Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: early spring

Wow, I have to just add the following late this afternoon, as I am so impressed. Just a few hours ago, I posted a new thread in the Help Forum. I really prefer not to post there, but just had to after I happened to come across a website today that was displaying a lot of my photos for FREE downloading and in all sizes. My images are ALL copyright protected. Apparently, they were ALSO displaying download links for all available display sizes for people's photos that on Flickr are NOT set to be downloadable by visitors. Later today, Flickr staff member bhautik joshi PRO answered, saying: "What they are doing is not even remotely OK. We're looking into it." Almost immediately, all we could see on their website were blank, white pages. Amazingly fast action by a staff member, which is hugely appreciated! www.flickr.com/help/forum/en-us/72157668259472146/ flip.life/search/annkelliott/?p=6 flip.life/photo/15482189596/united-church-dorothy-alberta itunes.apple.com/cn/app/fliplife/id1112300459?mt=8 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Position one of these Great Gray Owls right in front of a tree trunk and you will discover how amazing the camouflage is. On 2 April 2016, I stood so that the owl was framed by these two trees. It was along the edge of the forest, quite a distance away, and out of the sun - the colour of the feathers tends to look different when in the shade (a much darker brown) and of course, I get a rather grainy photo. Roughly a month ago, I posted a photo of a different pose taken in the same few minutes. "Although the Great Gray Owl is the tallest American owl with the largest wingspan, it is just a ball of feathers. It preys on small mammals and has relatively small feet. Both the Great Horned and Snowy Owls weigh half again as much, and have larger feet and talons. The oldest recorded Great Gray Owl was at least 18 years, 9 months old and lived in Alberta." From AllABoutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Gray_Owl/lifehistory en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Grey_Owl It had been a week since I had last seen one of these owls, so I decided to drive there on 2 April morning and see if one could be seen. When I arrived, three people had already found one - apparently, it had been sitting on a fence post moments before, but flew off into the far line of trees just as I was slowly arriving. Much as I am delighted to see an owl anywhere, along the edge of the trees is my least favourite place, as the owl is then in the shade. After a while, I decided to drive further along the road to see if there were any other owls to be seen, and when I returned, the handful of people were photographing one sitting on a fence post. I just managed to get three or four rather useless shots before it flew off to the forest.

This is NOT my MAIN photo of the day - I'm wondering if this one or the third one is being seen by some people as the main one, again. Also, it's almost 12:00 noon and there are only eight new photos showing from my Contacts! Is everyone out enjoying the weather, or is Flickr acting up yet again?? For maybe a week, I have been having a problem getting my photos to be bright enough. So weird - I never had this happen before. They seem to look OK when I edit them the night before, then, when I post them on Flickr the following morning, they almost always look too dark. Yesterday morning, 9 April 2016, friends Dorothy and Stephen led a group of us on a birding walk at Carburn Park. Most enjoyable, except for the very strong winds! Down by the river, especially, we were almost blown off our feet. Amazing that any bird can deal with that, but we still ended up seeing a good number of species, including this little House Sparrow busy preparing a tree cavity for a nest. The House Sparrow is an introduced species here. "One of about 25 species in the genus Passer, the House Sparrow is native to most of Europe, the Mediterranean region, and much of Asia. Its intentional or accidental introductions to many regions, including parts of Australia, Africa, and the Americas, make it the most widely distributed wild bird." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_Sparrow www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/house_sparrow/id I will add our leaders' final list of species: Birding for Beginners, Saturday 9 April, 2016. Carburn Park. 9:00 a.m.-11:15 a.m. Sunny, N.Wind 49 kph. 7-10 degrees C. 22 participants. 1. Canada Goose – 20 2. Common Goldeneye – 10 3. Mallard – 10 4. Common Merganser – 4 5. Hooded Merganser – 1 6. Ring-billed Gull – 34 7. Franklin Gull – 2 8. Bald Eagle – 1 9. Bohemian Waxwings – 12 10. Black-capped Chickadees – 11 11. American Crow – 6 12. Northern Flicker – 6 12. House Finch – 4 13. Magpie – 6 14. Merlin – 1 15. Red-breasted Nuthatch - 3 16. Raven – 10 17. American Robin – 15 18. Starling – 2 19. House Sparrow – 4 20. Tree Swallow – 9 21. Yellow-rumped Warbler - 1 22. Downy Woodpecker – 5 White-tailed Deer – 6 Black Squirrel – 6 Leaders: Bernie Diebolt, Dorothy&Stephen Spring Many thanks, Dorothy and Stephen, for giving up a Saturday morning for us all. As always, the trip to Tim Hortons for coffee and lunch after the walk was great.

