Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: diagonal

Late afternoon on 9 July 2017, I arrived back home from a wonderful three-day trip to Waterton Lakes National Park. I had just been on a one-day bus trip to this beautiful park on 24 June 2017, so felt very lucky to be returning for a longer stay so soon. I travelled there and back with friend, Darlene, who had very kindly offered to take me, and we had a fun time, seeing so many interesting things. Thank you SO much, Darlene - I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciated being able to go on this trip with you! It was wonderful to again be surrounded by such magnificent scenery, go on a few walks/hikes with plenty of time to look for, and photograph, wildflowers, insects, and a few birds and animals. Lots of good company with around 20 (?) people, some of whom 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 huge thanks go out to Jean Kennedy, the camp cook, who cooked and prepared these great meals for us! Jean was there in 2015 and 2016, when I attended this weekend, and it was really good news when I was told that she would be there again this time. The food was so much enjoyed and greatly appreciated! We arrived in Waterton (from Calgary) around 1:00 pm on Friday, 7 July 2017, stopped and had lunch in town and then went to see the Cameron Falls on the edge of town. The cold spray felt so good on such a hot day (32C)! "These falls are also the site of the oldest rock in the entire Canadian Rocky Mountain range! Precambrian bedrock dating 1.5 billion years (1500 million years) old has become exposed and is visible near the falls. This is one of many examples of Waterton Park's amazing geology!" From link below. www.watertonpark.com/gallery/cameron_falls.htm Afterwards, we drove 16 km up the Akamina Parkway, to Cameron Lake, stopping along the road to photograph a few of the thousands of beautiful Bear Grass flowers. Many were growing along the edge of the road, but in places, you could look through the forest and see many more. We also stopped to look at the Penstemon plants, and I was delighted to see a small Orange False Dandelion plant in bloom. I've only ever seen about three of these plants before. A very quick stop at Cameron Lake itself and then we were on our way back down the Akamina Parkway so that we could go up the Red Rock Canyon Parkway, to visit the beautiful canyon with its amazing red rocks. On the way there, we made a quick stop to check for a Lazuli Bunting. We were in luck, though I could only get very distant shots of this beautiful little bird. After a while, we needed to get to the Canyon Youth Camp, where we would be staying two nights. Supper was being served at 6:00 pm, but we could check in any time after 5:00 pm. After supper, most people went on a hike up to Crandell Lake, but I decided not to go, as I remembered what the trail was like. I did follow everyone for just a very short way but knew that I was not going to do the rest of the hike. Instead, I walked around the camp, finding a few flowers to photograph, and then I bumped into the camp manager and we got talking. I mentioned one of my favourite plants, Pinedrops, that I had seen last year on one of the paths that led out of the camp. The manager said he had already checked, but had only found last year's dead stems. He took me back to the location - and I spotted several new stems partly hidden in the long grasses. He was so happy to see that this plant was doing well, after all. He also took me on a short walk through the edge of the forest and down to the river. About 20 minutes after we got back to the camp buildings, a Black Bear wandered along the edge of the same trees that we had walked through to get to the river! Could only get a really poor photo that I probably won't post - or maybe I will, just for my own records. Shortly after this sighting, everyone else arrived back at the camp, and it was time to get to bed before all the lights were turned off. Our huge thanks to Andrew for organizing this trip so brilliantly! He has been organizing these annual weekends for a number of years now. A great time was had by all.

This is my MAIN photo of the day - I'm wondering if one of my other two shots is being seen by some people as the main one, again. Also, it's almost 12:00 noon and there are only eight new photos showing from my Contacts! Is everyone out enjoying the weather, or is Flickr acting up yet again?? For maybe a week, I have been having a problem getting my photos to be bright enough. So weird - I never had this happen before. They seem to look OK when I edit them the night before, then, when I post them on Flickr the following morning, they almost always look too dark. 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. I love photographing these gorgeous Globe Thistles at any stage. In Calgary, we have seen them growing wild at one of the natural areas (can't think of the name of the place, as it's not a place we normally go to). Not sure, but I believe this is Echinops ritro. "Echinops ( /ˈɛkɨnɒps/) is a genus of about 120 species of thistles in the daisy family Asteraceae, commonly known as globe thistles. They are native to Europe east to central Asia and south to the mountains of tropical Africa." From Wikipedia. There were 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 - - a little Hermit Thrush was the only bird I managed to photograph. I also 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.

