Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: crumbling

This morning, my appointment to get two cortisone injections in my knees has just been cancelled and rescheduled for Monday. With a temperature of -9C (windchill -13C), I wish that meant I didn't need to go out in the cold and clear the snow off my car. However, I have a few errands that I really need to run. This photo was taken on 28 October 2018, when a group of 15 of us went south of the city on a birding trip to one of my favourite areas. This included Chain Lakes and Pine Coulee Reservoir. I just love some of the landscape through which we drove - barren, rugged, middle-of-nowhere kind of scenery. It looks so different in each season - I think my favourite time of year is when there is a covering of snow on the empty hills and ice on most of the water. I've still not had the courage to drive in this area myself, as I know that I might never find my way out. As on almost all these day trips out of the city, almost every bird is far, far away, needing at least binoculars and best of all, a scope. Also, as always happens, my camera lens turns to things other than birds. Scenic shots are always taken - after all, I feel that it is important to record the habitat of any birds seen. We saw so many Swans (Tundra and Trumpeter) on various sloughs and in flight. What a sight they were, with the sun shining on their pure white feathers. Love to hear the Trumpeter Swans "trumpeting". A huge thrill was when our leader led us to a small creek where there were four American Dippers, happily bobbing and dipping, and swimming under water. They weren't bothered by our presence at all. Terry, you took us on yet another amazing trip! You even arranged with the weatherman for a beautiful, sunny day, though the morning was very cold and windy. It couldn't have been a better outing - so very enjoyable. Thanks so much, Linda and Robin, for the ride all day - greatly appreciated!

An old barn and our beautiful Alberta landscape, with a touch of filter added in post-processing. All three photos posted this morning were taken the day before yesterday, on 28 October 2018. A group of 15 of us went S and SE of the city on a birding trip to one of my favourite areas. This included Chain Lakes and Pine Coulee Reservoir. I just love some of the landscape through which we drove - barren, rugged, middle-of-nowhere kind of scenery. It looks so different in each season - I think my favourite time of year is when there is a covering of snow on the empty hills and ice on most of the water. I've still not had the courage to drive in this area myself, as I know that I might never find my way out. As on almost all these day trips out of the city, almost every bird is far, far away, needing at least binoculars and best of all, a scope. Also, as always happens, my camera lens turns to things other than birds. Scenic shots are always taken - after all, I feel that it is important to record the habitat of any birds seen. We saw so many Swans (Tundra and Trumpeter) on various sloughs and in flight. What a sight they were, with the sun shining on their pure white feathers. Love to hear the Trumpeter Swans "trumpeting". A huge thrill was when our leader led us to a small creek where there were four American Diippers, happily bobbing and dipping, and swimming under water. They weren't bothered by our presence at all. Terry, you took us on yet another amazing trip! You even arranged with the weatherman for a beautiful, sunny day, though the morning was very cold and windy. It couldn't have been a better outing - so very enjoyable. Thanks so much, Linda and Robin, for the ride all day - greatly appreciated! I was off my computer all day yesterday, too. My daughter came down for the day, as she had offered to come and help me with sorting through some things and getting rid of all my old electronics at recycle places. It saved me a whole lot of bending (which kills my back) and a lot of lifting. Her help was hugely appreciated! Last night was supposed to be THE night, ha, ha! I was going to set two or three mouse traps (which is how I started out about 6 months ago, but I caught nothing). However, do you think I could set the traps? No, I just could not see how to set them. After talking to a friend on the phone this morning, he helped me and I got the first trap in place. Two minutes later, as I was just going upstairs, I heard a loud snap. Have not had the courage yet to peer round my fridge to see if the trap went off by itself or if there is one dead mouse. If it was successful, which I doubt, friends will come over later today to remove it for me!!

This morning, I am again returning to local photos instead of continuing with images from our Pt Pelee and Tadoussac trip back in May of this year. You can't tell from this photo, taken on 12 October 2018, but I was barely able to hold my camera, or open my car door to get in and out, the wind was so strong! Seeing sunshine all morning, I reckoned it might be a good time to dash east of the city and visit a couple of old wooden barns and sheds that I enjoy photographing. When I stepped out of my front door, I could feel the wind, but as I knew I would not be trying to take photos of flowers that would blow in and out of the viewfinder, I thought it would be OK. Well, was I wrong! It was definitely not fun driving the highway and, little did I know, the wind would become stronger and the dark clouds and rain would move in. Needless to say, in the end, I just had to give up and return home. Fortunately, I was able to get the main photos I was hoping for, straight away, before the storm worsened. I love this old barn and I had wanted to find it for a number of years after coming across a photo somewhere on the Internet. One day, a friend happened to post a photo of an old barn and it turned out to be the very barn that I hadn't yet found. Without being asked, he told me exactly where it was. I had been out looking for it just a few days before and must have missed it by just one road. I would love to have photographed it looking head on, but, as always, I stayed on the road to get my photos.

It's snowing - again! Our temperature is -3C (windchill -9C). So far, the forecast for the coming week looks amazing! Temperatures between 12C and 19C (for Wednesday). What a difference and finally, it looks like we might actually be going to get a fall season after all. Hopefully, there will still be enough leaves left on the trees to give at least a bit of fall colour. This morning, I am returning to local photos instead of continuing with images from our Pt Pelee and Tadoussac trip back in May of this year. You can't tell from this photo, taken on 12 October 2018, but I was barely able to hold my camera, or open my car door to get in and out, the wind was so strong yesterday afternoon! Seeing sunshine all morning, I reckoned it might be a good time to dash east of the city and visit a couple of old wooden barns and sheds that I enjoy photographing. When I stepped out of my front door, I could feel the wind, but as I knew I would not be trying to take photos of flowers that would blow in and out of the viewfinder, I thought it would be OK. Well, was I wrong! It was definitely not fun driving the highway and, little did I know, the wind would become stronger and the dark clouds and rain would move in. Needless to say, in the end, I just had to give up and return home. Fortunately, I was able to get the main photos I was hoping for, straight away, before the storm worsened. I love this old barn and I had wanted to find it for a number of years after coming across a photo somewhere on the Internet. One day, a friend happened to post a photo of an old barn and it turned out to be the very barn that I hadn't yet found. Without being asked, he told me exactly where it was. I had been out looking for it just a few days before and must have missed it by just one road. I would love to have photographed it looking head on, but, as always, I stayed on the road to get my photos.

It's snowing - again! Our temperature is -3C (windchill -9C). So far, the forecast for the coming week looks amazing! Temperatures between 12C and 19C (for Wednesday). What a difference and finally, it looks like we might actually be going to get a fall season after all. Hopefully, there will still be enough leaves left on the trees to give at least a bit of fall colour. This morning, I am returning to local photos instead of continuing with images from our Pt Pelee and Tadoussac trip back in May of this year. You can't tell from this photo, taken on 12 October 2018, but I was barely able to hold my camera, or open my car door to get in and out, the wind was so strong yesterday afternoon! Seeing sunshine all morning, I reckoned it might be a good time to dash east of the city and visit a couple of old wooden barns and sheds that I enjoy photographing. When I stepped out of my front door, I could feel the wind, but as I knew I would not be trying to take photos of flowers that would blow in and out of the viewfinder, I thought it would be OK. Well, was I wrong! It was definitely not fun driving the highway and, little did I know, the wind would become stronger and the dark clouds and rain would move in. Needless to say, in the end, I just had to give up and return home. Fortunately, I was able to get the main photos I was hoping for, straight away, before the storm worsened.

This photo was taken in the afternoon of 6 November 2017, when I decided to dash out east of the city again. Most roads were clear of snow, apart from the gravel back roads, so I reckoned I had better make the most of it before the next snowfall. There were four barns and an old house that I had photographed on 27 October 2017 and I wanted to get them with snow on the ground. There was enough snow on the ground to make it look like winter, but not huge amounts yet. It was all I could do to walk along the road and take long enough to grab a few shots - it was so cold, and windy, too, which is never a good combination! The one barn (not the collapsing one seen in this photo) was one that I had wanted to see for a number of years. A friend had posted a photo of an old barn and it turned out to be the very barn that I hadn't yet found. Without being asked, he told me exactly where it was. I had been looking for it just a few days before and must have missed it by just one road. I would love to have photographed it looking head on, but, as always, I stayed on the road to get my photos. The barn in this photo was in the same area. Apart from one occasion, I had avoided driving east of the city from the south for a few years, as the roads are so confusing, with dozens of huge road signs and several massive overpasses. It is so easy to be in the wrong lane and take the wrong turn-off, which happened to me one time maybe a couple of years ago, twice in one day. That was enough to put me off trying again. However, finally having done it recently, I knew it was much faster to get out east that way. There are two tricky turn-offs and I almost missed both of them on my last trip. If there had been a lot of traffic, I would have been out of luck. The fact that the clocks have just been set back an hour didn't even cross my mind and I found myself driving back to the city when it was getting dark - making those huge road signs very difficult, if not impossible, to read! No sign of wildlife, except for a flock of Gray Partridge that flushed up from the side of the road and flew and landed way out in a field. A couple of Ravens were the only other birds seen.

