View allAll Photos Tagged carpooling
Ambalavao (Madagascar) - L’école est finie ! Ces élèves de l’école élémentaire d’Ambalavao, rentrent chez eux. Les parents étant de condition modeste, leurs enfants utilisent le «covoiturage» pour limiter les frais.
School transport
Ambalavao (Madagascar) - School is over! These students from the Ambalavao elementary school are returning home. Since the parents are of modest means, their children use "carpooling" to limit costs.
I post this photo hours after taking it, I did not feel like waiting to post it.
It was 11:45 this morning when the BNSF's Stockton to Provo trackage rights left for Utah with an NS AC44C6M on point. I was sitting at home, not planning to do anything or go anywhere, but I realized that this train might make it to the snowline before dark. Getting screwed out of shooting the spreaders only a few days earlier when my car got hit, which happened the night before I was going to go up, I wanted any excuse to go to the snow. I decided to start at Roseville, where one of my friends would meet up with me. We would end up carpooling to chase the train. However, things were not looking so bright when the train left Roseville nearly three hours after departing Stockton, just after 2:30. On top of that, the dispatcher had sent it up Track 1, which would add on even more time. Thankfully, this was not a massive train, so it moved fast. The trackage rights reached Colfax just before 4 PM, and after I devoured a sandwich we headed to Casa Loma.
Casa Loma was looking nice, as the canyon reflected a light ray while the sun was rapidly setting. It didn't take long before the NS showed up, and I told myself it was the last shot, for a few minutes. Right before getting back to the highway exit, I decided that it might be worth going further. An attempt would be made to shoot it at Emigrant Gap.
In 2021, I had shot a grain train overlooking the valley below E Gap, and I wanted to reshoot it in the snow with blue light. However, I knew that this was risky, the access road was more than likely not plowed, and hiking up the hill is long and very steep. Since we had went to Casa Loma, we also would not have a whole lot of time. After getting to Emigrant, the two of us saw that the signals were on and there was a green, at that moment all I could think was that we were already here so I may as well try, even though I was convinced this would fail.
Parking at the bottom of the hill, I would lead the two of us up as fast as possible. I was trying to retrace my steps from four years ago, eventually attempting to go straight up the side of the hill. The photo doesn't really show that well just how steep the side is on the left, but while climbing it is very much possible, trying to climb on a time crunch is hard. However, there was a certain point where me nor my friend could find good footing to continue up the hill, with things like slippery rock and unstable brush covering an area in front of us. After a few minutes I was ready to call it quits when finally I found an area just good enough to get up, and raced uphill. It was just after this the sound of a horn could be heard blowing nearby. I raced the rest of the way up, trying to keep the wind from blowing my hat off my head. Finally, I had made it to the top, and only about ten seconds later the train would roll around the curve. Once it cleared, my friend made it to the top, as it turns out he had been struggling to get by the problematic area. Just then I also realized there was a far easier and faster way to get up the hill the whole time. Needless to say, I felt like an idiot that I tried to go up the hard way when there was a very obviously far less steep path we could have taken. It was now over though, so we headed back down to the car and traveled down the mountain.
The 7 stages of life:
1. Rivet, bolt and paint.
2. Purchase, pride and joy.
3. Wash, wax and polish.
4. Work, vacation, and carpooling.
5. Bugs, tar, and neglect.
6. Wreck and towing.
7. Rust in Peace.
Found in a little park next to a busy street. I am not sure if people do car pooling from there. It could also be art, as some pieces are situated in this area.
Letting my photography friends lead the way, we found ourselves on Via di Fuga (Escape route) in Sorano, Italy. Ciao Roman chaos; no laundry, kids, husbands, carpooling, cooking etc. for 2 days and a night- this foto commemorates a fantastic occasion.
On Sunday, 20 July 2014, I plucked up courage to do a drive that I’d never done before. I had been that particular route once before that I can think of, when I carpooled with others. A good part of the drive was in familiar territory, but I’d never driven the last part of the journey myself. I had met my daughter at 9:00 a.m. and we were both eager to see a display of birds of prey that had been brought up from the Coaldale Birds of Prey Centre.
On display were a Burrowing Owl, a Barn Owl, the beautiful Great Horned Owl in the above photo, and a Golden Eagle. Another real treat that was an amusing one, was seeing a baby Barn Owl that was just 45 days old! This little ball of fluff was acting as a great ambassador, letting young kids get a close view and ask questions, and fall in love with it – and to hopefully, in the future, do everything they can as adults to protect our precious wildlife. The enjoyment of seeing these birds up close reminds one that the reason these birds are not free to live in the wild, is because of some kind of interaction with humans – such as permanent injuries from being hit by a vehicle, pesticide use, or even worse, being shot by a human! This is what happened to “Spirit”, the magnificent Golden Eagle, shot and blinded by someone. Sadly, Spirit passed away fairly recently, after serving as a very popular Wildlife Ambassador..
This exhibit was our first destination in the park, though on the drive from Calgary, we had stopped at the small McDougall Church at Morley. After seeing and photographing the birds of prey, we then drove to Middle Lake that’s in a different part of the park. We walked the very short distance to the edge of the lake, but didn’t walk around it. From there, we drove to Many Springs Trail and did a very slow walk around the lake, stopping to look at different flowers and photograph a few butterflies. Certain wildflowers were already finished, including various Orchid species, but there were still plenty of other species to see and enjoy. Even the weather cooperated, though the forecast had been for isolated showers. Not too hot, nice clouds in the sky and lovely to have my daughter’s company for the day.
Thanks so much to the people down at the Coaldale Bird of Prey Centre (near Lethbridge, down towards the Canada/US border) for bringing some of your gorgeous birds of prey for us to see! I have been south to the Centre three times I think, and always long to go back again, but it's not somewhere I can drive to, so this was a much-appreciated treat!
We have had only one car for nearly 6 years. We made it work but there was a lot of juggling that had to be done. A lot of transportation and scheduling compromises had to be made.
Getting this car will change our lives. We no longer all need to be within 5 feet of each other. No one will be "stranded" at home while the other runs an errand.*
Imagine - one of us can pick up the kid from school WHILE the other one goes to the grocery store. Heaven.
*Please don't lecture me on the joys of carlessness or the environmental impact. I've done my share of walking/carpooling/bus riding. A chance came up for a second car and we jumped at it.
Grey ghost KCSM 4535 slowly rolls to a stop at the yard office in Marquette, IA for a crew change. On the right is a lively crew of fellows, perhaps the greatest beer pong players on the face on the Earth, who's to say.
As this motley crew, perhaps sarcastically, welcome the loaded grainer into town, it makes for a scene that somewhat makes up for the significantly better shot we knowingly missed in favor of a "better" curve shot just a quarter of a mile south of what would have, by all accounts, been the money shot. Sometimes there's drawbacks to carpooling with.. train pong champions?,, We may have gotten cloud banged here, but it was that kind of a day anyway, so it's not that big of a loss. Always wanted to get one of these grey ghosts that've managed to retain some semblance of the color yellow on the front stripes.
CPKC 356, taken on the CPKC Marquette Subdivision, Marquette, IA - 6/28/25.
As you can see by the colour of the sky, this was not the kind of sky I had hoped for two days ago (29 September 2014). The light really was not good, but I had to take photos anyway. This particular area is the official protected area of hoodoos in the Drumheller area, with steps around the various unique formations. Hoodoos can be seen almost anywhere in the Badlands, but these ones are especially spectacular. Will have to finish off my descriptions later, as I have a volunteer shift.
Later: on 29 September 2014, I finally drove out to an area that lies NE of Calgary, that I had longed to go to for so many years. It must have been 30+ years ago that I first saw one particular area of the Badlands of Alberta. A few times, I had been fairly close when I went on several botany trips out that way, but when you are carpooling, you can't just go wherever you want. So, my youngest daughter and I decided that we both wanted to make this trip, All summer, we have been waiting for a day on which she didn't have to work and a day where the weather forecast was for no rain on the day or there had been no rain the previous day. The Bentonite Clay in the area becomes treacherously slippery when wet. The forecast for yesterday was for a mainly sunny day - at last, we were going!
This drive was the longest drive I had ever done. For anyone who doesn't know me, I have battled a driving phobia for decades, plus I have barely any sense of direction, lol! Thankfully, my daughter has an amazing sense of direction, so I knew we wouldn't be stuck out on the prairies in the middle of nowhere. A typical question at too many intersections went as follows: me - "Do we go left?"; my daughter - "No, we go right", lol!
I met my daughter at 8:00 am. and I got home shortly before 9:00 pm. Much of that time was spent driving; the rest was spent wandering round two main areas - Dorothy and Rowley, each in different directions from Drumheller (known for its remarkable dinosaur findings). The forecast was far from accurate on our drive out to the Badlands and I began to wonder if we'd made a mistake on going on this trip yesterday. However, knowing that snow would be returning very soon ("returning" because we had two snowstorms on 9 and 10 September), I was beginning to feel rather desperate and really didn't want to risk not getting out there this year. The afternoon was less cloudy and we did have some sun.
Our two main destinations were the Hoodoo Trail (seen in this photo) and the almost-ghost-town of Dorothy, calling in at Wayne as well.
"Hoodoos take millions of years to form and stand 5 to 7 metres tall. Each hoodoo is a sandstone pillar resting on a thick base of shale that is capped by a large stone. Hoodoos are very fragile and can erode completely if their capstone is dislodged (in other words, no climbing allowed). This protected Hoodoos site is a guaranteed spot to see Hoodoos but smaller versions of these sandstone giants can be found all over the Badlands.
