Road trip as far as Coaldale, 3 August 2017

Later, around 4:00 pm, it has just started RAINING!!! Thank goodness! Hopefully, it will rain and rain, so that it will help with fighting the wildfires. Less importantly, it might just be enough to start a few mushrooms growing. Unfortunately, this is a long weekend (Civic holiday on Monday), so many people will have outdoor plans. Well, we had about 30 minutes of rain, that's all. I will quickly add that this photo of a little Burrowing Owl was taken in captivity and not in the wild. I'm not sure if this is the female who is a foster mother to several babies who were brought into the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre. Only once have I ever seen Burrowing Owls in the wild, way down in south-eastern Alberta. What a thrill that was - many birders never get such a chance, so I know I'm very lucky. I have added a previously posted photo of a wild one in a comment box below. ""As a result of its ENDANGERED Species status in 1995, it has the focus of a variety of conservation efforts. Operation Burrowing Owl and other projects involving habitat preservation with landowners have been created. Populations are monitored by Fish and Wildlife departments. They have been reintroduced into the British Columbia interior, where it was extirpated. Outlook would improve if larger areas of habitat were preserved and harmful pesticides were banned in all areas of their range. Numbers could increase if an increased tolerance to burrowing mammals develops (i.e. badgers) – provides homes for the Burrowing Owl. Outlook: perilous." From burrowingowl.com. burrowingowl.com/visit/index.php en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrowing_Owl This summer, we have had practically no 'normal' summer days. They have been either too hot thanks to our endless heatwave, or too smoky thanks to all the wildfires in British Columbia and Alberta. The weather forecast for two days ago looked good; sunshine all day, with rain forecast on several of the coming days. I decided to finally do a drive all the way down south to near Lethbridge, so that I could again visit the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale. Last year, I did this drive for the very first time on my own and I wanted to make sure I didn't lose my courage to do it again. During the 511 kms that I drove, I had to ask for help with directions twice - both times in the same small hamlet! It was a hot day, with a temperature of 31C when I was at the Centre. The forecast was for sun all day, but there was no mention of the smoke haze that completely blocked out the mountains and pretty much the foothills, too. Very quickly, I was almost tempted to turn around and come home, but I had noticed rain in the forecast for some coming days. I reckoned I would still be able to photograph the fairly close birds at the Centre, which worked out fine. Amazingly, I managed to make myself get up early that morning, 3 August 2017, and set off just before 8:30 am. My intention was to drive straight to Coaldale without stopping anywhere en route. Not an easy thing for me to do, as I much prefer driving slowly along the backroads rather than the less interesting highways. However, I knew it would take me a few hours to get there and I wanted to have as much time as possible down there. On the way home, I drove one dusty, gravel road, but saw nothing but a couple of Horned Larks perched on fence posts. A couple of old barns (that I had seen before) and a few scenic shots, were more or less all I took. Twelve hours later, I finally arrived home, at 8:30 pm, totally tired out, and my car was just about out of gas. For the first time in the year that I have had this vehicle, the gas level warning light came on. Also, it surprises me that the oil change light has never come on, as I have done 8,500 km in just under 12 months. I was given free oil changes for the life of the car, but was told that I can't get them done until the light comes on, on the dashboard. Think I'd better contact the dealership and ask about this. Almost a year sounds far too long to not have an oil change.

This summer, we have had practically no 'normal' summer days. They have been either too hot thanks to our endless heatwave, or too smoky thanks to all the wildfires in British Columbia and Alberta. The forecast for yesterday looked good, sunshine all day, with rain forecast on several of the coming days. I decided to finally do a drive all the way down south to near Lethbridge, so that I could again visit the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale. Last year, I did this drive for the very first time on my own and I wanted to make sure I didn't lose my courage to do it again. During the 511 km that I drove, I had to ask for help with directions twice - both times in the same small hamlet! The forecast was for sun all day, but there was no mention of the smoke haze that completely blocked out the mountains and pretty much the foothills, too. I was almost tempted to turn around and come home, but I had noticed rain in the forecast for some coming days. I reckoned I would still be able to photograph the fairly close birds at the Centre, which worked out fine. Amazingly, I managed to make myself get up early yesterday morning, 3 August 2017, and set off just before 8:30 am. My intention was to drive straight to Coaldale without stopping anywhere en route. Not an easy thing for me to do, as I much prefer driving the back roads rather than the highways. However, I knew it would take me a few hours to get there and I wanted to have as much time as possible down there. On the way home, I drove one dusty, gravel road, but saw nothing but a couple of Horned Larks perched on fence posts. A couple of old barns (that I had seen before) and a few scenic shots, were more or less all I took. Twelve hours later, I finally arrived home, at 8:30 pm, totally tired out, and my car was just about out of gas. For the first time in the year that I have had this vehicle, the gas level warning light came on. Also, it surprises me that the oil change light has never come on, as I have done 8,500 km in just under 12 months. I was given free oil changes for the life of the car, but was told that I can't get them done until the light comes on, on the dashboard. Think I'd better contact the dealership and ask about this. Almost a year sounds far too long to not have an oil change.

