Sunny...

I was flipping through the thesaurus, looking for synonyms for the word "Happy"...

Words like 'contented', 'joyous', 'blissful', 'sparkling', 'jubilant', 'delighted' and 'elated' jumped off the page.

The word 'sunny' was also on the list and I felt that it really is the perfect word to use in place of 'happy'....

Sunny = Happy

As I think of things that bring me happiness, sunshine filled days are very close to the top of the list.....

When one feels happy, you exude your own sunshine.

What brings sunshine or happiness to your life??

For me....it's the little things....that fleeting moment...that natural element...anything that brings "that" smile or grin to my face and adds that sunshine to my day...

A sunrise through the trees...

Moments of inspiration....

Nature's beauty...

Sunsets at the lake....

..and more sunsets..

Quiet moments with this guy...

Candlelight and nights spent under the stars wrapped up in blankets..

Evenings spent with friends over a good bottle of wine...

Living in a part of the world where we can enjoy all 4 seasons....

Memories of dancing at Camp...

Sand between my toes....

Mountain air and views....

Quiet time at the lake...

Remember to....

Wishing you sunshine and happiness always...

RR

A Day in the Mountains..

I have just returned home from a trip to Calgary to visit friends. To say I LOVE the West would be an understatement and this trip only added to my love affair with the Western lifestyle, especially the mountains.

My friend Antonio, his lovely 18 month old daughter Isabella and I took a day trip out to Kananaskis Country to hike at Upper Kananaskis Lake with the goal to get to Rawson Lake. It was an amazing day, with the temperature perfect for a hike. There was only a bit of rain from time to time and the sun peaked out through the clouds  all day long.

When you drove into the parking lot...this was the scene that greeted you....

A section of 'beach'...

Out flow of a gorgeous waterfall....we had lunch lakeside just left of this outlet.

The waterfall...

Close up of the waterfall from the footbridge...Isabella had a great view from the pack on her Dad's back.

Where we had lunch...

I could have sat there for hours just taking it all in....

As we climbed the Rawson Lake Trail, you could still see Upper Kananaskis Lake from time to time through the trees

As we climbed higher (past 6000 feet above sea level) the snow pack hadn't really started to melt (hence why the lakes were so low). The snow to the side of the 'hard packed' trail was well above our waist level as we found as as we fell through from time to time. 

We could hear this fast flowing creek as we climbed the Rawson Trail....we went off the path, in snow up to our waist, to see if we could find it.

The snow kept getting deeper the higher we climbed so we did not quite make it to Rawson Lake. It was a difficult climb, not only through snow, but also in steepness and the change in elevation...this Ontario Gal got quite a workout at almost 6 times my normal sea level elevation at home.

 Panorama shot from the Upper Lake trail...

Isabella and I enjoying one last look at the lake before we headed back to Calgary.

I had an amazing trip and can't wait to get out again and finish that trail hike!

RR

Bring the outdoors in....

I spent the day outdoors on Wednesday and it made me wish I was on a ski hill somewhere or out skating on a frozen lake.

 

It was a gorgeous, sunny day, but absolutely frigid. I found this Ski Home in Architectural Digest that anyone would want to come home to after an equally cold day on the slopes and just sit in front of the fire with a glass of wine or hot chocolate.

The modern- rustic alpine style, combined with the breathtaking mountain views, allows the beauty of the outdoors to literally become part of the home and compliments the style perfectly.

 

 

 

Whether it is the soap stone fireplace or the Burma-teak marble in the master bath, the naturally inspired elements bring the attention to detail to an entirely new creative level.

RR