GOLDENTALES Abby & Keeper's 2007 Photo Blog |
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& Ruby's 2012 Photo Blog
Abby & Keeper's Final Photo Blog 2010 Our Stories Spring to Spring, a Year In The Life More Pics of Abby and Keeper and the Valley The favourite links of Abby and Keeper
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LATE DECEMBER
Windy . . . . . up here . . . . . .
. . . . . really, really windy says Abby
Up here . . . . with Keeper
. . . . . but Keeper finds the scent of something on the tiniest of things On another day . . .
Elk at sunrise
Keeper investigates Troll Falls in K-Country!!! EARLY DECEMBER
Different day, much, much colder, minus 20 Celcius but cabin-fever ridden dogs insisting on getting out somewhere. So we co into the forest for a 40 minute walk, before the dogs seize up from cold. Keeper, above, is only 10 minutes into the walk. LATE NOVEMBER
Winter closes in . . . . Keeper and Abby on the trail. Upper Kananaskis Lake had a thin sheen of ice on it, with some open spots, but was playing a symphony for us, persistent and varying whale-like moans coming from the straining ice sheet followed by occasional frantic crashes. EARLY NOVEMBER
Deceptively frozen LATE OCTOBER
Gaaak . . . . . attack of the killer horses. Keeper is a little leery as some curious horses lounging alone in the back country on the Willow Creek trail come over for a visit.
But all's well that end's well . . . . mutual curiousity. Abby and Keeper see horses a lot through their fence but don't get too many chances for nose sniffing. PICKLEJAR!!!
Abby and Keeper go high in the backcountry, on the way to Picklejar Lakes . . . . .
Ah, ha . . . . at last, there's one of the lakes!!! This is a hard to reach, obscure fishing spot in the summer
So close and yet so far. This is the end of the line as the traverse in front of us didn't appear to be particularly safe. We were alone here and didn't know if anyone was coming up behind us, meaning an accident would have been problematic to say the least. Later, on the way down, we would encounter two groups of younger hikers who would likely have made this spot and perhaps beyond. The lake is already ice covered.
Same spot . . . . different direction
A timely creek for some cooling down on the way up
Earlier . . . . on the way up. We would have to go around the mountain ahead. FINDING GRUESOME TROPHIES
The prize of the day . . . . . Abby attempts to lug the skull and spine of a recently deceased deer. Attempting to take this trophy from her would reveal just how strong the jaws of a determined Golden really are, and no treat will tempt her to drop it. So we walk . . . . and walk. Fortunately, it's miles to go before the vehicle and she inevitably lets go. Finding the remains of wild animals on the bald butt prairie is a fact of life. MID OCT0BER TO CHESTER LAKE
Keeper and Abby investigate frigid Chester Lake, off the Smith Dorrien Trail, the late Fall sun no longer on the lake this early in the morning.
Larch Pine, a golden treat at the higher altitudes this time of year. The Larch is the only pine to lose its needles for the winter
On the trail, walking among the Larch
Larch
On the trail . . . . Keeper is lost in the immensity TO INDIAN OILS SUMMIT
Before winter . . . . Abby on the trail to Indian Oils
Should we go higher?
Fall colours and Keeper
A stream covered in falling leaves draws Keeper
Mountain goats tread carefully
Looking higher EARLY OCTOBER
Keeper and Abby . . . . looking for snow in the high country
Abby finds the snow she was looking for . . . . and shakes it off
Running . . . . . always running
Keeper and Abby, doing the tourist thing
Bear wars . . . . . a mother black bear and two cubs were stealing Abby and Keeper's crab apples in the night, wrecking the trees in the process. Bears have been coming out of the mountains in unusual numbers because a cool spring meant a lower than average berry crop.
. . . . but those apples must have smelled real good to them. Two cougars were spotted within a mile of Abby and Keeper's house on the same day, in a field on the other side of the valley. LATE SEPTEMBER
Harvest days . . . . . winter is coming
A Big Horn Sheep watches over the Sheep River Gorge, itself embraced in fall colours . . . . . one might think this guy was admiring the view
Deer silhouetted in a quiet moment on the Sheep River, near Black Diamond
Picnicking . . . . west of Turner Valley KEEPER GETS A CONE
A groggy Keeper, post-operation to remove a mass on her rumpus, insists on guard duty like the trooper she is. We expect the biopsy results to be benign.
