CKUA Signage – Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Ab – Canada 1

CKUA Signage – Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Ab – Canada 2

CKUA Signage – Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Ab – Canada 3

CKUA Signage – Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Ab – Canada 4

CKUA Signage – Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Ab – Canada 5

In the era preceding satellite radio, for us in Northwestern Alberta, CKUA was a radio station that could be caught and tuned-in to driving south, somewhere around Rycroft, Alberta, three hours into a Friday evening’s drive toward Grande Prairie, right about the time Andy Donnelly would bring to Life, ‘The Celtic Show.’ We would listen – current and traditional gaelic music, interviews among voices often sharing common brogue, sometimes sharing a spot of tea on either side of a phone line; listening brought a sense of connection to the world, to Edmonton, to Andy Donnelly and different artists. In a former Life, CKUA had been my father’s radio station, the station he’d listen to on a Saturday afternoon, in his darkroom downstairs, developing film and exposing images on photographic paper. Jazz and Swing music were his afternoon fodder. Now, CKUA is online and I listen via my computer, often while I’m editing and considering where to take an image. Along with my photographs, Saturday mornings move me through different CKUA programs – ‘Dead Ends & Detours,’ ‘Wide Cut Country’ and ‘A Time for Jazz.’ Downstairs in our home, one of Dad’s Edmonton autumn images hangs framed – it looks up from under the 105th Street Bridge, framing through brush one of the white houses of the John Walter Museum; I’ve photographed these same buildings, returning to thoughts of Dad, considering how he saw them.

In Edmonton at Christmas I happened upon Jasper Avenue, CKUA signage painted colorfully on a building side; the building may hold one of CKUA’s studios. This morning, reading through CKUA’s history has been interesting. I am grateful to be able to access ckua.com .

Listening to – Paul Pena’s ‘Jet Airliner,’ Elmore James’ ‘The Sky is Crying,’ Walter Trout’s ‘The Sky is Falling,’ the North Mississippi Allstars’ ‘Mean Ol’ Wind Died Down’ and Shawn Colvin’s ‘All Fall Down.’

Quote to Consider – “When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate I shall be content with silence.” – Ansel Adams