Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: pathway

Sorry, too many photos! Once I have finished photos from Day 2, I still have another 9 days to work on. I would love to know how other people manage to upload their photos from a trip so quickly :) Part of it might just be that I am not used to going on holidays like this, so I'm not used to this kind of volume of images. This afternoon, I added 10 more photos from our trip to Pt. Pelee, Ontario, and Tadoussac, Quebec, in May 2018. I am trying to add any images in roughly the order in which they were taken. These photos were all taken at Rondeau Provincial Park on 8 May 2018. Formed in 1894, this is Ontario’s second oldest Provincial Park. A delightful place! We were at the Visitor's Centre over lunchtime and an absolutey delicious curry soup was available. As for marking my photos on my map, I have no idea exactly where we saw what, so I will place all the Rondeau photos in one general location, mainly to show where Rondeau Provincial Park actually is. Also, a few of the photos may have been taken while driving to and from the park, back to our hotel in Leamington. "Rondeau protects one of the last remaining stands of old growth Carolinian Forest in Ontario. Apart from protecting 3254 ha of Oak Savannah, Carolinian Forest, Dune habitat, and Coastal wetland, Rondeau is one of North America’s best examples of a Cuspate Sandspit. Formed by the erosion and deposition of sand and gravel, the Rondeau peninsula extends into Lake Erie, and forms a protected bay which is important habitat for a variety of species at risk as well as providing many recreational opportunities. The peninsula, combined with the open bay, attracts migrating birds throughout the spring and fall, resulting in some of the best bird watching in Ontario." From Rondeau Park website. rondeauprovincialpark.ca/about-rondeau-park/ Four friends (four of the six friends with whom I went to Trinidad & Tobago in March 2017) and I left Calgary airport on 6 May 2018 and flew to Toronto, Ontario, Canada. There, we rented a van and did the long drive to Point Pelee for four whole days of birding. We stayed at the Best Western Hotel in Leamington, which is close to Point Pelee National Park. It fills up very quickly (with birders) and our rooms were booked months ahead of time. Our four days walking at Point Pelee or places not too far away were very interesting and I, for sure, saw various things I had never seen before, including my very first Raccoon : ) Various friends had told me that the Warblers at Pelee were fantastic - so many and numerous species, and so close. Have to disagree with the "closeness" when we were there! I don't have binoculars as cameras are enough for me to carry around, so I know I missed all sorts of birds. Though my Warbler count was lower than my friends' counts, I was happy to at least get a few distant photos of some species. So many of my shots are awful, but I will still post some of them, just for the record of seeing them. Some photos are so bad that I doubt anyone can ID them. We covered several different trails at Pelee, and also drove to a few places somewhat further afield, such as Hillman Marsh. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the magnificent barn at this Conservation Area! I was in so much pain that I wasn't sure if I would be able to walk across a grassy area to take a few photos. However, it was so unusual and beautiful, that I reckoned I could try and move forward inch by inch - or crawl (ha, ha) if necessary. Another place we enjoyed was Rondeau National Park. One amazing and totally unexpected sighting just outside Pelee was a very distant male Snowy Owl sitting in a fieldl!! We walked every single day that we were at Pelee and the areas mentioned above, seeing not just birds, but a frog/toad, snakes that we suspect were mating, several Painted turtles, a few plants (including both white and red Triliums, that I had never seen growing wild before, and a couple of Jack in the Pulpit plants). The Friends of Point Pelee have food available at lunch time that one can buy. They also have a shuttle bus that one can take from the Visitor Centre all the way to the southern tip of Pelee, which is the most southern part of Canada. They have birding walks with a guide each day (there is a charge), but we walked the trails on our own, except for one morning. On 9 May, we spent the morning from 6:00 am to 11:00 am on a birding walk at Pelee with guide, Tom Hince, whom we had contacted while we were still in Calgary. At the end of our stay at Point Pelee, we had to drive all the way back to Toronto, from where we flew to Quebec airport. From there, we had a four-hour drive to Tadoussac on the coast of the St. Lawrence Seaway. This is such a delightful, small place and in a beautiful setting. One of our friends, Anne B, and her husband have a summer cabin further along the cliff from the few stores and port. She had invited the four of us to go with her from Pelee to spend a week at her beautiful home. What an absolute treat this was! We were able to meet some of her relatives, too, who also have built cabins out there. We were looked after so well, and we were able to see and photograph all sorts of birds and other things. We made several trips to see different places, including the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area, where we were able to see endless thousands of Snow Geese. Breathtaking! We also had two boat trips from Tadoussac - one was a whaling trip in a Zodiac, where we saw very, very distant Beluga and Minke Whales. The Belugas looked almost like the white wave crests - but they were Belugas. The other boat trip was to the Brandy Pot Islands, inhabited by thousands of Razorbills and Common Murres, which were new birds for us, and Double-crested Cormorants that were nesting in tree tops. That long boat trip (in a tiny boat named Juno) started off in the rain and dark clouds and it was soooo cold! Thermal underwear, layers of fleece and toque and gloves were needed. This day was arranged through a contact of Anne's and it was so much enjoyed! Of course, we anchored a distance away from the island and sat there and ate our sandwiches and took endless photos. It is forbidden to land on the island at nesting time. Anne B, I can't thank you enough for organizing this holiday for us all and for inviting us to spend a week at your cabin. You worked so hard and it was so much appreciated by each and every one of us. Thank you for doing all the many hours of driving, too! Janet and Anne, thank you so much for compiling the lists of birds seen each day at various locations, and posted to ebird. These entries will be a huge help while I try and sort out where we were and when, and what species we saw. Miss your cookies and muffins, Janet, that you kindly made for us in Tadoussac, to go along with the wonderful meals that Anne planned and made for us : )

