Let’s Go Fly a Kite
These days we’ve been having a lot of wind. It brings to mind the song from Mary Poppins about flying a kite. Last June I went to the Windscape Festival in Swift Current SK. It was a kite festival held every hear All kinds, shapes, sizes and colors of kites. Kites that were made to fly in time to music! These were a lot different from the diamond shape ones we made from grocery bag paper when I was young. Here are just a few of what I saw.
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Crocuses 2014
After our long cold winter, it was delightful to see these brave little flowers poke out of the ground. They didn’t have an easy time of it. Spring appeared to have arrive then it snowed, then it rained. But soon the ground was covered with purple flowers heralding the arrival of nice weather.
Raptors – At the zoo and at home
The Calgary Zoo has an area fenced, top and sides and inside are “Raptors” – hawks and owls, the day I visited. You can walk thru and these birds are flying around, sitting in the trees and on the ground. It is quite a rush to have a Great Grey Owl, with a wing span of 56-60 inches fly over you. The day I walked thru, a little black squirrel had somehow gotten into the enclosure and he was seen by on of these owls. I didn’t wait around to see the end of the story. I’m hoping the squirrel somehow evaded the owl and lived to see another day.
Then………… Yesterday was a nice day -18 with sunshine. As I left to go to town in the morning I saw a Great Horned Owl in the trees by the house. Back for the camera and took a few shots. Later in the afternoon, as I was doing chores, he was in the trees in the yard. He flew to four different areas and I was able to get shots of him in each.
Here are links for more information about both owls.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Grey_Owl
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Horned_owl
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Walking with Dinosaurs
In September of 2013 I visited the Calgary Zoo. It was awesome even though it was only have open. The summer flood really took it toll on the zoo. There were signs posted indicating how high the flood water reached. It was unbelievable. Also unbelievable was the work that already had been done to repair the damage. I walked through the prehistoric part and was impressed at how real everything looked. A small boy and this Dad were just ahead of me and it was very entertaining just watching him. To him they were real. What do you think?
Home page slide show
Every year for a number of years, my family receive calendars which feature photos taken during the year. They seem to enjoy them, or say they do, and it is another way for me to show case my craft. The slide show which runs on my home page contains photos which were used in the calendars for 2014. Take a moment and watch. Some were taken around home and others were from one of my trips! The most difficult feature of creating these calendars was choosing which shots to use. It is a good way of revisiting the photos of taken during the year. Hope you enjoy them!
Taken from Gabriola Island, BC
As always, comments are welcome.
Wilma
2014 A New Year
Although the month is almost over — Happy New Year. Up to now it has been quite a challenging month. Cold, snow and wind. As I write this we are experiencing wind gusting up to 80km. Not a day for a kite! However, if you can find a spot out of the wind, it isn’t to bad a day. Our horses have done that and I was able to take a few shots of them enjoying the day. Later we fed them in the same spot. You can see the snow blowing in some of the photos and the seem to be ever-present these day – the Sun Dogs!!!!!
I’m hoping to be posting more photos this year. In 2013 I was at a kite festival; went to the Big Muddy in Southwest Saskatchewan; took a road trip thru the US to Seattle and up the west coast then home. Plus interesting things that caught my attention around home. So, check back often.
Black is the Color
I’ve seen several photographers use “black” as a background color and really liked the effect. I decided to try it for myself and was pleased with the look. On Black in the Gallery is some of my work. I will be adding to the collection so be sure to visit it often.
Unusual
I attended a photo session where the guest speaker shared some techniques. It is amazing how a few very simple steps can change a plain photo into something “out of this world”
I’ve added the ones I’ve created to the “Creative” gallery. Have a look and see what you think. One of them started out as a picture of my paint gelding Quill. Can you figure out which one it is?
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Flower Gardens
Just outside the town of Indian Head SK, is the PFRA. Soon to be closed due to government cutbacks. For now it is a wonderful place to visit. There is a nature trail to walk and an informal flower garden. And wonderful tall majestic trees. One morning The Boys and I visited the flowers. The mosquitoes were to large and hungry to walk down the nature trail. Check out Flowers in the Gallery and see some of what we saw that morning.
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One Never Knows ….
Each morning, early, my boys and I leave for our walk. Each walk is an adventure and we never know what we will see. A portion of the Red Fox Valley is our play ground. One morning the boys met a skunk. It was a smelly walk home. This morning we saw these wonderful Cedar Waxwings. I am getting a lot of use out of my bird books! And my new lens!
Click on image to enlarge
What will we see tomorrow …………………..
