Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: minimalism

My daughter and I had a such a great day six days ago, on 5 September 2017. She had a free day, so we decided to drive east of the city and visit the Pioneer Acres Museum. The day started off with seeing three perched Swainson's Hawks, which were a bonus. We had passed the colourful old truck and tractor displayed on tall posts, to indicate Pioneer Acres, on various occasions and this time, we actually went to the museum. What an amazing collection of old farming equipment, some standing outdoors and many others in large sheds. Have to say that I am always attracted to older, rusty things, and there was no shortage of these, either. "Pioneer Acres is operated by a team of volunteer members who, in many cases, have extended their golden years of retirement, performing the duties necessary to meet the club's objectives. These include work to collect, restore, maintain and demonstrate the artifacts which were used by the pioneers of early Alberta. The end result is that present and future generations have the opportunity to glimpse into our pioneering past through the artifacts on display and demonstrated. Younger members of the club also learn the care, maintenance and operation of these living artifacts." From link below. www.pioneeracres.ab.ca/member.aspx While we were walking round the grounds, visiting each massive shed in turn, my daughter spotted a Plains Garter Snake, and waved me over to see it. She also saw several birds running round behind one of the sheds, and when I went to check, I found there were four Gray Partridge running off in the distance. A distant Jackrabbit completed our wildlife sightings, first noticed when it was standing tall and upright on its back legs. My mind wandered to Alice in Wonderland : ) Though we did not do a tour of the inside of the "Long" House, we found it an impressive building, complete with a few Sunflowers, Hollyhock and other flowers in the garden, and a metal windmill. "The "Long" House was built in 1914 by John Thomas on a farm just northwest of Irricana, Alberta. It has been lived in by three generations of the Long Family since 1914. The house was donated to Pioneer Acres, moved to our location, and restored to 1929 status." From the Pioneer Acres website. There is also an old schoolhouse on the Museum site. "The Crown School, built in 1905, was located west of Three Hills on Highway 583. It closed in 1953 and was bought by the district of Allingham for use as a community league. In 1996, the building was relocated to Pioneer Aces of Alberta Museum." From the Alberta Teachers' Association website. After spending a long time walking round the grounds, we decided to drive through Irricana itself in order to get back to the highway. I had seen photos on the Internet of three murals there - sunflowers, crayons, and a view of the old grain elevators that had once stood nearby - and I wanted to go and see them. All near each other, as this town only has a few streets. I had never been to Irricana before and I was impressed with what a delightful place it is, full of brightly coloured murals, and well kept. One of the outer roads had many flower beds along the edge, watered with well water, looking most attractive. I had asked my daughter if she was interested in calling in at the Silver Springs Botanical Gardens in NW Calgary, if there was time after our drive east. I had planned the drive ahead of time, partly because I had also seen a photo somewhere on the Internet of a rather nice old barn that I really wanted to see. We were not disappointed, though it was a shame to see that the cupola had fallen from the roof since that photo was taken. I had never driven through the town of Airdrie before, but did the "drive" on Google Earth the night before and it looked straightforward enough. Returning to the city via Cochrane, my daughter told me how to get to Silver Springs. I had never driven there before, but I had been there with a friend last year, I think on 1 October, and thoroughly enjoyed these meticulously kept gardens. We were just too hot and tired to see every inch of the garden, but finished off with photographing sunflowers and enjoying the American Goldfinches that were feeding on them, before we continued on our way. A great day, despite the heat and smoke from the B.C. and Alberta wildfires (distant low visibility, too). Thanks so much, Rachel - hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. We drove 256 km (used about half a tank of gas, or less). I was absolutely tired out from the heat and driving unfamiliar roads.

I often tend to post a photo of a vibrant flower when our weather is overcast and grim. Today's (28 February 2016) forecast is for a mix of sun and clouds, but yesterday afternoon, we had some snow. I'd almost forgotten what snow looks like, this winter has been so mild! Not good for farmers, of course, with so little moisture during the winter months. Also not good as far as forest and bush fires are concerned, with everywhere being so very dry. This macro photo was taken on 24 June 2015, when I called in at the Reader Rock Garden after a volunteer shift. I always love to see Poppies, at any stage - bud, flower and seedpod.

