gone

What more can be said?

gone Originally uploaded by Wanderfull1

wood chips...

wood chips...
Originally uploaded by Wanderfull1

... are pretty much all that is left of the old growth that was on the bike path north of the Harry Hayes building. There are a handful of tall trees, but only one is not marked for removal.

CTVNews called me this morning in response to the e-mail I sent two nights ago. The reporter wanted to know if I would comment on camera. I declined, saying I wasn't very photogenic. Besides, the trees are pretty much gone. She said that no one else seems to be upset by it.

I'm thinking that if they sent a reporter to the site around noon time, when most downtown workers walk along that stretch of path, they would have had plenty of interview opportunities. Just judging by the comments of people I work with, any way.

clearcut

clearcut
Originally uploaded by Wanderfull1

There was major tree removal done along the Riverwalk pathway, today. This is the strip of bike path north of the Harry Hayes building, between Centre Street Bridge and Edmonton Trail. By afternoon rush hour all that was left were the older, taller trees. They will probably be gone tomorrow. The area is being cleared so that the city can put in a promenade; part of the East Village "improvement" measures.

A few things urk me about these "improvement" measures. First, why couldn't they work around the trees, at least work around the older, really tall trees? Second, if I were to cut down a tree as large as the ones disappearing along this bike path the City would fine me. This, and the possible ring road over the Weaselhead, shows just how important nature is to this City council. All this development is meant to improve the property value of the condos that are currently being build in the area, except I don't see how a bald paved-over riverfront is good for property values.

Since I walk through this area on my way to work, there will probably be more photo postings to Flickr.

The Riverwalk plans, including a video, are on the City-owned Calgary Municipal Land Corporation web site.

Links:

• Calgary Municipal Land Corporation
• Riverwalk pathway Flickr set

the reason why the trees are gone

untitled
Originally uploaded by Wanderfull1

Like a sword,
Like a weapon,
My eye stabs at you.
You look away
And I strike only air.
Why is it you live
While more worthy beings
Die?

say good-bye

say good-bye
Originally uploaded by Wanderfull1

Say “good-bye” to the trees on the bike path near the Harry Hayes building. Two years ago, it was decided they had to be removed to make way for a promenade. Every tree to be removed has an orange "X" marked on it and/or a yellow ribbon tied to it; including the tallest trees along that stretch of pathway. The plans, including a video, are on the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation web site. The CMLC is a City of Calgary owned company.

the argument

the argument
Originally uploaded by Wanderfull1

T-Cat, harassed by a magpie. Last week it was a crow. I'm thinking he's probably messing with their nests.

The cat's name is either TJ or Tuna, but I can never tell the two apart, so T-Cat.

T-Cat is semi-feral and lives around the house next door. His people moved a couple of weeks ago, and I guess T-Cat was out roaming at the time and missed the move. Still, I haven't seen anyone come looking for him either.

I'd call the Humane Society, but recently they ran a news article indicating the society is practically giving cats away because they have so many. I'd try to take him in, but my cat is not fond of him. (She pretends she's stalking him from our balcony.)

I'll wait and then try to contact his people. It's summer and I think he'll do fine on his own, for now. The magpies and crows might beg to differ, though.

Inglewood photo field trip

In
Nellie Breen Park
Originally uploaded by Wanderfull1

This is the inside ceiling of Inglewood's Nellie Breen Park gazebo. The June 18th issue of the Calgary Herald has a story about the park's gazebo. The playground is pretty cool in that the ground has some kind of cushy covering. No little knees get embedded with gravel in this park.

Saturday I went on a field trip through Inglewood with a few members of the Calgary Public Library Photography Club. I knew that Inglewood was Calgary's oldest community, but I had no idea the neighborhood was so pretty.

It's pretty vibrant, too, with a ton of neat restaurants and some very unique shops. After the group thing was over, I wandered over to Fair's Fair Books and the Galleria. Wow. I didn't buy anything, this time, only because my backpack was already full of camera stuff. I'll have to go back, sans-camera, and check out The Ironwood (which moved into Loose Moose Theatre's old digs) and the restaurant with the big parrot on the building. Oh, and maybe the Swan Pub.

