https://www.ipernity.com/tag/293827/keyword/14131 https://cdn.ipernity.com/p/101/C3/7B/293827.buddy.jpg https://www.ipernity.com/tag/293827/keyword/14131 Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:41:16 +0000 Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:41:16 +0000 https://www.ipernity.com https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/51240308 tag:ipernity.com,2019-10-13,doc-51240308 Sun, 13 Oct 2019 17:43:43 +0000 2019-10-12T11:38:06-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/51240308"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/03/08/51240308.1846ad56.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Our local weather forecast has changed - snow was in the forecast for tomorrow, but now it looks like we have a mix of sun and cloud most of the time for the coming week. The forecast for Sheep River Provincial Park is still for snow, which is why I decided to do a drive through that park yesterday, 12 October 2019. Another photographer had just posted photos from there and the paved road was bare. I have only ever driven to that area once before, in August 2017, and almost all the scenery was hidden by thick smoke The summer of that year was dreadful, with endless, continuous weeks of smoke drifting in from various forest fires from British Columbia and the States, as well as forest fires in our own province. <br /> <br /> My drive was actually through two Provincial Parks next to each other - Sheep River and Bluerock - but as I have no idea which park I was in when I took the various photos, I have included everything together in one album. Later, I will add photos taken during the rest of yesterday's drive, which took me as far south as Chain Lakes. The rest of the day was really just a spur of the moment decision once I reached the town of Turner Valley. Either return home or drive just a little way south, which in fact turned into a long drive south (317 km total for the day).</div> Bighorn Sheep female <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/51240308"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/03/08/51240308.1846ad56.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Our local weather forecast has changed - snow was in the forecast for tomorrow, but now it looks like we have a mix of sun and cloud most of the time for the coming week. The forecast for Sheep River Provincial Park is still for snow, which is why I decided to do a drive through that park yesterday, 12 October 2019. Another photographer had just posted photos from there and the paved road was bare. I have only ever driven to that area once before, in August 2017, and almost all the scenery was hidden by thick smoke The summer of that year was dreadful, with endless, continuous weeks of smoke drifting in from various forest fires from British Columbia and the States, as well as forest fires in our own province. <br /> <br /> My drive was actually through two Provincial Parks next to each other - Sheep River and Bluerock - but as I have no idea which park I was in when I took the various photos, I have included everything together in one album. Later, I will add photos taken during the rest of yesterday's drive, which took me as far south as Chain Lakes. The rest of the day was really just a spur of the moment decision once I reached the town of Turner Valley. Either return home or drive just a little way south, which in fact turned into a long drive south (317 km total for the day).</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/51201490 tag:ipernity.com,2019-10-08,doc-51201490 Tue, 08 Oct 2019 17:01:32 +0000 2019-10-07T15:43:26-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/51201490"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/14/90/51201490.b74179a5.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Well, hello again, winter!! Our temperature today is -4C (windchill -11C). Yesterday, it looked like late fall. Today, we are having another snow storm, giving us our second world of white already this fall. Because of the forecast for today, I knew I had better get down to the Saskatoon Farm yesterday. I had wanted to buy a few of their vegetables, but they hold their special event at a weekend and I had no intention of facing masses of cars and people. Instead, I did a long drive into Kananaskis two days ago, which turned out to be a really good decision. <br /> <br /> Yesterday, 7 October 2019, was overcast and not good for photos, which didn't really matter, as I barely used my camera at the farm. Basically, apart from sunflowers hanging their heads, everything had already died and much had been removed. There was no colour left, and the wonderful days of visits to the farm to happily snap endless photos full of colour are now over till next spring and summer. Can't wait!<br /> <br /> After enjoying lunch there, and buying two kinds of frozen, home-made soup, I drove along one nearby road just to see if there was anything of interest. I came across an old wooden shed (outhouse?). A touch of filter in post-processing brought out the wood details.<br /> <br /> For me, the next few days will be days to hibernate, hoping that the ground (and my car) will become bare again. The forecast reckons Calgary will be getting about 10 cm of snow today. Looks like we should have sunshine on the coming days. This year has been an absolutely crazy year as far as the weather is concerned!</div> The sunflower droop <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/51201490"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/14/90/51201490.b74179a5.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Well, hello again, winter!! Our temperature today is -4C (windchill -11C). Yesterday, it looked like late fall. Today, we are having another snow storm, giving us our second world of white already this fall. Because of the forecast for today, I knew I had better get down to the Saskatoon Farm yesterday. I had wanted to buy a few of their vegetables, but they hold their special event at a weekend and I had no intention of facing masses of cars and people. Instead, I did a long drive into Kananaskis two days ago, which turned out to be a really good decision. <br /> <br /> Yesterday, 7 October 2019, was overcast and not good for photos, which didn't really matter, as I barely used my camera at the farm. Basically, apart from sunflowers hanging their heads, everything had already died and much had been removed. There was no colour left, and the wonderful days of visits to the farm to happily snap endless photos full of colour are now over till next spring and summer. Can't wait!<br /> <br /> After enjoying lunch there, and buying two kinds of frozen, home-made soup, I drove along one nearby road just to see if there was anything of interest. I came across an old wooden shed (outhouse?). A touch of filter in post-processing brought out the wood details.<br /> <br /> For me, the next few days will be days to hibernate, hoping that the ground (and my car) will become bare again. The forecast reckons Calgary will be getting about 10 cm of snow today. Looks like we should have sunshine on the coming days. This year has been an absolutely crazy year as far as the weather is concerned!</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/51201488 tag:ipernity.com,2019-10-08,doc-51201488 Tue, 08 Oct 2019 17:00:38 +0000 2019-10-07T14:36:11-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/51201488"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/14/88/51201488.759f0f0f.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Well, hello again, winter!! Yesterday, it looked like late fall. Today, we are having another snowfall, giving us our second world of white already this fall. Because of the forecast for today, I knew I had better get down to the Saskatoon Farm yesterday. I had wanted to buy a few of their vegetables, but they hold their special event at a weekend and I had no intention of facing masses of cars and people. Instead, I did a long drive into Kananaskis two days ago, which turned out to be a really good decision. <br /> <br /> Yesterday, 7 October 2019, was overcast and not good for photos, which didn't really matter, as I barely used my camera at the farm. Basically, apart from sunflowers hanging their heads, everything had already died and much had been removed. There was no colour left, and the wonderful days of visits to the farm to happily snap endless photos full of colour are now over till next spring and summer. Can't wait!<br /> <br /> After enjoying lunch there, and buying two kinds of frozen, home-made soup, I drove along one nearby road just to see if there was anything of interest. I came across an old wooden shed (outhouse?). A touch of filter in post-processing brought out the wood details.<br /> <br /> For me, the next few days will be days to hibernate, hoping that the ground (and my car) will become bare again. The forecast reckons Calgary will be getting about 10 cm of snow today. Looks like we should have sunshine on the coming days. This year has been an absolutely crazy year as far as the weather is concerned!<br /> <br /> "Domestic guineafowl, sometimes called pintades, pearl hen, or gleanies, are poultry originating from Africa. They are the domesticated form of the helmeted guineafowl (Numida meleagris) and are related to other game birds such as the pheasants, turkeys and partridges. Although the timing of their domestication is unknown, there is evidence that domestic guineafowl were present in Greece by the 5th century BC." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> "The Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris) is the best known of the guineafowl bird family, Numididae, and the only member of the genus Numida. It breeds in Africa, mainly south of the Sahara, and has been widely introduced into the West Indies and southern France.... While guineafowl are native to Africa, the Helmeted Guineafowl has been domesticated and both feral and wild-type birds have been introduced elsewhere." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmeted_guineafowl" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmeted_guineafowl</a><br /> <br /> “Frequently domesticated and included in exotic bird collections, the helmeted guineafowl is an easily recognizable bird and the most widespread game bird in Africa. In other parts of the world, feral and farm populations of these birds can be frequently seen and escapees are regular.” <br /> <br /> <a href="http://birding.about.com/od/Grouse-Quail-And-Pheasants/p/Helmeted-Guineafowl.htm" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">birding.about.com/od/Grouse-Quail-And-Pheasants/p/Helmete...</a></div> Domesticated Helmeted Guineafowl / "Numida meleagris" <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/51201488"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/14/88/51201488.759f0f0f.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Well, hello again, winter!! Yesterday, it looked like late fall. Today, we are having another snowfall, giving us our second world of white already this fall. Because of the forecast for today, I knew I had better get down to the Saskatoon Farm yesterday. I had wanted to buy a few of their vegetables, but they hold their special event at a weekend and I had no intention of facing masses of cars and people. Instead, I did a long drive into Kananaskis two days ago, which turned out to be a really good decision. <br /> <br /> Yesterday, 7 October 2019, was overcast and not good for photos, which didn't really matter, as I barely used my camera at the farm. Basically, apart from sunflowers hanging their heads, everything had already died and much had been removed. There was no colour left, and the wonderful days of visits to the farm to happily snap endless photos full of colour are now over till next spring and summer. Can't wait!<br /> <br /> After enjoying lunch there, and buying two kinds of frozen, home-made soup, I drove along one nearby road just to see if there was anything of interest. I came across an old wooden shed (outhouse?). A touch of filter in post-processing brought out the wood details.<br /> <br /> For me, the next few days will be days to hibernate, hoping that the ground (and my car) will become bare again. The forecast reckons Calgary will be getting about 10 cm of snow today. Looks like we should have sunshine on the coming days. This year has been an absolutely crazy year as far as the weather is concerned!