Biking Along The Bow

Decided to dust of my bike (literally), pump up the tires and take a little ride along the Bow River. You wouldn't know it from these 1.2 mpixel shots, but it is a beautiful ride.

The snow is gone, okay, almost gone, okay, there's still quite a bit along the river bank, but it's sunny and warm, okay, not that warm, but a great day to get out and about.

These trails go all along the Bow, on both sides, from way west of the city, through town and down to the very south. Through provincial parks and wetlands and bird sanctuaries and, unfortunately, the aforementioned, Tent City. But that's still pretty good, I'd say.

Gulp!

Coyotes! Cripes, I'm just biking along the river here. And "Leash pets for their safety"? How about "Shoot coyotes for your safety"?

I thought all I had to worry about were beer bottle wielding bums.

Irony?

I don't know....shouldn't an out of business Rent-A-Centre be For Rent, not For Lease? Hopefully the building owner will have more luck than these guys did.

Time To Move?

Hmmmm....what's wrong with this neighborhood? (Aside from the fact that it's in Calgary's downtown "where the bums and the coyotes play"). But by this time, it may be too late to put up that For Sale sign.

There were more signs here - these were all all I could fit in the picture...with this cheap phone.

Now We're Talking

Now that's the kind of kick ass parking lot you'd expect to find in oil country!!

You can stick your little ethonol sipping, electric whirring, hybred tin cans in a Toronto parking lot. But not here, y'all. Global warming? Bring it on, dude!

It's Official

John's going down.

They just put the sign up that a new building is going up where that great building with John's poster art is going down. Notice they didn't say a good building was going up. Just some faceless, glass slab with the magical name "Genco Tower".

Hope I can work there some day. And maybe park my gas guzzling, economy boosting SUV!

Thar She Goes

That's good to see. The ice breaking up and leaving. Soon we'll be kayaking and tubing right through there. Well, someone will be anyway. And I'll be watching.

This is just a couple of blocks from my place. A great place to walk all along the Bow River right into downtown. But don't go too far or you come to another city. Tent City. And there ain't no welcome wagon waiting for you there.

I rode my bike along the river, east of downtown one Saturday morning last summer. And I'm glad I was riding. I felt like I had a big "Mug Me" sign all over my back. I just kept pedaling. I was waiting for one of them to whack my head with a beer bottle as I drove by. Really creepy......

Maybe It Is Me

Am I the only one not scarfing down big loads of beef? This here one's called the Ranchman's Burger. Only one patty this time, but bacon, roast beef, bbq sauce and cheese. Oh, and there's that Caesar salad.

Now I didn't have a salad that night. I was on more of a...uhhhhh.... liquid diet.

What A Difference A Day Makes

I guess incessant whining pays off. What a great day, just one day removed from snow and sleet and slush. The Red Mile (17th Ave) was hopping Saturday afternoon. That was in spite of the Flames rolling over like little puppies for the Dead Things.

And after that, the Riggers (Calgary's purported professional lacrosse team) laid their own steamy load as they got bounced from the playoffs.

Ack, Ack, Heart Attack

Or, Choke, choke, here come da stroke.

I was unfairly taunted that only a real man could eat this X-treme burger. Yeah, a real dumb man. I guess I'm just jealous, as my artery clogging days (on purpose, at least) are over.

Two patties, cheddar & Jack cheese, trans fat sauce (I'm sure), caramelized onions and bacon. Oh yeah, and a Caesar salad with Parmesan cheese.

All the while, yours truly suffered silently (sort of) with the market greens....sigh.....

Merry Christmas

I don't believe it!! Where are we living? Inuvik? Tuktoyaktuk? North Bay? When will the madness end?

I'm getting tired of taking pictures out this window. I want to go outside and play.

It's snowed every day this week. If it wasn't for that Plus 15 system, I'd have used up all my vacation cowering at home this week.

Oops

Jumping the gun a little with the patio furniture, I'm afraid. Guess they were hoping for a few Red Mile inebriants after the Flames win.

Well, in a few more months, I'm sure it will be patio time.....

You're Talking My Language

Hey, now an Urban guy can do stupid stuff faster, and feel right at home. What a great concept. Everybody should have their own beanery.

Ugh!

What an ugly, ugly, ugly building. And this is one of the news ones they have just built. Probably tearing down some beautiful example of early architecture. What a crying shame.

Well, there's more to come.......

Are You Talkin' To Me?

Wow, I heard that sign calling to me from across the street. It must be my acute sense of hearing from drinking eights cups of coffee a day. I said EIGHT CUPS A DAY!!

Why Didn't I Think Of That?

"Louie, we need a get away van for the heist."

"Ahhh, yup, yup, boss. I got just the one."

(Ed. Note (again): I put my thumb in the picture on purpose. To....uhhh....hide the licence plate number. Yup, yup......)

These Guys Are Huge

Went to the Calgary Roughnecks lacrosse game last night. Took this shot just to show how big these guys really are. And they are fast.

Actually, this is the goalie. And I realized later, this is mostly padding. Ha ha. He is only 5'7". He uses belts and pullies to operate the equipment.

Just kidding - he is still a big guy. And tough looking. Which I found out after he turned to stare directly at me after I took this shot. All in good fun...all in good fun.....

Bye Bye Buildings

This is a shot of the Penny Lane warehouse complex alluded to in an earlier rant. This beautiful old 1910 era warehouse block is - all together now - being torn down to build a new office complex. Unfortunately this cheap camera (that I love, by the way) doesn't do the architecture justice.

It...uhhhh.....wasn't.....ummmmmm......historical enough for the city politicians to want to save it. I hope a brick doesn't hit them on the head during demolition.......

Gimme A Break!

It's April, for crying out loud (which is what I have been doing most of the week). And this is not a repeat of a December or January picture. It's snowed every day this week. And, every day, I said thanks to the guy who thought up the Plus 15 system. Probably a smart downtown city guy like me.

But enough already, I give.......

All Leafs All The Time

We're taking over!! This is becoming a real Leafs bar.

Although there are always a few of the great unwashed that still grunt "Leafs ----!" (add your own four letter expletive).

Now, they just need to make the playoffs. But they're playing like a bunch of fancy Nancy's. (Ed. Note: I can say that 'cause I'm a true Leaf fan. Maybe more than can be said for the self-professed variety....)

Go Leafs Go!!

Dreams Can Come True

Grain Academy? I suspect that as each child is born in Calgary, their hopeful parents put their baby's name on a long and cherished waiting list. And if their baby develops as expected, one day, just maybe, he/she may get to walk the hallowed halls. Oh happy day.

The Venerable Petroleum Club

Ahhhh, you can just smell the fine leather chairs and feel the oak panelled walls of this bastion of old Calgary oil wealth. Rub shoulders with the leaders of the most powerful corporations in Canada.

At least that's what it says on their web site. This is as close as I can get.

But, alas, nothing stays the same. In this upside down topsy turvy world of ours, the Petroleum Club shockingly has been forced to bow to modern pressures. They announced they are no longer allowing smoking. But are allowing women!! Ahhhh!!!! When will the madness stop?!

Is This Your Mitten?

I found this on the street and someone has lost their mitten. If this is yours, please let me know.

(Ed. Note: I've seen this done in all the newspapers out here, so this is being done as a community service. What a great guy.)

(Ed Note 2: Okay, okay, upon further reflection, I just realized it's a glove.)