Links:
* Inglewood Shops
* Inglewood, Calgary - Wikipedia
* Anna's Adventures in the New World blog
* Calgary’s Inglewood on the upswing

rain is beautiful - pansy 2

rain is beautiful - pansy 2
Originally uploaded by Wanderfull1

Captured with the wide angle setting on my little Canon G10. Shot @ 1/100, f 3.5, ISO 80, with macro. Oh, and I tweeked it a bit with Corel. After a year and a half, I'm still loving my little Powershot!

Centennial Grove - 100 Years of Parks in Calgary

parks poles and Calgary Tower
Originally uploaded by Wanderfull1

To celebrate 100 years of parks several pieces of art have been installed in Olympic Plaza. Each of these poles represents a park in Calgary.

According to the City of Calgary Parks Department web page this display is called Centennial Grove. Here's the write up from the City of Calgary web site:

"Drawing on the imagery of the native prairie landscape of aspen groves and grasslands and in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the City of Calgary Parks, the installation symbolizes 100 trunks of aspen trees nestled in grassland. The 100 trunks represent 100 great public spaces developed by Parks in the last century. The 100 trunks are organized in modules of 10, where each group of 10 indicates a time span of 10 years. The heights of the trunks increase incrementally from decade to decade, representing the passage of time and growth of the city of Calgary between 1910 and 2010."

source: www.calgary.ca/parks

poppy trio fallen

poppy trio fallen
Originally uploaded by Wanderfull1

There's a saying, "Some people walk in the rain. Some people just get wet." I'm a rain walker. Rain can be a bit much, especially when it downpours 20cm in one day, but I love the rain. Colors are more vibrant. Trees smell especially wonderful. I could inhale them all day. I'm sure people who notice me breathing deeply by a tree think I'm odd. If they notice me at all. Too many hunker inside their umbrellas, dashing from one place to another, thinking their important thoughts. Missing the beauty.

pro-pot demonstration June 4, 2010

pro-pot demonstration June 4, 2010 Originally uploaded by Wanderfull1

There was another protest this week. Odd, two in one week. The one this afternoon involved supporters of legalized marijuana use protesting the Federal Government's proposed Bill S-10 legislation in front of the Harry Hays building. According to the Department of Justice Canada web site: "The legislation provides mandatory jail time for serious drug offences, and will allow special penalties to be imposed when offences are carried out for organized crime purposes, or if they involve targeting youth." The 420 Cannabis Community believe that marijuana is harmless, should be legal for any one to use, and that organized crime gangs benefit by keeping it illegal.

I spoke with a few of the members of the Calgary 420 Cannabis Community and received tips on cookie baking, was told about doctor recommendations, and warned about the implications of the proposed Bill S-10. Everything was nice and friendly until I approached one of the leaders with a few questions. The Calgary 420 Cannabis Community membership are attempting to legalize marijuana use for anyone, not just for medicinal purposes. Her take was that marijuana was harmless and very beneficial. I asked her about users who love the weed so much they forfeit family and friends. "That's an addiction and has nothing to do with marijuana," I was told. "So you don't have any plans in place for these people?" I asked. "No," was the curt reply. "You should," I said as we both turned away. My take on marijuana use? I believe that those that use marijuana for medicinal purposes are in the minority. The majority of tokers fall in two categories; recreational and escapist smokers. The recreational smoker puffs with friends at social occasions; parties, concerts, etc. The escapist smoker tokes any chance they can and, like the alcoholic, live for their drug. Marijuana is a relaxant and the escapist smokes until they are so sedated they barely function. They become zombies. Escapist potheads can't handle responsibility or reality very well and marijuana allows them to escape the harshness of real life, guilt-free. If members of the 420 Cannabis Community want to make their little bud legal, and if they truly are a "community," I believe they must have something in place for the escapist toker or they are courting societal disaster. Links: Calgary 420 Cannabis Community Department of Justice Canada - Backgrounder: Penalties for organized drug crime act