Canadian Geese

** photos taken in June 2013

Lulu and I spent the week after my parents' 60th anniversary visiting in Saskatchewan.  The following weekend, Lulu and I travelled to Regina with my parents to a reunion on my maternal grandmother's side and to meet relatives visiting from England.

While we were there, we visited the Legislative grounds and saw the Canadian Geese.

There are geese that stay in Regina all year long and no longer migrate.  There is a warm inlet on Wascana Lake that doesn't freeze all winter.

Lulu had to stay in the car while I was taking photos of the geese because there were a number of very large dogs around and I didn't want to take any chances.

The geese seemed to have set up babysitters (gosling-sitters?) because most of the adults were on the lake-side on the road and the young ones were on the tree-side of the road.

Oops!  These guys stopped traffic while they crossed to be with the others.

The goslings were all the same size except for one.  Can you see him in the crowd?

There he is bringing up the rear.

Here are a couple adults near the lake.

For some reason, none of them were in the water.  Everyone was on dry land.

Rocky Mountains Goats

We saw these scruffy goats outside of Jasper, AB shedding their winter coats.

 

The Mountain Goat



 



 

Nobody knows the heart
of the mountain goat
as he leaps
from crag to crag
over distant stones.

 





But I tell you
he leaps in joy,
his back curving
in white ecstasy
against the black rocks.



He lives far
from where the heart
is too heavy to leap
and falls to a broken death
on stony ground.

 

by Rory Hudson

Porky in the Tree

I saw this porcupine near Elk Island Park, Alberta and snapped a few shots.  It didn't like getting its photo taken and kept turning away so I had many shot of the back of the porcupine.  I persevered and got a few to include with this poem.  Enjoy!  ;)

 

 

How to Pet a Porcupine?

 

 

How do you pet a porcupine?

 With that hair a fright?

 

 How do you pet a porcupine?

 

 Without a painful bite.

 

 How do you pet those needles?

 

 Without your hand going through it.

 

 The answer is quite simple…

 

Get your sister to do it.

 

 

By Evan James Griffin

The Chickadee

When I was visiting my sister-in-law, Barb at her acreage outside Edmonton, AB we were able to hand feed the chickadees.  Here are some pictures and a poem about the sweet little birds.

 

 

 

 

THE CHICKADEE

 

Just out of doors, beyond the pane,

He flits from twig to twig, his air

A jaunty grace, yet, apt to deign

A visit of the morning fair,

He calls to me,

Chick-a-dee-dee-dee !
 

And blithe all wintry days is he.


 

His garb is plain, his sable cap

Fits to his skull, and all his mien

Bespeaks his mind that scorns the lap

Of plenty, while full oft, I ween,

He laughs at me,

Chick-a-dee-dee-dee !

He loves life's care to spurn and flee.



 

Light little vagrant of the sky,

He fears not want nor heeds the cold,

Yet through his pranks he casts an eye

Within betimes — so slight yet bold —

And chirps to me,

Chick-a-dee- dee- dee !

Please, sir, a crumb! and wins his plea.

 

 

by C. C. Lord


 

Watch for the Second Deer

On my last trip to Rocky Mountain House, AB, Barry told me about his foreman at a safety meeting talking about deer on the highway.  They have numerous deer in that area.  The foreman said, "If you see a deer on the road or in the ditch, slow down and watch for the second one."

I hadn't known this before but it stuck in my head.  Thankfully.  This trip I slowed down for over half a dozen different pairs of deer.  If I had not heard that saying, I may have hit the second one crossing the road on several of the occasions.  They do seem to travel in pairs and have trouble deciding what they want to do.  One may cross and the other stands for a bit before deciding to join the first.  Or they stand on either side of the road until one decides to make the move to the other side.

Plus, keeping a lookout for deer, made me more alert and I was lucky to react quickly enough to miss a moose that had decided to cross.  Now that would have been messy because they are huge!  It stumbled up out of the ditch and stood on the road for a few seconds before lurching off to the other side.  Not enough time to snap a pic but long enough for me to have to come to a complete stop.  Whew!  Too close!

So a warning to travellers driving through the foothills or in areas where there is bush growing near the highway whether travelling at dusk or on cloudy days - Watch for the second deer! It may save its life and your vehicle! 

Spiders In My Yard

 

I have seen a variety of large spiders creeping around my buildings this year.   

 



 

Spider Webs

The spider weaves a sticky web
To capture bugs to eat.

What keeps the spider's sticky web
From sticking to her feet?

 

Spider webs are very tricky
Because not all the strands are sticky.

 

Unlike the passing hapless fly,
The spider knows which strands are dry.

 

But if she accidentally stands
Upon one of the sticky strands,

She still would not get stuck, you see--
Her oily body slides off free.

 

by Amy Goldman Koss

 

 



Big Horn Sheep

I was on the road between Lillooet and Lytton earlier this summer when I noticed the sheep on the rocks near the road.

They were very calm and the traffic did not bother them at all.

I was able to pull over and snap a bunch of pics and thought I would share them with you.

Aren't those a lovely set of horns!

Sheep on two levels.  They were amazing to watch climbing all over the rocks and ledges.

Here one decided to cross the road and went down the steep slope there possibly for a drink of water at the river.

Some of these pics look as if the sheep posed for me.

Off he goes to check something out.

Checking out the view.

Another great pose!

I was able to catch one short sequence of him climbing down.

Back again where he started.