The name "Hoodoo" comes from the word "voodoo" and was given to these geological formations by the Europeans. In the Blackfoot and Cree traditions, however, the Hoodoos are believed to be petrified giants who come alive at night to hurl rocks at intruders." From traveldrumheller.com
www.traveldrumheller.com/index.php/directory/7-Drumheller...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoodoo_(geology)
After that, we went to Rowley to see the old grain elevators and to wander round this very small, historical place. There are actually three elevators, with two being right next to each other and the other being a bit further away. Dorothy felt and looked almost deserted, whereas Rowley was beautifully kept.
From Rowley, we made our way back across the prairies to Calgary. I had planned on getting back before it got dark as I really don't like night driving and very rarely do it, but we didn't quite make it. On the return drive, the last sighting was a Great Horned Owl that was perched part way up a power pole. Well done, Rachel, spotting this welcome bird! Not easy to see in the dark. By the time I got home, I was so tired and my arms were so painful from driving, but, what a great day we had!!
On Sunday, 20 July 2014, I plucked up courage to do a drive that I’d never done before. I had been that particular route once before that I can think of, when I carpooled with others. A good part of the drive was in familiar territory, but I’d never driven the last part of the journey myself. I had met my daughter at 9:00 a.m. and we were both eager to see a display of birds of prey that had been brought up from the Coaldale Birds of Prey Centre.
This year, there were fewer birds, but it was great to see any at all. This year, there was a Burrowing Owl, a Barn Owl, the beautiful Great Horned Owl in the above photo, and a Golden Eagle. Another real treat that was an amusing one, was seeing a baby Barn Owl that was just 45 days old! This little ball of fluff was acting as a great ambassador, letting young kids get a close view and ask questions, and fall in love with it – and to hopefully, in the future, do everything they can as adults to protect our precious wildlife. The enjoyment of seeing these birds up close reminds one that the reason these birds are not free to live in the wild, is because of some kind of interaction with humans – such as permanent injuries from being hit by a vehicle, pesticide use, or even worse, being shot by a human! This is what happened to “Spirit”, the magnificent Golden Eagle, shot and blinded by someone.
This exhibit was our first destination in the park, though on the drive from Calgary, we had stopped at the small McDougall Church at Morley. After seeing and photographing the birds of prey, we then drove to Middle Lake that’s in a different part of the park. We walked the very short distance to the edge of the lake, but didn’t walk around it. From there, we drove to Many Springs Trail and did a very slow walk around the lake, stopping to look at different flowers and photograph a few butterflies. Though slow, it was still further than I should have walked. Certain wildflowers were already finished, including various Orchid species, but there were still plenty of other species to see and enjoy. Even the weather cooperated, though the forecast had been for isolated showers. Not too hot, nice clouds in the sky and lovely to have my daughter’s company for the day.
Thanks so much to the people down at the Coaldale Bird of Prey Centre (near Lethbridge, down towards the Canada/US border) for bringing your gorgeous birds of prey for us to see! I have been south to the Centre three times I think, and always long to go back again, but it's not somewhere I can drive to, so this was a much-appreciated treat yesterday!
26 July 2016: BEAR WARNING issued for all of Kananaskis Country for heightened bear activity.
calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/bear-warning-issued-for...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On 18 July 2016, I had a wonderful day out NE of the city with my daughter. The last time I actually drove eastwards was about six months ago, when I was shooting Short-eared Owls near the end of January. The last time (also the first time) I had ever driven out as far as Drumheller was on 29 September 2014. A few times, I had been fairly close when I went on several botany trips out that way, but when you are carpooling, you can't just go wherever you want. So, my daughter and I had a great time exploring some of the roads between Calgary and Drumheller.
There were a handful of things or places we wanted to check out, but many things were total surprises. We knew we wanted to see fields, yellow fields full of canola as far as the eye could see. No disappointment there as we took in the gorgeous colour and the perhaps not so pleasant smell of this crop. When we were driving through regular, green landscapes, it all seemed so 'ordinary' after being treated to vibrant gold.
As well as canola fields, we also knew of a particular grain elevator and nearby old barn that we were keen to see. There was also an old, two-storey house in a hilly setting that we knew would have to be photographed from a great distance, but we were curious about it. There was also a small wetland that I wanted to drive by, just in case there was something to see. How glad we were that we went, as a magnificent Black-crowned Night-heron was posing nicely on a post, out in the open. This was the first time I had ever seen one close, so it made my day. At least, an adult - in October 2015, I had seen a gorgeous juvenile in Fish Creek Park.
Continuing on our way, we stopped to take a couple of quick shots of an Eastern Kingbird and then my daughter spotted a dark patch just above ground level, hidden in the bushes. It turned out to be an Eastern Kingbird's nest, with what looked like three large babies in it. No idea how she caught sight of this, but it was a treat to see.
Soon after this, we stopped to photograph two beautiful red barns and then stopped again to photograph a Western Kingbird. This is not a bird I normally see, so i was very happy to catch sight of this one.
A short drive further, we spotted a distant shorebird standing on a fence post - and then a second one a few posts away. At first, we thought maybe they were Wilson's Snipe, but then realized that they were something different - two beautiful Upland Sandpipers! I had seen one a number of years ago, but it was too far away for a photo. These are uncommon in Alberta. So, another very lucky find.
"An adult is roughly 30 cm (12 in) long with a 66 cm (26 in) wingspan. The average weight is 170 g (6 oz). This odd bird has a small dove-like head on a long neck. It is heavily marbled black and brown on the back and wings. The neck is streaked with dark brown which continues down to the breast and on to the flanks. The belly and undertail coverts are white. The tail is quite long for a sandpiper. The upland also sports a white eye-ring and long yellow legs..... Upland sandpipers forage in fields, picking up food by sight. They are frequently sighted on fence posts and even telephone poles. When an "uppy" alights, it holds its wings up for a few seconds. They are constantly scanning the horizon for intruders. The upland sandpiper's diet includes grasshoppers, crickets, weevils, beetles, moths, ants, flies, bugs, centipedes, millipedes, spiders, snails and earthworms. It also eats some grains and seeds." From Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upland_sandpiper
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Upland_Sandpiper/id
It was a pretty good day for hawks, too - so much so, that I got a gentle reminder form my daughter that I didn't need to photograph EVERY hawk we saw, lol. We had other places and other things that we wanted to get to.
As well as birds and beautiful scenery, we saw several old barns, including a special small shed/granary. Each year, the farmer 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 two or three years ago. Her Grandmother was apparently born in this house/shed. It was later converted to a granary and now, of course, has become the canvas for local students.
One of our main goals was to visit the old grain elevator at Sharples. I had wanted to visit there for quite a while and finally, we made it. Unfortunately, the elevator and nearby barn were in shadow, but it was great to see both old structures. We also passed another old elevator when we were driving along the road north of the river, on the way to Drumheller. This, needless to say, meant another stop for photos.
A great day of fun, seeing and photographing such a variety of things. Beautiful weather and, best of all, a day spent with my daughter. Thanks so much, Rachel - glad you felt up to a day out, but sorry you got so many mosquito bites!
Total driving distance, round-trip: approximately 397 km, 247 miles.
Thought I would add a few photos this morning that were taken yesterday, 25 May 2018, SW of the city. Exactly why did I position the Tree Swallow right in the centre of the shot, with no room to crop to a much better composition? No idea, other than that the little focus rectangle was in the centre of my viewfinder, lol! Annoyed with myself when I do this. Anyway, this male Tree Swallow was looking so beautiful in the sunshine yesterday, when I was out for the day with my daughter, to celebrate yet another birthday for me. I always look forward to a day like this - my favourite way to spend a day! I hope she enjoyed it as much as I did. It was the first time she had been out in a car since her surgery in something like five weeks, so she wasn't too sure how well she would do. Apart from a meeting I went to the evening before, it was the first time I had been out anywhere since getting back from my Pt Pelee trip a week ago, so I wasn't too sure how well I would do, too. Fortunately, the severe pain I have had the last few weeks due to inflamed shoulder rotator cuffs (again) and painful kneecaps being pulled out of place, that flared up just in time for my two-weeks away, is gradually improving, and all went just fine yesterday. Just glad that we saw Mountain Bluebirds, too.
Our day started with breakfast at the Saskatoon Farm followed by wandering the grounds, taking photos, which we both love to do. Then we called in at the garden nursery, "Spruce it up" I think it's called. From there, we drove westwards till we reached a favourite area, finding Mountain Bluebirds and Tree Swallows, but no sign of any kind of owl. Not too surprising, as it was afternoon by then. Not even a Wilson's Snipe perched on a fence post.
Up early this morning, as I made a last-minute decision to at least try a bit of the annual May Species Count walk in the city today. Very overcast and windy - where is the sun? Tomorrow's Count is driving (carpooling) out of the city in one of my favourite areas.
My daughter took a few similar photos of this old barn that we passed on the way east from Calgary to the Badlands area around Drumheller. When she was looking at her photos at home, she wondered if the object in the top upper left window was a Great Horned Owl. It's pretty much impossible to tell for sure, but it could well have been.
Five days ago, on 29 September 2014, I finally drove out to an area that lies NE of Calgary, that I had longed to go to for so many years. It must have been 30+ years ago that I first saw one particular area of the Badlands of Alberta. A few times since then, I had been fairly close when I went on several botany trips out that way, but when you are carpooling, you can't just go wherever you want. So, my youngest daughter and I decided that we both wanted to make this trip, All summer, we had been waiting for a day on which she didn't have to work and where the weather forecast was for no rain on the day or there had been no rain the previous day. The Bentonite Clay in the area becomes treacherously slippery when wet. The forecast for this day was for a mainly sunny day - at last, we were going!
