Nikon Coolpix P900

Tonight, I have just added 10 extra photos, all taken on my short drive yesterday, 30 July 2018. I really wanted to get yesterday's captures posted so that I can move on to a different day. I am so far behind. We have been under a heat warning recently, and yesterday's temperature got up to either 31C or 32C. It was just unbearable in my place and I needed (yet again) to get out for a short drive and be in the air-conditioning of my car. We have also been having rain on some days, which was desperately needed. As I headed out west yesterday, I could see that I was heading towards a grey sky and, sure enough, the rain started. Not the best sort of day for photos, but I managed to get a few to keep me happy. All of the roads were my usual roads, though the views from them all had smoke haze. I'm not sure which wildfires this smoke is coming from - down in the US, or British Columbia, or from fires in our own province? I haven't noticed a smokey smell, though. Last summer, 2017, was dreadful for non-stop smoke and heat. At one of my stops, a female Mule Deer was on the far bank of a large pond and I didn't see her at first. A short while earlier, a beautiful buck had crossed the gravel track in front of my parked car. I got out and tried to see where he had gone, but he had completely vanished. Maybe these two deer were a pair. Along one of the gravel roads, I suddenly spotted two pairs of ears sticking up from a green field - a White-tailed doe and a youngster. The photo I posted this morning was the sharpest of the three or four photos I grabbed before they took off at high speed. Unfortunately, it only shows the mother. A young Magpie was one of several in a family along one of the backroads. Love its fluffy feathers. It only rested on a fence post for a few seconds. Other than a few of the usual birds, such as Brewer's Blackbirds, Cedar Waxwings and Eastern Kingbirds, the only sighting that was different was a Wilson's Snipe that was at the far water's edge of a large pond. Too far for even remotely decent photos, but it made a change to see a Snipe on the ground and not on a fence post.

Tonight, I have just added 10 extra photos, all taken on my short drive yesterday, 30 July 2018. I really wanted to get yesterday's captures posted so that I can move on to a different day. I am so far behind. We have been under a heat warning recently, and yesterday's temperature got up to either 31C or 32C. It was just unbearable in my place and I needed (yet again) to get out for a short drive and be in the air-conditioning of my car. We have also been having rain on some days, which was desperately needed. As I headed out west yesterday, I could see that I was heading towards a grey sky and, sure enough, the rain started. Not the best sort of day for photos, but I managed to get a few to keep me happy. All of the roads were my usual roads, though the views from them all had smoke haze. I'm not sure which wildfires this smoke is coming from - down in the US, or British Columbia, or from fires in our own province? I haven't noticed a smokey smell, though. Last summer, 2017, was dreadful for non-stop smoke and heat. Interesting to see how this old barn had a newer addition added on to it. I couldn't resist pulling over to take a shot or two. At one of my stops, a female Mule Deer was on the far bank of a large pond and I didn't see her at first. A short while earlier, a beautiful buck had crossed the gravel track in front of my parked car. I got out and tried to see where he had gone, but he had completely vanished. Maybe these two deer were a pair. Along one of the gravel roads, I suddenly spotted two pairs of ears sticking up from a green field - a White-tailed doe and a youngster. The photo I posted this morning was the sharpest of the three or four photos I grabbed before they took off at high speed. Unfortunately, it only shows the mother. A young Magpie was one of several in a family along one of the backroads. Love its fluffy feathers. It only rested on a fence post for a few seconds. Other than a few of the usual birds, such as Brewer's Blackbirds, Cedar Waxwings and Eastern Kingbirds, the only sighting that was different was a Wilson's Snipe that was at the far water's edge of a large pond. Too far for even remotely decent photos, but it made a change to see a Snipe on the ground and not on a fence post.

Tonight, I have just added 10 extra photos, all taken on my short drive yesterday, 30 July 2018. I really wanted to get yesterday's captures posted so that I can move on to a different day. I am so far behind. We have been under a heat warning recently, and yesterday's temperature got up to either 31C or 32C. It was just unbearable in my place and I needed (yet again) to get out for a short drive and be in the air-conditioning of my car. We have also been having rain on some days, which was desperately needed. As I headed out west yesterday, I could see that I was heading towards a grey sky and, sure enough, the rain started. Not the best sort of day for photos, but I managed to get a few to keep me happy. All of the roads were my usual roads, though the views from them all had smoke haze. I'm not sure which wildfires this smoke is coming from - down in the US, or British Columbia, or from fires in our own province? I haven't noticed a smokey smell, though. Last summer, 2017, was dreadful for non-stop smoke and heat. At one of my stops, a female Mule Deer was on the far bank of a large pond and I didn't see her at first. A short while earlier, a beautiful buck had crossed the gravel track in front of my parked car. I got out and tried to see where he had gone, but he had completely vanished. Maybe these two deer were a pair. Along one of the gravel roads, I suddenly spotted two pairs of ears sticking up from a green field - a White-tailed doe and a youngster. The photo I posted this morning was the sharpest of the three or four photos I grabbed before they took off at high speed. Unfortunately, it only shows the mother. A young Magpie was one of several in a family along one of the backroads. Love its fluffy feathers. It only rested on a fence post for a few seconds. Other than a few of the usual birds, such as Brewer's Blackbirds, Cedar Waxwings and Eastern Kingbirds, the only sighting that was different was a Wilson's Snipe that was at the far water's edge of a large pond. Too far for even remotely decent photos, but it made a change to see a Snipe on the ground and not on a fence post.

