sharing my passion for nature photography
The Autumn Equinox is just one week and one day away, but summer is showing changes as she starts to lets go of her foliage. the air is fresh when smoke from fires does not stream in, and it is cooler, often requiring a jacket. Some photos from a recent walk, taken with my trusty Canon:
It is lovely outside, and I enjoy my walks, taking my camera with me to capture the sights.
Usually I post before the weekend, but did not get around to it. This is about my last stop in Jasper National Park on my return from Radium Hot Springs, Medicine Lake which is half-way to Maligne Lake.
Medicine Lake is interesting because it ‘s level changes dramatically throughout the year. It actually is a basin, with the water going underground through sink holes in the bottom in the the fall and winter and drains into the Maligne River and 16 km down, through Maligne Canyon until it joins the Athabasca River. If I had come to Jasper in July, the lake would have been flooding into the parking lot where I parked, and I would not have been able to walk down the path as far as I could. The stairway at the look-out would have been half submerged. Likewise if I came later in the fall, the bottom of the lake would be visible, with nothing but small streams across the lake bed.
Saw a butterfly on the road going down to the lake.
Then I drove back down the, but stopped for this. I kept my distance so the elk had an escape.
I learned a new word: touron, a word that is a cross between a tourist and a moron.
This photographer is using the car as a blind/shield, but that is not much protection. I think he was using someone else’s car! He is also hogging the view and should have moved on, and given other people a chance, but is taking his sweet time. A long line-up was already forming behind me.
I was inside my car and using a 300mm lens. Beside me in the ditch, was a man and his wife and pre-teen child walking toward the elk. I opened my window and yelled that that was dangerous and go back to the car. The man just looked at me. Maybe he did not understand. I wonder if he would have understood if I said that what he was doing was fineable up to a $25,000? You are not supposed to impede wildlife movement, get too close or interrupt their pathway. People cause traffic jams, will block the road even in the middle, and box the animals in, leaving them with no room to escape.
I did pull ahead, drove a distance, turned around and pulled over off the road not quite directly across from the elk and took 3 quick photos which was awkward with the mirror in the way. Duh! Then I got out of there.
I think I am mostly speaking to the converted here, but for those who don’t know, please read your pamphlets that are given out in the parks and follow the rules. It may save your life or the animal’s life. I want the pictures just as much as anyone, but I also want to do the right thing for the sake of the wild life. End of rant.
The trip is over and I enjoyed reliving it by sharing with you on this post and am now enjoying nature in the city; the ducks at the local park pond, the chipmunk running across the sidewalk, the changing leaves, sunny days and clean air.
I hope you enjoyed the photos as much as I enjoyed sharing the journey with you.
My next stop and final night in Jasper National Park was at the wilderness hostel at Athabasca Falls. The last time I was at this hostel was in 2012 and it still has the same friendly feel to it. The main building that houses a lounge, big tables and a full kitchen was erected 50 years ago. The ramp is a new addition since my last visit. An old photo is on the title page.
Jennifer was the host the night I arrived and signed me in, got the water ready for cleaning dishes and made sure I had a bottom bunk. She is a senior like myself, so I felt no self-consciousness about my age but I doubt I would have regardless, because everyone was so friendly. She made sure that I had a bottom bunk, something I neglected to mention when booking my space. We shared exchanged information on the residences where we live and I admired her watercolour painting that she was working on.
In the main building, there are 3 large tables to eat at or browse some of the many books here. One sink in the kitchen area is for brushing one’s teeth and hand-washing and the other sink is for washing dishes. There are two or more stoves for boiling water and cooking. No showers here, but there was a little room where one can take a basin of water to bathe.
There are 3 co-ed cabins for sleeping, one more than last time I was here, but now there are cotton drapes in the room near the bunks and can be untied to afford some privacy. The pathways that lead to the main building and the outhouses are lit with solar lanterns, giving one some comfort going out into the woods at night. I have seen bears here in the past, so when going to the bathroom in the middle of the night was armed with my bear spray, but had no encounters.
The bathrooms are pristine, made of logs with cement floors. There are shelves with supplies, and enough space to put your flashlight etc. while visiting, scented things to keep it smelling nice, and the usual hand sanitizer. The women’s outhouse even has a curtain in front of the door so no one can peak in through the gap where the door meets the wall. The gaps are not that big but it is comforting to know that I had full privacy.
I had a good sleep and enjoyed the sound of the refreshing rain that fell in the early evening. In the morning I packed and made my way to the lodge to make breakfast. People were kind, and I was spoiled. Maybe it was my age, maybe it was because I was limping, but I think it was just the nature of the people staying here. I had no coffee, and I could have purchased some that was provided by the hostel, but a young fellow from the UK offered me his, and he even boiled the water and found a coffee press for me, while a woman from the Netherlands gave me some of her milk. I was able to show the couple from the UK some of the popular trails nearby on one of the many maps available. I shared some of my cherries that I bought in B.C. that I had in a cooler. My cooler was heavy, so one woman from Ottawa helped me carry it into the kitchen the night before. after eating I sat down in a lounge area on a comfy couch and met two men from Spain and we spoke as much as we could with our language differences. When you are travelling like this, there is a willingness to help one another and share what you discovered that day, and where you were contemplating going the next day. I met a young woman from Chile who was volunteering here in exchange for accommodation, something that is done in the Canadian hosteling association. She had the brightest smile and was good at welcoming people and making them feel at home.
I would like to go back here, stay a couple of days and explore more of the area in detail, maybe even as far south as the Icefields so I can experience the land and sights, perhaps walking longer distances.
After that Spectacular climb up the Sunwapta Pass there was the arguably most popular destination on the Icefields Parkway, the Columbia Icefields, the largest icefields in the Canadian Rockies.
The Icefields Center, with interesting exhibits of the icefields, souvenir store and restaurant are across the road from the glaciers. There is also a great view of the icefields from the patio. I went into the parking lot and drove through most of it to find a place to park, and find a perch overlooking the Athabasca Glacier where I could take a couple of photos. I wasn’t “into” going into the center itself after spending some time at my previous stop and because of the crowds. I was turned off a few years ago, when I came into the parking lot and it was packed with RV’s and every garbage container was overflowing with garbage spilling onto the ground. It left an imprint on my mind about what hordes of humans can do to the landscape.
