Stairs That Tell a Story: Default Stairs

Location: Ada Boulevard & 52 St.
Stair count: 89

I could be wrong, but it's my belief that anyone who lives in Edmonton, and uses the River Valley trail system with intention, has a set of "default stairs." It may not be their favourite set, or even the one closest to their home or place of work. But, for whatever reason, it's the set of stairs they gravitate to the most, or come across the most, when they are seeking to spend time in the River Valley.

Highlands Stairs (c) Photos By Gina

For me, it's the Highlands Stairs.* For much of the last 20 years that I've lived within walking distance of this part of the river valley, the stairs never even existed. As far as River Valley stairs go, they're a newer set. I want to say they were installed just before Covid--which really isn't new at this point, chronologically speaking, but between the much longer history of some sets of stairs, and that weird thing Covid did to time, they still feel new.

And I'm so glad they were installed.

They're the stairs I stand on to catch the sunset over the river when I wasn't planning to catch the sunset at all, but the sky had other plans.

They're the stairs where I do Canadian party tricks at -30°C.

They're the stairs from which I watch and listen as the frazil floats along the current.

They're the stairs I pause on to see if the water level is low enough to look for cool rocks along the shore.

They're the stairs I generally descend, but rarely ascend, because my walking habits generally take me in a loop, not out and back.

They're not the longest set; they're not the steepest set; I'm not even sure if they're my favourite set (do I have a favourite set? I will have to think on that). But they are definitely my default set. Easy-access and multi-purpose, they connect me to and from the river, the trails, and my neighbourhood--in all seasons.

My default stairs.

 

*They aren't officially named that, though some sets of River Valley stairs do have recognized names. But that's what I call them.

If You Give a Girl a Hot Tub...

For my last birthday, I received a City of Edmonton gift card, usable at most of the city's attractions and facilities. Given that it was the dead of winter, I first used it at a rec centre near by, solely to soak in the hot tub

It was glorious.

And so, I hopped around from rec centre to rec centre, checking out the different hot tubs, and the occasional steam room. Once or twice I took a yoga class. But mostly I just liked sitting in the hot tub. 

I found myself coming back again and again to the leisure centre closest to home. It's smaller, older, and therefore tends to be quieter. I started bringing a book each visit, reading while I soaked.

As the weather started to warm up, I found myself one headed to the leisure centre one evening thinking, "y'know, it might feel refreshing to dip in the pool first, before the hot tub."

Now, let me pause here to clarify that I am not a swimmer. In my educator days, I didn't mind playing in the water with the children I was teaching or caring for, but the sport of swimming has never appealed to me. I failed swimming lessons over and over (and over), mostly due to an imperfect front crawl, and a refusal to dive without plugging my nose. But my mom, having seen me tread water (which I could do like a boss), and feeling confident that I could save myself if I fell off a boat, finally took mercy on me and let me stop lessons.

So, when I say I considered a dip in the pool, I quite literally meant a dip in the pool and nothing more. I grabbed a couple pool noodles, put one under my knees and one under my arms, and floated around on the small waves made by other swimmers.

After a few weeks of this, I figured "y'know, since I'm already in the pool"--and since the novelty of the  new energized version of me was still mesmerizing--"I might as well do some aqua-jogging." And so across and around the pool I went, moving to the beat of whatever playlist the lifeguards had chosen.

Faces around me started becoming familiar; I realized the pool had "regulars," and that I was becoming one of them.

One evening, the pool was unusually crowded, except for the area sectioned off for lane swimming. And I thought, "y'know, since I can do so much aqua-jogging, certainly I could do a length of lane swimming." There aren't many swimming strokes I care for, but I do have a fondness for the backstroke when the situation calls for it.

And so I pushed off from the wall, the water just covering my ears, so that the 80's music around me faded, and all I could hear as I followed the line on the ceiling was my rhythmic breathing; it was nice.

Over time, one length turned into two, two turned into three, three turned into four.

And I thought, "y'know, snorkeling might be kinda fun." Snorkeling definitely draws one's focus to the breath. And I also remembered how, the few times I'd snorkeled on holidays, I'd found the act of swimming to be easier and more enjoyable.

