Odds & ends

Just over two years ago, on 4 June 2016, I had the chance to visit somewhere that I had longed to go to for years - the Ellis Bird Farm. This was thanks to the annual Nature Calgary Bus Trip, which goes to a different location each year. Then, yesterday, 7 July 2018, I got the chance to visit this unique place again, thanks to Brenda and Jackie, who organized a trip for a group of about 13 (?) friends/birders/photographers. The drive from Calgary to the Ellis Bird Farm took us about two hours. When we arrived, we were greeted by a long line of bird nest boxes along the fence line. Within the farm area, there were even more nest boxes - everywhere! People send them from all over the province, even from overseas. I believe the Farm has the largest collection of outdoor boxes in the world - 300+! Myrna Pearman, who has been "at the helm of Ellis Bird Farm for the past 30 years", knew we were coming and we were treated to a very special viewing of Purple Martins at various stages, from eggs to adult, To do this, she lowered some of the Purple Martin condominiums and let us peer inside. After a short talk about the Farm, we explored every corner, taking a break for lunch, sitting outside, at the Cafe. A few of us had reserved a table, which is a good idea, as the Farm can get very busy with visitors. The main attraction at the Farm are the beautiful Purple Martins, uncommon in Alberta, though there are so many other things to see, as well. Purple Martins are very social birds, who apparently like people too, and nest in condominium-style nest boxes. They spend "most of the year in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil and come up to Alberta just long enough to raise a family." "​Ellis Bird Farm made science history on Tuesday May 31 2016 (?) when University of Manitoba Grad Student, Alisha Ritchie, and her EBF team (Cheyenne Knight, Claudia Lipski and Myrna Pearman) retrapped a very special yearling Purple Martin. This bird had been retrofitted with a light level geolocator last season, as a nestling, and is the first songbird EVER(!) to be tracked on its first migration. The bird had evaded several attempts to trap it, so it has been named Houdini." Information about their Purple Martin Geolocator Program: www.ellisbirdfarm.ca/purple-martin-geolocators.html ""Ellis Bird Farm is both a non-profit company and a working farm. It was established in 1982 to carry on the legacy of Lacombe-area conservationists, Charlie and Winnie Ellis, when their farm was purchased by Union Carbide Canada Ltd. At the time, Charlie and Winnie operated one of the largest bluebird trails in Canada and had established their farmstead as a haven for wildlife. The Ellis family of Parkenham, Ontario, came west in 1886 to settle on a ranch near Calgary. Their son John, then a teenager, was married in 1894 to Agnes Clark who had come west from Ontario in 1888 to teach school. They lived near Calgary until 1906 when they moved with their family of four children to a quarter section homestead in the Joffre district. In 1907 they built a two-storey frame house and subsequently enlarged the farm by the purchase of an additional five quarters. After John and Agnes passed away in the early 1950s, two of their children, Charlie and Winnie, took over the farm operations. And about this same time, Charlie began a project that was to dominate the rest of his life; he set out his first nesting box for the Mountain Bluebirds." From Ellis Bird Farm website. www.ellisbirdfarm.ca/ Many thanks to Shirley, for driving the four of us to and from the Farm. Thank you for picking me up, Pam, to get me over to the meeting place. Beautiful weather and great company made for a super day. Have to say, too, that it was great to get away from the city, where the Calgary Stampede is in full swing.

