Alberta in widescreen

This week is written and filmed in low definition PlaidCamperScope, and I did all my own stunts. Not too sure where it is heading, rather weak on plot, but there is a happy ending.

With the ongoing grey and snowy skies, I thought I’d post photographs taken on a brighter winter day a short while ago here in Alberta. As I type this, the snow is falling once again – that’s fine by me – but it seems like we haven’t had too many of my favourite Alberta winter days, where it is about -10C and sunny. On a day like that, you can ski or hike or snowshoe for hours, admiring the sparkling air without feeling the chill. Maybe by the weekend?

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We were back at Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park, on a still day with lots of sunshine, and just before the next round of snow. Chinook winds had eaten a fair amount of the ground snow, but there were still deep pockets in the ditches and hollows, and plenty of ice to catch us unawares.

We enjoyed the widescreen views to distant mountains, and the close ups of red berries and golden grasses poking through the snow. Scout enjoyed peeing on everything she decided she wouldn’t eat. Very discerning…

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Parts of the park are in use as a working ranch, and I love the cinematic nature of the buildings, fences and tracks. If I had a low budget indie movie to make, one where mumbling Albertans play out their hardbitten dramas in a partially tamed yet still beautiful wilderness, I’d shoot it somewhere like Glenbow Ranch PP.

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A grizzled, hardbitten yet optimistic semi-retired teacher, with the looks, but not the politics, of an older Clint Eastwood (squint and use lots of soft focus and imagination), fights heroically and stoically to convince Albertans of all stripes to diversify the economy beyond oil and gas and think about a future that doesn’t need fossil fuels. Met with disbelief, ridiculed for being too liberal and a jeep-driving hypocrite vegetarian, the laconic educator is run out of town and goes for a long walk in a provincial park, trying to think of a good ending, and wondering how well an electric car would work in a Canadian winter…

Sadly, most of my movie ideas barely fill the back of a postage stamp, and the scripts are rather brief – but they would be pretty to look at if they got made. Perhaps I should start small and very low budget – maybe I could direct a postcard?

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My mind does tend to wander when I’m wandering in lovely locations, and I daydream about movies and stories, ones I’ve seen, and the ones still to be told. Living out west, or anywhere scenically dramatic, will do that to you I suppose. I hope future movie location scouts will still have outdoor locations worth scouting for. Post-apocalyptic dramas seem to be all the thing just now, but let’s hope they won’t be making these as documentaries in the future. I know there are “kitchen sink” dramas as well, but wouldn’t you rather see forests, lakes, rivers, natural deserts, mountains and oceans, both onscreen and for real? It’s not often I find myself thinking “I wish I could make a movie about this” when I’m doing the dishes, or “I hope this comes to pass” when a rerun of Mad Max is on, but maybe that’s just me?

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Looking south-west on the Grand Valley Road
On our drive home, this road warrior took the scenic route, meaning any road that didn’t get us back into the city too soon. Grand Valley Road lived up to the name, and I had to pull over and take a couple of pictures looking west as I drove the wrong way back on the 567.

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Hey, Mad Eastwood, Calgary is the other way…
I do love widescreen Alberta, but it is hard for me to capture it accurately in a photo. Still, these aren’t too bad for a cameraphone, a bit grainy – think 1970s 70mm film stock (I love the look of movies made then) – but they are ready for any of us to project a story onto.

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Feelin’ lucky, road punk?
Cut! And that’s a wrap. Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend full of new outdoor tales and cinematic adventures!

The happy ending? Oh, ok, here she is. Upstaged by a canine co-star. Flounces off to his trailer…

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“Just the one photo of me this week?” “Yep. Get your own blog!”

 

Published by

plaidcamper

I am a would be outdoorsman - that is if I had more time, skills and knowledge. When I can, I love being outdoors, just camping, hiking, snowboarding, xc skiing, snowshoeing, paddling a canoe or trying something new. What I lack in ability, I make up for in enthusiasm and having a go. I'd never really survive for long out there in the wild, but I enjoy pretending I could if I had to...

14 thoughts on “Alberta in widescreen”

  2. Loved the photos and movie references, especially the script, Clint Eastwood captions and being upstaged by a new, young star! I love movies and tv series with great scenery and three that stand out that I’ve watched recently are Tin Star (Amazon, starring Tim Roth), The Mountain Between Us (Idris Elba!!!) and The Frozen Dead (Netflix). I’m still laughing over the movie script and make sure you write a role for Scout. Wonderful post and have a great weekend!

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    1. Thank you – I don’t think there is much chance of that script getting the movie treatment (good advice you gave, should have included a role for a young dog!)
      Tin Star was filmed near here, but annoyingly, isn’t on Netflix Canada yet. Looking forward to it, Tim Roth is worth watching. Started The Frozen Dead, will probably carry on with that, it is intriguing. I know we’ll be watching Idris in his mountain movie soon (Mrs PC is a fan of his!)
      Have a wonderful week ahead – will it be cold enough for another hat shot or two featuring Gabby?!

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      1. I always enjoy watching Tim Roth and I thought he was great in this series. Another show I found myself binge-watching and Amazon has renewed it for another season. Gabby may need her raincoat and umbrella this week, but after the hat episode she may be refusing photos.😁

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  3. I always love reading your posts, getting a chance to see how you view your part of the world. Love the photos, I think that you did a darn good job of capturing such beautiful country. I lift my glass to wide open spaces, good movies and vegetarianism. 😋

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  4. Wonderful, PC. The script for yourself in “Widescreen Alberta” had me chuckling and hoping that you get revenge on those lowbrows, running ’em over with electric car or tractor or something. The provincial park, like many woolly western locales, surely can be inspiring. I think I need to get back pretty soon.

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    1. Thanks, Walt! Glad this had you chuckling, and if you make it out this way, we’ll have to take a spin in the (petrol powered) jeep out into the parks and mountains, check out the lakes and streams for fish.
      Enjoy your week!

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  5. You’d make an awesome movie director PC. And with that backdrop you’ve got, hey, you’ve got a winner. Great photos and I love your narrative. Roll on with the next script … 🙂

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    1. Thanks, Miriam! Yeah, if the story falls apart, then there’s always the scenery, haha! Back in uni, we made a pretentious B/W anti-war documentary on Super 8. Got chased off by the police in central London for filming without a permit. Probably be arrested if that happened today…
      Enjoy your week!

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  6. Great post, pc, I enjoyed it a lot. I’m smiling, once again, with your words, imaginings, and beautiful photos of the vast wintry prairie vistas. You make it look easy to describe one’s self, my friend…now that’s talent. This punk is feeling lucky, thanks for the delightful entertainment.

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    1. Thank you, Jet – this comment made my day!
      I hope all is well with you and Athena. I read in your comments section how no work has yet started on renovating your home more than four months on. We’ve got fingers crossed that bureaucracy is soon replaced with real action up on your mountain…
      Allowing for all that, we hope you have a great week!

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