Just a fairly large shell that had been placed for decoration at the Blue Waters Inn, on the island of Tobago, West Indies. Couldn't resist taking a shot or two, taken on 13 March 2017. A few decades ago, I used to love collecting shells in the Far East and Middle East. Now, I believe you are not allowed to take shells in certain places. Bear with me, everyone, as I think I am going to have to post 5 photos (I posted 6 the first two days) from my trip each day, otherwise it will take me many months (years?) to get them on to Flickr. Obviously, no comments expected, unless you happen to like one photo in particular. Actually, I am so disappointed with my photos - never have so many photos come out blurry, many totally blurry and no use at all. I'm not sure why, though the light was often really bad and maybe the humidity had some effect. For some species, I will be posting awful shots, just for the record. I might even post a pile of photos at a time some evenings, when far fewer people are on Flickr, and then post five better images the following morning. Won't even stop and add descriptions, etc., just so that I can get my photos added here. It will take me forever to do much of a write-up about this trip, but I hope to add an extra bit of information about each photo to the very simple, basic description. Right now, I'm not quite sure where I was and when, lol! We arrived back in Calgary in the evening of 21 March 2017, and I have to get myself somewhat organized and should be seeing to all sorts of important things. Instead, of course, I have been stuck in front of my computer all day, each day : ) Totally dead beat after such a busy time away, dealing with extremely early mornings and hot, humid weather. Those of you who know me well, know that I am a dreadful night-owl, so getting up around 5:15 am was an absolute killer. Also, heat and humidity don't agree with my body, so each trip out was quite exhausting - but a thrill, of course! In the morning of 21 March, we had to get up around 2:00 am, as we had such an early flight (5 and a half hours) from Trinidad to Toronto - followed by a four-hour flight back to Calgary. On our very first day, we had three flights in a row, as we flew from Calgary to Toronto, then Toronto to Port of Spain on Trinidad, from where we had a short flight to the island of Tobago. Still can't believe I've actually had this trip! This adventure was only the second holiday (or was it actually my third?) of any kind, anywhere, that I have had in something like 30 or 35 years! The other holiday was a wonderful, one-week holiday with my great friends from England, Linda and Tony, when we went down south to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons in September 2012. I have had maybe half a dozen weekends away, including to Waterton National Park, which have helped keep me going. Six birding/photographer friends and I decided that we would take this exciting trip together (from 12-21 March 2017), spending the first two or three days on the island of Tobago and then the rest of the time at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on the nearby, much larger island of Trinidad. We decided to take a complete package, so everything was included - flights (we were so very lucky to get Black Friday prices, which were 50% off!), accommodation at both places, all our food, and the various walks and day trips that we could chose from. Two of my friends, Anne B. and Brenda, saw to all the planning of flights and accommodations, which was so very much appreciated by the rest of us. I could never have done all this myself! What a time we had, seeing so many beautiful and interesting things - and, of course, everything was a lifer for me. Some of these friends had visited Costa Rica before, so were familiar with quite a few of the birds. There was a lot more to see on Trinidad, so we were glad that we chose Tobago to visit first and then spend a longer time at Asa Wright. It was wonderful to be right by the sea, though, at the Blue Waters Inn on the island of Tobago. The Asa Wright Nature Centre, on the much larger island of Trinidad, is such an amazing place! We stayed in cabins up or down hill from the main building. Really, one doesn't need to travel away from the Centre for birding, as so many different species visit the Hummingbird feeders that are right by the huge, open veranda, and the trees of the rain forest high up a mountainous road. The drive up and down this narrow, twisting, pot-holed road was an adventure in itself! Never would I ever do this drive myself - we had a guide who drove us everywhere in a van/small bus. I had read many accounts of this road, lol! There was just enough room for two vehicles to squeeze past each other, and the honking of horns was almost continuous - either to warn any vehicle that might be coming fast around the next bend or as a sign that drivers knew each other. The drive along this road took just over an hour each way. I'm already missing the great food that was provided every single day at Asa Wright and the Rum Punch that appeared each evening. I never drink at all, so I wasn't sure if I would even try the Punch - glad I did, though, as it was delicious and refreshing.

