Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: sculpture

gremm.org/en/cimm-hours-and-admission/ "Tadoussac is quite rightly listed as one of the 50 most beautiful bays in the world. Tadoussac is also the oldest village in Canada. In fact, the village celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2000. But above all, Tadoussac is an internationally-renowned whale-watching site." From the link below. www.authentikcanada.com/holidays/tourist-office-tadoussac en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadoussac 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. 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 : ) Link to my album (358 images) about Point Pelee and area, Ontario: www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/albums/72157667191771677

Lying between the CIMM / Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre and the dry dock, the Jardin de la Grève is an area for relaxation, contemplation and activities. In addition to its 5,500 plants typical of the Côte-Nord region, the garden features five life-size beluga sculptures. "Tadoussac is quite rightly listed as one of the 50 most beautiful bays in the world. Tadoussac is also the oldest village in Canada. In fact, the village celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2000. But above all, Tadoussac is an internationally-renowned whale-watching site." From the link below. www.authentikcanada.com/holidays/tourist-office-tadoussac en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadoussac 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. 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 : ) Link to my album (358 images) about Point Pelee and area, Ontario: www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/albums/72157667191771677

Lying between the CIMM / Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre and the dry dock, the Jardin de la Grève is an area for relaxation, contemplation and activities. In addition to its 5,500 plants typical of the Côte-Nord region, the garden features five life-size beluga sculptures. "Tadoussac is quite rightly listed as one of the 50 most beautiful bays in the world. Tadoussac is also the oldest village in Canada. In fact, the village celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2000. But above all, Tadoussac is an internationally-renowned whale-watching site." From the link below. www.authentikcanada.com/holidays/tourist-office-tadoussac en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadoussac 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. 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 : ) Link to my album (358 images) about Point Pelee and area, Ontario: www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/albums/72157667191771677

On 21 September 2016, I left home in sunshine, but by the time I reached my destination south of the city, at the Saskatoon Farm, it was overcast and dreary. I can always find things to photograph there, including this sweet-faced angel. This interesting place is maybe a 20-minute drive SE from the southern edge of Calgary. You can collect your own Saskatoon berries in season, look around their outside green houses, and their inside gift shop full of unusual things, and buy special baking, jams, teas and so on. They also have a restaurant that offers great food - I had a delicious meal of quiche and sweet potato fries. www.saskatoonfarm.com/

This photo was taken on 19 November 2017, when I spent a few very enjoyable hours out with my daughter. This is the time of year, of course, when Christmas Markets and Fairs spring up everywhere, within the city and in various hamlets outside the city. There were two that we ended up going to - Granary Road and Bragg Creek. This was the very first Christmas for the newly opened Granary Road. Bragg Creek market has been held for many years, but we had never been out there to one before. Both felt calm and were far less densely packed (at least when we were there) than some of the bigger markets in various towns. I had been hoping to get over to Granary Road all summer and fall, but it just didn't happen. This is a brand new market garden, SW of the city, with an active learning park, too. I was very disappointed months ago, when I first saw what was being planned for that particular area. Most of all, I and many other photographers, were horrified when we discovered that the row of five old, red granaries/sheds had been removed from the landscape. Some of you may remember my photos of these granaries, which I called "The Famous Five". They have been replaced by five new, red sheds which, I have to say, looked better than I had previously thought. Later: found the following information: "Granary Road (pronounced gran-a-ree in the English manner), is a project by 5 Red Granaries, a group of Alberta folk who have come together to build it. When they purchased the property, there were five red granaries on site. Unfortunately, the granaries did not survive an attempt to move them." From an article in the Calgary Herald newspaper (link below). calgaryherald.com/life/food/john-gilchrist-granary-road-m... Link for my album, "The Famous Five" - 25 images of the original, old row of five, red granaries. www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/albums/72157648910659879 The huge main building is full of various permanent, carefully chosen vendors, and a restaurant. Very nicely designed, I thought. Three huge greenhouses stand next to the main building - fresh produce is sold from them and from local farmers. A small petting Zoo was being held in one of the greenhouses - Alpacas, goats and bunnies, all very cute. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpaca The huge, outdoor educational area looks like a lot of fun, and I want to go back next summer to wander round it, when this part reopens for the season. www.granaryroad.com/ Thank you, Rachel, for an enjoyable few hours spent with you! Always the best kind of day. See you in December.