For maybe a week, I have been having a problem getting my photos to be bright enough. So weird - I never had this happen before. They seem to look OK when I edit them the night before, then, when I post them on Flickr the following morning, they almost always look too dark. Yesterday morning, 9 April 2016, friends Dorothy and Stephen led a group of us on a birding walk at Carburn Park. Most enjoyable, except for the very strong winds! Down by the river, especially, we were almost blown off our feet. Amazing that any bird can deal with that, but we still ended up seeing a good number of species, including a little House Sparrow busy preparing a tree cavity for a nest. The House Sparrow is an introduced species here. Fairly near the start of our walk, past the lagoon, I spotted something orange in the low fork of a tree. My first thought was, ooh, a fungus of some kind. When I started walking towards it, I suddenly thought that maybe it was an Easter egg that had been hidden on a family outing, that hadn't been found. Closer to the tree, I realized it was an orange fishing float, along with this hooked fly, caught in the tree by a length of fishing line. My immediate thought was that this should never have been left in the tree, as a bird or maybe a Squirrel could easily get themselves caught by it. After I removed it, one of the birders said he would take the fly home for his Grandson to use. I always remember seeing a beautiful Northern Flickr a few years ago, hanging upside down high up in a tree. It had a lot of discarded fishing line wrapped around its body. I will add our leaders' final list of species: Birding for Beginners, Saturday 9 April, 2016. Carburn Park. 9:00 a.m.-11:15 a.m. Sunny, N.Wind 49 kph. 7-10 degrees C. 22 participants. 1. Canada Goose – 20 2. Common Goldeneye – 10 3. Mallard – 10 4. Common Merganser – 4 5. Hooded Merganser – 1 6. Ring-billed Gull – 34 7. Franklin Gull – 2 8. Bald Eagle – 1 9. Bohemian Waxwings – 12 10. Black-capped Chickadees – 11 11. American Crow – 6 12. Northern Flicker – 6 12. House Finch – 4 13. Magpie – 6 14. Merlin – 1 15. Red-breasted Nuthatch - 3 16. Raven – 10 17. American Robin – 15 18. Starling – 2 19. House Sparrow – 4 20. Tree Swallow – 9 21. Yellow-rumped Warbler - 1 22. Downy Woodpecker – 5 White-tailed Deer – 6 Black Squirrel – 6 Leaders: Bernie Diebolt, Dorothy & Stephen Spring Many thanks, Dorothy and Stephen, for giving up a Saturday morning for us all. As always, the trip to Tim Hortons for coffee and lunch after the walk was great.

Position one of these Great Gray Owls right in front of a tree trunk and you will discover how amazing the camouflage is. Yesterday, I stood so that the owl was nicely framed by these two trees. It was along the edge of the forest, quite a distance away, and out of the sun - the colour of the feathers tends to look different when in the shade (a much darker brown). "Although the Great Gray Owl is the tallest American owl with the largest wingspan, it is just a ball of feathers. It preys on small mammals and has relatively small feet. Both the Great Horned and Snowy owls weigh half again as much, and have larger feet and talons. The oldest recorded Great Gray Owl was at least 18 years, 9 months old and lived in Alberta." From AllABoutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Gray_Owl/lifehistory en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Grey_Owl It had been a week since I had last seen one of these owls, so I decided to drive there yesterday morning and see if one could be seen. When I arrived, three people had already found one - apparently, it had been sitting on a fence post moments before, but flew off into the far line of trees just as I was slowly arriving. Much as I am delighted to see an owl anywhere, along the edge of the trees is my least favourite place, as the owl is then in the shade. After a while, I decided to drive further along the road to see if there were any other owls to be seen, and when I returned, the handful of people were photographing one sitting on a fence post. I just managed to get three or four rather useless shots before it flew off to the forest.