Tomorrow morning, I have yet another very early morning (alarm to be set for 4:45 am). In order to avoid a rush, I thought I would post tomorrow's photos this evening. Friends and I had a bit of fun trying to get photos of an active young chicken and its mother (seen in this photo). I ended up having to delete almost all my photos, as either the head or the body was blurry. The previous image shows the youngster - a cute little thing. Just over two years ago, on 4 June 2016, I had the chance to visit somewhere that I had longed to go to for years - the Ellis Bird Farm. This was thanks to the annual Nature Calgary Bus Trip, which goes to a different location each year. Then, yesterday, 7 July 2018, I got the chance to visit this unique place again, thanks to Jackie and Brenda, who organized a trip for a group of about 13 (?) friends/birders/photographers. The drive from Calgary to the Ellis Bird Farm took us about two hours. When we arrived, we were greeted by a long line of bird nest boxes along the fence line. Within the farm area, there were even more nest boxes - everywhere! People send them from all over the province, even from overseas. I believe the Farm has the largest collection of outdoor boxes in the world - 300+! Myrna Pearman, who has been "at the helm of Ellis Bird Farm for the past 30 years", knew we were coming and we were treated to a very special viewing of Purple Martins at various stages, from eggs to adult, To do this, she lowered some of the Purple Martin condominiums and let us peer inside. After a short talk about the Farm, we explored every corner, taking a break for lunch, sitting outside, at the Cafe. A few of us had reserved a table, which is a good idea, as the Farm can get very busy with visitors. The main attraction at the Farm are the beautiful Purple Martins, uncommon in Alberta, though there are so many other things to see, as well. Purple Martins are very social birds, who apparently like people too, and nest in condominium-style nest boxes. They spend "most of the year in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil and come up to Alberta just long enough to raise a family." "​Ellis Bird Farm made science history on Tuesday May 31 2016 (?) when University of Manitoba Grad Student, Alisha Ritchie, and her EBF team (Cheyenne Knight, Claudia Lipski and Myrna Pearman) retrapped a very special yearling Purple Martin. This bird had been retrofitted with a light level geolocator last season, as a nestling, and is the first songbird EVER(!) to be tracked on its first migration. The bird had evaded several attempts to trap it, so it has been named Houdini." Information about their Purple Martin Geolocator Program: www.ellisbirdfarm.ca/purple-martin-geolocators.html ""Ellis Bird Farm is both a non-profit company and a working farm. It was established in 1982 to carry on the legacy of Lacombe-area conservationists, Charlie and Winnie Ellis, when their farm was purchased by Union Carbide Canada Ltd. At the time, Charlie and Winnie operated one of the largest bluebird trails in Canada and had established their farmstead as a haven for wildlife. The Ellis family of Parkenham, Ontario, came west in 1886 to settle on a ranch near Calgary. Their son John, then a teenager, was married in 1894 to Agnes Clark who had come west from Ontario in 1888 to teach school. They lived near Calgary until 1906 when they moved with their family of four children to a quarter section homestead in the Joffre district. In 1907 they built a two-storey frame house and subsequently enlarged the farm by the purchase of an additional five quarters. After John and Agnes passed away in the early 1950s, two of their children, Charlie and Winnie, took over the farm operations. And about this same time, Charlie began a project that was to dominate the rest of his life; he set out his first nesting box for the Mountain Bluebirds." From Ellis Bird Farm website. www.ellisbirdfarm.ca/ Many thanks to Shirley, for driving the four of us to and from the Farm. Thank you for picking me up, Pam, to get me over to the meeting place. Beautiful weather and great company made for a super day. Have to say, too, that it was great to get away from the city, where the Calgary Stampede is in full swing.