"YAHOO will be right back" .... first time I've ever seen this page before - instead of the Bad, bad, Panda? One month ago, on 1 October 2016, I finally had my very first visit to the Silver Springs Botanical Gardens, thanks to friend, Sandy. I first heard about this beautiful place from my daughter, but I had never been, because it is way out of my city driving comfort zone. In the morning, it was raining, at least in my part of the city, and I wondered if going would turn out to be a big mistake. However, the rain stayed away while we were there and, though the sky was overcast, I was still able to photograph to my heart's content. I was surprised at how many flowers were still in bloom on the first day of October and I was extremely impressed with how meticulously these gardens are kept - every inch of them. So many different kinds of trees and plants, and it was very obvious that each area had been planted with so much thought and care. Amazing that dedicated volunteers have been, and continue to be, the ones to thank for these gardens. Couldn't resist taking a quick shot of this owl sculpture that was in one of the gardens. A somewhat differently designed owl was placed just a few feet away. Would love one of these in my own backyard : ) Thanks so much, Sandy, for giving me the chance to spend an afternoon in such beauty and peace! After our walk in the Gardens, I went back to Sandy's place and we had an early supper. "The Botanical Gardens of Silver Springs is without doubt one of the Seven Wonders of Calgary, Alberta. It boasts 1350 square meters (14 600 square feet) of gardens which includes a spectacular Wall Garden that runs an uninterrupted 1300 feet. In the gardens you will find an endless variety of annuals and perennials ranging from artemisias to zinnias. Here indeed is a place to stop and smell the roses and the peonies and the delphiniums and the chrysanthemums and the … What makes these gardens so very special is that they were created and continue to be maintained by a band of green-thumbed enthusiastic volunteers. These hale and hearty diggers, planters, seeders, weeders, mowers, waterers, pruners and community builders work two to three mornings a week to keep the gardens in primrose shape and their efforts are truly appreciated by the many walkers, joggers, and cyclists. On any given day, hundreds of people walk the wall garden with their families, friends and out-of-town visitors. It has become a treasured destination site for many. For anyone who has spent time in the gardens, it is hard to believe that they have only been here since 2006 when a humble ornamental garden (400 square feet) was developed within the existing BirthPlace Forest tree beds. The BPF, by the way, saw 7000 trees planted in the area. The project was accomplished through a partnership of BP Energy, Calgary Parks, Regional Health and Golden Acres." From the gardens' website. www.botanicalgardensofsilversprings.ca/

Three days ago, on 1 October 2016, I finally had my very first visit to the Silver Springs Botanical Gardens, thanks to friend, Sandy. I first heard about this beautiful place from my daughter, but I had never been, because it is way out of my driving comfort zone. In the morning, it was raining, at least in my part of the city, and I wondered if going would turn out to be a big mistake. However, the rain stayed away while we were there and, though the sky was overcast, I was still able to photograph to my heart's content. I was surprised at how many flowers were still in bloom on the first day of October and I was extremely impressed with how meticulously these gardens are kept - every inch of them. So many different kinds of trees and plants, and it was very obvious that each area had been planted with so much thought and care. Amazing that dedicated volunteers have been, and continue to be, the ones to thank for these gardens. Couldn't resist taking a quick shot of this owl sculpture that was in one of the gardens. A somewhat differently designed owl was placed just a few feet away. Would love one of these in my own backyard : ) Thanks so much, Sandy, for giving me the chance to spend an afternoon in such beauty and peace! After our walk in the Gardens, I went back to Sandy's place and we had an early supper. We all know that snow isn't far away - it has fallen in parts of the mountains, but not yet in the city - so I am trying to get out as much as I can before having to deal with the long, dreaded months of winter. Just noticed that snow/rain are in the forecast for Calgary tonight. Apologies to everyone for not much commenting at the moment!! "The Botanical Gardens of Silver Springs is without doubt one of the Seven Wonders of Calgary, Alberta. It boasts 1350 square meters (14 600 square feet) of gardens which includes a spectacular Wall Garden that runs an uninterrupted 1300 feet. In the gardens you will find an endless variety of annuals and perennials ranging from artemisias to zinnias. Here indeed is a place to stop and smell the roses and the peonies and the delphiniums and the chrysanthemums and the … What makes these gardens so very special is that they were created and continue to be maintained by a band of green-thumbed enthusiastic volunteers. These hale and hearty diggers, planters, seeders, weeders, mowers, waterers, pruners and community builders work two to three mornings a week to keep the gardens in primrose shape and their efforts are truly appreciated by the many walkers, joggers, and cyclists. On any given day, hundreds of people walk the wall garden with their families, friends and out-of-town visitors. It has become a treasured destination site for many. For anyone who has spent time in the gardens, it is hard to believe that they have only been here since 2006 when a humble ornamental garden (400 square feet) was developed within the existing BirthPlace Forest tree beds. The BPF, by the way, saw 7000 trees planted in the area. The project was accomplished through a partnership of BP Energy, Calgary Parks, Regional Health and Golden Acres." From the gardens' website. www.botanicalgardensofsilversprings.ca/

