Milk Thistle / Silybum marianum
Look what I found yesterday : )
Hiding in the grasses
Such gorgeous eyes
A favourite place
Ageless beauty
Gray Jay pose
Bathed in sunlight
Golden Eagle
Perfectly textured
It's all about the eyes
An apple a day ...
Dangling hearts
Backroads only for the brave
Lilium pardalinum
Yesterday's treat
Protea
A quick glance
Gray Jay up close
The trail of a snail
Disappearing act
Gotta love those owls
Winter simplicity
Great while it lasted
Always a real treat
Globe Thistle
Harsh reality
My very first Long-eared Owl, October 2006
The classic Echinacea shot
Impressive
A beautiful setting
Love Alberta
Waiting patiently
Snowshoe Hare in hiding
A face at the window, but not an owl : )
Bug convention
Stealthy Coyote
When the light catches
Seven-spotted Ladybug larva
Summer's glow
Concentration
One of these things is not like the others
Mistaya Canyon, Icefields Parkway
Gray Jay in winter
The beauty of golden stubble
Winter outside the city
Beautiful in all seasons
Old prairie homestead
Hungry Pine Siskin
Thoughts of summer
Leaf patterns
An accidental shot
Can you feel the warmth
Canoeing on Bow Lake
Delicate winter beauty
Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!
Clouds at Red Rock Coulee
Enjoying the sun
Way, way up
Close encounter of the owl kind
Now, the big adventure begins
Fancy feathers
A picture of cuteness
Love those legs
Short-eared Owl
Such a good Mom
Pink
Up close with a Snow Leopard
As beautiful as it gets
A little touch of sunshine
Frosted snow
Thankful for archives
Vulturine Guineafowl
We need COLOUR!
Toughing out the winter
Time for colour
Mom and baby
Love a splash of orange
I think I can ... I think I can ...
Along the Smith-Dorrien / Spray Trail
Persian Cornflower / Centaurea dealbata
How can a flower be so perfect?
Those fancy pantaloons are all the fashion
Feather finery
Purity
Sunstar over Pine Coulee Reservoir
LEST WE FORGET
From my July archives
The Famous Five with snow
Glowing leaves of Mountain Ash
Thank heavens for Chickadees
Peace and tranquility
Love their deep, dark eyes
A different view
First day of adventure
Pushing up through the mosses
Light through the storm clouds
It's "Button-eyes" again
Happy Thanksgiving weekend, everyone
Swainson's Hawk
Little beauty
Milk Thistle / Silybum marianum
Such a thrill - from my archives
A look that needs to be shared : )
A touch of autumn colour
Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness month
Splendour
Enjoying the sunshine
Greeting the sun
Oh, what a treat!
Bad hair day
Massive
Lean on me
Little alien at Lake Louise
Landscape view
Mirror reflection
They always look so serious
Fiery Fireweed in its fall colours
Magnificent Peyto Lake
Strawberries and cream fungus
Can't beat a Lily
We are family
Looking towards Bow Glacier and Bow Glacier Falls
Lovin' the light
I close my eyes and dream I'm still there
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Winter along the Smith-Dorrien road
Though it is still five days till winter officially starts, we have already been living in winter conditions for many weeks. Yesterday, 15 December 2013, I got to experience winter in the mountains, as my plans ended up changing. It was the 62nd (?)annual Calgary Christmas Bird Count and I was signed up for it, as usual. However, I had been worrying all week about how on earth I was going to be able to cope with a day of walking the city residential streets. Last Christmas, I had to stay in the car and wait while the other few participants in my group walked some of the areas, as I was in just too much pain to continue. After doing little other than sitting at my computer recently (well, the last few months!), the pain level is even higher, so I knew I was going to be of little use yesterday. Rather than sit and wait in the car for long periods, I decided to cancel. This meant that I also missed the evening get-together for all the city birders who had spent the day out in the field, and this is always so enjoyable. I felt really bad about cancelling, as I dislike letting people down.
Instead, I spent the day without any walking, other than a few steps whenever I got out of the car to take photos. Friends Cathy and Terry and I drove out to Kananaskis and along the Smith-Dorrien-Spray Lakes road. They were really hoping to see Moose. For me, seeing anything from scenery to maybe a bird or two, is more than enough to keep me happy : ) The only birds we saw were a couple of Ravens and two (or was it three?) Gray Jays (seen in my next photo posted today) and a beautiful male Spruce Grouse. The latter was down on the road when we first saw it in the distance, eating gravel to help its digestive system. Wouldn't you know it, just at that moment, a vehicle came from the opposite direction around a corner, and the bird flew up into a tree and "hid" behind a tangle of branches. You know how that goes - any birder / photographer will have had many similar experiences. Was able to take photos, but nothing too brilliant. Just thrilled to see one of these Grouse, especially a male.
