Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Family: Asteraceae

A photo form my archives. I finally got out with friends for an almost three-hour botany walk in the afternoon of 11 August 2015, at Griffith Woods. There were certain "target" plants on the list, including three species of wild Gentian and one species of Orchid (Rattlesnake Plantain). We had success with all four, which made for a great outing. There was also a patch of these beautiful wild Sunflowers, which I always enjoy seeing year after year. They are sometimes called Common Tall Sunflower, as well as Nuttall's Sunflower. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helianthus_nuttallii sites.google.com/a/ualberta.ca/our-garden/our-plants/comm... So many of the plants were finished already, after blooming two weeks early this year. Whenever I see Asters, I know that our flowering season is coming to an end, which is always depressing. The growing season in Alberta is so very short.

I often tend to post a photo of a vibrant flower when our weather is overcast and grim. Today's (9 March 2016) forecast is for a mainly sunny day, though it is fairly overcast so far. The next few days should be between +10C and +14C, so our spring-like weather will continue. It is so dry here - 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. I always enjoy seeing Cosmos flowers - these were growing at the Reader Rock Garden on 24 June 2015. I liked the colour combination of these three flowers. "Cosmos is a genus, with the same common name of Cosmos, consisting of flowering plants in the sunflower family. It is native to scrub and meadowland in Mexico where most of the species occur, as well as the United States, as far north as the Olympic Pennsula in Washington, Central America, and to South America as far south as Paraguay. The genus includes several ornamental plants popular in gardens." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmos_ (plant)

On 16 September 2015, I called in at the Reader Rock Garden after my volunteer shift. There seemed to be more flowers in bloom than on my previous visit, including a couple of these Cosmos flowers. Also quite a few distant small birds flitting from tree to tree at one point They were impossible to see well enough to get photos or IDs, though, except for a beautiful little Hermit Thrush. I had noticed a Jack Rabbit in the garden and then, when I drove through the adjoining cemetery, it or another one was running in among the gravestones. When it saw my car coming, it froze and waited till I had moved on. "Cosmos is a genus, with the same common name of Cosmos, consisting of flowering plants in the sunflower family. It is native to scrub and meadowland in Mexico where most of the species occur, as well as the United States, as far north as the Olympic Pennsula in Washington, Central America, and to South America as far south as Paraguay. The genus includes several ornamental plants popular in gardens." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmos_ (plant)

I often tend to post a photo of a vibrant flower when our weather is overcast and grim. However, today's forecast is for a mix of sun and clouds this morning and mainly sunny this afternoon. It's -3C right now, but it's supposed to reach 7C this afternoon. Scattered flurries tonight and tomorrow, with a few flurries on Saturday. Looks like our ridiculously mild weather has come to an end - we broke a 90-year-old record the other day, with a high of +16.4C. Crazy weather for winter in Calgary! This photo was taken on 24 June 2015, when I called in at the Reader Rock Garden after a volunteer shift. I believe this flower is a Painted Daisy / Chrysanthemum coccineum. "With delicate, fernlike foliage and showy daisy-like blooms in shades of white, red, purple and pink, Painted Daisy adds striking colors to the garden." www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scenecf20.html en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrethrum

Snow is in the forecast for later today, so it feels good to see bright colour and things from summer. Actually, when I look at my recent photostream, there is quite a surprising amount of colour for this time of the year. This winter has turned out to be another great one, like last winter, milder than most. We all know that more snow and very cold temperatures will have to be faced before spring arrives - can't believe how this winter seems to be flying by. On 12 September 2015, I drove further than I'd ever driven before - a total of 410 km (254 miles). I met my daughter at 9:00 am and we headed northwards, with our main destination being the Bowden Sunflower Maze. She was feeling well enough after her recent hospital stay, to get out for a day trip. (She is having surgery in 5 days' time, so once again, she will be out of action while she recovers). The quickest route from Calgary to Bowden is a distance of 96 km (60 miles), but I wanted to avoid the main, busy route. The backroads are more pleasant to drive - less traffic and, if one is lucky, the occasional old barn. There was one barn in particular that I had seen last year, that I really wanted to show my daughter and this took us a little out of our way. We drove through the town of Olds, stopping briefly to take a couple of photos of the bright orange grain elevator. Going north, we drove the roads to the west of the main Highway 2, and on our return trip we drove the roads to the east of Highway 2. I think this trip really convinced my daughter, more strongly than ever, that sadly she has a mother with almost zero sense of direction! "A young sunflower's flower head faces the sun to receive the sunlight it needs for photosynthesis. Heliotropism is the term for a plant's ability to follow the sun. That ability allows a sunflower to move with the sun as it arcs across the sky from east to west; the sunflower's bloom always faces the sun. When the sunflower plant matures, the neck of its stem no longer grows, and tracking of the sun's arc ceases. The blooms of most mature sunflowers face east, but some face other directions." From homeguides. homeguides.sfgate.com/sunflower-move-73855.html A very short (2 minute) time lapse video showing how Sunflowers move to face the sun. Quite beautiful: www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8mr0R3ibPU This was the first time I had ever been to Bowden and the Sunflower Maze. For years, I had wished we had a field of Sunflowers somewhere within reach, as I had seen so many gorgeous photos taken by other people in various parts of the world. I certainly didn't get photos like those, but I was happy to get the shots I did get. Many of the flowers in my photos seem to be facing every possible way, giving a rather messy look! Maybe that's what always happens when the flowers are past their prime? Apparently, that weekend was going to be the last chance to really see the flowers, so we were just in time. This maze at Eagle Creek Farm is apparently the only Sunflower Maze in Canada. There is also an adjoining Corn Maze, but neither of us wanted to walk through that one, thanks to remembering the horror movie, "Children of the Corn"! The farm also has U-pick vegetables and flowers. www.sunmaze.ca/ Thanks, Rachel, for spending the day with me - and for all your directions getting us there and back to the city! Lucky we went when we did, as it rained the next few days.

On 12 September 2015, I drove further than I've ever driven before - a total of 410 km (254 miles). I met my daughter at 9:00 am and we headed northwards, with our main destination being the Bowden Sunflower Maze. She was feeling well enough after her recent hospital stay, to get out for a day trip. The quickest route from Calgary is a distance of 96 km (60 miles), but I needed to avoid the main, busy route. Also, the backroads are more pleasant to drive - less traffic and, if one is lucky, the occasional old barn. There was one barn in particular that I had seen last year, that I really wanted to show my daughter and this took us a little out of our way. We drove through the town of Olds, stopping briefly to take a couple of photos of the bright orange grain elevator. Going north, we drove the roads to the west of the main Highway 2, and on our return trip we drove the roads to the east of Highway 2. I think this trip really convinced my daughter, more strongly than ever, that sadly she has a mother with almost zero sense of direction! "A young sunflower's flower head faces the sun to receive the sunlight it needs for photosynthesis. Heliotropism is the term for a plant's ability to follow the sun. That ability allows a sunflower to move with the sun as it arcs across the sky from east to west; the sunflower's bloom always faces the sun. When the sunflower plant matures, the neck of its stem no longer grows, and tracking of the sun's arc ceases. The blooms of most mature sunflowers face east, but some face other directions." From homeguides. homeguides.sfgate.com/sunflower-move-73855.html A very short time lapse video showing how Sunflowers move to face the sun: www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8mr0R3ibPU This was the first time I had ever been to Bowden and the Sunflower Maze. For years, I had wished we had a field of Sunflowers somewhere within reach, as I had seen so many gorgeous photos taken by other people in various parts of the world. I certainly didn't get photos like those, but I was happy to get the shots I did get. Noticed four or five seedheads that had been turned into a smiling face. The flowers in my photos seem to be facing every possible way, giving a rather messy look! Maybe that's what always happens when the flowers are past their prime? Apparently, this weekend is going to be the last chance to really see the flowers, so we were just in time. This maze at Eagle Creek Farm is apparently the only Sunflower Maze in Canada. There is also an adjoining Corn Maze, but neither of us wanted to walk through that one, thanks to remembering the horror movie, "Children of the Corn"! The farm also has U-pick vegetables and flowers. www.sunmaze.ca/ Thanks, Rachel, for spending the day with me - and for all your directions getting us there and back to the city! Lucky we went when we did, as it rained the next few days.

