Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: pumpkins

Thinking especially of you and your family, Pam, on this special day of Thanksgiving. I know you have much to be thankful for, and I join with everyone else in saying that we are all so thankful that you are still here, and making great progress. Hope all my American friends will be lucky enough to enjoy a turkey (or equivalent such as vegetarian) dinner tomorrow, 22 November 2018, the US Thanksgiving. There is so much to be thankful for, though of course more so for some people than others - thinking of all the devastation and loss in California. A special Happy Thanksgiving to all those US servicemen and women (and their families, who also make so many sacrifices), who risk their lives on a daily basis, in order to keep the rest safe and free. Happy Thanksgiving (tomorrow),to all Americans, whatever part of the world you are living in. Our Canadian Thanksgiving was on 8 October this year. This photo was taken on 6 September 2018, which turned out to be a much longer day than I had planned! In the very early hours of the morning, I happened to check the weather forecast just out of interest, and saw that rain is expected on about six of the coming days (if it actually happens). Decided then and there that I had better get out for a drive, just in case. My intention had been to just drive some of the roads east of the city, getting out there via 22X, which is definitely not a drive I like to do. On a previous trip, I had made two mistakes along this complcated highway, and ended up on Stoney Trail going north and, on the return trip, I was in the wrong lane and ended up heading far, far south of the city on the worst major highway. The latter happened again and, like on the previous drive, I ended up going to the Saskatoon Farm. Fortunately, I was in time to get an afternoon meal there and have a wander around the grounds taking photos. I love this place. There were certain things I wanted to go and see again on this day, including a few old barns and sheds. I was also hoping that I might just come across a beautiful hawk or two within camera reach. I even finally got to take photos of a few shorebirds. Throw in a butterfly or two and the odd flower, and I was happy. On this trip, I really wanted to make myself use the Nikon P900 a lot, though this one was taken with my old Panasonic FZ200. I always take a few of the same photos with my Panasonic and Canon point-and-shoots, too, as I am not yet used to the P900. One of my concerns about the latter is that it seems to blow out the white in an image, from what I have seen in quite a few other people's photos - didn''t seem too bad. My other - and main - concern is focus. I still have not been able to stand in front of a flower/something small at various distances, and zoom in. All I see in the viewfinder is a coloured blur. The other cameras don't do this, and I've been doing it easily for many years. Hope I can sort this out! I guess it's just a case of experimenting. So far, apart from this major issue, I think I am liking how the P900 takes photos.

This morning is heavily overcast, with a temperature of 3C (windchill 1C). This afternoon, it is expected to soar to a balmy 7C, with rain. Hopefully, it will be dry this evening, when kids are out trick-or-treating. I noticed that there are snowflake icons on the weather forecast chart for the next five days. Unfortunately, this photo is the closest I've come to having a photo to post on Halloween. I'm not sure if these pumpkins were real or if they were sculptures, as they were seen at the KOAC art centre in Springbank, on 27 October 2017. Two of us stood there, wondering if they were real, but then I must have got distracted by something, because I never did find an answer. This photo was taken four days ago, on 27 October 2017. It was a day filled with interest and enjoyment, and the morning was so different from the afternoon. It felt a day well spent. The morning was spent on a preliminary bio-blitz at the KOAC Art Centre in Springbank, west of Calgary. Straight from there, I drove east of the city to see and photograph an old barn that I had wanted to see for a number of years. A friend posted a photo of an old barn the other day and it turned out to be the very barn that I hadn't yet found. Without being asked, he told me exactly where it was. I had been looking for it just a few days before and must have missed it by just one road. Early morning, I set out to drive west of the city, to meet a small group of friends at a very special place. It was just starting to get light when I left home and the pink sunrise colours over the distant peaks was beautiful. Unfortunately, I couldn't stop anywhere to take a photo, until I actually arrived. We had been invited to visit and do a preliminary bio-blitz at an art centre in Springbank, belonging to two amazing, vibrant, creative people who were a joy to meet. There are so many things I could write, but will instead borrow the words from various articles about this lively, hardworking couple. A friend who usually comes out with us on our May Species Counts knows Katie and Harry and had told our main Naturalist, Gus Yaki, that they were interested in learning more about what plant species were growing on their 20 acres of land. I feel very fortunate to have been invited. Of course, it was not the best time of year to do this, though our Naturalist (unlike me) knows all the plants and trees without their flowers. I will add some information about this generous pair, as I find again the various websites that I was looking at. I say "generous" because Katie and Harry have donated their home, Gallery, collections, and land, while continuing to live there at present. A tremendous gift! "Harry Kiyooka and Katie Ohe have dedicated their lives to art. Their work has helped shape the local, national and international art scenes. And now they are taking the step of not just being figurative institutions on the scene, but turning their home into a literal institution for art creation. Ohe, still a part-time instructor at ACAD (Alberta College of Art + Design), has been teaching art since 1959 and has been with ACAD since 1970. As a teacher, she has promoted the creativity of a diverse range of students. While teaching at the Calgary Allied Arts Centre, she also worked and lived out of the Hart family’s carriage house — that’s the Hart family of wrestling fame. Ohe taught art to the “Hitman” himself, Bret Hart, the eighth child of wrestling patriarch Stu Hart. Harry didn’t seek the limelight,” says Deborah Herringer Kiss, director of the Herringer Kiss Gallery of Contemporary Art, who has known the couple for more than 15 years. “He didn’t care about having big shows or trying to get into museums. He didn’t care about any of that. He made it work by quietly, constantly creating art.” A couple years shy of 90, Kiyooka is still a prolific painter. Inside his and Ohe’s home, his paintings hang alongside the “greats.” Other paintings line the walls of his studio, and he still works on several huge canvases. More paintings are stored behind couches and under beds, and there’s a dedicated storage room packed with filing cabinets, filled with his paintings." From an article in AvenueCalgary, from February 17, 2016 (see link below). www.avenuecalgary.com/City-Life/Calgary-Contemporary-Art-... www.koartscentre.org/ www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/work+progress/8484134... One of Katie's kinetic sculptures (Chrome Plated Steel) in motion: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp05CHJGV6I www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-art-centre-springb... Thank you so much, Katie and Harry, for allowing us to come and spend a morning with you at your beautiful home. Both of you, and your home full of beautifully created artwork, are an absolute inspiration.

Another photo from my archives, taken at the Calgary Zoo on 8th October 2010. Once the tropical butterfly season is over at the Zoo, the busy staff then replace all the tropical plants with a beautiful fall display.

Just realized I should post this tonight, as I will be out all day tomorrow and some of you will be celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow, Sunday. My good wishes would then reach you too late. Have a happy weekend anyway, everyone! Happy Columbus Day to my friends down in the US, and Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends in Canada and Canadians living elsewhere. We have so much to be thankful for, even when something unfortunate comes along in our lives. We still have our freedom and comparative safety.