Old country schoolhouse

REMINDER: DO NOT look at the sun today while the solar eclipse is taking place! Important, too, to keep pets' eyes safe. Although dogs and cats don't normally look up at the sun, so may not need eye protection, it might just be better to be safe by keeping them indoors.

Five days ago, on 16 August 2017, I had a most enjoyable day out with friends Dorothy and Stephen, and Janet. We basically covered a similar area that we had been to, back on 20 February 2017. Everywhere looked different because of the landscape colouring at different times of the year. You could tell that this whole area would be spectacular in any season. Also, on 3 August 2015, three of us had been on a botany trip with a group to the Timber Ridge Conservation Site, which is also in the Porcupine Hills.

What I love about a drive like this is that you just never know what you might find. I love photographing anything that catches my eye, so I (almost) never return home disappointed. The wildflowers are now pretty much finished, though we did see several patches of beautiful Fireweed. Most of the birds we saw were Hawks, and there were a lot of them, but none that we were able to phototgraph. We also enjoyed watching three gorgeous Kestrels flying from tree to tree. The males, especially, are such beautifully-coloured birds.

Before this outing, I had noticed a photo on Google of a small, white schoolhouse somewhere in this area, and I was delighted when we happened to come across it. We even made two new friends while we were taking photos of it - two very friendly donkeys that were hanging out by the building. This school in the Greenbank school region was open from 1910-1945. Makes me think of the schoolhouse in Little House on the Prairie

The views from the narrow, gravel road that leads up into the Porcupine Hills are amazing. Unfortunately, the smoke haze from the British Columbia and Alberta wildfires continues, as it has done for weeks, making it a problem to take decent scenic shots. This summer is now officially the worst year on record for wildfires in British Columbia.

After stopping to eat our lunch along one of these gravel roads in the Hills, that filled a nearby herd of cows with entertainment, we started on our return journey to the city. Early in the morning, we had driven south on Highway 2, but our return drive north was on Highway 22.

Thanks so much, Dorothy and Stephen, for yet another wonderful day spent in such beautiful scenery! Janet, so glad you were able to join us, too.