Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Common Dandelion

Today, 25 May 2016, my birthday started off with my computer installing Windows 10 to replace my Windows 7! This happened while I was away from my computer, having a very late supper last night. No idea how it was able to do THAT without my permission! (Later: I now see that this is an automatic update, free until 29 July 2016). I eventually managed to restore my computer to how it was with Windows 7. Talk about panic! Once that was done, I immediately got yet another Blue Screen of Death! I stayed up all night, finally getting to bed about 7:00 this morning (for three hours' sleep), backing up the last few months' worth of photos (many thousands) and various odds and ends to an external drive. I was so hoping I wouldn't wake up to find Windows 10 installed again.. I wanted to find out a few things before even thinking about Windows 10, such as will all one's e-mails be saved if one changes to Windows 10? Also, do My Pictures photo folders remain the same?? I have visions of all my photos disappearing : ( So much for getting out for the day on my birthday day, lol! However, I did have a lovely day out on 22nd May, with my daughter, so I'm very lucky. Today, 25 May 2016, my birthday started off with my computer installing Windows 10 to replace my Windows 7! This happened while I was away from my computer, having a very late supper last night. No idea how it was able to do THAT without my permission! (Later: I now see that this is an automatic update, free until 29 July 2016). I eventually managed to restore my computer to how it was with Windows 7. Talk about panic! Once that was done, I immediately got yet another Blue Screen of Death! I stayed up all night, finally getting to bed about 7:00 this morning (for three hours' sleep), backing up the last few months' worth of photos (many thousands) and various odds and ends to an external drive. I was so hoping I wouldn't wake up to find Windows 10 installed again.. I wanted to find out a few things before even thinking about Windows 10, such as will all one's e-mails be saved if one changes to Windows 10? Also, do My Pictures photo folders remain the same?? I have visions of all my photos disappearing : ( So much for getting out for the day on my birthday day, lol! However, I did have a lovely day out on 22nd May, with my daughter, so I'm very lucky. In connection with this, Flickr member, Brent Michael, added a very helpful comment under my next image (old church with fenceline). I will post his words here, in case anyone else had the same concerns as myself: "Just happened to me yesterday as well. I had stopped 10 from updating a couple times before, but I let it go this time. Everything was still there once the update was complete. All my pictures, Lightroom, etc. My browser still had all my bookmarks, my documents were all there. and yes, all my emails were still there as well. All my folders in Lightroom and Windows were just as they were before. Windows 10 works differently so like with all software updates you have to relearn how to do certain things, which isn't as easy as it was 30 years ago! But I am still unhappy that Windows did this on its own without my permission as well. That's not cool! Good luck with yours!" Thanks so much, Brent - all good info to know. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UPDATE on the FLIPLIFE website that I discovered recently was displaying thousands of our 'stolen' images (mine are all copyright protected, too) and displaying them for free download (including original size) to anyone who wanted them. Something made me check Google again last night and I was unable to go directly to their website. It now works through an itunes app, which you have to download. As a comment on the Help Forum says: "The video on the Fliplife for apps site is soooo nice, laying out all the thousands of..... stolen photos." Flickr staff are looking into this, again - thanks for the very quick response and action! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This photo was taken yesterday afternoon, 24 May 2016, when I went for just a short drive SW of the city. After a couple of days of rain, the sun came out and I reckoned I had better make the most of it. On the way, I called in at a wetland in SW Calgary and was glad to see the Red-necked Grebe. Just drove my usual back roads, seeing some of the usual birds - Mountain Bluebirds, Wilson's Snipe, Red-winged Blackbirds.

I'm sure most people have taken at least one photo of a Dandelion seedhead, lol. This one was taken down near Forgetmenot Pond on July 1st. "Dandelions get provincial reprieve. CBC News Posted: May 24, 2011 12:33 PM MT Last Updated: May 24, 2011 5:07 PM MT. Calgarians who strive for a perfectly green lawn are losing a weapon in their never-ending battle against dandelions. A recently passed overhaul of the province's Weed Control Act saw the much detested yellow flowering plant removed from the list of noxious weeds. That means municipal bylaw officers will no longer be able to fine homeowners who let dandelions overtake their yards. Officials in Calgary have more serious weed problems to tackle than dandelions anyway, according to Simon Wilkins, the city's pest management co-ordinator. "Not to discount people's interest in regular garden weeds but it's important to have a broader view and put everything in its context," said Wilkins. Wilkins said most of his department's resources are spent battling highly noxious invasive weeds. .... Chris Neeser a weed specialist for Alberta Agriculture acknowledged that the dandelion is still a nuisance for grain farmers. But he said the ubiquitous weed is simply part of the Alberta landscape." "While the dandelion is considered a weed by many gardeners, the plant does have several culinary and medicinal uses. The plant can be eaten cooked or raw and is used in soups or salads. Usually the young leaves and unopened buds are eaten raw in salads, while older leaves are cooked. Raw leaves have a slightly bitter taste. Dandelion flowers can be used to make dandelion wine. The leaves are high in vitamin A, vitamin C and iron, containing more iron than spinach. Ground roasted dandelion root can be used as a coffee substitute. It is believed to stimulate digestive functions. Sold in most health food stores for a variety of health benefits." From usagardener.com/disease_pests_and_weeds/weeds_and_weeding... . You either love 'em or hate 'em - I love 'em, so bright and cheery!

On a recent drive along some of the gravel backroads south east of the city, I passed someone's acreage and the ground was a carpet of brilliant yellow Dandelions. People seem to either like or dislike these glorious flowers - guess I'm one of those who find them beautiful : ) "Taraxacum officinale is considered a weedy species, especially in lawns and along roadsides, but it is sometimes used as a medical herb and in food preparation. As a nearly cosmopolitan weed, Dandelion is best known for its yellow flower heads, that turn into round balls of silver tufted fruits, that blow away on the wind." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taraxacum_officinale "The name dandelion comes from the French, dents de lion, which means “teeth of the lion,” and refers to the jagged edges on the leaves of the dandelion plant." plantwatch.fanweb.ca/plant-information/common-dandelion