My words, visions & trivia along the way
True, when driving, biking or walking, prairie landscapes can be a lot of green if there’s generous rainfall. Or dusty brown-yellow, if the ground is parched, near gasping drought. Every spring, in the prairies there is rapid flip the next day, to green lively vegetation after just a few hours of steady rain. It’s as... Read More
You need to be there, to see often the arch of sky magic and cloud-shaping action while in the foothills and Alberta prairies. Apparently clouds in the foothills just less than 25 km. from the Rocky Mountains , are more voluminous and varied than Saskatchewan cloud formations across hundreds of kms. its flat prairie land.... Read More
An artist can be seen as a skilled master visionary. But often, artist is treated as a sideline evidence-collector. Part of the challenge is: can we often use art as evidence reflective of historic reality? After all, artist can choose to be bombastic, beseechingly complimentary in their imagery. How much better is this than an... Read More
I returned to Vancouver to enjoy its annual spring bust-out of blooming cherry blossom trees across the city. With dwindling Nature in some big cities, this stunning pink and white bloomfest is welcomed by locals and visitors. Thankfully after a prolonged veil of rain for first few hours post-landing at airport, I dropped by some... Read More
Until I lived in Alberta, I wasn t even aware of the regional weather phenomena of chinook winds and its eye-catching distinct cloud formation, chinook arch . *Note: Some cloud photos may show dispersion of chinook arch cloud. Chinook wind along with its towering wedge of clouds or chinook arch, are formed after air rises from... Read More
Don’t kid yourself. The famous Mediterranean Diet was not the only secret bullet to good health for traditional Italians. Town of San Lazarro, Italy 2025. Photo by J. Chong Looking down on coast from San Lazarro 2025. Photo by J. Chong Healthy Tramping on Winding Coastal Hills, in Florence For centuries and for 2lst century... Read More
Though I had read and heard dimly about the glorious Almafi Italian coast, I wasn’t prepared for its steep, jaw-dropping hillside views plunging into the Mediterranean Sea and its lemons. Homegrown lemon vines at farm guesthouse. San Lazarro, Italy 2025. Photo by J. Chong The Almafi lemon variety can be lumpier, more fragrant and sweet... Read More
There are places that stir longing for snowy drifts and night-time magic for Christmas. By Rocky Mountain foothills. Diamond Valley, Alberta 2025. Photo by J. Chong Last December I had booked hotel and bus ticket to Banff when no significant snow fell yet. Calgary bakery 2024. I had been itching to visit Banff and Lake... Read More
Last fall I spent several days with my good American friend, Mary enjoying autumn leaf glory along the jagged rocky shoreline of Lake Superior. I flew down to vacation for a few days with her, before their American 2024 Presidential election. Looking back this year, it felt like a window of Nature’s peaceful and halcyon... Read More
The name for the beautiful area of Diamond Valley at the foothills of Alberta s Rocky Mountains, is a bit misleading. It is reference to Black Diamond” which originally referred to coal. It was coal mining and oil drilling that fostered riches long ago, for the lucky few in this valley and for town s development. There... Read More