Tomorrow morning, I have yet another very early morning (alarm to be set for 4:45 am). In order to avoid a rush, I thought I would post tomorrow's photos this evening. Friends and I had a bit of fun trying to get photos of this active youngster. I ended up having to delete almost all my photos, as either the head or the body was blurry. The next image shows the mother hen. Just over two years ago, on 4 June 2016, I had the chance to visit somewhere that I had longed to go to for years - the Ellis Bird Farm. This was thanks to the annual Nature Calgary Bus Trip, which goes to a different location each year. Then, yesterday, 7 July 2018, I got the chance to visit this unique place again, thanks to Jackie and Brenda, who organized a trip for a group of about 13 (?) friends/birders/photographers. The drive from Calgary to the Ellis Bird Farm took us about two hours. When we arrived, we were greeted by a long line of bird nest boxes along the fence line. Within the farm area, there were even more nest boxes - everywhere! People send them from all over the province, even from overseas. I believe the Farm has the largest collection of outdoor boxes in the world - 300+! Myrna Pearman, who has been "at the helm of Ellis Bird Farm for the past 30 years", knew we were coming and we were treated to a very special viewing of Purple Martins at various stages, from eggs to adult, To do this, she lowered some of the Purple Martin condominiums and let us peer inside. After a short talk about the Farm, we explored every corner, taking a break for lunch, sitting outside, at the Cafe. A few of us had reserved a table, which is a good idea, as the Farm can get very busy with visitors. The main attraction at the Farm are the beautiful Purple Martins, uncommon in Alberta, though there are so many other things to see, as well. Purple Martins are very social birds, who apparently like people too, and nest in condominium-style nest boxes. They spend "most of the year in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil and come up to Alberta just long enough to raise a family." "​Ellis Bird Farm made science history on Tuesday May 31 2016 (?) when University of Manitoba Grad Student, Alisha Ritchie, and her EBF team (Cheyenne Knight, Claudia Lipski and Myrna Pearman) retrapped a very special yearling Purple Martin. This bird had been retrofitted with a light level geolocator last season, as a nestling, and is the first songbird EVER(!) to be tracked on its first migration. The bird had evaded several attempts to trap it, so it has been named Houdini." Information about their Purple Martin Geolocator Program: www.ellisbirdfarm.ca/purple-martin-geolocators.html ""Ellis Bird Farm is both a non-profit company and a working farm. It was established in 1982 to carry on the legacy of Lacombe-area conservationists, Charlie and Winnie Ellis, when their farm was purchased by Union Carbide Canada Ltd. At the time, Charlie and Winnie operated one of the largest bluebird trails in Canada and had established their farmstead as a haven for wildlife. The Ellis family of Parkenham, Ontario, came west in 1886 to settle on a ranch near Calgary. Their son John, then a teenager, was married in 1894 to Agnes Clark who had come west from Ontario in 1888 to teach school. They lived near Calgary until 1906 when they moved with their family of four children to a quarter section homestead in the Joffre district. In 1907 they built a two-storey frame house and subsequently enlarged the farm by the purchase of an additional five quarters. After John and Agnes passed away in the early 1950s, two of their children, Charlie and Winnie, took over the farm operations. And about this same time, Charlie began a project that was to dominate the rest of his life; he set out his first nesting box for the Mountain Bluebirds." From Ellis Bird Farm website. www.ellisbirdfarm.ca/ Many thanks to Shirley, for driving the four of us to and from the Farm. Thank you for picking me up, Pam, to get me over to the meeting place. Beautiful weather and great company made for a super day. Have to say, too, that it was great to get away from the city, where the Calgary Stampede is in full swing.

Just over a year ago, on 4 June 2016, I had the chance to visit somewhere that I had longed to go to for years - the Ellis Bird Farm. This was thanks to the annual Nature Calgary Bus Trip, which goes to a different location each year. Then, yesterday, 7 July 2018, I got the chance to visit this unique place again, thanks to Jackie and Brenda, who organized a trip for a group of about 13 (?) friends/birders/photographers. The drive from Calgary to the Ellis Bird Farm took us about two hours. When we arrived, we were greeted by a long line of bird nest boxes along the fence line. Within the farm area, there were even more nest boxes - everywhere! People send them from all over the province, even from overseas. I believe the Farm has the largest collection of outdoor boxes in the world - 300+! Myrna Pearman, who has been "at the helm of Ellis Bird Farm for the past 30 years", knew we were coming and we were treated to a very special viewing of Purple Martins at various stages, from eggs to adult, To do this, she lowered some of the Purple Martin condominiums and let us peer inside. After a short talk about the Farm, we explored every corner, taking a break for lunch, sitting outside, at the Cafe. A few of us had reserved a table, which is a good idea, as the Farm can get very busy with visitors. The main attraction at the Farm are the beautiful Purple Martins, uncommon in Alberta, though there are so many other things to see, as well. Purple Martins are very social birds, who apparently like people too, and nest in condominium-style nest boxes. They spend "most of the year in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil and come up to Alberta just long enough to raise a family." "​Ellis Bird Farm made science history on Tuesday May 31 2016 (?) when University of Manitoba Grad Student, Alisha Ritchie, and her EBF team (Cheyenne Knight, Claudia Lipski and Myrna Pearman) retrapped a very special yearling Purple Martin. This bird had been retrofitted with a light level geolocator last season, as a nestling, and is the first songbird EVER(!) to be tracked on its first migration. The bird had evaded several attempts to trap it, so it has been named Houdini." Information about their Purple Martin Geolocator Program: www.ellisbirdfarm.ca/purple-martin-geolocators.html ""Ellis Bird Farm is both a non-profit company and a working farm. It was established in 1982 to carry on the legacy of Lacombe-area conservationists, Charlie and Winnie Ellis, when their farm was purchased by Union Carbide Canada Ltd. At the time, Charlie and Winnie operated one of the largest bluebird trails in Canada and had established their farmstead as a haven for wildlife. The Ellis family of Parkenham, Ontario, came west in 1886 to settle on a ranch near Calgary. Their son John, then a teenager, was married in 1894 to Agnes Clark who had come west from Ontario in 1888 to teach school. They lived near Calgary until 1906 when they moved with their family of four children to a quarter section homestead in the Joffre district. In 1907 they built a two-storey frame house and subsequently enlarged the farm by the purchase of an additional five quarters. After John and Agnes passed away in the early 1950s, two of their children, Charlie and Winnie, took over the farm operations. And about this same time, Charlie began a project that was to dominate the rest of his life; he set out his first nesting box for the Mountain Bluebirds." From Ellis Bird Farm website. www.ellisbirdfarm.ca/ Many thanks to Shirley, for driving the four of us to and from the Farm. Thank you for picking me up, Pam, to get me over to the meeting place. Beautiful weather and great company made for a super day. Have to say, too, that it was great to get away from the city, where the Calgary Stampede is in full swing.