The weather alert for poor air quality continues, though this morning is low risk, unlike the extremely poor air quality the last few days (10 and 10+). This changes all the time. Our temperature is only 7C at 10:00 am! Looks like we could have rain tonight, which would be wonderful if it happens. Hoping rain is in the forecast for British Columbia and down in the States, too, to help with fighting the endless, devastating wildfires! I don't plan on leaving the house today, though, so I thought I would add a few more photos. Three days ago, on 16 August 2018, I was invited to go with a friend to visit a mutual friend down in Turner Valley and see the birds that come to her beautiful back garden. Only small, this area has been so thoughtfully and beautifully laid out, encouraging all sorts of birds and other wildlife to visit. She is so fortunate that a wildlife corridor is just beyond her deck and garden. Totally unexpectedly, Jackie made us a delicious cheese bun sandwich for lunch that included tomatoes she has grown herself on her deck, along with cold, refreshing lemonade. Thank you so much, Jackie, for your kindness, as always! Pam, I really appreciate your invite to go with you, and thanks so much for driving a few new back roads and a stop at Frank Lake. I don't know where all the birds were, but there were so few at the Lake and most of those were far, far out. It was a real treat, though, to start off our morning with a beautiful Swainson's Hawk that was perched on a metal fence railing, and to end our day with several (was it three?) American White Pelicans in flight and then landing on a pond in the city. We were lucky that one of them was still on the water by the time we had parked and walked to the pond. Despite the thick blanket of smoke everywhere and the dreadful air quality, the faint landscape that surrounded us was eerily beautiful. It will feel almost strange to see our beautiful foothills and mountains once again, when the wildfire smoke finally comes to an end.

As I sometimes do with photos of old barns, I added a bit of filter to this one. The original image was sharp enough, though. It always amazes me when I see this barn and it is still standing. "Wednesday, August 22, 2018, 4:55 PM -Air quality statements blanket parts of western Canada as smoke from the more than 500 wildfires burning in British Columbia coats the region in some of the worst air quality in the world." From the Weather Network. Apparently, this is the smokiest year on record for Calgary!! As you can tell by the photos I posted this morning, I got out of the forest and into the dry prairies. Two days ago, on 21 August 2018, it turned out to be such a great day, with some much-appreciated sightings. I must have spent about 8 or 9 hours driving and almost every inch of my body aches like crazy. Now, each summer, I try and do two or three longer (for me) drives, making sure I don't lose confidence to get there. Weather-wise, it was around 24C, so not too hot. Yes, it was still smokey from the British Columbia wildfires, making distant hills barely visible and deleting mountains from view, but it didn't have too much effect on closer photography. It was a good day for Hawks, seeing three on the way south and a few on the way home. I almost missed two immature Red-tailed Hawks, as the hay bale they were standing on was way out in a large field. At first, I thought there were three hawks together, but when I stopped to take a few photos, I realized that there were only two - one looked almost like two hawks close together, but then I saw that it had its wings mantled. I guess it wanted to make sure that the second hawk behind it couldn't steal any of the food from it. A Horned Lark, a Western Meadowlark juvenile, and an unidentified sparrow gave me the chance for a photo or two. I probably would have seen more if I had driven a lot of back roads, but this was such a long drive, there just was not time.

Yesterday, 28 August 2018, I did another long drive, this time SW of the city into the mountains. This is a second area that I try to do on my own each year now, to make sure that I don't lose confidence to do the drive. Luckily, I saw a few furry, four-legged critters, which will make a change from all my recent photos. Though my main purpose was to simply do the drive, I knew I would be driving through spectacular scenery and I knew that I might just see a Bighorn Sheep or two and maybe even a tiny Pika/Rock Rabbit. Fortunately, I was in luck with all three. When i woke up yesterday morning, it looked like it might finally be a day without smoke from all the wildfires - a day with some blue sky, not to mention that perhaps the mountains and foothills could actually be seen. We all know that they are there, but it is eerily strange when they all disappear from view. A quick decision was made and I knew the drive had to be done. As it turned out, scenic shots had a haze to them, especially when I reached my furthest point which was Upper Kananaskis Lake. I need to check, but I'm pretty sure this was the first time I had ever driven myself to the lake, and I felt really uncomfortable once I turned off the main highway. So many small roads leading off the road I was on and I couldn't help wondering how on earth I would ever find the way back along this long road that seemed to go on forever. The view at the lake was so hazy, but I posted a photo mainly to remind myself that I actually made it to the lake. Once I turned around to head home, an orange light came on, on my dashboard. Out came the car manual and I saw that it was the Maintenance light. I think this is only the second time it has ever come on (in just under 19,000 km), both times when I was far, far away from home. Must phone and make an appointment, hopefully for as soon as possible, as I have a couple of drives coming up.

