Autumn in Alberta

This photo didn't load properly - the processing part of "upload" kept churning. I can tell by the fact that there have only been 6 views so far that it is not showing up everywhere. Am going to change the time of upload, so apologies to anyone who had already seen it. Annoying, this has changed the order of my photos, so I think I might have to change the time of my Blue Honeycreeper upload, too. Sorry!

This zoomed-in photo was taken on 19 November 2017, when I spent a few very enjoyable hours out with my daughter. This is the time of year, of course, when Christmas Markets and Fairs spring up everywhere, within the city and in various hamlets outside the city. There were two that we ended up going to - Granary Road and Bragg Creek. The scenery in this photo was taken during the drive between the two places. This was the very first Christmas for the newly opened Granary Road. Bragg Creek market has been held for many years, but we had never been out there to one before. Both felt calm and were far less densely packed (at least when we were there) than some of the bigger markets in various towns.

I had been hoping to get over to Granary Road all summer and fall, but it just didn't happen. This is a brand new market garden, SW of the city, with an active learning park, too. I was very disappointed months ago, when I first saw what was being planned for that particular area. Most of all, I and many other photographers, were horrified when we discovered that the row of five, old, red granaries/sheds had been removed from the landscape. Some of you may remember my photos of these granaries, which I called "The Famous Five". They have been replaced by five new, red sheds which, I have to say, looked better yesterday than I had previously thought.

"Granary Road (pronounced gran-a-ree in the English manner), is a project by 5 Red Granaries, a group of Alberta folk who have come together to build it. When they purchased the property, there were five red granaries on site. Unfortunately, the granaries did not survive an attempt to move them." From an article in the Calgary Herald newspaper (link below).

calgaryherald.com/life/food/john-gilchrist-granary-road-m...

The huge main building is full of various permanent, carefully chosen vendors, and a restaurant. Very nicely designed, I thought. Three large greenhouses stand next to the main building - fresh produce is sold from them and from local farmers. A small petting Zoo was being held in one of the greenhouses - Alpacas, goats and bunnies, all very cute.

The huge, outdoor educational area looks like a lot of fun, and I want to go back next summer to wander round it, when it reopens for the season.

www.granaryroad.com/

Thank you, Rachel, for an enjoyable few hours spent with you! Always the best kind of day. See you in December.