Turquoise

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.

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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...