Canon SX60

After the mishap with my photos three days ago, on 3 August 2018, I decided to spend a bit of time yesterday afternoon at a park SW of the city. Two days earlier, while I was taking photos at Rod Handfield's, I suddenly noticed that the image seen in my FZ200's viewfinder was smaller than it should be and also that I could no longer take 48x zoom, just 24x. I had no idea why this was happening, until I got home and downloaded my photos to my computer. Somehow, no idea how, I must have caught the "burst" button, setting my camera to take multiple shots at a time - and when I say multiple, I mean MULTIPLE! I couldn't tell that the camera was taking more than one shot. I found that the default setting in my camera for burst was 60 images. So, every time I thought I was taking one photo, my camera was taking 60 basically identical shots. Sigh! Normally, I never use burst mode. Worst of all, the resolution of each shot is ridiculously tiny, so they are useless for almost anything other than displaying on a computer screen. This is a long weekend here, thanks to a Civic Holiday today (Monday). I was pretty sure that there would be plenty of people at this park, so I felt somewhat more confident about going a bit further into the forest. Also, there was a cycle race (?) going on, along the road that runs alongside the park. and there were a few more people in the area - just in case I came across a bear or a cougar! "In 2018 Civic Holiday is on Monday, August 6. The Civic Holiday is celebrated on the first Monday of August and it's a public holiday in some provinces and territories. The civic holiday is not a statutory holiday although it's a day off for many employees across the country." www.statutoryholidays.com/civic-holiday.php On the way home from the park, I stopped to see if any Mountain Bluebirds were still around. This male looked so dishevelled - I don't remember it being windy. So much work goes into feeding a young family. I took this photo from a distance and it's not as sharp as I wish it was.

Added yesterday: off to the mountains for a few hours. The temperature for today is supposed to get up to 30C, but tomorrow 35C and the following day 37C! With no air-conditioning, this is not going to feel good. Will add descriptions, etc. later today. Finally adding a brief description on 9 August 2018. The area we visited on 7 August was an 80-acre site near Bottrel, NW of Calgary. The site consisted of mostly open, low, hilly, ungrazed land, with a few Aspens and Spruce, and willows around three ponds (two of which were dry). On 25 May 2018, four people had visited this site for the first time - I had been unable to go, as I was spending the day with my daughter. I am not sure if these are Aspen trees - the lower part of the trunk is so dark. I believe this recent visit was the result of the owners winning a free bioblitz at a Silent Auction, in connection with the Ghost Valley Community. A great idea and always a win-win situation, with the land owners learning a lot about what is found on their land, and the leader and participants enjoying a visit to a different location. Did you know that photographing mushrooms can be dangerous? I believe I knew this already and I was reminded of this on this bioblitz. Towards the end of our hike, I stopped to photograph a not particularly photogenic mushroom that was growing on a very slight incline. I took one step back to focus better and lost my balance - not sure if my foot went down into a shallow hole or if I was tripped up by one of the many very small, short tree stumps. Whatever the cause, I did a most inelegant, slow-motion fall backwards, hitting my head hard on the ground, surrounded by my friends. Because I was wearing a backpack, I think this resulted in some whiplash, with my head falling back. It was not pleasant to drive yesterday, especially each time I had to start off when traffic lights turned green. The muscles all around my neck and my shoulders are painful, but hopefully it will clear up before too long.

Added yesterday: off to the mountains for a few hours. The temperature for today is supposed to get up to 30C, but tomorrow 35C and the following day 37C! With no air-conditioning, this is not going to feel good. Will add descriptions, etc. later today. Finally adding a brief description on 9 August 2018. The area we visited on 7 August was an 80-acre site near Bottrel, NW of Calgary. The site consisted of mostly open, low, hilly, ungrazed land, with a few Aspens and Spruce, and willows around three ponds (two of which were dry). On 25 May 2018, four people had visited this site for the first time - I had been unable to go, as I was spending the day with my daughter. I believe this recent visit was the result of the owners winning a free bioblitz at a Silent Auction, in connection with the Ghost Valley Community. A great idea and always a win-win situation, with the land owners learning a lot about what is found on their land, and the leader and participants enjoying a visit to a different location. One male adult Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and two juveniles were spotted in a distant tree. It had been a long time since I had last seen one of these woodpeckers. "A widespread, medium-sized woodpecker, the yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) gains its unusual name from its yellowish to creamy-white belly and its habit of drilling holes in the bark of trees, to feed on their sap." From Arkive. www.arkive.org/yellow-bellied-sapsucker/sphyrapicus-varius/ Did you know that photographing mushrooms can be dangerous? I believe I knew this already and I was reminded of this on this bioblitz. Towards the end of our hike, I stopped to photograph a not particularly photogenic mushroom that was growing on a very slight incline. I took one step back to focus better and lost my balance - not sure if my foot went down into a shallow hole or if I was tripped up by one of the many very small, short tree stumps. Whatever the cause, I did a most inelegant, slow-motion fall backwards, hitting my head hard on the ground, surrounded by my friends. Because I was wearing a backpack, I think this resulted in some whiplash, with my head falling back. It was not pleasant to drive yesterday, especially each time I had to start off when traffic lights turned green. The muscles all around my neck and my shoulders are painful, but hopefully it will clear up before too long.

