Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: horses

The only time I had ever driven to Kananaskis (the mountain area closest to Calgary) was on 10 September 2016, when my daughter came with me. I wasn't too impressed with the photos I took on this first drive, especially of the little Pikas (Rock Rabbits) that we went to see, so I wanted to go back and spend a bit more time with them. A drive like this also helps me get a bit more used to my new car - before the roads are covered in snow and ice! Actually, we have had snow since then, but I stayed home and waited till it had all melted : ) There were a few small patches of snow on the ground in places close to the trees when I got to where I see the Pikas. I left home at 8:45 am, later than I had intended, and drove southwards via Millarville and the back way to Highway 40. This photo was taken once I had reached Highway 40. When I Googled the distance via that route, it gave me 134 km, 1 hr 41 mins from home to the Highwood Pass. Needless to say, I kept stopping to take photos, so it took me longer than that. By the time I got back home around 5:00 pm, I had driven 299 km. This day was a Monday, so not much traffic anywhere, which makes a huge difference. This time, I only drove as far as the Pikas, just north of the Highwood Pass, especially as I wanted to make sure that I wasn't driving home in the dark. The Highwood Pass, at an elevation of 2,206 m (7,238 ft) is the highest paved pass in Canada. In past years, I have hiked the Ptarmigan Cirque, Pocaterra and Arethusa Cirque trails, but can no longer do hikes like these. The scenery is breathtaking in this whole area (indeed, for the whole drive), some mountain slopes covered in forest and other mountain faces displaying bald, breathtaking folds above the treeline. There was only one 'scary' incident on this trip. I had stopped to take a few scenic shots when I was on the backroad to join Highway 40. I didn't push my car door completely closed and when I went to open it, I discovered it was locked! Pressing the fob to open all the doors did nothing. I just could not get into my vehicle. Thank goodness, I had read on the Internet that there is a key hidden away inside the fob - otherwise I would never have known and might still be standing there, lol! Feels SO good to know that I am now comfortable enough to do this drive on my own, after so many years of wishing I had the courage to do it. Thank you, little Pikas, for being so adorably cute, that I was determined to drive back to see you : )

William J. Bagnall Wilderness Park is named after Mountain View County’s first reeve, who served in the position from 1961 to 1981 and also served as a councillor until 1985. The William J. Bagnall Wilderness Park (34.7 acres) is located seven kilometres west of Water Valley just off Highway 579. "Remediation efforts for the wilderness park were undertaken after the area was made inaccessible following the flood of 2005. Included in the upgrades is a new entry and parking lot on the south side (just off Highway 579); two walking trails that will form a 1.2-kilometre loop; a historical sign detailing the history of the site as a coal mining area; a small picnic area, including outhouses, tables and pest-proof containers; along with several stairways for steep-grade accessibility." From an article in the Mountainview Gazette on 14 June 2011. www.mountainviewgazette.ca/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/201... This was my very first visit to the William J. Bagnall Wildnerness Park. A couple of friends had mentioned it recently and I finally decided to go and explore part of the area. On that day, 5 April 2016, I had to remove my car so that the parking lot could be cleaned. I don't have a current street pass, so I knew that I had a few hours to kill before I could get back home. The notice said that cleaning would start at 12:00 noon, so at 11:40 am, I was on my way, heading NW of the city. There was no way I was going to set my alarm clocks for 5:00 am again, so I thought I would do an afternoon/evening drive for a change. I was hoping that I might just see one of the Great Gray Owls, but there was nothing in sight, other than a couple of Ravens and a pair of distant Mountain Bluebirds. It was kind of amusing, as there was one other car up there, moving very slowly. Turned out to be a man who told me that he had never once been there without seeing a Great Grey Owl. Well, I jokingly told him that maybe I would end up changing that for him - and sure enough, not a single owl. He's probably hoping that he never runs into me again, lol! After calling in at the little general store in Water Valley, I drove westwards, a road I had never driven before, and eventually reached the William J. Bagnall WIlderness Park. I can't remember exactly where the park began, but I think these horses and a third one were just before it started. The scenery was beautiful, with many treed ridges with small creeks in between. There were still patches of ice in places - something I hadn't seen for quite a while. I didn't look for birds, as I was so focused on the road ahead. A wide road, but slightly muddy gravel which made the car 'slide' a little. I'm not quite sure just where the road goes in the park, but I turned around when I came to a fork in the road and the roads became very narrow. I wasn't sure if I was allowed to drive in either direction. Oh, yes, I had forgotten, early on, I had come to a sign telling drivers that they would be driving at their own risk! I never like seeing these signs, ha, including knowing that my car is now 17 years old. After the long drive back to the city, I was tired and just wanted to go straight home. However, I knew I just had to go and wash my absolutely filthy vehicle that was caked in so much dried mud from so many back road drives recently. Didn't want the mud falling on to a newly cleaned parking space. Took forever to wash, but now simply gleams (temporarily!). Guess what I discovered when I did reach home - the parking lot had NOT been cleaned after all ... sigh.

