Photos, videos and docs of Anne Elliott, with the keywords: "grass"

Bighorn Sheep

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 14 Oct 2019 18:45:15 +0000

Back to a day out in Kananaskis with friend, Pam, on 5 September 2019.

On 5 September 2019, friend Pam and I had a great day out in Kananaskis. It had been just over two months since I drove myself out there, but Pam had been only two days before. There were a few different places that she wanted to stop, and she was hoping to see a bear - preferably a Grizzly, but we were out of luck for that. However, we were lucky enough to see two Black Bears, which was such a treat.

Our day started off really well, leaving the city at 7:00 am. Driving along a backroad SW of the city, a small, rather cute, old barn was our first find. It was set back from the road a little and easily missed, so I'm glad I spotted it.

Further on, we came across a White-tailed Deer feeding in a field, and it looked so beautiful in the early morning sun. Normally, I don't get out this early and I know I miss that special light.

After quite a bit of driving, we were taken by surprise by our first Black Bear sighting of the day. Definitely not in a place that we would have expected. The animal was a long way off, part way up a big hill, and would have been very easy to miss. Luckily, a vehicle had stopped at the side of the road and we saw someone with a tripod - always a hopeful sign. Scouring the hillside, I spotted a black shape amongst the grass and small bushes. Bear! After taking our photos, I made sure I walked over to the other people and thanked them for spotting and stopping.

Once we got into the mountains, we found ourselves facing dense fog, which seemed to go on forever. It felt like our outing might just have to end soon after it had begun. Fortunately, though, it did eventually clear when we reached the Ptarmigan Cirque area, and we found ourselves in sunshine. Looking back in the direction from which we had just come, the low cloud made for a beautiful scene. One little White-crowned Sparrow sat in a tree at the edge of the parking lot and gave us a chance to take photos. It seemed unusually tolerant of us.

Further north, we stopped at the Pika location and were able to get a few somewhat distant shots. We didn't stay here for very long, as we had other places to visit. A further half-hour drive brought us to a beautiful lake with an incredibly beautiful setting - Wedge Pond. For quite a few years, I have never been sure where this pond was and whether I had ever been there before. It certainly didn't feel familiar. As well as the spectacular scenery, I also photographed a rather beautiful Moth that had landed on a thistle. The bright yellow splash of colour from three or four Goat's-beard wildflowers gave another photo opportunity - they are attractive flowers, but it's too bad they are a highly invasive weed.

Leaving Wedge Pond, we continued northwards and were so delighted to see our second Black Bear of the day. This was a very challenging bear to photograph, as it walked off into the trees and soon disappeared completely. Photos tended to be missing either a head, or a rear end, or capturing barely anything at all.

Coming back south, about an hour later, we stopped at Buller Pond, where we saw a few mushrooms, including a small scattering of beautiful Shaggy Mane/Inky Cap mushrooms. I love the scenery at Buller Pond and at Peninsular, giving a fine view of the Opal Range with its incredible erosion patterns.

A small group of Bighorn Sheep made a nice ending to our day in Kananaskis. No matter how many I see, they are always welcome. Very recently, I seem to have seen them almost everywhere I have been.

A most enjoyable day - thanks so much, Pam, for the invite and exciting day. Sorry we didn't manage to find a Grizzly Bear for you, but two Black Bears were still a real treat..

Grizzly Bear sow - mother of two cubs

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 12 Oct 2019 05:06:16 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Having seen the weather forecast for another snow storm, I made a quick decision to get back to the mountains - I don't drive there when there is snow on the roads. It was going to be sunny, but unfortunately, it was also very windy, which gave me a lot of not-quite-sharp images. Also, much of the highway through Kananaskis is closed for the winter months, for the protection of the wildlife. There were three or four locations that I wanted to photograph with snow on the peaks. With scenic shots in my mind, I took the south route, this time avoiding the dusty, gravel back road that I love to drive. Normally, I would never do a drive like this on a weekend day - more cars and people.

Much of the drive was similar to my trip with friend, Pam, on 5 September. A little over a month ago already? The first part of my drive, before turning around and heading home, I had done before, but I had never driven myself the most northerly part. I really wanted to make sure I did this while I could, rather than have to leave it till next year, as I might have lost courage by then. Actually, this north stretch had not been in my plans, but as it was not yet noon, I decided to do it, driving further than Pam and I had gone. A couple of extra stops were added - Barrier Lake and Lorette Ponds.

Keeping a close eye on how much gas was left, it was time to turn around and go back home the same way as I had driven earlier in the morning. Lots of animals on the road - mainly cattle! I don't think I have ever seen so many cows on the road before - and, oh, what a mess they were leaving behind them, everywhere! They were as stubborn about moving off the road as the three groups of Bighorn Sheep I came across during the day. I guess cows, too, like licking salt and other minerals off the road surface.

So many people were out to go hiking and there were lots of cars parked in many places. On my return drive, I was not too impressed to see about a dozen cars lined up along the edge of the road - thinking 'hikers' and then suddenly thinking "bear?" As I drove past, I caught a glimpse of three brown shapes in the long grass. I did what I don't like doing - a U-turn and adding myself to the end of the line. My handful of highly zoomed photos were all taken through the windshield, turning them into green-tinted blurs. I have added three of them, just for the record. Not sure if I can rescue any others. I tried to read the blurry number on the pink ear tag - maybe #152? which may have shifted upside down, on her right ear. She was busy feeding in the long grass with her two cubs, totally oblivious of the audience. I didn't notice if many people were out of their cars - I know the female idiot (oops, I mean 'driver') of the car in front of me, got out and walked down the road in the direction of the bears, but I couldn't see where she disappeared to. Eventually, a Park ranger arrived and shooed the beautiful bear family into the trees. Such an unexpected sighting and thrill - definitely the highlight of my 440 km drive. If I am right, I think I had only ever seen two Grizzlies in Alberta in all these years - a female with one cub.

