Category Archives: #lifesublime

Wow…what a year, right!? Finally, this rollercoaster of a year has come to an end and the anticipation of better times is contagious and catching and spreading. Thank you for your support and engagement throughout this very different year of 2020! I am grateful for all of you and this community.

Here are my top nine photos highlighting some of my adventures in 2020 @justsimplyangie.

I would like to introduce you to the newest member of my family the wonderful rescue dog Dakota.

Having lost our 2 family dogs after 17 years of companionship was difficult and meeting Dakota helped ease the pain of the loss.

She is a devoted companion, an adventure seeker, explorer, traveller and enthusiastic sled dog. She is free-spirited and at times can be prone to wanderlust. When we both needed rescuing, this pup came into my life to adopt me into her pack. She has since filled the void in my life with devotion, enthusiasm and a fun-loving crazy spirit to match mine.

I was matched with my girl through the Great Pyrenes Rescue.

She came in their care after her and five siblings were taken into the rescue from the north. She was just three months old when she came into my life. The rescue had called the litter the “K Pups” giving each pup a name using the letter K. My puppy was given the temporary name of Kate but she took to the name Dakota right away and it seemed to suit her perfectly with a meaning of “friend or ally”.

“Origin of the name Dakota: Derived from the Siouan word dakóta (allies, to be thought of as friends). The name is borrowed from the name given to the tribes of northern Plains Indians, also known as Sioux and Lakota. Dakota name meaning is allies and the associated lucky number is 7.” Coincidentally, 7 is my lucky number.

Dakota is a mix, Shepherd Samoyed and Red Husky with a little DNA dash of Coyote, a hybrid mix known as Dogote or Coydog. This mix breed is known for its intelligence, friendliness and loyalty and love of the outdoors (just like me) making us a perfect fit.

This year after semi-retiring from my life long career in mental health support services I decided to take a seasonal position as a campground manager in Alberta, pursuing a dream I had of travelling and working in the great outdoors. This life change gave me the opportunity to live in nature and be in close proximity to the wildlife I love so dearly.

Dakota proved to be a natural assisting me in some of my duties and being a big hit with the families and children camping there. She also surprised me with an innate ability to sniff out the coronavirus and proved herself to be not only a fitting co-worker but a blessing in every since of the word.

In this photo she and her best friend Fiona are commemorated on the Host Haven bus by the artists and my fellow co-workers at the campground.

Despite the pandemic and missing my family, children and grandchildren and my dear friends while temporarily relocating to Alberta for a season, things for me were really not too bad. I stayed healthy and I managed to find the good in life in spite of the difficult circumstance and challenges this year.

Cheers to this new year and another chance to get things right. Warmest thoughts and best wishes for 2021 stay healthy, stay safe and may peace, love and prosperity follow you always.

xo Angie

It’s been a minute and here we are into 2019! A review of 2018 brings to mind, new experiences, lessons learned and promises made; a year jam-packed with new adventures and aspiring dreams. It was also a year of personal growth—finding and sharing happiness and realizing that the act of sharing happiness is part of happiness itself.

From the day we arrive on the planet
And blinking, step into the sun
There’s more to see than can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done

There’s far too much to take in here
More to find than can ever be found
But the sun rolling high
Through the sapphire sky
Keeps great and small on the endless round

It’s the circle of life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope

Through love and happiness…

With a lot of self-reflection and alone time behind me, I realized that the real moments of happiness aren’t about the things we do, the places we go, the sights we see or even the wildlife we encounter, they’re the happiest of times because we do them together. And most often behind the scenes of the photos I take there are loved ones sharing the experience with me.

Thank you, my very special people, for sharing this wonderful life and the amazing adventures.

2018 Best Nine on Instagram

Thank you, my sublime friends, for following along on Instagram @justsimplyangie and for all of your support, engagement and encouragement in 2018!

Cheers! Wishing you much happiness, new experiences, and amazing adventures in 2019! Live life well.

xo Angie

2017 has been a year of transition. It has been a difficult year in many ways and through it all my wonderful children, dear family and friends have been a great support, loving me through some of the more difficult times. A lot of the ups and downs of the year are reflected in the photos I’ve taken in 2017. This creative outlet and a community of liked-minded photographers has keep my spirits up and encouraged me to continue pushing forward. Still, I admit in the face of adversity I lost myself a bit in 2017 but I will be working to change that in 2018.

The morning sun rose calm, majestic, embracing clouds with the dawn. The skyscape blushing brilliant gold. Surreal it was, and my heart pounded with me as I moved slow—languid through the thick muted paleness of half-light embracing the solitary glory of the gray.

2017 best nine on Instagram justsimplyangie…No surprise, those adorable pine marten, deer and great gray owl are top picks! Thank you for your support!

Cheers my friends! Wishing you a Happy New Year and all the Best in 2018! xo Angie

 

 

 

 

In 2016, we took a few road trips, ventured to new destinations, checked a few things off the bucket list and learned extraordinary things about life in our own backyard, life is about the journey, not the destination. It’s about igniting our passions, following our dreams and discovering the amazing world we live in. We hope your year was filled with joy, adventure, health and love, here’s to 2017—it’s going to be a spectacular journey.

@justsimplyangie – 2016 Best Nine Collage

xo