Who’s counting?
We’re having fun and really, enjoying ourselves.
Indeed, considering the flooding problems some of you face south of the 49th, I’ve come to appreciate our snow, and the never-ending winter.
Here, makes me think of a Bruegel painting of winter scene, except replace the people with ducks and geese:
Until then, we persevere.
***
Two years ago around this time, I drove across four New England states searching for fall foliage. Red was the colour I was looking for. It may surprise you, we don’t have red here in Alberta, no real Maples here. We might have some red from certain trees or shrubs, but not on a large scale as in Eastern Canada.
But what we have is gold, different shades of gold. Red can make the landscape more adorable, but gold is purity. Here’s the scenery in the past two days by the Bow River in my usual birding sites:
The scenes of a golden fall near the Pond, where layers of autumn foliage and evergreens make up the ripples of a boreal forest:
Even the path under my feet is golden:
I know, nothing gold can stay. Even as I type, a Winter Storm Warning is in effect. We’ll have snow overnight, and “Hazardous winter conditions are expected”. So when this post is up on Monday, all the gold will likely be white, which makes these photos all the more precious. They could be the last of the fall memories of 2017.
But then again, if we can have winter in the fall, we can have summer in December. At least, that’s what I’m dreaming of…
***
Related Posts on Ripple:
My New England Road Trip Starts Here
Our summer is short. After a few weeks of record high temperatures, as August arrives, I can feel the cooler air creeping in.
At the Pond, August brings a harvest of berries and edible delights for the birds:
Here are some of the guests relishing Nature’s feast.
Forget about worms, these succulent fruits are tastier. The young Robin learns fast:
The American Goldfinch, bending over forward:
The Cedar Waxwing knows her etiquettes, always graceful and poised:
Among them all, I must say my favourite is the Yellow Warbler. They are not fond of berries, but there are lots to eat around here. I’m most grateful for their taste. Here’s why: Mosquitoes eat me; warblers eat mosquitoes. Simple as that.
What more, it’s no simple feat to sing with a mosquito in your mouth:
In a few weeks, the Warblers will be gone, and I’ll be capturing scenes of Autumn. Yes, that soon. But for now, I’ll feast on summer sights. So, eat to your heart’s content, my Warbler friend.
***
WordPress tells me I’ve been blogging for 10 years now. It’s been a life-changing decade. From a film lover writing reviews just for personal journalling, I’ve developed into writing to share. Hundreds of movies later, I’m now an Arts and Film Writer for Asian American Press. In recent years, I started covering Film Festivals; my appreciation for cinema art and independent films from all over the world had grown deeper.
Books, I’ve read a few, but then again, too few to mention. My TBR piles is expanding much faster than I can tackle. To manage them, I use the simplest method: deleting them from my memory. Many I’ve bought from the annual Book Sale (several posts), but I’ve since donated them back. There’s one on my Goodreads ‘currently reading’ shelf for years now which I don’t want to give up just yet, and that’s Proust’s In Search of Lost Time Vol. 3, The Guermantes Way. Some day.
Other than books, movies, and my special interest in the transposition of one into the other, I’ve also become an avid birder. Arti of Ripple Effects has turned into a nature paparazzo. I’d thought of starting another blog just for nature photography but thought, hey, everyone needs a respite even from books and films. The Pond is open to all to throw in their two pebbles, make some ripples while enjoying a piece of natural beauty.
WordPress tells me in the side bar that I have 6,843 followers. Simply amazing, considering the number of comments I receive in each post. No matter, commenting isn’t a requirement when you visit the Pond. I’m just glad to know you’ve enjoyed your stay, even if it’s a short minute or two. And to all visitors and followers, a hearty thank-you. You’ve made my presence in the blogosphere meaningful.
To celebrate 10 years, to say goodbye to Spring (already) and welcome Summer, I’ll leave you with a few photos I’ve taken in the past few days.
The forest by the Pond:
They may be the most common bird, but every Robin is a welcome sight against the blue sky:
The well-groomed and handsome Cedar Waxwing, always camera ready:
True to their name, the Yellow-headed Blackbird on a cattail:
The female Red-Winged Blackbird. Nature endows with different features:
Up in the sky, an Osprey is busy transporting his building materials:
And a touring group of Pelicans, looking for my Air BnB?
More to come.
