Sunday: Tomas Transtromer Again

In lieu of a really good cup of coffee — self too lazy to change out of her pajamas — this

(That’s the beauty of being a writer. One can indeed “live vicariously” — lol!):

ESPRESSO (an excerpt)

The black coffee they serve outdoors
among tables and chairs gaudy as insects.

Precious distillations
filled with the same strength as Yes and No.

It’s carried out from the gloomy kitchen
and looks into the sun without blinking.

In the daylight a dot of beneficent black
that quickly flows into a pale customer.

Self is the pale customer. She is so pale because she has been holed up in her room for approx. one week!

Stay tuned.

Things Self Is Learning About In Canada 2: BEARS

There are two kinds of bears: grizzly bears and black bears.

Self has been told there are grizzlies in the area around Banff, so she decides to do some research on the animals.

There is tons of useful information in the National Wildlife Federation website.

• Grizzly bears can stay in their dens for up to seven months.
• Grizzly bears begin to look for mates in the spring and early summer.
• When a female grizzly becomes pregnant, the development of the embryo temporarily stops for several months, a process called “delayed implantation.” If a female bear is unable to gain enough weight during the summer and fall, her body will tell her not to proceed with the pregnancy and the embryo will re-absorb.
• Grizzlies are known to congregate at rivers with many fish and at improperly fenced garbage dumps.

The garbage bins in The Banff Centre all have lids and are somewhat tricky to open — that’s for the precise purpose of discouraging bears.

Stay tuned, dear blog readers. Stay tuned.

Things Self Is Learning About in Canada 1: Wolves

Self should have begun this series of posts with Dinosaurs but she didn’t have time until today to think this through. Hence, Post # 1 will be about WOLVES.

Like humans, wolves display a variety of temperaments and psychological quirks. Their family structure more closely resembles ours than those of many primate societies. Loyalty and affection towards kin are two of a wolf’s most observable characteristics.

— Doug Chadwick, National Geographic, May 1988 (Quoted in a pamphlet produced by the Northern Lights Wolf Centre in Golden, British Columbia)

Sponsor a wolf! Help wild wolves:  northernlightswildlife.com

You can also, believe it or not, schedule a 1.5 hour HIKE WITH WOLVES. Contact Blackwolf Photography for prices. They recommend calling ahead for availability. (Information: 250.344.6798; info@northernlightswildlife.com)

Stay tuned, dear blog readers. Stay tuned.

Motion 3: Calgary Olympic Park, Great China in Berkeley, Fillmore Street in San Francisco

This week’s WordPress Photo Challenge is to share photos of things and people in motion.

Here are a few

Motion 2: Royal Tyrrell Dinosaur Museum, Drumheller, Alberta

This week’s WordPress Photo Challenge is MOTION:

Some situations lend themselves to “action” photography: sports, dance, the wind gusting through trees on a stormy evening, but anything that can move is a candidate for these types of shots.

Today, her cousins took her to the Royal Tyrrell Dinosaur Museum in Drumheller, a fascinating museum.

Soft-shell “Pancake” Turtle at The Royal Tyrrell Dinosaur Museum. This was a live specimen, not a fossil, and it moved pretty fast across its tank. Self tried at least 10 pictures before she gave up trying to get a clear shot.

Excuse the blur. Self resolutely refuses to use flash.

Stay tuned, dear blog readers. Stay tuned.

Early Bird 3: Good Morning, Calgary

It is self’s first time to be in this Canadian city. She’s on her way to the Writer’s Studio at Banff. By chance, she has Bacolod cousins here. Amazing synchronicity! She’s spending a few days with them.

A Prairie Subdivision

It is huge. A prairie city.

Self still posting on the theme EARLY BIRD:

This week, I encourage you to set your alarm for the early hours, grab your first (several) cups of coffee, and challenge yourself to capture an outstanding photograph in the early morning light.

Without further ado, Early Bird, Calgary edition:

Good morning, Calgary!

First stop of the day, a nearly deserted Calgary Olympic Park:

The Olympic Flame, Calgary Olympic Park

Stay tuned, dear blog readers. Stay tuned.