<br /> <br /> "Domestic guineafowl, sometimes called pintades, pearl hen, or gleanies, are poultry originating from Africa. They are the domesticated form of the helmeted guineafowl (Numida meleagris) and are related to other game birds such as the pheasants, turkeys and partridges. Although the timing of their domestication is unknown, there is evidence that domestic guineafowl were present in Greece by the 5th century BC." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> "The Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris) is the best known of the guineafowl bird family, Numididae, and the only member of the genus Numida. It breeds in Africa, mainly south of the Sahara, and has been widely introduced into the West Indies and southern France.... While guineafowl are native to Africa, the Helmeted Guineafowl has been domesticated and both feral and wild-type birds have been introduced elsewhere." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmeted_guineafowl" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmeted_guineafowl</a><br /> <br /> “Frequently domesticated and included in exotic bird collections, the helmeted guineafowl is an easily recognizable bird and the most widespread game bird in Africa. In other parts of the world, feral and farm populations of these birds can be frequently seen and escapees are regular.” <br /> <br /> <a href="http://birding.about.com/od/Grouse-Quail-And-Pheasants/p/Helmeted-Guineafowl.htm" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">birding.about.com/od/Grouse-Quail-And-Pheasants/p/Helmete...</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/51050842 tag:ipernity.com,2019-10-05,doc-51050842 Sat, 05 Oct 2019 16:50:26 +0000 2019-10-04T16:24:09-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/51050842"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/08/42/51050842.87e9b8ab.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">You may have already suspected that I was desperate for photo opportunities yesterday, 4 October 2019, lol! If so, how right you were. I just couldn't get it out of my head that maybe, just maybe, the snow had melted in a few places enough to let a few fungi grow. Here, in Calgary, a lot of the snow has melted, though I don't know if the local parks and natural areas still have much snow cover. However, as I discovered yesterday, closer to the mountains, there are still a few inches of the white stuff on the ground. <br /> <br /> My intention had been to just drive west to the Bragg Creek area, to calm my mind one way or the other. Disappointment came quickly and, on the spur of the moment, I decided to drive west along Elbow Falls Trail in search of a few scenic shots. Though the landscape is always beautiful, there are only two or three places that I usually stop at, until I finally reach Forgetmenot Pond. The highway was beautifully clear of snow, but for walking, there were a few inches of snow and ice to slip and slide through. Once at the Pond, I only trudged as far as the main path that overlooks the water. At other times of the year, I walk around the pond, but not yesterday. I do not like winter walking!<br /> <br /> The eight photos I posted this morning are the only ones to post from yesterday's quick trip. It was getting on for 3:00 pm when I left home to drive westwards and, anyway, I didn't find much to shoot.</div> Nature&#039;s artwork <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/51050842"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/08/42/51050842.87e9b8ab.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">You may have already suspected that I was desperate for photo opportunities yesterday, 4 October 2019, lol! If so, how right you were. I just couldn't get it out of my head that maybe, just maybe, the snow had melted in a few places enough to let a few fungi grow. Here, in Calgary, a lot of the snow has melted, though I don't know if the local parks and natural areas still have much snow cover. However, as I discovered yesterday, closer to the mountains, there are still a few inches of the white stuff on the ground. <br /> <br /> My intention had been to just drive west to the Bragg Creek area, to calm my mind one way or the other. Disappointment came quickly and, on the spur of the moment, I decided to drive west along Elbow Falls Trail in search of a few scenic shots. Though the landscape is always beautiful, there are only two or three places that I usually stop at, until I finally reach Forgetmenot Pond. The highway was beautifully clear of snow, but for walking, there were a few inches of snow and ice to slip and slide through. Once at the Pond, I only trudged as far as the main path that overlooks the water. At other times of the year, I walk around the pond, but not yesterday. I do not like winter walking!<br /> <br /> The eight photos I posted this morning are the only ones to post from yesterday's quick trip. It was getting on for 3:00 pm when I left home to drive westwards and, anyway, I didn't find much to shoot.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/51050838 tag:ipernity.com,2019-10-05,doc-51050838 Sat, 05 Oct 2019 16:49:05 +0000 2019-10-04T16:22:36-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/51050838"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/08/38/51050838.9bb8cb56.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">You may have already suspected that I was desperate for photo opportunities yesterday, 4 October 2019, lol! If so, how right you were. I just couldn't get it out of my head that maybe, just maybe, the snow had melted in a few places enough to let a few fungi grow. Here, in Calgary, a lot of the snow has melted, though I don't know if the local parks and natural areas still have much snow cover. However, as I discovered yesterday, closer to the mountains, there are still a few inches of the white stuff on the ground. <br /> <br /> My intention had been to just drive west to the Bragg Creek area, to calm my mind one way or the other. Disappointment came quickly and, on the spur of the moment, I decided to drive west along Elbow Falls Trail in search of a few scenic shots. Though the landscape is always beautiful, there are only two or three places that I usually stop at, until I finally reach Forgetmenot Pond. The highway was beautifully clear of snow, but for walking, there were a few inches of snow and ice to slip and slide through. Once at the Pond, I only trudged as far as the main path that overlooks the water. At other times of the year, I walk around the pond, but not yesterday. I do not like winter walking!<br /> <br /> The eight photos I posted this morning are the only ones to post from yesterday's quick trip. It was getting on for 3:00 pm when I left home to drive westwards and, anyway, I didn't find much to shoot.</div> Ice and bokeh <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/51050838"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/08/38/51050838.9bb8cb56.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">You may have already suspected that I was desperate for photo opportunities yesterday, 4 October 2019, lol! If so, how right you were. I just couldn't get it out of my head that maybe, just maybe, the snow had melted in a few places enough to let a few fungi grow. Here, in Calgary, a lot of the snow has melted, though I don't know if the local parks and natural areas still have much snow cover. However, as I discovered yesterday, closer to the mountains, there are still a few inches of the white stuff on the ground. <br /> <br /> My intention had been to just drive west to the Bragg Creek area, to calm my mind one way or the other. Disappointment came quickly and, on the spur of the moment, I decided to drive west along Elbow Falls Trail in search of a few scenic shots. Though the landscape is always beautiful, there are only two or three places that I usually stop at, until I finally reach Forgetmenot Pond. The highway was beautifully clear of snow, but for walking, there were a few inches of snow and ice to slip and slide through. Once at the Pond, I only trudged as far as the main path that overlooks the water. At other times of the year, I walk around the pond, but not yesterday. I do not like winter walking!<br /> <br /> The eight photos I posted this morning are the only ones to post from yesterday's quick trip. It was getting on for 3:00 pm when I left home to drive westwards and, anyway, I didn't find much to shoot.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50870584 tag:ipernity.com,2019-10-01,doc-50870584 Tue, 01 Oct 2019 16:04:01 +0000 2019-09-12T15:29:53-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50870584"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/05/84/50870584.63f71706.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">I finally got as far as the Calgary Zoo, on 12 September 2019. The last time I was there was on 26 June 2018 and the time before that had been 6 October 2015. I used to go several times a year, but the long gap from 2015 to 2018 was because of major road construction and a bridge replacement right by the Zoo. Anyway, it felt good to be back there a few weeks ago. .<br /> <br /> My visit only covered a small area of the Zoo, as I usually spend a lot of time in the Conservatory, enjoying the plants and tropical butterflies. I did call in to see the Giant Pandas one last time before they leave the Zoo after their five-year visit. How lucky we have been to have these four amazing animals visit our Zoo. They were in an inside enclosure, full of plants - and Bamboo, of course. The Zoo had another Panda visit way back in 1988, but they only stayed for seven months. The Conservation Status of the Giant Panda is Vulnerable, with fewer than 1,800 giant pandas left in the wild.<br /> <br /> A few hours well spent, happily clicking. Hopefully, it won't be so long before my next visit, though the west entrance does close each winter, and the north entrance is out of my driving comfort zone. It felt so good to once again be back in a place full of colour and interest. It also feels good to have some colourful photos to post this morning, following our three-day snow storm. I reckoned there must have been about 10 inches of snow on top of my fence and, sure enough, 10.6 inches (27 cm) of snow was recorded. Further south, in Waterton, they received 37.4 inches (95 cm) of the white stuff. No more snow in the forecast for the next little while, and the sun is shining today. Unfortunately, my computer is just about out of room, so a massive back-up of photo files and a lot of deleting from my hard drive is what is urgently needed.</div> Garden flower <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50870584"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/05/84/50870584.63f71706.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">I finally got as far as the Calgary Zoo, on 12 September 2019. The last time I was there was on 26 June 2018 and the time before that had been 6 October 2015. I used to go several times a year, but the long gap from 2015 to 2018 was because of major road construction and a bridge replacement right by the Zoo. Anyway, it felt good to be back there a few weeks ago. .<br /> <br /> My visit only covered a small area of the Zoo, as I usually spend a lot of time in the Conservatory, enjoying the plants and tropical butterflies. I did call in to see the Giant Pandas one last time before they leave the Zoo after their five-year visit. How lucky we have been to have these four amazing animals visit our Zoo. They were in an inside enclosure, full of plants - and Bamboo, of course. The Zoo had another Panda visit way back in 1988, but they only stayed for seven months. The Conservation Status of the Giant Panda is Vulnerable, with fewer than 1,800 giant pandas left in the wild.<br /> <br /> A few hours well spent, happily clicking. Hopefully, it won't be so long before my next visit, though the west entrance does close each winter, and the north entrance is out of my driving comfort zone. It felt so good to once again be back in a place full of colour and interest. It also feels good to have some colourful photos to post this morning, following our three-day snow storm. I reckoned there must have been about 10 inches of snow on top of my fence and, sure enough, 10.6 inches (27 cm) of snow was recorded. Further south, in Waterton, they received 37.4 inches (95 cm) of the white stuff. No more snow in the forecast for the next little while, and the sun is shining today. Unfortunately, my computer is just about out of room, so a massive back-up of photo files and a lot of deleting from my hard drive is what is urgently needed.