The Saskatoon Farm

Yesterday afternoon, 23 October 2014, I finally did a drive south of the city and found an old barn that I really wanted to see, plus a few others. The photos of this barn that I had found on the Internet were obviously taken by trespassing, or possibly before a No Trespassing sign had been placed there, as I could only get a view of the back of the barn from the road, lol! On this drive, or rather when looking at Google Earth the previous evening, I discovered that as well as having no sense of direction, I also have no sense of distance! Then I went in search of two grain elevators joined together by a long, low building. The most northerly one is one of the oldest in Alberta (built in 1905 I think, certainly before 1909). I had pulled over and parked, taken a few shots right into the sun unfortunately and was just checking them back in the car. I was conscious of a man in a bright orange sweater approaching close to my car. When he stopped by my car, I opened the door – he seemed a bit puzzled as to what I was doing there, so I explained that I was photographing the elevators. Ha, it was the private owner of the elevators! I read on the Internet just now that he has a furniture manufacturing company in the long, low building that joins the two elevators together. I asked him if there was a better place to photograph them, and he said to take the previous little road. Much better! Some nice old train cars parked near them, too. Maybe I was parked on private ground when the owner was talking with me. After the elevators, I explored a few other roads further south and ended up not far from the Saskatoon Farm. Called in and had quiche again : ) Couldn’t resist a quick shot or two of one of these spiky seedpods. Not sure what plant it belongs to, perhaps a Datura species, but I think it’s quite attractive. Couldn’t get a good composition from the tangle of dead stems and pods, but at least it’s a colourful image. When the seedpod dries out, it eventually breaks open, releasing the seeds to fall on the ground. Must make the most of colour at the moment, as I noticed a snowflake icon on the weather forecast for Monday : ( Yesterday had started well, too. I found an e-mail from friend, Sandy, saying that they had just seen a Barred Owl in one of the local parks. Thanks to Sandy, I got over there just before noon and bumped into a few of my friends who had just finished a walk. Two of them said they would come with me and look for it again – and we found it!! This was the first 100% wild Barred Owl I’d ever seen. I had seen a family of them near Edmonton, when we went to see ones that had been banded. They were wild birds, but I still hoped to one day see a completely wild one (no nesting box). Yesterday’s owl was beautiful – crummy light, with a mix of harsh sunlight and dark shadows, but I did find one to post today.

In the afternoon on 23 October 2014, I finally did a drive south of the city and found an old barn that I really wanted to see, plus a few others. The photos of this barn that I had found on the Internet must have been taken by trespassing, or possibly before a No Trespassing sign was placed there, as I could only get a view of the back of the barn from the road, lol! On this drive, or rather when looking at Google Earth the previous evening, I discovered that as well as having no sense of direction, I also have no sense of distance, lol! Then I went in search of two grain elevators joined together by a long, low building. The most northerly one is one of the oldest in Alberta (built in 1905 I think, but certainly before 1909). I had pulled over and parked, taken a few shots right into the sun unfortunately and was just checking them back in the car. I was conscious of a man in a bright orange sweater approaching close to my car. When he stopped by my car, I opened the door – he seemed a bit puzzled as to what I was doing there, so I explained that I was photographing the elevators. Ha, it was the private owner of the elevators! I read on the Internet that he has a furniture manufacturing company in the long, low building that joins the two elevators together. I asked him if there was a better place to photograph them, and he said to take the previous little road. Much better! Some nice old train cars parked near them, too. Maybe I was parked on private ground when the owner was talking with me. After the elevators, I explored a few other new-to-me roads further south and ended up not far from the Saskatoon Farm. Called in and had quiche again : ) This where I took this photo of a little female House Sparrow. This day had started well, too. I found an e-mail from friend, Sandy, saying that they had just seen a Barred Owl in one of the local parks. Thanks to Sandy, I got over there just before noon and bumped into a few of my friends who had just finished a walk. Two of them said they would come with me and look for it again – and we found it!! This was the first 100% wild Barred Owl I’d ever seen. I had seen a family of them near Edmonton, when we went to see ones that had been banded. They were wild birds, but I still hoped to one day see a completely wild one (no nesting box). Thursday's owl was beautiful – crummy light, with a mix of harsh sunlight and dark shadows, but a few shots came out well enough. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/House_Sparrow/id