May 1st, 2011 was the start of Snake Monitoring in a local park. We get both the Red-sided Garter Snake and the Wandering Garter Snake - thankfully, not the size seen in my macro photo, lol! Each snake was measured and, starting that year, weighed (i.e. gently placed in a tall plastic container which was then placed on a scale). They were also marked behind the head with green felt marker of some kind, so that we could tell if we got a recaptured snake. The monitoring season started late that year because of the endless winter. I didn't check how many snakes were found and recorded (my guess would be about a dozen+), but just as we were leaving the area, one of the team members did a great job of spotting two mating balls high on the slope, barely visible amongst the trees, shrubs and dead leaves. We left them alone, of course. On our first day of monitoring the previous year, we had 107 snakes to catch (not me, I only took photos, if I got the chance!) and record!! The reason that I originally joined this program was to see if it would help me be less fearful of snakes - they are most definitely not my favourite things. Just imagine being afraid and having 107 snakes slithering down the hillside towards where you were standing, ha!

This is a reminder of the new snow that had fallen overnight, seen on a morning walk on 19 November 2015. Various friends had seen a family of three Bobcats two days earlier, and, though I knew it was highly unlikely that they would be seen again, I didn't want to learn later that I had again missed seeing them. Needless to say, there was no sign of them. Also, I had missed the walk last week, so didn't feel guilty about going on two mornings this week. As it turned out, there wasn't much of anything to be seen during this three hour walk in Weaselhead, but the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day, despite the temperature being -6°C to -2°C. There was a fair amount of new snow, but it had been packed down and so was reasonably safe for walking. This is the leaders' list of the 21 bird species seen: Canada Goose-300+ Mallard-8 Bald Eagle-2 (1 ad/1 juv.) Downy Woodpecker-5 Hairy Woodpecker-1 Northern Flicker-4+ PILEATED WOODPECKER-1 Northern Shrike-1 Blue Jay-3+ Black-billed Magpie-12 Common Raven-2+ Black-capped Chickadee-40+ Boreal Chickadee-2 Red-breasted Nuthatch-1 White-breasted Nuthatch-3 Bohemian Waxwing-150+ Dark-eyed Junco-3 Pine Grosbeak-10 House Finch-6 White-winged Crossbill-100+ Common Redpoll-20 The temperature this morning, 23 November 2015, is -2C (windchill -5C). We were supposed to get snow today, but it has been postponed till this evening. The sky is dreary and overcast, though, so I will stay home and get on with writing "early" Christmas letters. My overseas letters have already been sent, as I still hadn't told some friends and relatives that my older daughter had died in January. Didn't want them to receive this news right at Christmas time. Also, I know I won't feel like writing the closer it gets, so this is something I must get done in the next few days. How my daughter loved Christmas - it will be a sad time for all of us.