I think this was the longest day of driving I had ever done, especially to, and in, an area that I'd never driven to before. For anyone who doesn't know me, I have battled a driving phobia for decades, plus I have barely any sense of direction, lol! Thankfully, my daughter has an amazing sense of direction, so I knew we wouldn't be stuck out on the prairies in the middle of nowhere. A typical question at too many intersections went as follows: me - "Do we go left?"; my daughter - "No, we go right", lol!
I met my daughter at 8:00 am. and I got home shortly before 9:00 pm. Much of that time was spent driving; the rest was spent wandering round three main areas - The Hoodoo Trail, Dorothy and Rowley, in different directions from Drumheller (known for its remarkable dinosaur findings). The forecast was far from accurate on our drive out to the Badlands and I began to wonder if we'd made a mistake going on this trip on that particular day. However, knowing that snow would be returning very soon ("returning" because we had two snowstorms on 9 and 10 September), I was beginning to feel rather desperate and really didn't want to risk not getting out there this year. The afternoon was less cloudy and we did have some sun.
So, the first of our destinations was The Hoodoo Trail, a small area of protected, spectacular hoodoos (rock pillars capped with harder rock), and then we went further, to the almost-ghost-town of Dorothy. I had longed, for a long time, to see the two small, old churches that are to be found in Dorothy, as well as the old grain elevator.
After that, we drove over 11 bridges and called in at the tiny hamlet of Wayne. We had passed the old Atlas Coal Mine near the main highway, but, much as we would have liked to visit the mine, we knew that we just didn't have time. From Wayne, we continued to Rowley to see the three old grain elevators, and to wander round this very small, historical place. There are actually three elevators, with two being right next to each other and the other one a little further from them. Dorothy felt and looked almost deserted, whereas Rowley was beautifully kept.
From Rowley, we made our way back across the prairies to Calgary. I had planned on getting back before it got dark as I no longer like night driving and very rarely do it, but we didn't quite make it. On the return drive, the last sighting was a Great Horned Owl that was perched part way up a power pole. Well done, Rachel, spotting this welcome bird! Not easy to see in the dark. By the time I got home, I was so tired and my arms were so painful from driving, but, what a great day we had!!
I hadn't been downtown for many years, but yesterday, I had the chance to meet several friends for a birding walk at Pearce Estate, along the Bow River. After the walk, we carpooled to nearby downtown, hoping to find the Great Horned Owl family that people have been seeing. It was a much longer walk than I was expecting, but we were so lucky to find them, and not where I had been expecting them to be. As is often the case, Mom (?) and the three owlets were high up in different trees, not posing too well for most of the time, and not in good light. This owlet, that looked like the "middle child" of the family, did eventually sit up, so I was able to get this and a few other shots. The ice in that area was so treacherous, so I moved as little as possible, and extremely cautiously. A real treat to see this little family, though, and so early in the year! Mom must have laid the eggs around 1st January, as the owlets were pretty much adult-sized and either branched or fledged. Most unusual - wonder why this happened. We were half expecting the family to have moved from this particular area, but were so relieved to find that they hadn't.
Thanks so much, Dorothy and Stephen, for giving me a ride to downtown and back to my car! Without it, I would not have had the chance to see these precious little owls. Thanks also for the coffee and a treat afterwards - amazing how much better coffee tastes after walking for a few hours! It really hit the spot : )
There are hardly any new photos from Contacts showing up on my photostream today. I don't know if people just aren't posting new images or whether this is a repeat of a recent issue.
I met up with my photo friends,Tom Crews, Lorna Morris Hamblin, and Wally Johnson for the 7th Annual Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk in downtown Dallas, Texas. Groups met in cities all over the world. Lorna rode the train from Ft. Worth and Tom and Wally carpooled from Sherman, Texas, near the Texas/ Oklahoma border.
This is Thanks Giving Square in the heart of downtown Dallas. For me it is the most beautiful structure in Dallas. The most prominent and recognizable feature of Thanks-Giving Square is the Chapel of Thanksgiving, a small, spiral tower that features an enclave for prayerful thanks. The entrance to the chapel is at the end of a 125-foot (38 m) bridge that runs over a cascading waterfall. Inside the chapel, the spiral is topped with stained glass "Glory Window", one of largest horizontally mounted stained-glass pieces in the world. The window was designed by Gabriel Loire of Chartres, France to feature brighter colors as the spiral reached its apex, becoming brighter as it reaches the center. The window appears in a shot in director Terrence Malick's 2011 film The Tree of Life. ~ Wikipedia
Those of you who have known me for a long time may remember a similar shot I made of this 2-3 years ago. At that time I was only shooting in jpeg. What a difference shooting in RAW and processing in Lightroom make! We all had a marvelous time walking the streets of Dallas.
I Dream a World
by Langston Hughes (1901-1967)
“I dream a world where man
No other man will scorn,
Where love will bless the earth
And peace its paths adorn
I dream a world where all
Will know sweet freedom's way,
Where greed no longer saps the soul
Nor avarice blights our day.
A world I dream where black or white,
Whatever race you be,
Will share the bounties of the earth
And every man is free,
Where wretchedness will hang its head
And joy, like a pearl,
Attends the needs of all mankind-
Of such I dream, my world!”
Rosa Parks (1913-2005) occupies an iconic status in the civil rights movement after she refused to vacate a seat on a bus in favor of a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama. In 1955, Parks rejected a bus driver's order to leave a row of four seats in the "colored" section once the white section had filled up and move to the back of the bus.
Her defiance sparked a successful boycott of buses in Montgomery a few days later. Residents refused to board the city's buses. Instead they carpooled, rode in Black-owned cabs, or walked, some as far as 20 miles. The boycott dealt a severe blow to the bus company's profits as dozens of public buses stood idle for months. The boycott was led by a newcomer to Montgomery named Martin Luther King, Jr.
In her autobiography, Rosa Parks: My Story (1992), Parks declares her defiance was an intentional act: "I was not tired physically, or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day. I was not old, although some people have an image of me as being old then. I was 42. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in."
As you can see by the colour of the sky, this was not the kind of sky I had hoped for on 29 September 2014. The light really was not good, but I had to take photos anyway : ) This particular area is the official protected area of hoodoos in the Drumheller area, with steps around the various unique formations. Hoodoos can be seen almost anywhere in the Badlands, but these ones are especially spectacular.
That day, I finally drove out to an area that lies NE of Calgary, that I had longed to go to for so many years. It must have been 30+ years ago that I first saw this particular Hoodoo area of the Badlands of Alberta. A few times, I had been fairly close when I went on several botany trips out that way, but when you are carpooling, you can't just go wherever you want. So, my youngest daughter and I decided that we both wanted to make this trip, All summer, we have been waiting for a day on which she didn't have to work and a day where the weather forecast was for no rain on the day or there had been no rain the previous day. The Bentonite Clay in the area becomes treacherously slippery when wet. The forecast for yesterday was for a mainly sunny day - at last, we were going!
This drive was the longest drive I had ever done. For anyone who doesn't know me, I have battled a driving phobia for decades, plus I have no sense of direction, lol! Thankfully, my daughter has an amazing sense of direction, so I knew we wouldn't be stuck out on the prairies in the middle of nowhere. A typical question at too many intersections went as follows: me - "Do we go left?"; my daughter - "No, we go right", lol!
I met my daughter at 8:00 am. and I got home shortly before 9:00 pm. Much of that time was spent driving; the rest was spent wandering round two main areas - Dorothy and Rowley, each in different directions from Drumheller (known for its remarkable dinosaur findings). The forecast was far from accurate on our drive out to the Badlands and I began to wonder if we'd made a mistake on going on this trip yesterday. However, knowing that snow would be returning very soon ("returning" because we had two snowstorms on 9 and 10 September), I was beginning to feel rather desperate and really didn't want to risk not getting out there this year. The afternoon was less cloudy and we did have some sun.
Our three main destinations were the Hoodoo Trail (seen in this photo), the almost-ghost-town of Dorothy (calling in at Wayne as well), and the hamlet of Rowley.
"Hoodoos take millions of years to form and stand 5 to 7 metres tall. Each hoodoo is a sandstone pillar resting on a thick base of shale that is capped by a large stone. Hoodoos are very fragile and can erode completely if their capstone is dislodged (in other words, no climbing allowed). This protected Hoodoos site is a guaranteed spot to see Hoodoos but smaller versions of these sandstone giants can be found all over the Badlands.
The name "Hoodoo" comes from the word "voodoo" and was given to these geological formations by the Europeans. In the Blackfoot and Cree traditions, however, the Hoodoos are believed to be petrified giants who come alive at night to hurl rocks at intruders." From traveldrumheller.com
www.traveldrumheller.com/index.php/directory/7-Drumheller...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoodoo_(geology)
After that, we went to Rowley to see the old grain elevators and to wander round this very small, historical place. There are actually three elevators, with two being right next to each other and the other being a bit further away. Dorothy felt and looked almost deserted, whereas Rowley was beautifully kept.
From Rowley, we made our way back across the prairies to Calgary. I had planned on getting back before it got dark as I really don't like night driving and very rarely do it, but we didn't quite make it. On the return drive, the last sighting was a Great Horned Owl that was perched part way up a power pole. Well done, Rachel, spotting this welcome bird! Not easy to see in the dark. By the time I got home, I was so tired and my arms were so painful from driving, but, what a great day we had!!
Today, 10 January 2022, our temperature is PLUS 4°C (windchill 1°C) at noon. Sunrise is at 8:36 am and sunset is at 4:51 pm. Overcast. Starting today, our deepfreeze has finally come to an end - at least until the next one. How good this will feel!