You can take tours from here onto the glacier on snow buses or get guided walks onto the glacier, something I recommend rather than going on your own. It is dangerous and people have fallen into the crevasses and died. For the same reason , you do not want to walk under the glacier into the caves where there is running water. You can get tours from the north parking lot to the Glacier Sky walk in combination with the Athabasca glacier bus tour. Ka ching, ka ching! $$
In past years I walked up to the toe of the glacier, which you can still do, and the Athabasca Glacier itself is amazing, as is the Snow Dome Glacier. I used to be able to stop at the parking lot overlooking the Sunwapta Valley for free and looked over the rock walls that are still there but much has been replaced by the Glacier Skywalk, for a price of $30. Only tour buses are allowed here, not cars, so l can no longer pull off the highway and park here-that irks me. It is just not “my thing,” as yes, I am queasy about heights and do not like to pay for my views apart from park entry. I could take a bus here from the Glacier Center and maybe I will in the future. It was very controversial at the time of building, because of the change to the geology as well as to the wildlife. There used to be goats here and I wonder if there still are. I never see them in people’s videos of the Skywalk, though I think the advantage of the Skywalk is perhaps you can see more of the waterfalls in the valley. I tried to find my photos of the Sunwapta Valley from those days and could not. Will have to do more digging and clean up my files.
I was worried that the Skywalk interrupted the pull-off for Tangle falls, but the latter is there as it has always been and a few kilometers away.
North of the Icefields Center, I am in Jasper National Park and 6.5 km north of the Icefields Center is Tangle Falls, a favourite stop of mine. Tangle Falls is on the right side of the highway, if you are going north, and the parking is on the left, with a washroom.
Like all things in nature, these falls change all the time, depending on the time of year and water flow. People climb up these rocks, as you can see in one of the photos. I discovered, after this trip, that there is a lower falls fed from a culvert under the road. that would be left of the highway.
After this stop I headed to my destination for the night, the Athabasca Falls Hostel.
I am now on the Icefields Parkway, or Hwy 93 north, in Banff National Park. I stopped at Herbert Lake to go to the bathroom but could not find parking in the parking lot-forgot it is the long weekend and insanely crowded, so moved on.
Parking at any of the pull-offs is hard to find, especially on a holiday weekend, (Heritage Day) as most are full but did maneuver a spot for my car at Waterfowl Lakes where I missed the pull-offs on the drive south. I don’t know why I missed it, it is on the west side (right side) of the highway. A lot of people were launching their boats here, canoes and kayaks. No motorized boats allowed. I was eyeing one kayak, wondering if I would be able to get in and out, and the fellow asked if I wanted to try it, but I said no. The lakes are pretty, as are the surrounding mountains, and it is a popular spot to stop and go into the lake.
I was hungry, thinking of a place to stop and I went to Saskatchewan Crossing resort. There is a gift shop there, which I browsed, but did not spend. At the cafeteria, I bought the most expensive burger and fries that I have ever eaten. I checked before I bought, and the burger is all beef and made there, not premade frozen. Cost with tax: $31.97 It was a large burger, a bit messy with the fixings and I needed a few napkins. The fries were seasoned, a little greasy but crisp, the way I like them. I ate as much as I could, to get my money’s worth. Next time, I will pack a lunch.
I think this is the only place on the Icefields Parkway that you can get gas, but, a warning: Gas up before you hit the parkway, in any of the towns surrounding. I found Rocky Mountain House reasonable at 1.35/L going and returning, I gassed up in Radium at 179/L, so here it will be at least $2/L. I got gas in Jasper at 1.43/L When I go into the mountains from Edmonton, I usually fill up the gas tank in Niton Junction or Hinton.
The next stop with amazing scenery was the big bend, going over Sunwapta pass. There is a pull-over where you can look back over where you just came from, and, to the right, you can see Bridal Veil falls.
I was dizzy looking over the edge of the parking lot! Maybe all the driving? Maybe the height?
If you walk up the parking lot, on the right there is a trail head to Panther falls, but it is steep and slippery, this gal with her poor balance on this terrain , did not venture that way.
Over this pass is the Columbia Icefield, the end of the boundary of Banff National Park and the beginning of Jasper National Park.
Before I get back to reminiscing about my trip, I do want to say my heart felt prayers are for the evacuees in the Shuswap, B.C. area, Kelowna, B.C. and Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. People have arrived here in Edmonton and are getting free admission to some entertainment venues, free tickets to football games, (and they are winning!) lodging at the Expo Center which includes meals and a pet daycare. I saw on TV that our guests got gas from tankers and stations along the way, some for free, and once in Alberta, are appreciating the accommodation, reassurance and hugs, too. Anything to reduce the stress. St. Albert’s evacuation center, with a capacity for 600 evacuees, is full and Leduc saw 732 evacuees and reached capacity. People who own farms have opened their land for campers for free and evacuees are also staying with family members and other places in NWT or Saskatchewan, maybe B.C. and who knows where. I saw a map of the fires burning in B.C. and the whole map of the province is dotted with fires. At first part of our Expo center wasn’t open because of renovations, but that changed real fast and it was soon open for up to 3,000 and will have room for up to 5,000. Edmonton Expo Center also has a pet daycare. About 40,000 plus people have been displaced by these 3-4 fires (and there are many more burning).
I could not continue a post about my vacation without pausing to think about, and pray for those affected. I followed up with a monetary donation, as well. I am aware of many more disasters outside my community and wish all well. Take care of each other.
I get the feeling that this is a pretty wild park. I made a few more stops going north because I was rested, and fresh on the journey rather than when I was coming here and my energy was spent.
There is a beautiful look-out over the Kootenay Valley not too far north of Radium with amazing views in all directions.
Kootenay Park Lodge was originally constructed in 1923 by the Canadian Pacific Railway. There are cabins and a restaurant here as well. This is the type of place that I would like to stay, so rustic, but won’t be staying there at about $300 per night. It is located in Vermillion crossing, about 45 minutes from Banff, Lake Louise and Radium Hot Springs and is the only commercial building in the park in this area.
