Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: curves

Today would have been my older daughter's birthday. Hard to believe that on 3 January 2018, it will have been three years since she died. Thinking of you, Fiona, as always. This morning, 16 November 2017, it is snowing again. Our temperature is -10C (windchill -18C). I'm beginning to forget what sunshine is like! This photo was taken at Pine Coulee Reservoir four days ago, on 12 November 2017. A group of eight of us went S and SE of the city on a birding trip to one of my favourite areas. This included Pine Coulee Reservoir, Clear Lake and the Twin Valley Reservoir. I just love some of the landscape through which we drove - barren, rugged, middle-of-nowhere kind of scenery. It looks so different in each season - I think my favourite time of year is when there is a covering of snow on the empty hills, and ice on most of the water. I've still not had the courage to drive in this area myself, as I know that I might never find my way out of it. Several previous trips had covered part of this latest drive, but much of the return drive was in a huge area that I had never been to before. Later in the drive, we crossed the main highway #2 south and travelled the backroads way, way south of the Frank Lake area, and kept going north until we got back to the city. The Twin Valley Reservoir was one of the stops we made in this new-to-me area. Actually, I have just been reading my account of a trip made on 9 November 2013, and discovered that, in fact, I HAD been to this area before. Just shows that I often have no idea where we are at any given time. Since the trip in 2013, I do have a somewhat better understanding of the area S and SE of Calgary. The following is from Terry Korolyk's account of that day, four years ago: "The north end of Clear Lake was frozen, so, we headed north to the Twin Valleys Dam Reservoir, and, drove up the east side of it. This produced more Rough-legged Hawks,and, a Prairie Falcon. Some herds of Mule Deer and flocks of Gray Partridge were seen on the trip home via Highways 804, 799, 552, and Dunbow Road." As on almost all these day trips out of the city, almost every bird is far, far away, needing at least binoculars and best of all, a scope. Two Great Horned Owls and a couple of tiny Common Redpolls were the only closer photos I took. This was the first time that I had seen Redpolls this year, so it was a nice sighting. They were flying back and forth from the trees to perch on a rough, wooden fence. Also, as always happens, my camera lens turns to things other than birds. Scenic shots are always taken - after all, I feel that it is important to record the habitat of any birds seen. I have no excuse to give for photographing any old barn or homestead, other than that I LOVE to photograph them : ) Terry, you took us on such an amazing trip! So many new (or forgotten) places, to me at least. You even arranged with the weatherman for a beautiful, sunny day. It couldn't have been a better outing - so very enjoyable. Now all I need to do is look at a map and try and find roughly where we travelled! Really appreciate your carefully made lists of all species seen, and where.

Just a capture of plough lines in a field SE of Calgary, taken on 24 December 2013. The fields should all be bare by now, I think, even after the fresh snowfall two or three days ago.

When birds are very few and far between, as seems to be the case so much of the time these days, there is no shortage of snow to photograph! Amazing how snow takes on so many different shades of blue, depending on the light and weather. This photo has such different colouring from the previous image. The photo above was taken at Bebo Grove, Fish Creek Park, on 24 February 2014. That was the last day I've been out till today, 7 March 2014, other than to have minor surgery on 25 February. Cabin fever set in a few days ago, lol, but today, I have a very early start, as I am going off for the day with friends.

This mushroom was definitely not at the peak of its life, but I rather liked the way it was drying out and curving. Found at Shannon Terrace, Fish Creek Park, on August 30th. Mushrooms are all long gone here, and the ground will be covered with snow any time now. Only my photo archives remain, LOL. Snow is in the forecast on several days coming up. It actually rained last night. A short while later: I turned on my TV and saw that there is a Winter Storm Warning in effect - yuck! So, goodbye sunshine, hello snow. I think I saw a high of -13C for tomorrow? Yikes! I am so not ready for this : )

This snowy image was taken on 28 February 2013, when I plucked up courage to make my second drive east of the city. I had a destination in mind and noticed these beautiful snow dunes just a few minutes before I reached it. The rest of my drive there, I saw nothing, absolutely nothing, I was concentrating so intensely on every left and right turn, trying my best not to get lost, ha. However, on the way back, I was privileged to see three beautiful Snowy Owls that let me photograph them.

So, can you tell that I am feeling really fed up of grey days? Desperation once again leads to finding something at home to photograph, LOL.

OK, so you only get a curled petal - because the day after I bought this mixed bunch of Roses, they had all drooped and started to shrivel, LOL! Not good value, Safeway! Can't remember if I had managed to get a photo of this Rose the first day. Thought the pink and green were pretty together, along with a touch of black.

This image almost makes me feel cooler, despite the heat. Not sure if it's the shade of green of the ruffled (thanks, Rebecca, that was the word that I couldn't think of, LOL!) leaf that gives a feeling of coolness. Funny, because this was growing in the hot and humid Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo.