Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: farm equipment

After all the stress the last nine or ten days over a photo of me being posted on Facebook, I was absolutely desperate to get out for a few hours on 5 March 2019, even though I really didn't feel like going. After losing so many hours of sleep for over a week, I would happily have climbed back into bed instead, even more so once I hit the highway south. There were so many huge semi-trailer trucks and at times they seemed to be in competition with each other. I don't remember it usually being this bad. Anyway, I headed south-east of the city, though I would have loved to go east instead. The whole Facebook mess has left me feeling like I shouldn't go in that direction, though, needless to say, plenty of people are still going out there. The weather was beautiful and milder than the last 6 or 7 weeks of deep-freeze. First of all, I did the usual drive around Frank Lake - and saw nothing. After driving a few roads north of there, I again saw no birds, other than four Magpies. Feeling totally uninspired and my heart just wasn't into it at all, I ended up calling in at the Saskatoon Farm on the way home. A plate of delicious quiche, a few potato wedges, fruit salad and a much-needed cup of coffee were so welcome. After that, I asked if the huge greenhouse was open. When I tried to get in, I couldn't and had to ask someone to drag the extremely heavy door. Someone must have closed it sometime, as when I went to leave, after spending time with two pigs, lots of chickens, turkeys, domestic Helmeted Guineafowl, two bunnies and lots of House Sparrows, I couldn't budge the sliding door. Same thing with the other three doors. It was ages before someone heard my banging on the door and I was so thankful when a young man turned off his snow-clearing machine and yanked the door open. I told him that I had visions of having to sleep there overnight!

This fine old barn was on the property of one of the farmers that we called in to see during the annual Audubon Nanton Christmas Bird Count for 2015, held this year on 3 January 2016. Five of us covered the SW quadrant of the Count circle that was centred on the town of Nanton, S of Calgary. Actually, the owners at this farm were not home, so we didn't wander round their farmyard. Fortunately, we had parked in front of this barn. Some years, the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count for Nanton is held late in December. Other years, it ends up being held early January, sometimes delayed because of really bad weather. Yesterday, 3 January 2016, was part of the 2015 Bird Count. As you can see, the weather was bright and sunny for us yesterday. What you can't see was that it was very cold for the first part of the day, then warming up to a pleasant cold later on! I think it was -21C when we started. On last year's trip in January (for the 2013 Count, but delayed), on the hour-long drive south of Calgary, we hit -34C (-29.2F)!!!!! Again, this year, there was no or very little wind, which makes all the difference. The only walking we had to do was when we called in at various farms and homesteads. We drove through such beautiful scenery yesterday, when we were covering our quadrant of the Christmas Bird Count circle that centered on the town of Nanton, Alberta. A landscape over which the occasional Golden Eagle soars and in which some years - but definitely not yesterday! - numerous Sharp-tailed Grouse wander on the ground or perch in trees. I absolutely love this area SW of Nanton! Some of these backroads are extremely steep and almost look vertical when seen from a distance. Some years, the whole area is white, covered in deep snow, so that you can't tell where the roadside ends and the ditch begins. Yesterday wasn't too bad, thank goodness, though I might have felt differently if I had been one of the two drivers! Around lunch time, we returned to the Truch family's place as we were very nearby, and ate our lunch in the warmth of their cosy home. After driving (being driven, for me, which is always pure luxury) the backroads from about 8:00 a.m. till around 3:30 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. One of my favourite Bird Counts, and perhaps the most favourite. Just before leaving for Calgary at the end of the day, we were shown the family's Llamas, two Donkeys, Peacocks, and several tiny white Quail. I should have taken photos of these animals when it was daylight - but maybe I can do it next year. Thanks so much for doing all the driving, Tony and Andrew, and thanks, Leah, Bill and Mike for all the effort and time you put into your warm welcome! It was another well-organized Count, Mike, as usual - thanks. Can't wait for next Christmas!

Five days ago, on 29 September 2014, I finally drove out to an area that lies NE of Calgary, that I had longed to go to for so many years. It must have been 30+ years ago that I first saw one particular area of the Badlands of Alberta. A few times since then, I had been fairly close when I went on several botany trips out that way, but when you are carpooling, you can't just go wherever you want. So, my youngest daughter and I decided that we both wanted to make this trip, All summer, we had been waiting for a day on which she didn't have to work and where the weather forecast was for no rain on the day or there had been no rain the previous day. The Bentonite Clay in the area becomes treacherously slippery when wet. The forecast for this day was for a mainly sunny day - at last, we were going! I think this was the longest day of driving I had ever done, especially to, and in, an area that I'd never driven to before. For anyone who doesn't know me, I have battled a driving phobia for decades, plus I have barely any sense of direction, lol! Thankfully, my daughter has an amazing sense of direction, so I knew we wouldn't be stuck out on the prairies in the middle of nowhere. A typical question at too many intersections went as follows: me - "Do we go left?"; my daughter - "No, we go right", lol! I met my daughter at 8:00 am. and I got home shortly before 9:00 pm. Much of that time was spent driving; the rest was spent wandering round three main areas - The Hoodoo Trail, Dorothy and Rowley, in different directions from Drumheller (known for its remarkable dinosaur findings). The forecast was far from accurate on our drive out to the Badlands and I began to wonder if we'd made a mistake going on this trip on that particular day. However, knowing that snow would be returning very soon ("returning" because we had two snowstorms on 9 and 10 September), I was beginning to feel rather desperate and really didn't want to risk not getting out there this year. The afternoon was less cloudy and we did have some sun. So, the first of our destinations was The Hoodoo Trail, a small area of protected, spectacular hoodoos (rock pillars capped with harder rock), and then we went further, to the almost-ghost-town of Dorothy. I had longed, for a long time, to see the two small, old churches that are to be found in Dorothy, as well as the old grain elevator. After that, we drove over 11 bridges and called in at the tiny hamlet of Wayne. We had passed the old Atlas Coal Mine near the main highway, but, much as we would have liked to visit the mine, we knew that we just didn't have time. From Wayne, we continued to Rowley to see the three old grain elevators, and to wander round this very small, historical place. There are actually three elevators, with two being right next to each other and the other one a little further from them. Dorothy felt and looked almost deserted, whereas Rowley was beautifully kept. There were several old pieces of farming equipment thoughtfully placed, including this beautiful old tractor. From Rowley, we made our way back across the prairies to Calgary. I had planned on getting back before it got dark as I no longer like night driving and very rarely do it, but we didn't quite make it. On the return drive, the last sighting was a Great Horned Owl that was perched part way up a power pole. Well done, Rachel, spotting this welcome bird! Not easy to see in the dark. By the time I got home, I was so tired and my arms were so painful from driving, but, what a great day we had!!

This fine old barn was on the property of one of the farmers that we called in to see during the annual Nanton Christmas Bird Count, on 30 December 2012. Three of us covered the SW quadrant of the Count circle that was centred on the town of Nanton, which is south of Calgary.