What a difference a year makes

Earlier this month I celebrated my birthday. Last year it was a very memorable day for the whole city of Calgary as it was also the day the second major snowstorm in three days occurred. 40 cm of heavy wet snow damaged tens of thousands of trees, some of which are still waiting to be pruned or taken down. “Snowtember” will not soon be forgotten by anyone who was caught in the middle of it.

Our neighbour's willow branches draped themselves over our deck railing during Snowtember 2014

This year I refer to my birthday as “Suntember” because it could easily have been mistaken for a summer’s day. No need for a coat, and I wish I had worn shorts or at least capris on the two walks I did—Nose Hill in the morning and Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park in the afternoon. My “birthday twin” was in town and we spent our birthday together doing the two things we both love the most: walking and taking photographs. Our husbands were very patient with us when the one-hour walks became two hours because we got so caught up in taking pictures! It was fun to have a camera buddy, and we challenged each other with composition and manual settings.

Obviously I didn't take this photograph, but I thought it would make you smile to see it nonetheless

Most of the pictures I took that day were not spectacular and ended up in the recycle bin, but I had such an enjoyable day. Thank you, my friend and "birthday twin," for making it so.

This photograph from the top of Nose Hill intrigues me as the mountains in the background look like clouds

I love the late afternoon light through this aspen grove in Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park