At some point I saw the sign for Alberta, announcing that I was once again in my home province, and turned west onto the Trans-Canada Highway (1) which I followed until I saw a sign for the junction of 93 North. The signs were very clear this time and I did no detours or back-tracking.
I stayed here from Thursday evening until Sunday morning. I was exhausted and rested while my friend made a mediterranean dish with chicken, tomatoes and olives, over a dollop of quinoa. I did set the table. Dessert was a bowl of fresh blueberries. Yum! I rested for a while then went for the tour of the condo development including the parking lot to see where the garbage bin was, and up the street to where there was a bench with a nice view part way up a small hill, but my legs were so sore, I couldn’t make it. I was successful the next day and we sat on the bench and looked at the views around us and caught up with each other’s news. Quality time well spent. Saw a small deer pop up over the hill which was a pleasant surprise, but it wasn’t as impressed by our presence.
We did go to a town hall in the village where a niece will be having a reception after her wedding. This looked over a small green area with trees, picnic tables and small fire pits, and spray park where the kids were having fun playing in the water. It was a very pretty area and will be nice for the wedding guests to go onto the patio at the reception. We did more talking on the outdoor patio and then went to a nearby coffee shop just before it closed and ordered two decaf lattes to go. Good coffee!
I forgot my bathing suit so we went to Petro Can to buy one. Never bought a bathing suit at a gas station before! It was set up somewhat like a General store and there was a rack of suits off to one side. I had to buy the suit first, then tried it on in the washroom. I could have returned it but it fit pretty well, so kept it.
My friend that I was visiting decided to go back to Edmonton the next morning as she had business to take care of. I stayed an extra day and went swimming at the Hot Springs pool. The staff did a very good job of cleaning it, but there were tiny strands of ash in there from the nearby fires. I took my water bottle to keep hydrated and wore my mask. My lungs just could not handle the smoke without one. One side of the pool is right against the rock wall which I found attractive. It is the first time I have been in a pool since my surgery, and probably since Covid, so it felt wonderful!
I stayed indoors a lot because it was just too smoky to go outside. On the Canadian scale from 1-10, the air quality was 11. I enjoyed resting and little walks and the pool. Bought some groceries for supper and the trip home. Cherries and corn on the cob are in season, delicious and very inexpensive but everything else was “up” there in price. Cleaned up the condo before I left and started the long trek home to Edmonton via Kootenay the Ice fields Parkway. This time I knew where to go and the signs were clear.
When I was at Herbert Lake on the Icefields Parkway, I got a text from my friend in Radium telling me that the air quality index was high. I was already on my way so decided to continue on.
I saw a pull-off for Numa Falls, a small falls on a pretty river, that was a cool and refreshing stop on a hot day.
The rest of the drive was along high, winding mountainous roads and I focused on driving because I was getting tired. At times there were signs that slowed the speed to 60 km per hour because of poor visibility. Not a time to stop and take pictures! Just focused on the driving.
Finally I arrived in Radium Hot Springs! My friend and I had talked beforehand and agreed that I would be there for supper. She thought 6 p.m. would be a good time. I arrived at 5:45 p.m. in time for supper and quality time with a good friend.
I volunteered here for 20 years, though not consecutively. I started on KP crew for two years, changed to Dessert crew, then for the last few years, worked on the Beverage Crew. It was hard work but shifts were 4-6 hours which were reasonable and the crew coordinators were fair, giving you time off when you wanted to see your favourite performers, if they were able to. All gourmet quality meals were provided for free, volunteers ate with the performers in a dining room tent, t-shirts were free, and parties on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights usually had one or two bands from the weekend’s roster.
I no longer have the energy , so was going to come as a customer last year but missed it due to Covid. I decided on Saturday and Sunday this year, and had a good time. I didn’t last long on Saturday, going home after 4 hours, but stayed longer on Sunday. Enjoyed the friendliness of the patrons, the volunteers and the variety of music.
When I first got on the grounds of the festival on Saturday, I stopped to listen to an interview on CKUA with Vieux Farka Toure. I later went to Stage 2 to hear him and his band playing both the West African music and rock sounding like the guitar work of Jimi Hendrix.
Next artist I saw play on Saturday was Kimi Djabate from Mali at one of the smaller stages followed by Sue Foley, an accomplished blues guitarist and singer what can I say, I loved her skills playing the guitar and singing!
On Sunday I started the day at stage 3 With Tami Neilson, a powerhouse singer, Aysanabee, indigenous, Dedicated Men of Zion and Crystal Shawanda, blues. I watched half a concert with Dedicated Men of Zion from the U.S. who sang gospel tinged with funk, blues and R&B then I switched over to stage 5 to experience the high energy of CHA WA from the U.S., Le Vent Du Nord from Quebec, and Ashley MacIsaac from east coast Canada. He and the fiddle player from Le Vent du Nord played so fast and furious at the end of the set everyone was up dancing, a great way to end a set!
There is an Indigenous area in or near the family area where they have various artists. When I came by, there was pow-wow-style dancing by the Running Thunder Dancers accompanied by singers drumming on a large drum, and a round dance where everyone who wants to, joins in. The commentator explains the different dance styles and regalia.
Sunday night on main stage was Margo Price, the Brother Brothers and Gregory Alan Isakov. I came home early to avoid the traffic jams and get some good rest, but was impressed that I lasted all day and part of this evening especially on such a hot day.
I am glad I cut back on the days I attended and also glad I went.
After spending the night in a hotel in Rocky Mountain House, I had a couple of choices about which route to take, and chose highway 11, or David Thompson highway that goes west from Rocky. It was more direct and one of my favourite routes in Alberta that goes through the Kootenay plains, meeting up with the Icefields Parkway, the highway that runs north and south between Jasper and Lake Louise.