Grizzly female (#152) and cubs

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 09 Oct 2019 16:52:49 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

9 October 2019: temperature is -7C (windchill -13C). It snowed again yesterday and more snow is forecast for this coming weekend (Canadian Thanksgiving).

Having seen the weather forecast for another snow storm, I made a quick decision to get back to the mountains - I don't drive there when there is snow on the roads. It was going to be sunny, but unfortunately, it was also very windy, which gave me a lot of not-quite-sharp images. Also, much of the highway through Kananaskis is closed for the winter months, for the protection of the wildlife. There were three or four locations that I wanted to photograph with snow on the peaks. With scenic shots in my mind, I took the south route, this time avoiding the dusty, gravel back road that I love to drive. Normally, I would never do a drive like this on a weekend day - more cars and people.

Much of the drive was similar to my trip with friend, Pam, on 5 September. A little over a month ago already? The first part of my drive, before turning around and heading home, I had done before, but I had never driven myself the most northerly part. I really wanted to make sure I did this while I could, rather than have to leave it till next year, as I might have lost courage by then. Actually, this north stretch had not been in my plans, but as it was not yet noon, I decided to do it, driving further than Pam and I had gone. A couple of extra stops were added - Barrier Lake and Lorette Ponds.

Keeping a close eye on how much gas was left, it was time to turn around and go back home the same way as I had driven earlier in the morning. Lots of animals on the road - mainly cattle! I don't think I have ever seen so many cows on the road before - and, oh, what a mess they were leaving behind them, everywhere! They were as stubborn about moving off the road as the three groups of Bighorn Sheep I came across during the day. I guess cows, too, like licking salt and other minerals off the road surface.

So many people were out to go hiking and there were lots of cars parked in many places. On my return drive, I was not too impressed to see about a dozen cars lined up along the edge of the road - thinking 'hikers' and then suddenly thinking "bear?" As I drove past, I caught a glimpse of three brown shapes in the long grass. I did what I don't like doing - a U-turn and adding myself to the end of the line. My handful of highly zoomed photos were all taken through the windshield, turning them into green-tinted blurs. I have added three of them, just for the record. Not sure if I can rescue any others. I tried to read the blurry number on the pink ear tag - maybe #152? which may have shifted upside down, on her right ear. She was busy feeding in the long grass with her two cubs, totally oblivious of the audience. I didn't notice if many people were out of their cars - I know the female idiot (oops, I mean 'driver') of the car in front of me, got out and walked down the road in the direction of the bears, but I couldn't see where she disappeared to. Eventually, a Park ranger arrived and shooed the beautiful bear family into the trees. Such an unexpected sighting and thrill - definitely the highlight of my 440 km drive. If I am right, I think I had only ever seen two Grizzlies in Alberta in all these years - a female with one cub.

Showing its age

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 08 Oct 2019 16:59:52 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

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.

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!

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.

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!

Grizzly & one of her two cubs

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 07 Oct 2019 15:37:25 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Tomorrow, 8 October 2019, the forecast is for more snow. That means a few days spent hibernating, waiting for most of it to melt. I so rarely go for a walk, so I have no idea if any of the paths in our city parks/natural areas are actually bare by now, after our recent 3-day snow storm that dumped just over 10" of snow in the city. They won't be tomorrow.

Having seen the forecast, I made a quick decision to get back to the mountains - I don't drive there when there is snow on the roads. It was going to be sunny, but unfortunately, it was also very windy, which gave me a lot of not-quite-sharp images. Also, much of the highway through Kananaskis is closed for the winter months, for the protection of the wildlife. There were three or four locations that I wanted to photograph with snow on the peaks. With scenic shots in my mind, I took the south route, this time avoiding the dusty, gravel back road that I love to drive. Normally, I would never do a drive like this on a weekend day - more cars and people.

Much of the drive was similar to my trip with friend, Pam, on 5 September. A little over a month ago already? The first part of my drive, before turning around and heading home, I had done before, but I had never driven myself the most northerly part. I really wanted to make sure I did this while I could, rather than have to leave it till next year, as I might have lost courage by then. Actually, this north stretch had not been in my plans, but as it was not yet noon, I decided to do it, driving further than Pam and I had gone. A couple of extra stops were added - Barrier Lake and Lorette Ponds.

Keeping a close eye on how much gas was left, it was time to turn around and go back home the same way as I had driven earlier in the morning. Lots of animals on the road - mainly cattle! I don't think I have ever seen so many cows on the road before - and, oh, what a mess they were leaving behind them, everywhere! They were as stubborn about moving off the road as the three groups of Bighorn Sheep I came across during the day.

So many people were out to go hiking and there were lots of cars parked in many places. On my return drive, I was not too impressed to see about a dozen cars lined up along the edge of the road - thinking 'hikers' and then suddenly thinking "bear?" As I drove past, I caught a glimpse of three brown shapes in the long grass. I did what I don't like doing - a U-turn and adding myself to the end of the line. My handful of highly zoomed photos were all taken through the windshield, turning them into green-tinted blurs. I have added two of them, just for the record, after adding a touch of filter in post-processing. Not sure if I can rescue any others. I tried to read the blurry number on the pink ear tag, which may have shifted upside down, on her right ear. If I am correct, she may have been Grizzly Bear #251 or #125. She was busy feeding in the long grass with her two cubs, totally oblivious of the audience. I didn't notice if many people were out of their cars - I know the female idiot (oops, I mean 'driver') of the car in front of me, got out and walked down the road in the direction of the bears, but I couldn't see where she disappeared to. Eventually, a Park ranger arrived and shooed the beautiful bear family into the trees. Such an unexpected sighting and thrill - definitely the highlight of my 440 km drive. If I am right, I think I had only ever seen two Grizzlies before in all these years - a female with one cub.

