Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: 8 July 2017

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF FALL, everyone! "Fire recycles nutrient stored in live and dead vegetation by converting it into mineral-rich ash. After a fire, pine cones pop open from fire’s heat, releasing their seeds. New growth sprouts from the roots of burned shrubs. Flowers bloom and grasslands are reborn. Animals forage in the lush new growth. Over time, fires create a patchwork of burned and unburned vegetation. This diverse mix of habitats is favoured by wildlife and supports many species." From Parks Canada website. www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/ab/waterton/securite-safety/feu-fir... Mother Nature will renew our beautiful Waterton Lakes National Park, though it will take a long time especially for the trees to grow again. It is such an enormous relief that structures like the historic Prince of Wales Hotel, the townsite itself, and the facilities at Cameron Lake and Red Rock Canyon were brilliantly saved by all those involved in fighting the fire. The Lodge and 3 of the 7 cabins at Canyon Church Camp were also saved. The words "Thank You" feel very inadequate! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For many years, I had longed to see Bear Grass / Xerophyllum tenax, and finally, in 2015, I was lucky enough to visit Waterton Lakes National Park and saw and photographed it for the very first time. The flowers in this photo were seen on 8 July 2017, our second day of three days in Waterton, along the Akamina Parkway. I spent this day with three different friends, going to Cameron Lake and then Red Rock Canyon. A great day, despite the awful heat. Friend Darlene and I arrived in Waterton (from Calgary) on 7 July around 1:00 pm, stopped and had lunch and then went to see the Cameron Falls on the edge of town. The cold spray felt so good on such a hot day! Afterwards, we drove up the Akamina Parkway, to Cameron Lake, stopping along the road to photograph a few of the thousands of beautiful Bear Grass flowers. Many were growing along the edge of the road, but in places, you could look through the forest and see many more. We also stopped to look at the Penstemon plants, and I was delighted to see a small Orange False Dandelion plant in bloom. I've only ever seen about three of these plants before. "Xerophyllum tenax is a North American species of plants in the corn lily family. It is known by several common names, including bear grass, squaw grass, soap grass, quip-quip, and Indian basket grass. Xerophyllum tenax has flowers with six sepals and six stamens borne in a terminal raceme. The plant can grow to 15–150 cm in height. It grows in bunches with the leaves wrapped around and extending from a small stem at ground level. The leaves are 30–100 cm long and 2–6 mm wide, dull olive green with toothed edges. The slightly fragrant white flowers emerge from a tall stalk that bolts from the base. When the flowers are in bloom they are tightly packed at the tip of the stalk like an upright club. The plant is found mostly in western North America from British Columbia south to California and east to Wyoming, in subalpine meadows and coastal mountains, and also on low ground in the California coastal fog belt as far south as Monterey County. It is common on the Olympic Peninsula and in the Cascades, northern Sierra Nevada and Rockies. Xerophyllum tenax is an important part of the fire ecology of regions where it is native. It has rhizomes which survive fire that clears dead and dying plant matter from the surface of the ground. The plant thrives with periodic burns and is often the first plant to sprout in a scorched area. This species has long been used by Native Americans who weave it in baskets. They also braid dried leaves and adorn them on traditional buckskin dresses and jewelry." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerophyllum_tenax A very quick stop at Cameron Lake itself and then we were on our way back down the Akamina Parkway so that we could go up the Red Rock Canyon Parkway, to visit the beautiful canyon. On the way there, we made a quick stop to check for a Lazuli Bunting. We were in luck, but I could only get very distant shots of this beautiful little bird. By this time, we needed to get to the Canyon Church Camp, where we would be staying two nights. Supper was being served at 6:00 pm, but we could check in any time after 5:00 pm. After supper, most people went on a hike up to Crandell Lake, but I decided not to go, as I remembered what the trail was like. I did follow everyone for just a very short way but knew that I was not going to do the rest of the hike. Instead, I walked around the camp, finding a few flowers to photograph, and then I bumped into the camp manager and we got talking. I mentioned one of my favourite plants, Pinedrops, that I had seen last year on one of the paths that led out of the camp. The manager said he had already checked, but had only found last year's dead stems. He took me back to the location - and I spotted several new stems partly hidden in the long grasses. He was so happy to see that this plant was doing well, after all. He also took me on a short walk through the edge of the forest and down to the river. About 20 minutes after getting back to the camp buildings, a Black Bear wandered along the edge of the same trees that we had walked through to get to the river! Could only get a really poor photo that I probably won't post - or maybe I will, just for my own records. Shortly after this sighting, everyone else arrived back at the camp, and it was time to get to bed before all the lights were turned off.