Just over a year ago, on 4 June 2016, I had the chance to visit somewhere that I had longed to go to for years - the Ellis Bird Farm. This was thanks to the annual Nature Calgary Bus Trip, which goes to a different location each year. Then, yesterday, 7 July 2018, I got the chance to visit this unique place again, thanks to Jackie and Brenda, who organized a trip for a group of about 13 (?) friends/birders/photographers. The drive from Calgary to the Ellis Bird Farm took us about two hours. When we arrived, we were greeted by a long line of bird nest boxes along the fence line. Within the farm area, there were even more nest boxes - everywhere! People send them from all over the province, even from overseas. I believe the Farm has the largest collection of outdoor boxes in the world - 300+! Myrna Pearman, who has been "at the helm of Ellis Bird Farm for the past 30 years", knew we were coming and we were treated to a very special viewing of Purple Martins at various stages, from eggs to adult, To do this, she lowered some of the Purple Martin condominiums and let us peer inside. After a short talk about the Farm, we explored every corner, taking a break for lunch, sitting outside, at the Cafe. A few of us had reserved a table, which is a good idea, as the Farm can get very busy with visitors. The main attraction at the Farm are the beautiful Purple Martins, uncommon in Alberta, though there are so many other things to see, as well. Purple Martins are very social birds, who apparently like people too, and nest in condominium-style nest boxes. They spend "most of the year in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil and come up to Alberta just long enough to raise a family." "​Ellis Bird Farm made science history on Tuesday May 31 2016 (?) when University of Manitoba Grad Student, Alisha Ritchie, and her EBF team (Cheyenne Knight, Claudia Lipski and Myrna Pearman) retrapped a very special yearling Purple Martin. This bird had been retrofitted with a light level geolocator last season, as a nestling, and is the first songbird EVER(!) to be tracked on its first migration. The bird had evaded several attempts to trap it, so it has been named Houdini." Information about their Purple Martin Geolocator Program: www.ellisbirdfarm.ca/purple-martin-geolocators.html ""Ellis Bird Farm is both a non-profit company and a working farm. It was established in 1982 to carry on the legacy of Lacombe-area conservationists, Charlie and Winnie Ellis, when their farm was purchased by Union Carbide Canada Ltd. At the time, Charlie and Winnie operated one of the largest bluebird trails in Canada and had established their farmstead as a haven for wildlife. The Ellis family of Parkenham, Ontario, came west in 1886 to settle on a ranch near Calgary. Their son John, then a teenager, was married in 1894 to Agnes Clark who had come west from Ontario in 1888 to teach school. They lived near Calgary until 1906 when they moved with their family of four children to a quarter section homestead in the Joffre district. In 1907 they built a two-storey frame house and subsequently enlarged the farm by the purchase of an additional five quarters. After John and Agnes passed away in the early 1950s, two of their children, Charlie and Winnie, took over the farm operations. And about this same time, Charlie began a project that was to dominate the rest of his life; he set out his first nesting box for the Mountain Bluebirds." From Ellis Bird Farm website. www.ellisbirdfarm.ca/ Many thanks to Shirley, for driving the four of us to and from the Farm. Thank you for picking me up, Pam, to get me over to the meeting place. Beautiful weather and great company made for a super day. Have to say, too, that it was great to get away from the city, where the Calgary Stampede is in full swing.