This photo was taken on 24 June 2015, when I called in at the Reader Rock Garden after a volunteer shift. Needed this bright splash of colour this morning, before facing the cold weather. I believe this flower is a Painted Daisy / Chrysanthemum coccineum. "With delicate, fernlike foliage and showy daisy-like blooms in shades of white, red, purple and pink, Painted Daisy adds striking colors to the garden." www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scenecf20.html en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrethrum

This photo was taken on 24 June 2015, when I called in at the Reader Rock Garden after a volunteer shift. Needed this bright splash of colour this morning, as it snowed overnight. Also, today would have been my older daughter's birthday, so I needed a bit of cheering up. This is my 'main' photo today, but apparently it isn't showing up on at least one person's Contact page. Judging by the very few views and comments, I suspect it's not showing up on anyone's Contacts page. Fickle Flickr! "With delicate, fernlike foliage and showy daisy-like blooms in shades of white, red, purple and pink, Painted Daisy adds striking colors to the garden." www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scenecf20.html en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrethrum

This photo was taken on 17 July 2015, during a walk around Red Rock Canyon, in Waterton Lakes National Park. It was pouring with rain and really useless for taking photos, though I did manage to get a handful of shots, including this Pearly Everlasting plant. This one had some of its tiny, yellow disc florets open, surrounded by many white, papery bracts. Looked so pretty with the splashes of yellow - and a few raindrops. To have the chance to visit Waterton Lakes National Park in June of 2015 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 very 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, 3-hour 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, a few of us 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, our leader, 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.

On 12 September 2015, I drove further than I've ever driven before - a total of 410 km (254 miles). I met my daughter at 9:00 am and we headed northwards, with our main destination being the Bowden Sunflower Maze. She was feeling well enough after her recent hospital stay, to get out for a day trip. The quickest route from Calgary is a distance of 96 km (60 miles), but I needed to avoid the main, busy route. Also, the backroads are more pleasant to drive - less traffic and, if one is lucky, the occasional old barn. There was one barn in particular that I had seen last year, that I really wanted to show my daughter and this took us a little out of our way. We drove through the town of Olds, stopping briefly to take a couple of photos of the bright orange grain elevator. Haven't yet been able to find any information about this Pioneer elevator. Going north, we drove the roads to the west of the main Highway 2, and on our return trip we drove the roads to the east of Highway 2. I think this trip really convinced my daughter, more strongly than ever, that sadly she has a mother with almost zero sense of direction! "A young sunflower's flower head faces the sun to receive the sunlight it needs for photosynthesis. Heliotropism is the term for a plant's ability to follow the sun. That ability allows a sunflower to move with the sun as it arcs across the sky from east to west; the sunflower's bloom always faces the sun. When the sunflower plant matures, the neck of its stem no longer grows, and tracking of the sun's arc ceases. The blooms of most mature sunflowers face east, but some face other directions." From homeguides. homeguides.sfgate.com/sunflower-move-73855.html A very short time lapse video showing how Sunflowers move to face the sun: www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8mr0R3ibPU This was the first time I had ever been to Bowden and the Sunflower Maze. For years, I had wished we had a field of Sunflowers somewhere within reach, as I had seen so many gorgeous photos taken by other people in various parts of the world. I certainly didn't get photos like those, but I was happy to get the shots I did get. The flowers in my photo seem to be facing every possible way, giving a rather messy look! Maybe that's what always happens when the flowers are past their prime? Apparently, this weekend is going to be the last chance to really see the flowers, so we were just in time. This maze at Eagle Creek Farm is apparently the only Sunflower Maze in Canada. There is also an adjoining Corn Maze, but neither of us wanted to walk through that one, thanks to remembering the horror movie, "Children of the Corn"! The farm also has U-pick vegetables and flowers. www.sunmaze.ca/ Thanks, Rachel, for spending the day with me - and for all your directions getting us there and back to the city! Lucky we went when we did, as it rained the next few days.

