The road to William's Coulee

Never would I drive in such a snow-covered landscape! This main road, which leads to WIlliam's Coulee, had been cleared, but on all the backroads it was difficult or impossible to tell where the gravel road ended and the snow-filled ditch began. This is part of the area where a small group of three of us spent the day, on 5 January 2014, covering one quadrant of a huge circle around the town of Nanton. It was their annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count. We were lucky to see two Golden Eagles and two Bald Eagles, plus a number of smaller species. There is always a view of the distant Rocky Mountains from this area - you can just see a tiny ridge in the far distance. The photo above was taken after the alpenglow had disappeared, but they look so amazing early morning with the sunrise pinks on the snow-covered peaks. Lol, on the hour's drive S from Calgary, we hit -34C (-29.2F)! Cold!

After driving (being driven, for me, which was pure luxury) the backroads from about 8:00 a.m. till around 4:00 p.m., we returned to the wonderful home of the Truch family. Not only do Bill and Leah Truch and their son, Mike, always welcome everyone with open arms, they also provide a much-appreciated breakfast snack for us and then, at the end of the day, a delicious supper. Have to say that I love travelling these scenic backroads, but I also really enjoy getting together with everyone afterwards to thoroughly enjoy a delicious supper. One of my favourite Bird Counts and perhaps the most favourite. Thanks so much for doing all the driving, Tony, and thanks, Leah, Bill and Mike for all the effort and time you put into your warm welcome! Can't wait for next Christmas!