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Mirror Lens
I have recently acquired a new lens for my DSLR camera. It is a 500mm f/6.3 mirror lens. I am having great fun with it. I love what it does to the background due to the narrow depth of field. The manual focus is very touchy but I’m getting better at using it. I’ve added some of the photos I’ve taken with it in Mirror Lens in the Gallery.
Click on image to enlarge
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Two Birds
I went on a road trip today to Kipling. Came back on gravel roads. It was raining. Everything nice and green and fresh. Almost every body of water no matter how large or small has a form on water fowl in or near it. I’m attaching photos of two generally not seen.
Click on photo to enlarge
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The Webs they weave
Early one morning, the Boys and I went to the pasture to look for Duke, who hadn’t come up with the rest of the horses. We found him, he was having a quiet private breakfast. However, we found more. Spider webs on the fence and in the bushes. You know how small a barb is on a barbwire fence so you will be amazed to see how small some of the webs are The spider web photos are in the Gallery.
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Fox in the Redfox Valley
This morning when the boys and I went for our walk, there was a fox in the field west of the buildings. The boys didn’t see her so I was able to get photos. She was a long way away and I had to crop these shots to show you. She has made her home under the bins close to us and I’m hoping she will again this year. Two years ago I was able to take some really good shoots of her pups.
Click image to enlarge
Ready to run
Alert
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Smoke & Fire
As we feed our horses in the winter, we discard and pile the hay we don’t want them to have. When conditions are just right, wind either not blowing or blowing from a direction we want, we burn the pile of hay. This year the pile was quite large as we didn’t get it burnt last year. Yesterday all conditions were in our favor. So the pile was lite on fire. And what a fire it was. The smoke just bellowed out. As it was morning, sometimes it blocked the sun out. Sometimes if you looked really hard, you could see images in the smoke and flames. It was a controlled burn and with the snow mixed in with the hay, it was more smoke then flame towards the end. Today it is almost all gone. I’ve put photos – Smoke & Fire, in the gallery. Be careful as you look at them. Don’t let the smoke get in your eyes.
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The Glenbow Museum
Museums are great places to visit. You can learn a lot of interesting facts from visiting them. They can provide a nice haven on a cold winter day. I’m going to take you on a short trip thru the Glenbow Museum in Calgary, AB. These photos provide only a small snapshot of what you can see. And, they are only of things I’ve found interesting. If you visit – you may see totally different aspects to record. I know one of my friends will find the photos very interesting. He has gone on other “Photo Armchair Tours” with me. S0 — Payton, let’s visit the Glenbow!
Click on image to enlarge
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Creative Play
I’ve added a new page. It contains photos that had been altered in a software program. Please have a look at the Creative page, you will meet some of my friends. Cash and Tango aka The Boys, accompany me on a lot of my adventures. Your comments are always welcome!
Wilma
Where is the Sun?
We’ve had cold weather, we’ve had snow, we’ve had wind. Now this morning we have fog. As thick as soup. With fog comes frost and sometime some great photos. I was out this morning with the camera. Check out the Gallery – A frost morning and see a bit of what I saw.
Wilma
Snow and more snow
I realize we aren’t getting near the amount of snow they are getting in Eastern Canada and the US. If you ask anyone here they’d say we have way to much. Unless you are a child, sometimes it is difficult to appreciate the snow. However, I did manage to capture someone who does love the snow ……………………..
Click on the photo to enlarge
Wilma
Feathered Friends
I have two feeders on trees just outside my kitchen window. For most of the day there is a lot of activity around them. Watching the antics of the birds, mostly Red Polls (part of the Finch family) makes doing the dishes more enjoyable. A Downy woodpecker drops by once in awhile also. I’ve posted a few photos of the visitors in The Gallery – “From My Kitchen Window”.
Click on image to enlarge
Wilma
Trip to Calgary AB
In mid December I went to Calgary for a few days. I’ve finally edited the photos and was very please with them. As I took quite a few, I will be add to and taking from the one you see today. That means you will need to visit again. More images may be found in The Gallery – Calgary AB Dec. 15-17th.
Wilma
Seeing the Month Out
It’s been a fridgid last few days. Hard on human and animals. Our animals has there feed increase and didn’t seem to mind the cold. They can always get out of the wind. Here is a shot of my little Arabian. I think he was wishing he was in the land of sand and sun, as God meant him to be. Not standing in a cold pasture in the middle of Saskatchewan. Better days ahead Ninja!
Click on image to enlarge
Wilma
Prairie Wind Photography 