And so I bought a snorkel.

And what started as just a soak in the hot tub has become a mix of self-guided aquacise, lane swimming, and snorkeling. ...Though,
definitely still a soak in the hot tub.

I Stand with the Muslims

As I learn about yet another racist assault on Muslim women in the city I live in, I'd like to take a minute to share a story.

I’ve been an AirBnB host for over six years. In my first year hosting, I had a young woman stay for a month as she getting started as a PhD student at the UofA.

She was Muslim.

I am Christian.

Throughout her four-week stay, I showed her around. Coming from a large city in the middle of the desert, she was keen on spending time in nature. So I took her to Elk Island National Park, down into the River Valley, and--upon request--I found her a wheat field to stand in.

I took her to Ikea to get what she needed for her new apartment, and to the Old Strathcona Farmer's Market to show her where to buy local close to campus. I Googled the Halal shops close by. I accompanied her on a walk or two.

In all this, we talked about our different upbringings, our different cultural experiences, and our different faiths—I remember she openly answered my curious questions about her faith practices, and the principles that guide them. I think I did the same for her.

She reached out a few times after she’d moved. She was making friends with other international students, and they sometimes had questions as they tried to immerse themselves in various aspects of “Edmonton culture” for the first time. One particular summer evening, she texted and said she and her friends were going tent camping in Jasper for the first time that weekend. She wanted me to come; partly for company, but partly, I'm pretty sure, as the Canadian Camping Expert. I couldn’t go, but I offered up my camping gear so they wouldn’t have to buy everything new.

That was the day I stood in my garage and showed a Muslim woman and her friend how to pitch a tent.

I don’t remember most of the conversations we had. I just remember she had such a posture of humility. She was open to conversation without judgement or pretense. She had a delightful sense of humour. She was open to trying new things. She was disciplined in her studies as well as her faith.

I've thought of her, and other Muslim women I know, often this past year, as these acts of racism and hate keep happening. I don’t have any heroic point to make here other than to show that she is a person--with hopes, joys, and a life—just like every other Muslim in Edmonton and Alberta.

Let me just say that if you’re the kind of individual who is bothered by people who look, dress, or live differently than you, YOU’RE the one who can go elsewhere. I stand with the Muslim women who've been attacked this year, and all those who are at risk of discrimination and attack as they simply go about the business of living. They have every right to be here and to exist as you or I.

The 365-day Project that Took 8 Years (AND SOTC 365/365)

Have you ever gotten so intimate with a saskatoon berry? My yearly tradition of foraging a few cups of saskatoons from Edmonton's River Valley completed my SOTC photo challenge this past summer.*

I do love a good photo challenge. A few years ago, I turned a gratitude challenge into a photographic one; I spent the next summer hunting down instagrammable walls in Edmonton; and, I currently have an ongoing challenge to sit in a Red Chair in every one of Canada's national parks/historic sites before I die--with picture proof, of course.

My first photo challenge was a 365 project where I captured a photo of myself every single day for one year. As soon as that one was complete, I set myself up for a second 365 challenge--a photo each day straight off the camera (SOTC); no post-processing of any kind. However, 30 days in, I was struggling to keep up the creative juices. While the first 365 project was essentially photo documentation of my daily life, my Straight Off The Camera challenge was more about being able to work a subject or composition. But, you know what? Some days I just don't feel like taking photos. I doubt even professional photographers take photos every single day.

So I re-wrote the challenge. Still 365 un-processed images... with an open time line.

And so here we are.

That project started on September 1, 2012, and concluded July 27, 2020. The 365 project that took 2887 days.

I have to admit, I'm not sure if this challenge resulted in me creating more un-processed final images or not. As my photography has evolved, so has my "vision" for some of the images I compose--sometimes I create compositions that I fully intend to run through Photoshop before I even click the shutter.

However, my first love is capturing this big, beautiful world "as is"--there is a strong element of realism in my photography, and so I know my satisfaction with getting the shot I want fully in-camera has certainly increased, because sometimes the elements are against me! In this project, occasionally I got one on the first try. Other times, it took upwards of 20 shots to get the one I wanted. I also put concerted effort into capturing a variety of compositions to stretch my comfort zone.

