Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: red and white

Before leaving home in Alberta, I had seen many photos online of this huge, bright red building and hoped we would get the chance to see it. The large, red and white hotel, which opened in 1864, is an attraction for many photographers. Likewise with the small, old church in front of it, that is the oldest standing wooden church in North America. A few days ago, I started on photos taken during the week friends and I spent in Quebec, 12-18 May 2018. Some photos were taken in the small, coastal village of Tadoussac itself, others were taken in the wonderful garden of the home in which we stayed all week, and the rest were taken on several drives we made further along the coast. Unfortunately, so many of my garden bird photos will have to be deleted, as there was no room for me right by the window, so I had to take the shots from further inside the room and that definitely did not work! The one morning, I made sure that I got to the window first and was able to get some reasonable images : ) For many of them, I used my Panasonic FZ1000, which only has a small zoom, but I like the quality of images taken with it. I had to give up trying to use the faulty Nikon B700 (prism in viewfinder was out of place) - I was just wasting precious time and photo opportunities, and ending up with ruined photos (camera was since returned and money refunded). Though I prefer a more natural setting, I am happy to take fence or feeder shots if they mean I can see the beautiful details of the birds up close. Link to my album (358 images) about Point Pelee and area, Ontario: www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/albums/72157667191771677 At the end of our 4-day stay at Point Pelee, we had to drive all the way back to Toronto, from where we flew to Quebec City airport. From there, we had a four-hour drive to Tadoussac on the coast of the St. Lawrence Seaway. This is such a delightful, small place and in a beautiful setting. One of our friends, Anne B, and her husband have a summer cabin further along the cliff from the few stores and port. She had invited the four of us to go with her from Pelee to spend a week at her beautiful home. What an absolute treat this was! We were able to meet some of her relatives, too, who also have built cabins out there. We were looked after so well, and we were able to see and photograph all sorts of birds and other things. Several trips were made to see different places along the coast, including the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area, where we were able to see endless thousands of Snow Geese, in flight and also up close. Breathtaking! We also had two boat trips from Tadoussac - one was a whaling trip in a Zodiac, where we saw very, very distant Beluga and Minke Whales. The Belugas looked almost like the white wave crests - but they were Belugas. The other boat trip was to the Brandy Pot Islands, inhabited by thousands of Razorbills and Common Murres, which were new birds for us, and Double-crested Cormorants that were nesting in tree tops. That long boat trip (in a tiny boat named Juno) started off in the rain and dark clouds and it was soooo cold! Thermal underwear, layers of fleece and toque and gloves were needed. This day was arranged through a contact of Anne's and it was so much enjoyed! Of course, we anchored a distance away from the island and sat there and ate our sandwiches and took endless photos - difficult when bobbing up and down on the rough water! It is forbidden to land on the island at nesting time. Anne B, I can't thank you enough for organizing this holiday for us all and for inviting us to spend a week at your cabin. You worked so hard and it was so much appreciated by each and every one of us. Thank you for doing all the many hours of driving, too! Janet and Anne, thank you so much for compiling the lists of birds seen each day at various locations, and posted to ebird. These entries will be a huge help while I try and sort out where we were and when, and what species we saw. Miss your cookies and muffins, Janet, that you kindly made for us in Tadoussac, to go along with the wonderful meals that Anne planned and made for us : )

So many things going wrong on Flickr this morning! Hope the rest of you are not having to put up with this. Today, 30 November 2018, I am starting on photos taken during the week we spent in Quebec, 12-18 May 2018. Some photos were taken in the small, coastal village of Tadoussac itself, others were taken in the wonderful garden of the home in which we stayed all week, and the rest were taken on several drives we made further north along the coast. Before leaving home in Alberta, I had seen many photos online of this huge, bright red building and hoped we would get the chance to see it. The large, red and white hotel, which opened in 1864, is an attraction for many photographers. Likewise with the small, old church in front of it, that is the oldest wooden church in North America.. Link to my album (358 images) about Point Pelee and area, Ontario: www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/albums/72157667191771677 At the end of our 4-day stay at Point Pelee, we had to drive all the way back to Toronto, from where we flew to Quebec City airport. From there, we had a four-hour drive to Tadoussac on the coast of the St. Lawrence Seaway. This is such a delightful, small place and in a beautiful setting. One of our friends, Anne B, and her husband have a summer cabin further along the cliff from the few stores and port. She had invited the four of us to go with her from Pelee to spend a week at her beautiful home. What an absolute treat this was! We were able to meet some of her relatives, too, who also have built cabins out there. We were looked after so well, and we were able to see and photograph all sorts of birds and other things. We made several trips to see different places, including the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area, where we were able to see endless thousands of Snow Geese, in flight and also up close. Breathtaking! We also had two boat trips from Tadoussac - one was a whaling trip in a Zodiac, where we saw very, very distant Beluga and Minke Whales. The Belugas looked almost like the white wave crests - but they were Belugas. The other boat trip was to the Brandy Pot Islands, inhabited by thousands of Razorbills and Common Murres, which were new birds for us, and Double-crested Cormorants that were nesting in tree tops. That long boat trip (in a tiny boat named Juno) started off in the rain and dark clouds and it was soooo cold! Thermal underwear, layers of fleece and toque and gloves were needed. This day was arranged through a contact of Anne's and it was so much enjoyed! Of course, we anchored a distance away from the island and sat there and ate our sandwiches and took endless photos - difficult when bobbing up and down on the rough water! It is forbidden to land on the island at nesting time. Anne B, I can't thank you enough for organizing this holiday for us all and for inviting us to spend a week at your cabin. You worked so hard and it was so much appreciated by each and every one of us. Thank you for doing all the many hours of driving, too! Janet and Anne, thank you so much for compiling the lists of birds seen each day at various locations, and posted to ebird. These entries will be a huge help while I try and sort out where we were and when, and what species we saw. Miss your cookies and muffins, Janet, that you kindly made for us in Tadoussac, to go along with the wonderful meals that Anne planned and made for us : )