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, to all those who celebrate! Remember that kids will be out this evening, so please drive carefully! I just haven't had a chance to take a Halloween photo to post for today. Thought these orange Sea Buckthorn berries were the closest thing to a pumpkin, lol. Taken at The Saskatoon Farm on 23 October 2014. "Once used extensively in shelterbelts, this plant is making a comeback due to its highly nutritious (and medicinal) bright orange berries. Silver foliage is also very attractive. Male and female plants are required for fruit production. Shrub-like in growth habit, Sea Buckthorn will require at least 3 square meters for its mature size. Sea buckthorn is a very hardy, drought tolerant plant that also “fixes” its own nitrogen in the soil through a complex interaction between its roots soil micro-organisms." www.theurbanfarmer.ca/plant_profiles.html "The fruits are rich in carbohydrates, protein, organic acids, amino acids and vitamins. The concentration of vitamin C in sea buckthorn fruit, ranged from 100–300 mg/100 g fruit, is higher than strawberry, kiwi, orange, tomato, carrot, and hawthorn. Sea buckthorn is also high in protein, especially globulins and albumins, and fatty acids such as linoleic and linolenic acids. Vitamin E content in sea buckthorn (202.9 mg/100 g fruit) is higher than wheat embryo, safflower, maize, and soybean." www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1999/v4-335.html

A week ago, I finally did a drive south of the city and found an old barn that I really wanted to see, plus a few others. Also, two grain elevators joined together by a long, low building. The most northerly one is one of the oldest in Alberta (built in 1905 I think, certainly before 1910). After the elevators, I explored a few other roads further south and ended up not far from the Saskatoon Farm. Called in and had their delicious Quiche again : ) I always go and look at the chickens that they have in a large enclosure there - so many different kinds of chicken. Wish I knew something about the different breeds. This blonde one is rather fine. This day had started well, too. I found an e-mail from friend, Sandy, saying that they had just seen a Barred Owl in one of the local parks. Thanks to Sandy, I got over there just before noon and bumped into a few of my friends who had just finished a walk. Two of them said they would come with me and look for it again – and we found it!! This was the first 100% wild Barred Owl I’d ever seen. I had seen a family of them near Edmonton, when we went to see ones that had been banded. They were wild birds, but I still hoped to one day see a completely wild one (no nesting box). The owl was beautiful, but the light was really poor, with a mix of harsh sunlight and dark shadows. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Our weather forecast for today, 1 November 2014, says it's 3°C (windchill 0°C) right now, with expected mixed precipitation. Looks like the snow could start any moment. Forecast for tomorrow, Sunday, is snow flurries : ( 2:30 pm - nooooo, heavy SNOW!

All three photos posted this morning were taken yesterday, 25 September 2015. This garden ornament was hanging up for sale on a short length of fence at the Saskatoon Farm, SE of Calgary. In the morning, six of us were lucky enough to explore a tiny part of the land belonging to Frances and David Dover. For two of us (myself and our leader), this was our second visit - for the rest, it was a first time there. After our visit to the Dover's. I decided that I would drive eastwards along a road that I'd never driven before, until I reached the main road going south. From there, it was a fairly short drive to the Saskatoon Farm. As usual, I wandered round the grounds with my camera and then, when I was ready to leave, I ordered a pizza to take home with me. The inside of the restaurant/gift store building has been changed and now one can order home-made pizza. Quite a nice touch, I thought.

