2 animal posts in a row is unheard of on this blog, but I liked this duck couple.
I spotted them behind my sisters house, just beyond her patio. This small green space has a resident rabbit and a cheeky squirrel, but ducks are unusual. I assumed, that Mallards tend to stay near water but this was nowhere near any water and is actually in a dense residential neighbourhood next to a major roadway. I hope they made it to their destination, wherever that may be.
Now that the weather is nicer, I have got back to evening walks around town. Tonight on my walk I spotted a fox watching me as I walked by a little hill in the field behind my house. I didn't want to get too close or be 'that person' that gets too close to the wildlife, so I kept going but as I went around the side of the hill there were baby foxes playing amongst a big pile of large rocks on the back side of the hill, at least 6 or 7 of them. They saw me and darted back into their den but would peek out and look.
I have know that there were foxes back here for years and would see one occasionally but always just fleetingly. One night a few summers ago, I was awoken by the sounds of 2 of them barking/shrieking at each other in front of my house in the middle of the night. The sound is hard to describe but it did answer the age old question, 'what does the fox say?"
I snapped a quick zoomed in photo, told the fox family to have a good night and be safe and I headed home.
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| Did you spot the 2nd fox? |
Long before Forest Lawn was a neighbourhood in Calgary, it began as settlement of homesteaders in 1910. In 1935 the Village of Forest Lawn was formed by amalgamating 2 villages (Albert Park and Forest Lawn). Forest Lawn became a town in 1953 and a few years later, in 1961, it was annexed by the City of Calgary.
If you're from Calgary, the name Forest Lawn probably brings up an opinion, stereotype, or pre-conceived notion of the area. While it may have an 'it's complicated' relationship status with the rest of the city, there is no doubt that it is also a unique and culturally diverse part of the city. The main street through the area, 17th Avenue SE, is now known as International Avenue.
I lived and worked in the area for many years and saw lots of good things, met great people, and made great memories. I worked at a bank and also a flower shop on 17th Avenue SE and also owned 2 homes in the area, one of which is where I was living when my son was born. I also saw some not so good things, including my first ever dead body...but that is another story.
If you didn't already know, I am a fan of old signs, especially old and vintage neon signs. On a recent drive around my old neighbourhoods, I stopped for a picture of 2 of my favourite signs. This building below, built in 1965 (thanks to Chris at BigDoer for that info), with the wonderful roofline, is in the heart of International Avenue.
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| The 4 Seas sign lives on, even after the restaurant is long gone. |
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| A block west from the 4 Seas is Paradise Lanes. Still open for business. |
I barely scratched the surface of International Avenue and may have to dive a bit deeper for a future post. Thanks for visiting.