It's back to a few photos from my archives until the next time I go either for a walk or a drive. I am adding the description that I wrote under a previously posted photo taken the same day.
"I drove to friend, Lynn's, property at Marsland Basin on the afternoon of 7 September 2016. Down an embankment from her house and extensive yard lies a beautiful wetland, which is part of their property.
This was quite a long drive for me. A fellow birder had sent out an email to everyone, saying that he was going east of the city yesterday, to visit Lynn Gratz and her partner at Marsland Basin, and that anyone else was welcome to join him. This was enough incentive to make me do the drive eastward. I have been out there maybe three or four times before, but by carpooling. Yesterday was the very first time I had ever driven there myself. So much traffic and construction on the eastern edge of the city, so I really don't like that drive, until I am way past it all. I certainly hadn't intended doing a long drive like this is my new car, at least not until it has been 'broken in'.
The weather was beautiful all day and there were a fair number of birds, especially shorebirds in the water and on the mudflats. Too far away, really, for much in the way of photos, though I did take some.
Just before I got there, I spotted a beautiful juvenile Red-tailed Hawk perched on a fence post. Didn't see it till I was almost past it, and then I couldn't figure out how to put my window down, lol, so had to turn around. Then I found that the Hawk was too low down because of a ditch, so I couldn't see it from the driver's seat through the passenger window. Silly new cars with the front console!!! In my old car, I could slide across and point out the passenger window, if needed. So, had to drive down the road and turn around again! This time, I found how to put down my window and managed three quick shots before it flew away. These were really the main photos I took that afternoon - and by the time I had driven all the way back to Calgary, I was exhausted.
Many thanks, Lynn, for always allowing us to come and see your beautiful property! What a treat. You certainly have an amazing variety of birds to enjoy."
Bob Brumley and his twin brother Richard have always been competitive. When they were young they never just rode their bicycles to school. Hell no they raced. The competition was friendly yet intense. Now that they are in their forties nothing has changed. Even though they both live near each other and work at the same machine shop in town, carpooling is out of the question. 1/24 scale forced prospective.
The amazing Oneonta Gorge is the incredible Columbia River gorge on a sunny day.
This is an area of exceptional beauty, but it's one that's being loved to death. The hoards of people that have been visiting this location have been having a negative impact on this special place. The last time that I was in there I saw graffiti scraped into the moss and lichen on the face of a rock. I have taken out garbage and broken glass. It's sad that people can go out to see this beauty and want to damage it. There are things in this life that I'm sure that I will never understand.
The last that I heard the US Forest Service is trying to come up with a plan to try and mitigate the damage from the volume of traffic in there during the summer months. They have yet to come up with a plan.
If you are going out to the gorge consider coming out before 10am. The crowds seem to sleep in. Consider carpooling or using transit buses. Stay on established trails and avoid "user trails". Not only do they cause damage to the forest, they can lead you to dangerous areas.
If you see people abusing the gorge suggest to them the proper way to enjoy the area. If they're causing trouble and you don't feel comfortable note details and report them to the US Forest Service.
Enjoy but protect our amazing Columbia River Gorge.
#oregon #columbiarivergorge #oneontagorge #hiking
Almost three years ago, on 12 November 2017, I went with a group of seven birding friends on a very enjoyable day trip S and SE of Calgary. This old barn on one of the roads was an unexpected treat (for me) and, as I only managed to take a few rapid shots of it through the windscreen from the back seat, I was determined to one day do this drive myself and take a better look at this fine old barn (from the road, as usual).
On 21 September 2020, it was THE day! It started around 9:00 am with a drive south to the Saskatoon Farm for breakfast. It was very quiet at that early hour and on a weekday, though I knew it would get busier as the day wore on. There are always all sorts of things to photograph there, including colourful flowers, a chicken or two, and various odds and ends. There is sadness at the Farm at the moment, as someone stole one of their much-loved cats, named Alfie. He is a pure grey cat and he has a sister at the Farm who looks just like him. She now wanders around the farm grounds, looking for him, in vain. Despite pleas to return Alfie, there has been no response.
From the Farm, the next destination was to go and find this old barn again. When I was there in 2017, I'm not sure if I saw the old rocking horses on each fence post. We were carpooling and I suspect they were out of my view. The barn is certainly weathered, but it is still standing straight and tall.
Driving further S and SE, more barns were to be seen. Part of the drive was in an area that I had explored recently. A few old grain elevators were thrown in for good measure.
As for birds, where were they? Not a single Hawk of any kind and really no small birds, either. A handful of Grey Partridge taking off were pretty much the only birds that were seen. However, this was not planned as a birding day, but as an old barn day, and it turned out to be satisfyingly rewarding!
On 30 August 2021, I decided, after seeing rain in the forecast for a few coming days, to do a long drive NE of Calgary, to the Badlands. Knowing that it was getting dark earlier and earlier in the evenings, I knew that I was running out of days on which I would be able to do these long drives. My main destinations to call in at were in the Drumheller area.
I had longed to go out there for so many years. It must have been 30+ years ago that I first saw one particular area of the Badlands of Alberta. A few times, I had been fairly close when I went on several botany trips out that way, but when you are carpooling, you can't just go wherever you want. So, on 29 September 2014, my youngest daughter and I decided that we both wanted to make this trip. Since then, I believe I have only driven that way once more, on 5 August 2019, until this most recent trip. I was out for nine hours and much of that time was actual driving. The further east I went, the more I felt like I was in the middle of nowhere.
Amazingly, the weather was good, with blue sky most of the time. It still seems strange to see blue sky and not overcast and smoky from the British Columbia wildfires. I think the temperature got up to about 28C, so not unbearably hot.
The first thing I photographed was a rather attractive moth, resting next to my front door outside. It may have been the moth that I had photographed earlier, on my bathroom ceiling.
About half way on the drive, I drove several back roads to take another look at an old barn I fell in love with last winter, while searching for a Snowy Owl. I was shocked and saddened to find no sign of the old barn except for a pile of wood that had collapsed or been pulled down. Maybe it was becoming dangerously unsafe in the farmyard.
Feeling somewhat 'down', I continued on my way and eventually stopped to take a handful of photos of a fine church. It seems so out of place on the prairies. The church building, inspired by a typical Danish church, was finished in 1936, though there has been a church on this site since the first settlers arrived in Dalum in 1918.
Two new-to-me grain elevators were enjoyed and quickly photographed. It's not very often that I find one that I have never seen before.
A couple of times, I stopped to take a few photos of wild Sunflowers that were growing at the edge of two or three gravel roads. An attractive moth was at rest on one of the flowers. Insects seem to really like these bright and cheery wildflowers.
It was a pleasant surprise to discover that there were not a lot of people at the Hoodoos. I have been there when there were endless crowds of visitors all over the place, making it difficult to take photos, and to find a parking spot. These natural "works of art" are so beautiful and interesting.
Driving further south, I stopped at one of my favourite places - an old almost-ghost town. Here, there are two lovely old country churches, old barns, old cars and tractors/farm equipment. Also, a very old, extremely weathered grain elevator that lost its roof in a storm a few years ago. Such a shame that it has never been replaced. I love the Badlands setting for this prairie sentinel.
A final place to call in at was The Last Saloon, where I bought some Sweet Potato Fries 'to go'. This is a very popular place, including with motorcyclists.
Having left home in the morning a few minutes after 9:00 am, I finally reached home about 6:00 pm, happy and tired out. A great day, full of lots of things to see. Though they were all familiar, they are always fun to see and photograph again. Hope to get in another drive or two in the next couple of weeks, before the snow arrives and stays on the ground for seven months! Where did the summer go?!
Another wet, gloomy day today, 10 September 2019. Our temperature is 7C (feels like 5C). It definitely feels like fall. Snow is already being forecast for parts of Alberta. It will soon be time to get all-season tires off and winter tires put on.
The day before yesterday, 8 September 2019, we had such a wonderful four and a half hours, searching for different kinds of fungi in the amazing forest on Rod Handfield's land, SW of Calgary. I think this was our tenth visit - the first one I went on, being on 25 June 2009 - each one resulting in various different species. It was so overwhelming yesterday! You didn't know which direction to face and which mushroom to photograph first. They were everywhere! Such a contrast to our visit on 6 August 2017, when basically there were no mushrooms (other than maybe three), because everywhere had been so very dry.
A day like this can be so exhausting, not just from the walking and fresh air, but also because of all the excitement. The quality of many of my photos is not the best, as the day was very overcast - the last thing one wants when trying to take photos deep in the forest. After leaving Rod's, it did rain. I had driven myself there instead of carpooling, so that I could drive some of the backroads in the area after we had finished. The forecast was for sun and cloud - and I had foolishly believed it. The rain put an end to my plans and I headed for home. I'm so glad I had checked a special little spot near Rod's first thing in the morning, when I got there a bit too early. A few years ago, there was a beautiful display of Fly Agaric / Amanita muscaria mushrooms growing there, but not since then. To my absolute delight, there were maybe half a dozen, in different stages of development. Surprisingly, we didn't come across a single one in Rod's forest this year.
As always, thank you so much, Rod, for so generously allowing us to explore your property. This has been my favourite place to visit for quite a number of years now. We greatly appreciate your kindness - you are always so welcoming, and we learn so much and discover so many beautiful things. Thank you, Karel, for leading the group and helping with identifications. I'm sure at least some of us are anxiously waiting for you to have time, in between leading botany walks, to post some of your photos along with their IDs. Meanwhile, "fungus" has to be sufficient. As usual, any IDs given are always tentative, not 100% confirmed. Rule is, if you are not an expert in mycology, do not pick wild mushrooms to eat!
