Road trip. First leg of day two. Fish Lake to Saskatchewan River Crossing.

When I left the lake the sky was clear and the sun was out. There were very few vehicles on the road at that hour so I knew I could make many stops for photos. The first was at Abraham Lake. I cannot drive by without stopping to take in the beauty of the blue water and mountain views. Added to that was some low cloud drifting over the lake.

My next usual stop is Landslide Lake. A controlled burn happened there years ago and I've stopped to see how the landscape changes each year. I've seen the burnt logs lose their bark, the wildflowers take over the forest floor, the new trees begin to grow and the birds return to the new forest. There was no stopping this time. Thick fog replaced the blue sky and sunshine. I was ready to turn around and head back east. I wanted to see the mountains. I endured the fog for a few more kilometers and was blessed with blue sky and sun for the remainder of the trip.

The Cline River runs along the highway. It is running fast and high. There were rapids in an area that had rock and sandbars for years. 

I didn't see any wildlife but the ditches were filled with wildflowers of every color. As I drove west, the color purple, was prolific. The Spreading Creek Wildfire went through this area. Last year the hills were covered with charred tree trunks. This year the hills are covered with fireweed.

There is a rest stop / look out at Saskatchewan River Crossing. The first time that I ever stopped there, I was wearing a pink jacket and I got buzzed by a hummingbird. I must have looked like the biggest pink flower it has every seen.

No hummers today, just beautiful mountain vistas.

It's been some time since my last post.  With the shortest number of daylight hours happening through December, events at work and getting ready for Christmas, I have to say that my outdoor time was limited to the backyard.  It has been dark when I leave for work and dark when I come home so I have taken full advantage of my time off the past week and enjoyed as much outdoor time as I could possibly fit in.  

I like to do a year in review when December ends and a new year begins.  I take stock of new experiences and revisit my photographs from the past year and try to choose my favorites.

January 2015

I love the thick hoar frost on the trees after a foggy night.  As you walk on the trails you can hear it snap and crackle as the temperature changes.  Sunlight on the frosty branches make each sparkle like millions of diamonds.  That is my kind of 'bling'. 

April 2015

In April I was lucky to find the beaver family actively swimming in the pond at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre.  I watched in wonder as they fed on the reeds.  There is nothing on television that could have kept my attention for an hour like this reality show.

May 2015

May offered a spectacular light show.  The aurora was active and bright.  It provided me the opportunity to attempt some night time photography.  I spent a good portion of the evening under that amazing sky.  Mother Nature's light show is free for all those who watch the sky.  This was only the beginning of a very active year for the northern lights.  It got better as the year went on.

June 2015

I managed to travel to David Thompson country five times last summer.  Four of the five were camping trips.  The loons on Fish Lake west of Nordegg put on a show each time I was there.  I tried a new campground this year.  The Thompson Creek campground is the last one on the David Thompson highway before entering Banff National Park.  What a beautiful site and well maintained.

July 2015

When I stayed at Thompson Creek, I found the hiking trail on the north side of the highway.  It meandered along the creek through masses upon masses of fireweed that bloomed after the Spreading Creek Fire went through the area.  Rufous hummingbirds flitted from flower to flower and bluebirds sang from the bare branches.  The forest was once again coming to life.

August 2015

I had my own hummers in the backyard.  Each year I plant scarlet runner beans to attract the little beauties to the yard.  The nectar feeders were set out as well and I watched the action throughout the entire summer.   They arrived in May and left in September.  I was pleasantly surprised by a pair of Rufous hummingbirds that stopped in at the feeders in addition to all the Ruby throated hummers.

September 2015

September 2015

Autumn was spectacular.  A lunar eclipse had me watching this sky in September in addition to another beautiful display of the northern lights.

September 2015

The colors of autumn stayed for a number of weeks.  It was the most scenic drive home for days on end.  The beautiful hues were brilliant and caused me to drive under the speed limit just so I could take them all in. 

September 2015

September 2015

While walking the trails at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre, I had numerous encounters with the moose.  I was a familiar sight to them already.  They would look up when they heard me coming but continued with their browsing after they saw it was me.  I saw more tiger salamanders and garter snakes than ever before.  Each year I check my window wells daily during their migration time.  The salamanders fall into the wells and need me to help them out so they can continue on their journey to find a hiding spot before winter arrives.

November 2015

November brought another fantastic display of light in the sky.  The aurora moved in waves and circles in the sky.  As I stood in the middle of the yard, the deer came in from the forest behind my house.  I stood within ten feet of them.  The moment was magical.  That night was the most entertaining show that I had seen yet; not knowing that December would be even better. 