www.mountengadine.com/dining-mount-engadine/afternoon-tea www.mountengadine.com/dining-mount-engadine/afternoon-tea I am so far behind with my photostream, adding descriptions, tags, and so on. We are under another heat warning and I feel like I'm living in an oven. The last few days, I have managed to get out for a few hours despite the heat, but the forecast for today is 34C and tomorrow 37C. The previous record for tomorrow's date was 36.1C in 1919, so tomorrow might just beat the record. On top of the heat, the smoke from wildfires is making the heat even more unbearable, as well as producing poor visibility. Functioning in the heat is not my strong point : ) Despite the weather conditions, four of us decided to go up into the mountains yesterday, our destination being the Mount Engadine Lodge. Though I had only ever driven to that area once by myself, I had been several times with friends. Never had I ever experienced the Lodge's Afternoon Tea, and we were keeping our fingers crossed that the place would not be full. As it turned out, we were the first to arrive, choosing a table outside on the deck. The view is so beautiful over the amazing valley - Moose tend to like this meadow, but we were out of luck yesterday. My previous photo shows the meat and cheese tray that I chose. What I didn't photograph was the apple pie and the chocolate dessert that I enjoyed afterwards - two small slices, I should add. Unfortunately, the smoke haze made the mountains almost disappear. Never pleasant when the smoke irritates ones eyes. Last summer, 2017, it seemed to last pretty much the whole summer and, added to the endless heat, made it so unpleasant to go anywhere. We noticed a cyclist wearing a mask as he pedalled along the Spray Lakes road - seemed a wise decision, given the awful dust from the gravel road as well as the smoke. It is not a short drive to get there. After meeting up at one person's summer cabin in the Ghost Reservoir area, we then drove the back way, crossed over Highway 1, and past Barrier Lake. Eventually, we turned north and travelled the Spray Lakes road. After enjoying afternoon tea, we returned to Calgary via Ghost Reservoir and Cochrane. I finally reached home shortly before 9:00 pm, after a great day in great company. Thanks so much, everyone!

www.mountengadine.com/dining-mount-engadine/afternoon-tea I am so far behind with my photostream, adding descriptions, tags, and so on. We are under another heat warning and I feel like I'm living in an oven. The last few days, I have managed to get out for a few hours despite the heat, but the forecast for today is 34C and tomorrow 37C. The previous record for tomorrow's date was 36.1C in 1919, so tomorrow might just beat the record. On top of the heat, the smoke from wildfires is making the heat even more unbearable, as well as producing poor visibility. Functioning in the heat is not my strong point : ) Despite the weather conditions, four of us decided to go up into the mountains yesterday, our destination being the Mount Engadine Lodge. Though I had only ever driven to that area once by myself, I had been several times with friends. Never had I ever experienced the Lodge's Afternoon Tea, and we were keeping our fingers crossed that the place would not be full. As it turned out, we were the first to arrive, choosing a table outside on the deck. The view is so beautiful over the amazing valley - Moose tend to like this meadow, but we were out of luck yesterday. Actually, the only wildlife we saw anywhere were two female and two young Bighorn Sheep. This photo shows the meat and cheese tray that I chose. What I didn't photograph was the apple pie and the chocolate dessert that I enjoyed afterwards - two small slices, I should add. Unfortunately, the smoke haze made the mountains almost disappear. Never pleasant when the smoke irritates ones eyes. Last summer, 2017, it seemed to last pretty much the whole summer and, added to the endless heat, made it so unpleasant to go anywhere. We noticed a cyclist wearing a mask as he pedalled along the Spray Lakes road - seemed a wise decision, given the awful dust from the gravel road as well as the smoke. It is not a short drive to get there. After meeting up at one person's summer cabin in the Ghost Reservoir area, we then drove the back way, crossed over Highway 1, and past Barrier Lake. Eventually, we turned north and travelled the Spray Lakes road. After enjoying afternoon tea, we returned to Calgary via Ghost Reservoir and Cochrane. I finally reached home shortly before 9:00 pm, after a great day in great company. Thanks so much, everyone!