This lake is famous for its methane gas bubbles in the winter that form as a result of decaying plants. It is the largest reservoir in Alberta formed when the Big Horn Dam was built on the Saskatchewan River by a Calgary Power Company in the 1970’s. The building of the Big Horn dam caused flooding of the land of members of the Stony Nakoda First Nations people, destroying their habitat, burial grounds and livelihood. I did not know this before. A contest was held to name the lake, and it was decided to name it after Silas Abraham, a Stoney Nakoda who was a trapper and guide originally from Morley who later settled on the Bighorn Reserve.
The silt from the sand changes colour and can make the lake a light green or a deep turquoise, depending on the water levels. It is a dangerous lake, because of the methane bubbles and strong winds. It is not safe for swimming or boating but is 33 km long and beautiful.
I stopped at the pull-off viewpoint that faces the lake and Mount Michener and in front of that, Windy Point.
There are so many nooks and crannies on and around this Lake that I can explore for hours, for example, Windy Point, but I have a destination to reach in time for supper, and there are hours of driving ahead of me. I did make stops on the David Thompson highway that you will see in my next post. I did see a doe and her fawn, but the time I pulled over a ways ahead of them, they slipped into the woods.
It is nice to be home again, after a wonderful vacation, with a familiar bed and space. Today involved the shortest distance I have travelled since I left last Wednesday. I went through 3 National parks: Banff, Kootenay and Jasper making short stops along the way, taking pictures at the stops. I was very happy to make stops at my favourite places as well as discover new sights.
My destination was Radium Hot Springs where my friend invited me to stay at her condo after hearing I gave up one my previous plans in July.
I also made plans to stop by another friend and her husband at their trailer on a lake south of Edmonton and got so lost, which set me back a couple of hours. I did visit with her and her husband, although had to cut it short and get back on the road.
I knew I would not make it to my first destination at a wilderness hostel in Castle Mountain Junction because I was tired, so drove to Rocky Mountain House and looked there for a place to stay. I found a room at the first place I stopped at. I told the desk clerk that I was too tired to drive and needed a room. They had a ” senior’s rate” for a reasonable price and free breakfast. That was a done deal!
Rocky Mountain House is the beginning of the David Thompson highway that leads west to the middle of the mountains between Jasper National Park and Banff National Park, which meant that I was going to drive down the Icefields Parkway rather than down Hwy 2 to Calgary. It is nice to be flexible.
I had a good sleep and a good breakfast before heading west into the mountains.
The next day I stopped at Nordegg, a former mining town, that has the Miner’s Cafe with great homemade soup and pies, but it was too early for lunch so I just made a bathroom stop.
I like this area because of the surrounding country and because it is not overly developed with atrocious tourist prices and have stayed at a few places here over the years, a hostel, a cabin and the Nordegg Inn. All have a character of their own.
It got smoky after Nordegg and I wore an N95 mask all day, even in the car, a little anxious about having an asthma attack or to have trouble breathing while in the wild.
One photo of the main street in Nordegg with mountains in the background follows.
The rest of the journey and accompanying photos begin in my next post. I should sleep well tonight.
The Parkbus is running on Saturdays, so this is the second time I came to Elk Island Park this summer. We stopped at the Visitor Center where there is an option of going on a tour of the barn and the bison paddocks. I have gone on the tour before so walked around the yard looking for birds. There was a Song Sparrow robustly singing on the fence and I walked cautiously toward it, while keeping my distance.
I saw a flash of yellow feathers and did get a tiny shot of this Northern Flicker after it landed in the grass scavenging for bugs.
When the tour was finished after an hour, the bus drove us up the road to the parking lot at Astotin lake. On the way to the lake we saw some bulls right on the road, as happens during rutting season. Only got a shot by standing up and looking through the front window from a few rows back. The smaller truck is a park truck, first time I have seen a traffic jam in this park.
Upon reaching the drop-off point at the Astotin Lake parking lot, I walked to the Living Waters Boardwalk in a bay on the lake. This is where, in the past, I saw many families of American Coots, Ducks and Grebes but today I saw one pair of Red-necked Grebes, three Song Sparrows singing away, one new visitor, an Eastern kingbird, and a dragonfly.
There is a blue-green algae bloom in the bay that may be the reason for a lack of birds. So sad to see. All the residents, except for the visiting Kingbird and Dragonfly, were further out in the cleaner water.
Cyanobacteria, often known as blue-green algae, are well adapted to growth in alkaline, nutrient-rich water bodies. During calm conditions, they can congregate near the water’s surface. These “blooms” are unsightly and produce objectionable odors, and can also induce skin irritation, itchiness and severe rashes upon contact. Many of the lakes in Alberta are shallow and have these algae blooms and people are warned to not go in the water and to keep pets away as well. It appears more in hot weather, a sad state of affairs when you want nothing more than a dip in a lake when the temperatures are soaring. The algae can kill fish, so may be a reason I am seeing so few birds.
I visited the beach not far away and had a very willing model pose for me.
Overall, it was a very hot day, and there were more birds out in the lake, some grebes, Ring-billed gulls and Franklins or Bonaparte Gulls. I felt very sad about the lack of birds but am glad that I got a little walking and touched base with nature. I also met some interesting people on the bus and during my walk.
Happy Birthday Canada! We are 156 years old today. We had a get-together in our building this afternoon and ate cake and I got out to the fireworks tonight. I think it is the first time since Covid. Very enjoyable!
A quote by John Lennon said, “Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans.” Oh boy!
I am supposed to go to Jasper National Park next week and need to shorten the time there because, for one thing, it is just too damn expensive and the weather forecast is horrible (snow now, rain later) and I want enough money for good food and exploring some favourite haunts as well as places I haven’t been that I can’t get to without my own transportation. I am taking a bus there and back, so there is not much room for packing clothes and camera (for four seasons from the look of it) plus I am renting a car while I am there. It is very hard to co-ordinate a car rental, accommodations, tours and return trip by bus as everything depends on something else, especially the availability of the return bus trip. It is like doing a jig-saw puzzle, trying different pieces until you get the right fit. Sometimes there is not a right fit and I need to be flexible about that and see where I am able and willing to compromise.