This photo was taken on 2 April 2016, NW of the city. It had been a week since I had last driven to this area, so I decided to drive there again and see if I could find a Great Gray Owl. When I arrived, three people had already found a Great Gray Owl - apparently, it had been sitting on a fence post moments before, but flew off into the far line of trees just as I was slowly arriving. Much as I am delighted to see an owl anywhere, along the edge of the trees is my least favourite place, as the owl is then in the shade. After a while, I decided to drive further along the road to see if there were any other owls to be seen, and when I returned, the handful of people were photographing one sitting on a fence post. I just managed to get three or four shots before it flew off to the forest. Later, about half way home, I drove along a couple of backroads that I had driven once (or twice) before. Almost missed this old barn, as the colour matched the early spring, brown colours of the setting.

After missing birding walks with friends the previous two weeks, I finally got myself out to the walk yesterday afternoon. It was held at a location that I have only been to a handful of times before - Pearce Estate, near the community of Inglewood - and I never like the last part of the drive there. Yesterday, I got caught at the railway tracks and had to wait forever for the long, slow freight train to come to an end. At the next road intersection, there were roadworks and a sign saying that my lane was closed ahead, with a large arrow pointing in the opposite direction. It all looked fine to me, and I was easily able to go where I wanted. On the way home, though, there was a 'no left turn' sign, so I had to find another way out of there. Never something I enjoy! "The Pearce Estate Wetland lies in a curve of the Bow River as it flows through the southeast part of the city. The 15-hectare wetland area, when combined with the adjacent provincially operated Bow Habitat Station, results in a 21-hectare park. The area was donated to the city by William Pearce, a prominent early Calgarian who died in 1930. The current wetland area and interpretive trail were redeveloped and opened to the public in 2004." www.calgary.ca/csps/parks/pages/locations/se-parks/pearce... "In 1904 the Bow River Weir was constructed close to Calgary's downtown core in order to divert water into the Western Irrigation District. Since its construction a side effect of the weir had been that it created a circulating wave, with a lethal and powerful undertow, immediately downstream of it. Because rafting, canoeing, and kayaking down the Bow River are such popular summer activities, there had been many fatalities. Furthermore, because fish were not able to pass through the structure, they too became trapped in the circulating wave and a dense, unnatural concentration of pelicans congregated immediately following the weir. In order to combat the circulating wave and undertow, in August 2007 the Province of Alberta through the Alberta Lottery fund, in conjunction with the Calgary Foundation and the City of Calgary, began construction of the Bow River Weir paddle around, named the Harvie Passage. The passage allowed for the wave to be dispersed over a set of several smaller rapids while still supplying water to its irrigation district. Altogether, the paddle around cost 18 million dollars and was completed in the spring of 2012. In June of 2013, just a year after the project was completed, Calgary was hit with an epic 100 year flood and all of the Harvie Passage work was destroyed." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bow_River Since then, more changes have been made, including the construction of River Passage Park which opened in October 2014. It includes this sculpture, designed by Lorna Jordan, a Seattle-based artist. Though people have mixed feelings about this, I thought the area was quite interesting and the 'pile of scattered planks" certainly made me think of the devastation of the power of water, especially in the time of flooding. There is some quite intricate stone work in the walls, too. During our walk almost as far as Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, we were delighted to see a Great Horned Owl twice, the second time, it was being harassed by several Magpies. Though the river at this location is safer now, we still miss seeing the dozens or even hundreds of American White Pelicans that used to congregate at the old Weir. I'll add a previously posted shot of some of these Pelicans in a comment box below. After our walk, we decided to call in at the nearby Blackfoot Truckstop (Diner) for an early supper. Being Easter Sunday, it was fairly empty and quiet and we all enjoyed the good food that this place is well known for. For me, this was a Western Omelette (with green peppers, ham, mushrooms and cheese) and hashbrowns. Perhaps not exactly what one thinks of as Easter dinner, but it was so very enjoyable being there with good friends. Thanks so much, Bernie and Stephen, for leading this walk!

