Westward!

To paraphrase an old Gordon Lightfoot song, today I was glad to be Alberta bound! I'm originally from this province and will always be a prairie gal.

That said, I was struck by how dry the prairie was and the closer I got to Canmore the more I could smell the smoke from the multitude of forest fires in BC. I think I accidentally hit a filter within the camera but I like the effect. It's not entirely inaccurate. It was impossible to see any detail on the Rockies. I've never seen them look this way due to the smoke in the air. How people deny climate change is beyond me.

I was met by a dear old friend from high school, Mike, and was welcomed into his mother's home. I was thankful of a bed, not least because the bunk I had reserved at a hostel was at the top of a perfectly vertical ladder, proving to me that my poorly knee isn't as healed as I had hoped. Still, I'm not complaining. It's got me across the globe with barely a grumble and I'm grateful to it and to old friends.

PS The extra is of Calgary airport. Do all little boys dream of being a cowboy?