I will wait until Monday to make phone calls to check that I can get the return bus when I need it, then change the length of the car rental accordingly. I have dropped the tours so I can go to places where and when I want in accordance with the weather, and dropped one stand-by accommodation. If I can’t get a return bus at the right time, or not able to compromise, I may need to drop the whole thing.
Aren’t planning vacations fun!
I have already gone on quite the journey just thinking of places to go. Maybe something old, something new, who knows what I will do…
This little lake in the north of Edmonton usually has a plethora of water fowl. I missed the lack of American White Pelicans and Double-crested Cormorants but was happy to see some Ruddy Ducks, Mallards, American Coots and song birds.
I took my walker with me and walked all the way around the lake, about 2 1/2 kilometers. Oh, I regretted it at times but was proud that I could walk that far. I ran out of water and asked a man who was gardening in his yard for a re-fill and he obliged with ice-cold water-so refreshing on this hot day. The temperature was about 30 degrees Celsius.
It is interesting to see that different species have their favourite spots around the pond and it is consistent from year to year. Now the Canada Geese dominate the rafts in the water but I am hoping the Pelicans and Double-crested cormorants will appear. I did not spot the resident Black-crowned Night Heron or the Great Blue Heron, so it will warrant another trip to this lake to see if I can spot them.
The weather is crazy, but I remind myself that I live in Alberta. We were besieged by forest fire smoke and temperatures in the low 30’s for a few weeks, in one day 5 tornados were spotted south of here and now we are getting a month’s worth of rain in just 3 days, with cooler temperatures so will not be surprised to see some flooding. Also, west of Edmonton they got snow! It is Alberta, after all, and this precipitation is helping with the wild fires. Yay!
My apologies, I have been slack at posting any blogs in a while. Been cooped up in my apartment to avoid the smoke or out and about taking photos.
I did go to the local pond about a block away to see what may be there at the end of May. It was better than I expected, because city staff had told me the pond was not going to be filled until June, but they did put water in a bit earlier.
Before the main pond was filled there was water around the parameter. that was all that was needed for this Mallard pair.
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Usually I count on the 15th of May to see the blossoms, so they are a wee bit earlier than normal-it is a result of all the high temperatures and a couple of days of rain. They are just starting to show with the white flowers a little ahead of the pink ones.
I saw some trees with blossoms while travelling on the bus, so decided to walk to the nearby promenade where two kinds of trees with blossoms line the sidewalk.
I hope that you like them as much as I do. Following are a few that I have edited thus far:
I enjoyed my walk visually and it smelled good, too!
The camera club that I belong to has special interest groups that meet online monthly and go out on excursions as well. On Saturday, the Wildlife group went on a birding walk led by a man who really knew his stuff and knew where to look for flora and fauna. Saw the following firsts of the season:
That was my first outing with a group this year and I do plan to return here as it is a favourite spot. I was very sore afterward as my muscles cramp up, but worth pushing through the discomfort to see the beauty of nature.
Drove out to Sherwood Park Transit center just east of Edmonton in the early morning, then caught a shuttle bus to the Tofield Arena where we caught another bus for a 3-hour tour around the area. It didn’t look too promising at first with frozen ponds and a smattering of ducks but we hit the jackpot with over 300,000 Snow Geese and other birds such as Canada Geese, White-fronted geese, a few Trumpeter Swans, and a lot of Northern Pintail Ducks, some Mallards, one Ruddy some Buffleheads and Common Goldeneyes.
What can I say? It was a heavenly day. Not all the photos I took (got really trigger-happy) are edited, a few have been deleted and I picked out these few that stood out to me.
Tomorrow a few members of our photo club group are going on a hosted walk of one of our ravines. Looking forward to that!
This is relatively recent, as I pull out of my winter slump and start to notice the natural world around me. The days are getting longer, with sunrise at 6:30 a.m. and sunset at 8:45 p.m. It is the time of year when I am often late for evening engagements because I am unaware of how late it is. Ahem, need to look at my watch more often rather than rely on the light.
It was nice to go out for a walk at the early part of March, using my walker for balance and a place to sit down when I needed. The first signs of spring are appearing with snow still on the ground but buds are pushing their way through the branches and I am seeing Chickadees flitting about as well as Magpies gathering branches to build up their large dome-like nests. This is the first time I walked down the hill on this trail and slowly made my way back up again, my huffing and puffing a reminder of my poor fitness.
It was a very satisfying feat and I had a pleasant nap afterward.
This is new to me and something I just learned when I saw a post in another email and there was a photo of frosty trees from Edmonton and it was called Rime Ice. Rime Ice happens as a result of foggy weather when there are actually drops of water in the air and they freeze when they touch objects. Hoar frost goes directly from a gaseous state to solid. Rime Ice can look pretty but can be dangerous because when the drops of water touches objects, it freezes, and can down an airplane or trees if they get heavily coated as well as cause power outages. Rime Ice tends to happen in relatively warmer weather on foggy days, while hoar frost happens on cold days that are bright and sunny, but both look similar.
What we had in Edmonton last week was Rime Ice. It was just below freezing and very foggy for days and felt damp.
Now every time I go out and see frost I will be checking to see what kind it is. I didn’t get out right away so could not see evidence of the frost being really spiky or icy. Apparently one can blow hoar frost off a branch but it is hard to see the difference.
That could be quite funny to observe myself blowing on branches to see if it flakes off or is frozen on! Both are most striking when seen in early morning. Ha! good luck with that one!
I am looking forward to seeing what is to come. I wasn’t sure I would make it to midnight after my wonderful walk, but I did. I wondered if I could see the fireworks downtown from my window and I could, so got a few shots.
It was my last walk of 2022 and a beautiful day, with a bit of light and hoar frost. I took my walker for balance and wore my cleats that fit over my boots. I so enjoyed being outdoors and taking photos on this warmer winter day.
Yes, I was very sore and tired when I got home but taking photos while walking was refreshing to my soul.
It is sure pretty from my 11th floor window today with the hoarfrost on the trees. Here are three views: one to the west, then north, and east.
It looks chilly but it is only minus ten celsius. Will get outside for a walk myself. Have a happy and safe New Year’s eve, everyone!