The gardens at the Silver Springs Botanical Garden are divided into various areas, such as the Oval Garden, the Shakespeare Garden, the Rose Garden, and the Wall Garden. This photo shows just one very tiny section of the very long Wall Garden, where such a wonderful variety of garden plants can be found. With most of our autumn colour gone, it feels good to be able to look back to photos from 1 October 2016. On that day, I finally had my very first visit to the Silver Springs Botanical Gardens, thanks to friend, Sandy. I first heard about this beautiful place from my daughter, but I had never been, because it is way out of my city driving comfort zone. In the morning, it was raining, at least in my part of the city, and I wondered if going would turn out to be a big mistake. However, the rain stopped and stayed away while we were there and, though the sky was overcast, I was still able to photograph to my heart's content. I was surprised at how many flowers were still in bloom on the first day of October and I was extremely impressed with how meticulously these gardens are kept - every inch of them. So many different kinds of trees and plants, and it was very obvious that each area had been planted with so much thought and care. Amazing that dedicated volunteers have been, and continue to be, the ones to thank for these gardens. Thanks so much, Sandy, for giving me the chance to spend an afternoon in such beauty and peace! We all knew that snow wasn't far away and about a week after this visit, Calgary had its first snowfall of the season, for the whole of the Thanksgiving weekend. At least I now have some bright, colourful photos that I will be able to post in between all the coming white, snowy images that will be taken during the seven, long months of winter. "The Botanical Gardens of Silver Springs is without doubt one of the Seven Wonders of Calgary, Alberta. It boasts 1350 square meters (14 600 square feet) of gardens which includes a spectacular Wall Garden that runs an uninterrupted 1300 feet. In the gardens you will find an endless variety of annuals and perennials ranging from artemisias to zinnias. Here indeed is a place to stop and smell the roses and the peonies and the delphiniums and the chrysanthemums and the … What makes these gardens so very special is that they were created and continue to be maintained by a band of green-thumbed enthusiastic volunteers. These hale and hearty diggers, planters, seeders, weeders, mowers, waterers, pruners and community builders work two to three mornings a week to keep the gardens in primrose shape and their efforts are truly appreciated by the many walkers, joggers, and cyclists. On any given day, hundreds of people walk the wall garden with their families, friends and out-of-town visitors. It has become a treasured destination site for many. For anyone who has spent time in the gardens, it is hard to believe that they have only been here since 2006 when a humble ornamental garden (400 square feet) was developed within the existing BirthPlace Forest tree beds. The BPF, by the way, saw 7000 trees planted in the area. The project was accomplished through a partnership of BP Energy, Calgary Parks, Regional Health and Golden Acres." From the gardens' website. www.botanicalgardensofsilversprings.ca/

