Prairie Storms

Looking back over the summer we were hit with a few decent prairie storms. And, during almost every storm we were sitting in the back of the explorer at the top of the highest hill trying to get a shot of the fantastic lightning. Here, in my opinion, is the best shot of the summer.

The Great Sand Hills

-Footprint in the sand. The Great Sand Hills, Saskatchewan.-

The Great Sand Hills are located in southwestern Saskatchewan and amazingly enough cover an area of over 1,900 square kilometres! Who would have thought? We always imagine far off equatorial places as boasting sprawling deserts of towering dunes, not the prairie province next door. And, while not all 1,900 square kilometres of the hills resemble the iconic tall towering dunes it's still amazing to climb to the top of a few active dunes and survey the fragile landscape.

-The expanse.-

-Boots of the Sand Hills.-

-Kimchi loved jumping from the tops of the dunes.-

Lacombe Days

-The parade. Lacombe.-

Earlier this summer we were invited to tag along with our friends Kirstin and Brent as they attempted to capture the spirit of Lacombe Days through a lens. Trev bought a new lens in preparation for his day of shooting and as you can see, put it to good use. But while Brent and Trev were compelled to make the rounds, Kirstin and I enjoyed good company, a wonderful lunch at Becki's and the brilliant heat from the afternoon sun.

-Our favorite part of the parade, bagpipes. We love bagpipes.-

-It was a beautiful day to be a Shriner on a mini-bike.-

It was an interesting day for me, returning to the community that I grew up in, this time as a visitor. And, while it's a charming community and it was a great place to grow up, I don't regret moving on or living in larger centres.

-The Koreans show off lanterns on festival days...
we Albertans show off tractors.-

-... And cars.-

-As you can tell Trev is more drawn to hood ornaments than to the cars themselves.-

-Another highlight of the day, the blacksmith.-

-Forging metal.-

Multnomah Falls

-Multnomah Falls. The Columbia River Gorge, Oregon, USA.-

Just a side note... if you haven't read the book,

The Shack
By William P. Young

you really should.

An Ocean View

-Ecola State Park, Oregon.-

Our second and final destination during our trip to the beautiful state of Oregon was Nehalem Bay. From our cozy campsite we took day trips to the bustling summer community of Cannon Beach and the awe-inspiring beaches of Ecola State Park.

-Turbulent Ocean.-

-Solitude.-

Our days were filled with salty water, sand castles (a feat to be crushed... or so Dawson thought) and sumptuous meals of fresh seafood. Our evenings: campfires, smores, sneaky raccoons and cherry cola.

All in all, a great way to spend time with family.

-Tillamook Head Lighthouse. 1881.-

-Trev's Art.-