I haven’t posted much since I haven’t gotten outside much, but did go on a bus outing with the senior’s association to see the seasonal lights in Edmonton. Bonus: getting to neighbourhood light displays that I did not know about Downfall: no choice in stopping or slowing so lots of motion blur, also a very bumpy ride at times. I did my best with the conditions presented to me. Hope it brings memories of Christmas and seasonal cheer.
I needed to get out of my apartment as I definitely had a case of Cabin Fever. After my appointment with the Physio people for an assessment, my friend Gabrielle and I sat on the bench outside the building for a bit. It was sunny and warm and we enjoyed being outside. We then drove to my favourite park and hit the jackpot. I asked, “Is that a dog or a coyote?” It was a coyote running across the ice on the pond to the island. Then we spotted two more coyotes on the pond just east of the island. Great to see, no camera though.
I suggested we go to a pull-off area where there are two bird feeders. There were lots to see: Downy Woodpeckers, White breasted Nuthatches, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Chickadees and a squirrel. It was food for my soul.
I had planned an escape trip with another friend to the same park just a few days later. It was colder, windy and cloudy. This time I took my camera. It was a rude awakening to discover how out-of-practice I was. I was a little shaky and no shots of the chickadees were in focus, but it gives me something to work on.
We made stops at different points to take photos of trees and birds. Here is what I came up with:
It was so nice to have a respite in nature, even if I stayed in the car. I will be back.
I did see some Osprey just outside of the town of Jasper and at Medicine Lake last summer.
I got the news I have been waiting for. My surgery for a full knee replacement will take place on November 1st. I will go home afterward and have friends check in on me regularly to help out and just see that I am okay. A relief after a long wait.
It was a good day for spotting bison at the national park. We went through the Bison Loop and saw a small herd way out in the field, then lucked out and saw some in fields closer to the road and even beside the road on the main drive. The bulls are both alone and with the herd.
One of us saw a coyote in the distance and it came closer while staying to the right side of the car in the bushes. It was a nice bonus to see a coyote in the wild.
Just a note about safety, we always stayed in the car and used longer lenses when around the bison. We got out of the car to take photos of buildings and ponds. Ducks remained in the distance.
That was my last shot of a Bison, but it was one that made me happy. It was a good day.
I returned to Elk Island National Park today, but this time on an outing with members of the Images Alberta Camera Club to capture the colours. They are starting to show and hope they come to a full display because it was very windy today. We also saw some animals which made for a very satisfying trip. Saw lots of ducks and geese, too, but they were far away.
Today I will feature images of the foliage and water, then get to the animals soon.
I hope you enjoy the following images. I did enjoy taking them.
That is all for today, I am tired and ready to go to bed. Enjoy the rest of the weekend but do remember the people on the east coast who got hit hard by Hurricane Fiona.
Went on a Park Bus trip a couple of weeks ago and observed Bison in the Bison loop, in fact a small herd of them passed right in front of us. That is why I did not get the full animal in some images; we were too close!
It was a sunny day and typical for this time of year, 5 degrees in the morning climbing slowly to 26 celsius, staying there for about an hour, then cooling off again. Definitely a time of year to dress in layers. As one friend said to me, you experience four seasons all in one day! I am lucky I have the gear to adjust to the weather. The grasses are changing colour, as well as the leaves. Usually the cows and calves stay alone but I did see a bull amongst them, wallowing in the dirt, and tossing his head so he must have been in rut.
Here are some shots in the bison loop, a loop off the main road where you can often see some of the bison in the park. These are Prairie Bison.
I hope to go out again this weekend and perhaps get some more images.
My last two days in Jasper I went to La Beauvert behind the Jasper Park Lodge so I could still be in nature. There is a shuttle that runs between the lodge and the Adventure Center on Patricia Street in downtown Jasper. It is free for Jasper Park Lodge guests and costs $10 return for people like myself, a good deal. There is a 3.9 km loop that goes around the lake which you can access from the lodge or from the parking lot at the end of Old Fort Point road off of Highway 93A south of town.
Below is the view across the bay from the photo above, taken approximately from where the bench was.
I wish that I could put sound effects in this post because part of the magic of being here was the calling of the loons on the lake. two adults and their one fledged offspring which was like a teenager, more grey in colour. That is Mount Edith Cavell in the middle of above photo.
I went to the trail to the right (below) because it seemed there was more shade walking through the woods and it was 32 degrees Celsius that day. Though I saw no wildlife this day, I advise you to take bear spray because there are bear, wolves, and elk in this area.
So hot outside, I went into the Emerald Lounge by the big fireplace in the main floor of the lodge, with a stunning view of the lake and the paintings that I absolutely love.
Briefly went back outside to take photos of the bay to the left of the docks. It was interesting to see how much the light had changed.
It was a great day, I returned to town back to the Downtown Hostel and went to bed exhausted after a quick meal. I was picked up at 7 a.m. the next morning by the Sundog Shuttle at the hostel to return to Edmonton. It is almost a month later and I am close to finishing my photos.
On the evening we went on the Discover Jasper Wildife tour with Sundog, someone so wanted to see a moose. She must have manifested it, because while driving we found this moose and calf just off the road.
I no longer have Covid, but even doing a few photos is tiring. It will be a while before I am back to normal, but it does feel good to feel better.
We hit the jackpot on the evening Discover Jasper Wildlife tour. I went with Sundog Tours and our driver knew where to find the animals. We got off the bus a couple of times to take photos of scenery and each other, and hear from our well-informed driver the history of the park but never when there was wildlife in close proximity. We observed wildlife from the safety of the bus.
We were lucky to observe a Momma Black Bear and her two cubs. Momma was focused on eating while the cubs cavorted around the grass close by. It looks like she needs to gorge herself in order to get enough fat on her body to sleep through the winter.
Our presence on the bus did not bother the bears one bit, so we got to watch them a long time. Sometimes she would tear a strip off a log and show one or the other youngsters how to take advantage and get some good treats. I took lots of photos.
I so enjoyed seeing Jasper National Park from the perspective of the Athabasca river courtesy of Jasper Raft Tours. Not a whitewater trip, but a float, which allowed me to bring my camera as well as a bag for when we hit small rapids and got some splashes.