Solitary bees are in crisis and need all the help we can give them. Bee nesting boxes can be an attractive option, and there are various ones scattered around the Ellis Bird Farm. While solitary bees are important for plant pollination, their numbers are declining due to a loss of suitable nesting locations. Nesting boxes provide a safe place to lay their eggs, helping to boost the local population of these beneficial, nonaggressive bees. However, there does seem to be a difference of opinion regarding the effectiveness of such boxes. “There are around 370 different species of native bees in Alberta, so it is very tricky to say exactly which ones are in which area. We don’t see nesting boxes for solitary bees as a substitute for companion planting or planting flowering perennials that bees love, such as dandelions, elderberry and chives. Rather they should be seen as contributing to a healthy garden, plant diversity and pollination in general.” From greengoldgarden. www.greengoldgarden.com/nesting-boxes-for-native-bees-in-... Just over a year ago, on 4 June 2016, I had the chance to visit somewhere that I had longed to go to for years - the Ellis Bird Farm. This was thanks to the annual Nature Calgary Bus Trip, which goes to a different location each year. Then, yesterday, 7 July 2018, I got the chance to visit this unique place again, thanks to Jackie and Brenda, who organized a trip for a group of about 13 (?) friends/birders/photographers. The drive from Calgary to the Ellis Bird Farm took us about two hours. When we arrived, we were greeted by a long line of bird nest boxes along the fence line. Within the farm area, there were even more nest boxes - everywhere! People send them from all over the province, even from overseas. I believe the Farm has the largest collection of outdoor boxes in the world - 300+! Myrna Pearman, who has been "at the helm of Ellis Bird Farm for the past 30 years", knew we were coming and we were treated to a very special viewing of Purple Martins at various stages, from eggs to adult, To do this, she lowered some of the Purple Martin condominiums and let us peer inside. After a short talk about the Farm, we explored every corner, taking a break for lunch, sitting outside, at the Cafe. A few of us had reserved a table, which is a good idea, as the Farm can get very busy with visitors. The main attraction at the Farm are the beautiful Purple Martins, uncommon in Alberta, though there are so many other things to see, as well. Purple Martins are very social birds, who apparently like people too, and nest in condominium-style nest boxes. They spend "most of the year in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil and come up to Alberta just long enough to raise a family." "​Ellis Bird Farm made science history on Tuesday May 31 2016 (?) when University of Manitoba Grad Student, Alisha Ritchie, and her EBF team (Cheyenne Knight, Claudia Lipski and Myrna Pearman) retrapped a very special yearling Purple Martin. This bird had been retrofitted with a light level geolocator last season, as a nestling, and is the first songbird EVER(!) to be tracked on its first migration. The bird had evaded several attempts to trap it, so it has been named Houdini." Information about their Purple Martin Geolocator Program: www.ellisbirdfarm.ca/purple-martin-geolocators.html ""Ellis Bird Farm is both a non-profit company and a working farm. It was established in 1982 to carry on the legacy of Lacombe-area conservationists, Charlie and Winnie Ellis, when their farm was purchased by Union Carbide Canada Ltd. At the time, Charlie and Winnie operated one of the largest bluebird trails in Canada and had established their farmstead as a haven for wildlife. The Ellis family of Parkenham, Ontario, came west in 1886 to settle on a ranch near Calgary. Their son John, then a teenager, was married in 1894 to Agnes Clark who had come west from Ontario in 1888 to teach school. They lived near Calgary until 1906 when they moved with their family of four children to a quarter section homestead in the Joffre district. In 1907 they built a two-storey frame house and subsequently enlarged the farm by the purchase of an additional five quarters. After John and Agnes passed away in the early 1950s, two of their children, Charlie and Winnie, took over the farm operations. And about this same time, Charlie began a project that was to dominate the rest of his life; he set out his first nesting box for the Mountain Bluebirds." From Ellis Bird Farm website. www.ellisbirdfarm.ca/ Many thanks to Shirley, for driving the four of us to and from the Farm. Thank you for picking me up, Pam, to get me over to the meeting place. Beautiful weather and great company made for a super day. Have to say, too, that it was great to get away from the city, where the Calgary Stampede is in full swing.

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

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

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