All three photos posted this morning were taken yesterday, 17 October 2015, when I spent the day birding with 6 friends. We travelled west of the city, the direction that I don't often get to see, mostly along Highway 1, turning off in a few places to see what species we could find. Overall, it was a very quiet day as far as birding goes. At one particular pond (seen in the previous photo), we watched several distant Swans, which are always nice to see. They were just off to the left and right of my photo. This is part of the trumpeter swan’s migratory path. You would never guess that the main Highway 1 runs from left to right through this area - the reflections of passing vehicles were seen in the water. While my friends were checking out the few other waterfowl, I just had to turn around and take a few photos of this old orange/red barn in the distance. I wasn't sure just where we were, but last night I went on Google Earth and eventually found the exact place. I also discovered that there is a whole lot more about this barn and the ranch it belongs to. For one thing, it also has a whole movie set in Western theme (i.e. old saloon, etc.), which has been used in a long list of movies. I'm adding a link to a detailed account of the Ranch by The Western Producer, posted on 27 August 2012 by Barbara Duckworth. It provides a lot of interesting information. This Ranch family emphasizes watershed management on 18,000 acres of land. www.producer.com/2012/08/ranch-uses-tranquil-setting-to-d... www.clranches.com/ clwesterntown.com/ www.country-guide.ca/2014/07/31/the-wide-view/44390/ calgaryherald.com/business/local-business/producing-a-mor... calgaryherald.com/business/mcdonalds-undertakes-pilot-pro...

Two days ago, on 5 July 2014, I decided at the last minute that I just couldn't take being in an "oven" any more. Not complaining about the hot, sunny weather we are having at the moment, but my house turns into an oven and then tends to stay that way for many days or weeks afterwards. I had hoped to leave the house earlier than I did (10;00 a.m.) and drove NW of the city and NW of Cochrane. Hadn't been that way for a long time and wanted to see if I could find an owl of some sort, especially a Great Gray Owl. No luck, and in fact it seemed like all wildlife was in hiding, except for four Deer. My morning's finds included a patch of beautiful Indian Paintbrush flowers (deep pink, yellow, green and peach colours) Also a noisy little Wren that I saw when I pulled over to take a look down a hillside to see if I could see the Red Fox that had just run across the road ahead of me - no luck. The next sightings were a lone Deer - forgot to check its tail, but judging by the enormous size of its ears, I think it must have been a Mule Deer - and a Tree Swallow that was perched on its bright orange nesting "box". I wonder who chose one of the coloured, metal boxes this year; he or his mate, lol. Nearby, there were several Swallowtail butterflies down in the mud along the edge of the road. Before I could get there, a car came along in the opposite direction and off flew every single one. By the time I had photographed a few wildflowers, one butterfly did return, so I was able to get a few shots. Deciding to return to Highway 1a the same way as I came, I passed these two horses that always seem to be in the same place. I'm never sure about the health of these two, and they never seem "happy" animals, though maybe they are just getting very old. The white horse seemed to like resting its head against the rough bark of this tree, or maybe it liked the smell of it. When I reached the road that I wanted to check out (including for a possible owl), I found that it had just been oiled ready for a new surface to be laid, so that plan went out the window. Wanting to stay away from my unpleasantly hot house for as long as possible, I came home via Bragg Creek and some of the backroads that I love, SW of the city. Brown-Lowery Provincial Park was my first stop - and it has the wonderful, added benefit of washrooms in the parking lot - the first ones I'd seen all day! I checked out the area near the parking lot and then went maybe a hundred feet into the forest. After checking for any fungi (none), I heard a very loud cracking of branches and eventually spotted a huge, very dark shape through the trees. From that angle, it looked horribly like a Bear, but when it lifted its head from feeding, I was so relieved to see that it was "only" a Moose! A young couple were coming along the trail towards me and I said they must have seen it even closer. My voice was heard by the animal and unfortunately it moved quickly away. I like to think that a Bear or Cougar would react in the same way, lol! From Brown-Lowery, I passed my favourite little wetland and found the Snipe standing, as usual, on a fence post. Sorry, everyone, you might just get fed up of Snipe photos - if you aren't already! Got home around 6;00 p.m., feeling content that, even though the morning had been pretty disappointing, the day was a a good one.