There was just something I liked about seeing this row of five small granaries/sheds. Though not as photogenic as the red "Famous Five" granaries SW of Calgary, I ended up taking several shots of these rather plain ones. After just regular editing, I thought I'd try adding an editing filter and see what happened. This added so much more detail and character, so I decided I would post it. Looking at the sky, you can tell what kind of weather it was that morning - not what we wanted at all, ha.
Three days ago, on 29 September 2014, I finally drove out across the prairies to an area that lies NE of Calgary, that I had longed to go to for so many years. It must have been 30+ years ago that I first saw one particular area of the Badlands of Alberta. A few times, I had been fairly close when I went on several botany trips out that way, but when you are carpooling, you can't just go wherever you want. So, my youngest daughter and I decided that we both wanted to make this trip, All summer, we have been waiting for a day on which she didn't have to work and where the weather forecast was for no rain on the day or there had been no rain the previous day. The Bentonite Clay in the area becomes treacherously slippery when wet. The forecast for yesterday was for a mainly sunny day - at last, we were going!
I think this was the longest day of driving I had ever done, especially to, and in, an area that I'd never driven to before. For anyone who doesn't know me, I have battled a driving phobia for decades, plus I have no sense of direction, lol! Thankfully, my daughter has an amazing sense of direction, so I knew we wouldn't be stuck out on the prairies in the middle of nowhere. A typical question at too many intersections went as follows: me - "Do we go left?"; my daughter - "No, we go right", lol!
I met my daughter at 8:00 am. and I got home shortly before 9:00 pm. Much of that time was spent driving; the rest was spent wandering round three main areas - The Hoodoo Trail, Dorothy and Rowley, in different directions from the town of Drumheller (known for its remarkable dinosaur findings). The forecast was far from accurate on our drive out to the Badlands and I began to wonder if we'd made a mistake going on this trip on that particular day. However, knowing that snow would be returning very soon ("returning" because we had two snowstorms on 9 and 10 September!), I was beginning to feel rather desperate and really didn't want to risk not getting out there this year. The afternoon was less cloudy and we did have some sun.
Our main destinations were the Hoodoo Trail, the almost-ghost-town of Dorothy (calling in at Wayne as well), and the historic hamlet of Rowley that lies north of Drumheller. I had longed, for a long time, to see the two small, old churches that are to be found in Dorothy, as well as the old grain elevator. Both churches have been restored, which is good in some ways but they have lost some of their weathered character.
From Dorothy, we drove over 11 bridges to call in at Wayne, and then we then drove to Rowley to see the old grain elevators and to wander round this very small, historical place. There are actually three elevators there. Dorothy felt and looked almost deserted, whereas Rowley was beautifully kept.
From Rowley, we made our way back across the prairies to Calgary. I had planned on getting back before it got dark as I no longer like night driving and very rarely do it, but we didn't quite make it. On the return drive, the last sighting was a Great Horned Owl that was perched part way up a power pole. Well done, Rachel, spotting this welcome bird! Not easy to see in the dark. By the time I got home, I was so tired and my arms were so painful from driving, but, what a great day we had!!
Sunday, 10 October 2021: our temperature is 6C (feels like 1C) just before 2:00 pm. Sunrise is at 7:51 am, and sunset is at 6:54 pm. Overcast and windy today. A good day to stay home. OMG, 3:00 pm and it has just started SNOWING !!! 😒😒 This is the first snow of the season. Last year, 2020, it fell on 28 September. Fortunately, nothing settled today.
My intention the day before yesterday, 8 October 2021, was to drive west of the city and then south, to an area that I am slightly familiar with, though usually when carpooling with others over the years and not driving myself. I thought I knew where to drive, but once I was out there, all the roads had different names to what Google maps gives. This is always so confusing! As well as finding myself looking at the 'Heartland' barn, I also found myself on a road that led to the Sheep River trail and falls. On the spur of the moment, I decided that I might as well drive as far as the falls. The scenery is pleasant and the road is much better to drive in the fall than when the road is covered in ice and snow. Having experience the latter, I vowed that I would never repeat it. Total distance from home and back was 231 km.
This road is known for the Bighorn Sheep that live in the area. I was fortunate enough to come across a small herd of them, either scattered over a hillside or gathering under the shade of a small cluster of trees. I know people get stopped by Parks staff and told to move on, so I was not comfortable stopping for more than a minute or two, to grab quick, poor quality shots, just for the record.
There were quite a few people enjoying a walk or a picnic when I reached the falls. I have only ever driven here either once or maybe twice before. Much as I like to see the falls, the rough, uphill, rocky terrain is not my favourite. Trip, and you have a long, hard fall.
Yet again, I was lucky with the weather. I had noticed snow mentioned in our forecast for one of the coming days, Thankfully, the forecast seems to have changed that, so far, but we all know it is coming, and any time soon.
Friday, 8 January 2021: our temperature is -15C (windchill -18C) at 9:30 am. Sunrise is at 8:37 am, and sunset is at 4:48 pm. Sunny. It's much colder today, after some milder days, but it is forecast to warm up to 0C later today. Back to mild temperatures again tomorrow and the next few days.
Just over three years ago, on 12 November 2017, I went with a group of seven birding friends on a very enjoyable day trip S and SE of Calgary. This old barn on one of the roads was an unexpected treat (for me) and, as I only managed to take a few rapid shots of it through the windscreen from the back seat, I was determined to one day make myself do this drive and take a better look at this fine old barn (from the road, as usual).
On 21 September 2020, it was THE day! It started around 9:00 am with a drive south to the Saskatoon Farm for breakfast. It was very quiet at that early hour and on a weekday, though I knew it would get busier as the day wore on. There are always all sorts of things to photograph there, including colourful flowers, a chicken or two, and various odds and ends. There is sadness at the Farm at the moment, as someone stole one of their much-loved cats, named Alfie. He is a pure grey cat and he has a sister at the Farm who looks just like him. She now wanders around the farm grounds, looking for him, in vain. Despite pleas to return Alfie, there was no response.
From the Farm, the next destination was to go and find this old barn again. When I was there in 2017, I'm not sure if I saw the old rocking horses on each fence post. We were carpooling and I suspect they were out of my view. The barn is certainly weathered, but it is still standing straight and tall.
Driving further S and SE, more barns were to be seen. Part of the drive was in an area that I had explored recently. A few old grain elevators were thrown in for good measure.
As for birds, where were they? Not a single Hawk of any kind and really no small birds, either. A handful of Grey Partridge taking off were pretty much the only birds that were seen. However, this was not planned as a birding day, but as an old barn day, and it turned out to be satisfyingly rewarding!
One very lucky sighting, to say the least! This beautiful Black-crowned Night-heron just happened to be sitting on a wooden post fairly near the road when my daughter and I reached this wetland. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it, as the closest one I had ever seen was a juvenile that was in Fish Creek Park last year, October 2015.
On 18 July 2016, I had a wonderful day out NE of the city with my daughter. The last time I actually drove eastwards was about six months ago, when I was shooting Short-eared Owls near the end of January. The last time (also the first time) I had ever driven out as far as Drumheller was on 29 September 2014. A few times, I had been fairly close when I went on several botany trips out that way, but when you are carpooling, you can't just go wherever you want. So, my daughter and I had a great time exploring the roads between Calgary and Drumheller. There were a handful of things or places we wanted to check out, but many things were total surprises. We knew we wanted to see fields, yellow fields full of canola as far as the eye could see. No disappointment there as we took in the gorgeous colour and the perhaps not so pleasant smell of this crop. When we were driving through regular, green landscapes, it all seemed so 'ordinary' after being treated to vibrant gold.
As well as canola fields, we also knew of a particular grain elevator and nearby old barn that we were keen to see. There was also an old, two-storey house in a hilly setting that we knew would have to be photographed from a great distance, but we were curious about it. There was also a small wetland that I wanted to drive by, just in case there was something to see. How glad we were that we went, as this Black-crowned Night-heron was posing nicely on a post out in the open. This was the first time I had ever seen one close, so it made my day. At least, an adult - in October 2015, I had seen a gorgeous juvenile in Fish Creek Park.
Continuing on our way, we stopped to take a couple of quick shots of an Eastern Kingbird and then my daughter spotted a dark patch just above ground level, hidden in the bushes. It turned out to be an Eastern Kingbird's nest, with what looked like three large babies in it. No idea how she caught sight of this, but it was a treat to see.
Soon after this, we stopped to photograph a beautiful red barn and then stopped again to photograph a Western Kingbird. This is not a bird I normally see, so i was very happy to catch sight of this one.
A short drive further, we spotted a shorebird standing on a fence post - and then a second one a few posts away. At first, we thought maybe they were Wilson's Snipe, but then realized that they were something different - two beautiful Upland Sandpipers. I had seen one a number of years ago, but it was too far away for a photo. These are uncommon in Alberta.
It was a pretty good day for hawks, too - so much so, that I got a gentle reminder from my daughter that I didn't need to photograph EVERY hawk we saw, lol. We had other places and other things that we wanted to get to.
As well as birds and beautiful scenery, we saw several old barns, including a special small shed/granary. Each year, the farmer 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 two or three years ago. Her Grandmother was apparently born in this house/shed. It was later converted to a granary and now, of course, has become the canvas for local students.
One of our main goals was to visit the old grain elevator at Sharples. I had wanted to visit there for quite a while and finally, we made it. Unfortunately, the elevator and nearby barn were in shadow, but it was great to see both old structures. We also passed another old elevator when we were driving along the road north of the river, on the way to Drumheller. This, needless to say, meant another stop for photos.
