What's In The Water?

I'm hopeless when it comes to just staying home for a weekend to complete projects or house clean or sort papers or just getting household stuff done!  I managed to do that yesterday but I wasn't capable of doing it two days in a row!  The forecast was fantastic for today and what a great opportunity then to play photographer with my polarizer.  The professional  polarizer people say this filter allows you to see what's in the water so I hit the road very early, headed west to find water and to prove these peoples' point. 

It was early enough that it was just me and the Park Warden at Cascade Ponds just outside the Banff townsite.  I was glad he stayed to watch me seek out what's in the water.  Once I saw this first reflection, I lost my train of thought.  I am a sucker for reflections and forgot to pay attention to the task at hand.  But, as I look at the photo closely now that I am home, not only do you see the reflection but you can also see through the water to the rocks below on the bottom left.  I'm pretty sure this is what the professional polarizer people mean what you can see instead of just a reflection.

I could not resist this reflection shot!  I did twist and turn the polarizer to get that little, tiny cloud in the middle to show up more clearly and hence there it is in the water.

It was time to move on down the road, and the Park Warden had the same thought.  I followed him to Johnson Lake and was glad that he stuck around to watch me seek out what's in the water.  I did bring my bear spray this time though.  There was still a thin layer of ice on the water so due to that my polarizer would not permit me to see what's in the water except only portions of a reflection.

It was time to move on down the road, and the Park Warden had the same thought.  I followed him to Two Jack Lake but this time he didn't stick around which meant I owned this Lake and you know how I enjoy ownership so was happy he moved on.  It was early enough and warm enough and beautiful enough so I chose this spot to have breakfast.  I like how the rocks create a path on the land and in the water.

After breakfast it was time to move on down the road to Lake Minniwanka.  Who should I see, the Park Warden, he was engaging with other folks here but did give me a nod and a smile.  The sun was getting up there and the angles and lighting for a great shot of this Lake were a challenge.  Also, there was no way I was going to be seeing what's in the water here with all this ice.  I could only see what's on the water.

It was time to move on down the road from the National Park to the Provincial Park and what a difference.  Barrier Lake is always a favourite place to stop and enjoy the view whilst having a snack.  No reflections here and no seeing what's in the water but seeing this color made up for it.

Once again no seeing what's in the water at this picnic spot along Route 68.  

But further down the road, and very close to the road, this caught my eye while I was driving.  The color and the clouds captured my attention and I forgot to check close to the edge to photograph the rocks in the water.

In a sense I was successful with the task for the day of using my polarizier to capture what's in the water, it was just that I captured things in the water other then what I was suppose to capture.  Yes, I guess I am hopeless! If being hopeless means a day filled of experiencing views like this then I am happy to be hopeless1