There was no trail time this week but there was time in the backyard and some highway driving so I got to view the beautiful yellow canola fields.

This is the first year that all the perennials are in full bloom. I planted a lot of them when I eco-scaped my yard and the fruits of my labor paid off. I've only had to water the garden beds and the containers that hold my annual flowers. The shrubs and perennials are doing what they are supposed to be doing; flourishing no matter what the weather.

The sea buckthorn is six feet tall and producing fruit. The haskap is a couple feet tall and had fruit for the first time. The ninebarks are spreading to about five feet across and are a food source for the chickadees and sparrows.

The Asiatic and day lilies brighten the yard with oranges, yellows and pinks. The beebalm and the coneflowers are about to open. The bumblebees will love that. For now, they are enjoying the red flowers on the scarlet runner beans.

This week I've seen butterflies, dragonflies, frogs and bees in the yard. The hummingbirds visit frequently. The young bluejays have finally left their nest. So much action just off the back deck.

I experienced two storms within the past week. One dropped 40mm of rain and the other 25mm. All the rain barrels are full again.

I purchased a little solar fountain for the birdbath with the hopes that the hummingbird will be lured to it for a shower. I wasn't sure how well it would work but as long as it is sunny, the pump produces a fountain that is about a foot tall.

During the weeks that I can't get out to the trails, it is great to spend the time in the yard just watching the happenings of Mother Nature outside my door.

There was some much needed rain last night. With the rain, came a light show that kept me entertained while getting drenched when I had to pump water into the rain barrels. The barrels have been empty for about a week so the downpour was welcomed. The garden didn't look droopy this morning and there was water standing on the driveway.

I hadn't been to the Biodiversity trail in a while so decided to check out the swan family. The foliage on the underbrush and the tall grasses were a brilliant green. That moisture from last night's storm rejuvenated all the plant life, not just my garden.

As I walked through the woods, admiring all the wildflowers in bloom and the bees buzzing from blossom to blossom, I scared up a hare. It hopped toward a well worn trail under the low lying branches.

The swans were in the pond. The young ones are getting quite big and their grey color is beginning to lighten. It's good to see that all four of them have survived. Papa swan did a good job of defending the nest.

As I trudged up the hill toward the bench that overlooks the pond, I saw the back half of a good sized garter snake slither into the tall grass. This is the second time that I saw that snake. I'll have to make a mental note and remind myself to watch for it next time before it disappears from the trail.
Tonight the pond was calm and quiet. The swans entertained me for a half hour and the bird calls provided choir songs on my way back to the parking lot. 

It's a beautiful night and there's no rain in the forecast so I think it will be a bonfire night.

Happy trails!

Just a couple days ago a wicked storm formed over much of central Alberta. A tornado watch, then warning, was issued. The storm was headed in my direction. The Alberta Emergency Alert kept everyone in the know as to the where the storm was going.

This has happened before but the storms usually fizzle out before getting to where I happen to be except for one camping trip that I remember vividly. It was hailing so hard that I thought the stones would rip through my nylon tent.

This storm spawned a couple of tornadoes; one of which touched down to the west of my location that evening. The sky darkened and the clouds began layering up. The layers rolled and twisted like the fibres of a rope.

While it was still safe to do so, I stood in an open field, in awe of what Mother Nature was producing. Small wispy funnels would come down from the clouds and then move back up again. The wind speed would increase as the funnels came down and then stop completely as the funnels went back up.

There were only a few small hailstones mixed with a little rain. Locations to the west had hailstones as large as a pudding cup.

The tornado that touched down destroyed some buildings and ripped out a swath of trees. It was nothing in comparison to the one that came through Edmonton years ago or the fierce storms that go through 'tornado alley' in the USA but it did provide an opportunity to think about the power that Mother Nature possesses.

http://globalnews.ca/news/3596149/severe-thunderstorm-watch-issued-for-edmonton-and-central-alberta-tornadoes-possible/ 

I just got back from the first camping trip of the summer and it was great! Not a drop of rain. No hail storm. No gusting wind. The weather was perfect. 

The only downfall was that I couldn't take my kayak. I couldn't outfit the vehicle that I rented to make it kayak friendly for travel. It was however very friendly for the perfect pack; everything inside with nothing blocking the windows.

I got to the lake and there wasn't a site to be found by the lake so I headed up to loop 3 to check if anyone was in my favorite site. It was empty and I claimed it! I love it because it is the furthest from the highway and there are no sites next to it. It's at the end of the loop and close to the outhouses; which is a bonus. 

It took 30 minutes to have camp set up and coffee on. The new tent worked out great. I can stand up in this one instead of trying to shimmy into a pair of pants while slouched over. What a treat! I tried out a few new things in addition to the tent.

The solar lamp was perfect. It hung from the center point of the tent. Three settings allow it to be dim, bright or a strobe if you happen to be in the backcountry and need to get someone's attention.

I also tried some foam mat blocks on the floor of the tent. This was a HUGE plus! No rocks underfoot and easy clean up before taking the tent down. It was so much easier to sweep the foam mat than the floor of the tent.

I went for drive yesterday in search of some wildlife. I did see a couple of deer but it was the view coming from the ditches that caught my attention. There were wildflowers everywhere and every color of the rainbow. What a beautiful sight.

I stopped at Landslide Lake. I do that once a year to see how much it changes from visit to visit. A prescribed burn was done there in 2009. There are still burnt snags standing amidst the lush new growth. The interpretive trail is almost grown in. New trees, tall grasses and wildflowers galore make up the under story. Birds are numerous and provided the entertainment with their songs on my hike.

Back at Fish Lake the loons called and put on a show for me when I walked down to the lake shore. A blue heron flew overhead. An osprey dove into the water and came out with a fish bigger than any fish that I've pulled out of that lake. While I watched the birds in action, the dragonflies swooped to catch mosquitoes. I saw the biggest dragonfly ever. It's beautiful green body shimmered in the sunlight. 

What a fantastic couple of days away. Can't wait for the next time. Happy trails.

(Check out outdoor_rambler on Instagram for more photos!)

Ready to hit the road for the first camping trip of the season.

30 minutes and camp is all set up.

Fish Lake (Shunda)

Indian paintbrush blooming in the ditches.

Landslide Lake

This loon put on a show for me.