Argh! I overslept by almost an hour - will have to finish all my descriptions, etc., later today. This photo was taken two days ago, on 25 September 2015, at the Saskatoon Farm. just SE of Calgary. They have a short row of buildings there, housing the restaurant and gift shop. There is just something I like about this particular building. On that day, six of us were lucky enough to explore a tiny part of the land belonging to Frances and David Dover. For two of us (myself and our leader), this was our second visit - for the rest, it was a first time there. After our visit to the Dover's. I decided that I would drive eastwards along a road that I'd never driven before, until I reached the main road going south. From there, it was a fairly short drive to the Saskatoon Farm. As usual, I wandered round the grounds with my camera and then, when I was ready to leave, I ordered a pizza to take home with me. The inside of the restaurant/gift store building has been changed and now one can order home-made pizza. Quite a nice touch, I thought. I don't usually eat pizza, maybe once a year or less, so this made a change. www.saskatoonfarm.com/

This photo was taken ten days ago, on 25 September 2015, at the Saskatoon Farm. just SE of Calgary. They have a short row of buildings there, housing the restaurant and gift shop. There is just something I like about the building on which this beautiful ornamental sun is hanging. In the morning of that day, six of us were lucky enough to explore a tiny part of the land belonging to Frances and David Dover. For two of us (myself and our leader), this was our second visit - for the rest, it was a first time there. After our visit to the Dover's. I decided that I would drive eastwards along a road that I'd never driven before, until I reached the main road going south. From there, it was a fairly short drive to the Saskatoon Farm. As usual, I wandered round the grounds with my camera and then, when I was ready to leave, I ordered a pizza to take home with me. The inside of the restaurant/gift store building has been changed and now one can order home-made pizza. Quite a nice touch, I thought. I don't usually eat pizza, maybe once a year or less, so this made a change. www.saskatoonfarm.com/

Ha, I almost titled this: "Remember my face while you eat your turkey dinner"! This Turkey lives at the Saskatoon Farm, SE of Calgary. I'm never sure whether to call this bird a Wild Turkey or just a Turkey. Took this quick shot on 25 September 2015, knowing that Thanksgiving was coming up. Here in Canada, it is our Thanksgiving long weekend, with today, Monday 12 October 2015, being the official Thanksgiving Day. I wanted to wish all Canadians a Happy Thanksgiving, no matter what part of the world you are living in or serving in. We have so much to be thankful for every day, in this country, even in difficult or sad times! A special thank you to those service people and their families, who make so many sacrifices for the rest of us, too sometimes the ultimate sacrifice. I am very thankful for what you all do for the rest of us. Have a happy, safe time, everyone! Some people choose to celebrate on the Sunday (yesterday) and others on the Monday (today). Have a happy and safe time, whether you are lucky enough to get together with family or spend the time quietly by yourself. I find it hard to put the two together - the naked, frozen bird that you see in the supermarket, and this huge, magnificently-feathered, living creature : ) Hope this doesn't spoil your appetite!

In the morning of 25 September 2015, six of us were lucky enough to explore a tiny part of the land belonging to Frances and David Dover. For two of us (myself and our leader), this was our second visit - for the rest, it was a first time there. After our visit to the Dover's on 25 September 2015, I decided to drive eastwards along a road that I'd never driven before, until I reached the main road going south. From there, it was a fairly short drive to the Saskatoon Farm. As usual, I wandered round the grounds with my camera and then, when I was ready to leave, I ordered a pizza to take home with me. The inside of the gift shop has recently been renovated and they now have a pizza oven and area. "The Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris) is the best known of the guineafowl bird family, Numididae, and the only member of the genus Numida. It breeds in Africa, mainly south of the Sahara, and has been widely introduced into the West Indies and southern France.... While guineafowl are native to Africa, the Helmeted Guineafowl has been domesticated and both feral and wild-type birds have been introduced elsewhere." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmeted_guineafowl “Frequently domesticated and included in exotic bird collections, the helmeted guineafowl is an easily recognizable bird and the most widespread game bird in Africa. In other parts of the world, feral and farm populations of these birds can be frequently seen and escapees are regular.” birding.about.com/od/Grouse-Quail-And-Pheasants/p/Helmete...