There was a lot of snow on the ground out there, though not on the trees. The road itself had been ploughed, which made driving easier. In one spot, the snow plough must have ploughed a little closer to the snowbank along the edge of the road and then drifting snow had been blown on top. Our front wheels started out in snow that was maybe an inch deep, but the deeper snow pulled the car closer and closer to the snowbank - and into the ditch we went!! We were only driving slowly, thank goodness. The snow came well up my side of the car and there was no way I could get out. Within just a matter of minutes, on this quiet mountain road where we had seen little traffic all day, several cars all came at once. Everyone stopped, discussed the situation, and within a very short time, one of them attached a rope and had us pulled out of the ditch. To say we were very thankful and grateful is an understatement! Can't thank all those people enough for rescuing us - it was later in the day and I knew that light would be fading, and I had visions of us having to spend a very cold night in the car! So, it felt wonderful to once again be on solid ground! For years, I have read about how dangerous this gravel road is, especially in bad weather, but I'd never pictured ending up in a snowbank, lol. Both Terry and Cathy are excellent drivers, so I always feel totally safe being driven by them - this was just one moment of bad luck. One that thankfully ended safely, so we were able to laugh about it afterwards. Thanks, guys, for a lovely day in beautiful scenery! And no walking : ) This morning, I overslept till about 11:00 a.m.!
Did anyone else receive a similar e-mail today from an ipernity member?
"je suis sur le point de te voler qlq photos (images) si tu ne vois pas d'objection, sinon j'éfface et on oublie ce message, bonne soirée."
Translation:
"I'm about to steal QLQ photos (images) if you see no objection, if I delete this message and forget, good evening."
YES, I DO OBJECT!!!!!!!
Instead, I spent the day without any walking, other than a few steps whenever I got out of the car to take photos. Friends Cathy and Terry and I drove out to Kananaskis and along the Smith-Dorrien-Spray Lakes road. They were really hoping to see Moose. For me, seeing anything from scenery to maybe a bird or two, is more than enough to keep me happy : ) The only birds we saw were a couple of Ravens and two (or was it three?) Gray Jays (seen in my next photo posted today) and a beautiful male Spruce Grouse. The latter was down on the road when we first saw it in the distance, eating gravel to help its digestive system. Wouldn't you know it, just at that moment, a vehicle came from the opposite direction around a corner, and the bird flew up into a tree and "hid" behind a tangle of branches. You know how that goes - any birder / photographer will have had many similar experiences. Was able to take photos, but nothing too brilliant. Just thrilled to see one of these Grouse, especially a male.
There was a lot of snow on the ground out there, though not on the trees. The road itself had been ploughed, which made driving easier. In one spot, the snow plough must have ploughed a little closer to the snowbank along the edge of the road and then drifting snow had been blown on top. Our front wheels started out in snow that was maybe an inch deep, but the deeper snow pulled the car closer and closer to the snowbank - and into the ditch we went!! We were only driving slowly, thank goodness. The snow came well up my side of the car and there was no way I could get out. Within just a matter of minutes, on this quiet mountain road where we had seen little traffic all day, several cars all came at once. Everyone stopped, discussed the situation, and within a very short time, one of them attached a rope and had us pulled out of the ditch. To say we were very thankful and grateful is an understatement! Can't thank all those people enough for rescuing us - it was later in the day and I knew that light would be fading, and I had visions of us having to spend a very cold night in the car! So, it felt wonderful to once again be on solid ground! For years, I have read about how dangerous this gravel road is, especially in bad weather, but I'd never pictured ending up in a snowbank, lol. Both Terry and Cathy are excellent drivers, so I always feel totally safe being driven by them - this was just one moment of bad luck. One that thankfully ended safely, so we were able to laugh about it afterwards. Thanks, guys, for a lovely day in beautiful scenery! And no walking : ) This morning, I overslept till about 11:00 a.m.!
Did anyone else receive a similar e-mail today from an ipernity member?
"je suis sur le point de te voler qlq photos (images) si tu ne vois pas d'objection, sinon j'éfface et on oublie ce message, bonne soirée."
Translation:
"I'm about to steal QLQ photos (images) if you see no objection, if I delete this message and forget, good evening."
YES, I DO OBJECT!!!!!!!
LeapFrog, have particularly liked this photo
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