Yesterday, 1 October 2016, I finally had my very first visit to the Silver Springs Botanical Gardens, thanks to friend, Sandy. I first heard about this beautiful place from my daughter, but I had never been, because it is way out of my driving comfort zone. In the morning, it was raining, at least in my part of the city, and I wondered if going would turn out to be a big mistake. However, the rain stayed away while we were there and, though the sky was overcast, I was still able to photograph to my heart's content. I was surprised at how many flowers were still in bloom on the first day of October and I was extremely impressed with how meticulously these gardens are kept - every inch of them. So many different kinds of trees and plants, and it was very obvious that each area had been planted with so much thought and care. Amazing that dedicated volunteers have been, and continue to be, the ones to thank for these gardens. Thanks so much, Sandy, for giving me the chance to spend an afternoon in such beauty and peace! We all know that snow isn't far away - it has fallen in parts of the mountains, but not yet in the city - so I am trying to get out as much as I can before having to deal with the long, dreaded months of winter. Apologies to everyone for not much commenting at the moment!! "The Botanical Gardens of Silver Springs is without doubt one of the Seven Wonders of Calgary, Alberta. It boasts 1350 square meters (14 600 square feet) of gardens which includes a spectacular Wall Garden that runs an uninterrupted 1300 feet. In the gardens you will find an endless variety of annuals and perennials ranging from artemisias to zinnias. Here indeed is a place to stop and smell the roses and the peonies and the delphiniums and the chrysanthemums and the … What makes these gardens so very special is that they were created and continue to be maintained by a band of green-thumbed enthusiastic volunteers. These hale and hearty diggers, planters, seeders, weeders, mowers, waterers, pruners and community builders work two to three mornings a week to keep the gardens in primrose shape and their efforts are truly appreciated by the many walkers, joggers, and cyclists. On any given day, hundreds of people walk the wall garden with their families, friends and out-of-town visitors. It has become a treasured destination site for many. For anyone who has spent time in the gardens, it is hard to believe that they have only been here since 2006 when a humble ornamental garden (400 square feet) was developed within the existing BirthPlace Forest tree beds. The BPF, by the way, saw 7000 trees planted in the area. The project was accomplished through a partnership of BP Energy, Calgary Parks, Regional Health and Golden Acres." From the gardens' website. www.botanicalgardensofsilversprings.ca/

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!

This photo was taken on 22 January 2016, when I was fortunate enough to get a place on a bus trip to Lake Louise and the annual Ice Sculpture display, Banff National Park, in the Rocky Mountains. It is a two-hour drive west of Calgary. Of course, any time a bus trip is organized way ahead of the day, you have no idea what the weather is going to be like. The weather was grim all day, with snow all day long, turning to really heavy, wet snow when we stood in the parking lot at the end of the day. No sign of the sun, which made photography a real challenge. There were so many people visiting the area that it was more or less impossible to get photos without at least a few people included. Even the mountains had mostly disappeared. Our bus driver, Tim, did a wonderful job of getting us to the lake and all the way back to Calgary safely. I was just so thankful that I wasn't driving! Some of the group chose to snowshoe, others to walk, and others to join Anne Belton's group for birding. I was expecting a stroll along the lake shore and around the Chateau grounds, lol, but instead we did a hike along the creek all the way to Lake Louise Village, roughly 4.2 km! The trail was very narrow - wide enough for heavy winter boots and icers plus maybe a couple of inches on either side. If you were unlucky enough to walk an inch further, you would have one leg plunge into snow up to your knee or higher. I was so thankful that this didn't happen to me, but it did mean that my eyes were looking downwards all the time instead of soaking up the glorious, snow-covered forest. The snow was so thick on the trees and when it became just too heavy for a branch to support, you stood the risk of being snow-bombed from high above. A lot of the trail was downhill - not particularly fun in such conditions, but we all took it very slowly, though there were several tumbles or someone would end up travelling on their rear end. Not the easiset hike, but the surroundings couldn't have been more beautiful. Thankfully, the bus driver had arranged to drive down to the Village ready to pick us up and take us back uphill to the Lake. As for the birds, well, they obviously didn't particularly like the grey, snowy day and stayed in hiding, other than several Common Ravens, a couple of Magpies, one or two Clark's Nutcrackers and two House Sparrows. Back at the Chateau, two of the birders did see a very distant Stellar's Jay - always a lovely bird to see, but it was too far for them to get photos. We had time to wander round the Ice Scuptures area, in front of the Chateau. Some beautiful work created by sculptors from various parts of the world. Each year, they seem to have an ice castle built out on the frozen lake. The carving and actual competition had taken place a few days before we went. "Winter comes alive in iconic Lake Louise, Alberta. Ice Magic Festival, January 15 - 24, 2016 is a world class event with over 20 years under its belt. Talented ice artists from around the world delicately balance grueling physical labour with precision artistry in a 34 hour International Ice Carving Competition. Jaw-dropping scenery sets the stage as ice carving teams of 2 create sculptures illustrating their interpretations of our chosen theme for 2016: Earth, Wind, Fire & Water - Elements of Life." Taken from link below. I love that the prize money for this competition is only a comparativey small amount, which I think shows that the carvers do what they do for love of the art, not for the money : ) Team Ice Carving Competition 1st Place: $2,500 2nd Place: $1,500 3rd Place: $750 Carver's Choice: $750 People's Choice: $500 One Carver, One Hour, One Block 1st Place: $1,000 2nd Place: $300 3rd Place: $200 People's Choice: $250 www.banfflakelouise.com/Area-Events/Festivals/Winter/Snow... So, a wonderful day trip for us all in breathtaking surroundings. I am especially appreciative, as I don't drive to the mountains, so rarely get to see them. Many thanks to FLC for doing such a great job of organizing this most enjoyable day for us. Thanks to Anne Belton for taking some of us on a beautiful hike through the forest. Definitely a day to remember. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chateau_Lake_Louise

