side yard

I had the rare occasion of being on an acreage in Strathcona County, where a wonderful family held a farewell gathering for another good friend returning to Japan. Their side yard was full of miscellaneous items -- lumber, old furniture, bits of wood, unused doghouses... all waiting for a new life. Some of the branches became firewood tonight as we gathered around a campfire under the vast Alberta evening sky.

Jasper Avenue: Audrey's Books

The corner of Jasper Avenue and 107 Street: the old brick building where Audrey's Books maintains its status as a major Edmonton cultural institution... Downtown is filled with spectators who have gathered on the streets to watch the parade that kicks off the annual Capital Ex. 

Jasper Avenue

Jasper Avenue looking towards the downtown core, during a hot, sunny lunch hour...

sleeping in the basement

It's been a hot and muggy few days hitting the 30 degree mark, and we're all sleeping in the basement. It's a bit hard to sketch the kids as they shuffle around every few minutes in their own struggles against the heat...

lazy summer morning

The kids... preoccupied.

Reds and Greens

 I bought three Thai eggplants as they looked like an interesting thing to draw, but I am still not sure how to cook with them...

Hole's (The Enjoy Centre) and Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park

 A scene from The Enjoy Centre, a place we used to think was simply Hole`s Greenhouse and Gardens, but which we discovered today had now been transformed into a one stop destination that is a bit like greenhouse meets Urban Fare meets Ikea.

















Only a short drive away was a great local discovery for us, the Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, with its beautiful marshland habitat, made accessible for some great birdwatching with an extensive boardwalk.

Russel Metals yard

The torrential rain earlier in the morning on this Canada Day is gradually giving in to some rays of sunlight. As my kids nap in the car, I again make a trip into some laneways around an industrial neighbourhood, and find an interesting vintage truck.

The Works at Churchill Square

The east edge of Churchill Square, a major site at the annual Works Art & Design Festival where we spent a brief time today to enjoy the atmosphere and sun.

bumpy bus ride

The bumpy bus ride home after work, as reflected in the linework...

terrible twos

My son just turned two years old... it feels like only yesterday when he came into our world, yet at the same time like an eternity as we think of how far he has developed... we cannot now imagine our lives without him.

"For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well." Psalm 139 vv. 13-14 NIV

spray deck

Temperatures hit a high of 26C today, with clear blue skies... a perfect day to spend a late afternoon at a spray deck, where we found that some good friends were thinking exactly the same thing.

Completely unrelated to the spray park...
my son plays with his trains, which are his life at the moment.

water truck

A city of Edmonton water truck waiting to be towed on a busy street after seemingly having broken down.

irises for mommy

Two of the 15 or so irises that my daughter cut from our yard, to give to her mommy. We have been fortunate that most of these plants have survived our ineptitude and neglect as gardeners, and are flourishing this year in our yard.

loader on 108 Street

A loader sits at a road construction site - part of the improvements to 108 Street that will connect the legislature building with MacEwan University.