Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: silver

This photo is mainly just as a record that I actually got out on a birding walk with a group of friends on 8 January 2018. My main reason for pushing myself out the front door was to catch up with friends. One look at the weather forecast for that week and I decided that, if I was going to head over to Carburn Park, I had better do it. The temperature was a balmy PLUS 1C-3C! Windchills for the next few days were in the -30Cs. The light was not good for photos on this walk and most of the birds were very distant, as usual, at this location. Funny how it always works - if one is walking along the edge of the river, the birds are mainly on the far side. We did see 29 bird species, though. This Christmas bauble was hanging, with others, on a tiny tree in the park, and I can never resist taking a quick shot or two if I come across things like this. As with a previous photo, I've 'removed' the ugly piece of green tubing that was threaded through the loop for hanging. I'd never seen a decoration like this one. Later in the day, a friend very kindly picked me up and we went to the meeting about the recent Christmas Bird Counts. What an enormous amount of detail and facts are collected each year - most impressive and valuable!

UPDATE about our friend, Mike Kelly, who amazingly survived an horrific vehicle accident (broken jaw, broken ankle and two broken legs), east of the city, in brutal, -30C weather. One of the two wonderful good Samaritans who saved his life turned up at Mike's hospital room! This will be so good for Mike, as he really, really wanted to meet his two life-savers and thank them in person. Hopefully, he will still get the chance to meet his other hero. We are all so grateful! Three rather uninspiring photos posted this morning, mainly just as a record that I actually got out on a birding walk with a group of friends yesterday morning. Quite a photographic leap from the hot rainforest of Trinidad (posted yesterday) to the cold, winter sights of Calgary. One look at the weather forecast for this week and I decided that, if I was going to head over to Carburn Park, I had better do it yesterday. We are supposed to get snow this evening, overnight and the next two days. Temperature this overcast morning is -7C (windchill -15C), so not too bad. Yesterday, on our walk, the temperature was a balmy 1C-3C! The light was not good for photos yesterday morning and most of the birds were very distant, as usual, at this location. Funny how it always works - if one is walking along the edge of the river, the birds are mainly on the far side. We did see 29 bird species, though. This Christmas bauble was hanging, with others, on a tiny tree in the park, and I can never resist taking a quick shot or two if I come across things like this. (OK, it just had to be done - I've just 'removed' the ugly piece of green tubing that was threaded through the loop for hanging.) My main reason for pushing myself out the front door was to catch up with friends. Later in the day, a friend very kindly picked me up and we went to the meeting about the recent Christmas Bird Counts. What an enormous amount of detail and facts are collected each year - most impressive!

Only three more days till Christmas, for those of you who will be celebrating! A few shiny baubles - actually part of a wreath that I bought recently, partly so that I could take a few photos, and it was even on sale : ) - to wish you all a very Happy Christmas!

Took this macro photo yesterday morning on a walk in the Weaselhead. The silvery berries of the native Wolf Willow or Silverberry shrub look attractive in winter, especially when seen against a blue sky. This shrub is popular with the Calliope Hummingbird and, in fact, this photo was taken in "The Meadow" in Weaselhead, where one can see these tiny birds. It has a very strong scent - some people love it, others dislike it intensely - I love it : ) "Wolf willow berries were used by Blackfoot Natives to make seed necklaces. The berries were boiled to remove the flesh and the pointed nutlets strung onto necklaces or used to decorate the fringes on clothing. Each seed is dark brown with yellow stripes. When the first settlers arrived, the women quickly learned the art from the natives, and wolf willow seed necklaces became a popular gift to send home. Wolf willow fruit is mealy and dry, but was still eaten by some First Nations. Blackfoot Indians peeled and ate the berries or mixed them with grease and stored them in a cool place. This was eaten as a confection or added to soups and broths. The berries were sometimes mixed with blood or sugar and cooked for food. Children suffering from frostbite were treated with a strong solution made from the bark. The essential oil is in demand for aromatherapy. Though commonly called wolf willow, this plant species is not a willow at all. Instead, it belongs to the Elaeagnaceae (Oleaster) family and is related to thorny and Canada buffaloberry (Shepherdia)." plantwatch.fanweb.ca/plant-information/wolf-willow

This certainly is a very unusual photo for me to have taken and to be posting! I just love it, though. When we were at Janel Butler's (and family) farm a few days ago, to botanize their acreage, I noticed this sweet little pair of silver slippers/shoes belonging to their little daughter on their wooden deck. I didn't take a photo at first, and by the time we retraced our steps, someone had bumped into the tidy little pair and I Ioved the way they were resting. I accidentally caught a keyboard key and this image ended up as my desktop photo - looks so neat : )

It's only -8C (windchill -16C) today, but it is yet another dull, gloomy day. Took a few brightly coloured flower shots at the Zoo this morning, when I visited the new Conservatory with a few friends, but haven't had a chance to go through them yet. So, I'm posting this image, taken on a cold, stay-at-home kind of day. I guess it's another of those "What is it?" photos. When I did that last time, the right answer appeared in the very first comment box (from Rebecca, Red~Star), LOL.

This strange ornament was in the new Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo. This huge room was full of Poinsettias, which you can see in the reflection. You can also see that several of these long rows of "fused" baubles radiate from a central spot. A peculiar shape, but creates interesting reflections. Hope your Christmas Day is going happily : )

A little late for Christmas, but still OK for "winter", LOL. I didn't have a tree this Christmas - I now use an artificial one and it stays decorated all year long, down in my basement! It's always awkward to bring upstairs and take back down and I didn't want to risk it with a finger still in a splint. So, out into nature it is, to do a bit of decorating - off the beaten path a little way, so that I wouldn't get any funny looks from all the walkers and joggers who were out enjoying the park today, LOL.

Just trying out my macro on this old, silver bracelet from Oman, Middle East. The old jewellery was very crudely made - which is exactly why I love it so much.