For many years, I had longed to see Bear Grass / Xerophyllum tenax, and finally, in 2015, I was lucky enough to visit Waterton Lakes National Park and saw and photographed it for the very first time. The plant in this photo was seen on 8 July 2017, also in Waterton, when I was on the trail through the forest at Cameron Lake. "Xerophyllum tenax is a North American species of plants in the corn lily family. It is known by several common names, including bear grass, squaw grass, soap grass, quip-quip, and Indian basket grass. Xerophyllum tenax has flowers with six sepals and six stamens borne in a terminal raceme. The plant can grow to 15–150 cm in height. It grows in bunches with the leaves wrapped around and extending from a small stem at ground level. The leaves are 30–100 cm long and 2–6 mm wide, dull olive green with toothed edges. The slightly fragrant white flowers emerge from a tall stalk that bolts from the base. When the flowers are in bloom they are tightly packed at the tip of the stalk like an upright club. The plant is found mostly in western North America from British Columbia south to California and east to Wyoming, in subalpine meadows and coastal mountains, and also on low ground in the California coastal fog belt as far south as Monterey County. It is common on the Olympic Peninsula and in the Cascades, northern Sierra Nevada and Rockies. Xerophyllum tenax is an important part of the fire ecology of regions where it is native. It has rhizomes which survive fire that clears dead and dying plant matter from the surface of the ground. The plant thrives with periodic burns and is often the first plant to sprout in a scorched area. This species has long been used by Native Americans who weave it in baskets. They also braid dried leaves and adorn them on traditional buckskin dresses and jewelry." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerophyllum_tenax Late afternoon on 9 July 2017, I arrived back home from a wonderful three-day trip to Waterton Lakes National Park. I had just been on a one-day bus trip to this beautiful park on 24 June 2017, so felt very lucky to be returning for a longer stay so soon. I travelled there and back with friend, Darlene, who had very kindly offered to take me, and we had a fun time, seeing so many interesting things. Thank you SO much, Darlene - I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciated being able to go on this trip with you! It was wonderful to again be surrounded by such magnificent scenery, go on a few walks/hikes with plenty of time to look for, and photograph, wildflowers, insects, and a few birds and animals. Lots of good company with around 20 (?) people, some of whom I already knew and some new faces, too. The trip was organized by Nature Calgary. Everyone was free to go wherever they wanted each day, but for the two nights, we stayed at the very basic but adequate Canyon Church Camp, off the Red Rock Parkway. Dorm-style cabins (about which I will say nothing, lol!), but they do have showers and even flush toilets at the camp. We were fed SO well - lots of variety and good food. We were given two breakfasts and two suppers, plus a packed lunch for the two days. Our huge thanks go out to Jean Kennedy, the camp cook, who cooked and prepared these great meals for us! Jean was there in 2015 and 2016, when I attended this weekend, and it was really good news when I was told that she would be there again this time. The food was so much enjoyed and greatly appreciated! We arrived in Waterton (from Calgary) around 1:00 pm on Friday, 7 July 2017, stopped and had lunch in town and then went to see the Cameron Falls on the edge of town. The cold spray felt so good on such a hot day (32C)! Afterwards, we drove 16 km up the Akamina Parkway, to Cameron Lake, stopping along the road to photograph a few of the thousands of beautiful Bear Grass flowers. Many were growing along the edge of the road, but in places, you could look through the forest and see many more. We also stopped to look at the Penstemon plants, and I was delighted to see a small Orange False Dandelion plant in bloom. I've only ever seen about three of these plants before. A very quick stop at Cameron Lake itself and