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This photo was taken on 9 January 2016, when I took part in a Mid-winter Bust-out trip east of the city, led by Terry Korolyk. Eight of us, plus our leader, took part in this day trip - maybe when everyone else saw what the temperature was first thing in the morning (-23C, not counting windchill, which would have made it much colder), they changed their mind about going! Everything was covered in a heavy layer of hoar frost, which turned everywhere into a beautiful winter wonderland. The sky was blue - what more could anyone want? Well, a few birds would be nice, of course : )
The highlight of the day was seeing 6 Short-eared Owls, in addition to 6 Snowy Owls (7 seen by the people in the other cars, when we split up at the end of the day). As a photographer, though, the only birds that were barely close enough were two of the Snowy Owls. All the Short-eared Owls were tiny dots in the landscape. I don't know how anyone was able to spot them! Most of the photos I took of anything were so blurry and not fit for use. Zoomed in shots, especially, suffered from heat distortion - and distorted they are!
Our meeting place was right across the city; a drive that I never enjoy at all, but I really didn't want to miss this outing. Some of the roads we travelled were ones that I had driven several times before. Most of the time, though, I had no idea where we were : )
As always happens on any day that I go anywhere, I turned my camera lens to anything else of interest/beauty, even more so when the birds are way, way off in the distance.
Thank you, Terry - it was a great day and much appreciated, as always! You did an excellent write-up of the whole day (not posted here). Many thanks for driving some of us, Andrew.
Irrigation wheels, beautiful barn, and colorful clouds outside Twisp in Washington state's Methow Valley.
Hard to believe that this is WINTER! Some fields outside the city are completely bare of snow; others still look pretty white.
I came across this old, wooden barn on 19th February 2016, when I was exploring some new backroads SE of Calgary. The reason I wanted to make this drive was that friend Phil S. had posted a few photos of a beautiful little white country church; one that I hadn’t seen before. He told me where to find it and this was enough motivation for me to drive some roads that were new to me. Thanks so much, Phil! The church is the Davisburg Community Church, SE of Calgary. I could find nothing online about this church, but then Phil sent me the link to a wedding that was held there, showing the inside and outside.
greenweddingshoes.com/tiny-white-church-in-a-field-wedding/
The church and small cemetery are fenced off, though I did notice one small section of fence along the road had been destroyed – hopefully not by photographers wanting to get a different angle! There is also a No Trespassing sign there. I was able to get two or three angles from the ditch along the road.
From this location, I drove SE towards the Blackie area and covered some of the same roads and backroads that I drove on 15 February. It turned out to be more of a barn day than a birding trip, as all I saw were several Pigeons and a number of Magpies. I really wasn’t looking for birds, though, as my attention was on the road and which direction I was going, trying not to get lost.
The sun was shining early on, but more and more clouds gradually moved in, making quite a beautiful sight over the distant mountains.
After a while, I realized that I could perhaps just make it as far as the Saskatoon Farm in time to order a home-made pizza to take home with me. However, when I got there, I was told that they had stopped making these several months ago. Instead, I decided to stay and have a meal there - quiche and sweet potato fries. Made a very pleasant ending to an enjoyable afternoon.
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, EVERYONE!
This beautiful old barn was seen two days ago, 12 February 2015, which was spent SE of the city, with friends Cathy and Terry. This photo was taken about half an hour after sunrise, so the glorious, early morning glow was still around. My friends picked me up around 7:00 am and I think I was home somewhere around 7:30 pm, after a great day of searching for owls, barns, and anything else that caught our eye. The weather was beautiful, as you can see in this photo.. The temperature reached a brief high of 13C around 1:00 and 2:00 pm, which felt so good, especially for mid-winter.
Many of the roads we travelled along were roads that I had driven on myself, some of them a number of times. A few of the roads were new to me, which was a treat, including a "trail" that was so deeply rutted and snow-covered that I'm amazed that we ever got out of there! This track and another backroad that was new to me led to a few old barns that I really appreciated being shown. I think my friends were amused that I fell asleep on this very rough track - after only an hour and a half's sleep the previous night, on top of always being very sleep-deprived, I'm really not surprised. It's strange how some fields in the whole area were more or less bare and yet others had a lot of snow covering the stubble, with piles of snow lining the edges of the road.
As far as wildlife was concerned, we saw 11 owls - 8 Snowy Owls and 3 Great Horned Owls. The Snowies, other than the one perched on the "Wrong Way" sign that I posted yesterday, were all extremely distant, so my photos are of white specks in a nice setting, ha. If I hadn't been with two people who can spot "everything", I'm sure that I would never have found most of these owls!
Other birds included a flock of Snow Buntings, plus two individuals that were perched on a fence - haven't checked yet to see if I have a sharp enough photo. Another bird we saw was a beautiful Falcon perched on an electricity pylon - not a large bird, so presumably a Prairie Falcon, not a Gyrfalcon. Also a group of Grey Partridge that suddenly flew before we had noticed them. We had to deal with a lot of heat distortion during the day, so some photos are far from sharp.
Many thanks, as always, Cathy and Terry, for a great day out, including the delicious chili you made and brought along. A fun and rewarding day! Really appreciated being with you, doing what we all enjoy so much. Thanks, too, for patiently giving me time to photograph the various barns we came across!
Some time back I passed this GMC truck sitting on the side of the road for sale. The odd (and ugly) color caused me to turn around.
Dorothea Mackellar's patriotic poem, "My Country" (1908) was originally titled, "Core of my heart". In this photo even the little wooden farm house (centre left) was standing when Mackellar wrote her poem. I attach a link here to a handwritten copy of her first page: allpoetry.com/poem/8526595-My-Country-by-Dorothea-Mackellar
"Core of my heart, my country!
Land of the Rainbow Gold,
For flood and fire and famine,
She pays us back threefold -
Over the thirsty paddocks,
Watch, after many days,
The filmy veil of greenness
That thickens as we gaze."
Patriotism. An old fashioned word, but still potent with meaning. It comes from the Latin of course (as so much of the English language does).
George Orwell (Eric Arthur Blair), is better known today for his novels, but in truth he was the best essayist in the English language of his era. His definition stands the test of time:
"By 'patriotism' I mean devotion to a particular place and a particular way of life, which one believes to be the best in the world but has no wish to force upon other people. Patriotism is of its nature defensive, both militarily and culturally. Nationalism, on the other hand, is inseparable from the desire for power. The abiding purpose of every nationalist is to secure more power and more prestige, not for himself but for the nation or other unit in which he has chosen to sink his own individuality."
Amen George, ever the truthteller!
While photographing a church over in Grainger County Tn. Saturday, I happened to look over on a hill just behind it and noticed this old house with the red barn. Needless to say, I had to include them.
Here we have what's left of the old Bell Bay Power Station. It was decommissioned in 2009 when the Tamar Valley natural gas generating station joined the grid. Its 110 metre high stack is a dominant feature in the area. A lasting sign of industrialisation within a rural landscape.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Bay_Power_Station
Hydro electricity is the cleanest, cheapest and most sustainable of energy forms available. Unfortunately dams are out of favour. Nuclear is another option, but you'd never convince Australians to adopt that, despite having the largest uranium deposits in the world. Solar and wind power simply can't produce enough efficient storeable energy.
So our choices are narrowed to coal fired plants or natural gas. The move away from hydro electricity in Tasmania has meant much higher power prices.
I am trying to mix things up so as to not bore everyone silly! This shot is out on the plains where grain is supreme at the now closed railway siding and silos at Noondoo on the Dirranbandi Line. I posted a different view of this last week in black and white. The building with blow through air-conditioning in the foreground is the old railway station, now well on its way to oblivion. The disused silos stand watch in the background. I believe grain is now trucked to the current terminus of the line at Thallon. Hopefully with better rain this year, the fields of green wheat now spreading through the surrounding countryside will survive to a golden harvest.
These will be the last photos I post for maybe a couple of weeks, as I am taking a much-needed break!
This was a lovely find two days ago, on 3 May 2018. A bit different from many of the old, abandoned buildings I come across.
Three days ago, I was so torn as to whether or not to accept an invite from my friend, Pam, to take a drive SE of the city. I really, really wanted to go, even more so as I have barely been out for ages. However, I am running out of time to get certain things done, and also I was concerned that if I slightly moved in a 'wrong' way, my knees would give way or my rotator cuffs and lower back would become even more painful. Not what I need, especially right now. In the end, I decided that, yes, I would go after all, and I am so glad that I made that decision.
We started off at Frank Lake, a place that is very familiar to both of us. We knew that Western Grebes and Eared Grebes were being seen and we both hoped they would be there that morning. A pair of Eared Grebes gave a little performance of part of their mating dance. The photo I posted this morning was taken with the Nikon B700 - in fact, I gave up using the FZ200 for pretty well all my photos at Frank Lake and just kept my fingers crossed that the new B700 (with far more zoom, but less sharpness) would give me at least a few photos that were good enough to keep. I am still having the problem of image shift on some of the shots - photo jumps upward, downward or to one side, cutting off parts of birds and resulting in ridiculous compositions. At Frank Lake, I could rest both elbows on a very sturdy window ledge, making it impossible for normal, self-created camera shake to happen.
Though I have quite a few photos of Eared Grebes on my Flickr photostream, I think I only have one previous photo of a Western Grebe. I don't see them very often and when I do, they are so far away. They were far away when we were there, but we were able to watch as they did a bit of their mating dance, including when each bird gathered a beak full of wet, rotting plant material and they went face to face in an amorous gesture. These birds also swam off separately, giving us a few chances for further shots. Still at the blind, we were so lucky when a pair of Eared Grebes came close enough to capture a shot or two of part of their mating dance.
By the way, the blind is surrounded by lake and flood water! Parts of the boardwalk were under 5" or 6" of water, through which we had to wade. If you do go, make sure you concentrate, or you might find yourself swimming in the lake! Elsewhere in the whole SE area, there was a lot of water in some of the fields, creating what I suspect will turn out to be only temporary sloughs.
A few of the other birds we saw two days ago at various places included a few dozen Tundra Swans; plenty of Northern Shovelers; several Western Meadowlarks; a Great Horned Owl and her little white, fuzzy owlet, sitting on a distant nest; and a Ferruginous Hawk female lying down in her nest. Of course, the usual suspects included Canada Geese, Mallards, and so on.
When it came time to leave Frank Lake, I had assumed we would then start on the drive back to the city. Instead, Pam surprised me by saying that we would go further south - and further south we definitely went! Made such a great day. Thanks so much, Pam, for this treat - greatly appreciated.
This is the first of the photographs I took last Tuesday afternoon between four and eight when I drove to George Town. I have decided to take outdoors photos covertly (while still following all the safety regulations of physical distancing).
This trip afforded me plenty of material to work with, so it's not that I have to go out every day. Perhaps once a week will suffice. But I want to express my freedom.
I'll post the results in no particular order, although each series of 4-5 photos will have a direct thematic link.
© I m a g e D a v e F o r b e s
Engagement 1,500+
Not the one for city slickers or 'townies' and very much in a rural area just 10 miles out of Glasgow City Centre with some beautiful Spring landscapes of the Campsie area. ( East Dunbartonshire ) The Bus is the X85 from Glasgow Buchanan St Bus Station at Stance 35
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Francisco Aragão © 2020. All Rights Reserved.
Use without permission is illegal.
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pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planaltina_(Distrito_Federal)
The five photos posted today were all taken on 18 July 2020, when I drove SE of the city in search of a ghost town. I am adding the description that I added under a previously posted photo taken on the same trip. Not many photos left to post from this amazing day.
"Yesterday, 18 July 2020, was such a beautiful day and a very rewarding one. My destination was, for me, an exciting one - an old ghost town that I had never seen before. A long, return drive of 454 kilometres on a pretty hot day was needed, in order to check out this new location. In order to do a long drive like this, I need to do it when the evenings stay light as late as possible, to make sure I don't have to drive in the dark. Completely tired out at the end of the day, but it was a good tiredness - and, more importantly, a journey that made it so easy to physically distance.
My favourite kind of day always includes a bit of everything - old barns, birds, landscapes, skies, wildflowers, and anything else. This day delivered most of those treats.
Leaving home by 8:30 am (later than I had hoped), most of my drive was highway travel. Not my favourite, but kind of necessary in order to get so far. Roads were fairly empty, which always makes a drive more pleasant, especially when I know I might want to stop to take a photo at any time.
It was definitely a Meadowlark day and it was nice to see one of them with a beak absolutely full of insects for its babies. Other birds included a few familiar species, but ones that are always good to see. I saw one Common Nighthawk this time, unlike the five I saw recently, but one is always enough and greatly appreciated.
Once I got into unfamiliar territory, I had to travel quite a distance before seeing any new-to-me old barns or homesteads. Found the first ones before I reached my destination. Once I reached the ghost town, I thoroughly enjoyed wandering around, taking photos. It is only a small place with a handful of old buildings, but very nicely kept. One of its main buildings is a small, country United Church, kept in great condition both inside and out. I had read online beforehand that people can go inside the church and sign their Guest Book, otherwise I probably would not have gone in. Really liked the door knobs to the front door.
From there, I took more or less the same route home, stopping only to photograph a few birds en route. I arrived home at 8:30 pm, with a smile on my face and eyes that were still open, thanks to taking some black coffee with me in case of emergency (i.e. unable to keep my eyes open!)."
There's always one or two that don't look at the camera when you try to take a family portrait! It's the same in every family!!!
Il y en a toujours une ou deux qui ne regardent pas la caméra quand on veut prendre un portrait de famille! C'est la même chose dans toutes les familles!!!
Have a great week-end everyone!
Bonne fin de semaine à tous et à toutes!
Along Downes Rd in Abbotsford, B.C. there is a nice fenced pasture with two grand trees at the top of the hill.
There are some nice places to swim in the Corra Linn Gorge, although the water is very cold! Here a swing has been rigged up to the old iron bridge. These local guys were checking it out before the summer season starts. I also owe them a great debt of gratitude. My battery happened to die beside the side of the road when I parked the car. As these young men came back up from the river I told them I was about to call the RACT. "Oh, don't do that," they said, "You'll be waiting awhile. Give us five minutes and we'll be back." They dashed up to the farm and brought back jumper leads to get me going again. Country folk. I love them!
[Enlarge and look around.]
After waking up really late today, 30 January 2022, I turned on my computer and checked the weather forecast, The hope was that the forecast no longer said that we were in for more snow tonight and Monday and Tuesday. No such luck. When I read about the drifting snow, I knew that there was no way I would be driving the backroads in the next while. Getting ready in record time, I thought I would have just enough time to go and see if I could find a Snowy Owl and still be home before the light began to fade - can't do 'night' driving because my eyes can't deal with the glare of oncoming headlights. Note: no snow arrived here overnight or today. We'll see what happens tomorrow.
Not a whole lot to see out there - but who needs 'a whole lot' when one is lucky enough to find two Snowy Owls? The only other birds I saw were a Merlin and a Magpie. The first Snowy was flushed from behind a bank of snow that had been cleared from the road. I was only driving very slowly, but didn't see the owl till it took flight and landed way, way out in a field. I would never have seen it if I hadn't seen it flying off into the distance. The second owl was perched on a power pole. Never an attractive perch, but I will happily take anything that has a Snowy sitting on top. Most of my photos were taken from way down the road, through the windshield. They looked OK in the viewfinder, but when I got home, they all needed to be deleted. Thank goodness, I stood outside my car for the last images, just in case. Even so, not the greatest photo quality, because of being highly zoomed, but again, I am happy to get anything.
So glad I made the decision to go out a second day in a row, which I tend to try and avoid. The wind picked up later in the afternoon, but it was a beautiful sunny day despite some darker clouds forming.
The rural areas of Tennessee and Virginia are lovely, as this painting by my friend, Joan Keith's mother shows. Joan is from Virginia, and her husband, Jim is born and bred in Bristol, Tennessee. He lives probably not 2 miles from the place he was born.
This lovely painting hangs in the dining room, and is one of the first things you notice either coming or going from the house. I fell in love with it, and a sense of peace comes over me just looking at it! Joan's mom was quite an artist, and it was a joy to see her work displayed throughout the home.
Skiff is a hamlet in southern Alberta. Before friends Cathy and Terry, and I, set out on a three-day trip to Waterton Lakes National Park (26, 27 and 28 August 2014), I had discovered that we would be quite near to Skiff and its old grain elevator. I had mentioned this to my friends, asking if a quick stop to get a couple of shots might be possible if we had time. However, little did we know that we would end up having to stop in Skiff anyway, as Skiff was the closest place for us to get to after we got caught in a severe storm. We stopped at some kind of machinery warehouse to ask something and one of the workers said that he had never seen a storm like this one! A couple of minutes away, we found the beautiful, old elevator. You could still feel the tail end of the storm, with very strong winds blowing, barely letting me open my car door and walk with great difficulty to get my photos. I was surprised that my photos came out at all, I was being blown so much off balance.
The weather forecast that I saw before we left Calgary said that we were in for three beautiful days of sunshine. So, luck was on our side, giving us warm, sunny days - until the BIG STORM hit! We had driven eastwards from Waterton, hoping to see Yellow-bellied Marmots and, if we were really lucky, a Burrowing Owl. The storm was approaching very fast, around 5:00 p.m. just before we started our return trip to Calgary. It was like nothing I had ever seen before - a menacing cloud that was travelling fast and furious. I have recently posted a couple of photos of the storm. Despite trying our best to get away from it, it eventually engulfed our car, surrounding us with more or less zero visibility, pounding hail, thunder and lightning, and tremendously strong winds. There was nothing to do but sit tight in the car, hoping that the hail would not break the car windows and that this severe thunderstorm would not develop into a tornado! This storm was very scary, but at the same time, "exciting" (only because all turned out OK in the end!). Fortunately, we weren't caught in the very centre of it. Our road trip sure went out with a bang! Later, I contacted the Alberta Tornado Watch and posted a photo for them to see. They said the storm that happened that day was a mesocyclone.
This elevator is the sole remaining elevator in Skiff and, though now wearing Parrish & Heimbecker colours, may well have been an Alberta Wheat Pool elevator originally. If so, it was built in 1929 with a 40,000 bushel capacity. The annexes were added in 1948 (East) and in 1952 (West). The larger one is on the east side. The elevator appears to still be in use. There is very little information online about it, unfortunately.
www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMKTFF_Alberta_Wheat_Pool_1_S...
Saturday, 12 June 2021: our temperature is PLUS 18C (windchill PLUS 17C) at noon. Sunrise is at 5:21 am, and sunset is at 9:50 pm. Sunny.
Luckily, the weather forecast for yesterday was good, as I just had to escape from the banging and drilling noise that is created by the workmen still repairing my building. On top of that, there was additional banging and drilling the day before yesterday (and today), as a different repair company came to my neighbours' homes to start repairs on ceiling damage caused by a leaking dishwasher. Most unfortunate for both families! Walls are thin enough that noise from one home is heard in others. Anyway, I had a great day out yesterday, quiet and rewarding. Sunny, but the wind increased as the day went on and the further south I travelled. A total of 254 km driven this day.
All the roads were ones that I had driven before, apart from one short back road. Bird sightings made for a great day, even though they were all familiar species. A Red-winged Blackbird - surprise, surprise! - was the first bird to be seen, followed by three Wilson's Snipe, all perched on fence posts.
A Bobolink was one of the highlights of the day for me. Perched on a fence post, singing its little heart out, it gave me a chance to take a short video. Of course, the bird would have to land on a fence post that had rather annoying, long blades of grass across its face, ha. I didn't want to restart my car and reverse to get a slightly better view, in case the bird flew. Hearing their song is such a delight.
Before heading further south, I caught sight of a very distant bird of prey, perched on a fence post. I will need help to identify what kind it was. After quite a drive, I almost missed two Swainson's Hawks that were on fence posts, with a couple of bare posts in between them. Unable to stop in time, I cautiously reversed, expecting that both would fly off. Luckily, they both stayed and I was able to get a few photos - such beautiful birds. Came across a pair of Mountain Bluebirds along the same road.
Of course, seeing a few favourite silos and a barn or two makes any day special. By the time, I reached the silos, though, the wind had picked up and it was all I could do to take a few quick shots. A few photos were taken from the road, looking down on the Bar U Ranch. Later in the summer, I will hopefully visit the whole ranch again.
Heading eastwards, I returned to the city via the south-east. Eastern and Western Kingbirds, plus a few 'regulars', added to the enjoyment of the day.
