I love creating small interesting spots in my yard and house...summer with gardens is a great time to do so...An old blue metal was tub great spot for pansies beneath my cedar trees and put my lettuce and herbs in front....veggies, flowers and dogs all a balance in my yard.With hot muggy days and frequent thunderstorms the dogs have found their spot underneath my garage. mark the passage of the summer in what is in bloom and now it is the lilies and recently had to cut back some roses and delphiniums, but always enjoy fresh lettuce, tomatoes and herb for a salad.

It has been a while since I have blogged but thought these photos and notes will give my readers an idea of what southern Alberta foothills and ranching country is like….

Last leg of recent road trip returning from British Columbia through the Crowsnest Pass 

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=crowsnest+pass+alberta&ie=UTF-8&ei=udX5T-7kC4b2rAGmx5SMCQ&ved=0CEgQ_AUoAg

in Rockies mountains and up Highway 22, also known as “Cowboy Trail”.

 At 8 PM Tuesday on July 3, 2012 ...Cranbrook to Fernie drive was windy and a solid downpour! Therefore I checked into a pet friendly motel here in Fernie and headed out in the morning to Edmonton....this was the sun I woke up to on Wednesday morning continental breakfast!

Apparently some people do....sign at hotel continental breakfast this morning.

Gassed up in Sanford BC and headed east...

the Crownest Pass is the route also to Ft. MacLeod and Lethbridge Alberta

Rolling foothills and Rocky Mountains to the west

Not far from Calgary, Alberta, and just east of the Crowsnest Pass,  lies the small, bustling town of Frank, Alberta, nestled on the floor of a deeply-glaciated valley. Looming menacingly nearby is Turtle Mountain. Also nearby is a scene of a destruction of such magnitude that it has never been equaled!

In the early morning hours of April 29, 1903, Turtle Mountain collapsed, resulting in the greatest landslide in North American history. In 100 seconds: at least 76 people were buried alive under tons of massive limestone boulders; three-quarters of the homes in Frank were crushed like balsa wood; over a mile of the Canadian Pacific Railroad was completely destroyed; and a river became a lake. Frank Slide disaster was the largest mining accident in the history of Alberta.

Hiked the trail with the dogs ..1-2 KMs and up and down from parking lot to Interpretive Center.

Dogs leashed together..

Neat igneous rock...originally volcanic area  and Blue lupines

Trail signs..spent 1.5 hours but could have done more

Site of Frank Slide, Bellevue Mine Explosion and Hillcrest Mine disaster....

What can I say expect seemed like at least 500 meters of fencing with baseball caps in the top of each post.

Spare baseball cap....great for fence posts as seen here on ranch just south of Longview..

Nanuq curious about our stop

Broad ranching country and…Followed Highway 22 right up to Olds and Sundre, Alberta

Longview Alberta...great beef jerky

Mural on wall of MacKay’s ice cream in Cochrane AB... well developed older downtown area

PLEASE! A number of children wanted to pat dogs and I said eat your cones first!

Prairie sun set just south of Red Deer about 9 PM.