Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: farms

This is a road that I often drive when I want to do just a short drive from home. Two days ago, I drove home from Kananaskis via this area, as I wanted to quickly check to see if there was a Great Gray Owl anywhere. It was late afternoon and the light was not the best and the distant view was hazy. The only time I had ever driven to Kananaskis (the mountain area closest to Calgary) was fairly recently, on 10 September 2016, when my daughter came with me. I wasn't too impressed with the photos I took on the first drive, especially of the little Pikas (Rock Rabbits) that we went to see, so I wanted to go and spend a bit more time with them. A drive like this is also helping me get a bit more used to my new car - before the roads are covered in snow and ice! Actually, there was a bit of snow on the ground in places close to the trees when I got to where I see these Pikas. I left home at 8:45 am, later than I had intended, and drove southwards via Millarville and the back way to Highway 40. When I Googled the distance via that route, it gave me 134 km, 1 hr 41 mins from home to the Highwood Pass. Needless to say, I kept stopping to take photos, so it took me longer than that. By the time I got back home around 5:00 pm, I had driven 299 km. This day was a Monday, so not too much traffic anywhere, which makes a huge difference. The weather cooperated very nicely. A little chilly to start with and a sky full of beautiful cloud formation early morning. This time, I only drove as far as the Pikas, just north of the Highwood Pass, especially as I wanted to make sure that I wasn't driving home in the dark. The Highwood Pass, at an elevation of 2,206 m (7,238 ft) is the highest paved pass in Canada. In past years, I have hiked the Ptarmigan Cirque, Pocaterra and Arethusa Cirque trails, but can no longer do hikes like these. The scenery is breathtaking in this whole area (indeed, for the whole drive), some mountain slopes covered in forest and other mountain faces displaying bald, breathtaking folds above the treeline. There was only one scary incident on this trip. I had stopped to take a few scenic shots when I was on the backroad to join Highway 40. I didn't close my car door completely and when I went to open it, I discovered it was locked! Pressing the fob to open all the doors did nothing. I just could not get into my vehicle. Thank goodness, I had read on the Internet that there is a key hidden away inside the fob - otherwise I would never have known and might still be standing there, lol! It kind of reminded me of an incident on our recent trip to Plateau Mt, when we stopped at an outhouse en route - and I could not unlock the door to get out. Thank goodness I was not on my own that day, so I was able to pound on the door and friend, Sandy, came over and unlocked the door from the outside!! Brought back memories of when my kids were little and one of them got locked inside an outhouse and, ever since then, I remember it every single time I have to use one. Feels so good to know that I am now comfortable enough to do this drive on my own, after so many years of wishing I had the courage to do it. Thank you, little Pikas, for being so adorably cute, that I was determined to drive back to see you : )

Two days ago, 7 November 2015, I was out all day with my daughter. She had asked if I wanted to go to several Christmas Fairs south of Calgary, including Millarville and Okotoks. Then, in the evening, I was out at the annual 'Banquet' for the nature group I belong to. So, the whole day was most enjoyable. I think half of Calgary as well as everyone from the surrounding areas were there at the same Christmas markets. Everywhere was absolutely packed! Normally, I don't go to any Christmas fairs any more, but it does make a lovely day out with my daughter. Each Christmas, I treat myself to one new thing, and this year was no exception : ) Also bought a Bison and roast vegetable pie from the Canadian Rocky Mountain Ranch exhibit, the first time I had ever tried anything from them. Our drive in between fairs took us through some beautiful scenery. I absolutely love our rolling hills with the Rocky Mountains in the distance - partially zoomed in, so the mountains look closer than they really are. Love them at any time of the year, but I especially love to see them in fall and when covered in snow. Took this shot when we stopped to photograph a row of six wooden granaries plus two round silos. I waited and waited for there to be no cars in sight, but had to give up in the end. How dfferent everywhere will be looking today, though - a winter wonderland! It has been snowing since last night and everywhere is under a blanket of snow. The temperature this morning is 0C (windchill -3C). We have been so lucky to have enjoyed an amazing fall season, so we really shouldn't complain.