On the Maligne Valley Tour, just barely started, our guide Samuel stopped the bus so we could all observe this king of bears, the Grizzly.
No energy right now, I caught Covid on the trip. Total fatigue and mostly sleeping.
I have been lucky the past two years and taken a mini vacation in my own province for three to five days each. I have surgery this fall, September or October, and will be laid up for a bit, so it became very important to get away again this summer and I spontaneously responded to an e-mail ad from VIA Rail and booked a train to Jasper. Guess what! I missed the train-got mixed up on day and time-imagine my shock and dismay! Re-booked another train and now I have it clear in my head that I go to the station tonight, Friday and board the train at 00:01 Saturday morning. The ticket agent was very kind and accommodating and I was not charged any fees for the re-booking. I cancelled the return trip because I still wanted 5 nights away and managed to book a shuttle home with Sundog Tours next Thursday. I had to change to two hostels, instead of one, but did get accommodation! That is a near-impossible feat in high season in Jasper.
I do not have a car and it was too late to book one, so I signed up for three tours, two of which I had to change days due to missing the train. One tour company will pick me up at my accommodation and the other one will meet me downtown, not far away.
All photos in this post are from 10 years ago, let’s see what I come up with this year. Packed batteries, charger and an extra SD card. More to be revealed.
The difference between a watch and a warning, is that a watch is a “possibility” of severe thunderstorms with a “possibility” of heavy rain, hail, and even tornadoes. A warning means it is coming and that you should take cover. Tonight and last night we had notifications of a severe weather watch. In the middle of the province the land structure seems to lend itself to wild weather and further south, in Calgary, they get more hail than anywhere in the world. The weather people even sow the clouds to reduce the size of hail from tennis ball size to smaller than golf balls. It still can cause millions of dollars in damage.
The town of Sundre did get a tornado last night and there were reports of funnel clouds and touch-downs in a couple of places further south. It is that time of year when we get severe thunderstorms and I am going to share some photos that I took after looking outside my window last night that made me take notice starting around 8 p.m. and clearing after 10 p.m.
The building that I live in sponsored a day trip to Peaceful Valley Guest lodge. The lodge overlooks a beautiful valley which the Battle River snakes through, southwest of Edmonton and is for day use only and exclusively for groups of seniors and/or disabled people. It is owned by Parks Alberta and first bought by a senior couple who left it for other seniors to use. You must book ahead to come here.
It was a great trip on the private bus from which we saw huge ominous-looking thunderheads but we evaded a real rain other than spitting a couple of times. While there, we had a BBQ.
As soon as we arrived, some went inside the lodge to chat and visit while a few of us went outdoors to explore and go birding.
I heard and saw some American Gold Finch, White-throated Sparrows and a Common Shrike but could not focus on them. Great Grey Owls and Red-tailed Hawks have been spotted here, as well.
The caretakers, who are volunteers, give free tours on a large golf cart on the loop around the property, stopping to explain a species of plant, or catch a view, which I also went on shortly before we departed for the return trip home. That was a day to remember, my favourite outing!
I missed these the other day, but discovered them last night. According to another concernd birder, they have been at the pond for 5 days. So cute! There was no sign of Momma last night, so I worry about their survival. This other woman was circling the pond, guarding the ducklings, chasing off any potential predators. I do hope that they haven’ t been abandoned. There were 7 at last count, with a couple already being picked off by magpies and dogs.
I like going to the pond, it is only 2 blocks away. I discovered a new pair of ducks there, apart from the Mallards, These Lesser Scaups come regularly but I do not think that they are nesting here. Like me , they like to “hang out” once in a while. I have also seen a pair of American Wigeons, but only once.
The resident Red-winged blackbirds are still here. the male has his perches around the pond, keeping guard. The young ones must have hatched by now or close to it.
I have seen a pair of Mallards here too, but no recent pictures. When I was driving by with a friend one day, we saw them on the sidewalk beside the road. There are visits by the bachelor boys too.
Now that I have my mind on them as I write this post, I may meander over to the park to see who is there.
I know we have passed the mark of the longest day of the year, when we got 17 hours of daylight, but there are still some glorious sunrises and sunsets to be seen. I can’t believe I wake up this early, but even before the light hits the drapes, I am savouring the sounds of first, the Robins, then the Gulls and finally the Crows, reminding myself that they will not be here for much longer, and I will miss them when they are gone. The orange glow on my drapes inspires me to get up, find my camera and take photos of the sky. Then I have a choice whether to stay up or go back to cuddle under the covers.
First, the sunrises:
And now for the sunsets…
It is not hard to become a sky watcher when there are so many amazing displays to see. I can’t believe that I am up so early in the morning, but the glow on the drapes is irresistible- I must get up and see what is going on outside. Hope you enjoyed these images.
I have been singing Joni Mitchell’s song of the same name ever since I started focusing on the photos for this post. I got busier than usual over the weekend and am just now finishing my edits. All my friends have been saying that they love the big puffy clouds at this time of year whether it is a sunny day, or a menacing-looking prelude to a storm. I agree.
My favourite image was one of huge towering clouds down the street with sunlit edges lit from behind- absolutely stunning! I can still see it in my mind but I didn’t have my camera with me.
Here are images that I did manage to record:
Hope you enjoyed my few photos. Maybe you saw certain shapes in the clouds. Enjoy your day.
I went with friends to a nature Sanctuary outside of Edmonton a week ago and thought I had written about it, but only in my mind. Sometimes this place is so dry that the ground is cracked but this year brought healthy rainfall and the waterfowl with it. So good to see because south and west of us some bush fires have started.
Saw my first pair of Ruddy Ducks plus sighted two other males.
As we were leaving, I spotted a Pied -billed Grebe and got this shot. Gorgeous colour on the bill.
I also spotted Black-capped Chickadees, White-throated Sparrows, Ring-billed Gulls, Black Terns, Lesser scaups, Buffleheads, Brown-headed Cowbird and Aspen Flycatcher. Going out tomorrow with some friends to look at birds on a storm-fill lake in the city, will share the results soon.