My creative drive has taken a bit of a hit with the pandemic this year; as for so many people, my mind has often just been elsewhere. Nevertheless, I know that photography soothes my soul, and my camera is never far from my side. While I will be spending time this winter learning more about post-processing, there's nothing quite like getting it "right" in-camera. I know I will continue to stretch my compositional skills as much behind the lens as in front of the screen.

P.S. I am blogging less these days... the best way to keep up with my fine art photography is by following me on Instagram: @photosbygina.yeg.

* It also completed the life span of my camera, the shutter mechanism of which started failing minutes after this image was taken. Many digital cameras like mine have an average "mileage" of 100,000 shutter clicks. In seven years with that camera, I'm sure I reached or exceeded that. It is costly to repair the shutter when compared to the cost of a new camera body, so I upgraded to a similar but newer model. RIP Canon 70D.

SOTC 364/365

SOTC 363/365

SOTC 362/365

If I can't go to the Red Chairs this year, I'll bring the red chairs to me!

SOTC 361/365

I think he sees me...

SOTC 360/365

SOTC 359/365

SOTC 358/365*

*omg, you guys, only a "week" left in this project! It's taken years!

SOTC 357/365

SOTC 356/365

SOTC 355/365

"Only in darkness can we glimpse the fullest light our soul carries for us." - Angie Weiland-Crosby

SOTC 354/365

So, it turns out five of my SOTC contributions are squirrels, and frankly, I'm surprised it's not more.

SOTC 352/365

SOTC 349/365

SOTC 348/365

I find that small birds are crazy-quick and hard to photograph. However, they're also great subjects, and so interesting to watch in their own right.

So I bought a bird feeder to see them more often.

Then I bought a good bird feeder to see them longer.

Finally, I bought a fancy-pants zoom lens to see them better.

And I watch. And I practice.

Ages ago I learned that with portrait photography, make sure the eyes are crisp, and try and get the catchlights if you can. Turns out that applies to any species. So I start from there and compose as I go.

Small birds are crazy-quick to photograph. Here's to sometimes being quicker.

SOTC 347/365

SOTC 346/365 (plus a bonus photo!)

Listen up for a minute. I don’t typically do editorial photography; however, when my planet is at stake, I make an exception.

Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg came to Alberta this week. Her trip included a stop in Edmonton on a Friday, which happens to be her weekly school strike day.

I’m primarily a nature/outdoor photographer, capturing the beauty of the world around me. And I want that beauty to last—both for my lifetime and the lifetime of generations to come. Everything I photograph inspires me to protect this earth I dwell upon. How does it not inspire others?!

So I admire Greta for turning up the volume on the issue of sustainability, and how critical it is to take actions--both individually, and as a society--that will improve our planet. Each part of the globe has their challenges; each part of the globe also has the power and ability to work and think differently.

One news article I read following her visit to Edmonton indicated that while Greta's message is powerful, it is not fully informed, as she does not seem to recognize any of the initiatives that already exist--initiatives of the kind that she is advocating for. It was is something I reflected on as well. There are several great innovations, nationally and world-wide, that reduce our negative impact on the environment (one of my favourites is this bad boy here).

That being said, at the end of the day--at least in Alberta--we are still extracting oil from the ground in excess. Alberta’s identity is wrapped up in oil and gas, to a fault. I get it--I heat my home with natural gas and fill up my car at Shell like everyone else. AND, I also believe we need to move away from oil and gas to something more sustainable as fast as possible.

I do agree that Greta will need to start affirming the positive actions that are being taken if she wants her message to remain powerful and motivating over time. It's well-known that recognizing strengths is a better motivator for learning and change than admonishment. Greta's key focus right now seems to be in sending the message that society simply isn't moving fast enough to counteract the damage we are still doing; and, that we aren't taking those 2C seriously enough. While the message is limited in scope, she's not wrong. (I've been eco-conscious since well before she was born, and some days it blows my mind that some people don't even value the concept of recycling, let alone anything more advanced.)

I have lots of beautiful places I want to photograph both in this province and around the world. ...will they still be there when I arrive?