From the weekend

A small creek by Fish Lake.

Mom standing by crescent Falls.

Yours truly walking the log at Fish Lake (at least that is what I think it was called).

Mom and Dad parked on the side of the road so I can take photos of some sheep.

Yours truly again, this time climbing rocks, yes I like climbing rocks.

crescent Falls.

Myself, standing in front of the North Saskatchewan River.

Upper crescent Falls

Dad, trying to walk up the bank at crescent Falls

This photo looks like I was running in the woods.

Well Wednesday I got called to go out on a job, so I didn't get to do my blog until today. I finally realized today that I got internet in my room, which is very nice. I'm currently in Brooks, Alberta, staying at the Heritage Inn. Here are photo's from the weekend that I spent in Nordegg with Mom and Dad. I'm missing Tina very much, I hopefully will be heading back to Saskatoon on Wednesday. I'm missing going on rides too, but this is a totally different experience I guess. I would show everyone the truck we are driving right now, but I can't because I don't think I'm able to show the company truck on my blog. Anyway, I must go, ride safe everyone and have fun! Thanks for sticking with me during the slow parts too.

Expensive Photos!

Here is the outdoor theater that I took a photo of in the last post

Some of the photos didn't work too well because of the sun reflecting off the windows

This was a little freaky.

Calgary Saddle Dome.

Beautiful church and park.

Some really big, cool statues in front of the Calgary Education building.

A huge condo on the other side of the river. I believe this is the Bow River.

Shiney office buildings downtown.

The subway again, or the C-train as it's called here.

A very pretty church across the river in Calgary

This post has been almost 5 days in the making, it was ready to go on Thursday night, I got about half of it up and running and then my internet in the hotel room conked out. I tried again at my parents place, but they have dial-up internet and my photo files at 2MB each wouldn't load at all. I'm back in Red Deer and very homesick, but I have some decent internet access for a few days so I'm taking advantage of it. Anyway Thursday night I decided to go up in Calgary Tower, at 525' tall it promised a very nice view. After paying $4.00 for parking I went to the tower and payed another $13.00 for a ticket to use the elevator. The elevator took a few minutes to reach the top and my ears were popping the whole way. Finally at the top I got out, right outside the elevator there were clear plastic panels on the floor that you could walk on, I thought they were a little scary but I walked on them, alot of people couldn't get over them and wouldn't even come close to them. I spent about 30mins up in the tower taking photos. I have some more really good photos from the weekend that will have to wait until tomorrow. I went to my parents place in Nordegg, Alberta for the weekend and snapped around 650photos, alot of them are poor so I will have to wade through them all before posting them. Thanks to all that are still looking at this still, even though it's a "slow" time for me right now. Remember, ride safe and have fun.

Downtown Calgary

Pedestrian streets downtown, cars still drive on them, but pedestrian traffic is what they are mostly used for.

Calgary Tower, very cool, I was going to go to the top, but I think you have to pay.

Open air theater across from the subway station.

The first time I've ever seen a subway, it was pretty neat.

Office buildings downtown.

Open-air dining along the pedestrian street.

Downtown Calgary

I finally went for a walk downtown tonight. I didn't get away until almost 8:30 though, so some of my photos ended up underexposed from the setting sun, that is why some of them are a little darker, not my best photos. I found a place to park downtown and put in $5.00!? for parking, a little expensive, but you have to pay that much to park anywhere here. I checked out some stores downtown and just walked around for a bit. The subway was really cool for me, because I've never seen one before. Also I wanted to get a closer look at the Calgary Tower, I wanted to go up in the tower, but I think you have to pay, I may check it out some more tomorrow or ask around and see if you actually do have to pay. Anyway, check back for more soon. Until then, ride safe and have fun

In Calgary

Well, I'm in Calgary now, no photo's today, I did go for a drive downtown tonight and I'm thinking of going down there for a walk with the camera tomorrow if it's nice. So everyone will get a treat hopefully. Until then ride safe and have fun!

Heading back to Saskatoon

Just photos of my drive back to Saskatoon today.

