Bittersweet….. That is about how I can best describe this
post. You see, one week has passed, since a dear friend was tragically taken by
the very mountains which brought her so much light and joy. Sonja was a sweet,
loving, strong, vibrant, brilliant, beautiful, gentle soul, and she was quite
honestly the most kind and genuine person I’ve ever had the pleasure of
crossing paths with. My heartfelt condolences go out to her husband Ian and to their
families; I can’t even begin to imagine the depth to which they are being
crushed by this unbelievable loss.
The only teeny bit of solace that can be gleaned from this tragedy is the fact that Sonja was out doing something she was absolutely passionate about, as she had a deep affinity for all things alpine. Check out her Instagram account – @affinity4allthingsalpine – and you will quickly pick up on her amazing spirit, intelligence, and sense of adventure. I personally will forever be reminded to drink up every ounce of life I am offered and never make excuses or waste precious time. The world as we know it can change literally in seconds….
May you be resting in peace lovely lady, on a warm, sunny peak
somewhere way up high.
#gonewaytoosoon #inourheartsforever #onlythegooddieyoung #untilwemeetagain
So with that, the following is a glimpse of my past month-ish. It has
gone from being probably the most biting cold February I can remember, to a 'spring
might finally be here' March. Weeeee!
On one of the many chilly weekends of late, I made my third visit to the Yamnuska Wolfdog
Sanctuary, and the rest of the time I’ve been out and about around Canmore, snowshoeing and doing random things like taking a local distillery tour.
 |
| Beauty day for a drive to see the wolfdogs! |
 |
| These guys are herd guard dogs.... really paying attention..... LOL! |
 |
| Another beauty day, on my way to my favorite place! |
 |
| Check out the herd of elk - scattering when the train comes along. |
 |
| They all made it across the tracks unscathed! |
 |
The gang, ready to head into a secret valley.
It was -19C when we left the trailhead! |
 |
| It was about 15 degrees warmer by the time we stopped for lunch. |
 |
| In my happy place! |
 |
| Look at all that SNOW!! |
 |
| I wasn't the only cougar out there! Haha |
 |
| The early morning drive back to Red Deer. |
 |
Near zero temps made for an excellent
around-town kinda day! |
 |
This is a really fun way to spend a few hours - go for a tour
and enjoy a beverage at the Wild Life Distillery in Canmore. |
 |
| The Wild Mule and a Salty Wolf.... yummm! |
 |
All smiles on another
fabulous day of snowshoeing. |
 |
| Mount Sarrail on a bluebird day. |
 |
| Say cheeeeese!!! |
 |
| It's good to be me! |
Of course, all of this play has to be balanced out with a bit of work here and there.... and fortunately for me, my job is pretty darn great for the most part.
 |
This has been the view through my windshield
for nearly twenty years! |
While I'm hoping to get a few more trails under my snowshoes this season, I'm pretty excited to be seeing some green soon. I do love winter, but it's time for more sunlight and less darkness.....
Cheers.
