Sky Over Vancouver

I snapped this photo in Vancouver last weekend.  We've had dry periods here and there  but the sky is still very gray.

Vancouver continues to get a lot of rain but probably not as much as Alberta where the Bow and Elbow rivers have overflowed and flooded cities and towns across southern Alberta.  Calgary's downtown core was under water, while other towns like Canmore, High River and Medicine Hat have also been hard hit.  and under water.  Altogether about 100,000 people have been evacuated due to the floods.  Economists are saying that the flooding in Calgary will cost the economy billions of dollars and that Canada's economy as a whole will also suffer a reduction in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by several billion dollars.

On Monday the premier of the province said she thought it would take 10 years to fully rebuild the flood damaged areas of the province because a lot of the infrastructure (highways, etc.) has been damaged.

Regardless of  the huge issues created by the floods, the City of Calgary is attempting to regroup and forge ahead with their annual rodeo, the Calgary Stampede. The president of the stampede said it will go ahead "come hell or high water"on July 5th. It will be a huge challenge but in it's 101 year history, the stampede has never been cancelled despite two wars and the Great Depression.

Please keep the entire province in good thoughts and prayers.
There is so much damage and it is stressful to human and animals alike who have all been affected.

I'm linking up with Sky Watch Friday today.
Have a good weekend everyone.

One Day Last Summer

I came across these beautiful scenes one day last summer driving through the beautiful Rocky Mountain range. Our trip takes us south on Highway 93 (see map below for a general idea of location).

We were on our way from visiting my uncle in northern Alberta and stopping in to see my mother in Kamloops.  Much of northern Alberta is very flat, farming land. When your journey takes 15 hours or more, it is nice to have visual feast to look at on the drive back to British Columbia.

Click to enlarge the map.  The black like from Edmonton to Kamloops shows part of our route.

Hope you enjoyed the sky and scenery pics today. Join in at Sky Watch here to enjoy more wonderful skies. Have a wonderful weekend.