Terrible photos - but it was a GRIZZLY : )

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 07 Oct 2019 15:34:03 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Tomorrow, 8 October 2019, the forecast is for more snow. That means a few days spent hibernating, waiting for most of it to melt. I so rarely go for a walk, so I have no idea if any of the paths in our city parks/natural areas are actually bare by now, after our recent 3-day snow storm that dumped just over 10" of snow in the city. They won't be tomorrow.

Having seen the forecast, I made a quick decision to get back to the mountains - I don't drive there when there is snow on the roads. It was going to be sunny, but unfortunately, it was also very windy, which gave me a lot of not-quite-sharp images. Also, much of the highway through Kananaskis is closed for the winter months, for the protection of the wildlife. There were three or four locations that I wanted to photograph with snow on the peaks. With scenic shots in my mind, I took the south route, this time avoiding the dusty, gravel back road that I love to drive. Normally, I would never do a drive like this on a weekend day - more cars and people.

Much of the drive was similar to my trip with friend, Pam, on 5 September. A little over a month ago already? The first part of my drive, before turning around and heading home, I had done before, but I had never driven myself the most northerly part. I really wanted to make sure I did this while I could, rather than have to leave it till next year, as I might have lost courage by then. Actually, this north stretch had not been in my plans, but as it was not yet noon, I decided to do it, driving further than Pam and I had gone. A couple of extra stops were added - Barrier Lake and Lorette Ponds.

Keeping a close eye on how much gas was left, it was time to turn around and go back home the same way as I had driven earlier in the morning. Lots of animals on the road - mainly cattle! I don't think I have ever seen so many cows on the road before - and, oh, what a mess they were leaving behind them, everywhere! They were as stubborn about moving off the road as the three groups of Bighorn Sheep I came across during the day.

So many people were out to go hiking and there were lots of cars parked in many places. On my return drive, I was not too impressed to see about a dozen cars lined up along the edge of the road - thinking 'hikers' and then suddenly thinking "bear?" As I drove past, I caught a glimpse of three brown shapes in the long grass. I did what I don't like doing - a U-turn and adding myself to the end of the line. My handful of highly zoomed photos were all taken through the windshield, turning them into green-tinted blurs. I have added two of them, just for the record. Not sure if I can rescue any others. I tried to read the blurry number on the pink ear tag, which may have shifted upside down, on her right ear. If I am correct, she may have been Grizzly Bear #152. She was busy feeding in the long grass with her two cubs, totally oblivious of the audience. I didn't notice if many people were out of their cars - I know the female idiot (oops, I mean 'driver') of the car in front of me, got out and walked down the road in the direction of the bears, but I couldn't see where she disappeared to. Eventually, a Park ranger arrived and shooed the beautiful bear family into the trees. Such an unexpected sighting and thrill - definitely the highlight of my 440 km drive. If I am right, I think I had only ever seen two Grizzlies before in all these years - a female with one cub.

Wedge Pond, Kananaskis, Alberta

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 19:08:49 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Has anyone else noticed an enormous drop in Stats Views in the past 10 days? I know a few people have commented on this in the Help Forum. After 22 September 2019, mine have dropped down to very roughly one quarter to a third the number. I know Stats are not usually really accurate, but a sudden drop that continues always makes me wonder if there is a Flickr glitch somewhere. I know a lot of people have been saying that their Contacts' new images are not showing up on the Contact page.

Yesterday was spent on backing up photos and starting the major task of slowly deleting photo folders from my computer. I still don't have enough room for my computer to function properly, so I will have to spend a lot more time in the days ahead, deleting more. While I was doing this, I noticed that I had only posted a dozen photos from this enjoyable day, so, today, I have added another eight.

The small peak just right of centre is The Fortress, with Gusty Peak immediately to its right.

On 5 September 2019, friend Pam and I had a great day out in Kananaskis. It had been just over two months since I drove myself out there, but Pam had been only two days before. There were a few different places that she wanted to stop, and she was hoping to see a bear - preferably a Grizzly, but we were out of luck for that. However, we were lucky enough to see two Black Bears, which was such a treat.

Our day started off really well, leaving the city at 7:00 am. Driving along a backroad SW of the city, a small, rather cute, old barn was our first find. It was set back from the road a little and easily missed, so I'm glad I spotted it.

Further on, we came across a White-tailed Deer feeding in a field, and it looked so beautiful in the early morning sun. Normally, I don't get out this early and I know I miss that special light.

Going to have to finish description, etc. later .... I've been saying that ever since, too. Just not getting enough time at the moment .... sigh.

Bighorn Sheep / Ovis canadensis, Kananaskis

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 19:05:23 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Yesterday was spent on backing up photos and starting the major task of slowly deleting photo folders from my computer. I still don't have enough room for my computer to function properly, so I will have to spend a lot more time in the days ahead, deleting more.

On 5 September 2019, friend Pam and I had a great day out in Kananaskis. It had been just over two months since I drove myself out there, but Pam had been only two days before. There were a few different places that she wanted to stop, and she was hoping to see a bear - preferably a Grizzly, but we were out of luck for that. However, we were lucky enough to see two Black Bears, which was such a treat.

Our day started off really well, leaving the city at 7:00 am. Driving along a backroad SW of the city, a small, rather cute, old barn was our first find. It was set back from the road a little and easily missed, so I'm glad I spotted it.

Further on, we came across a White-tailed Deer feeding in a field, and it looked so beautiful in the early morning sun. Normally, I don't get out this early and I know I miss that special light.

Going to have to finish description, etc. later .... I've been saying that ever since, too. Just not getting enough time at the moment .... sigh.

Conservatory, Calgary Zoo

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 16:01:53 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

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. .

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.

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.