This photo was taken in the afternoon of 6 November 2017, when I decided to dash out east of the city again. Most roads were clear of snow, apart from the gravel back roads, so I reckoned I had better make the most of it before the next snowfall. There were four barns and an old house that I had photographed on 27 October 2017 and I wanted to get them with snow on the ground. There was enough snow on the ground to make it look like winter, but not huge amounts yet. It was all I could do to walk along the road and take long enough to grab a few shots - it was so cold, and windy, too, which is never a good combination! The barn in this photo is one that I had wanted to see for a number of years. A friend had posted a photo of an old barn and it turned out to be the very barn that I hadn't yet found. Without being asked, he told me exactly where it was. I had been looking for it just a few days before and must have missed it by just one road. I would love to have photographed it looking head on, but, as always, I stayed on the road to get my photos. Apart from one occasion, I had avoided driving east of the city from the south for a few years, as the roads are so confusing, with dozens of huge road signs and several massive overpasses. It is so easy to be in the wrong lane and take the wrong turn-off, which happened to me one time maybe a couple of years ago, twice in one day. That was enough to put me off trying again. However, finally having done it recently, I knew it was much faster to get out east that way. There are two tricky turn-offs and I almost missed both of them on my last trip. If there had been a lot of traffic, I would have been out of luck. The fact that the clocks have just been set back an hour didn't even cross my mind and I found myself driving back to the city when it was getting dark - making those huge road signs very difficult to read! No sign of wildlife, except for a flock of Gray Partridge that flushed up from the side of the road and flew and landed way out in a field. A couple of Ravens were the only other birds seen.

Sometimes, I just can't help myself, lol! When out on a birding trip with friends, my eye does tend to wander and find things that I just can't resist, while everyone else is concentrating hard on looking for birds! In this case, on 2 February 2014, a group of us were on an annual birding trip west of the city, that is normally to the Sibbald Creek area, Exshaw and Harvie Heights. This year, though, we drove around the Water Valley area (NW of Calgary) first and then went straight on to Harvie Heights. Very few birds to be seen in either area, but of course it was wonderful to get out to these places, in good company. At Harvie Heights, near Canmore (near Banff) ,there were no Grosbeaks, no Clark's Nutcrackers, etc.. The same has been true for so many walks and outings these days - where are all the birds? Yesterday, a group of people went to a local city park and, in just under three hours of walking, saw only five species of bird. The following is the report complied by trip leader, Andrew Hart. Thanks for a great day, as always, Andrew! "Twelve of us set out on a sunny but chilly day with temperatures ranging from -14 deg C to -8 deg C We started off by driving around in the area to the south of Water Valley as far as the Bates Ranch. We were hoping to find owls, but despite visiting several known previous sighting locations came up short. We did see several Ravens and Magpies, some Blue Jays (at the Winchell Lake Estates), Black Capped Chickadees, a Rough Legged Hawk, Pileated Woodpecker, and Hairy Woodpecker. We also saw a Coyote. After lunch we went further south and encountered a family of 6-8 Gray Jays near the Bates Ranch. We then headed to Harvie Heights. En route we passed a road killed deer swarming with 20 Ravens, and a Coyote angling to see them off. We also saw two Bald Eagles. At Harvie Heights we saw several Mountain and Black Capped Chickadees, a Brown Creeper, Pine Siskins, Dark Eyed Juncos, and Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers (the Woodpeckers seen by Phil Quin at a feeder by the hamlet entrance that the rest of us drove past). No Pine Grosbeaks (not that much of a surprise this year) and no Clark's Nutcrackers (more of a surprise). The incredible sunlit snow blanketed scenery made up for the relative shortcomings in bird species."

This photo was taken in the afternoon of 6 November 2017, when I decided to dash out east of the city again. Most roads are clear of snow now, apart from the gravel back roads, so I reckoned I had better make the most of it before the next snowfall. There were four barns and an old house that I had photographed on 27 October 2017 and I wanted to get them with snow on the ground. There was enough snow on the ground to make it look like winter, but not huge amounts yet. It was all I could do to walk along the road and take long enough to grab a few shots - it was so cold, and windy, too, which is never a good combination! I had avoided driving east of the city from the south for a few years, as the roads are so confusing, with dozens of huge road signs and several massive overpasses. It is so easy to be in the wrong lane and take the wrong turn-off, which happened to me one time maybe a couple of years ago, twice in one day. That was enough to put me off trying again. However, finally having done it recently, I knew it was much faster to get out east that way. There are two tricky turn-offs and I almost missed both of them. If there had been a lot of traffic, I would have been out of luck. The fact that the clocks have just been set back an hour didn't even cross my mind and I found myself driving back to the city when it was getting dark - making those huge road signs very difficult to read! No sign of wildlife, except for a flock of Gray Partridge that flushed up from the side of the road and flew and landed way out in a field. A couple of Ravens were the only other birds seen.