Happy first day of FALL! Where did the summer go?? There HAS to be a problem with Flickr today. So little activity, so I just looked at the Flickr Test and see that Farm 6 East has no green check mark. No idea what effect that has, but maybe that is what is causing this. I finally got out with friends for an almost three-hour botany walk in the afternoon of 11 August 2015, at Griffith Woods. There were certain "target" plants on the list, including three species of wild Gentian and one species of Orchid (Rattlesnake Plantain). We had success with all four, which made for a successful outing. There was also a patch of these beautiful wild Sunflowers, which I always enjoy seeing year after year. They are sometimes called Common Tall Sunflower, as well as Nuttall's Sunflower. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helianthus_nuttallii So many of the plants were finished already, after blooming two weeks early this year. Whenever I see Asters, I know that our flowering season is coming to an end, which is always depressing. The growing season in Alberta is so very short.

Whenever I see a plant that looks like this, I'm never sure if it's Showy Pussytoes or Pearly Everlasting. The plant does belong to the Asteraceae family. The name Antennaria refers to the projecting stamens seen on the flowers of some species, resembling insect antennae. Photo was taken on 19 July 2015, at Cameron Lake, Waterton Lakes National Park. 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 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 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!! On this second visit, 17-19 July 2015, it was again wonderful to 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. This July 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 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, after the long, three-hour drive from Calgary, 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, the first time I had seen one properly. Cameron Lake 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. I went with different friends to this lake on our second and third day in the park. One of my favourite plants that we saw 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 the yellow Many-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. In the evening on our second 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 for a few hours and then we walked along the very short Akamina Lake trail (only 1 km) 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 thin 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 driving 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.

Dahlia flowers always amaze me - they are always so perfect. This one was, unfortunately, partly in the shade and I could do nothing about it. Just a quick shot taken in the small garden at the Bowden Sunflower Maze. Three days ago, on 12 September 2015, I drove further than I've ever driven before in one day - a total of 410 km (254 miles). I met my daughter at 9:00 am and we headed northwards, with our main destination being the Bowden Sunflower Maze. She felt well enough now after her recent hospital stay, to get out for a day trip. The quickest route from Calgary is a distance of 96 km (60 miles), but I needed to avoid the main, busy route. Also, the backroads are more pleasant to drive - less traffic and, if one is lucky, one will find the occasional old barn. There was one barn in particular that I had seen last year, that I really wanted to show my daughter and this took us a little out of our way. We drove through the town of Olds, stopping briefly to take a couple of photos of the bright orange grain elevator. Haven't been able to find any information about this Pioneer elevator. Going north, we drove the roads to the west of the main Highway 2, and on our return trip we drove the roads to the east of Highway 2. I think this trip really convinced my daughter, more strongly than ever, that sadly she has a mother with almost zero sense of direction! This was the first time I had ever been to Bowden and the Sunflower Maze. For years, I had wished we had a field of Sunflowers somewhere within reach, as I had seen so many gorgeous photos taken by other people in various parts of the world. I certainly didn't get photos like those, but I was happy to get the shots I did get. Apparently, this past weekend was going to be the last chance to really see the flowers, so we were just in time. The maze at Eagle Creek Farms is apparently the only Sunflower Maze in Canada. There is also an adjoining Corn Maze, but neither of us wanted to walk through that one, thanks to remembering the horror movie, "Children of the Corn"! The farm also has U-pick vegetables and flowers. www.sunmaze.ca/ Thanks, Rachel, for spending the day with me - and for all your directions getting us there and back to the city! Lucky we went when we did, as it has been raining ever since.

