Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: chicken

Four days ago, on 18 August 2019, I was fortunate enough to make a return visit to a wonderful farm, NW of the city. I left home a few minutes before 8:00 am and arrived back home at 8:00 pm, feeling totally tired out. This was partly because I had only had a couple of hours' sleep the night before, and because it took me two hours to get to the farm. This was the first time I had ever driven myself there, as we had carpooled on the previous two visits. To say the least, I was not at all impressed to see the Maintenance light on my car dashboard come on before I had even left Calgary! Have an appointment this afternoon, to see to the matter. After leaving the farm, I took some new back roads that had been recommended to me while I was at the farm; roads that I had never driven before. Beautiful scenery, and I discovered a rather nice old log cabin and two or three old rusty vehicles, including a beautiful big, blue bus. I am SO happy that I made myself do both drives. I had to do it, as this is an amazing farm, and I couldn't bear the thought of not visiting again. This 53 acre farm, Akesi Farms, is a 90 minute drive from downtown Calgary and is near the town of Sundre. It belongs to Meghan Vesey and Kwesi Haizel. It is permaculture based with future crops of eggs, mushrooms, fruits and nuts! Hard to believe that this beautiful place has only belonged to this young, hardworking, enthusiastic couple since November 2014. A tremendous amount of work, thought and planning has already gone into adding to what was already there, with a 'little' help from family and friends. www.akesifarms.com/ Below is the link to a video about Meghan and Kwesi and the farm, by The Redneck Gourmet Show, 23 March 2017. The video was taken in winter - in summer, the farm is a mass of colour! youtu.be/Tih5H5uMDNE Our visit coincided with Alberta Open Farms weekend, where about 100 farms were open to the public. Our Naturalist leader had arranged to take anyone interested in nature on a nature walk, at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. A very interesting, short talk on the history of Bergen and the area around the farm was given by Marilyn Halvorson, who has lived in the area for many years. Three tables had also been set up - one had attractive barn quilts painted on wood (Jenni Weeks at N50 Barn Quilts). Another had knitted items and quilts from Irene Echlin. The third had produce such as jars of home-made marmalade (from Kettle Crossing Farm), and also green tomatoes which had been grown in a massive greenhouse near Olds. I discovered when I got home that eating just one tomato was not enough, they were so good. This is something I have been very impressed by ever since I first met Meghan and Kwesi. They are very community-minded, helping other farmers, which is so good to see. We were also shown a small display of several edible mushroom species that are being grown on the farm, Some of them are also growing in a few places around the farm - Meghan's mother very kindly pulled a little cluster of three Wine Caps that were growing in the vegetable garden, for me to take home and try. Of course, I had to take a few photos last night, before I added them to a Spanish Omelette : ) Check out their mushroom business. They are selling mushroom spawn for if you want to grow your own. They also offer talks on how to do this. The Fante word "Akuafo" means farmer. www.fungiakuafo.com/ Thank you so much, Meghan, Kwesi and Meghan's parents, for such a lovely day! Great to see new additions to the farm (well done, Kwesi!), as well as all the familiar things, including those beautiful dogs, Whiskey (male Border Collie/Great Pyrenees cross) and Titan (male Great Pyrenees), and your chickens and geese. Too bad we missed the honey created in your beehives. I wish you all the very best - you deserve all the successes that come your way.