then we were on our way back down the Akamina Parkway so that we could go up the Red Rock Canyon Parkway, to visit the beautiful canyon with its amazing red rocks. On the way there, we made a quick stop to check for a Lazuli Bunting. We were in luck, though I could only get very distant shots of this beautiful little bird. After a while, we needed to get to the Canyon Youth Camp, where we would be staying two nights. Supper was being served at 6:00 pm, but we could check in any time after 5:00 pm. After supper, most people went on a hike up to Crandell Lake, but I decided not to go, as I remembered what the trail was like. I did follow everyone for just a very short way but knew that I was not going to do the rest of the hike. Instead, I walked around the camp, finding a few flowers to photograph, and then I bumped into the camp manager and we got talking. I mentioned one of my favourite plants, Pinedrops, that I had seen last year on one of the paths that led out of the camp. The manager said he had already checked, but had only found last year's dead stems. He took me back to the location - and I spotted several new stems partly hidden in the long grasses. He was so happy to see that this plant was doing well, after all. He also took me on a short walk through the edge of the forest and down to the river. About 20 minutes after we got back to the camp buildings, a Black Bear wandered along the edge of the same trees that we had walked through to get to the river! Could only get a really poor photo that I probably won't post - or maybe I will, just for my own records. Shortly after this sighting, everyone else arrived back at the camp, and it was time to get to bed before all the lights were turned off. Our huge thanks to Andrew for organizing this trip so brilliantly! He has been organizing these annual weekends for a number of years now. A great time was had by all.

I think I have only ever seen two or three Stellar's Jays before, so it was a good feeling to see this juvenile perched high up in a huge tree. This was at the edge of the new parking lot at Cameron Lake, in Waterton Lakes National Park. This photo was taken on 8 July 2017, when a few of us went to Cameron Lake and went on quite a long hike through the forest, near the edge of the lake. "A large, dark jay of evergreen forests in the mountainous West. Steller’s Jays are common in forest wildernesses but are also fixtures of campgrounds, parklands, and backyards, where they are quick to spy bird feeders as well as unattended picnic items. When patrolling the woods, Steller’s Jays stick to the high canopy, but you’ll hear their harsh, scolding calls if they’re nearby. Graceful and almost lazy in flight, they fly with long swoops on their broad, rounded wings." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Stellers_Jay/id Late afternoon on 9 July 2017, I arrived back home from a wonderful three-day trip to Waterton Lakes National Park. I had just been on a one-day bus trip to this beautiful park on 24 June 2017, so felt very lucky to be returning for a longer stay so soon. I travelled there and back with friend, Darlene, who had very kindly offered to take me, and we had a fun time, seeing so many interesting things. Thank you SO much, Darlene - I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciated being able to go on this trip with you! It was wonderful to again be surrounded by such magnificent scenery, go on a few walks/hikes with plenty of time to look for, and photograph, wildflowers, insects, and a few birds and animals. Lots of good company with around 20 (?) people, some of whom I already knew and lots of new faces, too. The trip was organized by Nature Calgary. Everyone was free to go wherever they wanted each day, but for the two nights, we stayed at the very basic but adequate Canyon Church Camp, off the Red Rock Parkway. Dorm-style cabins (about which I will say nothing, lol!), but they do have showers and even flush toilets at the camp. We were fed SO well - lots of variety and good food. We were given two breakfasts and two suppers, plus a packed lunch for the two days. Our huge thanks go out to Jean Kennedy, the camp cook, who cooked and prepared these great