A great day of fun, seeing and photographing such a variety of things. Beautiful weather and, best of all, a day spent with my daughter. Thanks so much, Rachel - glad you felt up to a day out, but sorry you got so many mosquito bites!
Yesterday, 29 September 2014, I finally drove out to an area that lies NE of Calgary, that I had longed to go to for so many years. It must have been 30+ years ago that I first saw one particular area of the Badlands of Alberta. A few times, I had been fairly close when I went on several botany trips out that way, but when you are carpooling, you can't just go wherever you want. So, my youngest daughter and I decided that we both wanted to make this trip, All summer, we have been waiting for a day on which she didn't have to work and a day where the weather forecast was for no rain on the day or there had been no rain the previous day. The Bentonite Clay in the area becomes treacherously slippery when wet. The forecast for yesterday was for a mainly sunny day - at last, we were going!
The drive yesterday was the longest drive I had ever done, by a long way. For anyone who doesn't know me, I have battled a driving phobia for decades, plus I have barely any sense of direction, lol! Thankfully, my daughter has an amazing sense of direction, so I knew we wouldn't be stuck out on the prairies in the middle of nowhere. A typical question at too many intersections went as follows: me - "Do we go left?"; my daughter - "No, we go right", lol!
I met my daughter at 8:00 am. and I got home shortly before 9:00 pm. Much of that time was spent driving; the rest was spent wandering round two main areas - Dorothy and Rowley, each in different directions from Drumheller (known for its remarkable dinosaur findings). The forecast was far from accurate on our drive out to the Badlands and I began to wonder if we'd made a mistake on going on this trip yesterday. However, knowing that snow would be returning very soon ("returning" because we had two snowstorms on 9 and 10 September), I was beginning to feel rather desperate and really didn't want to risk not getting out there this year. The afternoon was less cloudy and we did have some sun.
Our two main destinations were the Hoodoo Trail and the almost-ghost-town of Dorothy, calling in at Wayne as well. After that, we went to Rowley to see the three old grain elevators and to wander round this very small, historical place. Dorothy felt and looked almost deserted, whereas Rowley was beautifully kept. Dorothy has two small, old churches that we were longing to see, and they didn't disappoint. My daughter discovered that using a certain setting on her camera, she could see and capture the clouds in one of the church windows, so of course, I had to try it as well : )
From Rowley, we made our way back across the prairies to Calgary. I had planned on getting back before it got dark as I avoid night driving like the plague, but we didn't quite make it. On the return drive, the last sighting was a Great Horned Owl that was perched part way up a power pole. Well done, Rachel, spotting this welcome bird! Not easy to see in the dark. By the time I got home, I was so tired and my arms were so painful from driving, but, what a great day we had, with lots of chances for photos!!
Today, it is heavily overcast and dreary, and it's raining. Quite the contrast to yesterday.
A hurricane is passign through down South..... we get the effects at South facing beaches in Southern CA... prediction was up to 20ft waves not seen since El Nino in 1995. I had to go!! But traffic was grid locked!... they closed down the streets.... but I was determined!!... I met up with Dara Lork at my work and we carpooled to Balboa Island where we parked in a neighborhood and walked to the Ferry.... the Ferry took us over to the Balboa Peninsula, where we walked another mile and a half down the beach to The Wedge! It was worth it...... :D Shortly after sunset, when the light was fading, I got "the shot"!!.....
AIRBORN!!... pounding waves at the Wedge tonight, relentless waves and relentless crowds! LOL
Dara Lork will post the real goods!!.... he had the mega zoom lens on this shot..... lets see it Dara!!?
Have a great rest of your week everyone!!
On the road trip back to reality... I can see Downtown Sacramento in the far distance! I was carpooling with my sister's fam at the time. If only our family camping trip lasted longer... (Monday, August 22, 2022)
This was during me and my families’ annual camping trip. This year, we went to the Wench Creek Campground located up in the Sierra Nevada, particularly around Kyburz, CA. Wench Creek Campground is located in a beautiful ponderosa pine forest on the east shore of the Union Valley Reservoir. The campground has 2 group campsites and several single-family campsites. Plenty of water activities await at this reservoir in the Sierra Nevada foothills. The Union Valley Bike Trail and Bassi Falls Hiking Trail are also worth exploring. Outdoor activities include boating, biking, hiking, fishing, sightseeing and more. Camping is all about disconnecting from real life, spending some time outdoors and strengthening your family relationships. One of the best things about camping is that you have nothing to do, and all day to do it. It forces you to look up from your screen, slow down, and appreciate your surroundings… From stargazing at night while sitting around the campfire, to waking up early to watch the sunrise and prepare breakfast, camping is the perfect outdoor adventure for creating lasting memories! ‘Til next time, safe travels! (Camping trip taken place August 20-22, 2022)
Thought I would add a few photos this morning that were taken yesterday, 25 May 2018. Exactly why did I position the Tree Swallow right in the centre of the shot, with no room to crop to a much better composition? No idea, other than that the little focus rectangle was in the centre of my viewfinder, lol! Annoyed with myself when I do this. Anyway, this male Tree Swallow was looking so beautiful in the sunshine yesterday, when I was out for the day with my daughter, to celebrate yet another birthday for me. I always look forward to a day like this - my favourite way to spend a day! I hope she enjoyed it as much as I did. It was the first time she had been out in a car since her surgery in something like five weeks, so she wasn't too sure how well she would do. Apart from a meeting I went to the evening before, it was the first time I had been out anywhere since getting back from my Pt Pelee trip a week ago, so I wasn't too sure how well I would do, too. Fortunately, the severe pain I have had the last few weeks due to inflamed shoulder rotator cuffs (again) and painful kneecaps being pulled out of place, that flared up just in time for my two-weeks away, is gradually improving, and all went just fine yesterday. Just glad that we saw Mountain Bluebirds, too.
Our day started with breakfast at the Saskatoon Farm followed by wandering the grounds, taking photos, which we both love to do. Then we called in at the garden nursery, "Spruce it up" I think it's called. From there, we drove westwards till we reached a favourite area, finding Mountain Bluebirds and Tree Swallows, but no sign of any kind of owl. Not too surprising, as it was afternoon by then. Not even a Wilson's Snipe perched on a fence post.
Up early this morning, as I made a last-minute decision to at least try a bit of the annual May Species Count walk in the city today. Very overcast and windy - where is the sun? Tomorrow's Count is driving (carpooling) out of the city in one of my favourite areas.
Carpooling with your friend on a trip is always convenient, but sometimes you benefit from their ability to put y'all in the right place at the right time. In this case, it was more or less getting us to the right dirt parking lot just in time to shoot ZVL coming over the Muskingum river. Seeing as how we saw them pop out onto the drawbridge on the east side of the river from the Y-bridge, you can imagine how great it felt to end the day with a banger like this.
Just a few distant shots taken towards the end of my drive the other day. By the time I reached the lake, the light was not good and it had been very hazy all afternoon. I was just happy to actually see a few birds - can't wait for the chance to get out and hopefully get a few better photos.
Friday, 23 April 2021: winter is back - again. The night before last, we had a bit more snow and very strong wind. The latter played havoc on the repairs to the building, tugging at several loose pieces of whatever the material is, that is used to cover the outside walls before the new siding is installed. Also, a long piece of probably guttering was dangling from the roof, being blown like crazy against the building. I was concerned about my windows! Nothing I could do physically, but I did let someone know, who then contacted the repair company.
Two days ago, on 21 April 2021, I really wanted to get out for a few hours, knowing that snow was forecast for the next day and the coming weekend. I finally made myself drive somewhere that I hadn't been to for a few years, nervous though I was. The last time I went, we were carpooling. I drove various new roads in the whole area. Later, I decided to drive SE of the city to see if Frank Lake was as crowded as it was when I called in for a few minutes days ago. Luckily, there were far fewer people and I got a chance to actually see birds and take a few photos.
I was happy to see my first Yellow-headed Blackbird of this year. It moved in such a funny way, taking a couple of steps and then running a couple of steps, repeated over and over again. I wonder if they always do this. Maybe it was just the joy of being back, but it didn't seem to know which direction to dash to next.
I looked for American White Pelicans in the usual place, but none were to be seen. Then one suddenly flew from somewhere and landed almost out of sight across the lake. A short while later, it flew back, almost over my head and disappeared.
As usual, there were more than enough gulls of various species, noisy as ever. A few of them were flying and then either landing or swooping down to catch a Carp. Sometimes, a few people have been catching as many of these fish as possible, to remove them from the lake, as they are not a native species. I guess the gulls aren't fussy.
Needless to say, a few barns made my day complete. I was also thankful that no side effects from my second COVID jab showed up, other than a painful arm for two or three days.
Stu and Alex headed off to their gig at the Ravine Winery in Hammondsport, NY. Sometimes they like carpooling. I would have liked to go, but they will be gone for several hours so I stayed home with Shizandra.
Another five photos from my archives this evening. I am adding the description that I wrote under a different image taken on the same outing.
"I drove to friend, Lynn's, property at Marsland Basin on the afternoon of 7 September 2016. Down an embankment from her house and extensive yard lies a beautiful wetland, which is part of their property.
This was quite a long drive for me. A fellow birder had sent out an email to everyone, saying that he was going east of the city yesterday, to visit Lynn Gratz and her partner at Marsland Basin, and that anyone else was welcome to join him. This was enough incentive to make me do the drive eastward. I have been out there maybe three or four times before, but by carpooling. Yesterday was the very first time I had ever driven there myself. So much traffic and construction on the eastern edge of the city, so I really don't like that drive, until I am way past it all. I certainly hadn't intended doing a long drive like this is my new car, at least not until it has been 'broken in'.