Shaggy Mane / Inky Cap

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 28 Sep 2019 03:55:46 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Tonight, I thought I would add the seven photos I took at Votier's Flats, Fish Creek Park, two days ago, on 25 September 2019. (For some strange reason, so many people misspell this location as Voitier's Flats.) Unlike so many other recent photo folders, this one had just a handful of quick images in it. I don't usually go for local walks any more, apart from the very occasional birding or botany walk with friends, but I felt I really should do one before the snow arrives tomorrow, for three days. For the next seven or so months, I know I will be at home and sedentary most of the time.

Not much to see, but somehow I knew I would find a Shaggy Mane/Inky Cap mushroom - and I did : ) They like to grow partly hidden in the grass, and it is usually impossible to get a clear photo of them - unless one pulled it out of the ground, I guess. There have been lots of these fungi this year, thanks to all the rain we have had. I posted two rather similar photos, one taken with my Canon SX60 and the other with my Nikon P900. Much as I like the Nikon for certain things, including scenic shots, it does tend to give a yellowish, unnatural tint to photos, which I don't like. I was curious to compare the two shots. Unfortunately, the snow will no doubt put an end to our mushroom season for 2019. It has been wonderful!

Shaggy parasol / Chlorophyllum (formerly Macrolepiota) rhacodes

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 21 Sep 2019 06:51:16 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Maybe another 10 or so images from this outing to edit and post and then it will be completed. Both Rick and another property owner, whom we will be visiting very soon, have told our Naturalist leader that they have "noted a rapid disintegration in their mushroom populations in the last few days." Perhaps they just don't like our cooler weather at the moment. We can't complain, though, as this fungi season has been wonderfully rewarding. Of course, without very kind landowners inviting us to explore their land, we would have missed so many interesting and beautiful things.

"Chlorophyllum (formerly Macrolepiota) rhacodes, the Shaggy Parasol, is smaller than the Parasol Mushroom, Macrolepiota procera, and its stem lacks the snakeskin-like patterning associated with the Parasol. As a result of molecular studies (DNA analysis), in 2003 the genus Macrolepiota was split up and the Shaggy Parasol was transferred to the genus Chlorophyllum, where it resides with other poisonous parasol-like mushrooms."

www.first-nature.com/fungi/chlorophyllum-rhacodes.php

A small group of us were invited to explore the 18-acre property, SW of the city, belonging to Rick and Connie Hillary. This we did, on 14 September 2019. This beautiful mix of forest and grassland held so many treasures of the fungus kind and others. At the very start of our nature walk, Rick was happy to show us the beautiful mushrooms that were growing near his house. What an absolute treat! Even Karel, our fungi leader, had never seen this species before - Shaggy parasol / Chlorophyllum (formerly Macrolepiota) rhacodes. I couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw them - so perfect, hiding in the grass.

Rick told us there were other species to enjoy, further along the walk. One small area, especially, had a good variety growing amongst the trees. Our cameras barely stopping shooting - so much fun.

Two of the three dogs in this family accompanied us for the whole walk. Mother and daughter, who were such loving animals. What a dog paradise they live in, giving them the freedom to run and play-fight, seemingly with boundless energy. Only after several hours, when our walk ended, did their energy seem to run out temporarily, giving me a chance to take photos of them.

Thank you so much, Rick and Connie, for your very kind invitation. I hope you could tell how much we enjoyed ourselves! The extra and unexpected kindness of providing us with cheese and crackers and delicious cake afterwards was so much appreciated.

Karel, thank you, as always, for your knowledge of the fungi world and for helping us find and learn. I know you will enjoy your mushroom suppers from the Boletes you came across : )

Bolete

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 21 Sep 2019 06:50:17 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Maybe another 10 or so images from this outing to edit and post and then it will be completed. Both Rick and another property owner, whom we will be visiting very soon, have told our Naturalist leader that they have "noted a rapid disintegration in their mushroom populations in the last few days." Perhaps they just don't like our cooler weather at the moment. We can't complain, though, as this fungi season has been wonderfully rewarding. Of course, without very kind landowners inviting us to explore their land, we would have missed so many interesting and beautiful things.

A small group of us were invited to explore the 18-acre property, SW of the city, belonging to Rick and Connie Hillary. This we did, on 14 September 2019. This beautiful mix of forest and grassland held so many treasures of the fungus kind and others. At the very start of our nature walk, Rick was happy to show us the beautiful mushrooms that were growing near his house. What an absolute treat! Even Karel, our fungi leader, had never seen this species before - Shaggy parasol / Chlorophyllum (formerly Macrolepiota) rhacodes. I couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw them - so perfect, hiding in the grass.

Rick told us there were other species to enjoy, further along the walk. One small area, especially, had a good variety growing amongst the trees. Our cameras barely stopping shooting - so much fun.

Two of the three dogs in this family accompanied us for the whole walk. Mother and daughter, who were such loving animals. What a dog paradise they live in, giving them the freedom to run and play-fight, seemingly with boundless energy. Only after several hours, when our walk ended, did their energy seem to run out temporarily, giving me a chance to take photos of them.

Thank you so much, Rick and Connie, for your very kind invitation. I hope you could tell how much we enjoyed ourselves! The extra and unexpected kindness of providing us with cheese and crackers and delicious cake afterwards was so much appreciated.

Karel, thank you, as always, for your knowledge of the fungi world and for helping us find and learn. I know you will enjoy your mushroom suppers from the Boletes you came across : )

Shaggy parasol / Chlorophyllum (formerly Macrolepiota) rhacodes

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 18:10:12 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

"Chlorophyllum (formerly Macrolepiota) rhacodes, the Shaggy Parasol, is smaller than the Parasol Mushroom, Macrolepiota procera, and its stem lacks the snakeskin-like patterning associated with the Parasol. As a result of molecular studies (DNA analysis), in 2003 the genus Macrolepiota was split up and the Shaggy Parasol was transferred to the genus Chlorophyllum, where it resides with other poisonous parasol-like mushrooms."

www.first-nature.com/fungi/chlorophyllum-rhacodes.php

A small group of us were invited to explore the 18-acre property, SW of the city, belonging to Rick and Connie Hillary. This we did, on 14 September 2019. This beautiful mix of forest and grassland held so many treasures of the fungus kind and others. At the very start of our nature walk, Rick was happy to show us the beautiful mushrooms that were growing near his house. What an absolute treat! Even Karel, our fungi leader, had never seen this species before - Shaggy parasol / Chlorophyllum (formerly Macrolepiota) rhacodes. I couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw them - so perfect, hiding in the grass.