Not the kind of photo I particularly like to take, but this is where this Mourning Cloak butterfly was sitting. The first one I had seen this year, so thought I'd keep the shot for the record. After missing birding walks with friends the previous two weeks, I finally got myself out to the walk yesterday afternoon. It was held at a location that I have only been to a handful of times before - Pearce Estate, near the community of Inglewood - and I never like the last part of the drive there. Yesterday, I got caught at the railway tracks and had to wait forever for the long, slow freight train to come to an end. At the next road intersection, there were roadworks and a sign saying that my lane was closed ahead, with a large arrow pointing in the opposite direction. It all looked fine to me, and I was easily able to go where I wanted. On the way home, though, there was a 'no left turn' sign, so I had to find another way out of there. Never something I enjoy! "The Pearce Estate Wetland lies in a curve of the Bow River as it flows through the southeast part of the city. The 15-hectare wetland area, when combined with the adjacent provincially operated Bow Habitat Station, results in a 21-hectare park. The area was donated to the city by William Pearce, a prominent early Calgarian who died in 1930. The current wetland area and interpretive trail were redeveloped and opened to the public in 2004." www.calgary.ca/csps/parks/pages/locations/se-parks/pearce... During our walk almost as far as Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, we were delighted to see a Great Horned Owl twice; the second time, it was being harassed by several Magpies. Though the river at this location is safer now, we still miss seeing the dozens or even hundreds of American White Pelicans that used to congregate at the old Weir. I add three previously posted shots of some of these Pelicans in a comment box under the previous shot, of the River Passage art installation. We also enjoyed seeing this beautiful butterfly, warming itself in the sun. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphalis_antiopa After our walk, we decided to call in at the nearby Blackfoot Truckstop for an early supper. Being Easter Sunday, it was fairly empty and quiet and we all enjoyed the good food that this place is well known for. For me, this was a Western Omelette (with green peppers, ham, mushrooms and cheese) and hashbrowns. Perhaps not exactly what one thinks of as Easter dinner, but it was so very enjoyable being there with good friends. Thanks so much, Bernie and Stephen, for leading this walk! I will add their report of species seen: "1. Canada Goose 12 2. Mallard 6 3. Common Goldeneye 5 4. Common Merganser 9 5. Ring-billed Gull 14 6. California Gull 1 7. Rock Pigeon 14 8. Great Horned Owl 1 9. Downy Woodpecker 7 10. Northern Flicker 8 11. Black-billed Magpie 11 !2. American Crow 8 13. Common Raven 2 14. Black-capped Chickadee 16 15. White-breasted Nuthatch 4 16. American Robin 12 17. House Finch 4 18. House Sparrow 5 Richardson Ground Squirrel 3 Eastern Grey Squirrel 4 Morning Cloak Butterfly 1"

Happy Easter Sunday, everyone! All three photos posted this morning were taken yesterday, 26 March 2016, when I spent a long day driving NW of the city and then coming home via Bragg Creek and SW of the city. It was such a beautiful day and, once again, there was snow in the forecast for this coming week, so I thought I had better make the most of the good weather. It had been quite a long time since I saw my last Great Gray Owl (before these recent sightings). Some of my last sightings had been one that was in Fish Creek Park in Calgary for a while and my last photos of it were taken on 18 February 2014. There was also a Great Gray at Griffith Woods, Calgary, and some of my photos were taken on 10 February 2014. Saw another owl on our May Species Count out of the city on 25 May 2014. Many of my 'best' sightings and photos of Great Grays were taken NW of Calgary, the last dates being 28 March 2013 and 5 May 2013. After 25 May 2014 .... nothing! So, seeing one (or two) in the last four weeks has been such a thrill. No matter how many times I see one of these owls and no matter how many hundreds/thousands of photos I've taken, each owl is as exciting as the very first. When I first reached my approximate destination yesterday morning, I could see five or six cars way down the road, pulled over at the edge of the road. Often a good sign : ) Sure enough, friends had found an owl. For the first four minutes after I got there, the owl was perched on a barbed-wire fence in the sun, but then flew off and vanished. More than an hour later, someone saw it fly across the road and land in the distant trees. Had to look almost into the sun to get photos, so most of my images are grainy, but still happy to get them. The way these owls focus on something is amazing - they use their hearing rather than their sight. It sat there for maybe 45 minutes, barely moving except for turning its head, so not a huge variety of shots, but interesting to watch in person. When it disappeared further into the trees and out of sight, I started off on my long drive home, hoping to see a few early bird spring arrivals. I was out of luck, apart from a pair of Killdeer. Not a single Mountain Bluebird, anywhere, which did surprise me. "Although the Great Gray Owl is the tallest American owl with the largest wingspan, it is just a ball of feathers. It preys on small mammals and has relatively small feet. Both the Great Horned and Snowy owls weigh half again as much, and have larger feet and talons. The oldest recorded Great Gray Owl was at least 18 years, 9 months old and lived in Alberta." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Gray_Owl/lifehistory en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_grey_owl

Happy Easter Sunday, everyone! All three photos posted this morning were taken yesterday, 26 March 2016, when I spent a long day driving NW of the city and then coming home via Bragg Creek and SW of the city. It was such a beautiful day and, once again, there was snow in the forecast for this coming week, so I thought I had better make the most of the good weather. When I first reached my approximate destination yesterday morning, I could see five or six cars way down the road, pulled over at the edge of the road. Often a good sign : ) Sure enough, friends had found a Great Gray Owl. For the first four minutes after I got there, the owl was perched on a barbed-wire fence in the sun, but then flew off and vanished. More than an hour later, someone saw it fly across the road and land in the distant trees. Had to look almost into the sun to get photos, so most of my images are grainy, but still happy to get them. The way these owls focus on something is amazing - they use their hearing rather than their sight. It sat there for maybe 45 minutes, barely moving except for turning its head, so not a huge variety of shots, but interesting to watch in person. When it disappeared further into the trees and out of sight, I started off on my long drive home, hoping to see a few early bird spring arrivals. I was out of luck, apart from a pair of Killdeer. Not a single Mountain Bluebird, anywhere, which did surprise me. I always enjoy driving the particular stretch of road seen in this photo. I love the emptiness, simplicity and colours at this time of year. I did notice a pair of extremely far away birds circling high in the sky - you can just about see one of them. Couldn't tell if they were Ravens or Hawks. Ha, there are small, black spots on a few photos taken further down the road, but they are bees! I can't say I enjoyed photographing "The Famous Five" with bees flying around me and my camera and the car - from the group of hives by the granaries. A nine-hour day, 291 kilometers driven, sunshine and an owl - it was an enjoyable day. The only part I didn't like was getting up very early but still not getting out till four hours later! Always a big mistake to turn on my computer if I want to get out really early!

Happy Easter Sunday, everyone! All three photos posted this morning were taken yesterday, 26 March 2016, when I spent a long day driving NW of the city and then coming home via Bragg Creek and SW of the city. It was such a beautiful day and, once again, there was snow in the forecast for this coming week, so I thought I had better make the most of the good weather. When I first reached my approximate destination yesterday morning, I could see five or six cars way down the road, pulled over at the edge of the road. Often a good sign : ) Sure enough, friends had found a Great Gray Owl. For the first four minutes after I got there, the owl was perched on a barbed-wire fence in the sun, but then flew off and vanished. Just over an hour later, someone saw it fly across the road and land in the distant trees. Had to look almost into the sun to get photos, so most of my images are grainy, but still happy to get them. The way these owls focus on something is amazing - they use their hearing rather than their sight. It sat there for maybe 45 minutes, barely moving except for turning its head, so not a huge variety of shots, but interesting to watch in person. When it disappeared further into the trees and out of sight, I started off on my long drive home, hoping to see a few early bird spring arrivals. I was out of luck, apart from a pair of Killdeer. Not a single Mountain Bluebird, anywhere, which did surprise me. This red barn sits on a hillside a short distance away from a strange old house. Really not photogenic, but I can't usually resist taking a quick shot of it. A nine-hour day, 291 kilometers driven, sunshine and an owl - it was an enjoyable day. The only part I didn't like was getting up very early but still not getting out till four hours later! Always a big mistake to turn on my computer if I want to get out really early!