This is one of the wild, small-flowered Sunflowers that I saw on my long drive south yesterday, I only found them growing along one particular gravel back road. This summer, we have had practically no 'normal' summer days. They have been either too hot thanks to our endless heatwave, or too smoky thanks to all the wildfires in British Columbia and Alberta. The forecast for yesterday looked good, sunshine all day, with rain forecast on several of the coming days. I decided to finally do a drive all the way down south to near Lethbridge, so that I could again visit the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale. Last year, I did this drive for the very first time on my own and I wanted to make sure I didn't lose my courage to do it again. During the 511 km that I drove, I had to ask for help with directions twice - both times in the same small hamlet! The forecast was for sun all day, but there was no mention of the smoke haze that completely blocked out the mountains and pretty much the foothills, too. I was almost tempted to turn around and come home, but I had noticed rain in the forecast for some coming days. I reckoned I would still be able to photograph the fairly close birds at the Centre, which worked out fine. Amazingly, I managed to make myself get up early yesterday morning, 3 August 2017, and set off just before 8:30 am. My intention was to drive straight to Coaldale without stopping anywhere en route. Not an easy thing for me to do, as I much prefer driving the back roads rather than the highways. However, I knew it would take me a few hours to get there and I wanted to have as much time as possible down there. On the way home, I drove one dusty, gravel road, but saw nothing but a couple of Horned Larks perched on fence posts. A couple of old barns (that I had seen before) and a few scenic shots, were more or less all I took. Twelve hours later, I finally arrived home, at 8:30 pm, totally tired out, and my car was just about out of gas. For the first time in the year that I have had this vehicle, the gas level warning light came on. Also, it surprises me that the oil change light has never come on, as I have done 8,500 km in just under 12 months. I was given free oil changes for the life of the car, but was told that I can't get them done until the light comes on, on the dashboard. Think I'd better contact the dealership and ask about this. Almost a year sounds far too long to not have an oil change.

Needless to say, this is not a photo that was taken in the wild! I would never be able to get such a close shot or even a close view like this, unless the bird was captive for one reason or another. This summer, we have had practically no 'normal' summer days. They have been either too hot thanks to our endless heatwave, or too smoky thanks to all the wildfires in British Columbia and Alberta. The forecast for yesterday looked good, sunshine all day, with rain forecast on several of the coming days. I decided to finally do a drive all the way down south to near Lethbridge, so that I could again visit the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale. Last year, I did this drive for the very first time on my own and I wanted to make sure I didn't lose my courage to do it again. During the 511 kms that I drove, I had to ask for help with directions twice - both times in the same small hamlet! The forecast was for sun all day, but there was no mention of the smoke haze that completely blocked out the mountains and pretty much the foothills, too. I was almost tempted to turn around and come home, but I had noticed rain in the forecast for some coming days. I reckoned I would still be able to photograph the fairly close birds at the Centre, which worked out fine. This particular Bald Eagle resides at the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale. This is a wonderful place that rehabilitates and releases (whenever possible) various birds of prey - hawks, owls, Bald Eagles, Turkey Vultures,and Golden Eagles. Some of these birds act as Wildlife Ambassadors, too, including educating the public away from the Centre. Sometimes, a bird is used as a foster parent, too. I often see Bald Eagles flying wild, both in the city and in the surrounding areas. Usually when I see one, it is flying or perched far away. Too far away to see any detail at all, which is why I love going to this Centre, to see raptors up close. Amazingly, I managed to make myself get up early yesterday morning, 3 August 2017, and set off just before 8:30 am. My intention was to drive straight to Coaldale without stopping anywhere en route. Not an easy thing for me to do, as I much prefer driving the backroads rather than the highways. However, I knew it would take me a few hours to get there and I wanted to have as much time as possible down there. On the way home, I drove one dusty, gravel road, but saw nothing but a couple of Horned Larks perched on fence posts. A couple of old barns (that I had seen before) and a few scenic shots, were more or less all I took. Twelve hours later, I finally arrived home, at 8:30 pm, totally tired out, and my car was just about out of gas. For the first time in the year that I have had this vehicle, the gas level warning light came on. Also, it surprises me that the oil change light has never come on, as I have done 8,500 km in just under 12 months. I was given free oil changes for the life of the car, but was told that I can't get them done until the light comes on, on the dashboard. Think I'd better contact the dealership and ask about this. Almost a year sounds far too long to not have an oil change.

