Thanks to a lingering virus (not COVID), I spent considerable time this month exploring options to minimize coughing. Every day I’d take a look at my health stats according to Fitbit, hoping for some indication of recovery. Finally, the last week of August, I’m seeing my resting heart rate and heart rate variability start to move in the right direction!

As a result of feeling under the weather most of the month, I failed to cover new ground when it came to outdoor adventures. So for this month’s installment of the Photo Blogging Challenge, I’ve had to come up with other ways to convey the theme of Explore through five photographs. Here goes…

1. Searching for Bears

The third week of August I finally felt up to a kayaking adventure. We headed for Lower Kananaskis Lake, where we’ve previously spotted grizzly bears. After paddling 16 km (10 miles) in 3 hours, we admitted defeat – no bears! Fortunately, we saw a decent range of birds, including several common loons and a bald eagle. For a full recounting of our paddle around Lower Kananaskis Lake, watch Mr GeoKs’ Relive video recap.

In the interest of full disclosure, we did see bears twice this month. We spotted a mama and two cubs swimming across Cascade Ponds when we stopped there for a snack break on one of our bike rides (yes, I reported the sighting to Banff National Park’s dispatch line). The second time, only Mr GeoK saw the lone black bear. I was completely oblivious to it, as I was checking on one of our geocaches, but my approach caused it to move away up a hill. I should have been more bear aware, as just a few minutes before, I’d spotted a log that had been torn apart, a sure sign of a bear in the area. Fortunately, it ended well, but it was a big wake up call for me!

2. Evaluating Options for Selling Lego Sets

I’ve been trying to sell a bunch of Lego sets via Facebook Marketplace ever since we “inherited” them from my mother-in-law, who is diligently getting rid of “stuff” from their house. I did manage to get rid of some of the train sets by contacting a local Lego train group. But for the most part, there’s been no action. So I spent some time exploring options, including eBay.

Eventually, I concluded the most promising avenue is to set up a virtual store on BrickLink, the largest online marketplace for reselling Lego products. There are several hoops to jump through, starting with making a purchase from one of the virtual stores on BrickLink. Fortunately, I have long wanted to buy some second hand road sections to complete the street around our big modular town, so I could place a useful order.

After completing the order / payment / receive / provide feedback process, I could apply to be a seller. One of the steps in that process is to provide photographic proof that you actually have the items you’re listing in your BrickLink virtual store. Here’s the sort-of selfie I took to satisfy that requirement. Now, to finish listing my inventory, “open” my virtual store and hope for some sales!

3. Surveying the Backyard for Friends and Foes

Thanks to on-again, off-again, on-again watering restrictions in Calgary, some of the plants in our yard are under a fair amount of stress. One result? Lots of aphids!! So early this month I released a thousand ladybugs into our yard, as a natural form of pest control. A few weeks later, I headed out into the yard to explore for friends (ie whether any of the ladybugs stuck around) and foes (i.e. aphids and the ants that farm them). I’m happy to report there are fewer aphids on our cotoneaster hedges. But the ants are making new micro-farms on some of the cilantro plants in the vegetable garden. That’s where I spotted quite a few ladybugs hard at work. 🙂

4. Scouting Fresh Compositions

Since we didn’t explore new territory this month, I set myself a mini-challenge of trying to find some fresh compositions while out on familiar trails. I’m really happy with the way this photo turned out, thanks to the fireweed gone to seed dampening the bright sun and Mr GeoKs’ big smile as he crossed the pedestrian bridge over Three Sisters Creek. Maybe it really was a Happy Birthday for him!

5. Traversing Familiar Trails

The last Wednesday of August we experienced a flash-forward to full on fall. The temperature dropped and it rained for about 16 hours straight. At higher elevations, that meant snow. So I set my alarm to get up in time to catch sunrise on August 29th, hoping the peaks would still be snow-covered. Mr GeoK is always up early, so we headed out together to take it all in. Taken from the confluence of Three Sisters Creek and the Bow River in Canmore, this scene includes Mt Rundle on the left and Cascade Mountain in the center. If you look carefully, you’ll spot Mr GeoK, partially hidden by a young spruce tree on the creek bank.

For more photos from before/during/after sunrise the morning after the first snowfall of winter(?) 2024/25, watch Mr GeoK’s Relive video recap of our walk. BTW – it warmed back up to seasonal temperatures the next day, so the snow is gone from the mountain tops…for now! 😉

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There you have it, five photos depicting some of the limited ways in which I explored the world in August. ICYMI, I used italics to highlight synonyms for “explore” or “exploring.”

To see how the rest of the Photo Blogging Challenge participants met the challenge to explore this month, head over to host PJ’s post and look for the link up at the bottom. While you’re at it, please consider joining us for September’s challenge. All you need are five photos and a blog of some sort. No need to write a lot. I am definitely on the wordy end of the continuum! The theme is part of PJ’s post, and I’ll also post it here as soon as possible.