Adventures in Alberta Weather

Well, haven’t we just been having adventures with the weather lately, or what? Although the wind has settled down and most days are now relatively calm, we have still had a few days of blasted strong winds. The good news is, though, that July lived up to its reputation of bringing us nice summer weather. Sandy may suggest that some days have been too nice, in that we have seen a number of days of temperatures in the high 20’s to low 30s C. Now, even I have to agree that is getting on the hot side! 

Heat warning!

The dogs enjoy going to the off leash park at the Edmonton Humane Society. It is in part of the city that is quite open and when the wind blows, it is crazy windy there. So crazy, that one day I could lean into the wind and not fall over!

Windy day at the dog park.

Poor Benny hates the wind and did his best to hide from it under the picnic table at the park. Unfortunately for him, there was no escaping the wind’s antics.

Help, I can’t control my ears!

We have had a reasonable amount of rain so far. Some days nice showers, some days torrential downpours. The air always smells so refreshing once the rain eases that I love to get out and take it in.

Ready for a walk in the rain

Overall, our rainfall has been not too much, not too little, although we haven’t consulted any local farmers for their opinions on the matter. If our gardens are any indication, however, we think the amount has been just right.

Our flower garden

Part of our veggie patch

While waiting out some of our wild weather, Sandy came up with a project for us. She prefers the style of cycling jersey with a loose, rather than elastic, fit around the waist.  So, rather than buy a bunch of new jerseys, she set out to convert some existing ones.  She ripped out the hems to free the elastic and commandeered me to re-hem them.  Here is proof that we are real domestic goddesses! 

Sandy pinning, Kate sewing

Now, with modified kit successfully completed, and the weather much improved, we have been spending more time out on our bikes. With the freedom from schedules that retirement brings, we have enjoyed many long rides during the week, avoiding the weekend traffic on the nearby roads outside the city. East of the city, the roads go over rolling hills and along small ponds created by the receding glaciers of the ice age. The riding is fun and the scenery quite interesting. 

Strathcona Country farm

The farmers's markets are bursting with local produce. We came across this lovely table of produce while stopped for a snack break. Unfortunately, as we were on our bikes, we couldn't take any home with us.

Farm fresh local veg

West of the city, the land is flatter, and home to many large field crops. Of course, wheat, oats, and barley are the staple grains grown here.  In our opinion, the show stopper has to be the massive fields of canola in bloom. On one recent ride, we spent lots of time trying to take the perfect canola photo. It is hard to capture the immensity of the fields, and of course, the aroma of the blossoms escapes the camera.  If you don’t live in Alberta, you must plan a visit in mid to late July to take in the stunning beauty of blooming canola.

Posing with canola

July brought with it some pretty spectacular weather with lots of beautiful, sunny, warm days. Okay, maybe some of them were a little too warm, but getting out on the bikes is a pretty good way to enjoy the sun, heat, and scenery.

Canola everywhere!

While we are out on our bikes, the dogs stay home and look after the house for us. When we get home, Rockie loves to get outside and lay in the hot sun.  To cool off, she just wanders into her pool for a nice refreshing break.

Rockie having a drink in her pool

Benny prefers to stay indoors when it is hot.  Well, to be honest, he prefers to stay indoors pretty much all the time so he can keep close watch over his bed! He doesn’t care much for the heat, so we helped him cope with the latest heat wave by giving him a shower and a haircut.  He is the world's most patient dog!

Benny gets a makeover

Now that summer is well underway, we have some trips planned that we have been looking forward to. So, stay tuned as we keep you updated. Some might even involve cycling …