After a couple of busy and beery town and city weekends, fun ones and all, it was good to get back to something a little quieter with a weekend walk in the woods. Other days spent in the city meant sidewalk strolls, and with all the lilacs and late spring tree blossoming and blooming, pounding the city pavements hasn’t been too bad.
Fresh greens, soft pinks, clean whites, and the strong scent of lilac. All the sights and smells laundry detergent makers want you to think about when purchasing their products. They should make one called Sunnyside Streets. Tide, Persil, or (preferably) biodegradable detergent manufacturers, I’m available for further excellent advertising ideas…
Last weekend, it felt like spring was leaning heavily into summer. The usual Alberta transition from winter to spring seems to have been as speedy as ever, with temperatures accelerating past expected averages, and spring almost in the rearview.
Walking in the semi-shade of newly leafy aspens and poplars out at Glenbow Ranch was very pleasant, and the snow kept us cool. Snow? Oh, ok, it wasn’t real snow, but the cottony fluff of seeds floating in the air and gathering in little banks on the sides of the trail. It was funny watching Scout snap at the breeze-blown seeds, but she tired of that game pretty quickly – deadfall sticks and branches are easier prey, especially on a hot day.
Exiting the patches of wood, we spotted a pair of red tailed hawks high above, riding the thermals in lazy circles. When we stopped at the top of a small hill to admire the view, two flashes of blue indicated what might have been mountain bluebirds, but we couldn’t be absolutely sure. Returning to the parking lot, we heard the call of a white-crowned sparrow, one of the few bird calls I can readily identify, coming from a nearby stand of aspens. I like to think it was calling us back, saying it wasn’t time to leave just yet.
No worries, we’ll be back, although we’ll be waiting for a cooler day or for when the calendar turns over to fall. In the meantime, there is more shade, scent, and evening cool to be found in those Sunnyside Streets ™.
A little aside, for those interested in our research from last week – we might have found a store selling Half Hitch beer within walking distance. It’s going to take the edge off watching the Stanley Cup final without a Canadian team once again. We should thank the Winnipeg Jets because they kept Canadian hockey hopes up for a little longer than usual…
Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful weekend!
OldPlaidCamper 
Sounds colourful and positively delightful PC. Have a lovely sunny weekend 😊
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Thanks, Miriam! Hope you had a good weekend.
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Sure did. Hope you did too. Cheers
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Wonderful spring photos!
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Thank you!
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Chuckled at your marketing talents and availability for hire, pc. And really enjoyed walking through the Canada springtime with you three, soaking up the scents and sun. Loved seeing the blossoming, flowery tree in the first photo, and the lilacs, so glorious. Nice to see the elegant aspens too. Thank you for this wonderful spring post, my friend–
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Celebrating spring at altitude, like in your post from Friday, is a natural high! And the lilacs have seemed particularly glorious indeed this year – the slightly longer wait might be why…
Thanks, Jet, and I hope you’ve had a great weekend!
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Here’s a Half Hitch toast to Canadian hockey and to springtime in Alberta! I’m like Scout when it comes to investigating all the indescribable sounds and scents and snow-like particles floating through the air. Our hundred-year-old lilac bushes kill me every May with nostalgic beauty, not that I’m a century old just yet, but their heart-shaped leaves and redolent blossoms are beyond commercial possibility. Great job, PC.
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Cheers, Walt! You’re a lucky man indeed to be the guardian of century-old lilacs – what a treat!
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Lilacs are my favourite. I never miss stopping to smell them every spring.
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Yup, it’s spring here for sure, no false starts, when the lilacs are out (always seems to rain for the Lilac Street Festival, coming up soon!)
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Enjoyed the spring strolls and your advertising ideas! Summer has arrived early here with temperatures in the 90s this weekend and I’m not ready to be thinking about cooler days in May. I was sorry to see the Jets knocked out of the playoffs and hopefully you will have a few extra favorite beers on hand to cheer on my Capitals. I’ve been a Maple Leafs fan for years and I’m hoping they will be ready to make it to the Stanley Cup Final in a few years. Wonderful photos and enjoy your weekend!
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Yup, we’re going to go with the Capitals, and as ever, hoping to go seven games and have an exciting series. Those Maple Leafs are improving bit by bit, but any Canadian team making the final and lifting the cup would be something to cheer about. The wait goes on…
Hope you’ve had a pleasant weekend!
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