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. A few minutes before reaching their property, I just had to pull over and take a couple of shots looking west over our beautiful foothills. The morning sun made the landscape almost glow. This area looks so beautiful in the winter, too. Talking of winter, snow was in the forecast for Saturday/Sunday but I see that has changed to just rain on Saturday, with a high of 5C, and sun for Sunday! Then we should be back to the low to mid teens again. I will copy and paste the description I posted on Flickr from our first visit to the Dover's acreage, on 7 August 2015: "Yesterday, 7 August 2015, four of us were extremely fortunate to have the chance to visit the home and highly varied topographic 62-acre property belonging to Frances and David Dover. We felt honoured and privileged to meet and spend time with Frances and David, and also their daughter Carolyn and her husband Clair. A delightful family who welcomed us so warmly into their home and land. This acreage of grassland, forest, rolling hills - and special gardens - is not far from Millarville, SW of Calgary. In fact, it's in an area that I often drive through when I only have time for, or only feel like doing, a short drive. Amazing what little gems exist out there. This is not just a beautiful property, but is very special for various reasons. For one thing, read any history of Alberta and you will find the Dover family, including David's mother, Mary Dover. Second, among the trees and open "lawns", there are Peony flower beds, containing 100-150 heritage Peonies, each one different, that have now multiplied to more than 300 plants. Unfortunately, they bloomed a couple of weeks early this year, and all the flowers had gone to seed. Another open area had a different kind of ground cover - Thyme, which smelled wonderful. If I remember correctly, this was the open space where the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra performed on one occasion! There are two large ponds on the property and another smaller area of water that they hope to turn into a Japanese Garden. It was while walking around the latter that a large brown 'shape' could be seen through the dense trees - a handsome Moose buck. I will look properly at the four or so photos I just managed to get and will slip one of them into my photostream sometime soon, just for the record, definitely not for the photo quality : ) This was also where a Great Horned Owl was seen flying through the trees by some of us (not me, ha!). There are grassy paths winding through the acreage, up and down hill, that take David seven hours to mow. They are not pristine, velvety paths, but instead, they seem to take nothing away from the wildness of the whole area. One of the animals that have passed through is the Cougar. In fact, several years ago, I saw a video taken on a nearby (or adjacent?) property, where a 'kill' and night-time camera had been set up and a total of six different Cougar individuals were seen! Even the Dover's home is unique and beautiful. It is completely built of concrete - floors, walls, ceilings, roof, deck, and so on. A Hummingbird feeder and regular bird feeders, set up on the patio, attract a variety of birds. We sat on the patio after our walk to eat our packed lunches - and to enjoy a delicious Orange Pound Cake that Frances had made for us, along with refreshing Iced Tea - thank you so much for this, Frances! Yesterday, while I was waiting for one of three tiny Calliope Hummingbirds to come back, I was lucky enough to see a little Mountain Chickadee, along with many Pine Siskins. We could also hear a Red-tailed Hawk in the area. There is just so much I could write about this visit and family. Instead, or for now, I will add several links to more information on the Internet. This was a memorable day for us. Thank you so much, Frances and David, Carolyn and Clair, for being so kind and welcoming us into your home and gardens. books.google.ca/books?id=Tr36Tq_gadcC&pg=PA290&lp... www.westernwheel.com/article/20110727/WHE06/307279983/-1/... David's mother, Mary Dover (her father was A. E. Cross), was "a dynamic and distinguished Calgarian, particularly known for her work with the military during World War II." As well as being an army officer, and an alderman, she was also a preservationist. See the following link. www.albertachampions.org/champions-mary_dover.htm#.VcY1KP... ww2.glenbow.org/search/archivesMainResults.aspx?XC=/searc... glencoe.org/documents/10184/637479/The-History-of-Elbow-P... page 44-45 ." 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.

All three photos posted this morning were taken yesterday, 25 September 2015. This view was one of the colourful fall views seen from the Dover's acreage, looking westwards towards the distant Canadian Rockies 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. Later today, I will add the information about the Dovers that I posted after my first visit there.

Yesterday, 23 January 2015, was an overcast, dreary day. Really one that I would probably normally stay home for. However, I just had to get out "somewhere" and hopefully bump into a friend along the way. First of all, I called in at Fish Creek Park to see if there was anyone who had seen any sign of the popular tiny Northern Pygmy-owl. Each person told the same story - no, the owl had not made an appearance at all. I don't know anyone who saw it the previous day, either. I wonder what today will bring. There is so much ice on the ground, people need to be really careful down there. From the park, I carried on to the backroads SW of the city, hoping that I might come across someone who had just found the Northern Hawk Owl that has been seen very recently. No sign of this owl, either, but I did pass friend, Rob, doing the same thing as me. He had had no luck. I continued on my usual loop in that area, taking a handful of scenic shots of our spectacular rolling hills and distant mountains, and a beautiful horse. This kind of day is not my favourite kind of day. Really hoping that at least the sun will shine today : )