The weather was beautiful all day and there were a fair number of birds, especially shorebirds in the water and on the mudflats. Too far away, really, for much in the way of photos, though I did take some.
Just before I got there, I spotted a beautiful juvenile Red-tailed Hawk perched on a fence post. Didn't see it till I was almost past it, and then I couldn't figure out how to put my window down, lol, so had to turn around. Then I found that the Hawk was too low down because of a ditch, so I couldn't see it from the driver's seat through the passenger window. Silly new cars with the front console!!! In my old car, I could slide across and point out the passenger window, if needed. So, had to drive down the road and turn around again! This time, I found how to put down my window and managed three quick shots before it flew away. These were really the main photos I took that afternoon - and by the time I had driven all the way back to Calgary, I was exhausted.
Many thanks, Lynn, for always allowing us to come and see your beautiful property! What a treat. You certainly have an amazing variety of birds to enjoy."
Yesterday, 30 August 2021, I decided, after seeing rain in the forecast for a few coming days, to do a long drive NE of Calgary, to the Badlands. Knowing that it was getting dark earlier and earlier in the evenings, I knew that I was running out of days on which I would be able to do these long drives. My main destinations to call in at were south of Drumheller.
I had longed to go out there for so many years. It must have been 30+ years ago that I first saw one particular area of the Badlands of Alberta. A few times, I had been fairly close when I went on several botany trips out that way, but when you are carpooling, you can't just go wherever you want. So, on 29 September 2014, my youngest daughter and I decided that we both wanted to make this trip. Since then, I believe I have only driven that way once more, on 5 August 2019, until my trip yesterday. I was out for nine hours and much of that time was actual driving. The further east I went, the more I felt like I was in the middle of nowhere.
Amazingly, the weather was good, with blue sky most of the time. It still seems strange to see blue sky and not overcast and smoky from the British Columbia wildfires. I think the temperature got up to about 28C, so not unbearably hot.
The first thing I photographed was a rather attractive moth, resting next to my front door outside. It may have been the moth that I had photographed earlier, on my bathroom ceiling.
About half way on the drive, I drove several back roads to take another look at an old barn I fell in love with last winter, while searching for a Snowy Owl. I was shocked and saddened to find no sign of the old barn except for a pile of wood that had collapsed or been pulled down. Maybe it was becoming dangerously unsafe in the farmyard?
Feeling somewhat 'down', I continued on my way and eventually stopped to take a handful of photos of this fine church. It seems so out of place on the prairies. The church building, inspired by a typical Danish church, was finished in 1936, though there has been a church on this site since the first settlers arrived in Dalum in 1918.
Two new-to-me grain elevators were enjoyed and quickly photographed. It's not very often that I find one that I have never seen before.
A couple of times, I stopped to take a few photos of wild Sunflowers that were growing at the edge of gravel roads. An attractive moth was at rest on one of the flowers. Insects seem to really like these bright and cheery wildflowers.
It was a pleasant surprise to discover that there were not a lot of people at the Hoodoos. I have been there when there were endless crowds of visitors all over the place, making it difficult to take photos, and to find a parking spot. These natural "works of art" are so beautiful and interesting.
Driving further south, I stopped at one of my favourite places - an old almost-ghost town. Here, there are two lovely old country churches, old barns, old cars and tractors/farm equipment. Also, a very old, extremely weathered grain elevator that lost its roof in a storm a few years ago. Such a shame that it has never been replaced. I love the Badlands setting for this prairie sentinel.
A final place to call in at was The Last Saloon, where I bought some Sweet Potato Fries 'to go'. This is a very popular place, including with motorcyclists.
Having left home in the morning a few minutes after 9:00 am, I finally reached home about 6:00 pm, happy and tired out. A great day, full of lots of things to see. Though they were all familiar, they are always fun to see and photograph again. Hope to get in a few more drives in the next three or four weeks, before the snow arrives and stays on the ground for seven months! Where did the summer go?!
Note, 19 January afternoon: no new photos posted by Contacts within the last 6 hours. Also, views are much lower than usual. Is something stuck?!
Desperately needing some bright colour in my photostream, I had to look in my archives yet again. Still a few months before I see anything other than white here.
I am adding the description that I wrote under a previously posted image taken on the same outing.
"Couldn't resist taking a few photos of friend Lynn's dog which was hanging out with a few birders when I drove to her property at Marsland Basin yesterday afternoon, 7 September 2016. Down an embankment from her house and extensive yard lies a beautiful wetland, which is part of their property.
This was quite a long drive for me. A fellow birder had sent out an email to everyone, saying that he was going east of the city yesterday, to visit Lynn Gratz and her partner at Marsland Basin, and that anyone else was welcome to join him. This was enough incentive to make me do the drive eastward. I have been out there maybe three or four times before, but by carpooling. Yesterday was the very first time I had ever driven there myself. So much traffic and construction on the eastern edge of the city, so I really don't like that drive, until I am way past it all. I certainly hadn't intended doing a long drive like this is my new car, at least not until it has been 'broken in'.
The weather was beautiful all day and there were a fair number of birds, especially shorebirds in the water and on the mudflats. Too far away, really, for much in the way of photos, though I did take some.
Just before I got there, I spotted a beautiful juvenile Red-tailed Hawk perched on a fence post. Didn't see it till I was almost past it, and then I couldn't figure out how to put my window down, lol, so had to turn around. Then I found that the Hawk was too low down because of a ditch, so I couldn't see it from the driver's seat through the passenger window. Silly new cars with the front console!!! In my old car, I could slide across and point out the passenger window, if needed. So, I had to drive down the road and turn around again! This time, I found how to put down my window and managed three quick shots before it flew away. These were really the main photos I took that afternoon - and by the time I had driven all the way back to Calgary, I was exhausted.
Many thanks, Lynn, for always allowing us to come and see your beautiful property! What a treat. You certainly have an amazing variety of birds to enjoy."
Remembering the horrific tragedy of 9/11 2001. This day will never be forgotten.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As usual, any fungi IDs given are always tentative, not 100% confirmed. Rule is, if you are not an expert in mycology, do not pick wild mushrooms to eat! You could end up very sick, or worse. This large mushroom was picked for demonstration purposes.
Another very gloomy day, with fine drizzle today, 11 September 2019. Our temperature is 9C (feels like 6C). It definitely feels like fall. Snow is already being forecast for parts of Alberta. It will soon be time to get all-season tires off and winter tires put on.
Three days ago, on 8 September 2019, we had such a wonderful four and a half hours, searching for different kinds of fungi in the amazing forest on Rod Handfield's land, SW of Calgary. I think this was our tenth visit - the first one I went on, being on 25 June 2009 - each one resulting in various different species. This last visit was so overwhelming! You didn't know which direction to face and which mushroom to photograph first. They were everywhere! Such a contrast to our visit on 6 August 2017, when basically there were no mushrooms (other than maybe three), because everywhere had been so very dry.
A day like this can be so exhausting, not just from the walking and fresh air, but also because of all the excitement. The quality of many of my photos is not the best, as the day was very overcast - the last thing one wants when trying to take photos deep in the forest. After leaving Rod's, it did rain. I had driven myself there instead of carpooling, so that I could drive some of the backroads in the area after we had finished. The forecast was for sun and cloud - and I had foolishly believed it. The rain put an end to my plans and I headed for home. I'm so glad I had checked a special little spot near Rod's first thing in the morning, when I got there a bit too early. A few years ago, there was a beautiful display of Fly Agaric / Amanita muscaria mushrooms growing there, but not since then whenever I have checked. To my absolute delight, there were maybe half a dozen, in different stages of development. Surprisingly, we didn't come across a single one in Rod's forest this year.
As always, thank you so much, Rod, for so generously allowing us to explore your property. This has been my favourite place to visit for quite a number of years now. We greatly appreciate your kindness - you are always so welcoming, and we learn so much and discover so many beautiful things. Thank you, Karel, for leading the group and helping with identifications. I'm sure at least some of us are anxiously waiting for you to have time, in between leading botany walks, to post some of your photos along with their IDs. Meanwhile, "fungus" has to be sufficient.
Wishing all my fellow Canadians a really happy and SAFE Canada Day Remember COVID restrictions and also take great care on the roads if you are going to be driving! How lucky we all are to live in a country that provides us with amazing freedom to do what we want to do and to be who we hope to be. Something to be remembered and thankful for, each and every day! A special wish and thank-you for all those Canadians who are serving our country, especially overseas! Now, if only the winters weren't so cold : ) This Canada Day, I might add if only some days in summer weren't this unbearably hot!
One can't celebrate Canada Day without remembering the many Indigenous people and their long-time suffering. Though we have known about the many residential schools across the country and the mistreatment of their students who were removed from their families, the recent discoveries of unmarked graves of hundreds of children has really brought this issue to light. At long, long last, something is being done about this whole issue and these lost souls can be given the dignity that they so greatly deserve.
Heat Warning: issued at 21:21 Sunday 27 June 2021. Ongoing,
A prolonged, dangerous, and historic heat wave will persist through this week. Afternoon high temperatures will climb to the mid 30's tomorrow, and will peak near 40 degrees Celsius in some regions by midweek. The heat wave will continue into early next week. Little to no reprieve from the heat is expected, as overnight lows will remain between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius." From the Weather Network. Yesterday, 30 June 2021, when I climbed into my car to go for a desperately needed drive so that I could be in air-conditioning for a few hours, my car registered an outside temperature of 42C, then dropped to 38C and eventually to 35/36C for most of the drive.