I ran out of time to add a description here, as I decided to go on a birding walk at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary this morning, 20 September 2016. Forecast was for rain, but the next few days looked no better. We had light rain all morning and it was chilly! This afternoon, the temperature is only 6C (windchill 3C) and it really is a miserable kind of day. I think most of the birds were keeping warm somewhere, unlike us. Took maybe a couple of dozen photos and I'm not sure if even one will be of any use. Many trees seem to be getting close to losing their leaves and the colour is not as vibrant. So much for the "long, warm fall" that I saw mentioned recently. So different from three days ago! On 17 September 2016, it was a long day, spent with a group of people - some of us travelled north from Calgary and others lived in or near the capital city of Alberta - Edmonton. Two friends had been invited to meet with members of the Nature Conservancy of Canada, to do a walk at a newly acquired 640 acre parcel of land, immediately to the east of the Devonian Botanic Garden. Edmonton is a three-hour drive north of Calgary, so it makes for a long drive when one goes for just a day trip. That, plus walking for several hours (my pedometer said 16,175 steps by the time I went to bed last night) completely knocked me out. One of the two friends I went with, Dr. Peter Whitehead (who drove us there and back, which was wonderful) is an ecologist and bryologist, founder of the Western Canada Bryophyte and Lichen Interest Group. See the first link below about his exciting program for school children. www.seriousaboutscience.org/ www.ablig.com/ www.capeecology.ca/people.html The other friend I went with was Dr. Janet Marsh, Lichenologist. She is considered one of Canada's leading authorities on lichens. So, as you can see, I was in the company of extremely knowledgeable people. I'll add that I have been on many outings the last few years that have included both these specialists. Always most enjoyable and lots of fun! My big confession is that so many of the lichens that they find are growing in forests - and when I'm in a forest, my focus immediately turns to fungi! Which is why I still barely know anything about lichens : ) I do enjoy photographing lichens, however, and have quite a few in my photostream. I was able to see a number of different fungi, which made my day. Not the sharpest photos of all of them - I guess the light in the forest was worse than I thought. The people of Edmonton and area are so very fortunate that this land is being preserved by the Nature Conservancy of Canada. What a beautiful area of meadows, bogs and forest! I especially liked the spectacular Birch trees that were growing there, with their beautiful peeling bark - some of these trees were quite large. Thanks so much to the Nature Conservancy of Canada for inviting us for this walk. I know you will receive extensive lists of the species that Peter and Janet found. Many thanks, Peter, for all the driving you did, too. I really appreciated the opportunity to visit this new area and capture a few species with my camera. Even the weather cooperated, giving us a very pleasant temperature for walking (around 18C?) and even the rain that had been falling in Edmonton earlier in the morning, stopped for the rest of the day. A great day in great company!

"The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has a rare opportunity to protect a 640-acre (260-hectare) property neighbouring Alberta's capital city. In 1974, five families bought Bunchberry Meadows Conservation Area — a parcel of land bordering Edmonton near the Devonian Botanic Garden. For 40 years the families cared for the land, protecting important habitat for moose and numerous other species. The five ownership families have generously offered to sell Bunchberry Meadows Conservation Area to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) for half the asset value. Their vision is to ensure that the land is conserved for our province; particularly for our children. Over the years Bunchberry Meadows has remained intact. But the surrounding lands and the city of Edmonton have undergone significant changes. Natural spaces in and around Edmonton continue to be developed. It’s increasingly difficult for city dwellers to find open green spaces to enjoy a sunny afternoon, or teach their children about the outdoors. The campaign for Bunchberry Meadows was officially launched in Edmonton on May 21, 2015. Since then, Edmontonians have stepped up in support so that this special community amenity can be created. Urban development on this property would mean the loss of habitat for many plant and wildlife species, and the loss of a wonderful space in which Albertans and all Canadians can reconnect with nature. In June 2016, the Bunchberry campaign was closed sucessfully. NCC willl open Bunchberry to the public in the fall of 2016 as a natural retreat for everyone to enjoy." www.natureconservancy.ca/en/where-we-work/alberta/feature... www.youtube.com/watch?v=FibqXugavrc There are about 17,000 species of lichen worldwide and yesterday, I saw just a handful of them, including the leafy foliose lichens in this photo : ) I need to add that basically I know nothing about lichens, so am unable to identify any photos I take, unless IDs are given by a specialist. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lichen Yesterday, 17 September 2016, was a long day, spent with a group of people - some of us travelled north from Calgary and others lived in or near the capital city of Alberta - Edmonton. Two friends had been invited to meet with members of the Nature Conservancy of Canada, to do a walk at a newly acquired 640 acre parcel of land, immediately to the east of the Devonian Botanic Garden. Edmonton is a three-hour drive north of Calgary, so it makes for a long drive when one goes for just a day trip. That, plus walking for several hours (my pedometer said 16,175 steps by the time I went to bed last night) completely knocked me out and I couldn't keep awake long enough to get my "daily three" photos ready last night. Today has had to be a day at home, recovering, lol. One of the two friends I went with, Dr. Peter Whitehead (who drove us there and back, which was wonderful) is an ecologist and bryologist, founder of the Western Canada Bryophyte and Lichen Interest Group. See the first link below about his exciting program for school children. www.seriousaboutscience.org/ www.ablig.com/ www.capeecology.ca/people.html The other friend I went with was Dr. Janet Marsh, Lichenologist. She is considered one of Canada's leading authorities on lichens. So, as you can see, I was in the company of extremely knowledgeable people. I'll add that I have been on many outings the last few years that have included both these specialists. Always most enjoyable and lots of fun! My big confession is that so many of the lichens that they find are growing in forests - and when I'm in a forest, my focus immediately turns to fungi! Which is why I still barely know anything about lichens : ) I do enjoy photographing lichens, however, and have quite a few in my photostream. Yesterday, I was able to see a number of different fungi, which made my day. Not the sharpest photos of all of them - I guess the light in the forest was worse than I thought. The people of Edmonton and area are so very fortunate that this land is being preserved by the Nature Conservancy of Canada. What a beautiful area of meadows, bogs and forest! I especially liked the spectacular Birch trees that were growing there, with their beautiful peeling bark - some of these trees were quite large. Thanks so much to the Nature Conservancy of Canada for inviting us for this walk yesterday. I know you will receive extensive lists of the species that Peter and Janet found. Many thanks, Peter, for all the driving you did, too. I really appreciated the opportunity to visit this new area and capture a few species with my camera. Even the weather cooperated, giving us a very pleasant temperature for walking (around 18C?) and even the rain that had been falling in Edmonton, stopped for the rest of the day. A great day in great company!

