Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: ride

The first words in an article from 3 October 2014, in The Western Producer, are as follows: "High in southern Alberta’s Porcupine Hills, where west winds wrestle the golden leaves of water birch and tickle the limber pines, water trickles from hidden springs into troughs at the Timber Ridge Conservation Site. That’s where the bears bathe." Well, we found out yesterday, 3 August 2015, that the bathing bears was so very true, even if the bathing /swimming was not in the usual place, lol! We had seen no sign of large wildlife all day, so the sighting of a Black Bear at the end of the day was a real treat. This 640 acre site is located approximately 20 km southwest of Nanton. Other wildlife that can be seen include "moose, elk, white-tailed and mule deer, grizzly and black bear, cougar, grouse and a variety of small mammals and songbirds." I had never been to the Porcupine Hills, but had read and heard about this area for a number of years. Lying south of Calgary and roughly SW of Nanton, it is an area of beautiful, rolling hills. This is where Glen and Kelly Hall "have a co-tenancy agreement with the Alberta Conservation Association (ACA), the first one ever established between that organization and private landholders. They own 68 percent of the site and the ACA owns the balance." "“We have a ranching operation right smack in the middle of a pretty important watershed. Our cows are our tools in order to look after the grass, which looks after the land, which looks after the watershed.” The drive from Calgary took maybe an hour and a half (?), with rain falling on the way there, and we were greeted with a warm welcome at the lowest level. They suggested we make our way straight up to the highest point and then to take our time coming back down. The first part of that journey was travelling in something new and fun to all of us - in a horse trailer! How DO horses make such a mess over every inch, lol?! After that, we climbed higher and higher, sometimes with the aid of an amazing little vehicle - a Kubota. I was in awe at how this tough little machine was able to travel over the roughest of land - rocks, ruts, uphill, downhill. We had some of the curious cattle follow us in places -several different breeds, and all looking beautiful and so healthy. The rain stopped by the time we first arrived, but the mountains were hidden in haze (from the weather and possibly from forest fires). Far from ideal conditions for taking scenic shots of the surrounding hills and valleys, unfortunately. Wonderful views in every direction. Glen and Kelly, a delightful, enthusiastic couple, plan to conserve the site, but they don’t plan to keep it to themselves. “Ultimately, one day, we want yellow school buses at the gates and we want kids here in numbers and we want them to learn where their water is, where the food is created,” said Kelly. “We want them to learn about the trees and the grass because we have a lot of native species on this land that haven’t been interfered with.” Thank you so much, both of you, for making this day so enjoyable and a great learning experience. We have a great deal of respect for what you are doing and how you are doing it. With all the exciting plans that you have for this amazing area, we know you will do well. Thank you for letting us do a bio-inventory of the living things on the 640 acre Timber Ridge Conservation Site! There is just so much I could write about this special place, but will add several links below for further information in case anyone is interested to learn more. www.producer.com/2014/10/landowners-eager-to-share-piece-... www.albertaefp.com/news/96-ranchers-passion-drives-a-thou... www.albertadiscoverguide.com/site.cfm?grid=F3&number=36 www.westernranchlands.ca/company-overview/advisory-board/... guddling.tumblr.com/post/61370115303/we-were-given-a-tour...

Yesterday, my youngest daughter and I went down to the Stampede Grounds, to soak in the feel of the annual "Greatest Show on Earth". We don't spend long down there, but we always look forward to the the Indian Village, Mini-Donuts and the baby pigs, lol. This photo is a quick shot of the bright sign for one of the new Midway rides, called the Mach 3. To see what you missed, click on the link below : ) youtu.be/eKB5pozbas8 www.calgarystampede.com

Part of a Carousel that is down at the Stampede Grounds for 10 days, part of the Midway (amusement park) for the duration of the 10-day Calgary Stampede. Yahoo! There is just something magical about an old-style Carousel.

Finally scanned another old photo last night - of my parents with one of their bikes. They loved cycling, before they had my Brother and me, and for years afterwards. I have very happy memories of going off for bike rides at the weekends, into the countryside around Birmingham, England. There, my Mother showed me all the wildflowers, that she loved so much, and my Father would be taking photos, which was his passion : ) They also belonged to the Solihull Cycling Club.

Spent a few hours down at the Stampede grounds with my youngest daughter yesterday. Ha, I did about 8,000 steps on the hike on the Small Whalebackand on Sunday and then yesterday I did around 10,000 steps walking the Stampede Grounds. Couldn't believe my pedometer when I got home this afternoon after spending about four hours breathing in the smell from the food vendors, getting neck cramps from watching people get flung on a bungee-type ride or the high swings, watching Mom pig feed her 11 little piglets, seeing the most beautiful horses from Clydesdales to Miniatures. It is quite an experience to "do" the Grounds - thanks, Rachel, for a fun time! Ha, hope your photos turned out better than mine!