www.mountengadine.com/dining-mount-engadine/afternoon-tea I am so far behind with my photostream, adding descriptions, tags, and so on. We are under another heat warning and I feel like I'm living in an oven. The last few days, I have managed to get out for a few hours despite the heat, but the forecast for today is 34C and tomorrow 37C. The previous record for tomorrow's date was 36.1C in 1919, so tomorrow might just beat the record. On top of the heat, the smoke from wildfires is making the heat even more unbearable, as well as producing poor visibility. Functioning in the heat is not my strong point : ) Despite the weather conditions, four of us decided to go up into the mountains yesterday, our destination being the Mount Engadine Lodge. Though I had only ever driven to that area once by myself, I had been several times with friends. Never had I ever experienced the Lodge's Afternoon Tea, and we were keeping our fingers crossed that the place would not be full. As it turned out, we were the first to arrive, choosing a table outside on the deck. The view is so beautiful over the amazing valley - Moose tend to like this meadow, but we were out of luck yesterday. My next photo shows the meat and cheese tray that I chose. What I didn't photograph was the apple pie and the chocolate dessert that I enjoyed afterwards - two small slices, I should add. Unfortunately, the smoke haze made the mountains almost disappear. Never pleasant when the smoke irritates ones eyes. Last summer, 2017, it seemed to last pretty much the whole summer and, added to the endless heat, made it so unpleasant to go anywhere. We noticed a cyclist wearing a mask as he pedalled along the Spray Lakes road - seemed a wise decision, given the awful dust from the gravel road as well as the smoke. It is not a short drive to get there. After meeting up at one person's summer cabin in the Ghost Reservoir area, we then drove the back way, crossed over Highway 1, and past Barrier Lake. Eventually, we turned north and travelled the Spray Lakes road. After enjoying afternoon tea, we returned to Calgary via Ghost Reservoir and Cochrane. I finally reached home shortly before 9:00 pm, after a great day in great company. Thanks so much, everyone!

Sorry for posting 12 photos this morning. I decided that, as I took so few photos and so many are poor quality because of the smoke from wildfires, I would just post the remaining shots in one go, to get them out of the way. I keep falling so far behind with my photostream, adding descriptions, tags, and so on. We are under another heat warning and I feel like I'm living in an oven. The last few days, I have managed to get out for a few hours despite the heat, but the forecast for today is now 36C instead of 37C. The previous record for today's date was 36.1C in 1919, so I wonder if we might just beat the record. On top of the heat, the smoke from wildfires is making the heat even more unbearable, as well as producing poor visibility. Functioning in the heat, without air-conditioning, is not my strong point : ) Later: well, we broke the record! "Calgary is experiencing the hottest temperatures this city has ever seen. At 5 p.m., Environment Canada reported Calgary had reached a temperature of 36.4 C (97.52 F), smashing the old all-time hottest temperature record of 36.1 C, set in July 15, 1919 and then again on July 25, 1933." From the Calgary Herald. Despite the weather conditions, four of us decided to go up into the mountains two days ago, our destination being the Mount Engadine Lodge. Though I had only ever driven to that area once by myself, I had been several times with friends. I had never experienced the Lodge's Afternoon Tea, and we were keeping our fingers crossed that the place would not be full. As it turned out, we were the first to arrive, choosing a table outside on the deck. The view is so beautiful over the amazing valley - Moose tend to like this meadow, but we were out of luck. Yesterday, I posted a photo of the meat and cheese tray that I chose. What I didn't photograph was the apple pie and the chocolate dessert that I enjoyed afterwards - two small slices, I should add. www.mountengadine.com/dining-mount-engadine/afternoon-tea Unfortunately, the smoke haze made the mountains almost disappear. Never pleasant when the smoke irritates ones eyes. I don't know how people living much closer to the various fires manage - the brave firefighters, too! Last summer, 2017, it seemed to last pretty much the whole summer and, added to the endless heat, made it so unpleasant to go anywhere. We noticed a cyclist wearing a mask as he pedalled along the Spray Lakes road - seemed a wise decision, given the awful dust from the gravel road as well as the smoke. It is not a short drive to get there. After meeting up at one person's summer cabin in the Ghost Reservoir area, we then drove the back way, crossed over Highway 1, and past Barrier Lake. Eventually, we turned north and travelled the Spray Lakes road. After enjoying afternoon tea, we returned to Calgary via Ghost Reservoir and Cochrane. I finally reached home shortly before 9:00 pm, after a great day in great company. Thanks so much, everyone!