The following is a detailed report by Andrew Hart, who led a group of us on a day trip SE of Calgary on 15 March 2014. I'm adding it mainly as a reminder for myself. My photo shows just the NW edge of Frank Lake, when you start walking in from the gate. A bit closer to the blind, there were more very distant birds in the water or on the ice, including four beautiful Tundra Swans. As you can see, some fields were bare of snow, though others still had a good covering of the white stuff. Now you can see just how far away the Rocky Mountains are - totally different from the few 48x zoomed images I've posted, lol. Andrew's report: "A beautiful spring morning. Temperatures rising from about zero to plus 10 deg C. Sunny all day and gentle breezes at most. Fourteen people showed up to enjoy this. The birds must have thought so too, because migration seems to have got a kick start today. We started at the main entrance to Frank Lake, we walked down to the outfall and then swung back around the blind back to the gate. On this swing we saw: Canada Goose 2000 Tundra Swan 4 American Wigeon 3 Mallard 750 Northern Pintail 2000 Lesser Scaup 3 Common Goldeneye 100 Common Merganser 2 Bald Eagle 3 California Gull 60 Horned Lark 3 European Starling 500 The Canada Geese were mostly on the ground, in a wide arc stretching from the outfall anti clockwise to the left of the blind. The four Tundra Swans touched down on open water near the outfall, swam around for about ten minutes, and then flew away. The Pintails were more intruiging. When we arrived there were only 20-30 mostly on the ice near the outfall. But in the two hours we were in the area continual successive groups ranging in size from 20-30 to 150+ kept flying either in or by. If we counted every sighting I would have reported 5000 plus, but we think we saw some of them more than once (but hard to really be sure). After a lunch break we drove on a long circuit of the area ending up at the Basin 3 carpark. We saw: Canada Goose 300 Mallard 20 Bald Eagle 1 Great Horned Owl 4 Merlin 1 Black-billed Magpie 1 Common Raven 3 Horned Lark 6 European Starling 10,000 All of the Great Horned Owls were on nests. We first saw the Starlings when we noticed a black cloud swirling around in and above the field in the corner of Township 184 and RR281. Closer inspection revealed almost countless numbers of Starlings swarming around. They settled in the field (becoming almost invisible) then rose up and flew around. We suspect that at any time we were watching there were at least as many hidden in the stubble as we could see flying around. One of the transmission towers and several bushes were almost dripping Starlings. Various people in the group estimated 5000 plus, 10,000 plus and "10,000 is a very conservative number". We left, and following a hot tip from Anne Elliott (about the Eurasian Collared Doves) stopped in at Blackie on our way back to Calgary. There we saw: Rock Pigeon 24 European Starling 50 Eurasian Collared-Dove 6 Downy Woodpecker 2 Black-billed Magpie 2 Black-capped Chickadee 8 House Sparrow 12 A short video to show what a murmuration looks like, for anyone who isn't familiar with this phenomenon: youtu.be/XH-groCeKbE

Never would I drive in such a snow-covered landscape! This main road, which leads to WIlliam's Coulee, had been cleared, but on all the backroads it was difficult or impossible to tell where the gravel road ended and the snow-filled ditch began. This is part of the area where a small group of three of us spent the day, on 5 January 2014, covering one quadrant of a huge circle around the town of Nanton. It was their annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count. We were lucky to see two Golden Eagles and two Bald Eagles, plus a number of smaller species. There is always a view of the distant Rocky Mountains from this area - you can just see a tiny ridge in the far distance. The photo above was taken after the alpenglow had disappeared, but they look so amazing early morning with the sunrise pinks on the snow-covered peaks. Lol, on the hour's drive S from Calgary, we hit -34C (-29.2F)! Cold! After driving (being driven, for me, which was pure luxury) the backroads from about 8:00 a.m. till around 4:00 p.m., we returned to the wonderful home of the Truch family. Not only do Bill and Leah Truch and their son, Mike, always welcome everyone with open arms, they also provide a much-appreciated breakfast snack for us and then, at the end of the day, a delicious supper. Have to say that I love travelling these scenic backroads, but I also really enjoy getting together with everyone afterwards to thoroughly enjoy a delicious supper. One of my favourite Bird Counts and perhaps the most favourite. Thanks so much for doing all the driving, Tony, and thanks, Leah, Bill and Mike for all the effort and time you put into your warm welcome! Can't wait for next Christmas!

Spent a most enjoyable few hours at the Saskatoon Farm on 28 September 2013, with my youngest daughter and two members of the photography group that she leads. It's a fascinating place to visit, with all sorts of things to photograph, a gift shop, a food shop, and a restaurant that offers delicious food! I love their quiche. So nice to just wander at leisure with our cameras and have lunch together. This was the very first time that I had driven there, though I had been with various friends maybe three or so times before. So, that's one more place I can now drive to, which feels good. The Saskatoon Farm is about 20 minutes' drive south of Calgary, and this is one of the views seen from the farm. www.saskatoonfarm.com

Took this photo just outside the south western edge of the city three mornings ago. I love the rolling hills between us and the Rockies. I had got up early to go on a walk to look for birds, but when I saw that the sun was shining at last, I made a quick change of plans and drove south west down a few backroads. There was a beautiful hoar frost and I liked the way it had touched the hay/straw bales. The sun on the distant Rocky Mountains was so pretty.