Rick told us there were other species to enjoy, further along the walk. One small area, especially, had a good variety growing amongst the trees. Our cameras barely stopping shooting - so much fun.

Two of the three dogs in this family accompanied us for the whole walk. Mother and daughter, who were such loving animals. What a dog paradise they live in, giving them the freedom to run and play-fight, seemingly with boundless energy. Only after several hours, when our walk ended, did their energy seem to run out temporarily, giving me a chance to take photos of them.

Thank you so much, Rick and Connie, for your very kind invitation. I hope you could tell how much we enjoyed ourselves! The extra and unexpected kindness of providing us with cheese and crackers and delicious cake afterwards was so much appreciated.

Karel, thank you, as always, for your knowledge of the fungi world and for helping us find and learn. I know you will enjoy your mushroom suppers from the Boletes you came across : )

Shaggy parasol / Chlorophyllum (formerly Macrolepiota) rhacodes

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 17 Sep 2019 15:49:14 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

"Chlorophyllum (formerly Macrolepiota) rhacodes, the Shaggy Parasol, is smaller than the Parasol Mushroom, Macrolepiota procera, and its stem lacks the snakeskin-like patterning associated with the Parasol. As a result of molecular studies (DNA analysis), in 2003 the genus Macrolepiota was split up and the Shaggy Parasol was transferred to the genus Chlorophyllum, where it resides with other poisonous parasol-like mushrooms."

www.first-nature.com/fungi/chlorophyllum-rhacodes.php

A small group of us were invited to explore the 18-acre property, SW of the city, belonging to Rick and Connie Hillary. This we did, three days ago, on 14 September 2019. This beautiful mix of forest and grassland held so many treasures of the fungus kind. At the very start of our nature walk, Rick was happy to show us the beautiful mushrooms that were growing near his house. What an absolute treat! Even Karel, our fungi leader, had never seen this species before - Shaggy parasol / Chlorophyllum (formerly Macrolepiota) rhacodes. I couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw them - so perfect, hiding in the grass.

Rick told us there were other species to enjoy, further along the walk. One small area, especially, had a good variety growing amongst the trees. Our cameras barely stopping shooting - so much fun.

Two of the three dogs in this family accompanied us for the whole walk. Mother and daughter, who were such loving animals. What a dog paradise they live in, giving them the freedom to run and play-fight, seemingly with boundless energy. Only after several hours, when our walk ended, did their energy seem to run out temporarily, giving me a chance to take photos of them.

Thank you so much, Rick and Connie, for your very kind invitation. I hope you could tell how much we enjoyed ourselves! The extra and unexpected kindness of providing us with cheese and crackers and delicious cake afterwards was so much appreciated.

Karel, thank you, as always, for your knowledge of the fungi world and for helping us find and learn. I know you will enjoy your mushroom suppers from the Boletes you came across : )

Colour among the Foxtails

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Thu, 15 Aug 2019 14:26:10 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This morning, 15 August 2019, I added 9 odds and ends of photos taken at Frank Lake, after my longish drive further SE, to look at a few old barns, followed by a visit to the Saskatoon Farm. Lots of colour at the Farm - lots of people, too.

In between rainy days or days with rain in the forecast, today, 15 August 2019, is going to be beautifully sunny with a temperature of 25C. A great day to be out for a drive, but instead, I have an appointment in the middle of the day.

Seven days ago, 8 August 2019, was definitely more of a barn day than a bird day. A while ago, another photographer had mentioned that a few barns in a certain area SE of Calgary had been removed and I was curious to see if any of the ones I had seen before were now missing. There is one huge barn in particular that I am always hoping still stands. I would love to be able to get photos from both sides of it, but it is way out in a farmer's field that is, of course, private property. Standing in the road, I can only get a distant shot and, as often happens, I had a problem with heat distortion on distant shots. There is an old, round, wooden grain bin and a partly hidden, smaller barn just near the barn, too. I think the first time I ever saw the barn was on 21 January 2015, when I took my daughter out for the day.

My intention seven days ago had been to leave early in the morning, but it was already 10:45 am when I climbed into my car. Seeing that the weather forecast for the next six days included rain on each day, I knew I just had to do this trip straight away. Some of the roads I drove to get to my destination(s) were familiar, but others less so. There are two or three highway intersections that are confusing to me and I usually end up taking the wrong turn.

For a change, I turned off the main highway going south before my usual turn, in order to shorten the distance. My first sighting was a distant Red-tailed Hawk perched on a wooden fence at a wetland that used to be a great spot, but now is totally dried up.

After a quick stop at a tiny church that I always photograph when I am out that way, I continued east till I came to the three old Mossleigh grain elevators - one of the places I always get confused about which way to drive. Ideally, a dramatic sky would have been great, but I have taken better photos in the past.

From Mossleigh, I did my usual exploring, finding that a lovely old, wooden house was still standing. I believe this was built from a kit years ago, and it remains in reasonably good condition.

