Steve`s Country
For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
Canada’s Splendor.
Welcome everyone to something a little different here on Steve’s Country today. I was chosen by Lillian at https://orkidedatter.wordpress.com to participate in the Traveling Blog Journal. This idea was begun by Nova over at https://mynamaste365online.blog and all of the destinations can be found over with her. Thank you Lillian for picking me for this fabulous idea! This is also quite the challenge since Canada is such a large country and has so much to see in it’s cities and diverse cultures available throughout the country. But especially the natural beauty of it’s landscape and the wonderful and diverse flora and fauna that is available here. So, let’s start our journey on the east coast and head west from there.
In the picture above we have a famous landmark, the lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove in the province of Nova Scotia.
The above photo shows the gathering of maple sap for making maple syrup, a big industry from New Brunswick, to Quebec and Ontario. The best maple syrup comes from Canada, but I may be a bit biased in saying that!
Above we see Le Chateau Frontenac in old Quebec City, a very famous hotel with wonderful architecture and a must to see when touring Canada.
Next we see the skyline of Canada’s largest city, Toronto, which is also the capital city of my home province of Ontario. Some 6 million people call Greater Toronto their home.
Here we see Canada’s parliament building located in our country’s capital of Ottawa, also located in Ontario. It’s a beautiful old building and also a must to see when in Canada.
Also in Ontario is the world famous and very beautiful Niagara Falls. This actually sits right on the border with the U.S. and the falls is divided between the 2 countries, but this is the Canadian side which is amazing in its grandeur. If planning a trip to Canada, this is definitely a worthwhile stop. Then we cross the prairies which is, well, flat. Lots of grain fields as far as the eye can see and beyond. Very flat. What more can be said. Until we come to Alberta, and below we see the city of Edmonton.
Alberta actually has 2 fairly large cities, Edmonton and Calgary which is a bit further south. Most of our oil and gas comes from this province. But it also has breathtaking beauty as we enter the rocky mountains.
Both Alberta and B.C. share these majestic mountains and it is where some of our best skiing resorts are located.
Enough of the winter look, I’m not a big fan of winter or winter activities, but if you are, then this is the place to come.
Above we see the beautiful Hotel Prince of Wales located in Alberta on the Upper Waterton Lake. This was built by the Great Northern Railway in 1927 and it has kept it’s original beauty inside and out. And with the fabulous scenery, it’s a great place to spend some time.
Finally on the west coast we see a small part of the city of Vancouver, Canada’s third largest city. But before we wrap up this brief journey, we should not forget the abundant wildlife that Canada also has to offer.
Black bear.
Wolves. Lynx.
Of course, an abundance of white-tailed deer. And birds! Like the following.
Okay, this little guy isn’t exactly a bird, but one of our friendly chipmunks.
Well folks, there you have a very brief look at the very large country of Canada. There really is something to see and do for everyone. But I hope you have enjoyed this tour. Now I pass this along to Margo at https://mbodypower479768866.wordpress.com to continue the Traveling Blog Journal. Margo lives in Australia and I know she will have a wonderful tour for us, so please check out her blog. I am quite certain she will have a wonderful tour for us.
Until later, I hope you are having a wonderful day and God bless!
Steve and Muffin.
Steve’s Adventures. Part 3.
Hello everyone on this very beautiful morning here at Steve’s Country. The sun is shining again and it’s warm finally which is so nice. I have my door open and the birds are singing so enthusiastically out there. The sun is shining on my desk bringing such a warm glow to my writing area. My cup of coffee is right beside me and Muffin is…looking at my feet. Why, I ask her. She just sits looking at me not saying a word. Always makes me think I have forgotten something. Oh, right, her paper ball. I crumple some paper, she plays with it and when she is finished, she rips it to shreds. Tiny little pieces of paper all over the living room. Then I have to vacuum. She must think I enjoy vacuuming. I don’t. Really. Sigh. I buy her toys. And what does she want to play with? Crumpled paper ball. Amazing.
But what a beautiful morning. Sir George calling for his breakfast. Twice. Baxter calling for peanuts. Birds singing. Choco and Chatter fighting. Male squirrels generally chase each other around. The females however, like to connect more when they fight. So there is Choco and Chatter, they sit chattering at each other, suddenly Chatter jumps straight up and Choco is right there when she lands. Wow. Almost looked like a new type of dance. Finally the full connection. And they roll around like one ball of fur. Right off the edge of the deck. 5 Feet to the ground. Like nothing happened. They are still rolling together. But finally there is a break and Chatter wins this round. Last time it was Choco. They are actually quite well matched. So both will stay here. Like Mama Chip and Chipper last year.
Speaking of bears. Mine was back again, night before last. Looking in the living room window just before 3 am. Poor Muffin. She really doesn’t like bears. I don’t mind, as long as they are far enough away or there is a barrier between us. Like one time I was out for a drive and stopped in at a little garbage disposal area along the highway. I thought it might be a good spot for seeing some bears. Sure enough this time there was 7 bears, 5 black and 2 cinnamon. Now, cinnamon bears are just black bears that are brown instead of black. But they are beautiful anyway. I was hoping to get a picture of one. So I parked the car close to the bears and got out slowly. I decided to leave the car door open in case I needed to get back inside quickly.
There are things I have never told anyone about my adventures. I learned early on it’s best not to tell some people, that way they don’t get worried. People tend to worry a lot for some reason. There was a nice black bear on the other side of the car, about 400 lbs I figured (about 190kg). But I wanted a cinnamon bear, one was about 20 feet away and the biggest of the 2 was further away and in the shade. So I aimed for the closer one.
My car door didn’t want to stay open though and kept bumping into me. Finally I turned to look and the door was actually closed slightly. Odd, I thought. Then I spotted him. It was a black bear that kept bumping into me with his nose. I think he wanted me to move. I wanted to move also. But where. The cinnamon bear was coming over now as well. Standing between 2 bears is not the best idea. Honest. Only one thing to do, get in the car.
I started talking quietly to the bear that was behind me. I talk like this will all animals. It seems to make them calm. He actually sat down. And the cinnamon bear stopped coming any closer. So I opened the door and got in slowly, talking the whole time. In situations like this you don’t panic. Or show that you are afraid. Animals can sense fear and that makes them nervous and they become very unpredictable. So staying calm and talking quietly, calmly, works to keep them calmed as well. I was a bit relieved to be back in the car though. I watched for a while and then left.
Just as a word of caution. Don’t do what I did. Bears are large and dangerous animals and although they look rather clumsy, they can outrun you. Easily. They are also extremely strong animals.
Well everyone, I guess that wraps it up for today. More is coming however, so stay close by. I hope you all have a wonderful day and God bless!
Steve and Muffin.
© 2019 Steve McLeod.
Steve`s Country 