Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Happy Canada Day

HAPPY CANADA DAY (1 July 2015) to all Canadians! Just for my own record, this is my "main" photo for today, i.e. the last one uploaded. A quick question:: is anyone else experiencing problems with Windows Live Mail? Yesterday evening and this morning, I have been trying to send a photo or two via Live Mail and the e-mails get stuck in my Outbox. I clear the Outbox and try again, but same thing happens. I have some important photos to send, so this is a real pain! Any help would be greatly appreciated! I'm sure everyone loves to see Paintbrush when out on a hike or stroll. The colours vary so much, including almost white, pale pink, greenish, yellowish, salmon, orange and bright red. This plant seemed to glow in the sunlight and looked so pretty against the green of the forest. I say "plant" instead of flower, as the tiny, green parts that protrude are the actual flowers and the orange-red parts are the colourful bracts. Taken along the Crandell Lake Trail on 21 June 2015. "Castilleja, commonly known as Indian paintbrush or prairie-fire, is a genus of about 200 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants native to the west of the Americas from Alaska south to the Andes, northern Asia, and one species as far west as the Kola Peninsula in northwestern Russia. These plants are classified in the broomrape family, Orobanchaceae (following major rearrangements of the order Lamiales starting around 2001; sources which do not follow these reclassifications may place them in the Scrophulariaceae). They are hemiparasitic on the roots of grasses and forbs. The generic name honors Spanish botanist Domingo Castillejo." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castilleja I was so lucky to be invited to join friends Sandy and Heide on a three-day trip to Waterton Lakes National Park, from 19-21 (inclusive) June 2015. We met up with other members of the Alberta Native Plant Council for their annual Botany Alberta weekend. Most people who attended stayed at the Crooked Creek Campground, a 5.6 km drive east of the Waterton Park Gate on Highway 5, but my friends and I stayed at the Crandell Mountain Lodge on the edge of Waterton town. The ANPC people had a list of species that they hoped to find, and they were very successful. Our stay down south overlapped the annual Waterton Wildflower Festival, but we came across very few people on our various drives and hikes. I was expecting everywhere to be packed. Needless to say, I was extremely fortunate to spend three days with people who are specialists and very knowledgeable about plants, and many other things. This meant that I got to see many wildflower species, including several that were new to me, such as the gorgeous Mariposa Lily. It was one of the flowers that was on my Wish List - and there were hundreds of them to be seen! I had also never seen the spectacular Bear Grass and I was so thrilled that there were still several plants in bloom. Absolutely made my day! Our two main hikes of the weekend were the Bertha Lake Trail as far as the Bertha Falls (on 20 June), and the Crandell Lake Trail (on 21 June). Makes me smile when a described "short, easy hike" in a book or on the Internet turns into a full day of exploration along the trail, taking hours to reach the destination, though returning to the cars in a much shorter time. Our walks/hikes are very slow-paced with endless stops to look at/for plants and to take photos. This makes it possible for me to go along. Crandell Lake from the Crandell Campground trailhead: Return distance 4.0 km (2.4 miles), elevation gain 150 metres (492'), hiking time 1.5 hours (we took all day!). Bertha Falls from the townsite trailhead: Return distance 5.6 km (3.4 miles), elevation gain 150 metres (492'), hiking time 1.5 hours (again, we took all day). For me, this hike felt much further than it was! The wind made photographing plants a real challenge, including the beautiful Mariposa Lilies in the meadow along the Hay Barn road. Trying to catch a quick shot when a flower is blowing in and out of the viewfinder is not easy! Unfortunately, I'm no longer able to get down and take macro shots (my lens needs to be about 4" away from the subject), so my photos have to be telemacro. I've been trying to find an online list of plant species in Waterton Park, but have so far been out of luck. I do have the book, "Wildflowers of Waterton Park" by Jacinthe Lavoie and Ian Wilson, which has an Index of Plant names, but I was hoping to find a list that I could print out. It's going to take me ages to type descriptions for the various photos I'll slowly be posting, and I will no doubt keep adding new bits and pieces over time. There is just so much information I want to add, but my descriptions are already way too long. Also, my photos of quite a few of the plants will be posted for the use of ANPC members and are, unfortunately, really poor images. Need them added to my Waterton Lakes album, so please bear with me : ) Luckily, you don't even need to look at them.