Fall has definitely arrived here, bringing its beautiful colours. We don't have Maple trees here, so our autumn colours are yellows and golds with touches of orange. This photo was taken in Fish Creek Park, at one of the storm-water ponds at Burnsmead.

This photo and the previous one were taken on 6 May 2015, when I called in at the Reader Rock Garden after a volunteer shift. Each year, I try and take quite a few photos of various garden flowers, ready to have something bright and colourful to post during our long, cold, snowy winter months. This winter has been ridiculously mild, apart from a number of very cold periods that brought snow, so I haven't really needed as many bright photos to post. Spring is almost here, so this is a reminder of what is yet to come. It's very overcast this morning (14 March 2016) and +3C, with a forecast for wet flurries (snow and rain) for this afternoon. Scattered flurries for this evening and overnight. We, especially the farmers, desperately need moisture. However, like it seems to have happened many times, the forecast could easily change and there will be no sign of 'the white stuff'.

Yesterday, 24 January 2016, I decided to go on an afternoon birding walk with friends. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and it wasn't all that cold. Have to admit that Beaverdam Flats is not my favourite place to walk and it is never rewarding as far as photography is concerned. Almost all the birds are waterfowl and tend to be along the far side of the Bow River (seen at the left hand edge of this photo). In winter, the narrow trail down from the top of the cliff tends to be icy, and the climb back up along the paved path always reminds me how unfit I am, ha. This photo, one of maybe half a dozen taken, is the only one remotely worth keeping. I'm posting it just to remind myself where I went yesterday. I will add the leaders' species list below. Thanks so much, Janet and Bernie, for taking us on this walk, and for the always enjoyed coffee and chat at Tim Horton's afterwards! Birding Beaverdam Flats, Calgary. 1:15 - 3:15pm. Sun. Jan 24/16. Foggy & snowing lightly, 0C with light North wind at beginning of walk. Clear by 2:pm, +3C. 1. Canada Goose - 2 2. Mallard - 300 3. Common Goldeneye - 140 4. Bufflehead - 18 5. Common Merganser - 4 6. Bald Eagle - 2+ 7. Feral Pigeon - 2 8. Northern Flicker - 2 9. Black-billed Magpie - 7 10. Common Raven - 9 11. Black-capped Chickadee - 16 12. American Robin - 1 13. House Finch - 30 14. Pine Siskin - 1 15. House Sparrow - 25 Eastern Gray Squirrel - 1