Eventually, I found the large barn that I wanted to see again and check on. It took me a while to work out which road it was on (thought I knew!), but I found it after some driving back and forth. It was good to see the smaller barn, in less then good condition, just down the road. The other two times that I have been standing in the road to take photos of this smaller barn, a lady has come along the road from a nearby farm and very kindly told me to on in and take any photos I'd like. No-one around this time, so I stayed on the road,of course. At one point, I happened to glance up the road and saw what I thought was someone's dog on the crest of the road. When I zoomed in on my camera, I realized it was a coyote, who started walking towards me. Unfortunately, it turned off into the field and disappeared. When I was at this smaller barn, it amused me to see a magnificent Mule near the barn, plus a horse. The Mule looked huge and was a real poser, wanting to be in almost every shot I took. Such a gorgeous creature, that I don't remember seeing there before.

Once I had taken a few photos, I started on my homeward drive, not stopping anywhere as I could see that, if I hurried, I could get to the Saskatoon Farm in time to get a meal before the restaurant closed for the day. Yay, I just made it.

Knowing that Frank Lake was only a short drive away, I couldn't resist driving back south to have a quick look. Found a couple of my friends there and spent some enjoyable time with them. Only took a few photos there, most to be deleted, before heading home. A fun day, though hot and hazy. Total distance covered was 275 km.

Long ago, someone's pride and joy

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 10 Aug 2019 16:31:36 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Maybe an early Eaton catalogue kit home design?

The day before yesterday, 8 August 2019, was more of a barn day than a bird day. A while ago, another photographer had mentioned that a few barns in a certain area SE of Calgary had been removed and I was curious to see if I could tell which ones were missing. There is one huge barn in particular that I am always hoping still stands. I would love to be able to get photos from both sides of it, but it is way out in a farmer's field that is, of course, private property. Standing in the road, I can only get a distant shot and, as often happens, I had a problem with heat distortion on distant shots. There is an old, round, wooden grain bin and a partly hidden, smaller barn just near the barn, too. I think the first time I ever saw the barn was on 21 January 2015, when I took my daughter out for the day.

My intention two days ago had been to leave early in the morning, but it was already 10:45 am when I climbed into my car. Seeing that the weather forecast for the next six days included rain on each day, I knew I just had to do this trip straight away. Some of the roads I drove to get to my destination(s) were familiar, but others less so. There are two or three highway intersections that are confusing to me and I usually end up taking the wrong turn.

For a change, I turned off the main highway going south before my usual turn, in order to shorten the distance. My first sighting was a distant Red-tailed Hawk perched on a wooden fence at a wetland that used to be a great spot, but now is totally dried up.

After a quick stop at a tiny church that I always photograph when I am out that way, I continued east till I came to the three old Mossleigh grain elevators - one of the places I always get confused about which way to drive. Ideally, a dramatic sky would have been great, but I have taken better photos in the past.

From Mossleigh, I did my usual exploring, finding that a lovely old, wooden house was still standing. I believe this was built from a kit years ago, and it remains in reasonably good condition.

Eventually, I found the large barn that I wanted to see again. It took me a while to work out which road it was on (thought I knew!), but I found it after some driving back and forth. It was good to see the smaller barn, in less then good condition, just down the road. The other two times that I have been standing in the road to take photos of this smaller barn, a lady has come along the road from a nearby farm and very kindly told me to on in and take any photos I'd like. No-one around yesterday, so I stayed on the road,of course. At one point, I happened to glance up the road and saw what I thought was someone's dog on the crest of the road. When I zoomed in on my camera, I realized it was a coyote, who started walking towards me. Unfortunately, it turned off into the field and disappeared. When I was at this smaller barn, it amused me to see a magnificent Mule near the barn, plus a horse. The Mule looked huge and was a real poser, wanting to be in almost every shot I took. Such a gorgeous creature, that I don't remember seeing there before.

Once I had taken a few photos, I started on my homeward drive, not stopping anywhere as I could see that, if I hurried, I could get to the Saskatoon Farm in time to get a meal before the restaurant closed for the day. Yay, I just made it.

Knowing that Frank Lake was only a short drive away, I couldn't resist driving back south to have a quick look. Found a couple of my friends there and spent some enjoyable time with them. Only took a few photos there, most to be deleted, before heading home. A fun day, though hot and hazy.

One of my favourite old barns

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 10 Aug 2019 16:30:18 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This is the same barn that I posted yesterday, when it was seen from a huge distance and a head-on view.

The day before yesterday, 8 August 2019, was more of a barn day than a bird day. A while ago, another photographer had mentioned that a few barns in a certain area SE of Calgary had been removed and I was curious to see if I could tell which ones were missing. There is one huge barn in particular that I am always hoping still stands. I would love to be able to get photos from both sides of it, but it is way out in a farmer's field that is, of course, private property. Standing in the road, I can only get a distant shot and, as often happens, I had a problem with heat distortion on distant shots. There is an old, round, wooden grain bin and a partly hidden, smaller barn just near the barn, too. I think the first time I ever saw the barn was on 21 January 2015, when I took my daughter out for the day.

My intention two days ago had been to leave early in the morning, but it was already 10:45 am when I climbed into my car. Seeing that the weather forecast for the next six days included rain on each day, I knew I just had to do this trip straight away. Some of the roads I drove to get to my destination(s) were familiar, but others less so. There are two or three highway intersections that are confusing to me and I usually end up taking the wrong turn.

For a change, I turned off the main highway going south before my usual turn, in order to shorten the distance. My first sighting was a distant Red-tailed Hawk perched on a wooden fence at a wetland that used to be a great spot, but now is totally dried up.

After a quick stop at a tiny church that I always photograph when I am out that way, I continued east till I came to the three old Mossleigh grain elevators - one of the places I always get confused about which way to drive. Ideally, a dramatic sky would have been great, but I have taken better photos in the past.

From Mossleigh, I did my usual exploring, finding that a lovely old, wooden house was still standing. I believe this was built from a kit years ago, and it remains in reasonably good condition.

