Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Janel Butler's farm

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 : )

Just a shot of the tip of a branch of a Lodgepole Pine tree on the acreage at Janel Butler's (and family) farm on 16th May, where we spent a good part of the day botanizing. Looks like a spider had been playing Cat's Cradle with it's delicate web, LOL. Gotta dash (again!), as I am spending the whole day at the Zoo with my oldest daughter. She has been recovering from surgery and was desperate to get out for a few hours.

I was amazed that this photo of a tiny Mayfly came out, as it is zoomed and heavily cropped. Thanks, David, for having yet another insect on your hand and being patient while I took a few shots : ) I had no idea till I saw this image that Mayflies have such a neat pattern on their bodies and wings. This one was seen at Janel Butler's farm, west of Millarville (which is southwest of Calgary) on 16th May.

When we were exploring and botanizing the beautiful acreage (south west of Calgary and west of Millarville) belonging to Janel Butler and her family four days ago, this teeny shell was noticed on the ground. It was temporarily placed on our botany list, and then returned to its original place. (Not my handwriting, by the way, ha). I am absolutely dead beat - and my feet are killing me and my hips are complaining that they were forced to climb a very steep hillside covered in very slippery grass, as part of our hike today, LOL! I left home at 7:30 a.m. and got home this evening around 9:00 p.m. Apart from three of us stopping to have some supper on the way home, we have been out walking the rolling prairie grasslands south west of the city, west of Nanton, hour after hour after hour ; ) We record every plant we come across, every bird, animal, insect, etc.. Every time we go out to botanize someone's acreage or do a botanizing hike in the foothills or mountains, it's a wonderful win/win situation. We get the amazing chance to see new places and new things, and the ranch/acreage owners are given a complete list of our findings. Not too warm today but dreadfully windy. I almost dread taking a look at my photos in case none of them are sharp enough. Photographing wildflowers in strong winds really doesn't work, LOL.

This is such a brilliant green Lichen and it almost glows : ) This beautiful specimen was found in the forested area of Janel Butler's farm a few days ago, when we botanized their acreage. "Wolf lichens are so named because of their common use as poisons for wolves and foxes in Europe centuries ago. The lichen, with its toxic vulpinic acid, was mixed with ground glass and meat, apparently a deadly combination. The lichen was also used as a source for making a yellow-coloured dye, which is not difficult to imagine." By Daniel Mosquin, on Botany Photo of the Day. www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/potd/2005/05/letharia_vulpin.php Went on a morning's walk at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary this morning. We saw one of the Harlequin Ducks sitting on a log in the middle of the river and the male Hooded Merganser was on the lagoon. I had really hoped the Merganser would be swimming in an area where I could get a close view and shot - out of luck again, LOL. Wasn't sure if my legs would work today, after our very long day of hiking yesterday, but I was glad I managed to get in a walk today.

One of the many Alpacas seen at Janel Butler's farm, west of Millarville (south west of Calgary), when we were fortunate enough to botanize the family's wonderful acreage nine days ago. Each Alpaca was different in looks, but they all moved "as one". "Alpaca (Vicugna pacos) is a domesticated species of South American camelid. It resembles a small llama in appearance. Alpacas are kept in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of southern Peru, northern Bolivia, Ecuador, and northern Chile at an altitude of 3,500 m (11,500 ft) to 5,000 m (16,000 ft) above sea-level, throughout the year. Alpacas are considerably smaller than llamas, and unlike llamas, alpacas were not bred to be beasts of burden but were bred specifically for their fiber. Alpaca fiber is used for making knitted and woven items, much as wool is. These items include blankets, sweaters, hats, gloves, scarves, a wide variety of textiles and ponchos in South America, and sweaters, socks, coats and bedding in other parts of the world. The fiber comes in more than 52 natural colors as classified in Peru, 12 as classified in Australia and 16 as classified in the United States.... Most alpacas do not like being grabbed. Some alpacas tolerate being stroked or petted anywhere on their bodies, although many do not like their feet, lower legs, and especially their abdomen touched or handled." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpaca