https://www.ipernity.com/tag/293827/keyword/14221 https://cdn.ipernity.com/p/101/C3/7B/293827.buddy.jpg https://www.ipernity.com/tag/293827/keyword/14221 Wed, 03 Jun 2026 17:14:03 +0000 Wed, 03 Jun 2026 17:14:03 +0000 https://www.ipernity.com https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/51201668 tag:ipernity.com,2019-10-11,doc-51201668 Fri, 11 Oct 2019 14:50:01 +0000 2019-09-08T11:43:55-07:00 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/293827/51201668"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/16/68/51201668.c0d52baf.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This morning, it's back to posting 10 more photos of fungi from our visit to Rod Handfield's acreage. I think these may be the last few odds and ends that I will be adding from this trip. Sorry about the lack of IDs for so many of the fungi, but at least I have made a photo record of many of the species seen. <br /> <br /> On that day, 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 think this was our tenth visit - the first one I went on, being on 25 June 2009 - each one resulting in various different species. It was so overwhelming this day! 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, but also because of all the excitement. That night, I slept well. 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. 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 some of the identifications. For the rest, "fungus" or "mushroom"will have to be sufficient. As usual, any 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!</div> Large, white mushrooms <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/293827/51201668"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/16/68/51201668.c0d52baf.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This morning, it's back to posting 10 more photos of fungi from our visit to Rod Handfield's acreage. I think these may be the last few odds and ends that I will be adding from this trip. Sorry about the lack of IDs for so many of the fungi, but at least I have made a photo record of many of the species seen. <br /> <br /> On that day, 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 think this was our tenth visit - the first one I went on, being on 25 June 2009 - each one resulting in various different species. It was so overwhelming this day! 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, but also because of all the excitement. That night, I slept well. 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. 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 some of the identifications. For the rest, "fungus" or "mushroom"will have to be sufficient. As usual, any 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!</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50870580 tag:ipernity.com,2019-10-01,doc-50870580 Tue, 01 Oct 2019 16:02:35 +0000 2019-09-12T13:23:50-06:00 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/293827/50870580"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/05/80/50870580.fdc28f53.240.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> Spathiphyllum wallisii <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/293827/50870580"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/05/80/50870580.fdc28f53.240.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/293827/50673906 tag:ipernity.com,2019-09-13,doc-50673906 Fri, 13 Sep 2019 17:59:27 +0000 2019-09-08T10:37:20-06:00 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/293827/50673906"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/39/06/50673906.5d0a767d.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" 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 day 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. 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.</div> Honey mushrooms <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/293827/50673906"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/39/06/50673906.5d0a767d.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" 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 day 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. 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.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50665870 tag:ipernity.com,2019-09-11,doc-50665870 Wed, 11 Sep 2019 16:37:00 +0000 2019-09-08T09:47:25-06:00 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/293827/50665870"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/58/70/50665870.e2e454e8.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Remembering the horrific tragedy of 9/11 2001. This day will never be forgotten.<br /> <br /> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> <br /> 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. This large mushroom was picked for demonstration purposes.<br /> <br /> Another very gloomy day, with fine drizzle today, 11 September 2019. Our temperature is 9C (feels like 6C). It definitely feels 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 /> Three 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 think 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.</div> Our leader for fungi walks, Karel Bergmann <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/293827/50665870"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/58/70/50665870.e2e454e8.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Remembering the horrific tragedy of 9/11 2001. This day will never be forgotten.<br /> <br /> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> <br /> 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. This large mushroom was picked for demonstration purposes.<br /> <br /> Another very gloomy day, with fine drizzle today, 11 September 2019. Our temperature is 9C (feels like 6C). It definitely feels 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 /> Three 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 think 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.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50559934 tag:ipernity.com,2019-08-23,doc-50559934 Fri, 23 Aug 2019 17:19:17 +0000 2019-08-18T12:31:07-07:00 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/293827/50559934"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/99/34/50559934.2ad71828.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Another 7 photos, taken at Akesi Farms on 18 August 2019, have been added this morning.<br /> <br /> Five days ago, on 18 August 2019, I was fortunate enough to make a return visit to a wonderful farm, NW of the city. I left home a few minutes before 8:00 am and arrived back home at 8:00 pm, feeling totally tired out. This was partly because I had only had a couple of hours' sleep the night before, and because it took me two hours to get to the farm. This was the first time I had ever driven myself there, as we had carpooled on the previous two visits. To say the least, I was not at all impressed to see the Maintenance light on my car dashboard come on before I had even left Calgary! Have an appointment this afternoon, to see to the matter. After leaving the farm, I took some new back roads that had been recommended to me while I was at the farm; roads that I had never driven before. Beautiful scenery, and I discovered a rather nice old log cabin and two or three old rusty vehicles, including a beautiful big, blue bus. I am SO happy that I made myself do both drives. I had to do it, as this is an amazing farm, and I couldn't bear the thought of not visiting again.<br /> <br /> This 53 acre farm, Akesi Farms, is a 90 minute drive from downtown Calgary and is near the town of Sundre. It belongs to Meghan Vesey and Kwesi Haizel. It is permaculture based with future crops of eggs, mushrooms, fruits and nuts! Hard to believe that this beautiful place has only belonged to this young, hardworking, enthusiastic couple since November 2014. A tremendous amount of work, thought and planning has already gone into adding to what was already there, with a 'little' help from family and friends.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.akesifarms.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.akesifarms.com/</a><br /> <br /> Below is the link to a video about Meghan and Kwesi and the farm, by The Redneck Gourmet Show, 23 March 2017. The video was taken in winter - in summer, the farm is a mass of colour!<br /> <br /> <a href="https://youtu.be/Tih5H5uMDNE" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">youtu.be/Tih5H5uMDNE</a><br /> <br /> Our visit coincided with Alberta Open Farms weekend, where about 100 farms were open to the public. Our Naturalist leader had arranged to take anyone interested in nature on a nature walk, at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. A very interesting, short talk on the history of Bergen and the area around the farm was given by Marilyn Halvorson, who has lived in the area for many years. Three tables had also been set up - one had attractive barn quilts painted on wood (Jenni Weeks at N50 Barn Quilts). Another had knitted items and quilts from Irene Echlin. The third had produce such as jars of home-made marmalade (from Kettle Crossing Farm), and also green tomatoes which had been grown in a massive greenhouse near Olds. I discovered when I got home that eating just one tomato was not enough, they were so good. This is something I have been very impressed by ever since I first met Meghan and Kwesi. They are very community-minded, helping other farmers, which is so good to see.<br /> <br /> We were also shown a small display of several edible mushroom species that are being grown on the farm, Some of them are also growing in a few places around the farm - Meghan's mother very kindly pulled a little cluster of three Wine Caps that were growing in the vegetable garden, for me to take home and try. Of course, I had to take a few photos last night, before I added them to a Spanish Omelette : )<br /> <br /> Check out their mushroom business. They are selling mushroom spawn for if you want to grow your own. They also offer talks on how to do this. The Fante word "Akuafo" means farmer.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.fungiakuafo.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.fungiakuafo.com/</a><br /> <br /> Thank you so much, Meghan, Kwesi and Meghan's parents, for such a lovely day! Great to see new additions to the farm (well done, Kwesi!), as well as all the familiar things, including those beautiful dogs, Whiskey (male Border Collie/Great Pyrenees cross) and Titan (male Great Pyrenees), and your chickens and geese. Too bad we missed the honey created in your beehives. I wish you all the very best - you deserve all the successes that come your way.</div> Whiskey & Titan <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/293827/50559934"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/99/34/50559934.2ad71828.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Another 7 photos, taken at Akesi Farms on 18 August 2019, have been added this morning.<br /> <br /> Five days ago, on 18 August 2019, I was fortunate enough to make a return visit to a wonderful farm, NW of the city. I left home a few minutes before 8:00 am and arrived back home at 8:00 pm, feeling totally tired out. This was partly because I had only had a couple of hours' sleep the night before, and because it took me two hours to get to the farm. This was the first time I had ever driven myself there, as we had carpooled on the previous two visits. To say the least, I was not at all impressed to see the Maintenance light on my car dashboard come on before I had even left Calgary! Have an appointment this afternoon, to see to the matter. After leaving the farm, I took some new back roads that had been recommended to me while I was at the farm; roads that I had never driven before. Beautiful scenery, and I discovered a rather nice old log cabin and two or three old rusty vehicles, including a beautiful big, blue bus. I am SO happy that I made myself do both drives. I had to do it, as this is an amazing farm, and I couldn't bear the thought of not visiting again.<br /> <br /> This 53 acre farm, Akesi Farms, is a 90 minute drive from downtown Calgary and is near the town of Sundre. It belongs to Meghan Vesey and Kwesi Haizel. It is permaculture based with future crops of eggs, mushrooms, fruits and nuts! Hard to believe that this beautiful place has only belonged to this young, hardworking, enthusiastic couple since November 2014. A tremendous amount of work, thought and planning has already gone into adding to what was already there, with a 'little' help from family and friends.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.akesifarms.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.akesifarms.com/</a><br /> <br /> Below is the link to a video about Meghan and Kwesi and the farm, by The Redneck Gourmet Show, 23 March 2017. The video was taken in winter - in summer, the farm is a mass of colour!<br /> <br /> <a href="https://youtu.be/Tih5H5uMDNE" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">youtu.be/Tih5H5uMDNE</a><br /> <br /> Our visit coincided with Alberta Open Farms weekend, where about 100 farms were open to the public. Our Naturalist leader had arranged to take anyone interested in nature on a nature walk, at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. A very interesting, short talk on the history of Bergen and the area around the farm was given by Marilyn Halvorson, who has lived in the area for many years. Three tables had also been set up - one had attractive barn quilts painted on wood (Jenni Weeks at N50 Barn Quilts). Another had knitted items and quilts from Irene Echlin. The third had produce such as jars of home-made marmalade (from Kettle Crossing Farm), and also green tomatoes which had been grown in a massive greenhouse near Olds. I discovered when I got home that eating just one tomato was not enough, they were so good. This is something I have been very impressed by ever since I first met Meghan and Kwesi. They are very community-minded, helping other farmers, which is so good to see.<br /> <br /> We were also shown a small display of several edible mushroom species that are being grown on the farm, Some of them are also growing in a few places around the farm - Meghan's mother very kindly pulled a little cluster of three Wine Caps that were growing in the vegetable garden, for me to take home and try. Of course, I had to take a few photos last night, before I added them to a Spanish Omelette : )<br /> <br /> Check out their mushroom business. They are selling mushroom spawn for if you want to grow your own. They also offer talks on how to do this. The Fante word "Akuafo" means farmer.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.fungiakuafo.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.fungiakuafo.com/</a><br /> <br /> Thank you so much, Meghan, Kwesi and Meghan's parents, for such a lovely day! Great to see new additions to the farm (well done, Kwesi!), as well as all the familiar things, including those beautiful dogs, Whiskey (male Border Collie/Great Pyrenees cross) and Titan (male Great Pyrenees), and your chickens and geese. Too bad we missed the honey created in your beehives. I wish you all the very best - you deserve all the successes that come your way.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50553216 tag:ipernity.com,2019-08-20,doc-50553216 Tue, 20 Aug 2019 16:35:11 +0000 2019-08-18T13:45:20-07:00 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/293827/50553216"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/32/16/50553216.e18a4352.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">"Domestic geese (Anser anser domesticus or Anser cygnoides domesticus) are domesticated grey geese (either greylag geese or swan geese) that are kept by humans as poultry for their meat, eggs, and down feathers since ancient times.<br /> <br /> Males are typically taller and larger than females, and have longer necks. In addition, males can be distinguished by the protective behaviour they exhibit towards their mates and their offspring. Like their wild ancestors, domestic geese are very protective of their offspring and other members of the flock. The gander will normally place himself between any perceived threat and his family. Owing to their highly aggressive nature, loud call and sensitivity to unusual movements, geese can contribute towards the security of a property." From Wikipedia. They are very loud, as we heard for ourselves when we approached. Very useful in case a predator, such as a Fox, comes to check out the Geese and chickens. <br /> <br /> The day before yesterday, 18 August 2019, I was fortunate enough to make a return visit to a wonderful farm, NW of the city. I left home a few minutes before 8:00 am and arrived back home at 8:00 pm, feeling totally tired out. This was partly because I had only had a couple of hours' sleep the night before, and because it took me two hours to get to the farm. This was the first time I had ever driven myself there, as we had carpooled on the previous two visits. After leaving the farm, I took some new back roads that had been recommended to me while I was at the farm; roads that I had never driven before. Beautiful scenery, and I discovered a rather nice old log cabin and two or three old rusty vehicles, including a beautiful big, blue bus. I am SO happy that I made myself do both drives. I had to do it, as this is an amazing farm, and I couldn't bear the thought of not visiting again.<br /> <br /> This 53 acre farm, Akesi Farms, is a 90 minute drive from downtown Calgary and is near the town of Sundre. It belongs to Meghan Vesey and Kwesi Haizel. It is permaculture based with future crops of eggs, mushrooms, fruits and nuts! Hard to believe that this beautiful place has only belonged to this young, hardworking, enthusiastic couple since November 2014. A tremendous amount of work, thought and planning has already gone into adding to what was already there, with a 'little' help from family and friends.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.akesifarms.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.akesifarms.com/</a><br /> <br /> Our visit coincided with Alberta Open Farms weekend, where about 100 farms were open to the public. Our Naturalist leader had arranged to take anyone interested in nature on a nature walk, at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. A very interesting, short talk on the history of Bergen and the area around the farm was given by Marilyn Halvorson, who has lived in the area for many years. Three tables had also been set up - one had attractive barn quilts painted on wood (Jenni Weeks at N50 Barn Quilts). Another had knitted items and quilts from Irene Echlin. The third had produce such as jars of home-made marmalade (from Kettle Crossing Farm), and also green tomatoes which had been grown in a massive greenhouse near Olds. I discovered when I got home that eating just one tomato was not enough, they were so good. This is something I have been very impressed by ever since I first met Meghan and Kwesi. They are very community-minded, helping other farmers, which is so good to see.<br /> <br /> We were also shown a small display of several edible mushroom species that are being grown on the farm, Some of them are also growing in a few places around the farm - Meghan's mother very kindly pulled a little cluster of three Wine Caps that were growing in the vegetable garden, for me to take home and try. Of course, I had to take a few photos last night, before I added them to a Spanish Omelette : )<br /> Check out their mushroom business. They are selling mushroom spawn for if you want to grow your own. They also offer talks on how to do this.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.fungiakuafo.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.fungiakuafo.com/</a><br /> <br /> Thank you so much, Meghan, Kwesi and Meghan's parents, for such a lovely day! Great to see new additions to the farm (well done, Kwesi!), as well as all the familiar things, including those beautiful dogs, Whiskey and Titan, and your chickens and geese. Too bad we missed the honey created in your beehives. I wish you all the very best - you deserve all the successes that come your way.</div> Domestic Goose male - blue-eyed beauty <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/293827/50553216"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/32/16/50553216.e18a4352.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">"Domestic geese (Anser anser domesticus or Anser cygnoides domesticus) are domesticated grey geese (either greylag geese or swan geese) that are kept by humans as poultry for their meat, eggs, and down feathers since ancient times.<br /> <br /> Males are typically taller and larger than females, and have longer necks. In addition, males can be distinguished by the protective behaviour they exhibit towards their mates and their offspring. Like their wild ancestors, domestic geese are very protective of their offspring and other members of the flock. The gander will normally place himself between any perceived threat and his family. Owing to their highly aggressive nature, loud call and sensitivity to unusual movements, geese can contribute towards the security of a property." From Wikipedia. They are very loud, as we heard for ourselves when we approached. Very useful in case a predator, such as a Fox, comes to check out the Geese and chickens. <br /> <br /> The day before yesterday, 18 August 2019, I was fortunate enough to make a return visit to a wonderful farm, NW of the city. I left home a few minutes before 8:00 am and arrived back home at 8:00 pm, feeling totally tired out. This was partly because I had only had a couple of hours' sleep the night before, and because it took me two hours to get to the farm. This was the first time I had ever driven myself there, as we had carpooled on the previous two visits. After leaving the farm, I took some new back roads that had been recommended to me while I was at the farm; roads that I had never driven before. Beautiful scenery, and I discovered a rather nice old log cabin and two or three old rusty vehicles, including a beautiful big, blue bus. I am SO happy that I made myself do both drives. I had to do it, as this is an amazing farm, and I couldn't bear the thought of not visiting again.<br /> <br /> This 53 acre farm, Akesi Farms, is a 90 minute drive from downtown Calgary and is near the town of Sundre. It belongs to Meghan Vesey and Kwesi Haizel. It is permaculture based with future crops of eggs, mushrooms, fruits and nuts! Hard to believe that this beautiful place has only belonged to this young, hardworking, enthusiastic couple since November 2014. A tremendous amount of work, thought and planning has already gone into adding to what was already there, with a 'little' help from family and friends.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.akesifarms.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.akesifarms.com/</a><br /> <br /> Our visit coincided with Alberta Open Farms weekend, where about 100 farms were open to the public. Our Naturalist leader had arranged to take anyone interested in nature on a nature walk, at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. A very interesting, short talk on the history of Bergen and the area around the farm was given by Marilyn Halvorson, who has lived in the area for many years. Three tables had also been set up - one had attractive barn quilts painted on wood (Jenni Weeks at N50 Barn Quilts). Another had knitted items and quilts from Irene Echlin. The third had produce such as jars of home-made marmalade (from Kettle Crossing Farm), and also green tomatoes which had been grown in a massive greenhouse near Olds. I discovered when I got home that eating just one tomato was not enough, they were so good. This is something I have been very impressed by ever since I first met Meghan and Kwesi. They are very community-minded, helping other farmers, which is so good to see.<br /> <br /> We were also shown a small display of several edible mushroom species that are being grown on the farm, Some of them are also growing in a few places around the farm - Meghan's mother very kindly pulled a little cluster of three Wine Caps that were growing in the vegetable garden, for me to take home and try. Of course, I had to take a few photos last night, before I added them to a Spanish Omelette : )<br /> Check out their mushroom business. They are selling mushroom spawn for if you want to grow your own. They also offer talks on how to do this.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.fungiakuafo.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.fungiakuafo.com/</a><br /> <br /> Thank you so much, Meghan, Kwesi and Meghan's parents, for such a lovely day! Great to see new additions to the farm (well done, Kwesi!), as well as all the familiar things, including those beautiful dogs, Whiskey and Titan, and your chickens and geese. Too bad we missed the honey created in your beehives. I wish you all the very best - you deserve all the successes that come your way.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50537102 tag:ipernity.com,2019-08-17,doc-50537102 Sat, 17 Aug 2019 15:53:30 +0000 2019-08-13T19:08:33-07:00 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/293827/50537102"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/71/02/50537102.5400cd42.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">"Bear Warning - Votiers Flats and Shannon Terrace Day Use Areas closed<br /> Effective Date: August 16, 2019 until further notice<br /> Where: All trails and area between Votiers Flats and Shannon Terrace Day Use Areas in Fish Creek Provincial Park<br /> Why: Multiple bears feeding in the area."<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.albertaparks.ca/parks/kananaskis/kananaskis-country/advisories-public-safety/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.albertaparks.ca/parks/kananaskis/kananaskis-country/a...</a><br /> <br /> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> The 8 photos I have posted this morning, 17 August 2019, were taken on the second walk I went on four days ago. On 13 August 2019, I did something that I always try to avoid - go on two walks on the same day. This time, there were two birding outings that I really wanted to go on, one in the morning and the other in the evening. Both were in Fish Creek Park. <br /> <br /> It had been quite a few years since I had walked west of Bow Bottom Trail and I had forgotten what the area looked like until this new walk. Quite a few birds were seen, likewise mosquitoes. I didn't take many photos, but it was nice to catch an American Goldfinch doing what American Goldfinches love to do - collect the seeds from the invasive Creeping (formerly Canada) Thistles. A baby House Wren was spotted near the top of a distant broken tree, peering out of a cavity. I couldn't even see it with the naked eye, so I was surprised to see the tiny beak in my photos. A couple of wildflowers caught my eye, and a friend pointed out a line of fungi on a distant, unapproachable tree trunk.<br /> <br /> The 13 photos I posted yesterday morning were from the morning birding walk, at Mallard Point. The expert eyes were searching for Warblers that have started to arrive here. These tiny birds that are fast moving and always seem to be hiding, are not easy to see, and definitely not easy to photograph, as all bird photographers know. As usual, my eyes also wander to wildflowers and fungi. The Wandering Garter Snake that slithered across the narrow trail and disappeared into the long grass came as a surprise. Definitely not my favourite thing! Managed a quick shot in between people and have posted it just for the record. The Osprey, and the little Clay-coloured Sparrow with a beak full of insects, were enjoyed by all. Actually, the air was full of tiny flying insects, as you can tell by all the tiny specks in my Osprey shots.<br /> <br /> We were very lucky with the weather for both walks, which is always so much appreciated. A Frost Warning was issued for last night, 16 August!</div> Campion <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/293827/50537102"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/71/02/50537102.5400cd42.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">"Bear Warning - Votiers Flats and Shannon Terrace Day Use Areas closed<br /> Effective Date: August 16, 2019 until further notice<br /> Where: All trails and area between Votiers Flats and Shannon Terrace Day Use Areas in Fish Creek Provincial Park<br /> Why: Multiple bears feeding in the area."<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.albertaparks.ca/parks/kananaskis/kananaskis-country/advisories-public-safety/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.albertaparks.ca/parks/kananaskis/kananaskis-country/a...</a><br /> <br /> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> The 8 photos I have posted this morning, 17 August 2019, were taken on the second walk I went on four days ago. On 13 August 2019, I did something that I always try to avoid - go on two walks on the same day. This time, there were two birding outings that I really wanted to go on, one in the morning and the other in the evening. Both were in Fish Creek Park. <br /> <br /> It had been quite a few years since I had walked west of Bow Bottom Trail and I had forgotten what the area looked like until this new walk. Quite a few birds were seen, likewise mosquitoes. I didn't take many photos, but it was nice to catch an American Goldfinch doing what American Goldfinches love to do - collect the seeds from the invasive Creeping (formerly Canada) Thistles. A baby House Wren was spotted near the top of a distant broken tree, peering out of a cavity. I couldn't even see it with the naked eye, so I was surprised to see the tiny beak in my photos. A couple of wildflowers caught my eye, and a friend pointed out a line of fungi on a distant, unapproachable tree trunk.<br /> <br /> The 13 photos I posted yesterday morning were from the morning birding walk, at Mallard Point. The expert eyes were searching for Warblers that have started to arrive here. These tiny birds that are fast moving and always seem to be hiding, are not easy to see, and definitely not easy to photograph, as all bird photographers know. As usual, my eyes also wander to wildflowers and fungi. The Wandering Garter Snake that slithered across the narrow trail and disappeared into the long grass came as a surprise. Definitely not my favourite thing! Managed a quick shot in between people and have posted it just for the record. The Osprey, and the little Clay-coloured Sparrow with a beak full of insects, were enjoyed by all. Actually, the air was full of tiny flying insects, as you can tell by all the tiny specks in my Osprey shots.<br /> <br /> We were very lucky with the weather for both walks, which is always so much appreciated. A Frost Warning was issued for last night, 16 August!</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50537090 tag:ipernity.com,2019-08-16,doc-50537090 Fri, 16 Aug 2019 16:57:43 +0000 2019-08-13T09:47:10-07:00 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/293827/50537090"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/70/90/50537090.585d9ee7.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">On 13 August 2019, I did something that I always try to avoid - go on two walks on the same day. This time, there were two birding outings that I really wanted to go on, one in the morning and the other in the evening. Both were in Fish Creek Park. <br /> <br /> The 13 photos I posted this morning were from the morning birding walk, at Mallard Point. The expert eyes were searching for Warblers that have started to arrive here. These tiny birds that are fast moving and always seem to be hiding, are not easy to see, and definitely not easy to photograph, as all bird photographers know. As usual, my eyes also wander to wildflowers and fungi. The Wandering Garter Snake that slithered across the narrow trail and disappeared into the long grass came as a surprise. Definitely not my favourite thing! Managed a quick shot in between people and have posted it just for the record. The Osprey, and the little Clay-coloured Sparrow with a beak full of insects, were enjoyed by all.<br /> <br /> We were very lucky with the weather, which is always so much appreciated. Today, 16th August, it has been pouring with rain - again! Yesterday was one of the few beautiful days we have had this summer and, as often happens, I had an appointment in the middle of the day.</div> Campion / Silene sp. <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/293827/50537090"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/70/90/50537090.585d9ee7.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">On 13 August 2019, I did something that I always try to avoid - go on two walks on the same day. This time, there were two birding outings that I really wanted to go on, one in the morning and the other in the evening. Both were in Fish Creek Park. <br /> <br /> The 13 photos I posted this morning were from the morning birding walk, at Mallard Point. The expert eyes were searching for Warblers that have started to arrive here. These tiny birds that are fast moving and always seem to be hiding, are not easy to see, and definitely not easy to photograph, as all bird photographers know. As usual, my eyes also wander to wildflowers and fungi. The Wandering Garter Snake that slithered across the narrow trail and disappeared into the long grass came as a surprise. Definitely not my favourite thing! Managed a quick shot in between people and have posted it just for the record. The Osprey, and the little Clay-coloured Sparrow with a beak full of insects, were enjoyed by all.<br /> <br /> We were very lucky with the weather, which is always so much appreciated. Today, 16th August, it has been pouring with rain - again! Yesterday was one of the few beautiful days we have had this summer and, as often happens, I had an appointment in the middle of the day.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50404942 tag:ipernity.com,2019-08-14,doc-50404942 Wed, 14 Aug 2019 17:18:43 +0000 2019-08-08T16:11:28-06:00 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/293827/50404942"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/49/42/50404942.31b51bea.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This morning, 14 August 2019, I added 9 photos taken at the Saskatoon Farm, after my longish drive further SE, to look at a few old barns. Lots of colour at the Farm - lots of people, too.<br /> <br /> Our few hot days have come to an end, at least for now, and we are back to rainy days (the last few days, with more to come). This afternoon, though the day started sunny, we now have thunder and rain - actually under a weather alert, Severe Thunderstorm Watch.<br /> <br /> Six 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.<br /> <br /> My intention six 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. <br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> 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.</div> Solanum sp. <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/293827/50404942"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/49/42/50404942.31b51bea.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This morning, 14 August 2019, I added 9 photos taken at the Saskatoon Farm, after my longish drive further SE, to look at a few old barns. Lots of colour at the Farm - lots of people, too.<br /> <br /> Our few hot days have come to an end, at least for now, and we are back to rainy days (the last few days, with more to come). This afternoon, though the day started sunny, we now have thunder and rain - actually under a weather alert, Severe Thunderstorm Watch.<br /> <br /> Six 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.<br /> <br /> My intention six 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. <br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> 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.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50314746 tag:ipernity.com,2019-08-13,doc-50314746 Tue, 13 Aug 2019 04:55:30 +0000 2019-08-08T16:10:54-06:00 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/293827/50314746"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/47/46/50314746.1f6f42b0.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Tonight, I have just added 7 photos taken at the Saskatoon Farm, after my longish drive further SE, to look at a few old barns. Lots of colour at the Farm - lots of people, too.<br /> <br /> Our few hot days have come to an end, at least for now, and we are back to cool, rainy days (the last two days and today, with more to come). This morning, 12 August 2019, the temperature is only 12C again.<br /> <br /> Four 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.<br /> <br /> 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. <br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> 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.</div> Flowers at the Saskatoon Farm - Solanum sp. <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/293827/50314746"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/47/46/50314746.1f6f42b0.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Tonight, I have just added 7 photos taken at the Saskatoon Farm, after my longish drive further SE, to look at a few old barns. Lots of colour at the Farm - lots of people, too.<br /> <br /> Our few hot days have come to an end, at least for now, and we are back to cool, rainy days (the last two days and today, with more to come). This morning, 12 August 2019, the temperature is only 12C again.<br /> <br /> Four 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.<br /> <br /> 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. <br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> 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.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49648948 tag:ipernity.com,2019-07-16,doc-49648948 Tue, 16 Jul 2019 15:41:16 +0000 2019-07-15T16:56:01-07:00 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/293827/49648948"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/89/48/49648948.4244460f.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This morning, 16 July 2019, I woke up to find that it's raining - again! It definitely feels like it has rained almost every day for weeks. "Risk of a thunderstorm" seems to be the norm these days. Our temperature is only 11C (windchill 9C) at 10:00 am..<br /> <br /> Yesterday afternoon, I just needed to get out for a quick drive, so, despite the forecast for rain, I drove SW of the city along several usual roads. I soon discovered that one of the roads I was going to drive had roadworks going on - oiling the road. With a car that was already covered in dead insect "splats", from my 12-hour drive south of the city, the last thing I wanted was to add oil to the mix. So, yesterday's drive ended up being very short; just a couple of hours in total. Amazing what one can come across in a short time, though.<br /> <br /> A Wilson's Snipe was perched on a fence post, giving me yet another chance for a few photos. A Red-winged Blackbird was perched on another fence post, happily and noisily displaying its scarlet and yellow shoulder patches. Down a different road, a fluffy Tree Swallow fledgling sat on the barbed-wire by its nesting box, all alone.<br /> <br /> Leaving the area, ready to go home, I came across two immature Red-tailed Hawks, both perched on the same wooden beam at the top of a utility pole. Such beautiful birds.<br /> <br /> Further on, I suddenly decided to drive up a road that I don't think I have ever driven before. What a treat I discovered - a gorgeous old barn! Absolutely made my day.</div> A new find <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/293827/49648948"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/89/48/49648948.4244460f.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This morning, 16 July 2019, I woke up to find that it's raining - again! It definitely feels like it has rained almost every day for weeks. "Risk of a thunderstorm" seems to be the norm these days. Our temperature is only 11C (windchill 9C) at 10:00 am..<br /> <br /> Yesterday afternoon, I just needed to get out for a quick drive, so, despite the forecast for rain, I drove SW of the city along several usual roads. I soon discovered that one of the roads I was going to drive had roadworks going on - oiling the road. With a car that was already covered in dead insect "splats", from my 12-hour drive south of the city, the last thing I wanted was to add oil to the mix. So, yesterday's drive ended up being very short; just a couple of hours in total. Amazing what one can come across in a short time, though.<br /> <br /> A Wilson's Snipe was perched on a fence post, giving me yet another chance for a few photos. A Red-winged Blackbird was perched on another fence post, happily and noisily displaying its scarlet and yellow shoulder patches. Down a different road, a fluffy Tree Swallow fledgling sat on the barbed-wire by its nesting box, all alone.<br /> <br /> Leaving the area, ready to go home, I came across two immature Red-tailed Hawks, both perched on the same wooden beam at the top of a utility pole. Such beautiful birds.<br /> <br /> Further on, I suddenly decided to drive up a road that I don't think I have ever driven before. What a treat I discovered - a gorgeous old barn! Absolutely made my day.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/48876894 tag:ipernity.com,2019-04-22,doc-48876894 Mon, 22 Apr 2019 06:09:21 +0000 2019-03-22T07:58:00-06:00 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/293827/48876894"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/68/94/48876894.0651971b.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Adding a photo to the map has not been working the last two or three days. Images taken on the Nikon P900 have GPS and are automatically placed on the map. Adding my photos taken with the Canon SX60 will have to wait to be added, until his issue has been fixed.<br /> <br /> These 15 photos were taken early (yet another sunrise) on Day 4, 22 March 2019, a day of birding and also driving from Rockport, where we had stayed for three nights, to Kingsville. Most of these 15 photos were taken at the Port Aransas Nature Preserve. When we arrived at that location, we discovered that only a small area near the beach was open to the public, as other parts had been closed because of damage from Hurricane Harvey in 2017. We had a short walk there, enjoying seeing a tiny - and fast! - Sedge Wren. We also all took photos of a white caterpillar, only to discover when we got back to Calgary, that in fact it was not a caterpillar after all, but two white moths mating : ) <br /> <br /> "The head and thorax are white and the abdomen is yellow-orange with a row of black spots. The forewing is white with a variable pattern of black spots, with some individuals lacking any spots. The hindwing is yellow-orange in males and white in females. Both sexes have 3 or 4 black spots or blotches on the hindwings. The wingspan measures 4.5 to 6.8 cm." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estigmene_acrea" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estigmene_acrea</a><br /> <br /> Shortly after leaving that area, we stopped to take a quick shot or two of a Loggerhead Shrike, perched high up on a wire. I have seen a Loggerhead Shrike before, here in Alberta, but I had never seen one this close.<br /> <br /> After we left this area, we stopped at the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center, on the edge of the Port Aransas Nature Reserve, which is where my next upload of photos were taken. Lots of birds to see, and an Alligator.</div> Day 4, Salt Marsh Moths / Estigmene acrea, mating, Aransas <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/293827/48876894"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/68/94/48876894.0651971b.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Adding a photo to the map has not been working the last two or three days. Images taken on the Nikon P900 have GPS and are automatically placed on the map. Adding my photos taken with the Canon SX60 will have to wait to be added, until his issue has been fixed.<br /> <br /> These 15 photos were taken early (yet another sunrise) on Day 4, 22 March 2019, a day of birding and also driving from Rockport, where we had stayed for three nights, to Kingsville. Most of these 15 photos were taken at the Port Aransas Nature Preserve. When we arrived at that location, we discovered that only a small area near the beach was open to the public, as other parts had been closed because of damage from Hurricane Harvey in 2017. We had a short walk there, enjoying seeing a tiny - and fast! - Sedge Wren. We also all took photos of a white caterpillar, only to discover when we got back to Calgary, that in fact it was not a caterpillar after all, but two white moths mating : ) <br /> <br /> "The head and thorax are white and the abdomen is yellow-orange with a row of black spots. The forewing is white with a variable pattern of black spots, with some individuals lacking any spots. The hindwing is yellow-orange in males and white in females. Both sexes have 3 or 4 black spots or blotches on the hindwings. The wingspan measures 4.5 to 6.8 cm." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estigmene_acrea" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estigmene_acrea</a><br /> <br /> Shortly after leaving that area, we stopped to take a quick shot or two of a Loggerhead Shrike, perched high up on a wire. I have seen a Loggerhead Shrike before, here in Alberta, but I had never seen one this close.<br /> <br /> After we left this area, we stopped at the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center, on the edge of the Port Aransas Nature Reserve, which is where my next upload of photos were taken. Lots of birds to see, and an Alligator.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/48259304 tag:ipernity.com,2019-03-10,doc-48259304 Sun, 10 Mar 2019 15:48:58 +0000 2014-10-12T14:24:47-06:00 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/293827/48259304"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/93/04/48259304.26780823.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Did everyone remember to set their clocks forward an hour? I totally forgot - a good job I didn't have an appointment or something. This morning, too, I have had the Blue Screen of Death twice! Both times, I was on Facebook.<br /> <br /> From the archives. A touch of filter was added in post-processing. I will add what I wrote under another photo taken that day, of a beautiful red barn.<br /> <br /> "For the first time in almost two years, on 12 October 2014, I finally made myself drive east of the city on my own. Recently, I did drive all the way to Drumheller and the Badlands, but I had my youngest daughter with me. The weather was beautiful again and, after six days of not going out with my camera, I was itching to go "somewhere". <br /> <br /> Along highway 22X going east from the city, they spent so many months on major road construction, building the eastern part of a huge ring road around the city. This was one of the main reasons I hadn't driven out that way for so long, as the roads were one huge confusion. After yesterday, I can't see myself going out that way ever again, lol!<br /> <br /> Knowing that I had to concentrate really hard on all the endless, new road signs, I was fairly sure that, now that construction had more or less ended, all I would have to do was drive eastwards in a straight line. Well, somehow, I was in the wrong lane and, to my horror, I found myself heading north on the new ring road. All I could do was just keep driving, hoping I would eventually hit Glenmore Trail which would take me east of the city. Thankfully, that is exactly what happened. I did end up in a totally different area to the east, but ended up seeing two beautiful barns - this white one and a red one - because of it. <br /> <br /> Later in the afternoon, I ended up in the rough area I had originally planned on, thinking that surely the drive back to Calgary would be straightforward on 22X. Finding my way to 22X brought me to two lovely finds - an old grain elevator that I didn't know about, and a Great Horned Owl. How wrong I was about the return drive! Somehow, I found myself on Deerfoot Trail, heading south towards the Canada/US border (well, Okotoks might be a little less of an exaggeration, lol!). Nothing I could do, but just keep driving south until I was able to turn off at some familiar place - which happened to be The Saskatoon Farm : ) Fancy that, their restaurant was pretty much empty and I was just in time to enjoy their Quiche meal : )) And so, I eventually arrived back home, feeling both relieved - anyone with a driving phobia will understand! - and so happy and thankful for my various finds.