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50840104 tag:ipernity.com,2019-09-28,doc-50840104 Sat, 28 Sep 2019 18:26:37 +0000 2019-09-03T16:13:13-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50840104"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/01/04/50840104.ad6e6202.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Goodbye fall, hello winter!!! Just five days into fall, and snow arrives in the city today, 28 September 2019. So far, there is maybe an inch of snow on the top of my fence and enough to cover my car, but thankfully, it has only been a light snowfall. Snowflakes still falling as I type. A few flurries are forecast for this afternoon and light snow tonight. Our temperature is -3C (windchill -8C). The forecast in Alberta for today and the next two days is "Winter storm could bring 60+ cm of snow, blizzard-like conditions possible." Thanks, Weather Network. I think Calgary will be spared the worst of the storm. The ground is still warm, so hopefully the snow will melt quickly. Here, the last snowfall typically happens in April or May, so we have very roughly seven months of snow/winter to face. Apparently, there has been snow in eight of the last 20 Septembers in Calgary, and snow in 19 of the last 20 Octobers.<br /> <br /> Needless to say, I needed COLOUR today, so I grabbed a few photos taken in a city garden on 3 September 2019. This is what I wrote when I posted several photos from that day:<br /> <br /> "Yesterday afternoon, 3 September 2019, was spent surrounded by colourful garden flowers. Knowing that it is not unusual for us to get snow in September, I knew I just had to go and capture some cheery colour before fall arrived and it was too late. That included Sunflowers, which are always a favourite. Just one orange one among the many yellow, and I could only see it from the back. A little gang of American Goldfinches was making the most of the Sunflower seeds."</div> A summer memory <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50840104"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/01/04/50840104.ad6e6202.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Goodbye fall, hello winter!!! Just five days into fall, and snow arrives in the city today, 28 September 2019. So far, there is maybe an inch of snow on the top of my fence and enough to cover my car, but thankfully, it has only been a light snowfall. Snowflakes still falling as I type. A few flurries are forecast for this afternoon and light snow tonight. Our temperature is -3C (windchill -8C). The forecast in Alberta for today and the next two days is "Winter storm could bring 60+ cm of snow, blizzard-like conditions possible." Thanks, Weather Network. I think Calgary will be spared the worst of the storm. The ground is still warm, so hopefully the snow will melt quickly. Here, the last snowfall typically happens in April or May, so we have very roughly seven months of snow/winter to face. Apparently, there has been snow in eight of the last 20 Septembers in Calgary, and snow in 19 of the last 20 Octobers.<br /> <br /> Needless to say, I needed COLOUR today, so I grabbed a few photos taken in a city garden on 3 September 2019. This is what I wrote when I posted several photos from that day:<br /> <br /> "Yesterday afternoon, 3 September 2019, was spent surrounded by colourful garden flowers. Knowing that it is not unusual for us to get snow in September, I knew I just had to go and capture some cheery colour before fall arrived and it was too late. That included Sunflowers, which are always a favourite. Just one orange one among the many yellow, and I could only see it from the back. A little gang of American Goldfinches was making the most of the Sunflower seeds."</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50747816 tag:ipernity.com,2019-09-24,doc-50747816 Tue, 24 Sep 2019 04:43:10 +0000 2019-09-23T13:40:09-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50747816"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/78/16/50747816.c476c46a.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This afternoon, 23 September 2019, I made a last-minute dash to the Saskatoon Farm, after seeing the very unpleasant weather forecast that is about to hit us. A couple of days of rain followed by a few days of SNOW. These colourful images should have waited till our world turns white, but just the thought of seeing snow was enough to make me long for colour - and lots of it! Also, I thought I had better post something other than fungi, though I have so many more photos of them that I need to edit and upload.<br /> <br /> The sun was supposed to shine today, along with some cloud, but it turned out to be an overcast afternoon with poor light for photos. Better than snow, any day.<br /> <br /> This interesting place is maybe a 20-minute drive SE from the southern edge of Calgary. You can collect your own Saskatoon berries in season, look around their outside green houses, and their inside gift shop full of unusual things, and buy special baking, jams, teas and so on. They also have a restaurant that offers great food. <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.saskatoonfarm.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.saskatoonfarm.com/</a><br /> <br /> As usual, I wandered round the grounds with my camera, catching two of the dogs, a chicken, as well as flowers. Many of the latter are on their last legs, but there is still some colour to be enjoyed. I never return home with an empty memory card when I visit this place.</div> Sunflower, against a pink barn <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50747816"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/78/16/50747816.c476c46a.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This afternoon, 23 September 2019, I made a last-minute dash to the Saskatoon Farm, after seeing the very unpleasant weather forecast that is about to hit us. A couple of days of rain followed by a few days of SNOW. These colourful images should have waited till our world turns white, but just the thought of seeing snow was enough to make me long for colour - and lots of it! Also, I thought I had better post something other than fungi, though I have so many more photos of them that I need to edit and upload.<br /> <br /> The sun was supposed to shine today, along with some cloud, but it turned out to be an overcast afternoon with poor light for photos. Better than snow, any day.<br /> <br /> This interesting place is maybe a 20-minute drive SE from the southern edge of Calgary. You can collect your own Saskatoon berries in season, look around their outside green houses, and their inside gift shop full of unusual things, and buy special baking, jams, teas and so on. They also have a restaurant that offers great food. <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.saskatoonfarm.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.saskatoonfarm.com/</a><br /> <br /> As usual, I wandered round the grounds with my camera, catching two of the dogs, a chicken, as well as flowers. Many of the latter are on their last legs, but there is still some colour to be enjoyed. I never return home with an empty memory card when I visit this place.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50673926 tag:ipernity.com,2019-09-13,doc-50673926 Fri, 13 Sep 2019 18:04:58 +0000 2019-09-08T12:29:41-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50673926"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/39/26/50673926.6972ba85.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">As usual, any fungi IDs given are always tentative, not 100% confirmed. Rule is, if you are not an expert in mycology, do not pick wild mushrooms to eat! You could end up very sick, or worse. <br /> <br /> Another gloomy morning today, 13 September 2019, with a temperature of 14C just after noon. Yesterday, however, it was actually sunny, so I had to get out and make the most of it in the afternoon. It definitely feels and looks like fall. Snow is already being forecast for parts of Alberta. It will soon be time to get all-season tires off and winter tires put on.<br /> <br /> Five days ago, on 8 September 2019, we had such a wonderful four and a half hours, searching for different kinds of fungi in the amazing forest on Rod Handfield's land, SW of Calgary. I believe this was our tenth visit - the first one I went on, being on 25 June 2009 - each one resulting in various different species. This last visit was so overwhelming! You didn't know which direction to face and which mushroom to photograph first. They were everywhere! Such a contrast to our visit on 6 August 2017, when basically there were no mushrooms (other than maybe three), because everywhere had been so very dry. <br /> <br /> A day like this can be so exhausting, not just from the walking and fresh air, but also because of all the excitement. The quality of many of my photos is not the best, as the day was very overcast - the last thing one wants when trying to take photos deep in the forest. After leaving Rod's, it did rain. I had driven myself there instead of carpooling, so that I could drive some of the backroads in the area after we had finished. The forecast was for sun and cloud - and I had foolishly believed it. The rain put an end to my plans and I headed for home. I'm so glad I had checked a special little spot near Rod's first thing in the morning, when I got there a bit too early. A few years ago, there was a beautiful display of Fly Agaric / Amanita muscaria mushrooms growing there, but not since then whenever I have checked. To my absolute delight, there were maybe half a dozen, in different stages of development. Surprisingly, we didn't come across a single one in Rod's forest this year.<br /> <br /> As always, thank you so much, Rod, for so generously allowing us to explore your property. This has been my favourite place to visit for quite a number of years now. We greatly appreciate your kindness - you are always so welcoming, and we learn so much and discover so many beautiful things. Thank you, Karel, for leading the group and helping with identifications. I'm sure at least some of us are anxiously waiting for you to have time, in between leading botany walks, to post some of your photos along with their IDs. Meanwhile, "fungus" has to be sufficient for most of them.</div> Mushroom growing on top of a tall tree stump <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50673926"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/39/26/50673926.6972ba85.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">As usual, any fungi IDs given are always tentative, not 100% confirmed. Rule is, if you are not an expert in mycology, do not pick wild mushrooms to eat! You could end up very sick, or worse. <br /> <br /> Another gloomy morning today, 13 September 2019, with a temperature of 14C just after noon. Yesterday, however, it was actually sunny, so I had to get out and make the most of it in the afternoon. It definitely feels and looks like fall. Snow is already being forecast for parts of Alberta. It will soon be time to get all-season tires off and winter tires put on.<br /> <br /> Five days ago, on 8 September 2019, we had such a wonderful four and a half hours, searching for different kinds of fungi in the amazing forest on Rod Handfield's land, SW of Calgary. I believe this was our tenth visit - the first one I went on, being on 25 June 2009 - each one resulting in various different species. This last visit was so overwhelming! You didn't know which direction to face and which mushroom to photograph first. They were everywhere! Such a contrast to our visit on 6 August 2017, when basically there were no mushrooms (other than maybe three), because everywhere had been so very dry. <br /> <br /> A day like this can be so exhausting, not just from the walking and fresh air, but also because of all the excitement. The quality of many of my photos is not the best, as the day was very overcast - the last thing one wants when trying to take photos deep in the forest. After leaving Rod's, it did rain. I had driven myself there instead of carpooling, so that I could drive some of the backroads in the area after we had finished. The forecast was for sun and cloud - and I had foolishly believed it. The rain put an end to my plans and I headed for home. I'm so glad I had checked a special little spot near Rod's first thing in the morning, when I got there a bit too early. A few years ago, there was a beautiful display of Fly Agaric / Amanita muscaria mushrooms growing there, but not since then whenever I have checked. To my absolute delight, there were maybe half a dozen, in different stages of development. Surprisingly, we didn't come across a single one in Rod's forest this year.<br /> <br /> As always, thank you so much, Rod, for so generously allowing us to explore your property. This has been my favourite place to visit for quite a number of years now. We greatly appreciate your kindness - you are always so welcoming, and we learn so much and discover so many beautiful things. Thank you, Karel, for leading the group and helping with identifications. I'm sure at least some of us are anxiously waiting for you to have time, in between leading botany walks, to post some of your photos along with their IDs. Meanwhile, "fungus" has to be sufficient for most of them.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50591876 tag:ipernity.com,2019-09-04,doc-50591876 Wed, 04 Sep 2019 15:27:14 +0000 2019-09-03T16:16:41-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50591876"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/18/76/50591876.2e3174fc.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Yesterday afternoon, 3 September 2019, was spent surrounded by colourful garden flowers. Knowing that it is not unusual for us to get snow in September, I knew I just had to go and capture some cheery colour before fall arrived and it was too late. That included Sunflowers, which are always a favourite. Just one orange one among the many yellow, and I could only see it from the back. A little gang of American Goldfinches was making the most of the Sunflower seeds.</div> Gaillardia <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50591876"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/18/76/50591876.2e3174fc.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Yesterday afternoon, 3 September 2019, was spent surrounded by colourful garden flowers. Knowing that it is not unusual for us to get snow in September, I knew I just had to go and capture some cheery colour before fall arrived and it was too late. That included Sunflowers, which are always a favourite. Just one orange one among the many yellow, and I could only see it from the back. A little gang of American Goldfinches was making the most of the Sunflower seeds.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50578986 tag:ipernity.com,2019-09-01,doc-50578986 Sun, 01 Sep 2019 15:17:12 +0000 2019-08-30T10:38:37-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50578986"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/89/86/50578986.9ed745ea.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This morning, 1 September 2019, I have posted 7 more photos from our fungus foray in West Bragg Creek, on 30 August. Our leader (Czechoslovakian) always lets out a loud exclamation of joy whenever he comes across a beautiful Bolete mushroom, perfect for soup or other delicious meals.<br /> <br /> Note: any IDs given are always tentative, even when we have been provided with an ID. Fungi are not easy to identify and caution must always be taken if a person picks mushrooms for eating! Unless you are a trained specialist, never eat wild mushrooms.<br /> <br /> How many fungus species are there? It depends on what you read. For example, the two comments below are extremely different!<br /> <br /> "Currently, there are over 10,000 known types of mushrooms. That may seem like a large number, but mycologists suspect that this is only a fraction of what's out there! We can put these various species in one of 4 categories: saprotrophic, mycorrhizal, parasitic, and endophytic." From link below.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/types-of-mushrooms.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.mushroom-appreciation.com/types-of-mushrooms.html</a><br /> <br /> "Even scientists don’t currently agree on how many fungi there might be but only about 120,000 of them have been described so far." From link below.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2018/01/fungi.php" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2018/01/fungi.php</a><br /> <br /> Two days ago, on 30 August 2019, I went with a small group of friends to search for fungi at West Bragg Creek, west of Calgary. I had been hoping for a bright, sunny day that would allow enough light into the forest for photography. However, that was not the case, but at least we didn't have rain, unlike yesterday and today, overcast and raining. Most unwelcome weather for a long weekend. I'm wearing a sweater, and have turned on the heating. Is this really still summer? In fact, did we actually have a summer? High temperature yesterday was 14C and it's only 12C as I type.<br /> <br /> What we did have was the joy of finding enough fungi to keep us happy. We sure had to work hard to see them, with even more bush-whacking than usual. The forest floor is treacherous there, with such a dense blanket of soft moss, that you never knew when you were going to suddenly sink. In contrast, there are a lot of fallen trees and broken branches to trip you. Unfortunately, we did have one casualty that resulted in blood, and no doubt a few bruises today. I find that every single step you take needs to be done with great caution - and with good friends who help when necessary! We got a real workout and I definitely feel painful today. <br /> <br /> When I arrived at the parking lot first thing, a huge, lit sign said "Warning - bears in the area"! Not the first time that has happened, and I know I would never go exploring on my own. As it was, the only animals we saw were Maggie and Ben, our leader's Beagles.</div> Bolete <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50578986"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/89/86/50578986.9ed745ea.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This morning, 1 September 2019, I have posted 7 more photos from our fungus foray in West Bragg Creek, on 30 August. Our leader (Czechoslovakian) always lets out a loud exclamation of joy whenever he comes across a beautiful Bolete mushroom, perfect for soup or other delicious meals.<br /> <br /> Note: any IDs given are always tentative, even when we have been provided with an ID. Fungi are not easy to identify and caution must always be taken if a person picks mushrooms for eating! Unless you are a trained specialist, never eat wild mushrooms.<br /> <br /> How many fungus species are there? It depends on what you read. For example, the two comments below are extremely different!<br /> <br /> "Currently, there are over 10,000 known types of mushrooms. That may seem like a large number, but mycologists suspect that this is only a fraction of what's out there! We can put these various species in one of 4 categories: saprotrophic, mycorrhizal, parasitic, and endophytic." From link below.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/types-of-mushrooms.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.mushroom-appreciation.com/types-of-mushrooms.html</a><br /> <br /> "Even scientists don’t currently agree on how many fungi there might be but only about 120,000 of them have been described so far." From link below.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2018/01/fungi.php" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2018/01/fungi.php</a><br /> <br /> Two days ago, on 30 August 2019, I went with a small group of friends to search for fungi at West Bragg Creek, west of Calgary. I had been hoping for a bright, sunny day that would allow enough light into the forest for photography. However, that was not the case, but at least we didn't have rain, unlike yesterday and today, overcast and raining. Most unwelcome weather for a long weekend. I'm wearing a sweater, and have turned on the heating. Is this really still summer? In fact, did we actually have a summer? High temperature yesterday was 14C and it's only 12C as I type.<br /> <br /> What we did have was the joy of finding enough fungi to keep us happy. We sure had to work hard to see them, with even more bush-whacking than usual. The forest floor is treacherous there, with such a dense blanket of soft moss, that you never knew when you were going to suddenly sink. In contrast, there are a lot of fallen trees and broken branches to trip you. Unfortunately, we did have one casualty that resulted in blood, and no doubt a few bruises today. I find that every single step you take needs to be done with great caution - and with good friends who help when necessary! We got a real workout and I definitely feel painful today. <br /> <br /> When I arrived at the parking lot first thing, a huge, lit sign said "Warning - bears in the area"! Not the first time that has happened, and I know I would never go exploring on my own. As it was, the only animals we saw were Maggie and Ben, our leader's Beagles.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50578984 tag:ipernity.com,2019-09-01,doc-50578984 Sun, 01 Sep 2019 15:16:26 +0000 2019-08-30T10:51:47-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50578984"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/89/84/50578984.e346430c.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This morning, 1 September 2019, I have posted 7 more photos from our fungus foray in West Bragg Creek, on 30 August.<br /> <br /> "This attractive mushroom has a cinnabar cap that is covered with mealy granules, and a stem that is distinctively sheathed. It is a saprobe under conifers, helping to decompose needle duff and forest debris. The color of the cap and the habitat under conifers, together with its fairly large size, will separate Cystoderma cinnabarinum from many other species of Cystoderma--but microscopic analysis (details below) may be required to separate it from a handful of potentially similar species."<br /> <br /> <a href="https://mushroomexpert.com/cystoderma_cinnabarinum.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">mushroomexpert.com/cystoderma_cinnabarinum.html</a><br /> <br /> Note: any IDs given are always tentative, even when we have been provided with an ID. Fungi are not easy to identify and caution must always be taken if a person picks mushrooms for eating! Unless you are a trained specialist, never eat wild mushrooms.<br /> <br /> How many fungus species are there? It depends on what you read. For example, the two comments below are extremely different!<br /> <br /> "Currently, there are over 10,000 known types of mushrooms. That may seem like a large number, but mycologists suspect that this is only a fraction of what's out there! We can put these various species in one of 4 categories: saprotrophic, mycorrhizal, parasitic, and endophytic." From link below.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/types-of-mushrooms.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.mushroom-appreciation.com/types-of-mushrooms.html</a><br /> <br /> "Even scientists don’t currently agree on how many fungi there might be but only about 120,000 of them have been described so far." From link below.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2018/01/fungi.php" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2018/01/fungi.php</a><br /> <br /> Two days ago, on 30 August 2019, I went with a small group of friends to search for fungi at West Bragg Creek, west of Calgary. I had been hoping for a bright, sunny day that would allow enough light into the forest for photography. However, that was not the case, but at least we didn't have rain, unlike yesterday and today, overcast and raining. Most unwelcome weather for a long weekend. I'm wearing a sweater, and have turned on the heating. Is this really still summer? In fact, did we actually have a summer? High temperature yesterday was 14C and it's only 12C as I type.