Eventually, I found the large barn that I wanted to see again. It took me a while to work out which road it was on (thought I knew!), but I found it after some driving back and forth. It was good to see the smaller barn, in less then good condition, just down the road. The other two times that I have been standing in the road to take photos of this smaller barn, a lady has come along the road from a nearby farm and very kindly told me to on in and take any photos I'd like. No-one around yesterday, so I stayed on the road,of course. At one point, I happened to glance up the road and saw what I thought was someone's dog on the crest of the road. When I zoomed in on my camera, I realized it was a coyote, who started walking towards me. Unfortunately, it turned off into the field and disappeared. When I was at this smaller barn, it amused me to see a magnificent Mule near the barn, plus a horse. The Mule looked huge and was a real poser, wanting to be in almost every shot I took. Such a gorgeous creature, that I don't remember seeing there before.

Once I had taken a few photos, I started on my homeward drive, not stopping anywhere as I could see that, if I hurried, I could get to the Saskatoon Farm in time to get a meal before the restaurant closed for the day. Yay, I just made it.

Knowing that Frank Lake was only a short drive away, I couldn't resist driving back south to have a quick look. Found a couple of my friends there and spent some enjoyable time with them. Only took a few photos there, most to be deleted, before heading home. A fun day, though hot and hazy.

Little country church, Alberta

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 10 Aug 2019 16:28:05 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This little church, which dates form 1906, is open for services on the first and third Sunday of the month, at 9;00 am.. Nice that it is still being used.

"Although the tiny town of Dinton, Alberta, does not appear on most maps, it now occupies a place in motion picture history. Locations Manager Darryl Solly was asked to find a “small unadorned church” for the del Mar wedding scene in the movie, Brokeback Mountain. The unassuming Anglican chapel at Dinton, built by prairie pioneers in 1906, shown here in these exclusive pre-production photos, was the perfect spot for Alma and Ennis to be married."

The movie stars Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway and Michelle Williams and depicts the complex romantic and sexual relationship between two men in the American West from 1963 to 1983.

www.findingbrokeback.com/Albums/StThomasChurch.html

www.ourroots.ca/e/roots/lh6/lh6b0057.jpg

The day before yesterday, 8 August 2019, was more of a barn day than a bird day. A while ago, another photographer had mentioned that a few barns in a certain area SE of Calgary had been removed and I was curious to see if I could tell which ones were missing. There is one huge barn in particular that I am always hoping still stands. I would love to be able to get photos from both sides of it, but it is way out in a farmer's field that is, of course, private property. Standing in the road, I can only get a distant shot and, as often happens, I had a problem with heat distortion on distant shots. There is an old, round, wooden grain bin and a partly hidden, smaller barn just near the barn, too. I think the first time I ever saw the barn was on 21 January 2015, when I took my daughter out for the day.

My intention two days ago had been to leave early in the morning, but it was already 10:45 am when I climbed into my car. Seeing that the weather forecast for the next six days included rain on each day, I knew I just had to do this trip straight away. Some of the roads I drove to get to my destination(s) were familiar, but others less so. There are two or three highway intersections that are confusing to me and I usually end up taking the wrong turn.

For a change, I turned off the main highway going south before my usual turn, in order to shorten the distance. My first sighting was a distant Red-tailed Hawk perched on a wooden fence at a wetland that used to be a great spot, but now is totally dried up.

After a quick stop at a tiny church that I always photograph when I am out that way, I continued east till I came to the three old Mossleigh grain elevators - one of the places I always get confused about which way to drive. Ideally, a dramatic sky would have been great, but I have taken better photos in the past.

From Mossleigh, I did my usual exploring, finding that a lovely old, wooden house was still standing. I believe this was built from a kit years ago, and it remains in reasonably good condition.

Eventually, I found the large barn that I wanted to see again. It took me a while to work out which road it was on (thought I knew!), but I found it after some driving back and forth. It was good to see the smaller barn, in less then good condition, just down the road. The other two times that I have been standing in the road to take photos of this smaller barn, a lady has come along the road from a nearby farm and very kindly told me to on in and take any photos I'd like. No-one around yesterday, so I stayed on the road,of course. At one point, I happened to glance up the road and saw what I thought was someone's dog on the crest of the road. When I zoomed in on my camera, I realized it was a coyote, who started walking towards me. Unfortunately, it turned off into the field and disappeared. When I was at this smaller barn, it amused me to see a magnificent Mule near the barn, plus a horse. The Mule looked huge and was a real poser, wanting to be in almost every shot I took. Such a gorgeous creature, that I don't remember seeing there before.

Once I had taken a few photos, I started on my homeward drive, not stopping anywhere as I could see that, if I hurried, I could get to the Saskatoon Farm in time to get a meal before the restaurant closed for the day. Yay, I just made it.

Knowing that Frank Lake was only a short drive away, I couldn't resist driving back south to have a quick look. Found a couple of my friends there and spent some enjoyable time with them. Only took a few photos there, most to be deleted, before heading home. A fun day, though hot and hazy.

One of my favourite old barns

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 09 Aug 2019 18:31:00 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Yesterday, 8 August 2019, was more of a barn day than a bird day. A while ago, another photographer had mentioned that a few barns in a certain area SE of Calgary had been removed and I was curious to see if I could tell which ones were missing. There is one huge barn in particular that I am always hoping still stands. I would love to be able to get photos from both sides of it, but it is way out in a farmer's field that is, of course, private property. Standing in the road, I can only get a distant shot and I had a problem with heat distortion yesterday. There is an old, round, wooden grain bin and a smaller barn just near the barn, too. I think the first time I ever saw the barn was on 21 January 2015, when I took my daughter out for the day.

My intention yesterday had been to leave early in the morning, but it was already 10:45 am when I climbed into my car. Seeing the weather forecast for the next six days included rain on each day, I knew I just had to do this trip yesterday. Some of the roads I drove to get to my destination(s) were familiar, but others less so. There are two or three highway intersections that are confusing to me and I usually end up taking the wrong turn.

