This spring I started hiking Glen Canyon regularly. My dog "Holly" enjoys it very much as well. I have been hiking about 3 km before work in the mornings. This giving me a jump start and keeps Holly from going stir crazy at work. Here are a few images from my morning hikes. These images are from March......April will be posted next.....
You will see some beautiful changes.....

In January we decided to go winter camping! Judy and I got all our gear together, strapped on our snowshoes and as you can see we geared up for every possible scenario. We had perfect weather for the snowshoe to our site. We had been there before and had scouted out where the best camp site would be.

  

We navigated the creek successfully! Once we got to our site it was time to make our bed!

I was on fire  pit duty while Judy did the tent. I knew there was a fallen tree that I could create a sitting area for us. With the shovel I dug down and created walls around the pit and our make shift bench. As you can see it was pretty cozy!

Our shelter for the night all set up! It was very comfortable. I must say the moments between the fire pit and the sleeping bag was quickly done. We were not cold at all. We went to bed with hats on. My nose got cool, a little flip of the sleeping bag over my face leaving a little breathing hole and everything was perfect!

After the tent was set up and the fire roaring, it was all about getting enough wood for the evening. Collecting wood was a chore on snowshoes but there was plenty of dry wood around! We gathered and sawed wood till the crescent moon appeared. Then we were ready to enjoy an amazing night of star gazing is style!

The next morning after breakfast we took down our tent and began tidying up our site. All set to hit the trail...While enjoying the morning sun and a second cup of coffee we heard from the wild..."The Rescue Rangers are here, where are you? " It was a crew of friends who had come to check out our camp and help us return safely. They are so supportive in our crazy adventures! 

My wilderness Sunday was an adventure close to home. Pictured above are some of the fruit trees I walk by every day. It's amazing how much they change. I'll post their changes every so often as they mature.

 I decided to hike up the backside of Mission Hill Winery. There is a bit of forest on the south side. At the top it is more desert like with low growing plants and cactus. I enter just off Old Boucherier Road. I do not recommend this area for dogs as there are a lot of cactus to be aware of while you are hiking around. I have seen coyotes up there and I often wonder how they deal with it when they make a wrong step. I have had spines from the cactus go right through my running shoe so now I always wear my hiking boots. There were quite a few wild flowers blooming and I had a close encounter with curious deer. Here are a few images from my 2 hour walk about on Sunday.      

I picked up my painting at the Lake Country Art Gallery and enjoyed the exhibit by Katie Brennan and Katherine Pickering "The Limits of Seeing". Had a nice chat with Anita, Lorne and Sharon. 

All set to get out into the woods and the weather changed for the worse. it was sprinkling but a steady rain meant it was not a very good day for a fall hike. On the way home we spotted some pumpkins! So I had a pumpkin adventure instead! Pumpkins have always been one of my favorite autumn subjects. Love the colour!   

“Wilderness Sundays” has been inspired by the many people who often ask me if my paintings are real locations. 

Yes, they are.

From this week on you will be able to get a sneak peak at future paintings by checking in on Monday to see where I’ve been. I look forward to sharing the incredible beauty that lies right outside our doors.

Sometimes you really don’t have to go far to be inspired!

I must warn you....my photographs are often not the best to work from. Sometimes it’s just a hint of light that captures my attention and the painting grows from there. I hope you enjoy the journeys as much as I enjoy bringing them to you!

These are last weekend’s inspirational shots and stay posted to see how I interpret them into a painting! 

Island Lake BC - September 16, 2012

My weekend hikes are accompanied by photographer Judy Pedersen. It’s great to have a hiking partner who is as adventurous as myself. We don’t rush our hike, Sunday’s are our precious time outs. It’s a break from the city and time to focus on our art forms. We seldom talk and are completely aware of our surroundings. We are paying attention to the nature around us, the sounds, the smells and of course the beauty. I hope you enjoy our travels....

Linda

P.S. To engage in the journey with us, preorder your copy of “Reflections: An Inspiration Journal” that combines my paintings and teaching with room for you to explore.