This photo was taken in the afternoon of 6 November 2017, when I decided to dash out east of the city again. Most roads are clear of snow now, apart from the gravel back roads, so I reckoned I had better make the most of it before the next snowfall. There were four barns and an old house that I had photographed on 27 October 2017 and I wanted to get them with snow on the ground. There was enough snow on the ground to make it look like winter, but not huge amounts yet. It was all I could do to walk along the road and take long enough to grab a few shots - it was so cold, and windy, too, which is never a good combination! The barn in this photo is one that I had wanted to see for a number of years. A friend posted a photo of an old barn recently and it turned out to be the very barn that I hadn't yet found. Without being asked, he told me exactly where it was. I had been looking for it just a few days before and must have missed it by just one road. I would love to have photographed it looking head on, but, as always, I stayed on the road to get my photos. Apart from one occasion, I had avoided driving east of the city from the south for a few years, as the roads are so confusing, with dozens of huge road signs and several massive overpasses. It is so easy to be in the wrong lane and take the wrong turn-off, which happened to me one time maybe a couple of years ago, twice in one day. That was enough to put me off trying again. However, finally having done it recently, I knew it was much faster to get out east that way. There are two tricky turn-offs and I almost missed both of them on my last trip. If there had been a lot of traffic, I would have been out of luck. The fact that the clocks have just been set back an hour didn't even cross my mind and I found myself driving back to the city when it was getting dark - making those huge road signs very difficult to read! No sign of wildlife, except for a flock of Gray Partridge that flushed up from the side of the road and flew and landed way out in a field. A couple of Ravens were the only other birds seen.

This photo was taken yesterday afternoon, 6 November 2017, when I decided to dash out east of the city again. Most roads are clear of snow now, apart from the gravel back roads, so I reckoned I had better make the most of it before the next snowfall. There were four barns and an old house that I had photographed on 27 October 2017 and I wanted to get them with snow on the ground. There was enough snow on the ground to make it look like winter, but not huge amounts yet. I don't think I have yet posted photos earlier photos of either of the two barns in this photo. It was all I could do to walk along the road and take long enough to grab a few shots - it was so cold, and windy, too, which is never a good combination! I had avoided driving east of the city from the south for a few years, as the roads are so confusing, with dozens of huge road signs and several massive overpasses. It is so easy to be in the wrong lane and take the wrong turn-off, which happened to me one time maybe a couple of years ago, twice in one day. That was enough to put me off trying again. However, finally having done it recently, I knew it was much faster to get out east that way. There are two tricky turn-offs and I almost missed both of them yesterday. If there had been a lot of traffic, I would have been out of luck. The fact that the clocks have just been set back an hour didn't even cross my mind and I found myself driving back to the city when it was getting dark - making those huge road signs very difficult to read! No sign of wildlife, except for a flock of Gray Partridge that flushed up from the side of the road and flew and landed way out in a field. A couple of Ravens were the only other birds seen.