Tonight, I have just added 7 photos taken at the Saskatoon Farm, after my longish drive further SE, to look at a few old barns. Lots of colour at the Farm - lots of people, too. I had just watched this chicken run across the enclosure and then it turned around. It was so funny to see the way it ran. Unfortunately, I couldn't avoid the metal bars. Our few hot days have come to an end, at least for now, and we are back to cool, rainy days (the last two days and today, with more to come). This morning, 12 August 2019, the temperature is only 12C again. Four days ago, 8 August 2019, was definitely more of a barn day than a bird day. A while ago, another photographer had mentioned that a few barns in a certain area SE of Calgary had been removed and I was curious to see if any of the ones I had seen before were now missing. There is one huge barn in particular that I am always hoping still stands. I would love to be able to get photos from both sides of it, but it is way out in a farmer's field that is, of course, private property. Standing in the road, I can only get a distant shot and, as often happens, I had a problem with heat distortion on distant shots. There is an old, round, wooden grain bin and a partly hidden, smaller barn just near the barn, too. I think the first time I ever saw the barn was on 21 January 2015, when I took my daughter out for the day. My intention two days ago had been to leave early in the morning, but it was already 10:45 am when I climbed into my car. Seeing that the weather forecast for the next six days included rain on each day, I knew I just had to do this trip straight away. Some of the roads I drove to get to my destination(s) were familiar, but others less so. There are two or three highway intersections that are confusing to me and I usually end up taking the wrong turn. For a change, I turned off the main highway going south before my usual turn, in order to shorten the distance. My first sighting was a distant Red-tailed Hawk perched on a wooden fence at a wetland that used to be a great spot, but now is totally dried up. After a quick stop at a tiny church that I always photograph when I am out that way, I continued east till I came to the three old Mossleigh grain elevators - one of the places I always get confused about which way to drive. Ideally, a dramatic sky would have been great, but I have taken better photos in the past. From Mossleigh, I did my usual exploring, finding that a lovely old, wooden house was still standing. I believe this was built from a kit years ago, and it remains in reasonably good condition. Eventually, I found the large barn that I wanted to see again. It took me a while to work out which road it was on (thought I knew!), but I found it after some driving back and forth. It was good to see the smaller barn, in less then good condition, just down the road. The other two times that I have been standing in the road to take photos of this smaller barn, a lady has come along the road from a nearby farm and very kindly told me to on in and take any photos I'd like. No-one around yesterday, so I stayed on the road,of course. At one point, I happened to glance up the road and saw what I thought was someone's dog on the crest of the road. When I zoomed in on my camera, I realized it was a coyote, who started walking towards me. Unfortunately, it turned off into the field and disappeared. When I was at this smaller barn, it amused me to see a magnificent Mule near the barn, plus a horse. The Mule looked huge and was a real poser, wanting to be in almost every shot I took. Such a gorgeous creature, that I don't remember seeing there before. Once I had taken a few photos, I started on my homeward drive, not stopping anywhere as I could see that, if I hurried, I could get to the Saskatoon Farm in time to get a meal before the restaurant closed for the day. Yay, I just made it. Knowing that Frank Lake was only a short drive away, I couldn't resist driving back south to have a quick look. Found a couple of my friends there and spent some enjoyable time with them. Only took a few photos there, most to be deleted, before heading home. A fun day, though hot and hazy. Total distance covered was 275 km.

After all the stress the last nine or ten days over a photo of me being posted on Facebook, I was absolutely desperate to get out for a few hours on 5 March 2019, even though I really didn't feel like going. After losing so many hours of sleep for over a week, I would happily have climbed back into bed instead, even more so once I hit the highway south. There were so many huge semi-trailer trucks and at times they seemed to be in competition with each other. I don't remember it usually being this bad. Anyway, I headed south-east of the city, though I would have loved to go east instead. The whole Facebook mess has left me feeling like I shouldn't go in that direction, though, needless to say, plenty of people are still going out there. The weather was beautiful and milder than the last 6 or 7 weeks of deep-freeze. First of all, I did the usual drive around Frank Lake - and saw nothing. After driving a few roads north of there, I again saw no birds, other than four Magpies. Feeling totally uninspired and my heart just wasn't into it at all, I ended up calling in at the Saskatoon Farm on the way home. A plate of delicious quiche, a few potato wedges, fruit salad and a much-needed cup of coffee were so welcome. After that, I asked if the huge greenhouse was open. When I tried to get in, I couldn't and had to ask someone to drag the extremely heavy door. Someone must have closed it sometime, as when I went to leave, after spending time with two pigs, lots of chickens, turkeys, domestic Helmeted Guineafowl, two bunnies and lots of House Sparrows, I couldn't budge the sliding door. Same thing with the other three doors. It was ages before someone heard my banging on the door and I was so thankful when a young man turned off his snow-clearing machine and yanked the door open. I told him that I had visions of having to sleep there overnight!