meals for us! Jean was there in 2015 and 2016, when I attended this weekend, and it was really good news when I was told that she would be there again this time. The food was so much enjoyed and greatly appreciated! We arrived in Waterton (from Calgary) around 1:00 pm on Friday, 7 July 2017, stopped and had lunch in town and then went to see the Cameron Falls on the edge of town. The cold spray felt so good on such a hot day (32C)! Afterwards, we drove 16 km up the Akamina Parkway, to Cameron Lake, stopping along the road to photograph a few of the thousands of beautiful Bear Grass flowers. Many were growing along the edge of the road, but in places, you could look through the forest and see many more. We also stopped to look at the Penstemon plants, and I was delighted to see a small Orange False Dandelion plant in bloom. I've only ever seen about three of these plants before. A very quick stop at Cameron Lake itself and then we were on our way back down the Akamina Parkway so that we could go up the Red Rock Canyon Parkway, to visit the beautiful canyon with its amazing red rocks. On the way there, we made a quick stop to check for a Lazuli Bunting. We were in luck, though I could only get very distant shots of this beautiful little bird. After a while, we needed to get to the Canyon Youth Camp, where we would be staying two nights. Supper was being served at 6:00 pm, but we could check in any time after 5:00 pm. After supper, most people went on a hike up to Crandell Lake, but I decided not to go, as I remembered what the trail was like. I did follow everyone for just a very short way but knew that I was not going to do the rest of the hike. Instead, I walked around the camp, finding a few flowers to photograph, and then I bumped into the camp manager and we got talking. I mentioned one of my favourite plants, Pinedrops, that I had seen last year on one of the paths that led out of the camp. The manager said he had already checked, but had only found last year's dead stems. He took me back to the location - and I spotted several new stems partly hidden in the long grasses. He was so happy to see that this plant was doing well, after all. He also took me on a short walk through the edge of the forest and down to the river. About 20 minutes after we got back to the camp buildings, a Black Bear wandered along the edge of the same trees that we had walked through to get to the river! Could only get a really poor photo that I probably won't post - or maybe I will, just for my own records. Shortly after this sighting, everyone else arrived back at the camp, and it was time to get to bed before all the lights were turned off. Our huge thanks to Andrew for organizing this trip so brilliantly! He has been organizing these annual weekends for a number of years now. A great time was had by all.

Is it any wonder that people think these little Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels are cute and irresistible? This one was seen on our second day in Waterton, when we stopped at Cameron Falls on the edge of town. The cooling mist that came from the waterfalls felt so good! As usual, this little animal was doing what these cute animals tend to do - approach people, look cute, and beg for food! I saw a number of empty sunflower seed shells scattered on the ground. Of course, WILDLIFE SHOULD NEVER BE FED!! However, I hope the children feeding this little animal will develop a love for wildlife and grow up to help protect any kind of creature. Late afternoon on 9 July 2017, I arrived back home from a wonderful three-day trip to Waterton Lakes National Park. I had just been on a one-day bus trip to this beautiful park on 24 June 2017, so felt very lucky to be returning for a longer stay so soon. I travelled there and back with friend, Darlene, who had very kindly offered to take me, and we had a fun time, seeing so many interesting things. Thank you SO much, Darlene - I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciated being able to go on this trip with you! It was wonderful to again be surrounded by such magnificent scenery, go on a few walks/hikes with plenty of time to look for, and photograph, wildflowers, insects, and a few birds and animals. Lots of good company with around 20 (?) people, some of whom I already knew and lots of new faces, too. The trip was organized by Nature Calgary. Everyone was free to go wherever they wanted each day, but for the two nights, we stayed at the very basic but adequate Canyon Church Camp, off the Red Rock Parkway. Dorm-style cabins (about which I will say nothing, lol!), but they do have showers and even flush toilets at the camp. We were fed SO well - lots of variety and good food. We were given two breakfasts and two suppers, plus a packed lunch for the two days. Our huge thanks go out to Jean Kennedy, the camp cook, who cooked and prepared these great meals for us! Jean was there in 2015 and 2016, when I attended this weekend, and it was really good news when I was told that she would be there again this time. The food was so much enjoyed and greatly appreciated! On the second day, Darlene decided to go on a long day hike to Bertha Lake with a few of the group, which I knew would be far too much for me. Car space was very limited for other locations, so I was beginning to think I would have to stay at the camp all day - with no walks around the camp grounds, seeing as a few if us had seen a Black Bear in the camp the previous evening! As it turned out, I was able to get a ride with Caroline, for which I was extremely grateful, and we went with another couple in a separate vehicle, to Cameron Lake. There, we went on the forest trail along the edge of the lake, as far as one is able to go. This trail is a favourite of mine, especially as it is level, not uphill. A few birds and lots of wildflowers to see and photograph, including a Stellar's Jay that was seen in the parking lot when we first arrived. I think I have only ever seen a Stellar's Jay twice before. A neat bird to see along the forest trail was a Fox Sparrow. More Bear Grass along this trail, so of course I couldn't resist taking a few more photos. After this hike, we stopped at a small picnic area along the main parkway, where we managed to find a table in the shade. There, we saw something that I had never seen before - on the distant mountain slope, there were thousands of Bear Grass, giving an interesting texture. I will post a photo of this sometime. After our lunch, we went into town and visited the Cameron Falls, where this photo was taken. From there, we drove to Red Rock Canyon. It was packed with people and there were so many of them sitting or climbing on the beautiful red rocks along the creek. Made taking a few decent scenic shots impossible, unless one zoomed in on a particular spot. It was SO hot, and once we had taken a few photos, we left and made our way back to the camp by late afternoon. After supper, Andrew, organizer of our weekend, took everyone to the Maskinonge area, where we were lucky to see a group of several Swans, two extremely distant Sandhill Cranes, and a couple of very distant Loons. There was also a small group of deer down at the water's edge on the far side of the lake. All ridiculously distant photos, but I may add some of them later just for the record. From Maskinonge Lake, we all drove a short distance to the Bison Paddock, where we saw a group of about six Bison, including two little ones, and nearby a massive male standing alone. The rest of our group were ahead of Darlene and I and they reached the main road quickly. By the time Darlene and I reached the intersection, there was no car in sight. Should we turn left or right? I remembered in a previous year going all the way up the Chief Mountain Parkway to watch the sun set over the mountains, so this is where we drove, as far as the border crossing into the US. Not a single other car to be seen! We found out later that the rest of the group had gone elsewhere, so all Darlene's driving was in vain - and I felt really bad! Three days of 32C temperatures, and then I arrived home to find that my thermostat read 29C inside my home. I am not good at dealing with the heat and then to walk and hike in such temperatures was exhausting. Our huge thanks to Andrew for organizing this trip so brilliantly! He has been organizing these annual weekends for a number of years now. A great time was had by all.