Sorry I'm posting so many old barn photos at the moment. I'm not seeing any birds to photograph, so barns it is. Actually, I had caught a quick glimpse of this old barn a few days before I photographed it, but I was on a birding trip with a small group of friends, so obviously couldn't ask if I could quickly stop. Just had to go back and find it for myself. This was taken on 27 October 2017. It was a day filled with interest and enjoyment, and the morning was so different from the afternoon. It felt a day well spent. The morning was spent on a preliminary bio-blitz at the KOAC Art Centre in Springbank, west of Calgary, and straight from there I drove east of the city to see and photograph an old barn that I had wanted to see for a number of years. A friend posted a photo of an old barn the other day and it turned out to be the very barn that I hadn't yet found. Without being asked, he told me exactly where it was. I had been looking for it just a few days before and must have missed it by just one road. I would love to have photographed it looking head on, but, as always, I stayed on the road to get my photos. Early that morning, I set out to drive west of the city, to meet a small group of friends at a very special place. It was just starting to get light when I left home and the pink sunrise colours over the distant peaks was beautiful. Unfortunately, I couldn't stop anywhere to take a photo, until I actually arrived. We had been invited to visit and do a bio-blitz at an art centre in Springbank, belonging to two amazing, vibrant, creative people who were a joy to meet. There are so many things I could write, but will instead borrow the words from various articles about this lively, hardworking couple. A friend who usually comes out with us on our May Species Counts knows Katie and Harry and had told our main Naturalist, Gus Yaki, that they were interested in learning more about what plant species were growing on their 20 acres of land. I feel very fortunate to have been invited. Of course, it was not the best time of year to do this, though our Naturalist (unlike me) knows all the plants and trees without their flowers. I will gradually add some information about this generous pair, as I find again the various websites that I was looking at late last night. I say "generous" because Katie and Harry have donated their home, Gallery, collections, and land, while continuing to live there at present. A tremendous gift! "Harry Kiyooka and Katie Ohe have dedicated their lives to art. Their work has helped shape the local, national and international art scenes. And now they are taking the step of not just being figurative institutions on the scene, but turning their home into a literal institution for art creation. Ohe, still a part-time instructor at ACAD (Alberta College of Art + Design), has been teaching art since 1959 and has been with ACAD since 1970. As a teacher, she has promoted the creativity of a diverse range of students. While teaching at the Calgary Allied Arts Centre, she also worked and lived out of the Hart family’s carriage house — that’s the Hart family of wrestling fame. Ohe taught art to the “Hitman” himself, Bret Hart, the eighth child of wrestling patriarch Stu Hart. Harry didn’t seek the limelight,” says Deborah Herringer Kiss, director of the Herringer Kiss Gallery of Contemporary Art, who has known the couple for more than 15 years. “He didn’t care about having big shows or trying to get into museums. He didn’t care about any of that. He made it work by quietly, constantly creating art.” A couple years shy of 90, Kiyooka is still a prolific painter. Inside his and Ohe’s home, his paintings hang alongside the “greats.” Other paintings line the walls of his studio, and he still works on several huge canvases. More paintings are stored behind couches and under beds, and there’s a dedicated storage room packed with filing cabinets, filled with his paintings." From an article in AvenueCalgary, from February 17, 2016 (see link below). www.avenuecalgary.com/City-Life/Calgary-Contemporary-Art-... www.koartscentre.org/ www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/work+progress/8484134... One of Katie's kinetic sculptures (Chrome Plated Steel) in motion: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp05CHJGV6I www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-art-centre-springb...

This photo was taken two days ago, on 27 October 2017. It was a day filled with interest and enjoyment, and the morning was so different from the afternoon. It felt a day well spent. The morning was spent on a bio-blitz at the KOAC Art Centre in Springbank, west of Calgary, and straight from there I drove east of the city to see and photograph an old barn that I had wanted to see for a number of years. A friend posted a photo of an old barn the other day and it turned out to be the very barn that I hadn't yet found. Without being asked, he told me exactly where it was. I had been looking for it just a few days before and must have missed it by just one road. I would love to have photographed it looking head on, but, as always, I stayed on the road to get my photos. Early morning, I set out to drive west of the city, to meet a small group of friends at a very special place. It was just starting to get light when I left home and the pink sunrise colours over the distant peaks was beautiful. Unfortunately, I couldn't stop anywhere to take a photo, until I actually arrived. We had been invited to visit and do a preliminary bio-blitz at an art centre in Springbank, belonging to two amazing, vibrant, creative people who were a joy to meet. There are so many things I could write, but will instead take the words from various articles about this lively, hardworking couple. A friend who usually comes out with us on our May Species Counts knows Katie and Harry and had told our main Naturalist, Gus Yaki, that they were interested in learning more about what plant species were growing on their 20 acres of land. I feel very fortunate to have been invited. Of course, it was not the best time of year to do this, though our Naturalist (unlike me) knows all the plants and trees without their flowers. I will gradually add some information about this generous pair, as I find again the various websites that I was looking at late last night. I say "generous" because Katie and Harry have donated their home, Gallery, collections, and land, while continuing to live there at present. A tremendous gift! "Harry Kiyooka and Katie Ohe have dedicated their lives to art. Their work has helped shape the local, national and international art scenes. And now they are taking the step of not just being figurative institutions on the scene, but turning their home into a literal institution for art creation. Ohe, still a part-time instructor at ACAD (Alberta College of Art + Design), has been teaching art since 1959 and has been with ACAD since 1970. As a teacher, she has promoted the creativity of a diverse range of students. While teaching at the Calgary Allied Arts Centre, she also worked and lived out of the Hart family’s carriage house — that’s the Hart family of wrestling fame. Ohe taught art to the “Hitman” himself, Bret Hart, the eighth child of wrestling patriarch Stu Hart. Harry didn’t seek the limelight,” says Deborah Herringer Kiss, director of the Herringer Kiss Gallery of Contemporary Art, who has known the couple for more than 15 years. “He didn’t care about having big shows or trying to get into museums. He didn’t care about any of that. He made it work by quietly, constantly creating art.” A couple years shy of 90, Kiyooka is still a prolific painter. Inside his and Ohe’s home, his paintings hang alongside the “greats.” Other paintings line the walls of his studio, and he still works on several huge canvases. More paintings are stored behind couches and under beds, and there’s a dedicated storage room packed with filing cabinets, filled with his paintings." From an article in AvenueCalgary, from February 17, 2016 (see link below). www.avenuecalgary.com/City-Life/Calgary-Contemporary-Art-... www.koartscentre.org/ www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/work+progress/8484134... One of Katie's kinetic sculptures (Chrome Plated Steel) in motion: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp05CHJGV6I www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-art-centre-springb...

