Banff and Stanley Glacier

The one thing that is definitely missing from the Edmonton skyline is the sight of mountains in the distance. It is the one thing that I've given up and that I miss moving from Calgary to Edmonton.

An adventure to Banff has been on my list all summer and I finally connected with my friends Dave and Amy to come out and visit them. The weather looked like it was going to be  lovely so we made plans for a Saturday afternoon hike after lunch with friends Bonnie and Curtis.

 Still waters in Banff as we go for a walk

We headed down Highway 93 on the way to Radium Hot Springs; Stanley Glacier is located in Kootenay National Park. Years ago I had camped near this trail - a forest fire had ripped through the area in the early 2000s. It still looks stark with grey. dead trees standing at attention.

The hike started off innocently enough - a graveled trail switching back higher and higher amongst the small shrubs, moss and flowers that are transitioning from summer to fall colours. We went from graveled trail to soft marsh-like trail as we a crossed rapidly running creek. The air grew colder as we passed further into the mountains and the trail grew rockier and the climb much steeper.

 Amy and Dave

 Fall colours on the hike

 Into the wild

 I'm betting this creek was glacier fed

Finally we were rewarded with the best view in the house - Stanley Glacier in the distance. We would've kept hiking the trail, wanting to get ever close to the elusive blue ice and snow but we had to admit we were beat and hungry and ready to head home.

What we came to see - Stanley Glacier (to your right)

 Enough time to sit, grab our breath, share an energy bar and head back down

It is always a peaceful experience when I go to the mountains and I thank Dave and Amy again for showing me a new corner of their backyard playground.

Fourth annual Meatfest

Another gorgeous weekend in Alberta and another new camping destination for me. It was the fourth annual Meatfest gathering with my friends Mike and Angie and their family, and my friends Jody and Elaine and their family. We met at Marie Lake this year which is just a stone's throw away from Cold Lake, our usual Meatfest home.

This year was extra fun because we had baby Beck along for the fun. Even teething this little guy is the most good-natured baby I've ever seen. He was such a good boy and it was neat to see him exploring his surroundings.

Beck likes to drive the boat

Bubble time

We tried fishing and while there were lots of bites for some, not one of us ended up catching a fish big enough to keep. What a bummer! No matter - we still had fun swimming, going for walks, sitting around the campfire and playing games with the kids.

I always enjoy these camping get-aways to catch up with friends I don't get to see often. I am really looking forward to the fifth Meatfest installment next year - Hawaiian luau here we come! Thanks again Jody, Elaine, Mike and Angie for a fabulous weekend.

 Squirrel!!

 Sunrise through the trees, truly gorgeous

S'mores a new way - in a waffle cone!

Strong and weak ties and the Alberta election

In round two of our networked collaboration lectures perspectives from Clay Shirky and Keith Hampton shed further light into the grassroots of networked groups and in particular, the Hampton article looks at how social networks motivate people through the democratic process.


The concept of bonding and bridging is introduced by Hampton to help readers understand where the strong and weak ties lay within social network relationships. It is that relationships of strong and weak ties where Hampton believes people feel safe to discuss such hot button things like politics (sound familiar ~ safety in social networks....Kadushin).

Hampton writes that, "citizens and society benefit from individual and collective action to address issues of public concern through activities outside of elections and government" (p. 4). He goes on to discuss that the collectives that are motivated along political lines demonstrate homophilous tendencies and if there is any dissention it comes from the periphery or those with weak ties.

This article was an 'a-ha' moment for me as I further saw concepts that we've covered in Phelan, Kadushin, Shirky and Benkler solidified in this simple paper. And on the heels of the Alberta election I could see the case study that unfolded on my Twitter feed for 23 days before we headed to the polls.

When the writ was dropped immediately the voices of some of my stronger Twitter ties were the loudest - and I expected them to be quick out of the gates, throwing their support behind a candidate. Thanks to the many ways that we are networked, as Hampton iterates, "these new technologies have the potential to fundamentally change the nature of social interaction and democratic engagement" (p. 8). 

After about two weeks of constant, in-your-face campaigning on behalf of political candidates, suddenly my strong Twitter ties grew silent as each of their candidates navigated PR minefields. As election day drew closer and the panic of a potential Wildrose Party government loomed it was the weaker of my Twitter ties that began to chime in ~ those who are traditionally not comfortable talking about their political choices in a public forum. I remember being fascinated by the action leading up to April 23 as panic settled in and Alberta residents felt threatened. 

Much like the Calgary mayoral campaign this past provincial election really motivated the netizens to become involved and cast their vote. Surprisingly though, voter turnout did not hit an all-time high. Just imagine the ways people can be engaged and inspired by the time the next election rolls around?

Image courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/royography/