Common Highway scenes

En route to Schutzhund practice in Calgary last Sunday I saw some flaring on the horizon. As I got closer I realized it was at the sour gas plant in Crossfield. Flaring is the way they get rid of waste gas. The H2S gas is that stuff that smells like rotten eggs. It is the same smell you encounter at hot springs although in extremely high concentrations it can make you pass out of cause death (as with any gas it is toxic). Being new to Alberta, I am learning all these things and getting used to seeing flaring stacks on the horizon and at night - and not worrying it is a fire all the time!

Prairie Grain Bins and Thunder Bay Grain Elevators

Everywhere I drive, I see grain bins, old and new, big and small - used for storing bushels of grain for livestock. Above are three grain bins, and below are storage silos and a grain elevator I drove by in Saskatchewan last summer (my photos.) To learn of the importance of these structures in Canadian history, this is an interersting article: http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Grain_elevator

I find these fascinating because Thunder Bay Ontario where I grew up was the terminal for wheat from out west, where trains would pour the grain into ships, or to store in elevators. My grandfather was a Federal Grain Inspector, and very proud of his job. He even appears in an old B&W National Film Board film about the grain elevators, inspecting grain "in his suit!" (I guess he dressed up for the occasion.

The elevators in Thunder Bay have been torn down or are sitting dormant now - a goverment decision that really affected employment as the majority of grain was redirected to Hudson Bay. For a picture of Saskatchewan Wheat Pool in Thunder Bay, at the head of Lake Superior, you can actually check Wikipedia here! - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grain_elevator. This article shows a pictures of Sask Wheat Pool No. 7 which was the longest grain elevator in the world when it was built in Thunder Bay.

The photo above was taken by Gary Rich and is from a great website gallery of grain elevator photos - http://www.grainelevators.ca/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/3700 This photo is of Sask Pool (8 or 4?) in Thunder Bay, with one of the lakers beside it. This time of year the lakers started showing up on a regular basis to load up. I suppose that is why it is on my mind as I sit here in Alberta seeing the grain from the other end. I grew up always within view of the lake, boats and elevators. I miss them.

These YouTube links show the demolition of Thunder Bay Pool Six which was demolished in 2000. I was there that day. It was very sad personally as it marked the end of an era and I thought of my grandfather.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnbdd0OqyYU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPVF5Od8mIE

Some people are converting grain bins into beautiful homes - I know it is hard t believe - check out these links:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/14/realestate/14nati.html?pagewanted=2&fta=y

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Hands-On-How-To/Grain-Bin-Building.aspx

Mountains on the Horizon

What a strange sensation to fly west from Ontario and call the Mountains home. I was sitting beside a young fellow from Parry Sound who had never been on a plane before. He was heading to Grande Prairie for a job, like so many other people coming to Alberta. I pointed out the mountains to him. He had never seen the Rockies before and he was blown away. I feel that way every time I see them! So I snapped this quick picture of our plane's descent into Calgary. The first time I have flown "home" to Alberta.

Lion Dog in Toronto Chinatown

I just got home from a week in Toronto where I attended a conference at the Metro Convention Centre. On Sunday night we ate at Libretto Pizza on Ossington which was featured on the TV Show Steve and Chris. What a fantastic 'real' Italian pizza joint! We decided to walk through Chinatown and all the way down Dundas back to our hotel. On the way, I couldn't resist a picture of this Lion Dog just sitting outside of a restaurant along the way. It looks so unassuming, plunked there beside the stairs. Chinatown Toronto is a very interesting place with a unique blend of sights, sounds and smells.