<br /> <br /> Some of you have already seen the following information, but for anyone else who might be interested, the folllowing link, with the information below, answers the question: "WHY ARE BARNS USUALLY PAINTED RED?"<br /> <br /> <a href="http://home.howstuffworks.com/question635.htm" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">home.howstuffworks.com/question635.htm</a><br /> <br /> "If you've ever driven through a rural area, it's likely that you've seen the red barns that speckle the farming landscape. There are several theories as to why barns are painted red.<br /> <br /> Centuries ago, European farmers would seal the wood on their barns with an oil, often linseed oil -- a tawny-colored oil derived from the seed of the flax plant. They would paint their barns with a linseed-oil mixture, often consisting of additions such as milk and lime. The combination produced a long-lasting paint that dried and hardened quickly. (Today, linseed oil is sold in most home-improvement stores as a wood sealant). Now, where does the red come from?<br /> <br /> In historically accurate terms, "barn red" is not the bright, fire-engine red that we often see today, but more of a burnt-orange red. As to how the oil mixture became traditionally red, there are two predominant theories. One is that wealthy farmers added blood from a recent slaughter to the oil mixture. As the paint dried, it turned from a bright red to a darker, burnt red. The other is that farmers added ferrous oxide, otherwise known as rust, to the oil mixture. Rust was plentiful on farms and is a poison to many fungi, including mold and moss, which were known to grown on barns. These fungi would trap moisture in the wood, increasing decay.<br /> <br /> Regardless of how the farmer tinted his paint, having a red barn became a fashionable thing. They were a sharp contrast to the traditional white farmhouse. As European settlers crossed over to America, they brought with them the tradition of red barns. In the mid to late 1800s, as paints began to be produced with chemical pigments, red paint was the most inexpensive to buy. Red was the color of favor until whitewash became cheaper, at which point white barns began to spring up.<br /> <br /> Today, the color of barns can vary, often depending on how the barns are used."</div> The big white 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/293827/48259304"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/93/04/48259304.26780823.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Did everyone remember to set their clocks forward an hour? I totally forgot - a good job I didn't have an appointment or something. This morning, too, I have had the Blue Screen of Death twice! Both times, I was on Facebook.<br /> <br /> From the archives. A touch of filter was added in post-processing. I will add what I wrote under another photo taken that day, of a beautiful red barn.<br /> <br /> "For the first time in almost two years, on 12 October 2014, I finally made myself drive east of the city on my own. Recently, I did drive all the way to Drumheller and the Badlands, but I had my youngest daughter with me. The weather was beautiful again and, after six days of not going out with my camera, I was itching to go "somewhere". <br /> <br /> Along highway 22X going east from the city, they spent so many months on major road construction, building the eastern part of a huge ring road around the city. This was one of the main reasons I hadn't driven out that way for so long, as the roads were one huge confusion. After yesterday, I can't see myself going out that way ever again, lol!<br /> <br /> Knowing that I had to concentrate really hard on all the endless, new road signs, I was fairly sure that, now that construction had more or less ended, all I would have to do was drive eastwards in a straight line. Well, somehow, I was in the wrong lane and, to my horror, I found myself heading north on the new ring road. All I could do was just keep driving, hoping I would eventually hit Glenmore Trail which would take me east of the city. Thankfully, that is exactly what happened. I did end up in a totally different area to the east, but ended up seeing two beautiful barns - this white one and a red one - because of it. <br /> <br /> Later in the afternoon, I ended up in the rough area I had originally planned on, thinking that surely the drive back to Calgary would be straightforward on 22X. Finding my way to 22X brought me to two lovely finds - an old grain elevator that I didn't know about, and a Great Horned Owl. How wrong I was about the return drive! Somehow, I found myself on Deerfoot Trail, heading south towards the Canada/US border (well, Okotoks might be a little less of an exaggeration, lol!). Nothing I could do, but just keep driving south until I was able to turn off at some familiar place - which happened to be The Saskatoon Farm : ) Fancy that, their restaurant was pretty much empty and I was just in time to enjoy their Quiche meal : )) And so, I eventually arrived back home, feeling both relieved - anyone with a driving phobia will understand! - and so happy and thankful for my various finds.<br /> <br /> Some of you have already seen the following information, but for anyone else who might be interested, the folllowing link, with the information below, answers the question: "WHY ARE BARNS USUALLY PAINTED RED?"<br /> <br /> <a href="http://home.howstuffworks.com/question635.htm" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">home.howstuffworks.com/question635.htm</a><br /> <br /> "If you've ever driven through a rural area, it's likely that you've seen the red barns that speckle the farming landscape. There are several theories as to why barns are painted red.<br /> <br /> Centuries ago, European farmers would seal the wood on their barns with an oil, often linseed oil -- a tawny-colored oil derived from the seed of the flax plant. They would paint their barns with a linseed-oil mixture, often consisting of additions such as milk and lime. The combination produced a long-lasting paint that dried and hardened quickly. (Today, linseed oil is sold in most home-improvement stores as a wood sealant). Now, where does the red come from?<br /> <br /> In historically accurate terms, "barn red" is not the bright, fire-engine red that we often see today, but more of a burnt-orange red. As to how the oil mixture became traditionally red, there are two predominant theories. One is that wealthy farmers added blood from a recent slaughter to the oil mixture. As the paint dried, it turned from a bright red to a darker, burnt red. The other is that farmers added ferrous oxide, otherwise known as rust, to the oil mixture. Rust was plentiful on farms and is a poison to many fungi, including mold and moss, which were known to grown on barns. These fungi would trap moisture in the wood, increasing decay.<br /> <br /> Regardless of how the farmer tinted his paint, having a red barn became a fashionable thing. They were a sharp contrast to the traditional white farmhouse. As European settlers crossed over to America, they brought with them the tradition of red barns. In the mid to late 1800s, as paints began to be produced with chemical pigments, red paint was the most inexpensive to buy. Red was the color of favor until whitewash became cheaper, at which point white barns began to spring up.<br /> <br /> Today, the color of barns can vary, often depending on how the barns are used."</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/48252640 tag:ipernity.com,2019-03-09,doc-48252640 Sat, 09 Mar 2019 22:33:01 +0000 2019-03-05T14:57:20-07:00 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/293827/48252640"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/26/40/48252640.87a1b353.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">After all the stress the last nine or ten days over a photo of me being posted on Facebook, I was absolutely desperate to get out for a few hours on 5 March 2019, even though I really didn't feel like going. After losing so many hours of sleep for over a week, I would happily have climbed back into bed instead, even more so once I hit the highway south. There were so many huge semi-trailer trucks and at times they seemed to be in competition with each other. I don't remember it usually being this bad.<br /> <br /> Anyway, I headed south-east of the city, though I would have loved to go east instead. The whole Facebook mess has left me feeling like I shouldn't go in that direction, though, needless to say, plenty of people are still going out there. <br /> <br /> The weather was beautiful and milder than the last 6 or 7 weeks of deep-freeze. First of all, I did the usual drive around Frank Lake - and saw nothing. After driving a few roads north of there, I again saw no birds, other than four Magpies. Feeling totally uninspired and my heart just wasn't into it at all, I ended up calling in at the Saskatoon Farm on the way home. <br /> <br /> A plate of delicious quiche, a few potato wedges, fruit salad and a much-needed cup of coffee were so welcome. After that, I asked if the huge greenhouse was open. When I tried to get in, I couldn't and had to ask someone to drag the extremely heavy door. Someone must have closed it sometime, as when I went to leave, after spending time with two pigs, lots of chickens, turkeys, domestic Helmeted Guineafowl, two bunnies and lots of House Sparrows, I couldn't budge the sliding door. Same thing with the other three doors. It was ages before someone heard my banging on the door and I was so thankful when a young man turned off his snow-clearing machine and yanked the door open. I told him that I had visions of having to sleep there overnight! This rabbit, by the way, is huge.</div> The large, white bunny <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/293827/48252640"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/26/40/48252640.87a1b353.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">After all the stress the last nine or ten days over a photo of me being posted on Facebook, I was absolutely desperate to get out for a few hours on 5 March 2019, even though I really didn't feel like going. After losing so many hours of sleep for over a week, I would happily have climbed back into bed instead, even more so once I hit the highway south. There were so many huge semi-trailer trucks and at times they seemed to be in competition with each other. I don't remember it usually being this bad.<br /> <br /> Anyway, I headed south-east of the city, though I would have loved to go east instead. The whole Facebook mess has left me feeling like I shouldn't go in that direction, though, needless to say, plenty of people are still going out there. <br /> <br /> The weather was beautiful and milder than the last 6 or 7 weeks of deep-freeze. First of all, I did the usual drive around Frank Lake - and saw nothing. After driving a few roads north of there, I again saw no birds, other than four Magpies. Feeling totally uninspired and my heart just wasn't into it at all, I ended up calling in at the Saskatoon Farm on the way home. <br /> <br /> A plate of delicious quiche, a few potato wedges, fruit salad and a much-needed cup of coffee were so welcome. After that, I asked if the huge greenhouse was open. When I tried to get in, I couldn't and had to ask someone to drag the extremely heavy door. Someone must have closed it sometime, as when I went to leave, after spending time with two pigs, lots of chickens, turkeys, domestic Helmeted Guineafowl, two bunnies and lots of House Sparrows, I couldn't budge the sliding door. Same thing with the other three doors. It was ages before someone heard my banging on the door and I was so thankful when a young man turned off his snow-clearing machine and yanked the door open. I told him that I had visions of having to sleep there overnight! This rabbit, by the way, is huge.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/48179490 tag:ipernity.com,2019-02-26,doc-48179490 Tue, 26 Feb 2019 16:22:39 +0000 2019-02-23T13:17:44-07:00 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/293827/48179490"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/94/90/48179490.71079e4c.