Rocky Mountains trip, May 2014

The first thing I'll add here is to say that I use 48x zoom on so many of my photos (probably most), no matter what the subject, from butterfly to bird - and especially Bears! Like the typical Black Bear that we might be lucky enough to come across, this one was just busy eating and checking out what was growing around it that looked good to eat (i.e. grasses, roots, not people., ha). My photos are taken from the safety of the car and the bears look much closer than they really were. Friends, Cathy and Terry, and I, don't stay for more than a short while, watching very carefully, to make sure that the animal shows absolutely no sign of discomfort or stress. The Bears we do see show no interest in us and don't attempt to approach the vehicle. They just slowly walk on by, feeding as they go. One bear was so totally relaxed that it decided to have a quick roll in a large puddle not far from the edge of the road! It lay right down on its side and seemed to be enjoying the coolness of the water. Daytime temperatures the last two days were much warmer than we've had in about eight months. The sun shone and we couldn't have had better weather. Can't remember if it was the very first bear we spotted, we were of course thrilled at the distant sighting. And then, to our horror, we saw a photographer walking towards the bear, that was walking towards him!! The guy had parked in a small pull-off and was some distance from his vehicle. I'm still shaking my head that someone would do such a foolish thing. So unfair towards the bear, too, as it's always the animal that pays the price (i.e. having to be destroyed), if an attack takes place. Over the two days, we had 7 bear sightings, with three definitely different Black Bears (no Grizzlies), and possibly four. The rest of the sightings were of Bears we had already seen. We had left Calgary early morning on Wednesday (14 May 2014) and I think it was around 12:15 a.m. midnight (Thursday, 15 May 2014), that my friends dropped me off at home after two long, wonderful days in the Rocky Mountains, west of the city. Wednesday night was spent in a spotless motel, in a place that had so many Mountain Sheep roaming the streets, lol! Though we were hoping to see at least one Bear, I was happy as can be to see absolutely anything beautiful : ) One thing that was proven to me while we were away was that taking photos, even with a fairly light-weight point-and-shoot camera, is what is either causing, or making much worse, the awful pain in my arms and shoulders. Not a good thing, and it made it very unpleasant, every second of the day, unfortunately. Just holding the camera and trying to keep it as steady as I could, was really awkward as well as intensely painful. Too much mouse clicking when using the computer at home is another cause of this pain. Thanks SO much, Cathy and Terry, for so kindly inviting me along on this trip. It's always so much fun to spend time with you guys, and you are both so knowledgable. Thanks for so many chances to take photos of such a variety of subjects! (And now I'm back to all the frustrating problems of Flickr, including search problems and very definite Stats (views) problems. When I search for a Flickr member, I get the message that that person can't be found. Ha, I'm away for just two days (didn't post any photos for just one of the days) and now things aren't working? Barely any new photos from My Contacts showing, either. What a mess!)

Friends, Cathy and Terry, and I had left Calgary early morning on Wednesday (14 May 2014) and I think it was around 12:15 a.m. midnight (last night, Thursday, 15 May 2014), that my friends dropped me off at home after two long, wonderful days in the Rocky Mountains, west of the city. Wednesday night was spent in a spotless motel, in a place that had so many Mountain Sheep roaming the streets, lol! Though we were hoping to see at least one Bear, I was happy as can be to see absolutely anything beautiful : ) I'm never really disappointed if we don't see a particular something, as there are just endless other things to photograph! Over the two days, we had 7 bear sightings, with three definitely different Black Bears (no Grizzlies), and possibly four. The rest of the sightings were of Bears we had already seen. At one of our short stops, we walked across a small bridge that had patches of colourful Lichens growing on it. This particular tiny patch made me think of a bright orange flower, perhaps a Marigold, complete with green leaves : ) Thanks SO much, Cathy and Terry, for so kindly inviting me along on this trip. It's always so much fun to spend time with you guys, and you are both so knowledgeable. Thanks for so many chances to take photos of such a huge variety of subjects! I'll be able to enjoy going though them and sharing them for quite a while.

Friends, Cathy and Terry, and I left Calgary early morning on Wednesday (14 May 2014) and got home at something like 12:15 a.m. midnight yesterday (Thursday, 15 May 2014), after two long, wonderful days in the Rocky Mountains, west of the city. Wednesday night was spent in a spotless motel, in a place that had so many Mountain Sheep roaming the streets, lol! Though we were hoping to see at least one Bear, I was happy as can be to see absolutely anything beautiful : ) Over the two days, we had 7 bear sightings, with three definitely different Black Bears (no Grizzlies), and possibly four. The rest of the sightings were of Bears we had already seen. We made many stops and at each one, we usually came across something different. This time, it was a little Yellow-rumped Warbler, which looked like a black silhouette until I brightened the image. They are such pretty birds. I usually see the Myrtle form, which has a white throat, but this yellow-throated bird is an Audubon's form. (Thanks, Dee!) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow-rumped_Warbler www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/yellow-rumped_warbler/id One thing that was proven to me while we were away was that taking photos, even with a fairly light-weight point-and-shoot camera, is what is either causing, or making much worse, the awful pain in my arms and shoulders. Not a good thing, and it made it very unpleasant, every second of the day, unfortunately. In fact, the whole of my body felt as if it was inflamed. Just holding the camera and trying to keep it as steady as I could, was really awkward as well as intensely painful. Too much mouse clicking when using the computer at home is another cause of this pain. Thanks SO much, Cathy and Terry, for so kindly inviting me along on this trip. It's always so much fun to spend time with you guys, and you are both so knowledgable. Thanks for so many chances to take photos of such a variety of subjects! And now I'm back to all the frustrating problems of Flickr, including search problems and very definite Stats (views) problems. Ha, I'm away for just two days (didn't post any photos for just one of the days) and now things aren't working? Barely any new photos from My Contacts showing, either. What a mess!