When the drugs wore off a few days later, Keeper was indominitable, hoovering through the tall grass with Abby, digging for rodents.
Keeper is free of the cone . . . . for a few hours on a walk
Polly and Abby study a problem
Fall colours and snow grace an isolated canyon MID SEPTEMBER
Keeper and Abby visiting Cat Creek Canyon
Polly at sunset
Polly in transit . . . . time to call it a day.
Keeper and Abby at Elbow Lake . . . . with fresh snow dusting the mountains
Abby on the trail through Elbow Pass
Abby loved the new snow . . . . winter is better than summer as far as Abby and Keeper are concerned EARLY SEPTEMBER
Abby has put her "Porcupine Incident" behind her
Running the deck at daybreak
Frost-laden berries
Over or under? The dilemma of any hiker. Keeper can't make up her mind. Ultimately, she decided jumping the log was the better plan.
An oasis in the sun-dappled forest for Keeper and Abby
Porc-uh,oh-pine for Abby . . . . the drama begins at 6:30 a.m on a Sunday morning.
The pliers versus the quills . . . . Abby eventually had to go to the Emergency Vet.
. . . . . but later in the day, we took a little walk in the back country where an early Fall is already colouring leaves in the higher altitudes . . . . freedom, walking the prairie on the eastern shore of Chain Lakes MID-AUGUST
A glorious day for Abby . . . . . in Sepia colouring
Keeper in the forest . . . . black and white
Abby . . . . . a portrait, peaking through the Ornamental crab apple
Elk in the morning
Running an old fenceline . . . . Abby and Keeper
Even the sun-dappled forest is hot in summer for Abby . . . . . . cyanotype colouring
Getting the death stare from Polly, who is thinking about using the old baseball bat in front of her . . . . . Rick had surprised her. In Sepia colouring.
Maude
Momma and her baby cross the Sheep River, just outside of Black Diamond EARLY AUGUST
Jungle walking with Abby and Keeper, Brown Lowery Park Swimmin' in the ole fishin' hole
Surrounded by a rock canyon and a modest waterfall, Keeper struggles against the current on the Highwood River. Both Abby and Keeper had run down a cliff ahead of Rick and found the cooling waters to their liking. . . . . but then let the current carry them away from the only sandy beach . . . . . as Rick struggled down the same cliff trying to catch up.
Abby, who'd gone much further, struggles back through the canyon against the current. Rick wasn't looking forward to calling on his lifeguard training for mouth to nose resuscitation.
Topside once again, Keeper and Abby emerge from an old homestead building . . . . now a stable of some kind.
The Big Picture . . . . . the way it looked to Abby on the hike back to the truck. Ranchers are required to offer access to recreational fisherman . . . . . you park on the highway at indicated access points, and walk in. We weren't fishing though . . . .
Deer at sunset
Sundown through forest fire skies LATE JULY
The big picture . . . . it's 34 Celcius, no wind, no clouds and a long way from home for Keeper and Abby, walking south along the west shore line of Chain Lakes. This place, one of our favourite walks winter or summer, was totally deserted as we walked for miles.
Up, up, up . . . . Victoria glacier at Lake Louise hangs over Abby's head
Up, up, up . . . the lake far behind and a rare sight, Abby (left) so pooped that she's following behind Rick, Keeper pluckily hanging in there. MID-JULY
Wind, wind, wind . . . . .
. . . . . . never stopping
. . . . but fun, fun, fun
Keeper waits for a big storm
Abby is smart . . . . . she knows Polly, who only has two feet, can still catch mice and frequently does. Then Abby gets the mice.
Polly lunges . . . . and Abby stares intently, waiting for the result.
Abby moves in as Polly moves on . . . but nothing to collect this time.
First hay
Upside down Polly, luxuriating in the grass on a summer evening . . . . . sans back feet LATE JUNE
Keeper and wind-blown mountain flowers . . . .
Winter fades to summer . . . . . . Keeper at home |
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