This photo was taken at the Reader Rock Garden on 24 June 2015, when I called in after a volunteer shift. These early spring flowers are so pretty and I'm always glad when they are still in bloom when I visit the Garden. Unfortunately, we don't get these growing in the wild in Alberta. "The Showy Lady's-slipper (Cypripedium reginae), also known as the Pink-and-white Lady's-slipper or the Queen's Lady's-slipper, is a rare terrestrial temperate lady's-slipper orchid native to northern North America. Despite producing a large amount of seeds per seed pod, it reproduces largely by vegetative reproduction, and remains restricted to the North East region of the United States and south east regions of Canada. Although never common, this rare plant has vanished from much of its historical range due to habitat loss. It has been a subject of horticultural interest for many years with Charles Darwin who like many, were unsuccessful in cultivating the plant. The plant became the state flower of Minnesota in 1902 and was protected by state law in 1925. It is illegal to pick or uproot a Showy Lady's-slipper flower in Minnesota. Although this plant was chosen as the provincial flower for Prince Edward Island in 1947, it is so rare on the island that another Lady's-slipper, C. acaule (moccasin flower or pink lady slipper), has replaced it as the province's floral emblem." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cypripedium_reginae

On 30 March 2015, I went SE of Calgary, driving the backroads through the farmlands. I had been meaning to drive further than I'd driven in that area, and this day I went as far as Vulcan. Just like I have done a few times before, I went on Google and Google Earth beforehand, searching for any barns that were in the new part of my drive. Nothing truly spectacular, but I did manage to find a few that made the drive worthwhile. 234 km total, 5 1/4 hour trip. The weather was beautiful, with a sky full of clouds for at least the first part of my drive. What you can't see is that it was very windy, as it so often is in this whole area. You also can't see all the bees that were buzzing round my car a couple of times when I got out to take a few photos. "Brant is located 18 km west and 12 kilometres north of Vulcan. It is located on the CP main line which runs from Aldersyde to Kipp. This elevator was originally a Home Grain elevator, but changed owners to Searle, Federal and finally Alberta Wheat Pool, before being sold to B & J Farms." From vanishingsentinels.blogspot.ca/2006/02/alberta-wheat-pool... "There were 1,651 elevators in Alberta in 1951, but by 1982 a total of 979 elevators remained. The 1990s spelled the death of the wooden “country” or “primary” elevator. At the end of the 1990s, as the full impact of both of the ending of the Crow Rate in 1995 and further impending rail abandonment was felt, the pace of demolition accelerated at an unprecedented rate. At the end of the 1996-1997 crop year, there were only 327 elevators left. Alberta’s largest cooperative grain companies, the Alberta Wheat Pool (which amalgamated with Manitoba Pool Elevators in 1998 as Agricore) and United Grain Growers, ultimately formed a new corporate entity known as Agricore United in 2001, issuing issued public shares. Demolition of country elevators has continued, and in 2005 there were only 156 wooden elevators of any kind still standing, only a handful of which are used by the grain trade. The Government of Alberta has recognised the significance of the traditional wood grain elevators, and has designated 12 as Provincial Historic Resources. They are located in the following communities: Andrew, Castor, Leduc, Meeting Creek, Paradise Valley, Radway, Rowley (3 elevators), Scandia and St. Albert (2 elevators)." www.grainelevatorsalberta.ca/articles/HRM-history.pdf

Yesterday, 30 March 2015, I went SE of Calgary, driving the backroads through the farmlands. I had been meaning to drive further than I'd driven in that area, and yesterday went as far as Vulcan. Just like I have done a few times before, I went on Google and Google Earth beforehand, searching for any barns that were in the new part of my drive. Nothing truly spectacular, but I did manage to find a few that made the drive worthwhile. 234 km total, 5 1/4 hour trip. As you can see in this photo, the weather was beautiful, with a sky full of clouds for at least part of my drive. What you can't see is that it was very windy, as it so often is in this area. You also can't see all the bees that were buzzing round my car a couple of times when I got out to take a few photos. My daughter e-mailed me an Alberta Emergency Alert notice this evening, about a grassfire SE of Calgary. Actually, the Alert ended about 10 minutes ago. Yesterday, I was driving just a matter of minutes south of the fire area. A good job I went yesterday and not today. "Fire crews have brought a large grassfire near Blackie under control. The Municipal District of Foothills had declared a local state of emergency due to concerns about the fire, which is burning northeast of the hamlet of Blackie. An alert issued by Alberta Emergency Alert indicated the fire is burning near 482nd Avenue and 304th Street East and is moving quickly due to the high winds. “Winds in the area are gusting at high speed and shifting direction,” the alert reads. “People are asked to avoid the area and prepare for possible evacuation. Smoke may severely reduce visibility and create hazardous road conditions.” calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/wind-fuels-large-grassf... "No homes, buildings or animals have been affected but one firefighter is injured and receiving treatment at the High River hospital."