Another day of pouring rain - another day that calls for something bright and cheery! It's only 5°C (apparently feels like 2°C) at 8:30 am this morning, but will soar to 6°C this afternoon. Two more days like this and then a return to sunny weather is forecast. Wish we could send all this rain over to California, where it would help with the continuing forest fires. Two days ago, on 12 September 2015, I drove further than I've ever driven before in one day - a total of 410 km (254 miles). I met my daughter at 9:00 am and we headed northwards, with our main destination being the Bowden Sunflower Maze. She feels well enough now after her recent hospital stay, to get out for a day trip. The quickest route from Calgary is a distance of 96 km (60 miles), but I needed to avoid the main, busy route. Also, the backroads are more pleasant to drive - less traffic and, if one is lucky, one will find the occasional old barn. There was one barn in particular that I had seen last year, that I really wanted to show my daughter and this took us a little out of our way. We drove through the town of Olds, stopping briefly to take a couple of photos of the bright orange grain elevator. Haven't yet been able to find any information about this Pioneer elevator. Going north, we drove the roads to the west of the main Highway 2, and on our return trip we drove the roads to the east of Highway 2. I think this trip really convinced my daughter, more strongly than ever, that sadly she has a mother with almost zero sense of direction! This was the first time I had ever been to Bowden and the Sunflower Maze. For years, I had wished we had a field of Sunflowers somewhere within reach, as I had seen so many gorgeous photos taken by other people in various parts of the world. I certainly didn't get photos like those, but I was happy to get the shots I did get. Apparently, this weekend is going to be the last chance to really see the flowers, so we were just in time. This particular flower was part of the maze at Eagle Creek Farms, apparently the only Sunflower Maze in Canada. There is also an adjoining Corn Maze, but neither of us wanted to walk through that one, thanks to remembering the horror movie, "Children of the Corn"! The farm also has U-pick vegetables and flowers. www.sunmaze.ca/ Thanks, Rachel, for spending the day with me - and for all your directions getting us there and back to the city! Lucky we went when we did, as it has been raining ever since.

Last night, we had rain and this morning has been very overcast and dreary. A splash of glowing colour feels good! It's only 10°C this morning and we are supposed to get more rain this afternoon. Yesterday, the temperature got up to around 28°C, but the sun was very harsh and the lighting was not good for most photos. The gorgeous Sunflower in this photo was taken in a small garden area, separate from the endless Sunflowers in the maze that we visited, and the light seemed a little better. I'm really hoping that the forecast for rain is correct for the next few days, as I shouldn't drive my vehicle till it has been serviced and fixed. Quite apart from maybe doing more damage to the car, I definitely don't want to find myself stranded somewhere. About 10 days ago, the orange Engine Warning light came on a few times, but since then, it has been OK. Yesterday, it was not a good feeling when the light came on again, far from home! The same thing has happened before and seems to be connected to the way the car keeps jerking when I am stopped at traffic lights. Feels as if the car might stall. It is due for a service, anyway, and it also needs a new control box installed. So, I'm hoping this can be done as soon as possible, this week. Meanwhile, I'll be missing all the gorgeous fall colours : ( Yesterday, 12 September 2015, I drove further than I've ever driven before in one day - a total of 410 km (254 miles). Today, I'm feeling tired out and finding it difficult to get going, so it's taking me ages to just add tags and descriptions, ha. I met my daughter at 9:00 am and we headed northwards, with our main destination being the Bowden Sunflower Maze. She feels well enough now after her recent hospital stay, to get out for a day trip. The quickest route from Calgary is a distance of 96 km (60 miles), but I needed to avoid the main, busy route. Also, the backroads are more pleasant to drive - less traffic and, if one is lucky, the occasional old barn. There was one barn in particular that I had seen last year, that I really wanted to show my daughter and this took us a little out of our way. We drove through the town of Olds, stopping briefly to take a couple of photos of the bright orange grain elevator. Haven't yet been able to find any information about this Pioneer elevator. Going north, we drove the roads to the west of the main Highway 2, and on our return trip we drove the roads to the east of Highway 2. I think this trip really convinced my daughter, more strongly than ever, that sadly she has a mother with almost zero sense of direction! This was the first time I had ever been to Bowden and the Sunflower Maze. For years, I had wished we had a field of Sunflowers somewhere within reach, as I had seen so many gorgeous photos taken by other people in various parts of the world. I certainly didn't get photos like those, but I was happy to get the shots I did get. Apparently, this weekend is going to be the last chance to really see the flowers, so we were just in time. This maze at Eagle Creek Farm is apparently the only Sunflower Maze in Canada. There is also an adjoining Corn Maze, but neither of us wanted to walk through that one, thanks to remembering the horror movie, "Children of the Corn"! The farm also has U-pick vegetables and flowers. www.sunmaze.ca/ Thanks, Rachel, for spending the day with me - and for all your directions getting us there and back to the city! Lucky we went when we did, as it has been raining ever since.