All three photos posted this morning were taken yesterday, 16 January 2016. The weather was dull, cold and most unpleasant, yet three of us turned up at a meeting place, ready to go on a day trip west of the city. Apparently, 8 other people got the message that this trip had been cancelled at the last minute, lol. I, however, was already outside, clearing the snow off my car, to drive across the city. After waiting for just over an hour, we decided that instead of going home, we would go for a walk at nearby Baker Park. I had heard of this park, mainly because there used to be Great Horned Owls there, but I had never been. The park was much larger than I was expecting, and a very pleasant place to walk. A beautiful mix of trees make a wonderful habitat for birds, most of whom seemed to have more sense than we had, keeping hidden from the cold, miserable weather. We did see a few Black-capped Chickadees, though, and Bohemian Waxwings and White-winged Crossbills. I may have a fourth photo from yesterday morning to post sometime, but that's it! Still, it was fun spending the morning with friends and enjoying a very late breakfast at the Angel's Cafe, which really hit the spot.. Thanks so much for driving us to Baker Park, Darlene. I really appreciated the chance to finally visit this area. I didn't think the forecast looked particularly good for today, either, so had decided that I would probably join a group of friends for a birding walk this afternoon. However, the sun is actually out at the moment and it is supposed to be a mix of sun and cloud for this afternoon, so I might just make myself do a drive east of the city, if I'm ready in time. Not a drive I look forward to, but maybe I will be rewarded by finding an owl?

On 29 September 2014, I finally drove out to an area that lies NE of Calgary, that I had longed to go to for so many years. It must have been 30+ years ago that I first saw one particular area of the Badlands of Alberta - the Hoodoo Trail. A few times since then, I had been fairly close when I went on several botany trips out that way, but when you are carpooling, you can't just go wherever you want. So, my youngest daughter and I decided that we both wanted to make this trip. All summer, we had been waiting for a day on which she didn't have to work and where the weather forecast was for no rain on the day or there had been no rain the previous day. The Bentonite Clay in the area becomes treacherously slippery when wet. The forecast for this day was for a mainly sunny day - at last, we were going! I think this was the longest day of driving I had ever done, especially to, and in, an area that I'd never driven to before. For anyone who doesn't know me, I have battled a driving phobia for decades, plus I have no sense of direction, lol! Thankfully, my daughter has an amazing sense of direction, so I knew we wouldn't be stuck out on the prairies in the middle of nowhere. A typical question at too many intersections went as follows: me - "Do we go left?"; my daughter - "No, we go right", lol! I met my daughter at 8:00 am. and I got home shortly before 9:00 pm. Much of that time was spent driving; the rest was spent wandering round three main areas - The Hoodoo Trail, Dorothy and Rowley, in different directions from Drumheller (which is known for its remarkable dinosaur findings). The forecast was far from accurate on our drive out to the Badlands and I began to wonder if we'd made a mistake going on this trip on that particular day. However, knowing that snow would be returning very soon ("returning" because we had two snowstorms on 9 and 10 September), I was beginning to feel rather desperate and really didn't want to risk not getting out there this year. The afternoon was less cloudy and we did have some sun. So, the first of our destinations was The Hoodoo Trail, a small area of protected, spectacular hoodoos (rock formations), and then we went further, to the almost-ghost-town of Dorothy. I had longed, for such a long time, to see the two small, old churches that are to be found in Dorothy, as well as the old grain elevator. After that, we drove over 11 bridges and called in at the tiny hamlet of Wayne. We passed the old Atlas Coal Mine near the main highway, but, much as we would have liked to visit the mine, we knew that we just didn't have time. From Wayne, we continued to Rowley to see the three old grain elevators and to wander round part of this very small, historical place. I decided last night to add a filter to this image, to bring out a little more of the wood detail. Dorothy felt and looked almost deserted, whereas Rowley was beautifully kept. From Rowley, we made our way back across the prairies to Calgary. I had planned on getting back before it got dark as I no longer like night driving and very rarely do it, but we didn't quite make it. On the return drive, the last sighting was a Great Horned Owl that was perched part way up a power pole. Well done, Rachel, spotting this welcome bird! Not easy to see in the dark. By the time I got home, I was so tired and my arms were so painful from driving, but, what a great day we had!!

This is where a few of us ended up yesterday afternoon, on the east side of the Bow River. The morning was the New Year's Day Bird Count for Fish Creek Park and then, in the afternoon, we could choose whether to go or not to look for any less common sightings that had been reported in the morning. A Snow Goose had been seen in this area but, despite a really careful look for it in the afternoon until it got dark (!), it was not to be seen. The sunlight was pretty at this moment, and I always love to see someone wearing a bright, cheery jacket in winter time.

It was SO quiet and peaceful at the Hutterite Colony that we visited this afternoon. The pathways like this one led in four directions to the homes of the members of this community. Only 45 people live there, seven of them children. Two interesting things: at age 17, the girls have to learn baking, cleaning, etc. and take over all these chores and, at age 50, women no longer do any baking, cooking, etc.!