For a change, I turned off the main highway going south before my usual turn, in order to shorten the distance. My first sighting was a distant Red-tailed Hawk perched on a wooden fence at a wetland that used to be a great spot, but now is totally dried up.

After a quick stop at a tiny church that I always photograph when I am out that way, I continued east till I came to the three old Mossleigh grain elevators - one of the places I always get confused about which way to drive. Ideally, a dramatic sky would have been great, but I have taken better photos in the past.

From Mossleigh, I did my usual exploring, finding that a lovely old, wooden house was still standing. I believe this was built from a kit years ago, and it remains in reasonably good condition.

Eventually, I found the large barn that I wanted to see again. It took me a while to work out which road it was on (thought I knew!), but I found it after some driving back and forth. It was good to see the smaller barn, in less then good condition, nearby. The other two times that I have been standing in the road to take photos, a lady has come along the road from a nearby farm and very kindly told me to on in and take any photos I'd like. No-one around yesterday, so I stayed on the road,of course. At one point, I happened to glance up the road and saw what I thought was someone's dog on the crest of the road. When I zoomed in on my camera, I realized it was a coyote, who started walking towards me. Unfortunately, it turned off into the field and disappeared. When I was at this smaller barn, it amused me to see a magnificent Mule near the barn, plus a horse. The Mule looked huge and was a real poser, wanting to be in almost every shot I took. Such a gorgeous creature, that I don't remember seeing before.

Once I had taken a few photos, I started on my homeward drive, not stopping anywhere as I could see that, if I hurried, I could get to the Saskatoon Farm in time to get a meal before the restaurant closed for the day. Yay, I just made it.

Knowing that Frank Lake was only a short drive away, I couldn't resist driving back south to have a quick look. Found a couple of my friends there and spent some enjoyable time with them. Only took a few photos there, most to be deleted, before heading home. A fun day, though hot and hazy.

Little old Catholic church in the Badlands

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 16:35:00 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

There are two tiny churches in Dorothy, one Catholic and the other United. Both were restored in 2006, which is good in some ways but not so much photographically.

"At one time the village had three elevators, the Alberta Wheat Pool, the Alberta Pacific and the United Grain Growers, three stores, a butcher shop, pool room, telephone office, restaurant and a machine agency. A school was opened in 1937 and lasted in the hamlet until 1960. It was later joined to a dance hall. The combined building stills stands today and is used for birthday and graduation parties.

There are several empty boarded up houses in and around Dorothy, which once boasted as many as 70 residents but now only has four permanent citizens.

The village also supported two churches — a United Church from 1932 to 1961 and a Roman Catholic church from 1944 to 1967. The two churches were considered the focal point for the entire region’s important social events. They still stand today, but are gradually being withered away by time and the elements."

www.ghosttownpix.com/alberta/dorothy.html

Wow, what a day I had the day before yesterday, 5 August 2019! For a few decades, I had longed to get out east of the city again, to the Badlands of Alberta. I had been a few times in more recent years, either on botany trips to Horseshoe Canyon, or a couple of times for the Christmas Bird Count. However, we always carpooled and we never went to the places I really, really wanted to go to. Finally, in 2014, I took my daughter out there, taking the main highway into Drumheller. She has an amazing sense of direction and is great at navigating, so I knew I wouldn't get lost.

This time, though, I wanted to avoid Drumheller itself, so I took a back way to the few places and things I wanted to see and photograph. Each year, I try and make a new, long drive that I have never done before. Trust me, a real challenge to someone with a driving phobia!! Now, there are a handful of places that I make myself get back to each summer, to make sure I don't lose the courage to make the drive by myself.

Maps had been made, a few 'drives' taken along a few bits of road on Google Earth, so I was well-prepared. Still, I felt sick to the stomach at the thought of doing the last half of the drive. If I happened to take one wrong road, would I ever get out of the Badlands?

When I checked the weather forecast, I noticed that rain was expected on some upcoming days, but not for that day, so I knew I needed to go. It was still quite hazy all day, getting up to 30C. When I was almost ready to leave home, I suddenly realized that it was a public holiday! Never a good time to visit anywhere, with so many people everywhere. Normally, I would have stayed home. Left home at 8:45 am and got back home at 7:15 pm, after driving 402 km, using roughly three-quarters of a tank of gas. In this time, I was able to see my favourite hoodoos (with so many cars parked along the road and endless people climbing all over the hoodoos), a little almost-ghost town, and one of my absolute favourite old grain elevators. My route also took me past the Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Dalum - I had seen photos of this church before and I had always wanted to photograph a church like this. One other stop had been on my mental list, but, even though I would have had time to get there, my big concern was running out of gas on the way home.

There was only one unpleasant thing that happened and it still keeps coming to mind. Along one of the paved roads on the way to the Badlands, I had noticed a very scruffy looking hawk standing on the road. I turned around and drove back to see if I could check if it was OK. Just when I was going to pull over so that I could slowly walk back, I looked in the rear view mirror and there was a car coming behind me. Not sure if the driver tried to position his wheels so that they were either side of the hawk, or not. Anyway, the bird tried to fly and got caught up by the car, which ripped and mangled it. I could see it being tossed and caught back. I walked back to see if I could tell if it was still alive. I couldn't tell, but it was a real mess. Much as I would have liked to move it to the ditch, I couldn't. Trying to convince myself that, because it had looked so scruffy to start with, and stayed on the road, maybe it had been sick. I have seen plenty of dead wildlife of all kinds, but never before have I had to witness something actually being killed. Still haunts me.

Yesterday, 6 August 2019, my daughter and I had planned to spend the day together but decided to cancel, as the forecast was for rain and it's no fun taking photos in the rain. Such a shame, as I had been looking forward to being out with her. Her free days are so few and far between. Sure enough, 4:30 pm and we had torrential rain, wind and thunder - SO glad we weren't out in this! Today, it is very overcast - happy I decided to do my long drive two days ago.