Scenery 2

I think this is part of the Minerva Terrace at Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park. Photographed on 12 September 2012, the second day of our week's trip down to the US.

Votier's Flats, Fish Creek Park, on Thursday morning, 22 November 2012. The weather was so beautiful, a little on the cold side, needless to say, but blue sky and sunshine! Just HAD to be outdoors, so spent the morning with birding friends.

I still have all sorts of photos from my week's holiday with my friends from England that I haven't posted yet. This hot spring is now surrounded by the waters of Yellowstone Lake. Taken on 15 September 2012, the fifth day of our trip. "Fishing Cone is a geyser in the West Thumb Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. In the earlier part of the 20th century, this cone had eruptions as high as 40 feet (12 m). As the water level in Yellowstone Lake has increased, the cone is now inundated during the spring and the temperatures in the cone have cooled enough that it no longer erupts and is now considered a hot spring. The name Fishing Cone can be traced back to tales told by mountain men of a lake where you could catch a fish then immediately dunk it into hot spring and cook it on the hook. A member of the 1870 Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition popularized this feat." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fishing_Cone

I don't often see a sight like this, but always love to see other people's "layer" photos. Taken (with low cloud) along one of the backroads just SW of Calgary, on 10 November 2012. Zoomed in - the mountains look much closer than they really are.

Taken on the third day (13 September 2012) of a week's trip with great friends from England, down to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. This beautiful pool is located at the Black Sand Basin. I still have so many photos to go through from this holiday, and am trying to slip the occasional one on to my photostream. "Temperature 154.6°F Dimensions 27x38 feet. Depth 25 feet. Named for its emerald green color, it is one of the main attractions at Black Sand Basin. The color is the result of lower temperatures which have allowed yellow bacteria and algae to grow on the lining of the pool. The clear water of the pool reflects the blues but absorbs the other hues of the color spectrum. The combination of blue and yellow then produces green. Objects thrown into the pool and natural debris have caused a further decrease in temperature, resulting in a change of bacteria and algae growth and thus a change of color. The edge of the pool is now orange and brown. If the temperature continues to decrease, the pool may lose its emerald color." www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/blacksand.htm

Another cold, snowy, foggy day, but so beautiful. Taken a few days ago, on 29 November 2012, down by the Bow Valley Ranch in Fish Creek Park.

This is one kind of scenery that I can see from some of the backroads southwest of Calgary. A heavy sprinkling of snow and everywhere looks so different. Wish I could have gone for a drive yesterday, while every twig and blade of dried grass was covered in snow and frost. In the morning, I was out on a three-hour bird walk in Weaselhead, and then had to go and get a prescription refil from my doctor mid-afternoon. During the afternoon, the temperature rose slightly and there was enough wind to blow all the snow off the trees. It was a true winter wonderland while it lasted.

This was quite a strange cloud, but beautiful, stretching out across the Glenmore Reservoir in Calgary on 5 November 2012. You can just make out the distant mountain peaks.

A cold walk on 12 January 2013, from Bebo Grove to Shannon Terrace, in Fish Creek Park. Quite beautiful, especially when the sun comes out, even if very briefly.