When I took myself off for a short, afternoon drive SW of the city on 5 March 2013, I found an unexpected haze over the hills - and nothing much to photograph. Then, all of sudden, I noticed this rider training (?) a second horse, sending the snow flying. It was so beautiful to watch, and I felt rather like an intruder when I got out of my car to take a few photos. As fast as they had appeared, they were gone over the hill. www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/13379592555

Sunday, 5 January 2014 was the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count for the town of Nanton and its surrounding areas. This count was originally supposed to have taken place on 28 December 2013, but the weather forecast warned of a Flash Freeze, and so it was postponed till 5 January 2014. As you can see, the weather was bright and sunny for us that day. What you can't see was that it was brutally cold that day! On the hour-long drive south of Calgary, we hit -34C (-29.2F)!!!!! It did eventually warm up a few degrees and thankfully, there was no or very little wind, which makes all the difference. The only walking we had to do was when we called in at various farms and homesteads. One backroad in particular had too much snow on it, so we had to leave that one out. Also, there was just too much snow in many of the farmyards, so we weren't able to check out all the trees and bushes as thoroughly as we would like to have done. I absolutely love the scenery on this Count, so I was able to get a few shots to show some typical landscapes, including this one (SW of Nanton), to give you an idea of where we were for a day. Not sure where all the Hawks and Owls were hiding that day, but we did see 2 Golden Eagles and 2 Bald Eagles. After driving (being driven, for me, which was pure luxury) the backroads from about 8:00 a.m. till around 4:00 p.m., we returned to the wonderful home of the Truch family. Not only do Bill and Leah Truch and their son, Mike, always welcome everyone with open arms, they also provide a much-appreciated breakfast snack for us and then, at the end of the day, a delicious supper. Have to say that I love travelling these scenic backroads, but I also really enjoy getting together with everyone afterwards to thoroughly enjoy a delicious supper. One of my favourite Bird Counts and perhaps the most favourite. Thanks so much for doing all the driving, Tony, and thanks, Leah, Bill and Mike for all the effort and time you put into your warm welcome! Can't wait for next Christmas!

This is a scan of a print from an old colour slide, taken in the desert outside Doha, Qatar (Middle East) in 1967. I have several of these old photos from Qatar that I need to scan and post as soon as possible. I don't know just where outside Doha this was taken, so I will mark it as Doha on my map - just in case anyone isn't quite sure where Doha is : ) We lived in Doha, Qatar, for just six months. This particular day was very special. One of the local Sheikhs, Sheikh Nasser, put on a "picnic" for employees and their families of one of the large oil companies. Various aspects of nomadic life were carefully arranged for us to see and enjoy, including a typical woven tent, a magnificent camel wearing its spectacular woven dressings, the slaughter of an animal hung from a wooden tripod and then prepared and cooked for us. This meal was eaten inside the tent, with everyone sitting in a circle on woven rugs - no knives or forks of course - and was followed by the preparation of coffee over a fire (and using the beautiful coffee pots that I love so much). Also a trained Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug) was on its perch. A day I've never forgotten, including a ride on one of their camels (what an experience!). A most enjoyable day and one that we all greatly appreciated.

A different kind of photo for me : ). Saw these beautiful horses today when I went with a couple of friends to do a repeat bio-assessment of an acreage south of the city. A donkey shared the field with them.

When I took myself off for a short, afternoon drive SW of the city on 5 March 2013, I found an unexpected haze over the hills - and nothing much to photograph. Then, all of sudden, I noticed this rider training (?) a second horse, sending the snow flying. It was so beautiful to watch, and I felt rather like an intruder when I got out of my car to take a few photos. As fast as they had appeared, they were gone over the hill. We had more snow overnight. March tends to be a month in which we get snow, it melts and then, just when you think the ground might actually be clear, it snows again, and it does this over and over again. We definitely need the moisture, though. Once I've cleared the snow off my car, I have to drop my vehicle off to be repaired. When I drove east of the city a week ago, I could tell something wasn't quite right with it. Then yesterday, the orange warning light came on when I was driving home after my volunteer shift. I also had a horrible feeling that I could hear a "bubbling" sound. Thankfully, I was close to Canadian Tire, so I called in and had someone take a quick look at it. Sure enough, it looks like there is a crack and coolant was leaking out of it. Thank goodness this didn't happen when I was out in the middle of nowhere! Hoping it won't be an expensive repair, but .... My car is 14 years old and I'm beginning to feel a little uneasy now about driving the backroads. Dread the thought of having to replace it, but I might just have to do it a little sooner than I had hoped. Later: anyone else not able to see thumbnails of your own photos or Your Contacts' photos when you click on any photo to open it and look at the comments? Haven't had this happen before. Instead of showing four (?) thumbnails in a row, it shows four empty boxes with just a tiny green icon of some sort in the corner of each square. Interesting.