This photo was taken on 30 October 2017. I spent the day driving mostly roads that I had been along before (a round trip of 230 km). I still find a few roads so confusing! My destination was partly to check on two old barns that I had only seen and photographed once before. Having been there with my daughter in January 2015, I knew that there were several other old barns and homesteads en route. This day was definitely a barn day, not a bird or wildlife day. The large barn in a photo I posted recently was one that I had been looking forward to finding and seeing for the first time, which I finally did in January 2015. I would love to have been able to get photos from both sides of it, but it was in a farmer's field that was, of course, private property. The second old barn that I saw in this area is in far worse condition, but I love it. It was funny, because I was standing in the road and had already taken a handful of photos of this crumbling, weathered structure, when I noticed someone walking towards me in the distance. Talk about deja vu! I started walking towards her and it turned out that she lived at the farm just down the road, but had previously lived in the house next to the decaying barn, and it was her property. She told me to wander wherever I wished, take as many photos as I wanted. I laughed and said that in January 2015, when my daughter and I had been standing right there in the road, a lady came by on her horse and told us the very same story - it must have been the same person! Felt so good! Another place I stopped at was a farmyard full of old barns, sheds and vehicles. I pulled over and stood by my car to take a quick shot of an old, blue truck from across the road. A person happened to just appear, walking across his farmyard, so I called out to him and we had a delightful chat. I think he was very amused at my passion for old things and told me to walk around and take whatever photos I wanted. Which I did, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself! I told him what an amazing place he had, full of interesting things. I got the impression that he saw things very differently - lots of old things that needed fixing or tidying up : ) I told him to just leave everything as it is - a photographer's dream : ) On the way home, I called in at the Saskatoon Farm to see if the restaurant was still open, but it had just closed (3:30 pm). I realized I had been enjoying myself so much that I had totally forgotten to eat anything all day. Managed to get a much-needed cup of coffee, though, and I did buy a box of frozen, uncooked Saskatoon Berry and White Chocolate scones. I bought some of these last time I was there and they are so good, piping hot, straight out of the oven. This interesting place is maybe a 25-minute drive SE from the southern edge of Calgary. You can collect your own Saskatoon berries and other fruit in season, look around their outside green houses, and their inside gift shop full of unusual things, and buy special baking, jams, teas and so on. They also have a restaurant that offers great food. www.saskatoonfarm.com/

"Fire recycles nutrient stored in live and dead vegetation by converting it into mineral-rich ash. After a fire, pine cones pop open from fire’s heat, releasing their seeds. New growth sprouts from the roots of burned shrubs. Flowers bloom and grasslands are reborn. Animals forage in the lush new growth. Over time, fires create a patchwork of burned and unburned vegetation. This diverse mix of habitats is favoured by wildlife and supports many species." From Parks Canada website. www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/ab/waterton/securite-safety/feu-fir... Mother Nature will renew our beautiful Waterton Lakes National Park, though it will take a long time especially for the trees to grow again. It is such an enormous relief that structures like the historic Prince of Wales Hotel, the townsite itself, and the facilities at Cameron Lake and Red Rock Canyon were brilliantly saved by all those involved in fighting the fire. The Lodge and 3 of the 7 cabins at Canyon Church Camp were also saved. The words "Thank You" feel very inadequate! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The original of this Rooster photo was OK, but I decided to add a touch of filter in post-processing, and I prefer the result. On 8 September 2017, I decided on the spur of the moment, to drive south to the Saskatoon Farm. I wasn't sure what I would be doing that weekend and wanted to make sure I went there to buy a few of their vegetables and fruit. I knew that a weekend would be a much busier time. I also wanted to photograph a few of their beautiful Artichoke flowers before they were all past their prime. All the flowers were very popular with the bees, which was so good to see. As usual, I wandered round the grounds with my camera, catching one of the cats, one of the dogs, and a few of the chickens, as well as flowers. I never return home with an empty memory card when I visit this place. Unfortunately, it was a smoky day (what's new?) with the air quality rating an unpleasant High Risk level. In fact, I almost turned back before I was half way there. This interesting place is maybe a 25-minute drive SE from the southern edge of Calgary. You can collect your own Saskatoon berries in season, look around their outside green houses, and their inside gift shop full of unusual things, and buy special baking, jams, teas and so on. They also have a restaurant that offers great food. www.saskatoonfarm.com/

These two birds were with several other kinds of chicken and two or three Turkeys at the Saskatoon Farm on 22 May 2016. This is a great place to visit, roughly a 20-minute drive south of Calgary. They have a huge pen (cage) that contains these birds. They were constantly on the move, but I managed to get a few photos through the wires. www.saskatoonfarm.com/ My daughter and I spent a great day together, as a slightly early treat for my birthday : ) Always my favourite way to spend a day! We weren't quite sure what we would be doing, as it depended on how my daughter was feeling - so much pain. We did know for sure that we were going straight to the Saskatoon Farm for a delicious meal, though. We took a look inside two of their greenhouses, full of colourful flowers. Not a day for walking outside, as it poured with rain the whole day. After the Saskatoon Farm, we went westwards into Okotoks, so that we could visit the little rustic antique place, All through the House. From there, we drove various back roads, looking for any birds that might not be hiding from the cold and rain. I was so happy that we saw a couple of Snipe standing on fence posts, as they make such beautiful photos. We even saw several hawks - more than I usually see when I go for a drive. Thanks so much, Rachel, for a much-enjoyed day and thank you for the (as always) carefully chosen gifts and cards. Most of all, thank you for spending the day with me!

