Hubbard Glacier, Part I

... the first iceberg I sailed by ...

... turquoise water and white berg bits ...

When I had finished high school, The University of Alberta, Calgary Branch had an abbreviated selection of first year courses. I couldn’t get a full complement of Arts courses, but I could fill in the blanks with sciences courses.

I took geology because Doral told me I would have a different way of enjoying the world if I took that course.

And the only other choice for me was to take biology as well, even though I had done physics and chemistry in high school.

Apparently, there I was, doing experiments determining the eye colour of fruit flies, even though I had no previous background from high school. What was I thinking?

... interesting striations in the berg bits ...

At any rate, here I am 50 years later, and Doral was right – my own interest in all of the tour talks I do for passengers when I am travelling the trans Canada highway spring from that course. In fact, I was a passenger in a bus, taking us on a field trip from Calgary to Banff, hearing many of those facts I now tell, since I learned them in a Geology 200 lab.

When I see single rocks and when I see large geology formations, the background is still there.

Last night when the naturalist, Dirk Younkerman, was introducing us to what we will see in the next 7 days, I was wondering how I am going to take in the happiness of seeing the famous Hubbard Glacier.

... keeping off the light drizzle while watching the water and ice ...

Not that Wyona hasn’t introduced me to her pictures and movies of it from last year. And although Greg, Wyona and I all fell asleep, not collectively, but at least one of us at any given time, I still heard enough to know that today’s event of passing by that glacier in a boat from 2 to 3 pm is going to be an hour that will have heightened pleasure for me.

Arta