My day trip adventure to David Thompson country ended with a first time experience.  Last year, as we were leaving the area, a black wolf stepped out of the forest as we drove by.  That was a first time experience.  It was breathtaking.  This year's finale took my breath away as well.

I accompanied one of my sons on both outings.  We made lists of what we'd like to see.  The 2014 trip included bears, a blue heron, an eagle, a wolf and a cougar.  I live in a wilderness area and see moose, coyotes and deer almost everyday around home so I was wanting to see creatures that are not as common.

We did see the bear and the eagle which made for a successful trip.  When we go on a road trip, we both scan the ditches for signs of wildlife.  Matt was the lucky one to spot the bald eagle.  I spotted the black bear and kept looking for a blue heron at every pond and slough that we passed but had no luck.

As we said farewell to the mountains, left the foothills and headed for home, we continued our

search for the more common wildlife.  We rounded a curve in the highway.  A farm bordered it on the north and I caught sight of an owl perched on a fence post.  Both of us thought that it would be gone before we got turned around.  Lucky for us, it was still there.

Traffic was non-stop. We were close to a lake resort and everyone was headed home from a weekend away.  The noise did not scare the owl.  Matt creeped up on it.  It was a Great Grey and it must have wanted its picture taken.  We watched for more than 15 minutes, snapping more than a hundred photos each.  We've both seen Great Greys before but this time we were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime hunt, right before our eyes.

The owl clutched the top of the post with its talons and leaned down, looking and listening.  It swooped into the long grass beneath the post and came back up with a prize mouse in its beak.  It bent over to grab the mouse with its talons and began to rip at the mouse.  That must have been too much work. It took the mouse into its beak once more and swallowed it whole.  As it sat on the fence post, it appeared to 'smile' after its belly was full.

We could not believe our good fortune in witnessing this owl feeding.  We were only about 20 feet away from the post and the owl put on quite the reality show for us.  Now, that was entertainment at its best.  What a fantastic way to end our outdoor adventure day.

The road trip to David Thompson country included a bald eagle sighting; actually two sightings of the same eagle.  As we drove west on Highway 11, it sat at the top of a tree.  We noticed that there was roadkill in the ditch which explained why the eagle was sticking around that area.

I wondered how such a big bird was able to remain perched on such a little branch.  It watched as we snapped off our photos and then it soared over our heads and over the valley to the south.

On our return trip through Nordegg, the eagle was still in the same area.  It was perched on a branch looking down at the deer corpse.  It flew from the tree, soaring over our heads.  It headed south and then circled west and north; eventually appearing to be headed back to the area that we were standing in.

I've seen bald eagles before but this was the biggest of them all.  What a magnificent, graceful creature.

Day trip!  Today was road trip day to David Thompson country and what a day it was.  There were so many things to see and photograph.  

The first glimpse of the mountains is always exciting.  There are still some very snowy peaks.

We had hoped that the dandelions would be covering the ditches with a carpet of yellow but there were very few of them.  Last year on road trip day, the ditches were full of dandelions with bears eating them.  Today, we saw one bear.  All I got was a photograph of a blurry bear bum as it scampered back into the trees.  It was out in full view; in fact it reared up on its hind legs to get a better view of us.  It stood there until it heard the noise from the rumble strips under the tires and then it was gone.  That was it for bear sightings.

We traveled west along the David Thompson highway.  The area is so scenic.  Just outside the Nordegg town limit, we saw mule deer grazing in the ditch.  As we slowed, they glanced up from their feast.  A couple of other vehicles stopped as well.  That's when the deer had enough and bounded back into the forest.

We made our way to Abraham Lake.  The water level is very low and we were able to drive out onto the hard surface that had been covered with water in the past.  The mud was caked and cracking.  Rocks, driftwood and pine cones littered the area.

From Abraham Lake, we traveled to Fish Lake.  We stopped for lunch and tried our hand at fishing with no luck.  The lake remains a beautiful place to picnic, hike, fish or camp.  We also tried casting lines out at the Harlech Fish Pond.  The wind was not in our favor, making it difficult to cast.

The day trip was filled with many memorable animal sightings that I'll share over the next couple of days.  It was so exciting and I took so many photos that I've got some sorting to do before sharing them.  

 

Everything in my garden survived the frost.  The outer cucumber leaves are a bit white but the 'heart' of them is nice and green.  The flowers seem to be untouched and growing nicely.  I hope that it warms up soon.  With the moisture from the past few days and some warm sunshine, the plants would begin growing as fast as the dandelions in my yard.  I wish the frost could be selective and slow those yellow bloomers down.

Speaking of dandelions, it's road trip time.  I can't wait to see if it will be a good day for bear sightings.  The camera batteries are all charged and ready to go.  All I need is for the weather to cooperate and the bears to be hungry for dandelions.  In case there are no bears, the fishing rod is ready as well.

I didn't see any bears on the last road trip taken but I did see a mule deer.  It took its chances running across the road and jumping a barb wire fence.  I slowed to try and get a photograph.  It must have wanted its picture taken that day as it stopped long enough for me to snap a couple of them.  When I was done, it bounded away toward a forested area.