"Canada Day (French: Fête du Canada) is the national day of Canada, a federal statutory holiday celebrating the anniversary of the July 1, 1867, enactment of the British North America Act, 1867 (today called the Constitution Act, 1867), which united three colonies into a single country called Canada within the British Empire. Originally called Dominion Day (French: Le Jour de la Confédération), the holiday was renamed in 1982, the year the Canada Act was passed. Canada Day observances take place throughout Canada as well as among Canadians internationally." From Wikipedia.
This photo was taken on 7 June 2021m which was a beautiful day, but so windy! It made driving and taking photos very unpleasant. Having seen that we were in for a few wet days, I decided to do a half day drive east of the city. No new roads, no new barns, just a handful of birds to make the trip worthwhile.
On the spur of the moment, towards the end of the afternoon, I drove down to McKinnon Flats for a quick look at the 'new' road down the steep hill to the Bow River below. A bit disappointing, as I had been expecting a paved road, not gravel. I was almost the only person at this location and I changed my mind about going to see what birds I could find. Far too windy, and the place tends to give me the creeps anyway! This was only the second time I had been to this location, apart from a carpooling visit many years ago.
HAPPY EARTH DAY!
Thursday, 22 April 2021: our temperature is -2C (windchill -8C) at 3:30 pm. Sunrise is at 6:27 am, and sunset is at 8:43 pm. Winter is back -again. Overnight, we had a bit more snow and very strong wind. The latter played havoc on the repairs to the building, tugging at several loose pieces of whatever the material is, that is used to cover the outside walls before the new siding is installed. Also, a long piece of probably guttering was dangling from the roof, being blown like crazy against the building. I was concerned about my windows! Nothing I could do, but I did let someone know, who then contacted the repair company. Hopefully, some of the banging I heard today was because these things were being fixed.
Yesterday, 21 April 2021, I really wanted to get out for a few hours, knowing that snow was forecast for today and the coming weekend. I finally made myself drive somewhere that I hadn't been to for a few years, nervous though I was. The last time I went, we were carpooling. I drove various new roads in the whole area. Later, I decided to drive SE of the city to see if Frank Lake was as crowded as it was when I called in for a few minutes days ago. Luckily, there were far fewer people and I got a chance to actually see birds and take a few photos.
I was happy to see my first Yellow-headed Blackbird of this year. It moved in such a funny way, taking a couple of steps and then running a couple of steps, repeated over and over again. I wonder if they always do this. Maybe it was just the joy of being back, but it didn't seem to know which direction to dash to next.
I looked for American White Pelicans in the usual place, but none were to be seen. Then one suddenly flew from somewhere and landed almost out of sight across the lake. A short while later, it flew back, almost over my head and disappeared.
As usual, there were more than enough gulls of various species, noisy as ever. A few of them were flying and then either landing or swooping down to catch a Carp. Sometimes, a few people have been catching as many of these fish as possible, to remove them from the lake, as they are not a native species. I guess the gulls aren't fussy.
Needless to say, a few barns made my day complete. I was also thankful that no side effects from my second COVID jab showed up, other than a painful arm for two or three days.
As you can see by the colour of the sky, this was not the kind of sky I had hoped for on 29 September 2014. The light really was not good, but I had to take photos anyway. This particular area is the official protected area of hoodoos in the Drumheller area, with steps around the various unique formations. Hoodoos can be seen almost anywhere in the Badlands, but the ones at this location are especially impressive. I posted a photo of a few of the most spectacular ones recently - they are just the other side of the largest hill.
That day, I finally drove out to an area that lies NE of Calgary, that I had longed to go to for so many years. It must have been 30+ years ago that I first saw this particular area of the Badlands of Alberta. A few times, I had been fairly close when I went on several botany trips out that way, but when you are carpooling, you can't just go wherever you want. So, my youngest daughter and I decided that we both wanted to make this trip. All summer, we had been waiting for a day on which she didn't have to work and a day where the weather forecast was for no rain on the day or there had been no rain the previous day. The Bentonite Clay in the area becomes treacherously slippery when wet. The forecast for this day was for a mainly sunny day - at last, we were going!
This drive was the most driving I had ever done in one day. For anyone who doesn't know me, I have battled a driving phobia for decades, plus I have barely any sense of direction, lol! Thankfully, my daughter has an amazing sense of direction, so I knew we wouldn't be stuck out on the prairies in the middle of nowhere. A typical question at too many intersections went as follows: me - "Do we go left?"; my daughter - "No, we go right", lol!
I met my daughter at 8:00 am. and I got home shortly before 9:00 pm. Much of that time was spent driving; the rest was spent wandering round three main areas - The Hoodoo Trail, Dorothy and Rowley, in different directions from Drumheller (which is known for its remarkable dinosaur findings). The forecast was far from accurate on our drive out to the Badlands and I began to wonder if we'd made a mistake on going on this trip yesterday. However, knowing that snow would be returning very soon ("returning" because we had two snowstorms on 9 and 10 September), I was beginning to feel rather desperate and really didn't want to risk not getting out there this year. The afternoon was less cloudy and we did have some sun.
"Hoodoos take millions of years to form and stand 5 to 7 metres tall. Each hoodoo is a sandstone pillar resting on a thick base of shale that is capped by a large stone. Hoodoos are very fragile and can erode completely if their capstone is dislodged (in other words, no climbing allowed). This protected Hoodoos site is a guaranteed spot to see Hoodoos but smaller versions of these sandstone giants can be found all over the Badlands.
The name "Hoodoo" comes from the word "voodoo" and was given to these geological formations by the Europeans. In the Blackfoot and Cree traditions, however, the Hoodoos are believed to be petrified giants who come alive at night to hurl rocks at intruders." From traveldrumheller.com
www.traveldrumheller.com/index.php/directory/7-Drumheller...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoodoo_(geology)
After exploring the areas SE of Drumheller, including at this site, Dorothy and Wayne, we went to Rowley to see the old grain elevators and to wander round this very small, historical place. There are actually three elevators, with two being right next to each other and the other being a bit further away. Dorothy felt and looked almost deserted, whereas Rowley was beautifully kept.
From Rowley, we made our way back across the prairies to Calgary. I had planned on getting back before it got dark as I really don't like night driving and very rarely do it, but we didn't quite make it. On the return drive, the last sighting was a Great Horned Owl that was perched part way up a power pole. Well done, Rachel, spotting this welcome bird! Not easy to see in the dark. By the time I got home, I was so tired and my arms were so painful from driving, but, what a great day we had!!
Tuesday, 22 September 2020: our temperature at 7:00 am is 5C (windchill 4C)). It is forecast to get up to 15C this afternoon. Sunrise is at 7:23 am and sunset is at 7:32 pm.
Almost three years ago, on 12 November 2017, I went with a group of seven birding friends on a very enjoyable day trip S and SE of Calgary. This old barn on one of the roads was an unexpected treat (for me) and, as I only managed to take a few rapid shots of it through the windscreen from the back seat, I was determined to one day do this drive myself and take a better look at this fine old barn (from the road, as usual).
Yesterday, 21 September 2020, was THE day! It started around 9:00 am with a drive south to the Saskatoon Farm for breakfast. It was very quiet at that early hour and on a weekday, though I knew it would get busier as the day wore on. There are always all sorts of things to photograph there, including colourful flowers, a chicken or two, and various odds and ends. There is sadness at the Farm at the moment, as someone stole one of their much-loved cats, named Alfie, a matter of days ago. He is a pure grey cat and he has a sister at the Farm who looks just like him. She now wanders around the farm grounds, looking for him, in vain. Despite pleas to return Alfie, there has been no response.
From the Farm, the next destination was to go and find this old barn again. When I was there in 2017, I'm not sure if I saw the old rocking horses on each fence post. We were carpooling and I suspect they were out of my view. The barn is certainly weathered, but it is still standing straight and tall.
Driving further S and SE, more barns were to be seen. Part of the drive was in an area that I had explored recently. A few old grain elevators were thrown in for good measure.
As for birds, where were they? Not a single Hawk of any kind and really no small birds, either. A handful of Grey Partridge taking off were pretty much the only birds we saw. However, this was not planned as a birding day, but as an old barn day, and it turned out to be satisfyingly rewarding!
Almost three years ago, on 12 November 2017, I went with a group of seven birding friends on a very enjoyable day trip S and SE of Calgary. This old barn on one of the roads was an unexpected treat (for me) and, as I only managed to take a few rapid shots of it through the windscreen from the back seat, I was determined to one day do this drive myself and take a better look at this fine old barn (from the road, as usual).
On 21 September 2020, it was THE day! It started around 9:00 am with a drive south to the Saskatoon Farm for breakfast. It was very quiet at that early hour and on a weekday, though I knew it would get busier as the day wore on. There are always all sorts of things to photograph there, including colourful flowers, a chicken or two, and various odds and ends. There is sadness at the Farm at the moment, as someone stole one of their much-loved cats, named Alfie. He is a pure grey cat and he has a sister at the Farm who looks just like him. She now wanders around the farm grounds, looking for him, in vain. Despite pleas to return Alfie, there has been no response.
From the Farm, the next destination was to go and find the old barn again (not the one in this photo). When I was there in 2017, I'm not sure if I saw the old rocking horses on each fence post. We were carpooling and I suspect they were out of my view. The barn is certainly weathered, but it is still standing straight and tall.
Driving further S and SE, more barns were to be seen. Part of the drive was in an area that I had explored recently. A few old grain elevators were thrown in for good measure.
As for birds, where were they? Not a single Hawk of any kind and really no small birds, either. A handful of Grey Partridge taking off were pretty much the only birds that were seen. However, this was not planned as a birding day, but as an old barn day, and it turned out to be satisfyingly rewarding!