I'm finding it hard to get motivated to go through my archives and somewhat more recent photos at the moment. I've taken very few photos during the past month and few are remotely inspiring. I really need to get out, period, and definitely need some new places to explore. Our weather forecast has a mix of snow and rain or scattered flurries on three days this coming week, but today is supposed to be OK, so I might go for a drive. Yesterday, I went on a two-hour walk in the afternoon with birding friends. This was down in South Glenmore Park, along the edge of the Glenmore Reservoir, looking right across to the windmill in Heritage Park. I always like seeing the small, blue and white mill in the far distance. Most of the Reservoir is still ice-covered and at this stage, the melting ice is a beautiful turquoise colour. Very quiet as far as birds were concerned, just the "usual" Chickadees, Ravens, Canada Geese and so on. I think the "highlights" were a Hairy Woodpecker (which only one of us actually saw) in the wooded area, and eight Swans that were on the far side of the Reservoir - too far away to see if they were Tundra or Trumpeter. After our walk, we went to Tim Horton's for coffee and a good chat. Always really enjoyable. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Bruderheim Windmill "Wilhelm Mallon, a carpenter and blacksmith of German descent, arrived in Canada in 1910. He happily discovered that the sandy soil of his farm near Bruderheim, Alberta, about 50 kilometres north of Edmonton, grew a good crop of spring rye. The next step was building a mill to make the sort of rye bread that had been a staple back home in Belarus. From 1920 to 1924, Mallon completed this mill, which was the second he'd built on the farm. Mallon used hand tools to shape the gears, wheels and shafts from scrub birch, and shaped his millstones from granite found in the North Saskatchewan River. Despite being constantly hampered by a lack of wind, Mallon's mill did a good business in the area. In 1964, the Devonian Group of Charitable Foundations donated the structure to Heritage Park, along with $35,000 for its restoration." From the Heritage Park website. www.heritagepark.ca/park-information/attractions-and-exhi...

When I called in at the Reader Rock Garden last Wednesday, 7 May 2014, many plants were beginning to push their leaves up through the soil. Not many were actually in flower yet, just a few scattered clusters of the early spring flowers, Hepatica and Squill. Just as I was about to leave, something brilliant red caught my eye. When I walked over to take a look, I realized which plant it was, but at the time couldn't remember the name. Ornamental Rhubarb, also called Chinese Rhubarb, is a very tall plant and quite spectacular. This macro shot shows that it starts off in an eye-catching way, too. "Chinese rhubarb is a close relative of garden rhubarb (Rheum X hybridum), which is used to make pies. While garden rhubarb is cultivated for its edible, succulent, red stems, Chinese rhubarb is grown purely as an ornamental plant. Its dark red stems and large, textured leaves make a bold statement in the garden, and a well-grown plant can be 6 feet across. Chinese rhubarb blooms in early summer, thrusting skyward a 6-foot spike of red flowers." www.finegardening.com/plants/qa/ornamental-rhubarb.aspx

Snapped this quick shot when I drove back to a familiar road (in the distance), after taking the Wildcat Hills Rd. on 2 April 2013. It was just a short detour, but one I had never done before, though I had passed the intersection many times before. So glad I did decide to "explore", as I got a beautiful view in front of me (out of sight, behind where I was standing here). Actually, I pulled over just a bit further down this road, as I noticed a bird of prey and a Magpie feeding on something that must have been dead in the field. Unfortunately, what turned out to be a Northern Harrier, decided to fly off almost immediately. It takes me about an hour and a quarter to get from home to this location.