<br /> <br /> What we did have was the joy of finding enough fungi to keep us happy. We sure had to work hard to see them, with even more bush-whacking than usual. The forest floor is treacherous there, with such a dense blanket of soft moss, that you never knew when you were going to suddenly sink. In contrast, there are a lot of fallen trees and broken branches to trip you. Unfortunately, we did have one casualty that resulted in blood, and no doubt a few bruises today. I find that every single step you take needs to be done with great caution - and with good friends who help when necessary! We got a real workout and I definitely feel painful today. <br /> <br /> When I arrived at the parking lot first thing, a huge, lit sign said "Warning - bears in the area"! Not the first time that has happened, and I know I would never go exploring on my own. As it was, the only animals we saw were Maggie and Ben, our leader's Beagles.</div> Cystoderma cinnabarina <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50578984"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/89/84/50578984.e346430c.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This morning, 1 September 2019, I have posted 7 more photos from our fungus foray in West Bragg Creek, on 30 August.<br /> <br /> "This attractive mushroom has a cinnabar cap that is covered with mealy granules, and a stem that is distinctively sheathed. It is a saprobe under conifers, helping to decompose needle duff and forest debris. The color of the cap and the habitat under conifers, together with its fairly large size, will separate Cystoderma cinnabarinum from many other species of Cystoderma--but microscopic analysis (details below) may be required to separate it from a handful of potentially similar species."<br /> <br /> <a href="https://mushroomexpert.com/cystoderma_cinnabarinum.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">mushroomexpert.com/cystoderma_cinnabarinum.html</a><br /> <br /> Note: any IDs given are always tentative, even when we have been provided with an ID. Fungi are not easy to identify and caution must always be taken if a person picks mushrooms for eating! Unless you are a trained specialist, never eat wild mushrooms.<br /> <br /> How many fungus species are there? It depends on what you read. For example, the two comments below are extremely different!<br /> <br /> "Currently, there are over 10,000 known types of mushrooms. That may seem like a large number, but mycologists suspect that this is only a fraction of what's out there! We can put these various species in one of 4 categories: saprotrophic, mycorrhizal, parasitic, and endophytic." From link below.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/types-of-mushrooms.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.mushroom-appreciation.com/types-of-mushrooms.html</a><br /> <br /> "Even scientists don’t currently agree on how many fungi there might be but only about 120,000 of them have been described so far." From link below.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2018/01/fungi.php" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2018/01/fungi.php</a><br /> <br /> Two days ago, on 30 August 2019, I went with a small group of friends to search for fungi at West Bragg Creek, west of Calgary. I had been hoping for a bright, sunny day that would allow enough light into the forest for photography. However, that was not the case, but at least we didn't have rain, unlike yesterday and today, overcast and raining. Most unwelcome weather for a long weekend. I'm wearing a sweater, and have turned on the heating. Is this really still summer? In fact, did we actually have a summer? High temperature yesterday was 14C and it's only 12C as I type.<br /> <br /> What we did have was the joy of finding enough fungi to keep us happy. We sure had to work hard to see them, with even more bush-whacking than usual. The forest floor is treacherous there, with such a dense blanket of soft moss, that you never knew when you were going to suddenly sink. In contrast, there are a lot of fallen trees and broken branches to trip you. Unfortunately, we did have one casualty that resulted in blood, and no doubt a few bruises today. I find that every single step you take needs to be done with great caution - and with good friends who help when necessary! We got a real workout and I definitely feel painful today. <br /> <br /> When I arrived at the parking lot first thing, a huge, lit sign said "Warning - bears in the area"! Not the first time that has happened, and I know I would never go exploring on my own. As it was, the only animals we saw were Maggie and Ben, our leader's Beagles.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50578980 tag:ipernity.com,2019-09-01,doc-50578980 Sun, 01 Sep 2019 15:15:43 +0000 2019-08-30T10:51:09-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50578980"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/89/80/50578980.ca599f68.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This morning, 1 September 2019, I have posted 7 more photos from our fungus foray in West Bragg Creek, on 30 August.<br /> <br /> "This attractive mushroom has a cinnabar cap that is covered with mealy granules, and a stem that is distinctively sheathed. It is a saprobe under conifers, helping to decompose needle duff and forest debris. The color of the cap and the habitat under conifers, together with its fairly large size, will separate Cystoderma cinnabarinum from many other species of Cystoderma--but microscopic analysis (details below) may be required to separate it from a handful of potentially similar species."<br /> <br /> <a href="https://mushroomexpert.com/cystoderma_cinnabarinum.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">mushroomexpert.com/cystoderma_cinnabarinum.html</a><br /> <br /> Note: any IDs given are always tentative, even when we have been provided with an ID. Fungi are not easy to identify and caution must always be taken if a person picks mushrooms for eating! Unless you are a trained specialist, never eat wild mushrooms.<br /> <br /> How many fungus species are there? It depends on what you read. For example, the two comments below are extremely different!<br /> <br /> "Currently, there are over 10,000 known types of mushrooms. That may seem like a large number, but mycologists suspect that this is only a fraction of what's out there! We can put these various species in one of 4 categories: saprotrophic, mycorrhizal, parasitic, and endophytic." From link below.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/types-of-mushrooms.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.mushroom-appreciation.com/types-of-mushrooms.html</a><br /> <br /> "Even scientists don’t currently agree on how many fungi there might be but only about 120,000 of them have been described so far." From link below.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2018/01/fungi.php" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2018/01/fungi.php</a><br /> <br /> Two days ago, on 30 August 2019, I went with a small group of friends to search for fungi at West Bragg Creek, west of Calgary. I had been hoping for a bright, sunny day that would allow enough light into the forest for photography. However, that was not the case, but at least we didn't have rain, unlike yesterday and today, overcast and raining. Most unwelcome weather for a long weekend. I'm wearing a sweater, and have turned on the heating. Is this really still summer? In fact, did we actually have a summer? High temperature yesterday was 14C and it's only 12C as I type.<br /> <br /> What we did have was the joy of finding enough fungi to keep us happy. We sure had to work hard to see them, with even more bush-whacking than usual. The forest floor is treacherous there, with such a dense blanket of soft moss, that you never knew when you were going to suddenly sink. In contrast, there are a lot of fallen trees and broken branches to trip you. Unfortunately, we did have one casualty that resulted in blood, and no doubt a few bruises today. I find that every single step you take needs to be done with great caution - and with good friends who help when necessary! We got a real workout and I definitely feel painful today. <br /> <br /> When I arrived at the parking lot first thing, a huge, lit sign said "Warning - bears in the area"! Not the first time that has happened, and I know I would never go exploring on my own. As it was, the only animals we saw were Maggie and Ben, our leader's Beagles.</div> Cystoderma cinnabarina <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50578980"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/89/80/50578980.ca599f68.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This morning, 1 September 2019, I have posted 7 more photos from our fungus foray in West Bragg Creek, on 30 August.<br /> <br /> "This attractive mushroom has a cinnabar cap that is covered with mealy granules, and a stem that is distinctively sheathed. It is a saprobe under conifers, helping to decompose needle duff and forest debris. The color of the cap and the habitat under conifers, together with its fairly large size, will separate Cystoderma cinnabarinum from many other species of Cystoderma--but microscopic analysis (details below) may be required to separate it from a handful of potentially similar species."<br /> <br /> <a href="https://mushroomexpert.com/cystoderma_cinnabarinum.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">mushroomexpert.com/cystoderma_cinnabarinum.html</a><br /> <br /> Note: any IDs given are always tentative, even when we have been provided with an ID. Fungi are not easy to identify and caution must always be taken if a person picks mushrooms for eating! Unless you are a trained specialist, never eat wild mushrooms.<br /> <br /> How many fungus species are there? It depends on what you read. For example, the two comments below are extremely different!<br /> <br /> "Currently, there are over 10,000 known types of mushrooms. That may seem like a large number, but mycologists suspect that this is only a fraction of what's out there! We can put these various species in one of 4 categories: saprotrophic, mycorrhizal, parasitic, and endophytic." From link below.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/types-of-mushrooms.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.mushroom-appreciation.com/types-of-mushrooms.html</a><br /> <br /> "Even scientists don’t currently agree on how many fungi there might be but only about 120,000 of them have been described so far." From link below.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2018/01/fungi.php" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2018/01/fungi.php</a><br /> <br /> Two days ago, on 30 August 2019, I went with a small group of friends to search for fungi at West Bragg Creek, west of Calgary. I had been hoping for a bright, sunny day that would allow enough light into the forest for photography. However, that was not the case, but at least we didn't have rain, unlike yesterday and today, overcast and raining. Most unwelcome weather for a long weekend. I'm wearing a sweater, and have turned on the heating. Is this really still summer? In fact, did we actually have a summer? High temperature yesterday was 14C and it's only 12C as I type.<br /> <br /> What we did have was the joy of finding enough fungi to keep us happy. We sure had to work hard to see them, with even more bush-whacking than usual. The forest floor is treacherous there, with such a dense blanket of soft moss, that you never knew when you were going to suddenly sink. In contrast, there are a lot of fallen trees and broken branches to trip you. Unfortunately, we did have one casualty that resulted in blood, and no doubt a few bruises today. I find that every single step you take needs to be done with great caution - and with good friends who help when necessary! We got a real workout and I definitely feel painful today. <br /> <br /> When I arrived at the parking lot first thing, a huge, lit sign said "Warning - bears in the area"! Not the first time that has happened, and I know I would never go exploring on my own. As it was, the only animals we saw were Maggie and Ben, our leader's Beagles.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49883404 tag:ipernity.com,2019-08-02,doc-49883404 Fri, 02 Aug 2019 15:33:52 +0000 2019-08-01T15:52:51-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49883404"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/34/04/49883404.f235348b.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Will have to add descriptions, etc. later, as I have a dental appointment to get to.