Snowfall warning in effect for Canmore and Banff and poor winter driving conditions from Canmore to Calgary could mean for a white-knuckle drive back to the city later this afternoon, but for now, we’re inside by the fire, watching fluffy white flakes dance and swirl as they drift to the ground…

Some somewhat-noteworthy, sundry stuff from the past week:

Late Thursday morning, Mrs. GeoK and other students from the morning class at Calgary Taekwondo Academy headed to Ladybug Cafe for brunch, conversation and a celebration of the holiday season. Ladybug Cafe turned out to be a quirky, tasty and overall enjoyable experience. The array of baked-on-site desserts was very tempting, as were the quiche and panini. After much deliberation, I selected the vegetarian crepe, which turned out to be flavourful and beautifully presented, but was just barely warm when delivered to the table. The latte was also a little cooler than optimal. But again, presentation and flavour went a long way to making up for the less-than-steaming temperature. The premium prices reflect the organic and locally-sourced ingredients. Would I go again? Yes – for a special occasion brunch or outing – it’s a bit expensive for a regular, Sunday-morning family brunch outing.

Changing topics, we were visited by a flock of Bohemian Waxwings on Friday. I had no idea what they were when they were diving about the backyard, raiding berries from our cottoneaster hedge, but with the help of some bird identification websites, I eventually figured it out. They stayed for about a half hour and then took off…

Finally, we headed out on one of our favourite short walks in Canmore yesterday afternoon. With about 15 cm (6 inches) of snow sitting on the ground, the guys in the family opted for some added traction. Mr. GeoK donned his kahtoola crampons, purchased right from kahtoola HQ several years ago. The boys, meanwhile, slipped their new MICROspikes onto their waterproof hiking boots and were delighted by the traction they had, both on the plowed – but icy – paved pathway and compact snow trails. Several times, our oldest took off at a run. In fact, he ran all the way back home after we reached the endpoint of our walk (the old Three Sisters Creek dam). They gave two thumbs up to how easy they are to put on and to the extra traction / sure grip. Both commented that the MICROspikes are far superior to the Yak Trax they’ve been using the past few years. We look forward to testing them further over the next few months, as we explore nature in the Canmore / Calgary area. Stay tuned for updates.