December 2015

 On December 20 the northern lights were out again.  I noticed them on my drive home from work.  This is one advantage to working late.  As the evening progressed the show became more intense.  I stood in the middle of the backyard and watched waves of light move and swirl across the sky. The deer did not show up but the wolves living at the Cooking Lake - Blackfoot Recreation area decided to provide some music for the show.  Their howls under an aurora filled sky was about as Canadian as it could get.  That was a night to be remembered.

December 2015

My little people stayed for a few days during Christmas break.  We skated on an outdoor rink, x-country skied and found a hill for lots of sledding.  The temperature was perfect to be outside.  It was a great way to end 2015.

The snow cover this year is minimal but there is enough for outdoor activities without having to keep the driveway shoveled.  I think that has happened only three times since winter began.  The warmer temperatures of late have been ideal for outdoor activities.  

It will soon be time to make my annual trek to the mountains.  I can partake in skating, skiing and snowshoeing here but there is just something special about having the mountains in view.

2015 was an outstanding year for nature experiences.  Here's hoping that 2016 will bring more of the same.  

Last year I returned to my blog in October from my summer hiatus but decided that today was a good day to return for 2014.  For those that know me or have followed the blog for awhile, you are aware that summer and I don't get along very well.  I'm a winter person and can be found outside almost everyday in winter.

The heat, the pollen and the bugs of summer are my worst enemies so I tend to hibernate in the house when I'm at home or look for cooler environments to enjoy my outdoor time.  David Thompson country, west of Nordegg is one of my favorite areas and I managed to get there three times this summer to do some camping.  Each trip provided me with a first-time experience.

I left early on one trip and came across not one but three great grey owls sitting on fence posts along the roadside.  Such beautiful birds!

Another trip provided me the opportunity to see our Alberta forest firefighters in action.  A large fire started by lightning was burning out of control.  The area was due for a prescribed burn in a couple years time so the forestry department decided to let the fire burn.  The firefighters got it under control and managed it.  I was able to view the helicopters in action at the river with their big buckets.  What a treat!

The third camping trip allowed me to experience a severe hailstorm while I hid inside my tent.  The forecast said there was a possibility of a thunderstorm.  A bad hailstorm came through the area a couple weeks prior.  Who knew that a second one was going to happen.

I heard thunder and wanted to get a pot of coffee made before hunkering down inside the tent to wait out the storm.  The water wasn't even hot yet when I heard what I thought was the wind picking up across the lake.  I was wrong.  Huge raindrops began falling so I shut the stove off and ran for cover.  The zipper wasn't even done on the tent when the hail started.  It's quite the experience to be stuck in a tent while being pelted with hail the size of large marbles. 

In addition to enjoying my favorite campsite, I drove west along Highway 11 to Landslide Lake and the Mistaya River Canyon.  Parts of that highway were closed when the forest fire was burning along the roadsides.  

The south side of the highway was black and charred.  The north side of the highway had a prescribed burn go through it a number of years ago.  Now the bark is falling off the trees.  Snags are falling over.  The purple fireweed is prevalent and there are signs of rejuvenation everywhere.

Most of my outdoor time this summer was spent in my backyard. I got more landscaping done and the garden was bountiful.  I tried a couple of mini-pumpkin plants in the garden this year.  What a surprise I got when 5 of them grew and ripened on the vine.      

                                      

The garter snakes and the tiger salamanders were back which made me all the more happy about naturescaping the yard.  

The hummingbirds enjoyed the flowers in the backyard.  I saw them flit from flower to flower on many occasions.   The containers of petunias produced a massive number of blooms that spilled over the edges of the pots.  I will definitely be planting them again.  

I did get out to the trails a couple of times in the evening when the sun was not as hot.  I had to slather on the insect spray because the mosquitoes were very bad.  All in all, it was worth it.  I got some great shots of insects and garter snakes at the Cooking-Lake Blackfoot Recreation area.

I was excited yesterday when snowflakes were falling outside my window.  It doesn't matter that it was only September 8th.  The sight of snow means my favorite time of year is just around the corner.  I bought new skis/boots last spring and am ready to try them out

There is lots of work that needs to be done in the yard to get ready for winter.  I'm hoping to accomplish that over the next couple of weeks.  In addition to that, I'm hoping to get out on the trails to enjoy the beauty and smells of autumn.

I'll be posting regularly now that summer is over.  Please follow my blog and share the address with anyone that enjoys the great outdoors!