25 October 2017: yet another wildfire burning to the south of us. I had been thinking of going for a drive this week down in that area, but obviously won't do so now. This summer and fall have been horrendous for wildfires, north, south, east and west of us. The strong winds continue, which is the absolute worst when it comes to wildfires spreading. When will this ever end??? "Grass fire prompts evacuation alert near Alberta's Chain Lakes Provincial Park. Another wildfire fanned by high winds has broken out in southern Alberta, prompting an evacuation alert and the closure of a 70-kilometre stretch of Highway 22. There is a serious fire which is affecting the Chimney Rock Road area of the MD of Ranchland," reads a warning issued Wednesday by the Alberta Emergency Alert system. "Prepare for possible evacuation. Take all necessary precautions. Avoid the area if possible." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ On numerous occasions, I had caught a glimpse through the trees of this bit of rural decay. Now, major road construction is going on, with the building of the western portion of the major ring road around the city of Calgary. This helped me get a better view of this old barn and homestead. Though it was a distant view, I rather liked the swirling curves of the ploughed lines in the field. Taken after a long day in the mountains, in dreadful weather, on 17 October 2017. Friend Gayle had asked if I would like to go out for the day and we ended up driving through the Springbank area and then on to Canmore. I had checked the weather forecast and, I have to admit that if I was planning to go out of the city on my own, I would have changed my mind and stayed home instead. However, we decided to at least get out for a while and see how far we would go. As it turned out, we got to Canmore in the mountains, where we had lunch - Lasagne for me : ) Feeling re-energized, we decided to start driving up the mountainous road that leads from Canmore to the Spray Lakes area. Though I have been on this road at various times, I have never driven it myself. If I want to get to the Spray Lakes area, I go from the south and all the way along Highway 40. The rough, narrow road leading from Canmore is quite an adventure at any time. It gives a wonderful view looking down over the whole of Canmore and the river. It is also a popular road for Mountain Sheep, and we were lucky to see four of them in a little group, licking the salt from the bottom of the cliff rock face. It is incredible how these wild animals can climb the steep, rocky surface - done very cautiously. This is their road and if they want to stand in the middle of it, then that is what they do. "One of the most important features of the bighorn sheep is the unique structure of its hooves. Rather than being hard like those of a horse or cow, the sheep have rubber-like hooves that allow excellent mobility on steep rock faces." www.conservenature.org/learn_about_wildlife/rocky_mountai... Part way up the mountain, we took the turn-off to Quarry Lake, a place I had heard of and seen photos of, but had never been there myself. We parked and decided to walk round the lake, which turned out to be very unpleasant, with strong winds picking up grit and leaves and whipping our faces. For the first time ever, I saw a tree come crashing down at the edge of the forest. Once safely back to the car, we thought we would drive a little further and see what conditions were like. Rain and very strong winds continued and once we reached the north end of Spray Lakes Reservoir, we made the decision to turn around and head back down. The mountains were disappearing from sight, so there wasn't much point in continuing, anyway. Gayle had hoped to go on as far as Banff, but there was no sense in doing so in such dreadful weather. As often happens, the weather seemed to brighten somewhat once we were out of the mountains. It felt so good to actually see some blue sky. Getting closer to Calgary, the car radio was announcing which city roads were blocked by a fallen tree or downed powerlines. I was not far from home, shortly before sunset, when I noticed some impressive clouds and, on the spur of the moment, drove along one of the gravel back roads just within the edge of the city. It was worth it, though I was quite relieved when I finally reached home. Many thanks, Gayle, for a great day out, braving the weather! We had fun and it certainly was an interesting experience. I really appreciated the chance to use my camera once more, before the next snowfall arrives and stays on the ground for the next few months.

