Sophie and the Flying Canoe

Kind of a cool art thing put on by MacEwan Fine Arts in Mill Creek Ravine this weekend:  

link:  The Flying Canoe Adventure

I didn't see it at night, but here are Sophie and I checking it out on Saturday afternoon. There are no pictures of me because all of the ones that Sophie took were either blurry or just of squirrels. She just doesn't have the patience. Or thumbs.

The start (down by the two houses in the ravine), and directions to the Trapper's Cabin.
One of us may be just about to dart to the right.

dogpile

On our way down the walking path, towards the Trapper's Cabin. 

Sophie's on high alert for mice in the haybales.

staying close and using the buddy system for safety

Just like the sign guaranteed...the Trapper's Cabin.  

Seemed cozy with the stove inside.

Sophie close, but not in pic...buddy system working great!

There were a lot of these decorative mini-lamppost things.  

If the explanation was on a sign, then I missed it - which was a common theme for me.

buddy system shot to hell; difference in footspeed becoming issue

I saw the sign for this, but didn't take a picture of it. 

Thus, my faulty memory has no idea what it was, so I'm calling it the 'Purple DNA Strand'.

Not enough resolution to zoom in on plaque - maybe the CSI guys could do it.

Sophie potentially, but unlikely, close by

These were cooler than the picture shows - they were lights frozen into spheres of ice.

Would've looked cool at night.

buddy system distant memory...dog over horizon

The main tent area - first aid tent and a larger tent to the left that isn't shown.

Polite laughter when I said that the homeless were sure organized this year.

It actually seemed like they hadn't heard the joke 100 times that weekend.

More about that quad later.

finally caught up to dog...had just eaten all their stores...sending quad for replacement foodstuffs

Base camp left, dog-troll guarding entrance to City of Lights.

resting, digesting food...stuffed

Not much contrast, so it's hard to see, but this small tent is The Mysterium.

Sorry, neither of us looked in, so whatever's inside it will remain a mystery.

5th attempt for picture

This is the Mira Animalium, with pictures of lots of animals.

Probably all native to Mill Creek Ravine at one time or another.

Irony of the dog missing from the Animalium picture isn't lost on me.

don't run ahead to the teepee...no...stay...stay

Not sure why I picked the most populous animal currently in the ravine - oh well.

what if this had been a real squirrel? I'd be dead...thanks Sophie

The relaxed artfulness of the juxtaposition of a black and brown Sophie on the white snow in front of a beige and blue teepee with an elk on it, which is itself in front of brown and green trees bathed in the failing rays of light as dusk nears...was at least the 8th freaking attempt. Every time I mumbled or said "Oh come on" when my phone camera timed out as I was backing up, Sophie obediently came. The woman on the quad was quite enjoying herself, thank you very much: "I could watch this all day."

In the order that we went anyway, this is the last of it. Pretty cool.

obviously no food inside

If you prefer a slighty more permanent amateur work of art, there's this graffito under the Whyte Ave bridge:

the eyes have it

The end.