This little Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel was seen on our second day in Waterton, when we stopped at Cameron Falls on the edge of town. The cooling mist that came from the waterfalls felt so good! As usual, this little animal was doing what these cute animals tend to do - approach people, look cute, and beg for food! I saw a number of empty sunflower seed shells scattered on the ground. Of course, WILDLIFE SHOULD NEVER BE FED!! However, I hope the children feeding this little animal will develop a love for wildlife and grow up to help protect any kind of creature. Late afternoon on 9 July 2017, I arrived back home from a wonderful three-day trip to Waterton Lakes National Park. I had just been on a one-day bus trip to this beautiful park on 24 June 2017, so felt very lucky to be returning for a longer stay so soon. I travelled there and back with friend, Darlene, who had very kindly offered to take me, and we had a fun time, seeing so many interesting things. Thank you SO much, Darlene - I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciated being able to go on this trip with you! It was wonderful to again be surrounded by such magnificent scenery, go on a few walks/hikes with plenty of time to look for, and photograph, wildflowers, insects, and a few birds and animals. Lots of good company with around 20 (?) people, some of whom I already knew and lots of new faces, too. The trip was organized by Nature Calgary. Everyone was free to go wherever they wanted each day, but for the two nights, we stayed at the very basic but adequate Canyon Church Camp, off the Red Rock Parkway. Dorm-style cabins (about which I will say nothing, lol!), but they do have showers and even flush toilets at the camp. We were fed SO well - lots of variety and good food. We were given two breakfasts and two suppers, plus a packed lunch for the two days. Our huge thanks go out to Jean Kennedy, the camp cook, who cooked and prepared these great meals for us! Jean was there in 2015 and 2016, when I attended this weekend, and it was really good news when I was told that she would be there again this time. The food was so much enjoyed and greatly appreciated! On the second day, Darlene decided to go on a long day hike to Bertha Lake with a few of the group, which I knew would be far too much for me. Car space was very limited for other locations, so I was beginning to think I would have to stay at the camp all day - with no walks around the camp grounds, seeing as a few if us had seen a Black Bear in the camp the previous evening! As it turned out, I was able to get a ride with Caroline, for which I was extremely grateful, and we went with another couple in a separate vehicle, to Cameron Lake. There, we went on the forest trail along the edge of the lake, as far as one is able to go. This trail is a favourite of mine, especially as it is level, not uphill. A few birds and lots of wildflowers to see and photograph, including a Stellar's Jay that was seen in the parking lot when we first arrived. I think I have only ever seen a Stellar's Jay twice before. A neat bird to see along the forest trail was a Fox Sparrow. More Bear Grass along this trail, so of course I couldn't resist taking a few more photos. After this hike, we stopped at a small picnic area along the main parkway, where we managed to find a table in the shade. There, we saw something that I had never seen before - on the distant mountain slope, there were thousands of Bear Grass, giving an interesting texture. I will post a photo of this sometime. After our lunch, we went into town and visited the Cameron Falls, where this photo was taken. From there, we drove to Red Rock Canyon. It was packed with people and there were so many of them sitting or climbing on the beautiful red rocks along the creek. Made taking a few decent scenic shots impossible, unless one zoomed in on a particular spot. It was SO hot, and once we had taken a few photos, we left and made our way back to the camp by late afternoon. After supper, Andrew, organizer of our weekend, took everyone to the Maskinonge area, where we were lucky to see a group of several Swans, two extremely distant Sandhill Cranes, and a couple of very distant Loons. There was also a small group of deer down at the water's edge on the far side of the lake. All ridiculously distant photos, but I may add some of them later just for the record. From Maskinonge Lake, we all drove a short distance to the Bison Paddock, where we saw a group of about six Bison, including two little ones, and nearby a massive male standing alone. The rest of our group were ahead of Darlene and I and they reached the main road quickly. By the time Darlene and I reached the intersection, there was no car in sight. Should we turn left or right? I remembered in a previous year going all the way up the Chief Mountain Parkway to watch the sun set over the mountains, so this is where we drove, as far as the border crossing into the US. Not a single other car to be seen! We found out later that the rest of the group had gone elsewhere, so all Darlene's driving was in vain - and I felt really bad! Three days of 32C temperatures, and then I arrived home to find that my thermostat read 29C inside my home. I am not good at dealing with the heat and then to walk and hike in such temperatures was exhausting. Back in Calgary, we had already been having a heatwave, but we have had rain and it temporarily cooled down the last couple of days, thank goodness. Today, 13 July, we are back to high temperatures again. Our huge thanks to Andrew for organizing this trip so brilliantly! He has been organizing these annual weekends for a number of years now. A great time was had by all.