This is one of the photos I took yesterday, 27 September 2017, during a day of exploring the Springbank to Allen Bill Pond area. Friend Gayle is busy getting petition forms out to people, in connection with the proposed dam that will be built in one of these two areas. She asked me if I would like to go with her to take a closer look at these totally different areas. The Springbank area would suffer greatly if a dam was built and another major flood occurs. A lot of farmland that has been in families for generations in some cases. The second area that is being considered for a dam is not far from Bragg Creek, and would involve a lot of forested land. From Springbank, we drove south as far as Allen Bill Pond on Highway 66/Elbow Falls Trail before turning round to go back to Bragg Creek. Allen Bill Pond used to be a very popular fishing spot, but it was totally destroyed by the dreadful flood of 2013, when it was filled with gravel deposited by the river.
I hadn't followed any of this dam business, though it has apparently been going on for quite a long time - maybe two or three years? I'm also not someone who deals with petitions, but it was really interesting to see the enormous stretch of land that could end up being affected by the construction of a dam.
"The Springbank Off-stream Reservoir, or Springbank Project, is a dry reservoir that will store water temporarily during a flood. It will work in tandem with the Glenmore Reservoir in Calgary. Together, the combined storage capacity would accommodate water volumes equal to the 2013 flood."
Springbank Off-stream Reservoir conceptual animation (August 2017)
www.transportation.alberta.ca/documents/Springbank-Locati...
Thanks so much for the trip, Gayle! I didn't know most of the Springbank area before, but I was quite familiar with the Bragg Creek area. Going for lunch was a good idea and nice to stop and have coffee before heading for home. It was such glorious weather, too, and the fall colours just amazing. With rain and snow in the forecast for four days, tomorrow is the last decent day. Loved your Roses, Gayle, and what a delight to see the clusters of mushrooms growing at the base of one of your trees! Many thanks for the tomatoes, carrots and apples from your garden, too - a real treat.
From my latest video. give it a watch at youtu.be/qYCiRDT8BxM
Rural scene with part of a ruined building and a nice tree n fields near Almoradi in Spain shortly after sunset
While driving around Gadsden Co. Fl and South Ga last week I was looking for some some old barns to shoot. I was driving around and I looked back down the road when I saw this composition of pine trees. Well to most people this might not mean alot but my father worked 47 year in a paper mill. i learned early the value of pine trees. It also brings back alot of fond memories of quail hunting when i was younger. I remember the first quail that I harvested like it was yesterday. i can still remember the look on my dad's proud face. As I look at this scene it touched me to the core of my soul, because it brought me back to a time of my youth when things were..... well different!
Friday, 30 April 2021: our temperature is PLUS 17C (windchill 16C) at 11:00 am. Sunrise is at 6:11 am, and sunset is at 8:56 pm. Sunny this morning. Yesterday, 29 April, the temperature got up to 21C!
With rain in the forecast for six of the next seven days, I knew yesterday that I had better go out for a drive. On top of that, my car had to be removed from the parking lot for a few hours, so that the annual cleaning could be done. I don't have street parking, so I don't have any choice other than to leave home. I don't know how much loud banging from the workmen there was all day yesterday, but I knew I couldn't stand it if I stayed home. I have only heard half a dozen bangs so far this morning. The first few were just a few inches from my head, waking me up. The others came a short while ago, a few inches from where I was on my computer. Who knows what today will bring?
With the early start yesterday, I ended up at the Saskatoon Farm only minutes after they opened. Though I had little idea of where to drive for the day, I reckoned a good breakfast would keep me going for hours. A huge surprise when I got there was to discover that the only two other people sitting at another outside table (no indoor dining thanks to the pandemic) were my daughter (fully vaccinated) and one of her friends! The best sighting of my day.
For once, I didn't walk around the farm, but instead drove further southwards and called in at Frank Lake. No American White Pelicans that I could see and no Ibis. The Gulls and American Avocets were quite active, though, giving me plenty of photo opportunities. Drove a few roads around the Lake, mainly to kill time. At another wetland, on the way home, I enjoyed seeing a single White-faced Ibis, showing off its beautiful iridescence in the sunlight.
A touch of filter was added in post-processing.
Early evening, 21 August 2022 - it's RAINING! At long, long last!!! The temperature has also fallen to 19C.