On 17 September 2017, after noticing snowflake icons in the weather forecast for Calgary for the next week, I decided I would do a drive east and north-east of Calgary. In 2016, I had done a similar drive with my daughter, but this time I did not go as far as Drumheller. Actually, I still drove quite a bit further than I had intended - 346 km, 215 miles. If I had had enough self-discipline, I would have left home much earlier, as it was 11:20 am when I finally got into my car. My intention was to drive a few back roads, searching for old barns. Most of my drive was on highways, simply for the purpose of saving time, so it wasn't till I was more or less at the furthest point that I actually saw a barn. I couldn't see a sign pointing to the old grain elevator that I wanted to revisit, so it took me a while to find the hilly, gravel road leading to it. By this time, unfortunately, there was a haze over the landscape and the light was far from good. Having driven so far, I was determined to take photos. As with any beautiful old elevator, barn or homestead, it will be a sad day when the old house in my photo finally collapses. It certainly does not look in good condition. While I was standing taking photos of the old grain elevator, a farmer came down to the gravel road on his tractor and stopped to have a pleasant chat. I told this pleasant man that I felt like I was in the middle of nowhere, and he said that we WERE in the middle of nowhere, ha. I was planning to go back the same way I had come, but he told me that there was an old house (seen in this photo) the other way, that people photograph. That changed my mind, though I knew I would continue to feel in the middle of nowhere. Definitely worth it, as I also came across a site of old, abandoned miners' cabins before reaching the old house. When coal was no longer mined, the area was left and the railway lines were torn up at a later date. One other abandoned house I passed was one that my daughter and I had found last year. It was built among the rolling hills, far, far away from any road, and is a very impressive sight. This year, they were doing road work repair by a bridge just a matter of feet away from the only possible place to pull over and stop. Thankfully, I was still able to stop and take photos. Altogether, a good few hours out. Though I didn't see a lot, the things I did see were most welcome and appreciated. I was glad to get in another long drive before 'the white stuff' arrives and stays on the ground, keeping me close to home.

On 17 September 2017, after noticing snowflake icons in the weather forecast for Calgary for the next week, I decided I would do a drive east and north-east of Calgary. In 2016, I had done a similar drive with my daughter, but this time I did not go as far as Drumheller. Actually, I still drove quite a bit further than I had intended - 346 km, 215 miles. If I had had enough self-discipline, I would have left home much earlier, as it was 11:20 am when I finally got into my car. My intention was to drive a few back roads, searching for old barns. Most of my drive was on highways, simply for the purpose of saving time, so it wasn't till I was more or less at the furthest point that I actually saw a barn. I couldn't see a sign pointing to the old grain elevator that I wanted to revisit, so it took me a while to find the hilly, gravel road leading to it. By this time, unfortunately, there was a haze over the landscape and the light was far from good. Having driven so far, I was determined to take photos. As with any beautiful old elevator, barn or homestead, it will be a sad day when the old house in my photo finally collapses. It certainly does not look in good condition. While I was standing taking photos of the old grain elevator, a farmer came down to the gravel road on his tractor and stopped to have a pleasant chat. I told this pleasant man that I felt like I was in the middle of nowhere, and he said that we WERE in the middle of nowhere, ha. I was planning to go back the same way I had come, but he told me that there was an old house (seen in this photo) the other way, that people photograph. That changed my mind, though I knew I would continue to feel in the middle of nowhere. Definitely worth it, as I also came across a site of old, abandoned miners' cabins before reaching the old house. When coal was no longer mined, the area was left and the railway lines were torn up at a later date. One other abandoned house I passed was one that my daughter and I had found last year. It was built among the rolling hills, far, far away from any road, and is a very impressive sight. This year, they were doing road work repair by a bridge just a matter of feet away from the only possible place to pull over and stop. Thankfully, I was still able to stop and take photos. Altogether, a good few hours out. Though I didn't see a lot, the things I did see were most welcome and appreciated. I was glad to get in one more long drive before 'the white stuff' arrives and keeps me close to home.