Sorry for posting 12 photos this morning. I decided that, as I took so few photos and so many are poor quality because of the smoke from wildfires, I would just post the remaining shots in one go, to get them out of the way. I keep falling so far behind with my photostream, adding descriptions, tags, and so on. We are under another heat warning and I feel like I'm living in an oven. The last few days, I have managed to get out for a few hours despite the heat, but the forecast for today is now 36C instead of 37C. The previous record for today's date was 36.1C in 1919, so I wonder if we might just beat the record. On top of the heat, the smoke from wildfires is making the heat even more unbearable, as well as producing poor visibility. Functioning in the heat, without air-conditioning, is not my strong point : ) Later: well, we broke the record! "Calgary is experiencing the hottest temperatures this city has ever seen. At 5 p.m., Environment Canada reported Calgary had reached a temperature of 36.4 C (97.52 F), smashing the old all-time hottest temperature record of 36.1 C, set in July 15, 1919 and then again on July 25, 1933." From the Calgary Herald. Despite the weather conditions, four of us decided to go up into the mountains two days ago, our destination being the Mount Engadine Lodge. Though I had only ever driven to that area once by myself, I had been several times with friends. I had never experienced the Lodge's Afternoon Tea, and we were keeping our fingers crossed that the place would not be full. As it turned out, we were the first to arrive, choosing a table outside on the deck. The view is so beautiful over the amazing valley - Moose tend to like this meadow, but we were out of luck. Yesterday, I posted a photo of the meat and cheese tray that I chose. What I didn't photograph was the apple pie and the chocolate dessert that I enjoyed afterwards - two small slices, I should add. www.mountengadine.com/dining-mount-engadine/afternoon-tea Unfortunately, the smoke haze made the mountains almost disappear. Never pleasant when the smoke irritates ones eyes. I don't know how people living much closer to the various fires manage - the brave firefighters, too! Last summer, 2017, it seemed to last pretty much the whole summer and, added to the endless heat, made it so unpleasant to go anywhere. We noticed a cyclist wearing a mask as he pedalled along the Spray Lakes road - seemed a wise decision, given the awful dust from the gravel road as well as the smoke. It is not a short drive to get there. After meeting up at one person's summer cabin in the Ghost Reservoir area, we then drove the back way, crossed over Highway 1, and past Barrier Lake. Eventually, we turned north and travelled the Spray Lakes road. After enjoying afternoon tea, we returned to Calgary via Ghost Reservoir and Cochrane. I finally reached home shortly before 9:00 pm, after a great day in great company. Thanks so much, everyone!

Sorry for posting 12 photos this morning. I decided that, as I took so few photos and so many are poor quality because of the smoke from wildfires, I would just post the remaining shots in one go, to get them out of the way. I keep falling so far behind with my photostream, adding descriptions, tags, and so on. We are under another heat warning and I feel like I'm living in an oven. The last few days, I have managed to get out for a few hours despite the heat, but the forecast for today is now 36C. The previous record for today's date was 36.1C in 1919, so I wonder if we might just beat the record. On top of the heat, the smoke from wildfires is making the heat even more unbearable, as well as producing poor visibility. Functioning in the heat, without air-conditioning, is not my strong point : ) Later: well, we broke the record! "Calgary is experiencing the hottest temperatures this city has ever seen. At 5 p.m., Environment Canada reported Calgary had reached a temperature of 36.4 C (97.52 F), smashing the old all-time hottest temperature record of 36.1 C, set in July 15, 1919 and then again on July 25, 1933." From the Calgary Herald. This photo was taken on the way home from our Kananaskis trip. The sun was a deep orange, but came out as a glaring, white globe. There must be a trick to getting it to come out the same way as one sees it, but I don't know what it is. Despite the weather conditions, four of us decided to go up into the mountains two days ago, our destination being the Mount Engadine Lodge. Though I had only ever driven to that area once by myself, I had been several times with friends. I had never experienced the Lodge's Afternoon Tea, and we were keeping our fingers crossed that the place would not be full. As it turned out, we were the first to arrive, choosing a table outside on the deck. The view is so beautiful over the amazing valley - Moose tend to like this meadow, but we were out of luck. Yesterday, I posted a photo of the meat and cheese tray that I chose. What I didn't photograph was the apple pie and the chocolate dessert that I enjoyed afterwards - two small slices, I should add. www.mountengadine.com/dining-mount-engadine/afternoon-tea Unfortunately, the smoke haze made the mountains almost disappear. Never pleasant when the smoke irritates ones eyes. I don't know how people living much closer to the various fires manage - the brave firefighters, too! Last summer, 2017, it seemed to last pretty much the whole summer and, added to the endless heat, made it so unpleasant to go anywhere. We noticed a cyclist wearing a mask as he pedalled along the Spray Lakes road - seemed a wise decision, given the awful dust from the gravel road as well as the smoke. It is not a short drive to get there. After meeting up at one person's summer cabin in the Ghost Reservoir area, we then drove the back way, crossed over Highway 1, and past Barrier Lake. Eventually, we turned north and travelled the Spray Lakes road. After enjoying afternoon tea, we returned to Calgary via Ghost Reservoir and Cochrane. I finally reached home shortly before 9:00 pm, after a great day in great company. Thanks so much, everyone!