Last night, we had rain and this morning has been very overcast and dreary. A splash of bright colour feels good! It's only 10°C this morning and we are supposed to get more rain this afternoon. Yesterday, the temperature got up to around 28°C, but the sun was very harsh and the lighting was not good for most photos. I'm really hoping that the forecast for rain is correct for the next few days, as I shouldn't drive my vehicle till it has been serviced and fixed. Quite apart from maybe doing more damage to the car, I definitely don't want to find myself stranded somewhere. About 10 days ago, the orange Engine Warning light came on a few times, but since then, it has been OK. Yesterday, it was not a good feeling when the light came on again, far from home! The same thing has happened before and seems to be connected to the way the car keeps jerking when I am stopped at traffic lights. Feels as if the car might stall. It is due for a service, anyway, and it also needs a new control box installed. So, I'm hoping this can be done as soon as possible. Meanwhile, I'll be missing all the gorgeous fall colours : ( Yesterday, 12 September 2015, I drove further than I've ever driven before - a total of 410 km (254 miles). Today, I'm feeling tired out and finding it difficult to get going, so it's taking me ages to just add tags and descriptions, ha. I met my daughter at 9:00 am and we headed northwards, with our main destination being the Bowden Sunflower Maze. She feels well enough now after her recent hospital stay, to get out for a day trip. The quickest route from Calgary is a distance of 96 km (60 miles), but I needed to avoid the main, busy route. Also, the backroads are more pleasant to drive - less traffic and, if one is lucky, the occasional old barn. There was one barn in particular that I had seen last year, that I really wanted to show my daughter and this took us a little out of our way. We drove through the town of Olds, stopping briefly to take a couple of photos of the bright orange grain elevator. Haven't yet been able to find any information about this Pioneer elevator. Going north, we drove the roads to the west of the main Highway 2, and on our return trip we drove the roads to the east of Highway 2. I think this trip really convinced my daughter, more strongly than ever, that sadly she has a mother with almost zero sense of direction! "A young sunflower's flower head faces the sun to receive the sunlight it needs for photosynthesis. Heliotropism is the term for a plant's ability to follow the sun. That ability allows a sunflower to move with the sun as it arcs across the sky from east to west; the sunflower's bloom always faces the sun. When the sunflower plant matures, the neck of its stem no longer grows, and tracking of the sun's arc ceases. The blooms of most mature sunflowers face east, but some face other directions." From homeguides. homeguides.sfgate.com/sunflower-move-73855.html A very short time lapse video showing how Sunflowers move to face the sun: www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8mr0R3ibPU The flowers in my photo seem to be facing every possible way, giving a rather messy look! Maybe that's what happens when the flowers are past their prime? This was the first time I had ever been to Bowden and the Sunflower Maze. For years, I had wished we had a field of Sunflowers somewhere within reach, as I had seen so many gorgeous photos taken by other people in various parts of the world. I certainly didn't get photos like those, but I was happy to get the shots I did get. Apparently, this weekend is going to be the last chance to really see the flowers, so we were just in time. This maze at Eagle Creek Farm is apparently the only Sunflower Maze in Canada. There is also an adjoining Corn Maze, but neither of us wanted to walk through that one, thanks to remembering the horror movie, "Children of the Corn"! The farm also has U-pick vegetables and flowers. www.sunmaze.ca/ Thanks, Rachel, for spending the day with me - and for all your directions getting us there and back to the city! Lucky we went when we did, as it has been raining ever since.