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Four of these photos were taken on Saturday, 23 February 2019, during the annual Snowy Owl Prowl, east of the city. I was so tempted to cancel when the forecast was for bitterly cold and snowy weather, with a wind that made it feel much colder! Amazingly, the snow stopped just before it was time for me to leave home that morning, but the frigid weather stayed with us all day. <br /> <br /> We managed to find five Snowy Owls, but this was the only remotely close one that I got a sharp enough photo of. My other photos, taken from inside the car in which I was travelling, from the far side, were totally blurry. This so often happens when I take photos from inside a vehicle. The last owl we saw was actually going to be on my side of the road when we did a U-turn and headed back, which would have been wonderful, but for some reason, we drove straight past, leaving everyone else to photograph it! Of course, it was great to see these owls, but photo-wise, very disappointing. It was definitely a Snow Bunting day, though! An estimated 6,000 of them in total. They are so beautiful when seen in flight. The car in which I was riding was the leading car, and we missed the Horned Larks and Gray Partridge.<br /> <br /> "21 brave participants ventured out on a very cold and windy day to trek east of Calgary to find Snowy Owls. Even with the bitterly cold conditions, the birds did not disappoint. We found 5 Snowy Owls throughout the day, but the highlight was seeing over 6000 snow buntings amongst 8 different flocks throughout the day. The largest flocks we saw was about 1800 birds, which was a mixed flock with about 200 Horned Larks. The buntings must be migrating north! All and all a great day! <br /> <br /> Saturday February 23, 2019<br /> 10am-4pm -17C, Wind N20-29KM/Hr<br /> 21 participants<br /> <br /> 1075 Canada Geese<br /> 12 Gray Partridge<br /> 90 Rock Pigeon<br /> 1 Great Horned Owl (being chased through trees by Ravens)<br /> 5 Snowy Owls - all males, 4 1st year, 1 adult<br /> 6 Black-billed Magpie<br /> 10 Common Raven<br /> 205 Horned Lark - 200 were in a mixed flock with Snow Buntings<br /> 40 Common Redpoll<br /> 6000 8 different flocks over the day; 1600, 1600, 400, 100, 300, 300, 1000, 1000<br /> Melanie"</div> Snowy Owl male, Snowy Owl Prowl 2019 <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/293827/48179490"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/94/90/48179490.71079e4c.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Four of these photos were taken on Saturday, 23 February 2019, during the annual Snowy Owl Prowl, east of the city. I was so tempted to cancel when the forecast was for bitterly cold and snowy weather, with a wind that made it feel much colder! Amazingly, the snow stopped just before it was time for me to leave home that morning, but the frigid weather stayed with us all day. <br /> <br /> We managed to find five Snowy Owls, but this was the only remotely close one that I got a sharp enough photo of. My other photos, taken from inside the car in which I was travelling, from the far side, were totally blurry. This so often happens when I take photos from inside a vehicle. The last owl we saw was actually going to be on my side of the road when we did a U-turn and headed back, which would have been wonderful, but for some reason, we drove straight past, leaving everyone else to photograph it! Of course, it was great to see these owls, but photo-wise, very disappointing. It was definitely a Snow Bunting day, though! An estimated 6,000 of them in total. They are so beautiful when seen in flight. The car in which I was riding was the leading car, and we missed the Horned Larks and Gray Partridge.<br /> <br /> "21 brave participants ventured out on a very cold and windy day to trek east of Calgary to find Snowy Owls. Even with the bitterly cold conditions, the birds did not disappoint. We found 5 Snowy Owls throughout the day, but the highlight was seeing over 6000 snow buntings amongst 8 different flocks throughout the day. The largest flocks we saw was about 1800 birds, which was a mixed flock with about 200 Horned Larks. The buntings must be migrating north! All and all a great day! <br /> <br /> Saturday February 23, 2019<br /> 10am-4pm -17C, Wind N20-29KM/Hr<br /> 21 participants<br /> <br /> 1075 Canada Geese<br /> 12 Gray Partridge<br /> 90 Rock Pigeon<br /> 1 Great Horned Owl (being chased through trees by Ravens)<br /> 5 Snowy Owls - all males, 4 1st year, 1 adult<br /> 6 Black-billed Magpie<br /> 10 Common Raven<br /> 205 Horned Lark - 200 were in a mixed flock with Snow Buntings<br /> 40 Common Redpoll<br /> 6000 8 different flocks over the day; 1600, 1600, 400, 100, 300, 300, 1000, 1000<br /> Melanie"</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/48177354 tag:ipernity.com,2019-02-24,doc-48177354 Sun, 24 Feb 2019 20:28:29 +0000 2018-05-18T14:43:56-07:00 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/293827/48177354"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/73/54/48177354.36caa65a.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">AND I AM FINALLY FINISHED with photos from our two-week trip to Ontario and Quebec!!!! There are now 856 images in my album for these two areas - many are distant, low quality photos, but important to me as a record of where I have been and what I was lucky enough to see during that time.<br /> <br /> Many thanks to everyone for your patience while I have flooded my photostream over and over again. No more Snow Geese and no more tiny, mystery birds : ) For now, at least.<br /> <br /> This was such an amazing holiday with four friends! I know how lucky I am, and appreciate so much being invited to go on this trip.<br /> <br /> Four friends (four of the six friends with whom I went to Trinidad & Tobago in March 2017) and I left Calgary airport on 6 May 2018 and flew to Toronto, Ontario, Canada. There, we rented a van and did the long drive to Point Pelee for four whole days of birding. We stayed at the Best Western Hotel in Leamington, which is close to Point Pelee National Park. It fills up very quickly (with birders) and our rooms were booked months ago. <br /> <br /> Our four days walking at Point Pelee were interesting and I, for sure, saw various things I had never seen before, including my very first Raccoon : ) Various friends had told me that the Warblers at Pelee were fantastic - so many and numerous species, and so close. Have to disagree with the "closeness" when we were there! I don't have binoculars as cameras are enough for me to carry around, so I know I missed all sorts of birds. Though my Warbler count was lower than my friends' counts, I was happy to at least get a few distant photos of some species. So many of my shots are awful, but I will still post some of them, just for the record of seeing them. Some photos are so bad that I doubt anyone can ID them.<br /> <br /> We covered several different trails at Pelee, and also drove to a few places somewhat further afield, such as Hillman Marsh. If you are unfamiliar with this Conservation Area, just wait till you see a photo of the old barn that was there. I couldn't believe my eyes! I was in so much pain that I wasn't sure if I would be able to walk across a grassy area to take a few photos. However, it was so unusual and beautiful, that I reckoned I could try and move forward inch by inch - and crawl (ha, ha) if necessary. Another place we enjoyed was Rondeau National Park. One amazing and totally unexpected sighting just outside Pelee was a very distant male Snowy Owl sitting in a fieldl!! <br /> <br /> We walked every single day that we were at Pelee and the areas mentioned above, seeing not just birds, but a frog/toad, snakes that we suspect were mating, several Painted turtles, a few plants (including both white and red Triliums, that I had never seen growing wild before, and a couple of Jack in the Pulpit plants).<br /> <br /> The Friends of Point Pelee have food available at lunch time that one can buy. They also have a shuttle bus that one can take from the Visitor Centre all the way to the southern tip of Pelee, which is the most southern part of Canada. They also have birding walks with a guide each day (there is a charge). On 9 May, we spent the morning from 6:00 am to 11:00 am on a birding walk at Pelee with guide, Tom Hince, whom we had contacted while we were still in Calgary.<br /> <br /> At the end of our stay at Point Pelee, we had to drive all the way back to Toronto, from where we flew to Quebec airport. From there, we had a four-hour drive to Tadoussac on the coast of the St. Lawrence Seaway. This is such a delightful, small place and in a beautiful setting. One of our friends, Anne B, and her husband have a summer cabin further along the cliff from the few stores and port. She had invited the four of us to go with her from Pelee to spend a week at her beautiful home. What an absolute treat this was! We were able to meet some of her relatives, too, who also have built cabins out there. We were looked after so well, and we were able to see and photograph all sorts of birds and other things. We made several trips to see different places, including the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area, where we were able to see endless thousands of Snow Geese. Breathtaking! <br /> <br /> We also had two boat trips from Tadoussac - one was a whaling trip in a Zodiac, where we saw very, very distant Beluga and Minke Whales. The Belugas looked almost like the white wave crests - but they were Belugas. The other boat trip was to Brandy Pot Island, inhabited by thousands of Razorbills and Common Murres, which were new birds for me, and Double-crested Cormorants that were nesting in tree tops. That long boat trip (in a tiny boat named Juno, piloted by Greg) started off in the rain and dark clouds and it was soooo cold! Thermal underwear, layers of fleece and toque and gloves were needed. This day was arranged through a contact of Anne's and it was so much enjoyed! Of course, we anchored a distance away from the island and sat there and ate our sandwiches and took endless photos. It is forbidden to land on the island at nesting time.<br /> <br /> Anne B, I can't thank you enough for organizing this holiday for us all and for inviting us to spend a week at your cabin. You worked so hard and it was so much appreciated by each and every one of us. Thank you for doing all the many hours of driving, too! Janet and Anne, thank you so much for compiling the lists of birds seen each day at various locations, and posted to ebird. These entries will be a huge help while I try and sort out where we were and when, and what species we saw. Miss your cookies and muffins, Janet, that you kindly made for us in Tadoussac, to go along with the wonderful meals that Anne planned and made for us : )</div> Day 12, Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area, Quebec. THE END! <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/293827/48177354"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/73/54/48177354.36caa65a.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">AND I AM FINALLY FINISHED with photos from our two-week trip to Ontario and Quebec!!!! There are now 856 images in my album for these two areas - many are distant, low quality photos, but important to me as a record of where I have been and what I was lucky enough to see during that time.<br /> <br /> Many thanks to everyone for your patience while I have flooded my photostream over and over again. No more Snow Geese and no more tiny, mystery birds : ) For now, at least.<br /> <br /> This was such an amazing holiday with four friends! I know how lucky I am, and appreciate so much being invited to go on this trip.<br /> <br /> Four friends (four of the six friends with whom I went to Trinidad & Tobago in March 2017) and I left Calgary airport on 6 May 2018 and flew to Toronto, Ontario, Canada. There, we rented a van and did the long drive to Point Pelee for four whole days of birding. We stayed at the Best Western Hotel in Leamington, which is close to Point Pelee National Park. It fills up very quickly (with birders) and our rooms were booked months ago. <br /> <br /> Our four days walking at Point Pelee were interesting and I, for sure, saw various things I had never seen before, including my very first Raccoon : ) Various friends had told me that the Warblers at Pelee were fantastic - so many and numerous species, and so close. Have to disagree with the "closeness" when we were there! I don't have binoculars as cameras are enough for me to carry around, so I know I missed all sorts of birds. Though my Warbler count was lower than my friends' counts, I was happy to at least get a few distant photos of some species. So many of my shots are awful, but I will still post some of them, just for the record of seeing them. Some photos are so bad that I doubt anyone can ID them.