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All posts for the month March, 2016

Edmonton’s Least Wanted

Posted by Randy Talbot on 2016/03/29
Posted in: downtown, People. Tagged: , , . 1 Comment

A chance encounter last Saturday afternoon, while walking through downtown Edmonton brought a smile to my face.

I was walking around for a couple of hours with my camera, getting some exercise and taking some pictures – mostly landscape, architectural or just interesting stuff or angles. As I walked down Jasper Avenue east of the Convention Centre I passed a group of guys hanging out. This is an area where transient and homeless people often spend their days, so  I generally avoid eye contact and keep to myself.

As I passed these guys, I had my earbuds in (listening to some jazz tunes). I thought I heard one of them make a comment and ask if I would take their picture. Not sure exactly what I had heard and not wanting to be rude I pulled out my earbud and asked if they wanted me to take their picture and said sure if they wanted. The four of them quickly got organized into a close group, put on good genuine smiles and I took this photo:

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Edmonton’s Least Wanted

After taking the photo and starting to leave one of them suggested that I post it on the nearby bus shelter, and title it “Edmonton’s Most Wanted”. Then someone said “No, call it Edmonton’s LEAST Wanted”. I smiled farewell and continued on my way.

This is not the first time (in fact I think it is the fourth) that I’ve been asked by strangers in the downtown area to take their photos. None of these people would ever have thought that they would see the photos but nonetheless they wanted their image captured. I don’t know why but that makes me happy. I am happy to be able to do this little thing for them and I am happy for the genuine smile that each one of them presented to me, to the camera.

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Spring Breakup

Posted by Randy Talbot on 2016/03/27
Posted in: Uncategorized. Leave a comment

The North Saskatchewan River flows through the City of Edmonton and is its lifeblood. Through the seasons the river will change its character and every winter it will for the most part freeze over. Typically in February the ice will soften and show signs foreshadowing it’s breakup. By the end of March the breakup is well underway. Today (March 27) I was able to capture the ice and river from the pedestrian bridge linking Rundle and Gold Bar parks in the City’s east end.

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Further upstream, from the 50th Street footbridge,  the ice shows a different character :

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With something on the ice:

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A Step Back

Posted by Randy Talbot on 2016/03/21
Posted in: downtown, photo, spring, winter. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

The winter was mild and all indications were that Edmonton would be experiencing an early spring.

Surprise! Two days after the equinox and the snow is falling again.
It’s nothing too serious – a bit chilly but kind of pretty. Here are a few images from downtown around midday.

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As disappointing as this little spring snowfall was, I won’t complain after remembering the snow from 3 years earlier on this date:

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Getting Closer

Posted by Randy Talbot on 2016/03/19
Posted in: photo, River Valley, Sport, spring, winter. Tagged: , , , , , , . 1 Comment

I continued my search today (March 19), for signs of spring in Edmonton. It actually isn’t that hard to believe that spring is officially just a few hours away. Despite some rather cool days this past week, snow is hard to see (in open areas) and the ground and streets have substantially dried up.

My walk today was at Highlands Golf Course in Edmonton’s river valley. Being situated on the north side of the river valley, Highlands has a nice sunny exposure,  so its not to surprising that the fairways are now mostly snow free and the grass is, ever so slightly, starting to green up. Here’s what it looked like:

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One of the snowier fairways

I am not what you’d call a big golfer. I might be if I had the opportunity but typically get out only a couple of times each year. Still, I just love the atmosphere of the course and even today I could feel it, and smell it.

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Road on the southern edge of the course

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Just a touch of snow on the bunker’s edge

[As an aside, I think it would be really “cool”/bizarre/intriguing/fun/appropriate if some Edmonton area course had a bunker that was filled (at least covered) with snow (artificial for most of the season)]

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Steps to a tee box

This is looking pretty playable, don’t you think? Maybe a couple of more weeks? (barring of course, a completely plausible and probably overdue, big spring snow dump).

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An Inviting Fairway

Mill Creek Ravine (late winter)

Posted by Randy Talbot on 2016/03/13
Posted in: photo, River Valley, spring, winter. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

Yesterday (2016 March 12), I went for a hike in the north end of Mill Creek Ravine in Edmonton.I walked the stretch between the north end of the ravine at Connors Road and a little south of 82nd Avenue.

Winter is in full retreat this year with the mid-afternoon temperature was around 8C as I walked about. This means that the paved path through the ravine is mostly snow free,  with just one or two big puddles across the path in places*. However, I didn’t venture off of the pavement as the other trails looked treacherously icy and/or muddy.

Anyway, here is what caught my eye:

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The mostly dry and bare path at the north end of Mill Creek Ravine

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The one icy and treacherous part of the path, leading up to the Connors Road pedestrian overpass

 

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Under the Bridge (at 82nd Avenue)

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No idea why this tree was singled out but I like the green hue of the young poplar tree trunks

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Stairs leading down to the path to a bridge over Mill Creek

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Contrast!

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A typical view looking up in to the trees beside the path

*A few of my artistic puddle reflection pictures can be seen over on my art blog.