A couple of days ago, 8 February 2013, I drove a loop SW of Calgary, covering various backroads. On the last leg of my short drive, I spotted this cowboy leading two of his horses down the snowy hillside. Just had to stop and take a quick shot - it looked so "Alberta" : )

One of the things I love about our annual Audubon Christmas Bird Counts is that, as well as seeing various species of birds, we also come across spectacular scenery, horses, cats, dogs, even the occasional Llama. Saw these beautiful horses in SW Canmore two days ago, 15 December 2012, when a small group of seven of us went west into the Rocky Mountains to Canmore. We split into two groups and covered both sides of the Creek there (which I can never remember the name of) and then walked along the Bow River. This long walk took all morning, and then in the afternoon, we walked up and down some of the residential streets and alleys, searching for birds. Eight hours of walking in total, always much harder when there is snow on the ground. So, I was already in great pain, just in time for walking the streets and alleys in NE/SE Calgary the following day (yesterday), for the annual Calgary Christmas Bird Count, lol. After walking all morning yesterday, I had no choice but to sit and wait in the car for part of the time, while the three others in my group walked a few other streets and alleys. Could barely move this morning, lol! Thank goodness I didn't have another count today! In the evening, a birder friend very kindly drove me way back north in the city to a most enjoyable potluck supper. Thanks so much to Donna and Arthur Wieckowski, who very generously hosted this evening in their home! Tomorrow, it's back to getting up around 4:00 a.m. for another Count, in High River, maybe 45 minutes' drive south of Calgary. It will be a day of driving (or being driven), with stops along the way. Makes a most enjoyable day. The sun seems to have vanished today, so I'm really hoping it will come out again for tomorrow's trip. At the rate I'm going, it'll be a miracle if I get any photos of Christmas and decorations taken, lol! Much as I love special little ornaments, I would so much rather be out with friends, doing something valuable and enjoyable : ) These Bird Counts have become a great Christmas tradition for me, for which I am very thankful. Apologies, everyone, for not getting much time on Flickr at the moment.

Hard to believe that this was taken just a few days ago, on April 14th. It really was a perfect winter wonderland - briefly. We passed these beautiful horses on the way to look for a Great Gray Owl, NW of the city.

I think I have the correct ID for these horses, which were seen at a farm during the Nanton Christmas Bird Count on January 2nd. Flickr... Hold your Clicks (8:30 p.m.).

I think this has been the only time I've driven just outside the city this winter - just had to take a short break from all my computer stuff, on February 16th. I love seeing red barns any time, but the red really pops in a snowy scene. This one is south west of the city, maybe 15 or 20 minutes' drive from home.

We met so many beautiful, friendly, curious horses on our day of the Audubon Christmas Bird Count in the Nanton area on January 2nd. Four of us drove about 200 kms from early morning till early evening, covering the south west quadrant of the Nanton and area count circle. I always love it when we stop at various farms, knowing that there will always be cats, dogs and horses to photograph, even if no birds : ) I think I could be happy, spending my life cruising all the backroads of Alberta, ha. We are still in our deep-freeze and, according to the weather forecast, we have about four more days before temperatures become a bit more bearable. My camera must wonder what's going on and suffering feelings of rejection. I've been just too busy the last two weeks to go out, too sad, and when you see the windchill temperature is -31C (-24F), it just makes you want to stay home in the warmth, anyway. Last night, I finally wrote the words I wish to be read at my Brother's funeral in England - not the easiest thing to do, of course, and this afternoon I have a rare-for-me, splitting headache that burns every time I cough. John's funeral should be sometime in the next ten days or so. Later afternoon: just received an e-mail, saying: "Three WHOOPING CRANES found Dead. Wildlife scientists at the National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Oregon, have concluded through preliminary testing the cranes found dead near Albany, Georgia, on Dec. 30, 2010, sustained injuries consistent with gunshot wounds. The cranes were shot sometime before Dec. 30, 2010. They were discovered and reported by hunters. The three cranes, 20-10, 24-10, and 28-10, were part of a group of five 2010 Direct Autumn Release (DAR) cranes. According to Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership trackers, they had last been tracked in Hamilton County, Tennessee, where they roosted on December 10, 2010,with cranes 6-05, 6-09, and 38-09." How could anyone carry out such a despicable act - against any wildlife, but even more so against such a highly threatened species???