<br /> <br /> We covered several different trails at Pelee, and also drove to a few places somewhat further afield, such as Hillman Marsh. If you are unfamiliar with this Conservation Area, just wait till you see a photo of the old barn that was there. I couldn't believe my eyes! I was in so much pain that I wasn't sure if I would be able to walk across a grassy area to take a few photos. However, it was so unusual and beautiful, that I reckoned I could try and move forward inch by inch - and crawl (ha, ha) if necessary. Another place we enjoyed was Rondeau National Park. One amazing and totally unexpected sighting just outside Pelee was a very distant male Snowy Owl sitting in a fieldl!! <br /> <br /> We walked every single day that we were at Pelee and the areas mentioned above, seeing not just birds, but a frog/toad, snakes that we suspect were mating, several Painted turtles, a few plants (including both white and red Triliums, that I had never seen growing wild before, and a couple of Jack in the Pulpit plants).<br /> <br /> The Friends of Point Pelee have food available at lunch time that one can buy. They also have a shuttle bus that one can take from the Visitor Centre all the way to the southern tip of Pelee, which is the most southern part of Canada. They also have birding walks with a guide each day (there is a charge). On 9 May, we spent the morning from 6:00 am to 11:00 am on a birding walk at Pelee with guide, Tom Hince, whom we had contacted while we were still in Calgary.<br /> <br /> At the end of our stay at Point Pelee, we had to drive all the way back to Toronto, from where we flew to Quebec airport. From there, we had a four-hour drive to Tadoussac on the coast of the St. Lawrence Seaway. This is such a delightful, small place and in a beautiful setting. One of our friends, Anne B, and her husband have a summer cabin further along the cliff from the few stores and port. She had invited the four of us to go with her from Pelee to spend a week at her beautiful home. What an absolute treat this was! We were able to meet some of her relatives, too, who also have built cabins out there. We were looked after so well, and we were able to see and photograph all sorts of birds and other things. We made several trips to see different places, including the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area, where we were able to see endless thousands of Snow Geese. Breathtaking! <br /> <br /> We also had two boat trips from Tadoussac - one was a whaling trip in a Zodiac, where we saw very, very distant Beluga and Minke Whales. The Belugas looked almost like the white wave crests - but they were Belugas. The other boat trip was to Brandy Pot Island, inhabited by thousands of Razorbills and Common Murres, which were new birds for me, and Double-crested Cormorants that were nesting in tree tops. That long boat trip (in a tiny boat named Juno, piloted by Greg) started off in the rain and dark clouds and it was soooo cold! Thermal underwear, layers of fleece and toque and gloves were needed. This day was arranged through a contact of Anne's and it was so much enjoyed! Of course, we anchored a distance away from the island and sat there and ate our sandwiches and took endless photos. It is forbidden to land on the island at nesting time.<br /> <br /> Anne B, I can't thank you enough for organizing this holiday for us all and for inviting us to spend a week at your cabin. You worked so hard and it was so much appreciated by each and every one of us. Thank you for doing all the many hours of driving, too! Janet and Anne, thank you so much for compiling the lists of birds seen each day at various locations, and posted to ebird. These entries will be a huge help while I try and sort out where we were and when, and what species we saw. Miss your cookies and muffins, Janet, that you kindly made for us in Tadoussac, to go along with the wonderful meals that Anne planned and made for us : )</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/48031324 tag:ipernity.com,2019-01-26,doc-48031324 Sat, 26 Jan 2019 06:36:24 +0000 2019-01-21T12:08:17-07:00 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/293827/48031324"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/13/24/48031324.f0622542.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Wanted to catch up on a few recent local shots, before starting on Day 9 of our Ontario and Quebec trip in May 2018. The first two shots I posted were taken at Votier's Flats, Fish Creek Park, on 20 January 2019, when I joined friends for an afternoon birding walk. Not a lot of birds to be seen or heard, but it was still an enjoyable walk. As usual, some of us went for coffee afterwards, which makes for a great ending to the afternoon. <br /> <br /> The other six photos were taken on 21 January 2019, when I went for a drive east of the city, hoping that I might just be lucky enough to find a Snowy Owl. In the end, I managed to find three, though the third one took flight when I was way down the road. It may have spotted movement in the field. The owl in this photo and the other owl photo I posted tonight was the first owl I came across. The light was dismal when I first saw it and it was almost impossible to photograph. Later on, after driving a few more back roads, the sun had come out and this handsome male was dazzling white.<br /> <br /> There have been a lot of Snowy Owls this winter, but that does not mean that they are easy to find. A couple of days ago, I was back east of the city again and thinking to myself that most people probably have no idea what goes into getting the few photos one ends up with. When you do eventually find one of these stunning birds, it is such a thrill. I'm always so thankful that I love to photograph other things, too, not just birds. If I come across an old barn that I have never seen before, that, too, feels so good.</div> Male Snowy Owl <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/293827/48031324"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/13/24/48031324.f0622542.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Wanted to catch up on a few recent local shots, before starting on Day 9 of our Ontario and Quebec trip in May 2018. The first two shots I posted were taken at Votier's Flats, Fish Creek Park, on 20 January 2019, when I joined friends for an afternoon birding walk. Not a lot of birds to be seen or heard, but it was still an enjoyable walk. As usual, some of us went for coffee afterwards, which makes for a great ending to the afternoon. <br /> <br /> The other six photos were taken on 21 January 2019, when I went for a drive east of the city, hoping that I might just be lucky enough to find a Snowy Owl. In the end, I managed to find three, though the third one took flight when I was way down the road. It may have spotted movement in the field. The owl in this photo and the other owl photo I posted tonight was the first owl I came across. The light was dismal when I first saw it and it was almost impossible to photograph. Later on, after driving a few more back roads, the sun had come out and this handsome male was dazzling white.<br /> <br /> There have been a lot of Snowy Owls this winter, but that does not mean that they are easy to find. A couple of days ago, I was back east of the city again and thinking to myself that most people probably have no idea what goes into getting the few photos one ends up with. When you do eventually find one of these stunning birds, it is such a thrill. I'm always so thankful that I love to photograph other things, too, not just birds. If I come across an old barn that I have never seen before, that, too, feels so good.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/48031310 tag:ipernity.com,2019-01-26,doc-48031310 Sat, 26 Jan 2019 06:34:24 +0000 2019-01-21T12:45:35-07:00 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/293827/48031310"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/13/10/48031310.8d69090a.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="182" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Wanted to catch up on a few recent local shots, before starting on Day 9 of our Ontario and Quebec trip in May 2018. The first two shots I posted were taken at Votier's Flats, Fish Creek Park, on 20 January 2019, when I joined friends for an afternoon birding walk. Not a lot of birds to be seen or heard, but it was still an enjoyable walk. As usual, some of us went for coffee afterwards, which makes for a great ending to the afternoon. <br /> <br /> The other six photos were taken on 21 January 2019, when I went for a drive east of the city, hoping that I might just be lucky enough to find a Snowy Owl. In the end, I managed to find three, though the third one took flight when I was way down the road. It may have spotted movement in the field. The owl in this photo and the other owl photo I posted tonight was the first owl I came across. The light was dismal when I first saw it and it was almost impossible to photograph. Later on, after driving a few more back roads, the sun had come out and this handsome male was dazzling white.<br /> <br /> There have been a lot of Snowy Owls this winter, but that does not mean that they are easy to find. A couple of days ago, I was back east of the city again and thinking to myself that most people probably have no idea what goes into getting the few photos one ends up with. When you do eventually find one of these stunning birds, it is such a thrill. I'm always so thankful that I love to photograph other things, too, not just birds. If I come across an old barn that I have never seen before, that, too, feels so good.</div> Male Snowy Owl <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/293827/48031310"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/13/10/48031310.8d69090a.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="182" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Wanted to catch up on a few recent local shots, before starting on Day 9 of our Ontario and Quebec trip in May 2018. The first two shots I posted were taken at Votier's Flats, Fish Creek Park, on 20 January 2019, when I joined friends for an afternoon birding walk. Not a lot of birds to be seen or heard, but it was still an enjoyable walk. As usual, some of us went for coffee afterwards, which makes for a great ending to the afternoon. <br /> <br /> The other six photos were taken on 21 January 2019, when I went for a drive east of the city, hoping that I might just be lucky enough to find a Snowy Owl. In the end, I managed to find three, though the third one took flight when I was way down the road. It may have spotted movement in the field. The owl in this photo and the other owl photo I posted tonight was the first owl I came across. The light was dismal when I first saw it and it was almost impossible to photograph. Later on, after driving a few more back roads, the sun had come out and this handsome male was dazzling white.<br /> <br /> There have been a lot of Snowy Owls this winter, but that does not mean that they are easy to find. A couple of days ago, I was back east of the city again and thinking to myself that most people probably have no idea what goes into getting the few photos one ends up with. When you do eventually find one of these stunning birds, it is such a thrill. I'm always so thankful that I love to photograph other things, too, not just birds. If I come across an old barn that I have never seen before, that, too, feels so good.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47820054 tag:ipernity.com,2018-12-11,doc-47820054 Tue, 11 Dec 2018 07:47:55 +0000 2018-05-13T07:59:36-07:00 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/293827/47820054"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/00/54/47820054.dffafa5b.