From The Weather Network:
"Even with La Niña doing its best to keep 2022 from setting new records for global heat, last month still ranked among the hottest months of the past 143 years.
July 2022 was one of the hottest months ever recorded on Earth according to the world’s major climate monitoring agencies. Based on NASA’s records, it was tied with 2020 for the 3rd warmest July, behind 2019 and 2021."
Having problems with the Internet yesterday and today. No Internet or land phone line for a lot of the time - and then they come on for a short while. Also, Flickr won't save comments I write on someone's photo.
A few more photos from another long day, making the most of my car's air-conditioning. We are under a Heat Warning today, 20 August 2022. Our temperature is 23C (feels like 25C) at 2:00 pm. Sunrise was at 6:30 am and sunset will be at 8:47 pm. Forecast is for rain, but we never seem to get it when it is forecast! We desperately need RAIN. Our temperatures are supposed to be a few degrees cooler this coming week.
The day before yesterday, 17 August 2022, I had another fairly long day, 305 km in total. Once again, I travelled S and then SE of Calgary, first calling in at the Saskatoon Farm for breakfast and to buy some fresh fruit and vegetables. Felt good to know that the new potatoes that I had for supper had been in the ground earlier in the day. Same with the broccoli, that was picked before I arrived at the Farm. The fresh fruit, such as peaches and nectarines, comes from BC (British Columbia).
From the Farm, I drove a familiar route southward, seeing a number of hawks - maybe 10 or so during the whole day. Seeing two Ferruginous Hawks was a treat, as always, even though they were far away. Such a lack of smaller birds - it was strange not seeing Vesper Sparrows and Savannah Sparrows on lots of fence posts. Instead, I saw a number of Great Blue Herons, which made a welcome change.
The photographs today were all taken during my covert photo trip to George Town, while the COVID-19 lock down was (and still is) in place.
Today the theme is Wetlands, and we begin with a view of Black Swans enjoying themselves in the afternoon sun.
"A black swan is an unpredictable event that is beyond what is normally expected of a situation and has potentially severe consequences. Black swan events are characterized by their extreme rarity, their severe impact, and the widespread insistence they were obvious in hindsight."
The term was popularised by philosopher Nassim Nicholas Taleb, and we can see it has obvious ramifications at the moment.
P.S. The term is ironic in Australia, since Black Swans - far from being rare - are ubiquitous. So clearly the term relates only to the Northern Hemisphere. For us, "White Swans" are the anomaly.
My wife and I were out testing a recently acquired 2x3 Crown Graphic camera this past weekend and during our travels we stopped at the St. Joseph the Woodworker's Shrine near Valley Falls Kansas. It was a hot, steamy, and rainiy day and in between rain showers, my lovely wife posed for me on this exposure and I was very pleased with how this turned out. This steeple was formally part of a Catholic Church in Wamego, KS and when the church was renovated some enterprising people salvaged the steeple, restored it and moved it to this beautiful hill near Valley Falls, KS. Image captured using Foma 100 film, developed with Xtol at 1:1.
Wednesday, 16 March 2022: our temperature is 8°C (windchill 5°C) at 5:30 pm. Sunrise is at 7:48 am, and sunset is at 7:42 pm. Sunny with cloud.
Yesterday, 15 March 2022, my daughter and I were finally able to get together and drive E and NE of Calgary. Time is running out for a chance to see a Snowy Owl and, while I had already managed to find three Snowy Owls in a different direction from the city, my daughter had not yet had the chance to see one this winter. I knew it was more likely to see an owl yesterday, as my daughter is so good at spotting things. She did well, finding two extremely distant Snowies (I could only see one of them), and two Great Horned Owls.
As well as looking for any wildlife, we stopped to take a few photos of several old barns that I/we had seen before. The total day's drive was 368 km, so I was exhausted by the time I got home. I made the mistake of ending up on the road that goes through Chestermere, which I have avoided for years.
Each year, the farmer who owns this barn allows the graduating class from the local high school to decorate this old building in any way they wish. A fun idea and it certainly adds a splash of colour. I was absolutely fascinated to read a little bit of history from someone who was a contact of mine on Flickr a few years ago. Her Grandmother was apparently born in this house/barn. It was later converted to a granary and now, of course, has become the canvas for local students.