This summer, we have had practically no 'normal' summer days. They have been either too hot thanks to our endless heatwave, or too smoky thanks to all the wildfires in British Columbia and Alberta. The weather forecast for two days ago looked good; sunshine all day, with rain forecast on several of the coming days. I decided to finally do a drive all the way down south to near Lethbridge, so that I could again visit the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale. Last year, I did this drive for the very first time on my own and I wanted to make sure I didn't lose my courage to do it again. During the 511 kms that I drove, I had to ask for help with directions twice - both times in the same small hamlet! It was a hot day, with a temperature of 31C when I was at the Centre. The forecast was for sun all day, but there was no mention of the smoke haze that completely blocked out the mountains and pretty much the foothills, too. Very quickly, I was almost tempted to turn around and come home, but I had noticed rain in the forecast for some coming days. I reckoned I would still be able to photograph the fairly close birds at the Centre, which worked out fine. Amazingly, I managed to make myself get up early that morning, 3 August 2017, and set off just before 8:30 am. My intention was to drive straight to Coaldale without stopping anywhere en route. Not an easy thing for me to do, as I much prefer driving slowly along the backroads rather than the less interesting highways. However, I knew it would take me a few hours to get there and I wanted to have as much time as possible down there. On the way home, I drove one dusty, gravel road (seen in this photo), but saw nothing but a couple of Horned Larks perched on fence posts. A couple of old barns (that I had seen before) and a few scenic shots, were more or less all I took. Twelve hours later, I finally arrived home, at 8:30 pm, totally tired out, and my car was just about out of gas. For the first time in the year that I have had this vehicle, the gas level warning light came on. Also, it surprises me that the oil change light has never come on, as I have done 8,500 km in just under 12 months. I was given free oil changes for the life of the car, but was told that I can't get them done until the light comes on, on the dashboard. Think I'd better contact the dealership and ask about this. Almost a year sounds far too long to not have an oil change.

Unfortunately, this Bison is a domestic animal, on a farm. I have seen wild Bison and I do have photos of them in the wild. Couldn't resist stopping to take a few quick shots of these animals seen two days ago. The haze in the background is smoke haze, caused by the ongoing wildfires in British Columbia and Alberta. This summer, we have had practically no 'normal' summer days. They have been either too hot thanks to our endless heatwave, or too smoky thanks to all the wildfires in British Columbia and Alberta. The weather forecast for two days ago looked good; sunshine all day, with rain forecast on several of the coming days. I decided to finally do a drive all the way down south to near Lethbridge, so that I could again visit the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale. Last year, I did this drive for the very first time on my own and I wanted to make sure I didn't lose my courage to do it again. During the 511 kms that I drove, I had to ask for help with directions twice - both times in the same small hamlet! It was a hot day, with a temperature of 31C when I was at the Centre. The forecast was for sun all day, but there was no mention of the smoke haze that completely blocked out the mountains and pretty much the foothills, too. Very quickly, I was almost tempted to turn around and come home, but I had noticed rain in the forecast for some coming days. I reckoned I would still be able to photograph the fairly close birds at the Centre, which worked out fine. Amazingly, I managed to make myself get up early that morning, 3 August 2017, and set off just before 8:30 am. My intention was to drive straight to Coaldale without stopping anywhere en route. Not an easy thing for me to do, as I much prefer driving slowly along the backroads rather than the less interesting highways. However, I knew it would take me a few hours to get there and I wanted to have as much time as possible down there. On the way home, I drove one dusty, gravel road, but saw nothing but a couple of Horned Larks perched on fence posts. A couple of old barns (that I had seen before) and a few scenic shots, were more or less all I took. Twelve hours later, I finally arrived home, at 8:30 pm, totally tired out, and my car was just about out of gas. For the first time in the year that I have had this vehicle, the gas level warning light came on. Also, it surprises me that the oil change light has never come on, as I have done 8,500 km in just under 12 months. I was given free oil changes for the life of the car, but was told that I can't get them done until the light comes on, on the dashboard. Think I'd better contact the dealership and ask about this. Almost a year sounds far too long to not have an oil change.