<br /> <br /> Later. Yesterday, 2 August 2019, was a day of a little bit of everything, which was fun. I only decided around noon to go for an afternoon drive west of the city. It was hot and there was a haze over the mountains. Both cameras took photos with rather blown out skies - because of the haze? <br /> <br /> My destination was Forgetmenot Pond, out past Bragg Creek. Forget-me-not is the name of a flower. This weekend is a long weekend for a Civic Holiday on Monday, so I thought there might be far fewer people yesterday, Thursday. A lot of people seemed to have the same idea as me!<br /> <br /> There was a good variety of wildflowers, some of which I will have to leave unidentified and post simply as "pretty pictures". So nice to find Prairie Gentians, which I haven't seen for a long time. A few others were Grass-of-Parnassus, Elephant's Head Lousewort, different Paintbrush, Alpine Bistort, and beautiful Yellow Mountain-avens. Love the small flowers of the latter and their beautifully twisted seedheads. The only birds I saw in the area were Barn Swallows who were nesting, and a calling Spotted Sandpiper, perched on a piece of driftwood the far side of the river.<br /> <br /> After walking around the lake, I started on my return drive. Before long, I decided to take a quick look in a forested area, to see if there were any mushrooms, but only found the ones seen in one of today's photos. While I was there, cows were the furthest thing from my mind. I guess they are let loose in that area of forest, so they do a good job of fertilizing everything. When I spotted the two mushrooms, I was excited and didn't realize that my left shoe ended up in something that felt very soft and a little slippery! Sigh! <br /> <br /> Maclean Pond was the only other place I stopped, just briefly, during my mountain drive, until I was closer to home. Thought I would drive along one of the roads that had given me a good variety of birds fairly recently. This time, absolutely nothing. I discovered that one road was blocked (maybe part of the major road construction going on for the Ring Road around the city?), Instead, I came back along a road I hadn't been along for quite a while - and what an amazing sight I saw. Way down the road, I could see some large brown animals on the road. My first thought was 'cows'. However, I pulled over and zoomed right in to check, discovering that they were Elk. Maybe two or three hundred of them - they just kept coming and when you thought they would be no more, another group appeared on the hillside. They were all constantly calling, which you can hear on the little bit of video I took. Will post another short, somewhat closer bit of video later. There were males, females and young ones. Fortunately, no other vehicles came along the road while I was there. An amazing thing to witness.</div> Yellow Mountain-avens / Dryas drummondii <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49883404"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/34/04/49883404.f235348b.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Will have to add descriptions, etc. later, as I have a dental appointment to get to.<br /> <br /> Later. Yesterday, 2 August 2019, was a day of a little bit of everything, which was fun. I only decided around noon to go for an afternoon drive west of the city. It was hot and there was a haze over the mountains. Both cameras took photos with rather blown out skies - because of the haze? <br /> <br /> My destination was Forgetmenot Pond, out past Bragg Creek. Forget-me-not is the name of a flower. This weekend is a long weekend for a Civic Holiday on Monday, so I thought there might be far fewer people yesterday, Thursday. A lot of people seemed to have the same idea as me!<br /> <br /> There was a good variety of wildflowers, some of which I will have to leave unidentified and post simply as "pretty pictures". So nice to find Prairie Gentians, which I haven't seen for a long time. A few others were Grass-of-Parnassus, Elephant's Head Lousewort, different Paintbrush, Alpine Bistort, and beautiful Yellow Mountain-avens. Love the small flowers of the latter and their beautifully twisted seedheads. The only birds I saw in the area were Barn Swallows who were nesting, and a calling Spotted Sandpiper, perched on a piece of driftwood the far side of the river.<br /> <br /> After walking around the lake, I started on my return drive. Before long, I decided to take a quick look in a forested area, to see if there were any mushrooms, but only found the ones seen in one of today's photos. While I was there, cows were the furthest thing from my mind. I guess they are let loose in that area of forest, so they do a good job of fertilizing everything. When I spotted the two mushrooms, I was excited and didn't realize that my left shoe ended up in something that felt very soft and a little slippery! Sigh! <br /> <br /> Maclean Pond was the only other place I stopped, just briefly, during my mountain drive, until I was closer to home. Thought I would drive along one of the roads that had given me a good variety of birds fairly recently. This time, absolutely nothing. I discovered that one road was blocked (maybe part of the major road construction going on for the Ring Road around the city?), Instead, I came back along a road I hadn't been along for quite a while - and what an amazing sight I saw. Way down the road, I could see some large brown animals on the road. My first thought was 'cows'. However, I pulled over and zoomed right in to check, discovering that they were Elk. Maybe two or three hundred of them - they just kept coming and when you thought they would be no more, another group appeared on the hillside. They were all constantly calling, which you can hear on the little bit of video I took. Will post another short, somewhat closer bit of video later. There were males, females and young ones. Fortunately, no other vehicles came along the road while I was there. An amazing thing to witness.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49870662 tag:ipernity.com,2019-07-29,doc-49870662 Mon, 29 Jul 2019 19:27:13 +0000 2019-07-27T10:58:47-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49870662"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/06/62/49870662.2af41e4d.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Love the ring of tiny, green hearts (glands) that each flower has inside.<br /> <br /> "All parts of the Mountain Death Camas plant are poisonous from alkaloids more toxic than strychnine and can sicken livestock. Plants over-winter as a bulb that is very similar to the wild onion and a few settlers learned of its toxicity the hard way. Alkaloid poisoning is a terrible way to die!"<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/mountain-death-camas" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/mountain-death-camas</a><br /> <br /> "Mountain Death Camas is also sometimes called Poison Camas, Poison Sego, Alakali Grass, White Camas, Wand Lily, and Death Camas. These common names elude to the poisonous compounds found in this lily.<br /> <br /> The scientific name elegans means elegant. It is a beautiful, flowing plant even though it its highly poisonous. The genus contains plants with alkaloids toxic to both man and livestock. Sheep are frequently affected, since they seem to eat the plants more readily than other animals do. Hogs are said to be immune to the poison. Poisoning usually occurs in early spring because the death camases appear before most other range plants and their succulent leaves are available.<br /> <br /> Make sure not to confuse this plant with the true Camas, which formed a stable food for Indians of the Northwest. The flowers are quite different, but Indians did occasionally mistake bulbs of the two, since both plants grow together in meadows. It is difficult to distinguish death camases from onions, sego lilies, fritillaries, and wild hyacinths when the edible plants are only a few inches high. However, a combination of leaf characters and a cross section of the bulbs or corms is diagnostic at any stage in the development of the plants." From Untamed Science.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.untamedscience.com/biodiversity/mountain-death-camas/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.untamedscience.com/biodiversity/mountain-death-camas/</a><br /> <br /> The day before yesterday, 27 July 2019, was such an enjoyable day, with a few lovely surprises. We had been invited to do a bio-blitz (i.e. list every plant, tree, bird, insect, fungi, etc. species) on the property belonging to Dennis Apedaile and family. This forested area is NW of Cochrane, reached by a beautiful road that was new to us. The night before the trip was SO hot indoors (no air-conditioning), I didn't get even one minute of sleep all night. <br /> <br /> The early morning started off with our first sighting - one of the neighbourhood Jackrabbits, seen when we were leaving our leader's house.<br /> <br /> The next sighting, and unfortunately only seen by me, came as a total surprise. We were driving along the highway when I spotted a black dog in a field. I was a bit surprised to see it wandering on its own. OMG, it's not a dog, it's a Black Bear!! We were going too fast and passed it before anyone else could see it. Wish I had thought about trying to get a photo - no time, anyway.<br /> <br /> Nine of us from Calgary took part in this bioblitz, along with three ladies from the Summer Village on Ghost Lake. We were also joined by about 12 members of Dennis & Charlotte’s family, their friends and neighbours. A fun, most enjoyable group of interesting people. Our group took our lunch with us, but we were encouraged to also help ourselves to the delicious food provided.<br /> <br /> The morning and part of the afternoon were spent on a slow walk along various forest trails on the Apedaile's acreage. We came across all sorts of wildflowers, the odd insect, and yes, we even found a few mushrooms, including Aspen Boletes. Birds were almost non-existent! I spotted a Hummingbird that flew to one of the feeders, a Black-capped Chickadee flitted about in the trees near the house, and someone noticed a Red-breasted Nuthatch.<br /> <br /> Everyone was thrilled to bits to suddenly notice something fairly small flying in all directions near a fire pit, that had a tangle of dead branches and a few pieces of wood piled up. It was a Little Brown Bat! After a few seconds, it flew into this pile, hid from view, and stayed there.<br /> <br /> When it was time to leave, we began walking towards our cars, when suddenly the wind became very strong and it started to rain. It didn't last long, but unfortunately, we had to make a very hurried departure. Thank you so much, Dennis and Charlotte, for letting us come and explore your wonderful property! Having you all come along with us made the visit even more enjoyable. Thanks, too, to good friends, Dorothy and Stephen, for driving four of us there and back. As always, so much appreciated.</div> Mountain Death Camas / Zigadenus elegans <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49870662"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/06/62/49870662.2af41e4d.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Love the ring of tiny, green hearts (glands) that each flower has inside.<br /> <br /> "All parts of the Mountain Death Camas plant are poisonous from alkaloids more toxic than strychnine and can sicken livestock. Plants over-winter as a bulb that is very similar to the wild onion and a few settlers learned of its toxicity the hard way. Alkaloid poisoning is a terrible way to die!"<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/mountain-death-camas" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/mountain-death-camas</a><br /> <br /> "Mountain Death Camas is also sometimes called Poison Camas, Poison Sego, Alakali Grass, White Camas, Wand Lily, and Death Camas. These common names elude to the poisonous compounds found in this lily.<br /> <br /> The scientific name elegans means elegant. It is a beautiful, flowing plant even though it its highly poisonous. The genus contains plants with alkaloids toxic to both man and livestock. Sheep are frequently affected, since they seem to eat the plants more readily than other animals do. Hogs are said to be immune to the poison. Poisoning usually occurs in early spring because the death camases appear before most other range plants and their succulent leaves are available.