Late afternoon on 9 July 2017, I arrived back home from a wonderful three-day trip to Waterton Lakes National Park. I had just been on a one-day bus trip to this beautiful park on 24 June 2017, so felt very lucky to be returning for a longer stay so soon. I travelled there and back with friend, Darlene, who had very kindly offered to take me, and we had a fun time, seeing so many interesting things. Thank you SO much, Darlene - I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciated being able to go on this trip with you! This Bighorn Sheep was seen on 8 July, the second day of this trip, on the way to Cameron Lake. The photo was taken from the passenger seat through the driver's window. Darlene decided to go on a long day hike to Bertha Lake with a few of the group, which I knew would be far too much for me. Car space was limited for other locations, so I was beginning to think I would have to stay at the camp all day - with no walks around the camp grounds, seeing as we had seen a Black Bear in the camp the previous evening! As it turned out, I was able to get a ride with Caroline, for which I was extremely grateful, and we went with another couple in a separate vehicle, to Cameron Lake. There, we went on the forest trail along the edge of the lake, as far as one can hike. This trail is a favourite of mine, especially as it is level, not uphill. A few birds and lots of wildflowers to see and photograph, including a Stellar's Jay that was seen in the parking lot when we first arrived. I think I have only ever seen a Stellar's Jay twice before. A neat bird to see along the forest trail was a Fox Sparrow. More Bear Grass along this trail, so of course I couldn't resist taking a few more photos. Three days of 32C temperatures, and then I arrived home to find that my thermostat read 29C inside my home. I am not good at dealing with the heat and then to walk and hike in such temperatures was exhausting. Back in Calgary, we had already been having a heatwave, but we have had rain and it temporarily cooled down, thank goodness. Tomorrow, we are back to high temperatures again. It was wonderful to again be surrounded by such magnificent scenery, go on a few walks/hikes with plenty of time to look for, and photograph, wildflowers, insects, and a few birds and animals. Lots of good company with around 20 (?) people, some of whom I already knew and lots of new faces, too. The trip was organized by Nature Calgary. Everyone was free to go wherever they wanted each day, but for the two nights, we stayed at the very basic but adequate Canyon Church Camp, off the Red Rock Parkway. Dorm-style cabins (about which I will say nothing, lol!), but they do have showers and even flush toilets at the camp. We were fed SO well - lots of variety and good food. We were given two breakfasts and two suppers, plus a packed lunch for the two days. Our huge thanks go out to Jean Kennedy, the camp cook, who cooked and prepared these great meals for us! Jean was there in 2015 and 2016, when I attended this weekend, and it was really good news when I was told that she would be there again this time. The food was so much enjoyed and greatly appreciated! Our huge thanks to Andrew for organizing this trip so brilliantly! He has been organizing these annual weekends for a number of years now. A great time was had by all.

For many years, I had longed to see Bear Grass / Xerophyllum tenax, and finally, in 2015, I was lucky enough to visit Waterton Lakes National Park and saw and photographed it for the very first time. The flower in this photo was seen on 8 July 2017, also in Waterton. "Xerophyllum tenax is a North American species of plants in the corn lily family. It is known by several common names, including bear grass, squaw grass, soap grass, quip-quip, and Indian basket grass. Xerophyllum tenax has flowers with six sepals and six stamens borne in a terminal raceme. The plant can grow to 15–150 cm in height. It grows in bunches with the leaves wrapped around and extending from a small stem at ground level. The leaves are 30–100 cm long and 2–6 mm wide, dull olive green with toothed edges. The slightly fragrant white flowers emerge from a tall stalk that bolts from the base. When the flowers are in bloom they are tightly packed at the tip of the stalk like an upright club. The plant is found mostly in western North America from British Columbia south to California and east to Wyoming, in subalpine meadows and coastal mountains, and also on low ground in the California coastal fog belt as far south as Monterey County. It is common on the Olympic Peninsula and in the Cascades, northern Sierra Nevada and Rockies. Xerophyllum tenax is an important part of the fire ecology of regions where it is native. It has rhizomes which survive fire that clears dead and dying plant matter from the surface of the ground. The plant thrives with periodic burns and is often the first plant to sprout in a scorched area. This species has long been used by Native Americans who weave it in baskets. They also braid dried leaves and adorn them on traditional buckskin dresses and jewelry." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerophyllum_tenax