This summer, we have had practically no 'normal' summer days. They have been either too hot thanks to our endless heatwave, or too smoky thanks to all the wildfires in British Columbia and Alberta. The weather forecast for three days ago, on 3 August 2017, looked good; sunshine all day, with rain forecast on several of the coming days. I decided to finally do a drive all the way down south to near Lethbridge, so that I could again visit the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale. Last year, I did this drive for the very first time on my own and I wanted to make sure I didn't lose my courage to do it again. During the 511 kms that I drove, I had to ask for help with directions twice - both times in the same small hamlet! It was a hot day, with a temperature of 31C when I was at the Centre. Though the forecast was for sun all day, there was no mention of the smoke haze that completely blocked out the mountains and pretty much the foothills, too. Very quickly, I was almost tempted to turn around and come home, but I reckoned I would still be able to photograph the fairly close birds at the Centre, which worked out fine. Amazingly, I managed to make myself get up early that morning, and set off just before 8:30 am. My intention was to drive straight to Coaldale without stopping anywhere en route. Not an easy thing for me to do, as I much prefer driving slowly along the back roads rather than the less interesting highways. However, I knew it would take me a few hours to get there and I wanted to have as much time as possible down there. On the way home, I drove one dusty, gravel road, but saw nothing but a couple of Horned Larks perched on fence posts. A couple of old barns (that I had seen before) and a few scenic shots, were more or less all I took. Twelve hours later, I finally arrived home, at 8:30 pm, totally tired out, and my car was just about out of gas. For the first time in the year that I have had this vehicle, the gas level warning light came on. Also, it surprises me that the oil change light has never come on, as I have done 8,500 km in just under 12 months. I was given free oil changes for the life of the car, but was told that I can't get them done until the light comes on, on the dashboard. Think I'd better contact the dealership and ask about this. Almost a year sounds far too long to not have an oil change. Later: after doing a bit of Googling last night, it seems that it is quite normal to have done this many km, or more, before the maintenance light comes on for getting a first oil change. My previous vehicle was 17 years old and things have obviously changed with newer cars!

..... with this beautiful, young, light-coloured Great Horned Owl. It was just so perfect. Three adults tethered nearby were also quite pale in colour. I know some people feel that photographing birds that are not out in the wild is cheating. I kind of agree, though I think it's fine as long as someone says where it was taken. I have seen and photographed many owls in their natural habitat, but I still love seeing them at the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale, southern Alberta. This summer, we have had practically no 'normal' summer days. They have been either too hot thanks to our endless heatwave, or too smoky thanks to all the wildfires in British Columbia and Alberta. The weather forecast for three days ago, on 3 August 2017, looked good; sunshine all day, with rain forecast on several of the coming days. I decided to finally do a drive all the way down south to near Lethbridge, so that I could again visit the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale. Last year, I did this drive for the very first time on my own and I wanted to make sure I didn't lose my courage to do it again. During the 511 kms that I drove, I had to ask for help with directions twice - both times in the same small hamlet! It was a hot day, with a temperature of 31C when I was at the Centre. Though the forecast was for sun all day, there was no mention of the smoke haze that completely blocked out the mountains and pretty much the foothills, too. Very quickly, I was almost tempted to turn around and come home, but I had noticed rain in the forecast for some coming days. I reckoned I would still be able to photograph the fairly close birds at the Centre, which worked out fine. Amazingly, I managed to make myself get up early that morning, and set off just before 8:30 am. My intention was to drive straight to Coaldale without stopping anywhere en route. Not an easy thing for me to do, as I much prefer driving slowly along the back roads rather than the less interesting highways. However, I knew it would take me a few hours to get there and I wanted to have as much time as possible down there. On the way home, I drove one dusty, gravel road, but saw nothing but a couple of Horned Larks perched on fence posts. A couple of old barns (that I had seen before) and a few scenic shots, were more or less all I took. Twelve hours later, I finally arrived home, at 8:30 pm, totally tired out, and my car was just about out of gas. For the first time in the year that I have had this vehicle, the gas level warning light came on. Also, it surprises me that the oil change light has never come on, as I have done 8,500 km in just under 12 months. I was given free oil changes for the life of the car, but was told that I can't get them done until the light comes on, on the dashboard. Think I'd better contact the dealership and ask about this. Almost a year sounds far too long to not have an oil change. Later: after doing a bit of Googling last night, it seems that it is quite normal to have done this many km, or more, before the maintenance light comes on for getting a first oil change. My previous vehicle was 17 years old and things have obviously changed with newer cars!