The seedpods of Black Henbane are some of my favourite seedpods. I noticed these growing near the edge of the Bow River on the east side at Mallard Point, Fish Creek Park, on 22 September 2015. The water gave me a nice, clear background. "An annual or biennial (forming a rosette the first year) plant that reproduces by seed only. Black Henbane was introduced from the Mediterranean and has been used as a medicinal plant since the Middle Ages, and was also used in ancient religious rites because of its hallucinogenic properties. It was even used as a flavoring in beer until the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516. All parts of the plant are poisonous to humans and animals when ingested – tissues contain several toxic alkaloids. Symptoms of poisoning include impaired vision, convulsions, coma, and death from heart or respiratory failure. It is a member of the nightshade family and also called ‘stinking nightshade’. A single plant can produce as much as half a million seeds in one season, which are viable for about 4 years." www.invasiveplants.ab.ca/Downloads/FS-BlackHenbane.pdf - On that morning, I was out with friends on a three hour birding walk. A beautiful sunny day, with the temperature between 8C and 13C, and 44 bird species were seen (not all by me, as usual). The American White Pelicans and the Cormorants are always favourites of mine. After the walk, friend Sandy asked if I wanted to go back to the place SW of the city and SW of Millarville, where I had managed to spot (on 17 September) a group of three mature Amanita muscaria (Fly Agaric) mushrooms. We don't get the bright red ones with white dots here (the kind that you see in children's fairytale books), but we very occasionally come across a yellow or orange one if we are very lucky. I think I have only ever seen these three times - at West Bragg Creek, Rod Handfield's land at this very location, and I think Marsden Creek in Kananaskis. I was so longing to see one again and thought it was worth the drive just to check. Well, I found the field easily on 17 September, but had forgotten about the sign there that said No Trespassing, No shooting, Patrol Area. I wasn't sure what Patrol Area meant, but I could almost imagine several Dobermans being released to attack me! I never go anywhere that has a No Trespassing sign, anyway. So, I walked through the trees along the edge of the field and tried to peer into the field, being careful not to catch the barbed-wire fence. I caught sight of a cluster of three fungi that looked like they were Amanitas, though they were fully "opened" and I couldn't see any spots. Only managed to get one really poor photo. Since then, I learned that this location is actually part of Rod Handfield's land - I thought it belonged to someone else. Rod had always told our botany group that we were welcome to explore his land at any time. When Sandy and I called in on 22 September, we were able to check for any Fly Agarics - not a single one to be found this time, not even the three I had found a few days earlier. Several years ago, there was quite a large patch of them right there. It's a bit late in the fungi season, unfortunately. We wandered through the forest just a little way - such a beautiful, rich forest floor. We have all reckoned that this forest is one of our favourites, with so many things to be found. However, for some reason, we haven't had any trips out there the last three or so years. Many thanks for driving out there yesterday, Sandy - much appreciated!

I would imagine (and hope) that many, many people will be stopping today to remember the horrific events of 11th September 2001. So many mental images that will never, ever leave our minds and hearts. People from so many different countries, not just the US. So many stories of loss and heartbreak - and so many stories of bravery and heroic actions. Remembering .... all those who lost their lives on that fateful day: all those who lost loved ones and close friends or fellow workers; all those who rushed in to "do their job" or "to help others" in any way they could. Remembering .... all those who were severely injured on that fateful day and who have bravely suffered every day since then; all those Firemen, Emergency Medical people, Police - men and women, who have suffered and continue to suffer emotionally and physically, including illnesses caused by being exposed to harmful chemicals. The list goes on and on. Remembering ... and praying that we never see another day like September 11th, 2001. This photo was taken yesterday evening in South Glenmore Park, down by the Glenmore Reservoir. I went with three friends for our last but one botany walk of the year. Normally, I tend not to go out in the evenings, especially as I now find night driving difficult. However, I did go yesterday, as I wasn't sure if this was going to be our last botany walk for this year. Also, someone who went on a different day this week said he had seen a mushroom growing on a log down at the edge of the water and I was hoping to find it. Well into our walk, there it was, lol! Hence this rather strange and uninspiring photo. I did take a close photo, too, but posted this one first. Not the most beautiful fungus in the world, but I was still happy to find it. The city has released more water into the Reservoir and the narrow "shore" is now under water, unfortunately.