We live in such a great and free country, which is something to be remembered and thankful for, each and every day! A special wish and thank-you for all those Canadians who are serving our country, especially overseas! This is Canada's 147th birthday - we are so young! "Canada Day (French: Fête du Canada) is the national day of Canada, a federal statutory holiday celebrating the anniversary of the July 1, 1867, enactment of the British North America Act, 1867 (today called the Constitution Act, 1867), which united three colonies into a single country called Canada within the British Empire. Originally called Dominion Day (French: Le Jour de la Confédération), the holiday was renamed in 1982, the year the Canada Act was passed. Canada Day observances take place throughout Canada as well as among Canadians internationally." From Wikipedia. Photo was taken on 17 August 2011. Not sure if this flag is actually standing in the Stampede Grounds, but it can be seen through the trees from the Reader Rock Garden, which is just across the road from the Grounds.

Today is Canada Day, so Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canadians, wherever you happen to be living around the world! This particular flag can be seen through the trees at the Reader Rock Garden - not sure if it is actually standing on the Stampede Grounds. Taken on 17 August 2011. It's going to be a hot day today, getting up to 30C this afternoon (feeling like 35C). Tomorrow, it's supposed to get up to 33C (feeling like 38C). I'm not a hot weather person! Most people in Calgary don't have air-conditioning, so you just can't get away from the heat. These hot, dry days, though, are thankfully helping to dry out a lot of the province after our Flood of the Century, but there are places that are still under water, such as a lot of High River, half an hour's drive to the south of Calgary. In that town, it could be several weeks before some of the homeowners can get back to their homes, most/all of which are going to be unfit to live in. Calgary has always been known for its sense of volunteering - this flood disaster is bringing out volunteers in an almost unbelievable way. www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/9183032901

Wishing all Canadians, living here in Canada or overseas, a very happy Canada Day! I used some program to create this ages ago, but can't remember off-hand what website I used. The photo of a Royal Mounted Police Officer was taken at the Calgary Stampede on 12 July 2011, when I spent a few hours down at the Stampede Grounds with my youngest daughter. Have a happy, safe long weekend, everyone!

Wishing all my fellow Canadians a really happy and SAFE Canada Day tomorrow and the long weekend. Take great care on the roads if you are going to be driving! How lucky we all are to live in a country that provides us with amazing freedom to do what we want to do and to be who we hope to be. Now, if only the winters weren't so cold : ) LOL, if you only knew how many photos of this flag I took late this afternoon. It was really windy out and the flag was blown in every possible way except showing the Maple Leaf! After my volunteer shift this afternoon, I decided to call in at Reader Rock Garden on my way home, as I knew there was a flag flying there. Much too windy for flower photos - the flowers blew in and out of the viewfinder - but I still took a pile of colourful shots, IF they are sharp enough. After that, I called in to see the family of five Great Horned Owls in Fish Creek Park. I don't go very often, as I'd rather give them peace and quiet (especially from photographers!!). When I eventually found them (in a different place this time), all three little ones were hanging out together on a curved branch. I did get one distant shot through the trees, but didn't want to get any closer and disturb them. Not sure if it's fit to post, but I might post it sometime. just to give you an idea of what I saw, especially for those of you who never get to see owls..

We live in such a great and free country, which is something to be remembered each and every day! A special wish and thank-you for all those Canadians who are serving our country, especially overseas! This is Canada's 142nd birthday - we are so young! Created with fd's Flickr Toys .

Happy Canada Day tomorrow to all my fellow Canadian Flickrites! Have a fun, safe day with a sky as blue as this one! Don't forget your camera, wherever you may be going : ).