I have been waiting for the Crab Apple trees to bloom and they are about a week to a week-and a-half later than usual but did not disappoint. When I took these photos they were at their peak and will last a week or two if the showers and breezes don’t blow the blossoms off.
I went to my favourite promenade where the trees line the street. There were a few extra traffic signs to contend with and a few walkers coming into the photo at the wrong time. Don’t get me wrong, I like people in the image, but preferably at a distance and there were some that were walking up and down the promenade and appeared a few times in my images. I have dropped my camera a couple of times due to arthritis in wrist and thumbs and don’t know if that is the reason , or what, but my camera mode settings change on their own without warning, for instance, switch from aperture priority to shutter priority. As well, I am sometimes playing with a different lens Canon EOS 10-22mm so never know how sharp or over/under exposed an image will be. Sigh. thank goodness it is digital and I can try again (learning is fun!) though it may be time to buy a new camera (and harness).
But this is about the blossoms, right? I hope you enjoy the following:
One bush that didn’t do well this year is the Double-flowering plum. There were hardly any florals there, but I zoomed in on a couple.
It is time for me to get away from the computer and enjoy the outdoors, wish you a great day.
I love this time of the year, when the spring Season shows its best. It got cold for a couple of days then rain for a whole day since my last post and now it is looking so pretty!
I went to the promenade to see if the blossoms are out. Not yet, they are just peaking out of their buds. The tree leaves are coming out in that first blush of spring green, chartreuce. It is new life, and it gives me a boost after the dullness of the in-between season. I don’t want to rush Spring, no, I prefer to savour every minute, because it passes so quickly, though I am a bit of a hypocrite, because I am guessing ahead when the blossoms will be out. I am thinking another half-week to a week, especially after the rain showers we got yesterday.
For now, this is what it looks like:
These images portray all that I love about Spring, the fresh air, the smell of the green and woods, the song of the birds, It inspires me to get outdoors and walk. I will return in a half week to record the changes.
There are some signs of Spring. We had a couple of centimeters of snow last night and there were warnings on the radio that driving conditions were very poor.
When I went out, there was still ice on the sidewalks, so I stuck to the sunny side of the street where everything had pretty well melted.
in my yard there was a pair of pigeons, both male, in their fine colours. In the midst of that extremely dry grass were a few odd sprouts poking their noses up.
Not a lot, but I was happy to see anything after being cooped up so long after surgery and pneumonia. got a long way to go in recovery yet, but nature is pulling me outdoors, and that is a good thing.
I was offered an update to add room to my computer. Oh, what a mess. I have not room so thought I would put things on the cloud. It changed everything. I tried to upload photos from my camera and managed to do so but can’t find my files. It is all a big mess.
Not so fast, thinking Spring is around the corner. Winter is making a temporary come-back with a forecast of a few cm of snow, and it is coming down fast.
What can I say, we need the moisture!
I turned on the TV to see what was on, and the women’s soccer team just won against Australia.Exciting!
It is a warm, sunny day, and the sidewalks are clear, so I escaped the four walls of my confinement.I am tired of being indoors, especially when it is such a beautiful day outside.
My hip surgery was just over 3 weeks ago, and I was slowed down by pneumonia for a couple of days, but working up to 3 sets of each exercise, plus just do some exercises when out in the hallway.
I need the walker to get mobile and still find it difficult to bear weight on my operated leg, but tighten the thigh muscles and can keep better balance that way when exercising the stronger leg.
When I was out for the walk, I met two people that I know and was chastised for being “naughty”- using my regular walker. (I am not supposed to use it until 6 weeks post-surgery). I feel safer because it has a seat, plus the wheels are very sticky, so I feel fairly confident that “it won’t get away from me.”
It is supposed to snow in a couple of days, with a significant drop in temperature. I’m so glad I got out today. I will soon be confined to my home again.
I did watch a white-breasted nuthatch at the church yard, but it was too far away to take a decent photo, but I did capture the following:
Apart from Chai being an incentive to get out walking and meeting friends at the coffee shop, it is also an incentive to do the required exercises. So is getting outdoors and taking photos.
I am speaking relatively, of course. From -40 up to -20 is a significant rise in temperature. I have friends who just got back from Africa, and those are the ones I feel sorry for. They are facing a 50 degree change.
I dressed for the weather, including cleats, and was quite comfortable.
I remember, when it was plus 12 before Christmas, thinking “oh, it’s going to be a rude awakening when the temperature drops.” The time has arrived and the temperature was -40 early this morning, when the celsius and fahrenheit scales meet. That is over a forty degree drop. Lots of ice fog, which is pretty. You can see the ice crystals in the air.
It would not surprise me to see see people gathering at the ice cream store next door. I thought they would switch to coffee in the winter months, but no, they only serve ice cream. Their hours are shortened, but they are still open for business.
Since I have not been so active the last few years, I have gained weight and outgrown my warm winter clothes. Reminds me to buy some new ones, at least warm-up pants. It is too cold to go out with my present wardrobe. I may check some stores online, so I am ready for the next deep freeze.
It is enjoyable to look out the window from my apartment and see the winter wonderland while sipping on a steaming hot chocolate. You are welcome to enjoy the view with me, but you’ll have to make your own coffee or cocoa.
You know it is cold outside when the frost builds up on the trees and the smoke from the chimneys stays low or even goes horizontal. I will get warmer clothes, but not going shopping today.
Sure has changed, got some snow and the temp has dropped 50 degrees since before Christmas.
These lights stay all year, changing to clear at some point and add joy to the street.Hope you all had happy holidays.
Enjoyed the air in the different pavilions: moist in the temperate, dry in the arid, really moist in the tropical and cool in the featured. I think I posted the last visit here in November so I will try not to repeat myself.
Yes, we had a brown Christmas this year. It was plus 12 degrees Celsius during the holidays which was great for getting out for walks.
I started the year off right, going for a trip to the Muttart Conservatory with a friend, so got a good dose of nature and a delicious latte at the Cafe. We took our drinks to the middle pyramid and enjoyed the seating and the giant glass sculpture in the centre.
I will show you some photos from there in the next post. Happy New Year, everyone!
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