All three photos posted this morning were taken yesterday, 16 January 2016. The weather was dull, cold and most unpleasant, yet three of us turned up at a meeting place, ready to go on a day trip west of the city. Apparently, 8 other people got the message that this trip had been cancelled at the last minute, lol. I, however, was already outside, clearing the snow off my car, to drive across the city. After waiting for just over an hour, we decided that instead of going home, we would go for a walk at nearby Baker Park. I had heard of this park, mainly because there used to be Great Horned Owls there, but I had never been. The park was much larger than I was expecting, and a very pleasant place to walk. A beautiful mix of trees make a wonderful habitat for birds, most of whom seemed to have more sense than we had, keeping hidden from the cold, miserable weather. We did see a few Black-capped Chickadees, though, and Bohemian Waxwings and White-winged Crossbills. I may have a fourth photo from yesterday morning to post sometime, but that's it! Still, it was fun spending the morning with friends and enjoying a very late breakfast at the Angel's Cafe, which really hit the spot.. Thanks so much for driving us to Baker Park, Darlene. I really appreciated the chance to finally visit this area. I didn't think the forecast looked particularly good for today, either, so had decided that I would probably join a group of friends for a birding walk this afternoon. However, the sun is actually out at the moment and it is supposed to be a mix of sun and cloud for this afternoon, so I might just make myself do a drive east of the city, if I'm ready in time. Not a drive I look forward to, but maybe I will be rewarded by finding an owl?

A colourful mushroom, that I think is a Russula sp., seen along the forest trail leading to the overlook at Peyto Lake (off the Icefields Parkway / Highway 93, Banff National Park). Any kind of bright colour in the forest is always a welcome sight - purple, blue, red, orange, yellow : )

Thanks, Doris - there was some word about this flower that just escaped me. Peppermint is perfect : ) Just a single red and white Carnation in a bunch of pink/salmon ones that I bought from Safeway a week before Christmas. At the time, it felt like a Christmas flower.

A photo from back in April, of one of my favourite kinds of Rose - love these red and white "paint-splashed" petals. Every now and then, I just need to see something red to brighten my photostream, ha.

Dragged myself out for a short, cold walk in a local park this afternoon (windchill -21C). The sun had twice burst through the overcast sky, but it was back to grey and dull while I was in the park. Took this little guy with me, just for fun. He was smiling - but I was just relieved to get back to my car and head for the warmth of home : )

Didn't take this shot very recently, but back on 12th December. Tiny waterdroplets on a Chrysanthemum petal. Haven't dared try any more supermacros since then, in case that was what has caused the dizziness/light headedness that I've had for almost a week. Not so bad today. All I accomplished today was to write two Christmas cards and package up a DVD of my photos to send to a friend. Oh, and I drove half way across the city in the snow to go to the Glamorgan Bakery. This has to be an annual treat - which I want, but definitely do NOT need, LOL! If anyone here in the city has never tried this bakery, it's certainly worth going. Be warned - their cheese buns are to die for : )

I bought a tiny bunch of these striped Gerbera flowers yesterday. One of my daughters phoned and two hours later, I realized that I hadn't put these flowers in water. They looked very miserable by this morning, so my photos are of rather wilted flowers. Thanks, Suzie, for your suggestion of cutting a flower right down and placing it in a bowl of water, which is what you see here. I couldn't wait long enough to see if it might revive a little, as the sky darkened and it looked like the forecast snow was approaching. The light from my kitchen window was quickly disappearing - think I got this just in time.

It's that time of the year, when I have to resort to buying a very occasional flower from Safeway when I go grocery shopping : ) It's just too cold to go for walks and photograph nature at around -27C! Normally, I never buy Carnations, but I loved the colour, and patterns in this one, reminding me of a yummy, minty candycane! "The carnation, scientifically known as Dianthus caryophyllus, is an historically rich and meaningful flower choice. With its scientific name dianthus roughly translating to "flower of love" or "flower of the gods", depending on the source, this flower is one that has been revered for centuries. One of the world's oldest cultivated flowers, the carnation is appreciated for its ruffled appearance, clove-like scent, and extended blooming period." From www.proflowers.com/flowerguide/flowermeanings

An amazing Tropical butterfly seen in the Butterfly House at the Calgary Zoo. I think it looks rather like a paper cutout : )