Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: explore2014August10

Milkweed does not normally grow in Calgary, though we have seen a plant or two growing in the wild at either one or possibly two locations in the city. My photo was taken in the garden of friends on 27 July 2014. I love Showy Milkweed - the buds, the opened flowers and the seed pods. This macro shot shows how attractive the very small, individual flowers are - they grow in large clusters to form a flower head (previously posted photo in a comment box below). "Pollination in this genus is accomplished in an unusual manner, as the pollen is grouped into complex structures called pollinia (or "pollen sacs"), rather than being individual grains, as is typical for plant pollen. The flower petals are smooth and rigid, and the feet of visiting insects (predominantly large wasps, such as spider wasps, which visit the plants for nectar) slip into notches in the flowers, where the sticky bases of the pollinia attach to the feet, pulling the pollen sacs free when the pollinator flies off. Bees, including honey bees only gather nectar from milkweed flowers, and are generally not effective pollinators despite the frequency of visitation. Species in the Asclepias genus grow their seeds in pods. These seed pods contain soft filaments known as either silk or floss. The filaments are attached to individual seeds. When the seed pod ripens, the seeds are blown by the wind, each carried by several filaments. Native Americans used fiber in the stems for rope, basketry, and nets. Some Native Americans believed the milky sap had medicinal qualities. However, most species of milkweed are toxic." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias_speciosa

So many of the old wooden barns and homesteads that scatter the prairies are in such a bad state, unfortunately. This one was photographed SE of Calgary, on 14 April 2014, when I went driving the backroads for the day with my youngest daughter. Some of the roads were familiar to me, but others were new territory, which gave us a chance to discover some different abandoned barns. We knew where our destination was going to be (Mossleigh), more or less, though it was disappointing that the heat distortion was just too great to get distant, zoomed photos. Unfortunately, it was quite a hazy day, which really didn't help. Once we got really close, the problem thankfully went away. This homestead is in better shape than many you see. Seems such a pity that some work on the outside of this rather attractive structure can't be done, before it falls into a heap of old planks. Who knows why old barns and homesteads are left to crumble? Farmers are very busy people and probably not too concerned about an old, rotting building on their land. Most are no doubt living on a tight budget, too. I'm just happy that I have an occasional chance to photograph a few of these wonderful old barns and homesteads - I can think of at least three that have disappeared since being photographed, which is always a sad feeling, I find. Also, you see so many photos taken inside such buildings (I never go inside any of them, as they are always on private land and I won't trespass). The wonderful old treasures that are covered in dirt and strewn all over the place are breathtaking. Seems so sad that so many things aren't saved and cared for. What an interesting task that would be.