Finally Friday - Don't Fall In

Listen.

Look

Stay on the path

Look Up


 

Don't Fall in Johnson Canyon

Whatever Wednesday - Athabasca Glacier

 Got to ride in the Arctic Terrain vehicle up  to the Athabasca Glacier.  Very impressive piece of equipment.  Our driver  was a lad from Blackpool,  England.  

Another gorgeous day and while  cool, it  was not bitter cold

Avoid the slush parts.   (oops, Ray did step in a melty spot and  got his shoe, sock, and pants leg wet. Silly boy

The ice chunks were SO clear

I'll pose happily with the Maple Leaf.   Oh Canada!  You filled my heart with  joy

Monday Moments - Lake Maligne

Oh Canada - we were lucky that the ice had just melted from Lake Maligne and we could enjoy a little boat  cruise. 

Old dock
 

glacial colors

Such a view

And a sacred spot for the indigenous folks in the area.  Look, but don't  think about putting a foot on that Spirit Island. 

Very mystical aura. 

Finally Friday - By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult is a reliable writer.  Here in By Any Other  Name she introduces us to  two women, centuries apart.  One is the real author of Shakespeare's plays. The other hides behind her name to get published. 

Melina  Green has written a play about an Elizabethan ancestor, Emilia Bassano. The theater world  is tough for  women. But  her best friend submits the  play to a festival under a male pseudonym. 

Meanwhile, Picoult also  explores Emilia's  life in  1581. She becomes a mistress to a wealthy man and  sees the workings of  the art/ theater world.   Her plan - pay an actor  named  William  Shakespeare to front  her work. 

cover blurb. 

Picoult weaves the two  tales and interlaces the issues of ambition, creativity, and prejudices for women.   Should a writer  do whatever it takes  to see her story live on...no matter the cost? 

I enjoyed this book a lot and the rich characters along with current day and historical backdrop. 
 

Whatever Wednesday - Stay Upright on Skates

Oh Canada - Ice Hockey time.  Here's a new recruit - Ray

Rah for the Canmore Eagles. We enjoyed the  ice hockey experience.   Some  films, stories, history of ice hockey, and more. 

Ray and I are suited up.  You can't see my ankles waver.  It's been  a long,  long time since I  was a little girl in  PA and went ice skating. 

and here  we  are with a fellow traveler, Gwen.  She ended  up being quite good on the ice hitting pucks.  Ray and I clung to our ice "walkers" and shuffled  our feet.  I let go for two seconds to attempt a puck hit.  Happy to report I  did not fall down.  

Just  getting on  all of the gear was tiring.  

Alas, while in Canada, our Dallas Stars  got beat in  playoffs  by  the Edmonton Oilers. 

Then in  the  Stanley  Cup - the Oilers were  beaten by the  Florida  Panthers for  the second time. 

 

Monday Moments - Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow

 My PA book club read Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow. Considered a classic, this lyrical book is set in New Rochelle, NY before the First World  War.  For the rich, life  is good. For an immigrant Jewish peddler, Tateh, it's challenging.  And for Coalhouse Walker, Jr, a black ragtime pianist from Harlem - his story brings a shocking climax.  (back blurb)

Doctorow weaves fictional characters with famous people of that period - Harry Houdini, J.P. Morgan, Evelyn Nesbit, Emma Goldman, Henry Ford.  It's musical, well-paced, and the author orchestrates themes of American innocence, energy, and ambition. The writing seems  old-timey and yet it works - it  puts you, the reader, into the lives. 

Ragtime is piano music with a syncopated melody. 

Ragtime is a ragged music book  of the  ragged times.   It's a novel about oppression, social change, and the search for stability in a rapidly evolving world   (source - various  reviews)

I'd say Ragtime is a very worthwhile read in this day and age as  we come off  a challenging July 4th and rather wild 2025 so far.  Whew!

July 4 Weekend

 We can dream....

Flag color joy

No Kings!

Stay safe all.  Happy (?) 4th of July Weekend.