***
It has been three weeks since I last posted about a first sign of spring: Grizzly bear coming out of hibernation. Now, spring is in full force. Another sure sign in my neck of the woods is Great Horned Owlets out to enjoy the sunshine.
First, let me play a little ‘Where’s Waldo’ with you. Can you find the owls in this photo? How many do you see?
The obvious ones are on the top branch, mom on the right with her baby, and in the lower, closer to the trunk, another owlet.
Some are just born to be more independent. Take a closer look at this cool, furry owl baby perching on her own branch. Seeing me eagerly snapping her photo, she sits still for me, giving me a big smile even:
She reminds me of those Ukrainian dolls.
But don’t think she’s all innocent and vulnerable, look at her claws:
And to the mother and the other baby in the upper branch, again, they know how to please us nature paparazzi, just by being themselves:
And here, a little action for us, Mom preening her baby. The term of endearment is instinct:
I can hear the baby say: “Thanks Mom. Happy Mother’s Day!”
***
You may have roses in your garden but we still have the remnant of winter. And in Lake Louise, about 58 km (36 mi) from Banff National Park, it is still winter in full swing. This photo was taken just a few days ago:
People were walking out into the frozen lake, with the glacier in the backdrop.
A snowy but cheery welcome:
40 mins. drive south to Banff, it’s much warmer, and spring has arrived. The best sign is when you see a grizzly bear coming out of hibernation. See her?
When I first spotted the bear, I was going to quietly walk away until I was told a group of people were already there, well protected and with a park ranger interpreting her every move. So I gladly joined them:
The ranger told us that was a five year-old she bear, officially known as Bear #148, just out of hibernation a week ago. Later I found she had been in the news for trailing a woman walking her dog a bit too close for comfort.
Here she is, still in good shape after a long hibernation:
I slipped away quietly when she got just a bit too close. What’s the first thing you’d wish for after a long, deep sleep? A hearty breakfast of course.
What an exciting herald of spring.
***
After I came back from London in mid October, the Pond already looked deserted. Suddenly in the last few days my Air (Avian) B&B was buzzing with activities again. The Pond had become the meeting place of waterfowls making their last stop before heading south.
Here are some of them on a sunny, cheery afternoon. So glad to see signs of life before the big chill. Forecast for next week’s lowest temperature: -24C (-11F).
Pardon me for not showing my regulars the Mallards, but it’s the infrequent guests that I treasure more; although still ‘common’, there are just less of them than Mallards. Here are the Buffleheads. Like they’re right out of a Monet painting. No colour alteration here:
My favourite has to be Mrs. Merganser. No matter what time of day, she looks like Lucille Ball just out of bed. Her uncombed, red hair stands out particularly:
Up in the sky, more Canada Geese getting ready to land on the Pond, joining the late Autumn sendoff party:
Less convivial on land, I’m afraid. Why, it’s all brown and barren. The white-tailed deer filling up in the evening sun. Yes, it looks desolate. Dry shrubs are all that’s left for food.
And -20’s C. next week? Good time to tackle the piles of books on my bedside table.
***
Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. CLICK HERE to see what others have posted.
So this is what a film buff and birder did at TIFF… she took a day off from films and headed out to Nature.
The Cootes Paradise Marsh Nature Sanctuary in Burlington’s Royal Botanical Gardens is about a 45-minute drive southwest of Toronto. Hiking the trails there was total relief from pounding the pavement between TIFF venues. I immersed in the silence of the Nature Sanctuary, with bird calls and sounds of crickets replacing the hustle and bustle of downtown traffic.
First off, there were many birds, but mostly Chickadees. The Bluejay I see often in Alberta, but not among maple leaves:
Indeed, the leaves are so different from what I’m used to seeing. Like these here. Never seen leaves wearing sunglasses before:
Seldom see frogs on my path either. Nearly stepped on this little guy:
Or a mushroom this fancy:
I just love how well planned these trails are, so considerate in their design:
See the upper left corner of the above picture… A colony of cormorants:
As I came close to the edge of the water, I felt like I’d gone inside a corn maze:
The observation tower at the end offered a panoramic view of the marsh, but not my camera though. So here they are in different frames:
It’s here that I had my first sighting of the Great Egret:
And a Mute Swan with her young, which were brownish but almost as large as the adult:
As I made my way back I walked through fields of goldenrods, that was quite a sight:
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Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. CLICK HERE to see what others have posted.
What is a film buff, avid birder, and nature lover going to do in Toronto during TIFF, torn between so many attractions?
