Rocky Mountains Goats

We saw these scruffy goats outside of Jasper, AB shedding their winter coats.

 

The Mountain Goat



 



 

Nobody knows the heart
of the mountain goat
as he leaps
from crag to crag
over distant stones.

 





But I tell you
he leaps in joy,
his back curving
in white ecstasy
against the black rocks.



He lives far
from where the heart
is too heavy to leap
and falls to a broken death
on stony ground.

 

by Rory Hudson

Fall in the Rocky Mountains

Here are some pictures I took travelling through the Rockies this fall.  They are lovely and magestic in all seasons.

Autumn in the Mountains

 

 

 Late summer’s shadows turn to fall,

 

Still wakes in me a beckoned call,



To trample through the crisp dry leaves,



Aft frost from season’s first chilled breeze.



Turning what was once a forest green,



To mountains dressed in fiery sheen,

Of maple red and golden oak,

Flaunts their regal autumn cloak.

I watch a southbound vee of geese,



A romping squirrel through fallen leaves,

As sweet smoke rises from chimney spire,

Hangs like perfume in fall’s cool air.

It’s time like this my soul’s at ease,

A moment to ponder a bit of peace,

With one last chance to take a peek,

Ere winter turns this place to bleak.

 

Poem by Ktdid

Lulu at Moose Lake

We stopped at Moose Lake, AB.  It is a lovely blue-green lake.

There was some vegetation so Lulu got to have a nibble.

"Hey, mom," Lulu cried, "keep an eye out for dogs so I can enjoy my snack." 

"Boy this is a nice view," exclaimed Lulu, "I can see for miles and miles.  Doesn't the water look peaceful?"

It was a nice view and we had a fair bit of company.  A mom and her two young girls came over to see Lulu.  She took pictures of them petting her.  I picked her up so they could feel her comb and get a better look at her.  They were excited to tell their teacher when they went back to school that they saw a chicken and got to pet her.

"Not many bugs here, mom," said Lulu.  "Not like yesterday!  Boy, oh boy!  We should go back there!"  Lulu was referring to the rest stop near McLure, BC.  It had been a cool morning so the grasshoppers were still slow enough for Lulu to catch them.  She chases them at home but isn't too successful, but at McLure she had her fill.  I think she ate nearly a dozen of them.  She was one happy chicken!

"Look, mom," warned Lulu.  "They have a dog over there!  I hate dogs!  They scare me!"

As I was taking Lulu back to the car, a vehicle stopped and a woman rolled down her window and asked, "What's the story with the chicken?"  I told her about Lulu and she asked to take her picture too.  Lulu, the star.  ;) 

So we left the peaceful lake and all Lulu's fans and continued on our journey.  ;)



In the Blink of An Eye

For several days this past week, I was outside raking leaves.  The weather was nice and the grass was still green. I was piling the leaves on my herb beds since I had some winter kill last year.  I figured that we don't usually get enough snow to cover the plants, so I would cover them with leaves.  Come spring, we'll see if it helped.

I still had more leaves to rake as all the trees hadn't even finished turning colours.  When I got up the next morning what do I see - SNOW! 

Snow on the lattice and in the clouds over the mountains.

Snow on the herb garden that I just finished covering with leaves.

On the grapes and trellis.

The trees aren't finished dropping their leaves.

In fact, this apple tree hasn't even finished changing colours!

The cherry tree is still loaded with leaves.

Another grape trellis with the snowy mountains in the distance.

Mountain ash berries wearing tall white hats.

My poor Coco, all covered with snow.

I used to have a dog named Coco that looked exactly like the statue.

We received about 2-3" in our first dump of snow.  Hopefully, it'll disappear before long but if not - get ready for WINTER!



Big Horn Sheep

I was on the road between Lillooet and Lytton earlier this summer when I noticed the sheep on the rocks near the road.

They were very calm and the traffic did not bother them at all.

I was able to pull over and snap a bunch of pics and thought I would share them with you.

Aren't those a lovely set of horns!

Sheep on two levels.  They were amazing to watch climbing all over the rocks and ledges.

Here one decided to cross the road and went down the steep slope there possibly for a drink of water at the river.

Some of these pics look as if the sheep posed for me.

Off he goes to check something out.

Checking out the view.

Another great pose!

I was able to catch one short sequence of him climbing down.

Back again where he started.