Egg – The Unity of Diversity is a giant seven and a half metre (25’) illuminated egg, made of steel tube, aluminum and concrete, greeting transit riders and zoo visitors outside the zoo's main entrance, north of St. George's Island. “The sculpture, entitled Egg – The Unity of Diversity, is a stunning, three-dimensional art piece that you can walk through. As you explore the inside you’ll find a colourful collection of two-dimensional cut-outs and three-dimensional relief sculptures – all celebrating the diversity of life on earth. The piece was commissioned back in 2011, after an international Call to Artists. Working with the City of Calgary Public Art Program, we wanted an art piece that would be both unique and beautiful, capturing the essence of the zoo and speaking to our mission. We think the final piece, created by artist Brower Hatcher, from Mid-Ocean Studios, fulfills all our criteria. Brower Hatcher describes his creation as 'an image of the sacredness of the biodiversity of the planet and our responsibility as earthlings to respect all living things'. What a fitting way to sum up our role here at the zoo as advocates, stewards and leaders in conservation.” From the Calgary Zoo. www.calgaryzoo.com/keep-it-wild/calgary-zoo-egg-sculpture...

This is part of a large-scale land art sculpture by world renowned artist Beverly Pepper, built at the Ralph Klein Park, on the eastern edge of the city. On 21st April 2013, I went on a trip with a group of friends to visit this fairly new Park, that has several huge ponds. Any body of water has been frozen until very recently, but the ponds were now pretty much open. You can just make out a small group of Swans flying in the distance. I did a quick removal of some very distracting electricity wires. The rest of the land sculpture includes a third, narrower pillar and two "pyramids". Must admit that when I was trying to photograph the display, before I read that these were part of the sculpture, I was wishing that "they" had removed the piles of dirt that were still lying there. There are better angles from which to take photos, but when you are with a group, you can't take off on your own. "The result is astonishing because it looks like it was born here." said Pepper from the Ralph Klein Park dedication ceremony. Her two-year project has two pyramids jutting out of rolling prairie with three steel ‘sentinels’ looming over. It is perched on a hillside looking over Ralph Klein Park’s Environmental Education Centre. "The monoliths at Ralph Klein Legacy Park are meant to herald the uniqueness of the wetlands,” said Pepper. “I believe my work offers a place for reflection and contemplative thought within the context of active urban environments.” www.calgarycitynews.com/2010/07/beverly-peppers-sentinals... Needless to say, I thought of Ralph Klein, who died very recently, when I was out there, mentally thanking him for all he did for Calgary and Alberta over many years.

Finally, the snow is melting, so I thought I'd better post this shot taken earlier in the winter, before spring arrives. LOL, actually, I've probably got plenty of time yet : ). I wonder if every spot of snow will get a chance to melt this time before more snow falls. This winter, we have had snow covering the ground for months on end - what happened to all our usual (and, oh, so welcome) Chinooks this winter?? Can never resist stopping for a moment, though, to capture Nature's little gifts.

This old piece of machinery has been made into a sculpture in a park fairly near the Max Bell Arena in Calgary. So far, we have not been able to find out what this ued to be a part of. If anyone has any information, it would be much appreciated - thanks!

I guess this is what we can look forward to any time now! Meanwhile, the sun is shining and there is no snow on the ground.