This rather fancy chicken was with several other kinds of chicken and two or three Turkeys at the Saskatoon Farm yesterday, 22 May 2016. This is a great place to visit, roughly a 20-minute drive south of Calgary. They have a huge pen (cage) that contains these birds. They were constantly on the move, but I just managed to get a few photos through the wires. "The Brahma is a gentle giant and another wonderfully sweet and broody breed. Quiet, calm and even-tempered, it’s exceptionally cold hardy and the hens are great winter layers. Because of its feathered legs and shanks, it’s best not to keep this breed in excessively wet or muddy regions, as moisture can cling to the feathers, leading to frostbite on the toes. Otherwise, the Brahma is a great addition to flocks, especially in northern regions. It handles confinement very well and isn’t as active as other breeds that prefer to forage; this makes them great for smaller spaces, too." From hobbyfarms.com www.hobbyfarms.com/5-broody-chicken-breeds-great-for-hatc... All three photos posted this morning were taken yesterday, 22 May 2016, when my daughter and I spent a great day together, as a slightly early treat for my birthday : ) Always my favourite way to spend a day! We weren't quite sure what we would be doing, as it depended on how my daughter was feeling - so much pain, while waiting for surgery. We did know for sure that we were going straight to the Saskatoon Farm for a delicious meal, though. We took a look inside two of their greenhouses, full of colourful flowers. Not a day for walking outside, as it poured with rain the whole day. In fact, it has barely stopped at all the last couple of days, with the added surprise of a few minutes of falling snow early yesterday morning. If we could only send at least some of our rain up north to help with everyone fighting the devastating wildfire that continues to spread! That whole area has been getting some rain apparently, but not enough to put an end to the fire's destructive path. The whole province has been a tinder box, waiting to go up in flames, so we are very grateful for the rain that's falling. Just a shame that it is on our long weekend for Victoria Day. I haven't checked yet, but especially the mountain area was forecast to have a lot of snow, so I woud imagine a lot of campers will have returned to the city already. The temperature yesterday morning was 2C (windchill -2C) and it remained cold all day, just like the day before, when I was out with my camera all day. After the Saskatoon Farm, we went westwards into Okotoks, so that we could visit the little rustic antique place, All through the House. From there, we drove various back roads, looking for any birds that might not be hiding from the cold and rain. I was so happy that we saw a couple of Snipe standing on fence posts, as they make such beautiful photos. We even saw several hawks - more than I usually see when I go for a drive. The one in the photo I posted this morning was one of a pair of Swainson's Hawks. Its mate was in a nearby tree. Very often, photos I take from inside the car tend to not come out properly and I get too many blurry shots. Thankfully, some did come out OK. In fact, I have been amazed at how some of my photos came out the last two days, despite the awful weather. Normally, I would have stayed at home on such wet, dreary days. Not sure how I ended up with lots of sharp images, but maybe I need to get out more, even when the weather is not encouraging at all. Thanks so much, Rachel, for a much-enjoyed day and thank you for the (as always) carefuly chosen gifts and cards. Most of all, thank you for spending the day with me!

A week ago, I finally did a drive south of the city and found an old barn that I really wanted to see, plus a few others. Also, two grain elevators joined together by a long, low building. The most northerly one is one of the oldest in Alberta (built in 1905 I think, certainly before 1910). After the elevators, I explored a few other roads further south and ended up not far from the Saskatoon Farm. Called in and had their delicious Quiche again : ) I always go and look at the chickens that they have in a large enclosure there - so many different kinds of chicken. Wish I knew something about the different breeds. This blonde one is rather fine. This day had started well, too. I found an e-mail from friend, Sandy, saying that they had just seen a Barred Owl in one of the local parks. Thanks to Sandy, I got over there just before noon and bumped into a few of my friends who had just finished a walk. Two of them said they would come with me and look for it again – and we found it!! This was the first 100% wild Barred Owl I’d ever seen. I had seen a family of them near Edmonton, when we went to see ones that had been banded. They were wild birds, but I still hoped to one day see a completely wild one (no nesting box). The owl was beautiful, but the light was really poor, with a mix of harsh sunlight and dark shadows. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Our weather forecast for today, 1 November 2014, says it's 3°C (windchill 0°C) right now, with expected mixed precipitation. Looks like the snow could start any moment. Forecast for tomorrow, Sunday, is snow flurries : ( 2:30 pm - nooooo, heavy SNOW!