Four days ago, on 17 January 2016, I finally got out for a much-needed drive out of the city. It seems ages since I did this, but I had some time, the sun was making its way through the clouds, and I had plucked up the courage to go east from the city. Recently, I was out that way on a birding trip with a group and we had seen a total of 6 extremely distant Short-eared Owls (3 pairs) at different locations. So, I was really hoping that my courage would be rewarded by spotting at least one owl : ) Those of us who were out there saw 7 of these Short-eared Owls in this area, though as you might guess from this photo, all the birds were far away, a few just a llittle closer. The owl in my photo was way down this curving fence line, actually with two others who were perched on fence posts some distance apart. I did go back to the area the next day, knowing that if I did that drive again straight away, I would start getting a bit more comfortable doing it. That was my main reason for going again, though of course I was also hoping to see an owl (or two). None of the owls on 18 January came close either. My first visit was on a Sunday, so I knew there would be people out there who had found the owls. The next day's drive was a Monday, so I was expecting far fewer people, as it was a work day. Made no difference! Just down the road, there were 4 other owls who were a little bit closer. None of these birds came to a close post during the time I was there. However, I can't believe that I was lucky enough to see three of them perched on a curved branch not much above the snow-covered ground (photo posted the other day). Not a clear view of them, though, and I had to find a small opening in the trees through which to take a few shots. How beautiful these owls are. This does seem to be a good winter for this species, which is exciting. People who spend the day, or at least many hours, are far more likely to get the shots they want, but at the risk of stressing the birds. Unfortunately we are seeing, or hearing about, the same thing happening as happened a year ago with the tiny Northern Pygmy-owls in the city. It does make you ask yourself if they didn't come close because there are just too many cars and people. We even noticed footprints in the snow, showing that someone had climbed over the barbed-wire fence to get a closer shot. Unbelievable! I could almost guarantee that it was someone with a huge, long lens, who didn't even need to get closer! Just leaves me shaking my head. Please put the well-being of the owls (and any wildlife) before your obsession to try and get a closer shot than anyone else. Standing in -15C (windchill -22C) weather is NOT fun, trust me! It was SO cold. Fortunately, people were standing right by their cars and could climb back in when the pain became too unbearable. Five minutes occasionally of running the engine was barely enough to keep me going, plus a handwarmer inside my right glove. My feet finally thawed out once I arrived back home. It was all worth it, though, just for the chance to see these beautiful owls. When I left this area, I made a turn down a backroad, as i had noticed a red barn in the distance. Quite a nice old barn with a collapsing roof, with another barn next to it. "A bird of open grasslands, the Short-eared Owl is one of the most widely distributed owls in the world. It is found across North America, South America, and Eurasia, and on many oceanic islands." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Short-eared_Owl/id

HAPPY HALLOWEEN to everyone who celebrates this occasion! Keep a careful eye open for the Trick-or-Treaters who may be out on the streets this evening. Excited kids can easily forget to check for traffic before crossing the street. This was just a plain brown butterfly (on the underside, anyway), but it was perched on one of the large Chinese lanterns that was part of the amazing Illuminasia exhibit throughout the Calgary Zoo. Taken inside the ENMAX Conservatory on 29 September 2015. That day, my alarm clock was set for 6:30 am so that I could go on a birding walk with friends. Unfortunately, I didn't read the e-mail carefully enough, so hadn't seen that the meeting place was not where I thought. Of course, no one else showed up where I was, so I took myself off to the Calgary Zoo instead. I had planned on going there after the walk, anyway. The butterfly exhibit only goes from April to September/October each year. The tropical butterflies and plants are beautiful during these months, thanks to all the hard work of staff and volunteers. I think this has to be my favourite part of the Zoo.

