Whirlpool Point

On Friday August 29th I left the city and headed to Nordegg.  I stopped for some supplies along the way, and rolled into the cottage in the early afternoon.  I met up there with my friend Mike.  Mike is a fellow film photographer and we were close friends when he lived in Edmonton back in the 1990's.  He moved to Newfoundland for a few years to take a teaching position there.  Then after that he moved to Prince George and took a teaching position at the University of Northern British Columbia.  He recently retired.  We have remained in contact over the years and manage to get together every so often.  Mike was in Calgary and Kananaskis as he was involved in a competitive target shooting meet.  On the way back to Prince George we arranged to meet in Nordegg for a couple days.  Later that same evening, Braeden and Ryan came out as well.  It is somewhat remarkable the level of freedom and independence that is achieved once a person is able to drive.

On August 30th we all took a drive up the David Thompson Highway and stopped at Whirlpool Point.  The oldest tree in Alberta, an ancient Limber Pine, grows here.  It is said to be between 2500 and 3000 years old.  Just that thought makes a person feel rather small and insignificant.  Mike and I wandered about for a while with our cameras, taking some photographs.  Whirlpool Point is a rocky ridge that extends right down into the North Saskatchewan River.  There is a large eddy in the river created by the outcropping rock.  The kids had a blast exploring, as Braeden had never been here before.  

As the afternoon wound down we made our way back to the cottage and put together a dinner of steak, baked potatoes and corn on the cob.  Later we had a fire, and sat around listening to some music and visiting.  I attempted to play guitar and sing along with the music, but it probably only sounded acceptable due to the volume of beer that was consumed.