I always enjoy seeing Cosmos flowers - these were growing at the Reader Rock Garden on 17 May 2015. I've just checked my photostream to see what I did that day and discovered that this is the very first photo I've posted from the whole file of flower photos taken on 17 May. Love it when that happens, as I then know that I will have some bright, colourful photos to post when winter really arrives, to break the monotony of white and blue images for months on end. "Cosmos is a genus, with the same common name of Cosmos, consisting of flowering plants in the sunflower family. It is native to scrub and meadowland in Mexico where most of the species occur, as well as the United States, as far north as the Olympic Pennsula in Washington, Central America, and to South America as far south as Paraguay. The genus includes several ornamental plants popular in gardens." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmos_ (plant)

This photo of several tiny (size: 22-26 mm) Skipper butterflies on a Creeping/Canada Thistle was taken on 23 July 2015, at Darryl Teskey's property. These unusual butterflies have such large eyes : ) "The eyes of Skippers are different from those of other butterflies. They have a space between the cones and rods which allows light from each ommatidium to spill into neighbouring rods, effectively increasing their resolution and sensitivity. As a result Skippers can fly very accurately from one spot to another. This different type of eye structure is one of the reasons why taxonomists place them in a different super-family to all other butterflies - the Hesperioidea." Source: www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Anatomy.htm "The European Skipper can be found on the wing in June and July. Becoming an invasive species of butterfly, it can be found in the grasslands of central Alberta spreading about 25 km every year. The European Skipper can be recognized by its bright orange wings marked by dark wing veins. The edge of the wings are bordered with black. The aptly named European Skipper is also known as the Essex Skipper in its native habitat. The mature adults prefer grassland flowers and the caterpillars the grass itself. The European Skipper did not arrive in Alberta until 1987 slowly migrating from eastern provinces or from laying their eggs in transported hay bales." Source: Acorn, John. Butterflies of Alberta. Edmonton: Lone Pine Publishing, 1993. Print. On this day, five of us spent the day botanizing the land belonging to Darryl Teskey, SW of Calgary and W of Millarville (maybe a 40-minute drive from Calgary). This was the first time I had been there and I'm so glad I was invited to go - I would have missed all sorts of things, including a family of Ruffed Grouse and several fungi. These Grouse were the rare rufous-morph, and we startled them when we were walking through the forest in their direction. Usually, you don't see Grouse because they are so well-hidden. When you get fairly close (sometimes very close) to them, they suddenly "explode" from the tangle of shrubs and plants of the forest floor, making ones heart beat fast! We were taken by surprise when we came across a nearby statue of Saint Francis of Assisi, who is known as the patron saint of animals and the environment. A nice idea, I thought. Our walk took us over grassland and through forest, many places treacherous with so many fallen logs which were often barely visible. I have never, ever seen so many tiny Skipper butterflies - there must have been hundreds or even thousands of these bright orange beauties that were flying or perched on flowers of every colour. Fortunately, the rain stayed away until we started driving back to Calgary. Quite a lot of black clouds, reminding me of the tornado that passed through Calgary just the day before (22 July 2015). Our purpose, as always, was to find and list everything that we saw - wildflowers, trees, grasses, birds, insects, fungi, etc.. Our leader then compiles an extensive list of our finds and this is later sent to the landowner, along with any photos that we might take. Always a win/win situation, as the landowner then has a much better idea of just what is on his property, and we have a most enjoyable day.