Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Cobble Flats

Three days ago, I finally managed to get out along the Elbow Falls Trail that goes westwards into the beginning of the mountains. This was the first time I had managed to get out there this year and, really on the spur of the moment, that's where I decided to go. The weather called for some sun and some cloud, which sounded good. After the two heavy snowfalls on 9 and 10 September, I wasn't sure what to expect before I reached the beginning of the mountains, but every bit of snow had disappeared. The furthest point of my drive was Forgetmenot Pond, one of my favourite places to go. Too many other people had also decided to come out to this beautiful spot, unfortunately. This drive is the only one I will do on my own into the mountains, and it only takes about an hour to get from home to the Pond. On the return drive, I called in at a place not far from the pond, where I have found a few mushrooms in previous years, and managed to find just a few that were in good enough condition to photograph. Other than that, I didn't see a whole lot during the few hours I was out. The scenery is spectacular and there were patches of trees that have turned yellow. Some of the trees looked as though their leaves were past their fall prime, and I came away wondering if I was a bit too early or a bit too late (seems to be the latter) to see the best of the fall colours. Found this small Moth on an outhouse wall : ) The final place I called in at was Maclean Pond, but the light was fading somewhat and so I didn't feel like going far into the forest. I had just got back into my car when I happened to look up just in time to see a family of beautiful Bluejays not far from the parking lot. Managed to get a few shots, but distant and not as sharp as they should have been. A nice way to end the day, though.

A photo from last fall, taken just off Elbow Falls Trail, near Cobble Flats, in Kananaskis. Trying to remind myself that our surroundings aren't always white forever! It snowed here again all day yesterday, so once again, everywhere is covered in white. I found that most of the winter passed by quite quickly, but now it is getting somewhat tedious. Today: problems (red X) with Farm 8, Cache 1. Will Flickr ever again work without problems?? I realize that with such a huge website, there are bound to be all sorts of issues popping up all the time, but .... gets really tedious. Flickr has Hiccups....

A macro of a Yellow Mountain Avens flower (Dryas drummondii) after it has gone to seed. I always love to see the long, tight twist of fine, silvery hairs. Photographed at Cobble Flats, Kananaskis, on 12th July. "Native across Canada and Oregon to Montana. Uncommon. Stems, prostrate and much branched forming a mat (actually a woody shrub). Leaves, alternate; elliptic to oblong, 1.5-3cm long, edge coarsely scalloped, rounded at tip, wedge-shaped at base, leathery, strongly wrinkled surface, hairless or slightly white woolly below. Flowers, solitary on woolly stalks, 5-25cm high in fruit; 8-10 pale yellow petals, strongly ascending; flowerhead and sepals covered with black, gland-tipped hairs; June-August. Fruit, numerous, with much elongated feathery styles, spirally twisted together when immature or in damp weather. Habitat: gravelly slopes, river bars and roadsides". talkaboutwildlife.ca/profile/?s=1144

I took this photo five years ago and am posting it now because I just haven't managed to get back to this particular location again in the last few weeks. Too many full-day botanizing trips and then heavy rainfall in between have kept me from driving out ot the mountains to check on a small area of unusual Paintbrush. Mark, if you see this, these particular flowers were growing near the ones in the other photos already posted on Flickr. Sorry I'm taking so long to help, but I'm really hoping to get back to that site soon!

For the first time ever, I used my little Raynox 250 macro lens outdoors, when I drove out to the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains two days ago. I normally only use it in my kitchen on flowers, waterdrops, etc. However, this time I thought I would finally try it out on wildflowers. I knew that there must be no movement at all when using this lens so, armed with my little table-top tripod, I set out from home. Well, I hit four lots of rain that afternoon, and it was rather windy! Tried out my lens and, needless to say, was disappointed. At least it got me closer - now I just need to see if I can get any sharper on a windless day - LOL, in Alberta??? Calgary is a windy city, and it seems that the wind is almost always blowing within the city and outside it. I always feel rather isolated from the rest of the world when I'm in the mountains, so it was definitely not a pleasant feeling when a pair of Hawks of some kind flew from behind me and right above my head, checking me out no doubt, while I was down on all fours, nose just a few inches from the ground, eye to the viewfinder. The rushing sound as they passed over my head was tremendous - I wondered what on earth the noise was when I heard it coming, despite the fact that I have been dive-bombed by Hawks before now. You wouldn't believe how many different kinds of butterfly flew by while I had my macro lens on. My camera has to be about 6" away from the subject when I take supermacro shots. It's such a hassle to remove the tripod, change the Conversion, etc., so I had no chance for shots. Still, my purpose for this trip was to see if there was a particular plant growing in a certain area again this year. It is a mystery plant so far, one that has puzzled me for about six years, wondering what kind of Castilleja (Paintbrush) this is. Maybe two separate plants of it this year, but I want to go back and have another look when it's not raining and windy. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castilleja

Used (for the very first time outdoors) my little macro lens on this very small Yellow Mountain-avens flower three days ago, when I was at Cobble Flats, off Elbow Falls Trail, Kananaskis (i.e. the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains). This is a very low-growing plant, so it really kills my neck to have to be about 6" away from the subject, using this lens! Anyway, this is what one of those small yellow flowers with the drooping heads looks like a bit closer : )

This is a supermacro taken of, I believe, a Northern Green Bog Orchid (Platanthera hyperborea). I was trying my little macro lens (that I've had for ages) on my point-and-shoot outdoors for the very first time - and, of course, it rained and was quite windy, LOL! It's hard enough to get things sharp when I'm in my kitchen, taking supermacros of flowers or water droplets, so I got about as much success as I was expecting. Hopefully, though, on a sunny, still day, maybe it will work out better. You can hardly see these very tiny flowers on this species of wild Orchid. The flowers grow in a 2-10 cm compact elongated cluster and are green or yellow-green. Flowers are about 8 mm wide. Taken at Cobble Flats, off Elbow Falls Trail (Highway 66).

After driving for almost an hour yesterday, west of the city, I found so few wildflowers in bloom and just a scattering of shrivelled up mushrooms. Everywhere is SO dry - we need rain desperately. This is about the most exciting photo I took yesterday, other than a butterfly and a few scenic shots, LOL. "Just" a regular Harebell, but the sunlight really made the colour pop.