"Timothy-grass was unintentionally introduced to North America by early settlers, and was first described in 1711 by John Hurd from plants growing in New Hampshire. Hurd named the grass "hurd grass" but a farmer named Timothy Hanson began to promote cultivation of it as a hay about 1720, and the grass has been known by its present name since then. Timothy has now become naturalized throughout most of the US and Canada. It is commonly grown for cattle feed and, in particular, as hay for horses. It is relatively high in fibre, especially when cut late. It is considered a harsh, coarse grass little relished by livestock if cut earlier. It is considered part of the standard mix for grass hay and provides quality nutrition for horses. Timothy hay is a staple food for domestic pet rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, and degus, often making up the bulk of their diet. Timothy hay is rich in long fibre and its abrasive texture helps to grind down the teeth, keeping both the teeth and jaw in good order." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy-grass To have the chance to visit Waterton Lakes National Park in June was such an absolute treat, but to be able to visit this beautiful region again one month later was just incredible. I think I've only ever been maybe five or so brief times in the 37 years that I've lived here, so you can imagine my delight to get two chances in one year!! Actually, I signed up for the July trip (17-19 July) first and, though there were some aspects of the three-day trip that I wasn't particularly keen on, I knew this was a wonderful chance to go down south. Then, some time later, friend Sandy asked if I wanted to go down to Waterton in June for the Botany Alberta weekend. So, lucky, lucky me!! It was wonderful to again be surrounded by such magnificent scenery, go on a few pleasantly slow walks with plenty of time to look for, and photograph, wildflowers, insects, and a few birds. Lots of great company with people I already knew and lots of new faces, too. The trip was organized by Nature Calgary. Everyone was free to go wherever they wanted each day, but for the two nights, we stayed at the very basic Canyon Church Camp, off the Red Rock Parkway. Dorm-style cabins (about which I will say nothing, lol!), but they do have showers and even flush toilets at the camp. We were fed so well - lots of variety and good food. We were given two breakfasts and two suppers, plus a packed lunch for the two days. Our thanks go out to the lady (can't remember her name, sorry) who cooked and prepared these meals for us! They were so much enjoyed and greatly appreciated! Our first day, which included the long drive from Calgary, it rained all day long. Thankfully, the remaining two days were beautiful and sunny, and appreciated even more because of the first rainy day. The first day, we drove around Waterton town, calling in at Cameron Falls and then driving to Red Rock Canyon. We did the short walk along both sides of the canyon, in the rain, so it was pretty much useless as far as taking photos was concerned. I was happy to see a Swainson's Thrush there, the first time I had seen one close. On the second day, 18 July, some of us went to Cameron Lake. This is a beautiful lake and I love the small jetty and the colourful canoes lined up. Our walk took us along the right hand side of the lake, through the forest. One of my favourite plants that we saw there was Water Hemlock - though I had seen it before, I had never seen it this close and in such detail. The bees and other insects love it, too, with several insects on many of the flower heads. This attractive plant is one of the most deadly poisonous plants in North America. Two other plants that I was thrilled to see were Pink Monkeyflower and Yellow-flowered Monkeyflower. I had never seen these wildflowers before. Pearly Everlasting, False Helebore, Fringed Grass-of-Parnassus, Foam Flower, and Thimbleberry were just a few of the other plants we found. We were amazed at how many orchids there were - everywhere. Later on the second day, we called in at Red Rock Canyon again and, because it was absolutely packed with people, we decided to do the nearby Blakiston Falls Trail. Along this trail, I was thrilled to see a few Pinedrops plants in flower - I had only ever seen them once before (at Cypress Hills), and they were in seed. Thanks so much, Debbie, for the heads-up about these plants that you had found earlier! We also saw a couple of Prince's Pine plants along this trail - a first for me. They look rather like Pink Pyrola, so could easily be overlooked. Later, in the evening on this day, Andrew Hart took us to look at a wetland for Sandhill Cranes. He knew they can be seen there and, with the help of a spotting scope, he found a total of 7 seen from two lookouts. Barely visible with the naked eye, they were so far away. I just managed to get a 48x zoomed shot that was kind of fit to post : ) Andrew had also timed it so that we could drive along Chief Mountain Parkway afterwards, stop at the lookout and watch the sunset over the mountain peaks. The following morning, our last, some of us visited Cameron Lake again and then walked along the very short Akamina Lake trail (only 1 km return) that starts from the Cameron Lake parking lot. A beautiful little trail, where we found two Bear Grass plants still in flower, but well past their prime. Also watched a rather skinny deer making her way along the edge of the lake. A lovely walk to end our stay in Waterton Lakes National Park. Thanks so much, Darlene, for letting us do this, knowing that we needed to start on the three-hour drive north to Calgary. Thank you SO much, too, for driving three of us to and from Calgary and around the park some of the time, too. To say that we appreciated it is a huge understatement!! Our thanks, too, to Andrew for organizing this trip so brilliantly! A great time was had by all.