Hiking around

Baby ducks and the mother swimming up to me, they thought I had food for them, really I just wanted a close photo. :)

The Bower Ponds park along side the Red Deer river, very nice, to bad it was raining.

Muskrat Sally, she swam right up to me until I got my camera out, that scared her, so she started to swim away, she dove under the water right after I took this photo.

The old CPRail bridge spanning the Red Deer River, built in 1907, it is now used as a pedestrian bridge. Wake up Saskatoon! This is what needs to happen with the Victoria Bridge, NO CARS!!!

It is quite a bit more wooded along the river banks in Red Deer than in Saskatoon.

Only in Alberta, how many MPG do you think this guy gets. Yes, that is a pickup truck.

Part of the trail I rode my bike on last night.

Some geese at Bower Ponds park, the babies are teenagers now I think, not quite ready to leave Mom and Dad yet though.

Tea House in Bower Park.

Well it was raining but I decided to go for a walk up the other side of the river tonight. It actually stopped raining after I had finished my supper and actually drove over to a church parking lot close to the river. I walked for about 6 kms round trip, but I wanted to check out this cool park that I had noticed last night from the other side of the river on my bike. Walking enabled me to take more photos, 106 all together. Because I had the autofocus on most the time and it was raining, a lot of the photo's were out of focus, I guess it was focusing in on raindrops instead of the subject. No blog tomorrow or Saturday probably, I'm heading back to Saskatoon tomorrow and on Saturday Tina and I will be going to a wedding, but Sunday I will post possibly if I have internet access in the motel in Calgary. We'll have to see. Ride safe everyone, and have fun too!

First ride in Red Deer

My little Dahon partially folded up, actually all folded except I usually don't lower the seat or handlebars because they are a pain to get tighten properly again.

Looking down the river at one of Red Deer's bridges, they are a lot smaller and newer than the ones in Saskatoon.

A wild rose growing by the side of the trail along the river.

My bike fully setup for riding.

Well folks, here is my first ride in Red Deer. To put it bluntly, Red Deer isn't a cycling friendly city. It's urban sprawl at it's finest. However like any place there are some little jewels hidden, you just have to look for them. For me that was the pathway along the river, it really is nice, the pavement is smoother then the Meewasin Trail in Saskatoon and it seems to extend a little longer and hook up with a few more parks. The scenery isn't nearly as nice as Saskatoon. Red Deer is a very industrial type town and a vast majority of it's residents are working, not living here, just like me I guess. Everyone is probably doing a collective doubletake right now because my ride today is a upright ride and that doesn't jive with the whole philosophy of the Bentupbike blog. :) However this is probably the last time that it will be on here, even if I can take it with me in the trunk of the car. It is only slightly better then walking, only slightly. :) I took a 8 mile (my odometer is set for miles still on the folding bike) ride and afterwards my butt hurt, my wrist hurt and my shoulders were sore. I may ride down the other side of the river bank tomorrow night, but I think after that I will use my feet power. :) Anyway must go now, ride/drive/live very safe and always have fun, because that is what life is about. Right? :)

Stormy skies

Just before Hanna, Alberta, I got a dry spot so I could snap some photos.

Looking out the front window of the car.

Just outside Kindersley Sk.

Just before Three Hills Albert, it cleared up a bit.

Leaving Saskatoon.

Well post will be few and far between now, I'm afraid. I'm in Red Deer, Alberta training for the new job right now, next week I will be in Calgary for what the company calls Greenhand Training. Other then terribly missing Tina it's not going to bad. I'm not overly fond of Red Deer and will probably not be working here too long. I would like to save up for the upcoming wedding and honeymoon and then see from there. I signed a contract for a year, so I will be here for at least that long. Anyway I'm thinking of taking my folding Dahon out for a ride either tomorrow or Wednesday, there looks like a good trail network down by the river in Red Deer and I'm feeling the need to explore a little. We had a company BBQ today and I got to meet a few of the guys I will be working with and it seems like they are all pretty nice, so that is good. Don't know much beyond that right now, so stay tuned for more.