We actually had rain yesterday evening (7 August 2017) along with thunder and lightning. The first crack of thunder was SO loud and unexpected, sounding as if it was right over my place. Enough to knock over a small, framed picture that was propped on a shelf against an outer wall on my main floor. I was sitting at my computer, so it was very lucky that I didn't have a large mug of coffee in my hand. After that crack, I decided to turn off my computer for the night, even though I hadn't found three photos to post this morning. Hence, the late posting. This is one of the many white, domestic ducks that are residents at the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale, southern Alberta. They swim on one of the ponds at the Centre and provide visitors with lots of fun. You can buy bags of proper food for them inside the Visitor's Centre. As soon as I walked down to them to take a few photos, some came over to me immediately, looking for food. I had two of them nibbling on the shoelaces of both my shoes. Not the best photo, but they were swimming fast, and this is the 'best' shot I got. "Domestic ducks are ducks that are raised for meat, eggs and down. Many ducks are also kept for show, as pets, or for their ornamental value. Almost all varieties of domestic duck apart from the Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata) are descended from the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). Domestication has greatly altered their characteristics. Domestic ducks are mostly polygamous, where wild mallards are monogamous. Domestic ducks have lost the mallard's territorial behaviour, and are less aggressive than mallards. Despite these differences, domestic ducks frequently mate with wild mallard, producing fully fertile hybrid offspring." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_duck This summer, we have had practically no 'normal' summer days. They have been either far too hot thanks to our endless heatwave, or too smoky thanks to all the wildfires in British Columbia and Alberta. The weather forecast for five days ago, on 3 August 2017, looked good; sunshine all day, with rain forecast on several of the coming days. I decided to finally do a drive all the way down south to near Lethbridge, so that I could again visit the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale. Last year, I did this drive for the very first time on my own and I wanted to make sure I didn't lose my courage to do it again. During the 511 kms that I drove, I had to ask for help with directions twice - both times in the same small hamlet! It was a hot day, with a temperature of 31C when I was at the Centre. Though the forecast was for sun all day, there was no mention of the smoke haze that completely blocked out the mountains and pretty much the foothills, too. Very quickly, I was almost tempted to turn around and come home, but I had noticed rain in the forecast for some coming days. I reckoned I would still be able to photograph the fairly close birds at the Centre, which worked out fine. Amazingly, I managed to make myself get up early that morning, and set off just before 8:30 am. My intention was to drive straight to Coaldale without stopping anywhere en route. Not an easy thing for me to do, as I much prefer driving slowly along the back roads rather than the less interesting highways. However, I knew it would take me a few hours to get there and I wanted to have as much time as possible down there. On the way home, I drove one dusty, gravel road, but saw nothing but a couple of Horned Larks perched on fence posts. A couple of old barns (that I had seen before) and a few scenic shots, were more or less all I took. Twelve hours later, I finally arrived home, at 8:30 pm, totally tired out, and my car was just about out of gas. For the first time in the year that I have had this vehicle, the gas level warning light came on. Also, it surprises me that the oil change light has never come on, as I have done 8,500 km in just under 12 months. I was given free oil changes for the life of the car, but was told that I can't get them done until the light comes on, on the dashboard. Think I'd better contact the dealership and ask about this. Almost a year sounds far too long to not have an oil change. Later: after doing a bit of Googling last night, it seems that it is quite normal to have done this many km, or more, before the maintenance light comes on for getting a first oil change. My previous vehicle was 17 years old and things have obviously changed with newer cars!