A few weeks ago, we got several inches of snow across the Atlanta, Georgia, USA metropolitan area. I took advantage of this uncommon occurrence to photograph some of the birds that reside here.
Please click on caption to see photos in higher resolution.
I shared some scenes from our trip to Canada last July.
Today, I am going to share a few more. These are mountain peaks along the
Icefields Parkway.
I included two images of something out of the ordinary for
me. I am a closet lover of railroads and trains. Kicking Horse Pass crosses the
Big Hill west of Banff, AB in Canada. It sets on the Continental Divide and on
the Alberta/British Columbia border. When British Columbia joined Canada, a
railroad was built across British Columbia. Crossing the Rocky Mountains presented
a significant obstacle. The best solution at that time was to send the railway
up Big Hill and over Kicking Horse pass. But that meant ascending and
descending 1,070 feet on 4 ½% grade; i.e. for every 100 feet of horizontal distance
the hill rose/fell 4 ½ feet. The doesn’t sound like a lot, but it is. Pay
attention to the grade signs on highways when you drive. When in use, there
were many accidents on this hill. The Canadian government eventually contracted
to build the “Spiraling Tunnels”. The Spiraling Tunnels is a set of 2 tunnels
and connecting roadbeds under the mountains to make the ascent and descent more
gradual[i].
The images I have included shows a train entering one of the tunnels and later
as the locomotive exits the tunnel while part of its train is still entering.
A few weeks ago, we visited family in the Gettysburg, PA area. While there, we were treated to some snow and
very cold weather. On one early, sunny, morning we drove along Confederate Ave.
The street. On Seminary Ridge, overlooks open meadows ringed with farms. The
ridge top is where Confederate troops set up their artillery and was the
starting point for many Confederate troop assaults. On July 3rd,
1863, it was the site of Pickett’s charge against the troops of Union General
George C. Meade.
On this early morning, the guns laid quiet. Sunlight glistened on the icy snow while frost gave trees, weeds and other objects a silvery glow. Though snow adds a burden to our efforts to maintain a normal life and we grow tired of it after a time, a morning like this makes you slow down and appreciate the beauty that nature bestows in winter.
Please click on caption to see images at higher resolution.
Earthwatcher 