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">These 10 photos were all taken during a morning birding walk in Tadoussac or in our friend's garden on 13 May 2018. I have now reached Day 7 of our two-week holiday in Ontario and Quebec, so I guess I am very roughly half way through. The next photos to sort through, edit and post will be photos taken on a whaling trip that we went on in the afternoon of this day. We did see Belugas and Minke Whales, but they were far, far away, so no decent shots. <br /> <br /> At the end of our 4-day stay at Point Pelee, we had to drive all the way back to Toronto, from where we flew to Quebec City airport. From there, we had a four-hour drive to Tadoussac on the coast of the St. Lawrence Seaway. This is such a delightful, small place and in a beautiful setting. One of our friends, Anne B, and her husband have a summer cabin further along the cliff from the few stores and port. She had invited the four of us to go with her from Pelee to spend a week at her beautiful home. What an absolute treat this was! We were able to meet some of her relatives, too, who also have built cabins out there. We were looked after so well, and we were able to see and photograph all sorts of birds and other things. <br /> <br /> "Tadoussac is quite rightly listed as one of the 50 most beautiful bays in the world.<br /> <br /> Tadoussac is also the oldest village in Canada. In fact, the village celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2000.<br /> <br /> But above all, Tadoussac is an internationally-renowned whale-watching site." From the link below.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.authentikcanada.com/holidays/tourist-office-tadoussac" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.authentikcanada.com/holidays/tourist-office-tadoussac</a><br /> <br /> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadoussac" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadoussac</a><br /> <br /> Several trips were made to see different places along the coast, including the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area, where we were able to see endless thousands of Snow Geese, in flight and also up close. Breathtaking! <br /> <br /> We also had two boat trips from Tadoussac - one was a whaling trip in a Zodiac, where we saw very, very distant Beluga and Minke Whales. The Belugas looked almost like the white wave crests - but they were Belugas. The other boat trip was to the Brandy Pot Islands, inhabited by thousands of Razorbills and Common Murres, which were new birds for us, and Double-crested Cormorants that were nesting in tree tops. That long boat trip (in a tiny boat named Juno) started off in the rain and dark clouds and it was soooo cold! Thermal underwear, layers of fleece and toque and gloves were needed. This day was arranged through a contact of Anne's and it was so much enjoyed! Of course, we anchored a distance away from the island and sat there and ate our sandwiches and took endless photos - difficult when bobbing up and down on the rough water! It is forbidden to land on the island at nesting time. <br /> <br /> Anne B, I can't thank you enough for organizing this holiday for us all and for inviting us to spend a week at your cabin. You worked so hard and it was so much appreciated by each and every one of us. Thank you for doing all the many hours of driving, too! Janet and Anne, thank you so much for compiling the lists of birds seen each day at various locations, and posted to ebird. These entries will be a huge help while I try and sort out where we were and when, and what species we saw. Miss your cookies and muffins, Janet, that you kindly made for us in Tadoussac, to go along with the wonderful meals that Anne planned and made for us : )<br /> <br /> Link to my album (358 images) about Point Pelee and area, Ontario: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/albums/72157667191771677" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/albums/72157667191771677</a></div> Day 7, Tadoussac <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/293827/47820054"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/00/54/47820054.dffafa5b.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">These 10 photos were all taken during a morning birding walk in Tadoussac or in our friend's garden on 13 May 2018. I have now reached Day 7 of our two-week holiday in Ontario and Quebec, so I guess I am very roughly half way through. The next photos to sort through, edit and post will be photos taken on a whaling trip that we went on in the afternoon of this day. We did see Belugas and Minke Whales, but they were far, far away, so no decent shots. <br /> <br /> At the end of our 4-day stay at Point Pelee, we had to drive all the way back to Toronto, from where we flew to Quebec City airport. From there, we had a four-hour drive to Tadoussac on the coast of the St. Lawrence Seaway. This is such a delightful, small place and in a beautiful setting. One of our friends, Anne B, and her husband have a summer cabin further along the cliff from the few stores and port. She had invited the four of us to go with her from Pelee to spend a week at her beautiful home. What an absolute treat this was! We were able to meet some of her relatives, too, who also have built cabins out there. We were looked after so well, and we were able to see and photograph all sorts of birds and other things. <br /> <br /> "Tadoussac is quite rightly listed as one of the 50 most beautiful bays in the world.<br /> <br /> Tadoussac is also the oldest village in Canada. In fact, the village celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2000.<br /> <br /> But above all, Tadoussac is an internationally-renowned whale-watching site." From the link below.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.authentikcanada.com/holidays/tourist-office-tadoussac" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.authentikcanada.com/holidays/tourist-office-tadoussac</a><br /> <br /> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadoussac" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadoussac</a><br /> <br /> Several trips were made to see different places along the coast, including the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area, where we were able to see endless thousands of Snow Geese, in flight and also up close. Breathtaking! <br /> <br /> We also had two boat trips from Tadoussac - one was a whaling trip in a Zodiac, where we saw very, very distant Beluga and Minke Whales. The Belugas looked almost like the white wave crests - but they were Belugas. The other boat trip was to the Brandy Pot Islands, inhabited by thousands of Razorbills and Common Murres, which were new birds for us, and Double-crested Cormorants that were nesting in tree tops. That long boat trip (in a tiny boat named Juno) started off in the rain and dark clouds and it was soooo cold! Thermal underwear, layers of fleece and toque and gloves were needed. This day was arranged through a contact of Anne's and it was so much enjoyed! Of course, we anchored a distance away from the island and sat there and ate our sandwiches and took endless photos - difficult when bobbing up and down on the rough water! It is forbidden to land on the island at nesting time. <br /> <br /> Anne B, I can't thank you enough for organizing this holiday for us all and for inviting us to spend a week at your cabin. You worked so hard and it was so much appreciated by each and every one of us. Thank you for doing all the many hours of driving, too! Janet and Anne, thank you so much for compiling the lists of birds seen each day at various locations, and posted to ebird. These entries will be a huge help while I try and sort out where we were and when, and what species we saw. Miss your cookies and muffins, Janet, that you kindly made for us in Tadoussac, to go along with the wonderful meals that Anne planned and made for us : )<br /> <br /> Link to my album (358 images) about Point Pelee and area, Ontario: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/albums/72157667191771677" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/albums/72157667191771677</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47715888 tag:ipernity.com,2018-11-20,doc-47715888 Tue, 20 Nov 2018 18:04:00 +0000 2018-11-18T09:19:33-07:00 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/293827/47715888"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/58/88/47715888.eddf4ea2.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Quite a change from all my recent 'green' photos taken at Point Pelee, Ontario, back in May! Two days ago, on 18 November 2018, my daughter and I drove west of the city to check out a couple of Christmas Markets. Something I no longer bother to do myself, but it is enjoyable to spend a few hours with my daughter. She had a free day and was hoping we could go west, before coming back to my place and doing a bit more sorting out. I really appreciated her help, sorting and lifting. She suggested we drive a few backroads on the way, and this is one of my favourites in winter, with its gorgeous view - as long as the road is reasonably clear of snow and ice. The sun on the distant, snowy peaks was so beautiful.<br /> <br /> Along one of the backroads, we had an interesting encounter with a female Moose and her youngster. From a huge distance, we suddenly saw an adult Moose start to cross the road, turning around to look back at the other side. Then we realized that there was a youngster who was unable to either jump over the fence or climb through it because of the wire netting that covered all the gaps. The poor thing kept walking along the fence line looking for a way to reach Mom. Eventually, the owner of the acreage came over and removed part of the fence, but the Moose didn't notice ths. Removal of another piece and - success! Over the lowered fence it jumped and joined its mother. We were so far away, not wanting to risk spooking either animal. Most of my photos were taken through the windshield, so were tinted green and blurry, but a handful were taken with the car door open and turned out OK. An interesting thing to witness and, as usual, all about timing. Right place, right time, and it was so good to see someone helping wildlife.</div> Beauty of winter (well, late fall) <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/293827/47715888"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/58/88/47715888.eddf4ea2.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Quite a change from all my recent 'green' photos taken at Point Pelee, Ontario, back in May! Two days ago, on 18 November 2018, my daughter and I drove west of the city to check out a couple of Christmas Markets. Something I no longer bother to do myself, but it is enjoyable to spend a few hours with my daughter. She had a free day and was hoping we could go west, before coming back to my place and doing a bit more sorting out. I really appreciated her help, sorting and lifting. She suggested we drive a few backroads on the way, and this is one of my favourites in winter, with its gorgeous view - as long as the road is reasonably clear of snow and ice. The sun on the distant, snowy peaks was so beautiful.<br /> <br /> Along one of the backroads, we had an interesting encounter with a female Moose and her youngster. From a huge distance, we suddenly saw an adult Moose start to cross the road, turning around to look back at the other side. Then we realized that there was a youngster who was unable to either jump over the fence or climb through it because of the wire netting that covered all the gaps. The poor thing kept walking along the fence line looking for a way to reach Mom. Eventually, the owner of the acreage came over and removed part of the fence, but the Moose didn't notice ths. Removal of another piece and - success! Over the lowered fence it jumped and joined its mother. We were so far away, not wanting to risk spooking either animal. Most of my photos were taken through the windshield, so were tinted green and blurry, but a handful were taken with the car door open and turned out OK. An interesting thing to witness and, as usual, all about timing. Right place, right time, and it was so good to see someone helping wildlife.</div> Anne Elliott