"With its merging landforms, connected ecoregions and its mild, moist, windy climate, Waterton Lakes National Park is an amazing meeting place for an abundant and diverse collection of vegetation. Despite it's small size (505 sq km) Waterton is graced with over 1000 species of vascular plants . Over half of Alberta's plant species are found in this tiny place. The park's four ecoregions - foothills parkland, montane, subalpine and alpine - embrace forty-five vegetation communities. Sixteen of these are considered significant because they are rare or fragile and threatened. Waterton also has an unusually high number of rare plants - over 175 are provincially rare (e.g. mountain lady's-slipper, pygmy poppy, mountain hollyhock), and over twenty of these are found only in the Waterton area (e.g. western wakerobin, Lewis' mock-orange, white-veined wintergreen). Over 50 species are rare in Canada (e.g. Bolander's quillwort, Lyall's scorpionweed, Brewer's monkeyflower.)" From Parks Canada website. www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/waterton/natcul/natcul1/f.aspx Late yesterday afternoon, 9 July 2017, I arrived back home from a wonderful three-day trip to Waterton Lakes National Park. I had just been on a one-day bus trip to this beautiful park on 24 June 2017, so felt very lucky to be returning for a longer stay so soon. I travelled there and back with friend, Darlene, who had very kindly offered to take me, and we had a fun time, seeing so many interesting things. Thank you SO much, Darlene - I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciated being able to go on this trip with you! Three days of 32C temperatures, and then I arrived home to find that my thermostat read 29C inside my home. I am not good at dealing with the heat and then to walk and hike in such temperatures was exhausting. Back in Calgary, we had already been having a heatwave and now, the forecast is for more hot days. This morning, it rained for a while and temporarily cooled a little. More rain forecast for tomorrow. It was wonderful to again be surrounded by such magnificent scenery, go on a few walks/hikes with plenty of time to look for, and photograph, wildflowers, insects, and a few birds and animals. Lots of good company with around 20 (?) people, some of whom I already knew and lots of new faces, too. The trip was organized by Nature Calgary. Everyone was free to go wherever they wanted each day, but for the two nights, we stayed at the very basic Canyon Church Camp, off the Red Rock Parkway. Dorm-style cabins (about which I will say nothing, lol!), but they do have showers and even flush toilets at the camp. We were fed SO well - lots of variety and good food. We were given two breakfasts and two suppers, plus a packed lunch for the two days. Our huge thanks go out to Jean Kennedy, the camp cook, who cooked and prepared these great meals for us! Jean was there in 2015 and 2016, when I attended this weekend, and it was really good news when I was told that she would be there again this time. The food was so much enjoyed and greatly appreciated! Not sure just where to begin, so I grabbed and edited these three photos this morning. The little Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel was seen on our first day in Waterton, when Darlene and I stopped at Cameron Falls on the edge of town. The cooling mist that came from the waterfalls felt so good! As usual, this little animal was doing what these cute animals tend to do - approach people, look cute, and beg for food! A little girl was feeding this one - not sure what it's eating, but I prefer to think it is nibbling on raw carrot rather than some kind of fake-coloured chip. I saw a number of empty sunflower seed shells scattered on the ground, too. Of course, WILDLIFE SHOULD NEVER BE FED!! However, I hope the children feeding this little animal will develop a love for wildlife and grow up to help protect any kind of creature. This photo of Pink Monkeyflower was taken on the second day of the trip (8 July). Our walk took us along the right hand side of Cameron Lake, through the forest. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimulus_lewisii Our huge thanks to Andrew for organizing this trip so brilliantly! He has been organizing these annual weekends for a number of years now. A great time was had by all.