Update on the Waterton wildfire, from CBC News - includes a poor quality helicopter video showing the townsite and the Prince of Wales hotel. Just amazing work done by all the firefighters! Thank you so much for everything you've done! Apparently, a few Elk and Bears have been seen in the town, which is great news. Plants will recover - some plants grow after there has been a fire, and some actually require a fire in order to grow and bloom. The status of the fire is now "held", which means that it is no longer growing but it is still burning in spots. Crandell Campground was significantly affected, which presumably means the same for the nearby Canyon Church Camp. Also, the Bison Paddock was damaged. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-waterton-lakes-nat... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Literally a case of "over the hills and far away" for this photo of the old Laing house! Thought I would try my camera on a digital setting for a few shots of this amazing old house, built just over a century ago. They came out very blurry, so I added a touch of filter in post-processing, which made this one just about fit to be posted. If you only knew how far away it actually is from the road. It was built among the rolling hills, far, far away from any road, and is a very impressive sight. This year, they were doing road work repair by a bridge just a matter of feet away from the only possible place to pull over and stop. Thankfully, I was still able to stop and take photos. There is very little information to be found on the Internet, but I will add links to several things I did find, for my own memory and just in case anyone else is interested in the history of this place. So sad to see any old house, barn or shed fall into such decay. www.bigdoer.com/22257/exploring-history/laing-house-frien... . Lots of great images. www.pbase.com/impalass/image/110826402 . Great photos by Mike Stobbs. www.youtube.com/user/asecondaryhighway Click on A Secondary Highway: The Abandoned House. Just shows the inside of the house. The first time I saw this old house was last year, on 18 July 2016, when my daughter and I did a bit of exploring north-east of Calgary. The day before yesterday, 17 September 2017, after noticing snowflake icons in the weather forecast for Calgary this week, I decided I would do a similar drive, but not as far as Drumheller this time. Actually, I still drove quite a bit further than I had intended - 346 km, 215 miles. If I had had enough self-discipline, I would have left home much earlier, as it was 11:20 am when I finally got into my car. My intention was to drive a few back roads, searching for old barns. Most of my drive was on highways, simply for the purpose of saving time, so it wasn't till I was more or less at the furthest point that I actually saw a barn. As with any beautiful old barn or homestead, it will be a sad day when this one finally collapses. Altogether, a good few hours out. Though I didn't see a lot, the things I did see were most welcome and appreciated. I was glad to get in one more long drive before 'the white stuff' arrives and keeps me close to home. Still tired out a full day later - these drives knock me out!

This must have been quite a fine home long ago. I have photographed it before, along with one of my favourite barns next to it. I liked the different colours in the foreground this time. On 1 July 2017, I had such a great day, spent with friend, Pam. I picked her up just after 8:00 am and did a long drive in Southern Alberta. We saw our target bird - a Common Nighthawk, and all sorts of other things including plants and old barns. It took a round trip of 414 km to get the Nighthawks, but it was so worth it! Much further than I normally drive. Towards the end of our day, the rain arrived, accompanied by lightning streaks. This couldn't have been timed more perfectly, to wash off a lot of the dust that covered my car after 12 hours of driving hot, dusty roads! So welcome! Since this outing, it has been one long heatwave - till yesterday, 1 August 2017, when we finally had light rain and it was 'cold'. Felt absolutely wonderful. It was such a thrill to see a Common Nighthawk / Chordeiles minor (a rather strange looking bird), as I had always wanted to see one actually lying on a fence post or wooden railing. People get such amazing photos of them like that, and that is what I was determined to find this summer. Last year, I had driven to this area in Southern Alberta, hoping to find one, but had been out of luck. Though most of my photos were of them lying on a hard, metal railing that lacked character, I'm still happy as can be. Not only did friend Pam and I see this one, but there were three other Nighthawks there, too. Two of the others were also on a metal rail, but the fourth was on a fence post - not the best angle, but it was still nice to see a fence post perch. How close we came to missing them! I said I wanted to just check the first part of a small side road first, before continuing on the road we were on - and there they were! I had seen a nighthawk on maybe five different occasions over the years, but most were in flight and one was perched very high up in a tree. For Pam, this was the first time she had ever seen one, and she was so happy to see this lifer. "On warm summer evenings, Common Nighthawks roam the skies over treetops, grasslands, and cities. Their sharp, electric peent call is often the first clue they’re overhead. In the dim half-light, these long-winged birds fly in graceful loops, flashing white patches out past the bend of each wing as they chase insects. These fairly common but declining birds make no nest. Their young are so well camouflaged that they’re hard to find, and even the adults seem to vanish as soon as they land." From AllABoutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Nighthawk/id I was so tired after driving such a long distance and it was a hot day - the temperature got up to 30C. I so rarely do such a long drive, and I've barely driven all winter and spring. It felt so good to actually get out on a long drive like this, and we saw all sorts of interesting things that we just had to stop and photograph - of course!