stunning

I remember this valley (or one just like it) from a hike i did I did with Jamie, Wayne and Chantal a few years ago. I love that - when you stand on this ridge - you can see no sign of civilization, okay apart from the other hikers and the odd airplane.

Forget Me Not

According to the Wildflowers of Alberta book, the name forget me not came from a couple strolling along the Danube. The lady noticed a clump of blue flowers on the steep banks of the Danube. The Gentleman tried to picked some for her, but slipped and fell into the blue Danube (which is by the way green). He did manage to toss the flowers to her and call with his dying breath: "Forget me not!"

I had no idea that there was such a dramatic story around forget-me-nots!

Folds

Pause

On Top

Karen and Dave

K&D on top of Pocaterra Ridge

K&D alpine

K&D subalpine

It was a 30 degree day in Calgary, but on the ridge we had to get our jackets out!

Pocaterra Ridge

Jamie was not recruiting for the army, but for a hike on to Pocaterra Ridge :)

On Sunday Karen, Dave, Brit, Jamie and I went hiking by Highwood Pass. We hiked up to Pocaterra Ridge. It was a beautiful 5 hour hike and the scenery changed from meadows to forest to alpine. I would definitely go back!

Creek

My first yoga class

triang mukhaikapada paschimottanasana

I taught my first yoga class last week. Thank you, Malynne, for giving me this opportunity!

HOT!

by Seattle

finding shade on Portland's campus

Portland Campus


over the Cascades

I spend a lot of time on airplanes these days! Last week the destination was Eugene Oregon. It was my first time to Oregon, and the 3 days I was there were the hottest days in 100 years - so they say. The temperature was above 100 degree Fahrenheit (high 30ies in Celsius), which is hot for the usually temperate, rainy west coast state. Returning to 30 degree warm Calgary felt like a relief!

Eugene and Portland; both university towns / cities are cute, lots of trees, lots of bikes, lots of local agriculture, i.e. lots of fresh food, such as delicious berries!

Farewell to Orpheus

This sculpture is on the Portland campus. Named Farewell to Orpheus, I assume it is Eurydice, who says her final good bye to her husband Orpheus, who screwed up the rescue mission:



Orpheus Descends to the Underworld

Eurydice's death caused such sorrow to Orpheus her spouse that he not only lamented her with the bitterest of tears but, reliant on his skill in playing the lyre, he went down to the underworld. On arriving he lulled Pluto and Proserpina so delectably with his lyre that they actually returned him his spouse, on condition that he would not look at her until they returned to the living. Unsure his wife was following him, Orpheus looked back; so Eurydice was recalled to the under- world by Pluto, leaving her mate in most extreme torment.

From Ovid's Metamorphosis

Ida

Mit jedem Menschen
ist etwas Neues in die Welt gesetzt,
was es noch nicht gegeben hat,
etwas Erstes und Einziges.
MARTIN BUBER (1878 - 1965)

Letzte Woche ist Ida's Geburtsanzeige eingeflattert. Danke Maria, Klaus und Emil!

I already know that Ida and I will be friends: she is a pisces and rising sign sag! I have my moon in pisces and my rising sign is in sag as well. Sagittarius like adventure; I already look forward to some exciting adventures with my smallest niece.

Wine Country

On my way from the Bay area to Modesto, I passed California vineyards, the picture above was taken in Livermore. I was hoping to pick up some local wine at the vineyards, but they close at 4:30 pm. Weird. Who buys/ drinks wine during the day?

Well , now I know for next time!

Alameda

Alameda, a small city in the Bay area. I went there last week and took the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Commercial Interiors exam and can now call myself a LEED AP.

Canada Day

July 1st was Canada Day. And believe me: I celebrated :)

I got an email from my dad on July 1: he called the Gentleman at the government who was looking after my application for dual citizenship. Austria does not automatically grant dual citizenship: I had to write a letter, send them some finger prints and so on, but on July 1 I found out that my application has been granted! The timing couldn't have been better! Now I have to start studying Canadian capital cities and learn to sing the anthem: Oh Caa-na-daaa!

Scorpio

heather

mango lassi

My latest hobby: Ayurveda. It is translated as "the science of life". Ayurveda not only addresses illness and treatment, but life as a whole including activities, diet and lifestyle.

An example of an ayurvedic recipe is Mango Lassi: the real version would be made from fresh mango, but I discovered an acceptable alternative that doesn't get your hands messy:

• 1 part Mango Peach Party Juice
• 1 part Yoghurt
• add some water, if too sweet

So, really it's a mango-peach-party lassi I have been enjoying, but anyhow, I highly recommend it for hot summer days!

three lakes

lake louise

larch

martin and lake louise


mirror lake

lake agnes

Lake Agnes - Good Early Season Hike - even though there was still lots of snow at Lake Agnes and Martin broke through the snow and got caught in between two rocks. Fortunately he was able to rescue himself. I wouldn't have liked to explain to my family that I left him there for the bears and cougars j/k ;)

Yoga Teacher Training

Trish in Ustrasana - the torture chamber version of it. It looks crazy, but these ropes are a good tool to get in alignment, especially for people with injuries

my first attempts in teaching yoga

This week I am taking a vacation from my regular job to be in a Yoga TT Intensive all week. The training is going well so far, but I definitely still have a long way to go. It is one thing to learn the details of poses to improve my own practice; it's an entirely different thing trying to convey this information to students. Especially if there are 20 of them and everyone is stiff in different areas.


In Iyengar yoga we focus on alignment and as you can see in the picture above, there are lots of props involved. Sometimes I feel like in kindergarten with all these wooden blocks and blankets around; and other times the studio reminds me of a torture chamber.

Nackapanzalen

Flora and Emil dancing in the pool.

Thank you, Pat, for the fun photos!