Oct 3 dongillwalking

I think that this blog is finished, at least for the present. I'm continuing at http://dongillwalking.blogspot.com

July 1

July 1 at the Murray Hotel in Livingston, Montana. Last day of Erratic Space, Winnipeg. Walked around town and down to the band shell for a day long music event featuring songwriters and performers Rosanne Cash, Rodney Crowell, J.D. Souther, Tracy Nelson and more. Great day sitting in the very hot sun listening to music in a small, intimate festival with great music and beer. (Made in Livingston "Neptune porter")
Walked 5 or so km - starting to lose track.

June 30

Red Earth camp-site outside Bozeman, Mt. Leading a non-techno life for a couple of days. Driving gets in the way of walking but I managed 4 or so km. Livingston tomorrow and hotel life at the Murray.

June 29

Managed to walk 6 km even though I went on a road trip to Old Man River Dam, Twin Butte, Waterton Park, Cardston and Head-Smashed-In. Beautiful day, hazy in the morning with spectacular thunderstorms at Head-Smashed-In, and a brilliantly sunny and hot afternoon. Stopped at different places for short walks, viewing of natural and manufactured wonders, and throwing sticks for dogs. Lunched at Waterton townsite and visited site of 8000 years of continuous First Nations habitation.

June 28

Spent the day at the university. Tree planting ceremony. Lots of politicians. Walked 9.81 km, mostly between the tree planting site and the university. And then back. And back again. And again. Got so used to walking back and forth I went home and mowed the lawn.
Went to an exhibition reception for Isabelle Hayeur at the SAAG later on in the day.

June 27

Decided to go for a real walk today, and not just walking to a beer store that was farther away. In a small city like Lethbridge it would seem that it would be difficult to find somewhere that is new to walk but it was surprisingly easy. I walked over to Crowsnest Trail and along the highway across the Old Man River. I cut through the nature reserve, around the golf course and up Bridge Drive, a road that I have never seen anyone walking along the entire time that I have lived in Lethbridge. I imagine that one reason no one walks there is the fact that there is no accommodation made for pedestrians or cyclists. Bridge Drive passes by old coal mining works as it winds up the side of the coulee. As I recall the coal site spontaneously combusted last year and burned for quite some time. I stopped at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery on the way home for an artists talk by Camille Turner, who is doing a project in town titled "Final Frontier." Today's total walk has been 17.05 km.

June 26

Cold yesterday, hot today. Strolled 4.37 km mostly by mowing lawn and going to beer store. Sat in the back yard and read fiction. Got an e-mail from St. Norbert Arts Centre requesting support for the maintenance of the Trappist Monastery ruins and surrounding area. A golf course is being constructed adjacent to it and there is concern that this might destroy the peaceful character of St. Norbert. I had intended to walk out to the Arts Centre while in Winnipeg but time ran out.

June 25

Bitterly cold wind blowing from the west, 10-15 degrees colder today than yesterday. Another day of errands getting ready to leave for Texas on Saturday. Walked down to the supermarket and then home with bags of groceries. Saw a number of potentially interesting photos but I had forgotten to take a camera with me.

June 24

8.65 km, walking and bicycling. Walked down to Canadian Tire and bought a ladder so I could finish installing a ceiling lamp. Walked home carrying the ladder. No newspaper today but I leafed through last Sunday's New York Times and found an article about the threat of leprosy re-emerging as a scare tactic in anti-immigration rhetoric in the U.S.

June 23

Gutters today. Started to clean them out. Leaves, sticks, dirt. Strong wind blowing dust etc. into eyes. Climbing up and down ladder, dumping gutter material into compost, doing errands etc. added up to 5.1 km. Remarkable. Article in todays Globe outlining the population boom in the driest parts of North America accompanied by multi-year drought in same regions. Water. Only $1.75 for 500ml at the U of L.

June 22

Stella got me out of the house in the early afternoon for a walk in the coulee. We went to the area across from the University of Lethbridge where there is a great view of architect Arthur Erickson's University Hall. The sightlines have been somewhat ruined by apartment buildings that were built behind the campus but you can still get the full impact of the structure from below. The coulee remains as stunning as ever. Stella got great pleasure in diving into and swimming in the Old Man River but it was too muddy for me. Stella enjoyed it as she always does. 8.33 km.

June 21

7.35 km today. Erratic walking, don't quite know where, but the university and a video rental were involved.

June 20

Walked 6.54 km. Errands mostly. Bought more bandages for yesterdays damage to my leg. Took it easy. Pruned the roses. Read the newspapers. Depressing article in the Globe and Mail about the disappearance of the eulachon fishery on the west coast.

June 19

Decided to walk up to the University and collect my mail. After pausing to take a photo of Fort Whoop Up from above, I slipped on a steep path and abraded all the skin off my left calf. The paths on the steep edges of the coulee are deceptively dangerous, appearing safe but dust settles on the hard packed trails and make for very treacherous footing. I believe that it's a sign that combining something I enjoy with the business of the University is something I should avoid. Walked 10.50 km despite injury.

June 18

Back in Lethbridge. Walked 4km. From 9th ave N up 13 Street N to 2nd ave, west on 2nd to 12th street N then back up 12th to 9th ave., carrying about 15 kilos of groceries on the return trip. Thunderstorms alternated with sunny periods.