Well, one has to stay grounded first. So here’s the establishing shot. Indeed, it’s Toronto. And a memorable date it was when I took this photo of the early morning cityscape. My computer told me it was Sept. 11, 2016, at 6:38 am:
I was fortunate to be able to shoot these pics from a high-rise building with magnificent views. Here let me call this one Urban Canadian Sunrise. Yes, see the flag in the foreground? Can’t say it’s just another city:
And from the balcony above looking down, my birding instinct was gratified as I made my first sighting of a Mute Swan taking in the early morning air:
A stone-throw away was a park where I made this other first-time encounter. I had no clue what it was until I looked it up in a bird book after I’d come back home:
Know what it is? A Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron.
Several other first time sightings awaited me as I went on the ‘Marshwalk’ at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington, 57 km (35 mi) southwest of Toronto a few days later. The Great Egret and some juvenile (brownish colour) mute swans:
Yes, TIFF16 was a cinephile fantasy. And the people there were overflowing with enthusiasm to make your visit memorable:
More posts coming up on that main event.
I don’t have to wait four years for another Olympics. A couple of days ago I caught sight of these Nature’s Athletes. From afar I could tell they were members of Team Pelican.
The Pelicans are a gregarious lot, their talents innate, every move graceful. They display their elegant team work in Nature’s open arena, effortless, in sync with each other. Here they are, full of bubbly camaraderie:
Remember a previous post where I saw them in the air, like squadrons of fighter jets; in the water, they form a tight-knit configuration as well. With that formation, they cooperate to surround fish in the water, scooping them into their pouches:
What a beautiful idea: communal feeding. What you see here are snapshots. What I remember is a long video. I must have been there watching and snapping away for over a half hour:
Elegant synchronized swimmers in perfect harmony. Kudos to their Coach.
Look at their sheer size in comparison to the gull behind them.
Sometimes you can get tangled up with minor mishaps. Wait up, guys, I’m a little stuck here:
No worries. We’re Team Pelican. All for one and one for all; our bills as swords to pledge.
***
Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. CLICK HERE to see what others have posted.
I know my Air B&B (note the purposely altered name) is popular, with free meals, a pool, and all the natural amenities, but I’d never expected an aerial traffic jam with everyone arriving at the same time.
At first they looked like confetti in the sky from afar. Without a wide-angle lens I could only capture a section. Just imagine multiples of these:
With no reservations, I wasn’t expecting them or knew who they were. But I could tell they weren’t gulls. As they came closer, they turned into squadrons of fighter planes:
By now, I could see clearly – American White Pelicans, interestingly, converging from opposite directions:
No reservations? No problem. Welcome you all!
Just make sure you leave a good review. And please make reservation next time.
***
Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. CLICK HERE to see what others have posted.
It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world.
I’d never imagine myself typing these words other than the title of the 1963 comedy. Tragedy instead, and very real, not in a movie. What’s happening these past days can drive one to despair. I’m not just thinking about the celebratory crowd mowed down by a truck, family with children watching fireworks. Or here, a mother murdered in her own home, her five year-old girl missing and three days late, her body found in a field. O, a national anthem and a peaceful baseball game jeopardized by a lone-wolf tenor. Or, a U.S. presidential candidate vowing to declare war once he’s elected.
That’s why I appreciate the Pond more and more these days. Not just to take me away from screens big and small, get some fresh air, breathe in the sight and sound of another world. No need for words, it’s a living testament of Nature reassuring the Maker’s Grace, antidote of madness. Not so much a place to escape but to think, revive, and just be.
Peace returns soon as I step out of the car. How does that song go? All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small. I love them all, well some more than others. Like, I’m partial to the tiny yellow warbler than the muskrat:
I’ve pictures of the muskrat too, but never mind.
The quiet poise of the Eastern Kingbird. Got a juvenile here, I think, from the downy front. Such a tiny creature unknowingly is a carrier of a reaffirming message:
Yes, even the ‘common’ sparrow (has a name too, Savannah) looks smart and confident. O the comfort of neither having to reap or sow, of being cared for:
Or no need to worry what to put on. The Cedar Waxwing is often adorned and well groomed, ready for any photo op., yet raising no jealousy:
It’s a peaceful world out here by the Pond. Another song just come to mind…
And let it begin with us.
***
Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Metro Mommy Reads. CLICK HERE to see what others have posted.
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