This was taken near the Ptarmigan Cirque parking lot in Kananaskis, along Highway 40, SW of Calgary, on 23 November 2013, when a birding friend and I went in search of a White-tailed Ptarmigan (without success!). The snow was so deep, you needed snowshoes or cross-country skis, which I don't have. This photo shows just a tiny portion of where the snow above had slipped over a lower layer. Just liked the sparkling, untouched snow.

Pussy Willow catkin seen out in Kananaskis, at the Golden Eagle Migration Count location near Mt. Lorette.

The background bokeh has to have been created by all the bushes in the background, but the colour did take me a bit by surprise. It felt so good on Sunday afternoon, 31 March 2013, to see these beautiful Catkins. I was on a walk with friends in Weaselhead, along a different trail from the usual one, and we had a lot of bush-wacking to do and walking in mud, lol. Quite a work-out.

Here in Calgary, we don't get those wonderful Maple trees that turn a glorious red in fall, that they get in Eastern Canada. Consequently, my eyes go straight to any kind of leaf that is remotely red. This one might be an Amur Maple? Seen by a pond at the Calgary Zoo on 6 October 2012. I always think of the very small, wild Gooseberry leaves (which turn a beautiful red) as my mini Maple leaves : ) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_ginnala

Couldn't resist a small bunch of brightly coloured Tulips when I was doing grocery shopping a few days ago.

This tree in the ENMAX Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo took me by surprise, when I noticed that the flowers were growing directly from the tree trunk and branches. "The flowers are produced in clusters directly on the trunk and older branches; they are small, 1–2 cm (1/2–1 in) diameter, with pink calyx. While many of the world's flowers are pollinated by bees (Hymenoptera) or butterflies/moths (Lepidoptera), cacao flowers are pollinated by tiny flies, Forcipomyia midges in the order Diptera. This is how your chocolate starts out, ha! The fruit, called a cacao pod, is ovoid, 15–30 cm (6–12 in) long and 8–10 cm (3–4 in) wide, ripening yellow to orange, and weighs about 500 g (1 lb) when ripe. The pod contains 20 to 60 seeds, usually called "beans", embedded in a white pulp. The seeds are the main ingredient of CHOCOLATE, while the pulp is used in some countries to prepare a refreshing juice. Each seed contains a significant amount of fat (40–50%) as cocoa butter. Their most noted active constituent is theobromine, a compound similar to caffeine. The scientific name Theobroma from Greek θεοβρῶμα means 'food of the gods'." From Wikipedia. What better name? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theobroma_cacao

I always have a hard time when I try and photograph the tendrils of these plants, hanging in the Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo - they come out white and blown-out. This time, it worked better. Macro shot taken on September 26th.

Usually, I like the subject in my photos to be as sharp as possible, with a blurred background if possible. Even though really there is nothing in focus in this shot - maybe just the tiniest bit of the cap's edge, with a bit of imagination - there is something I like about it. Photographed this little shroom at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park on September 17th.

This was taken on the long drive home on Highway 22 on Sunday, from hiking the Small Whaleback - a wonderful area of rolling hills and wildflower meadows that is way down in southern Alberta, off Highway 22 and just before the Oldman River. My photo doesn't even begin to do justice to the amazing sky that we saw. The leader of the group kindly stopped so that I could take a photo or two - thanks, Moya, and sorry that my photos didn't do justice to the absolutely amazing beauty of that spectacular sky.

This was such a tiny caterpillar-like larva, I don't know how I ever happened to notice it, lol! It was clinging to a thin grass stalk and appeared as just the slightest thickening on the stalk. Needless to say, this is a macro! And it's the only photo of this insect that came out - the rest have been deleted : ) So glad I decided to check it out just in case it was something. Wonder if this is some kind of Sawfly larva? Photographed at the Medicine River WIldlife Centre on a wonderful botanizing day yesterday.

I always enjoy seeing Allium flowers - this one was photographed at the Reader Rock Garden in Calgary on August 11th last year.

Not a bird to be seen anywhere when I went on my only drive just south west of the city this winter. So, you shoot what you can, lol! Taken February 16th.