Yesterday, 28 August 2018, I did another long drive, this time SW of the city into the mountains. This is a second area that I try to do on my own each year now, to make sure that I don't lose confidence to do the drive. Luckily, I saw a few furry, four-legged critters, which will make a change from all my recent photos. Though my main purpose was to simply do the drive, I knew I would be driving through spectacular scenery and I knew that I might just see a Bighorn Sheep or two and maybe even a tiny Pika/Rock Rabbit. Fortunately, I was in luck with all three. This photo is one of the only photos of a Bighorn Sheep that came out. All my photos were taken through the windscreen, but this was one rapid shot I managed to get when one of the sheep walked past my side window. The windscreen photos are all terrible - weird colour and oh, so blurry. but hoping I might be able to rescue one or two of them. A tiny Pika made my day, too. Sometimes, one is out of luck, but I was able to get a few photos yesterday, mainly more distant shots. It was a relief to find that there was no snow on the ground, as walking on a talus slope that is also covered in snow and ice is really treacherous. Snow had fallen in the mountains the day before - yes, it's August!! - but either it didn't reach the area I was in or else it had already melted. When i woke up yesterday morning, it looked like it might finally be a day without smoke from all the wildfires - a day with some blue sky, not to mention that perhaps the mountains and foothills could actually be seen. We all know that they are there, but it is eerily strange when they all disappear from view. A quick decision was made and I knew the drive had to be done. As it turned out, scenic shots had a haze to them, especially when I reached my furthest point which was Upper Kananaskis Lake. I need to check, but I'm pretty sure this was the first time I had ever driven myself to the lake, and I felt really uncomfortable once I turned off the main highway. So many small roads leading off the road I was on and I couldn't help wondering how on earth I would ever find the way back along this long road that seemed to go on forever. The view at the lake was so hazy, but I posted a photo mainly to remind myself that I actually made it to the lake. Once I turned around to head home, an orange light came on, on my dashboard. Out came the car manual and I saw that it was the Maintenance light. I think this is only the second time it has ever come on (in just under 19,000 km), both times when I was far, far away from home. Must phone and make an appointment, hopefully for as soon as possible, as I have a couple of drives coming up. (Yay, they can do it early this afternoon!)

Tomorrow, 31 August 2018, I plan to join friends out west of the city. Thought I would post tomorrow's photos tonight, so that I am not in such a rush early in the morning. Today, I spent time watching the first memorial service, in Arizona, for Senator John McCain. Some very moving words given by various people. Two days ago, on 28 August 2018, I did another long drive, this time SW of the city into the mountains. This is a second area that I try to do on my own each year now, to make sure that I don't lose confidence to do the drive. Luckily, I saw a few furry, four-legged critters, which will make a change from all my recent photos. Though my main purpose was to simply do the drive, I knew I would be driving through spectacular scenery and I knew that I might just see a Bighorn Sheep or two and maybe even a tiny Pika/Rock Rabbit. Fortunately, I was in luck with all three. This photo was one of the few photos of a Bighorn Sheep that was not taken through the windscreen. The windscreen photos are all terrible - weird colour and oh, so blurry. but hoping I might be able to rescue one or two of them. A tiny Pika made my day, too. Sometimes, one is out of luck, but I was able to get a few photos, mainly more distant shots. It was a relief to find that there was no snow on the ground, as walking on a talus slope that is also covered in snow and ice is really treacherous. Snow had fallen in the mountains the day before - yes, it's August!! - but either it didn't reach the area I was in or else it had already melted. When i woke up that morning, it looked like it might finally be a day without smoke from all the wildfires - a day with some blue sky, not to mention that perhaps the mountains and foothills could actually be seen. We all know that they are there, but it is eerily strange when they all disappear from view. A quick decision was made and I knew the drive had to be done. As it turned out, scenic shots had a haze to them, especially when I reached my furthest point which was Upper Kananaskis Lake. I need to check, but I'm pretty sure this was the first time I had ever driven myself to the lake, and I felt really uncomfortable once I turned off the main highway. So many small roads leading off the road I was on and I couldn't help wondering how on earth I would ever find the way back along this long road that seemed to go on forever. The view at the lake was so hazy, but I posted a photo the other day to remind myself that I actually made it to the lake. I would imagine that licking the salt off the road makes an animal thirsty. Once I turned around to head home, an orange light came on, on my dashboard. Out came the car manual and I saw that it was the Maintenance light. I think this is only the second time it has ever come on (in just under 19,000 km), both times when I was far, far away from home. Dropped the car off yesterday and collected it this afternoon, service completed.