<br /> <br /> Make sure not to confuse this plant with the true Camas, which formed a stable food for Indians of the Northwest. The flowers are quite different, but Indians did occasionally mistake bulbs of the two, since both plants grow together in meadows. It is difficult to distinguish death camases from onions, sego lilies, fritillaries, and wild hyacinths when the edible plants are only a few inches high. However, a combination of leaf characters and a cross section of the bulbs or corms is diagnostic at any stage in the development of the plants." From Untamed Science.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.untamedscience.com/biodiversity/mountain-death-camas/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.untamedscience.com/biodiversity/mountain-death-camas/</a><br /> <br /> The day before yesterday, 27 July 2019, was such an enjoyable day, with a few lovely surprises. We had been invited to do a bio-blitz (i.e. list every plant, tree, bird, insect, fungi, etc. species) on the property belonging to Dennis Apedaile and family. This forested area is NW of Cochrane, reached by a beautiful road that was new to us. The night before the trip was SO hot indoors (no air-conditioning), I didn't get even one minute of sleep all night. <br /> <br /> The early morning started off with our first sighting - one of the neighbourhood Jackrabbits, seen when we were leaving our leader's house.<br /> <br /> The next sighting, and unfortunately only seen by me, came as a total surprise. We were driving along the highway when I spotted a black dog in a field. I was a bit surprised to see it wandering on its own. OMG, it's not a dog, it's a Black Bear!! We were going too fast and passed it before anyone else could see it. Wish I had thought about trying to get a photo - no time, anyway.<br /> <br /> Nine of us from Calgary took part in this bioblitz, along with three ladies from the Summer Village on Ghost Lake. We were also joined by about 12 members of Dennis & Charlotte’s family, their friends and neighbours. A fun, most enjoyable group of interesting people. Our group took our lunch with us, but we were encouraged to also help ourselves to the delicious food provided.<br /> <br /> The morning and part of the afternoon were spent on a slow walk along various forest trails on the Apedaile's acreage. We came across all sorts of wildflowers, the odd insect, and yes, we even found a few mushrooms, including Aspen Boletes. Birds were almost non-existent! I spotted a Hummingbird that flew to one of the feeders, a Black-capped Chickadee flitted about in the trees near the house, and someone noticed a Red-breasted Nuthatch.<br /> <br /> Everyone was thrilled to bits to suddenly notice something fairly small flying in all directions near a fire pit, that had a tangle of dead branches and a few pieces of wood piled up. It was a Little Brown Bat! After a few seconds, it flew into this pile, hid from view, and stayed there.<br /> <br /> When it was time to leave, we began walking towards our cars, when suddenly the wind became very strong and it started to rain. It didn't last long, but unfortunately, we had to make a very hurried departure. Thank you so much, Dennis and Charlotte, for letting us come and explore your wonderful property! Having you all come along with us made the visit even more enjoyable. Thanks, too, to good friends, Dorothy and Stephen, for driving four of us there and back. As always, so much appreciated.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49762666 tag:ipernity.com,2019-07-25,doc-49762666 Thu, 25 Jul 2019 17:16:16 +0000 2019-07-02T19:56:39-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49762666"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/26/66/49762666.9da03be4.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This morning, I have added 10 images taken at Carburn Park, on 2 July 2019. As keeps happening, I have fallen way behind with editing and posting my photos. <br /> <br /> This was an evening walk with a group of friends. Though I rarely go on any evening walks, I knew this one would finally get me over to Carburn Park.<br /> <br /> It's always a delight to see a gathering of American White Pelicans on the Bow River. They like to rest on the gravel bars and either sleep or preen. Such exotic looking birds and they almost look like they don't belong here.<br /> <br /> Two other things I was happy to see were a scattering of beautiful, pink Sainfoin flowers. This is the only location where I have seen them. <br /> <br /> The other thrill was when a huge American Beaver swam past us when we were walking along the trail at the edge of the river. We were able to see just how huge it really was when it climbed up on to the bank not many feet away from us, and began eating the tall grass.<br /> <br /> Sainfoin has been grown in parts of Europe and Asia for hundreds of years. Various strains have been introduced to North America as a forage crop since about 1900. I think Carburn Park is the only location in the city where it grows. Belongs to the Pea family and blooms June-August. It is considered a weed, but, as usual, a very beautiful weed. I love the deep pink stripes on the petals.<br /> <br /> "Like many plants with a long period of human use, it is known by many common names. In English, it is commonly called sainfoin from the French for "healthy hay". Sometimes it is called holy hay--a confusion of "saint" for "sain".<br /> <br /> Healthy hay is a fitting moniker. It is nutritionally comparable to alfalfa and equally, if not more, palatable to livestock. In addition, research has shown that it inhibits nematode parasitism in ruminants due to its high tannin content. A good report on the use of sainfoin as a feed crop is available on Feedipedia: Onobrychis viciifolia, while images of the species growing as a field crop are available via the Alberta Native Plant Council. As a crop, the plant is considered a good environmental choice: it forms a deep tap root that helps soil stabilization, its roots house nitrogen-fixing bacteria that improve the soil, and its melliferous flowers attract bees and birds. A fine, clear honey has been produced in areas where the plant is cultivated. Lastly, it is more tolerant of drought and cold than other forage crops like alfalfa and clover.<br /> <br /> Despite its many benefits, it has largely been replaced by alfalfa and clover in the past century. The main drawback is its poor regrowth after cutting and resultant lower production." From UBC Botany Photo of the Day website.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://botanyphoto.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/2013/04/onobrychis-viciifolia/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">botanyphoto.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/2013/04/onobrychis-vic...</a></div> Sainfoin / Onobrychis <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49762666"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/26/66/49762666.9da03be4.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This morning, I have added 10 images taken at Carburn Park, on 2 July 2019. As keeps happening, I have fallen way behind with editing and posting my photos. <br /> <br /> This was an evening walk with a group of friends. Though I rarely go on any evening walks, I knew this one would finally get me over to Carburn Park.<br /> <br /> It's always a delight to see a gathering of American White Pelicans on the Bow River. They like to rest on the gravel bars and either sleep or preen. Such exotic looking birds and they almost look like they don't belong here.<br /> <br /> Two other things I was happy to see were a scattering of beautiful, pink Sainfoin flowers. This is the only location where I have seen them. <br /> <br /> The other thrill was when a huge American Beaver swam past us when we were walking along the trail at the edge of the river. We were able to see just how huge it really was when it climbed up on to the bank not many feet away from us, and began eating the tall grass.<br /> <br /> Sainfoin has been grown in parts of Europe and Asia for hundreds of years. Various strains have been introduced to North America as a forage crop since about 1900. I think Carburn Park is the only location in the city where it grows. Belongs to the Pea family and blooms June-August. It is considered a weed, but, as usual, a very beautiful weed. I love the deep pink stripes on the petals.<br /> <br /> "Like many plants with a long period of human use, it is known by many common names. In English, it is commonly called sainfoin from the French for "healthy hay". Sometimes it is called holy hay--a confusion of "saint" for "sain".<br /> <br /> Healthy hay is a fitting moniker. It is nutritionally comparable to alfalfa and equally, if not more, palatable to livestock. In addition, research has shown that it inhibits nematode parasitism in ruminants due to its high tannin content. A good report on the use of sainfoin as a feed crop is available on Feedipedia: Onobrychis viciifolia, while images of the species growing as a field crop are available via the Alberta Native Plant Council. As a crop, the plant is considered a good environmental choice: it forms a deep tap root that helps soil stabilization, its roots house nitrogen-fixing bacteria that improve the soil, and its melliferous flowers attract bees and birds. A fine, clear honey has been produced in areas where the plant is cultivated. Lastly, it is more tolerant of drought and cold than other forage crops like alfalfa and clover.<br /> <br /> Despite its many benefits, it has largely been replaced by alfalfa and clover in the past century. The main drawback is its poor regrowth after cutting and resultant lower production." From UBC Botany Photo of the Day website.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://botanyphoto.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/2013/04/onobrychis-viciifolia/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">botanyphoto.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/2013/04/onobrychis-vic...</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49762658 tag:ipernity.com,2019-07-25,doc-49762658 Thu, 25 Jul 2019 17:13:45 +0000 2019-07-02T19:55:05-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49762658"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/26/58/49762658.91bce295.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This morning, I have added 10 images taken at Carburn Park, on 2 July 2019. As keeps happening, I have fallen way behind with editing and posting my photos. <br /> <br /> This was an evening walk with a group of friends. Though I rarely go on any evening walks, I knew this one would finally get me over to Carburn Park.<br /> <br /> It's always a delight to see a gathering of American White Pelicans on the Bow River. They like to rest on the gravel bars and either sleep or preen. Such exotic looking birds and they almost look like they don't belong here.<br /> <br /> Two other things I was happy to see were a scattering of beautiful, pink Sainfoin flowers. This is the only location where I have seen them. <br /> <br /> The other thrill was when a huge American Beaver swam past us when we were walking along the trail at the edge of the river. We were able to see just how huge it really was when it climbed up on to the bank not many feet away from us, and began eating the tall grass.<br /> <br /> Sainfoin has been grown in parts of Europe and Asia for hundreds of years. Various strains have been introduced to North America as a forage crop since about 1900. I think Carburn Park is the only location in the city where it grows. Belongs to the Pea family and blooms June-August. It is considered a weed, but, as usual, a very beautiful weed. I love the deep pink stripes on the petals.<br /> <br /> "Like many plants with a long period of human use, it is known by many common names. In English, it is commonly called sainfoin from the French for "healthy hay". Sometimes it is called holy hay--a confusion of "saint" for "sain".<br /> <br /> Healthy hay is a fitting moniker. It is nutritionally comparable to alfalfa and equally, if not more, palatable to livestock. In addition, research has shown that it inhibits nematode parasitism in ruminants due to its high tannin content. A good report on the use of sainfoin as a feed crop is available on Feedipedia: Onobrychis viciifolia, while images of the species growing as a field crop are available via the Alberta Native Plant Council. As a crop, the plant is considered a good environmental choice: it forms a deep tap root that helps soil stabilization, its roots house nitrogen-fixing bacteria that improve the soil, and its melliferous flowers attract bees and birds. A fine, clear honey has been produced in areas where the plant is cultivated. Lastly, it is more tolerant of drought and cold than other forage crops like alfalfa and clover.