Last year's day trip to Nordegg turned into a six-bear, one-black wolf day.  I hope this year's day trip is just as successful!

Brrr.  It's June 6th and the furnace is still kicking in.  There was frost last night.  It coated the leaves of my geraniums and the windshield of my vehicle.  I could take my fingernail and scrape the ice on the window.

I haven't had the opportunity to check the damage done to my cucumbers and the other tender plants in the garden.  I hope they survive. 

Spring was slow in coming and it is still struggling.  The temperature is having a hard time rising.  There were a few days of heat when I accomplished a few tasks in the yard.  I hope there's another run of decent days so I can tackle more of them without having to wear my parka.

 

The rain has stopped and I emptied the last of it from my rain gauge.  There was 2 inches of rain since 5pm yesterday.  Everything is soggy.  It is supposed to dip to +1C. Low-lying areas could end up with frost.  This means I should be covering up my cucumber plants but I'm going to live dangerously and leave them uncovered.  If they freeze, they freeze.

The horses were out this morning.  The mama was never far from the colt which was a good thing.  At the top of the field, a coyote sat and looked down toward the babe.  I gathered that the mare knew that the coyote was watching.  She circled round and round her baby as she ate.

The goose families were on the road.  As I came closer, they scattered into the ditch, heading straight to the pond.  It's fun to watch how the goslings fall into a line when they go for a swim.  I encountered four different families this morning.  Each has a varying number of babies that are different ages.  Some of them still have soft down on their bodies while others are beginning to grow their feathers.

I have to say that seeing all these babies is a fun way to begin the day.



 

I watched the rear view mirror as I drove home.  The dark storm clouds approached, swirling and darkening the sky.  I stayed ahead of the impending rain.  There was time to spare before I would get wet so I stopped to watch the horses in an open field.  Spring babies are showing up all over including the pasture.  There is one new colt in the herd.  I saw it for the first time about a week ago but didn't have my camera.  Today it was out again and I got my photo.  So cute!

When I got home I had to tend to my rain water collection.  As I pumped out the collecting rain barrel, the wind came whipping around the corner.  Flower blossoms from a nearby tree showered down on my deck.  It wasn't long before the raindrops began falling.  

The rain started falling and the robins started celebrating.  They flew from tree to tree and then landed in the grass; tipping their heads, listening for worms.  

The rain made the greens greener and the air smell fresh.  There's nothing like rain water to make everything lush.

Dark clouds rolled in this afternoon.  They circled around, leaving my yard on the edge of the storms as they came through.  The wind would pick up.  A few raindrops would fall.  The sun would come out for a short time and the cycle would start over.

I managed to get a few more perennials planted into the yard. Containers were moved around; keeping shades of pink in the front and reds in the back.  There is a method to my madness.  All the red flowers are in close proximity to the hummingbird feeder; plan A to entice those little creatures for a photograph. 

As I moved around the yard, a house wren came to investigate the holes in the decaying tree trunk.  I set the camera up with the hope of getting a close up of that elusive bird, but it did not return.  I did notice the variety of insects living in that snag.  It is a birdie smorgasbord!

I've been trying to get as much yard work done whenever possible.  One more very busy month at work and things will slow down for a few weeks.  It's during that time that I plan on slowing down as well to enjoy the fruits of my labors.

 

My backyard was alive with feathered friends this evening.  Robins chirped in the treetops.  A Northern Flicker searched for tender worms in the lawn grass.  Red winged Blackbirds swooped in and fed at the sunflower seed feeders.  Goldfinches landed on the nyjer feeders for a snack. 

The best sighting of the evening was a male Ruby Throated Hummingbird.  We stood only 4 feet from the nectar feeder when it flew in for a sip.  As we watched, it dipped its beak into the sugary water and then hovered in front of us.  What a treat!

I've come to the conclusion that I need more red flowers in the backyard.  The hummingbird experience helped with that decision.  I'm determined to get a close up of that little guy and I'll do whatever it takes for that to happen.

My nature-scaped front yard will soon be complete. Today, a log bridge was positioned over the dry creek bed.  It has replaced the old picnic table top and fits in beautifully.  All that is missing is a crane or a heron statue.  I know exactly where to find one.

The to-do list for tomorrow includes a shopping trip.  If the weather holds out and the showers stay away, there's still a cubic yard of soil to move into place to create a rain garden.  That task needs to be done sooner than later.

 

There's nothing like getting up early and having coffee on the deck before the rest of the neighborhood wakes up.  The sun was shining, the sky was clear and the birds were singing.  A flock of cranes flew overhead.  The raindrops from last night's shower glistened in the morning sun.  Perfection.

I worked in the yard all day.  A hairy woodpecker visited the sunflower seed feeders.  White breasted nuthatches and American goldfinches flitted between the branches.  As I weeded the ninebark bed, a chickadee sang for me.  

Everything is growing nicely; including the weeds and dandelions.  I went over the lawn again with the mower and finished all the weeding.  Now that I've caught up on all the yard work, I need some time to enjoy it!