These tiny mushrooms are some of my favourite fungi to photograph : ) This pair was growing on the curved stalk of a small leaf. The tallest one was no more than an inch in height, probably closer to three-quarters of an inch. Found at Shannon Terrace in Fish Creek Park on 12th September.

Not sure it's really worth posting, but these little "snowballs" always catch my eye when I'm out on a walk in the park. These two were maybe a couple of inches across. I wonder exactly how they form - the one on the right had obviously been rolling down the slight hill. Taken yesterday in Fish Creek Park, between Bebo Grove and Shannon Terrace.

These are almost the only icicles I've seen this winter, lol! Just two little ones, hanging from the bridge railing at Shannon Terrace on February 16th.

Wasn't sure whether to post this or not, but I kind of liked the warm colours - not that I want to think about Christmas! Another of my toothbrush waterdop photos, lol. Almost forgot that I have a routine dentist appointment around lunch time today. Noticed yesterday that work has now been started on replacing everyone's front door and patio door. Couldn't believe all the construction mess - I was picturing them more-or-less bringing ready made doors and just putting them in place and making minor adjustments, ha. Looks like it's going to be a cold time indoors when they do this, as once the weekend is over, our daily high temperatures will be around 3-5C. It's 2C (36F) this morning. Will be even less fun when all the windows have to be replaced! And then it's the roof ... sigh. Too bad they didn't arrange to have all this done during the warmer part of the year! Work will apparently be stopped, though, when the weather reaches -15C! Also, apparently the contractor has a 9-week contract for work elsewhere, so maybe I still have quite a wait for my new windows.

Well, on a very enjoyable walk at Votier's Flats, Fish Creek Park, yesterday morning, no Northern Pygmy-owl, no Northern Goshwak, no sign of the two Coyotes we saw a few days ago, no Three-toed Woodpecker. Everyone tried their best to spot at least one of these amazing birds, but we were totally out of luck yesterday morning, LOL! I'm really glad that I had walked this area a few days ago and seen all but the Woodpecker. You just never know what you will see - or not see : ) I was happy though, because my eyes happened to spot these two teeny Marasmius mushrooms growing on the end of a small leaf stalk near the path. At first, I thought they were two white berries on the ground (that were everywhere). At least a few friends got to see THESE - I think they were amazed at the size of these little one-inch-tall fungi. Love their bright orange stalks.

Water droplets taken on the spur of the moment, after being out on a walk all morning on Saturday, at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary.

Just a teeny mushroom, maybe half an inch tall, growing from the stalk of a small leaf. Found at Shannon Terrace, Fish Creek Park, a couple of days ago. Tentative ID is Marasmius sp.. Another wet, wet day today - sounding very much like a broken record, LOL! Whatever happened to the saying in Calgary that if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes? Everyone, prepare for sunshine tomorrow - my car has to go in for a big service, so no mode of transport for the day : )

Just something different from fungi and flowers : ) When there are no flowers, fungi and only very distant birds, you photograph what you can get, LOL. Noticed this brightly coloured buoy floating on the Glenmore Reservoir a couple of days ago, when I was out birding. Liked the colour combination and the reflection pattern it was making on the slightly rippled water.

I have tried to find the ID for this tropical plant on Google, but have so far been out of luck. Most of these had no flowers at all, but I noticed this one with a flower bud, Growing in the ENMAX Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo. I think I liked the bokeh as much as the plant itself : ) Just got home about 6:40 p.m. after a lovely few hours botanizing the land belonging to a friend of my friend, Susan. This area is down near Turner Valley, south of Calgary, and it was so enjoyable to search for (and record) any plants, insects, birds, etc. in a new place. I always love the way this works - a win-win situation. The owner of the land gets a very detailed list of species found there, and we learn a lot and enjoy our time there. Now I need supper before it gets any later - missed out on lunch, so I'm hungry ; )

Horsetails and their reflections, seen in someone's back garden pond on our recent May Species Count in the Priddis area, south west of Calgary.