Gondola Builder on Alpine Piste with Flying Whale

Blue twilight washes the Banff ski slope in cool, granular light as a wooden gondola hull rests on the snow. A builder in heavy winter gear planes the curved timber, wood shavings curling from the tool. The wind whips loose strands of hair and ruffles the fabric of the coat. In the sky above, a massive blue whale swims through the thin air, its smooth grey skin reflecting the distant town glow on the horizon. The whale casts a sharp, dark shadow that stretches across the white snow, intersecting the builder's diagonal workspace. The impossible creature moves with deliberate fluidity, its shadow at the base of the surreal event in the crisp, frozen air. One wood shaving curls from the plane's blade, catching the fading light.