summer has officially ended. I am hoping some warm, sunny days in September. I don't want to an early winter.

Haircut At Home

Covid Cut

I gave dad a haircut. I warned him that it might not turn out that good. He said it was ok, he just wanted it shorter. So here we are. I guess he is happy with the results. I realize that I took a little too much off the front and should have left longer pieces. As you can see the buzz cut line where I buzzed by with the clippers. I am clearly not a hairdresser. 

What to do on a rainy day?

August 2021

While at the cabin we had a few rainy days. Luckily my parents know how to play bridge. They offered to teach me but I declined. I was happy to sit on the sofa and read my book. But I did snap a photo of them during their card game. Just for memory sake...

Sunsets at Duck Mountain

Lake Time

Back out at the lake for another visit and a change to relax and enjoy summer. I love the sunsets here as they reflect on the lake and showoff beautiful colours. 

Tiger Salamander

August 2021

I was out for a walk one night and I spotted a Tiger Salamander walking across the road. It was hard to get a good photo as he was moving very quickly.  We haven't seen many Salamanders in Saltcoats for a few years. Last summer I only found 3 and so far this summer I have seen 6. So this is a positive sign. Hopefully they will have more success this year.