<br /> <br /> Despite its many benefits, it has largely been replaced by alfalfa and clover in the past century. The main drawback is its poor regrowth after cutting and resultant lower production." From UBC Botany Photo of the Day website.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://botanyphoto.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/2013/04/onobrychis-viciifolia/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">botanyphoto.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/2013/04/onobrychis-vic...</a></div> Sainfoin / Onobrychis <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49762658"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/26/58/49762658.91bce295.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This morning, I have added 10 images taken at Carburn Park, on 2 July 2019. As keeps happening, I have fallen way behind with editing and posting my photos. <br /> <br /> This was an evening walk with a group of friends. Though I rarely go on any evening walks, I knew this one would finally get me over to Carburn Park.<br /> <br /> It's always a delight to see a gathering of American White Pelicans on the Bow River. They like to rest on the gravel bars and either sleep or preen. Such exotic looking birds and they almost look like they don't belong here.<br /> <br /> Two other things I was happy to see were a scattering of beautiful, pink Sainfoin flowers. This is the only location where I have seen them. <br /> <br /> The other thrill was when a huge American Beaver swam past us when we were walking along the trail at the edge of the river. We were able to see just how huge it really was when it climbed up on to the bank not many feet away from us, and began eating the tall grass.<br /> <br /> Sainfoin has been grown in parts of Europe and Asia for hundreds of years. Various strains have been introduced to North America as a forage crop since about 1900. I think Carburn Park is the only location in the city where it grows. Belongs to the Pea family and blooms June-August. It is considered a weed, but, as usual, a very beautiful weed. I love the deep pink stripes on the petals.<br /> <br /> "Like many plants with a long period of human use, it is known by many common names. In English, it is commonly called sainfoin from the French for "healthy hay". Sometimes it is called holy hay--a confusion of "saint" for "sain".<br /> <br /> Healthy hay is a fitting moniker. It is nutritionally comparable to alfalfa and equally, if not more, palatable to livestock. In addition, research has shown that it inhibits nematode parasitism in ruminants due to its high tannin content. A good report on the use of sainfoin as a feed crop is available on Feedipedia: Onobrychis viciifolia, while images of the species growing as a field crop are available via the Alberta Native Plant Council. As a crop, the plant is considered a good environmental choice: it forms a deep tap root that helps soil stabilization, its roots house nitrogen-fixing bacteria that improve the soil, and its melliferous flowers attract bees and birds. A fine, clear honey has been produced in areas where the plant is cultivated. Lastly, it is more tolerant of drought and cold than other forage crops like alfalfa and clover.<br /> <br /> Despite its many benefits, it has largely been replaced by alfalfa and clover in the past century. The main drawback is its poor regrowth after cutting and resultant lower production." From UBC Botany Photo of the Day website.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://botanyphoto.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/2013/04/onobrychis-viciifolia/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">botanyphoto.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/2013/04/onobrychis-vic...</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49762654 tag:ipernity.com,2019-07-25,doc-49762654 Thu, 25 Jul 2019 17:12:07 +0000 2019-07-02T20:27:26-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49762654"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/26/54/49762654.35c7012e.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">I tend to get confused between Cicer Milkvetch and Wild Licorice flowers. When I see their seedpods, I have no problem.<br /> <br /> This morning, I have added 10 images taken at Carburn Park, on 2 July 2019. As keeps happening, I have fallen way behind with editing and posting my photos. <br /> <br /> This was an evening walk with a group of friends. Though I rarely go on any evening walks, I knew this one would finally get me over to Carburn Park.<br /> <br /> It's always a delight to see a gathering of American White Pelicans on the Bow River. They like to rest on the gravel bars and either sleep or preen. Such exotic looking birds and they almost look like they don't belong here.<br /> <br /> Two other things I was happy to see were a scattering of beautiful, pink Sainfoin flowers. This is the only location where I have seen them. <br /> <br /> The other thrill was when a huge American Beaver swam past us when we were walking along the trail at the edge of the river. We were able to see just how huge it really was when it climbed up on to the bank not many feet away from us, and began eating the tall grass.</div> Wild Licorice? <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49762654"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/26/54/49762654.35c7012e.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">I tend to get confused between Cicer Milkvetch and Wild Licorice flowers. When I see their seedpods, I have no problem.<br /> <br /> This morning, I have added 10 images taken at Carburn Park, on 2 July 2019. As keeps happening, I have fallen way behind with editing and posting my photos. <br /> <br /> This was an evening walk with a group of friends. Though I rarely go on any evening walks, I knew this one would finally get me over to Carburn Park.<br /> <br /> It's always a delight to see a gathering of American White Pelicans on the Bow River. They like to rest on the gravel bars and either sleep or preen. Such exotic looking birds and they almost look like they don't belong here.<br /> <br /> Two other things I was happy to see were a scattering of beautiful, pink Sainfoin flowers. This is the only location where I have seen them. <br /> <br /> The other thrill was when a huge American Beaver swam past us when we were walking along the trail at the edge of the river. We were able to see just how huge it really was when it climbed up on to the bank not many feet away from us, and began eating the tall grass.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49706674 tag:ipernity.com,2019-07-23,doc-49706674 Tue, 23 Jul 2019 16:49:29 +0000 2019-07-21T15:15:44-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49706674"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/66/74/49706674.107c8610.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Two afternoons ago, on 21 July 2019, I decided to make a short visit to a forest area to check for any fungi. We have had so much rain the last few weeks, so I felt hopeful. However, the rain has made the plants and grasses grow well, but I didn't find much in the way of fungi. <br /> <br /> As it was a Sunday afternoon, there were quite a few people in the area, so I felt brave enough to venture a little way into the forest itself. The trails were wet and muddy in many places, making all the exposed tree roots slippery. Quite treacherous, in fact. In one spot, I managed to get my right shoe wedged in between two horizontal roots and it took a bit of effort to work it free. Was it worth going? Not really, especially as far as fungi go, but I did get some fresh air and exercise.<br /> <br /> There were a few butterflies, mainly White Admirals, and the wildflowers were the usual ones such as Purple/Water Avens, which I love to see at all stages, and Sticky Purple Geranium and Richardson's Geranium.</div> False Solomon&#039;s Seal <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49706674"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/66/74/49706674.107c8610.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Two afternoons ago, on 21 July 2019, I decided to make a short visit to a forest area to check for any fungi. We have had so much rain the last few weeks, so I felt hopeful. However, the rain has made the plants and grasses grow well, but I didn't find much in the way of fungi. <br /> <br /> As it was a Sunday afternoon, there were quite a few people in the area, so I felt brave enough to venture a little way into the forest itself. The trails were wet and muddy in many places, making all the exposed tree roots slippery. Quite treacherous, in fact. In one spot, I managed to get my right shoe wedged in between two horizontal roots and it took a bit of effort to work it free. Was it worth going? Not really, especially as far as fungi go, but I did get some fresh air and exercise.<br /> <br /> There were a few butterflies, mainly White Admirals, and the wildflowers were the usual ones such as Purple/Water Avens, which I love to see at all stages, and Sticky Purple Geranium and Richardson's Geranium.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49706664 tag:ipernity.com,2019-07-22,doc-49706664 Mon, 22 Jul 2019 17:08:18 +0000 2019-07-21T15:01:55-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49706664"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/66/64/49706664.329f3e1d.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Only 10 new photos on "People you follow" page by 1:00 pm today. Hope that is because people are enjoying summer and not because of yet another glitch with Flickr, not displaying newly posted images.<br /> <br /> Yesterday afternoon, 21 July 2019, I decided to make a short visit to a forest area to check for any fungi. We have had so much rain the last few weeks, so I felt hopeful. However, the rain has made the plants and grasses grow well, but I didn't find much in the way of fungi. <br /> <br /> As it was a Sunday afternoon, there were quite a few people in the area, so I felt brave enough to venture a little way into the forest itself. The trails were wet and muddy in many places, making all the exposed tree roots slippery. Quite treacherous, in fact. In one spot, I managed to get my right shoe wedged in between two horizontal roots and it took a bit of effort to work it free. Was it worth going? Not really, especially as far as fungi go, but I did get some fresh air and exercise.<br /> <br /> There were a few butterflies, mainly White Admirals, and the wildflowers were the usual ones such as Purple/Water Avens, which I love to see at all stages, and Sticky Purple Geranium and Richardson's Geranium.</div> Purple/Water Avens / Geum rivale <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49706664"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/66/64/49706664.329f3e1d.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Only 10 new photos on "People you follow" page by 1:00 pm today. Hope that is because people are enjoying summer and not because of yet another glitch with Flickr, not displaying newly posted images.<br /> <br /> Yesterday afternoon, 21 July 2019, I decided to make a short visit to a forest area to check for any fungi. We have had so much rain the last few weeks, so I felt hopeful. However, the rain has made the plants and grasses grow well, but I didn't find much in the way of fungi. <br /> <br /> As it was a Sunday afternoon, there were quite a few people in the area, so I felt brave enough to venture a little way into the forest itself. The trails were wet and muddy in many places, making all the exposed tree roots slippery. Quite treacherous, in fact. In one spot, I managed to get my right shoe wedged in between two horizontal roots and it took a bit of effort to work it free. Was it worth going? Not really, especially as far as fungi go, but I did get some fresh air and exercise.<br /> <br /> There were a few butterflies, mainly White Admirals, and the wildflowers were the usual ones such as Purple/Water Avens, which I love to see at all stages, and Sticky Purple Geranium and Richardson's Geranium.</div> Anne Elliott