No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get one single photo that I liked of this group of Mountain Sheep we came across the other day, lol. I think the main reason was that they were on a steep hillside, so the grass was very close behind them and I just could not get a blurred background. This is perhaps the "best" of my Mountain Sheep shots, though I still haven't carefully gone through all the photos I took over the two days. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bighorn_sheep My friends, Cathy and Terry, and I, had left Calgary early morning on Wednesday (14 May 2014) and I think it was around 12:15 a.m. midnight (Thursday, 15 May 2014), that they dropped me off at home after two long, wonderful days in the Rocky Mountains, west of the city. Wednesday night was spent in a spotless motel, in a place that had so many Mountain Sheep roaming the streets, lol! These were different animals from the female in my image here. Though we were hoping to see at least one Bear, I was happy as can be to see absolutely anything beautiful : ) Over the two days, we had 7 bear sightings, with three definitely different Black Bears (no Grizzlies), and possibly four. The rest of the sightings were of Bears we had already seen. My friends are good at telling individual bears, often by a certain scar and, of course, the actual location. Many of the bears we see, they have seen before. I was so tired after the trip, that I had no choice but to fall into bed at 7:00 p.m. yesterday evening, thinking that a short nap might help. I slept for something like 13 hours with a couple of hours awake (and on my computer) in the middle! I think the excruciating pain in both arms and shoulders was a factor in my utter tiredness, too.

At one of our quick stops the other day, I happened to notice this particularly beautiful tree a short distance away, covered in bright yellowy/green Lichen. Couldn't resist taking a shot or two, needless to say. I don't know if it's Wolf Lichen, which is the only Lichen, in my extremely limited knowledge, that is this colour. My friends, Cathy and Terry, and I, had left Calgary early morning on Wednesday (14 May 2014) and I think it was around 12:15 a.m. midnight (Thursday, 15 May 2014), that they dropped me off at home after two long, wonderful days in the Rocky Mountains, west of the city. Wednesday night was spent in a spotless motel, in a place that had so many Mountain Sheep roaming the streets, lol! Though we were hoping to see at least one Bear, I was happy as can be to see absolutely anything beautiful : ) Over the two days, we had 7 bear sightings, with three definitely different Black Bears (no Grizzlies), and possibly four. The rest of the sightings were of Bears we had already seen. My friends are good at telling individual bears, often by a certain scar and, of course, the actual location. Many of the bears we see, they have seen before. Basically, it's all about timing, as with any wildlife. A few minutes earlier or later and we would have missed seeing something special. We just happened to be lucky. All wildlife/nature photographers know it's all about timing : ) I was so tired after the trip, that I had no choice but to fall into bed at 7:00 p.m. yesterday evening, thinking that a short nap might be a good idea. I slept for something like 13 hours with a couple of hours awake in the middle. I think the excruciating pain in both arms and shoulders was a factor in my utter tiredness, too.

I took so many photos of this Raven - nearly every time I clicked the shutter, it would turn its head away. Managed to get a handful of OK shots, though. These birds are always so fascinating to watch, especially knowing that they are very smart. This one was, of course, looking for food - which it didn't get, I should add! When I see Ravens within the city, they are usually flying overhead or perched near the top of a very tall tree. Out in the mountains, they have, unfortunately, learned to follow people and like to hang out at stopping points. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_raven www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Raven/id?utm_source=Co... My friends, Cathy and Terry, and I, had left Calgary early morning on Wednesday (14 May 2014) and I think it was around 12:15 a.m. midnight (Thursday, 15 May 2014), that they dropped me off at home after two long, wonderful days in the Rocky Mountains, west of the city. Wednesday night was spent in a spotless motel, in a place that had so many Mountain Sheep roaming the streets, lol! Though we were hoping to see at least one Bear, I was happy as can be to see absolutely anything beautiful : ) Over the two days, we had 7 bear sightings, with three definitely different Black Bears (no Grizzlies), and possibly four. The rest of the sightings were of Bears we had already seen. My friends are good at telling individual bears, often by a certain scar and, of course, the actual location. Many of the bears we see, they have seen before. Basically, it's all about timing, as with any wildlife. A few minutes earlier or later and we would have missed seeing something special. We just happened to be lucky. All wildlife/nature photographers know it's all about timing : ) I was so tired after the trip, that I had no choice but to fall into bed at 7:00 p.m. yesterday evening, thinking that a short nap might be a good idea. I slept for something like 13 hours with a couple of hours awake in the middle. I think the excruciating pain in both arms and shoulders was a factor in my utter tiredness, too. Not good timing, to say the least. After seven or eight months of brutal winter weather, spring has finally arrived and normally I would be getting out on lots of walks and day-trips. I suspect I will have to miss many, if not most or all of these, which will be really difficult! Here in Canada, it's a long weekend, as Monday is Victoria Day. No doubt the roads and highways will be absolutely packed. Hope everyone has a safe journey to and from wherever they are going - please do drive carefully.

I took a photo of the view through this "frosted" window two years ago, when I went on my first "bear trip" with friends, Cathy and Terry. I love the way the window in this building (that I can't remember the name of!) has a few of these fancy outlines, leaving the clear glass showing. This time, I made sure I avoided including all the cars in the parking lot! Not sure if I ever posted a similar photo taken from that trip. My friends and I had left Calgary early morning on Wednesday (14 May 2014) and I think it was around 12:15 a.m. midnight (Thursday, 15 May 2014), that they dropped me off at home after two long, wonderful days in the Rocky Mountains, west of the city. Wednesday night was spent in a spotless motel, in a place that had so many Mountain Sheep roaming the streets, lol! Though we were hoping to see at least one Bear, I was happy as can be (as always) to see absolutely anything beautiful : ) Over the two days, we had 7 bear sightings, with three definitely different Black Bears (no Grizzlies), and possibly four. The rest of the sightings were of Bears we had already seen. My friends are good at telling individual bears, often by a certain scar and, of course, the actual location. Many of the bears we see, they have seen before. Basically, it's all about timing, as with any wildlife. A few minutes earlier or later and we would have missed seeing something special. We just happened to be lucky. All wildlife/nature photographers know it's all about timing : )

A couple of pots of these beautiful Lavender flowers were outside the motel that friends and I stayed at overnight on 14 May 2014. I was so happy to see some bright colour after our long, harsh winter! I was going to crop this photo to a square, but then decided not to waste the orange and green bokeh on the left side. It's so heavily overcast today, colour can't be wasted. My friends, Cathy and Terry, and I had left Calgary early morning on Wednesday (14 May 2014) and I think it was around 12:15 a.m. midnight (Thursday, 15 May 2014), that they dropped me off at home after two long, wonderful days in the Rocky Mountains, west of the city. Wednesday night was spent in a spotless motel, in a place that had so many Mountain Sheep roaming the streets, lol! Though we were hoping to see at least one Bear, I was, as always, happy as can be to see absolutely anything beautiful : ) This includes these colourful flowers just outside the motel office : ) Over the two days, we had 7 bear sightings, with three definitely different Black Bears (no Grizzlies), and possibly four. The rest of the sightings were of Bears we had already seen. My friends are good at telling individual bears, often by a certain scar (or lack of) and, of course, the actual location. Many of the bears we see, they have seen before. Basically, it's all about timing, as with any wildlife. A few minutes earlier or later and we would have missed seeing something special. We just happened to be lucky. All wildlife/nature photographers know it's all about timing : )

Three days ago, my friends, Cathy and Terry, drove to this lookout point, where we saw the most wonderful sight! I was beyond thrilled to see the mountain peaks appearing and disappearing from sight. When we got up that morning, just three days ago (15 May 2014), we could see the low cloud over the mountains from the motel we stayed at overnight. I was hoping so much that it would hang around long enough so that we could get a few beautiful views on our early morning drive. The sight that greeted us, as we pulled off the road at this particular lookout, was absolutely breathtaking! I've never seen anything like it before - though I don't get to the mountains very often at all. Each peak in turn would disappear and then reappear, changing the scene before our eyes. For a photographer, this half hour or so could not have been more amazing - just ask my friends if I was happy or not, lol! When I think how easily we could have missed this experience, if we had arrived half an hour later. I still haven't gone through all the photos I took, but basically grabbed one that I liked the look of. My friends and I had left Calgary early morning on Wednesday (14 May 2014) and I think it was around 12:15 a.m. midnight (Thursday, 15 May 2014), that they dropped me off at home after two long, wonderful days in the Rocky Mountains, west of the city. Wednesday night was spent in a spotless motel, in a place that had so many Mountain Sheep roaming the streets, lol! Though we were hoping to see at least one Bear, I was happy as can be to see absolutely anything beautiful : ) This includes the wonderful low cloud in this image - possibly the highlight of the trip for me : ) On the other hand, everything was a highlight in my eyes! Over the two days, we had 7 bear sightings, with three definitely different Black Bears (no Grizzlies), and possibly four. The rest of the sightings were of Bears we had already seen. My friends are good at telling individual bears, often by a certain scar and, of course, the actual location. Many of the bears we see, they have seen before. Basically, it's all about timing, as with any wildlife. A few minutes earlier or later and we would have missed seeing something special. We just happened to be lucky. All wildlife/nature photographers know it's all about timing : )