Yesterday, 29 September 2018, I collected my fixed computer after having a virus and malware installed on it when my computer was hacked more than a week ago. I have all sorts of photos to go through and edit from the past week.
This photo is from 25 September, when the weather forecast finally looked a little more promising. We have had so many gloomy, rainy days and when I woke up that morning and saw that the sun was shining, I knew I had better get out to the mountains before the fall colours disappeared. It was almost 11:00 am before I left home, so I was limited time-wise, but still managed to get to my destination. This Raven was one of several along a gravel back road.
I have a very early start to today, and will be away from my computer till early this evening. Forecast is for snow : (
Tags: Alberta Canada SW of Calgary on the way to Kananaskis nature ornithology avian bird Raven Common Raven
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Today, 1 October 2018, we are under a Special Weather Statement. A heavy snowfall is likely for parts of western Alberta this week. This morning, it is -2C (windchill -6C) with freezing drizzle in the morning with a few flurries this afternoon. I think the normal temperature for 1 October is around 15C, so we are well below average. Snow tonight, which means I am getting my snow tires put on (tomorrow) one day too late.
"The start of October will look more like the middle of winter across much of southern Alberta this week, as cold air and snow feature prominently in the forecast. After what have already been record-breaking amounts so far this year, more snowfall is on the way for parts of the Prairies, as Arctic air pours down from the north and Pacific moisture creeps over the Rockies. We're looking at the risk for some significant totals this week." From the Weather Network.
This photo is from 25 September 2018, when the weather forecast finally looked a little more promising. We have had so many gloomy, rainy days and when I woke up that morning and saw that the sun was shining, I knew I had better get out to the mountains before the fall colours disappeared. It was almost 11:00 am before I left home, so I was limited time-wise, but still managed to get to my destination. I had taken my computer to be fixed the previous day, to clear a virus and malware after being hacked, so I had more time to get out with my camera.
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Fall began just 10 days ago but "winter" arrived this morning, 2 October! Maybe five or six inches of the white stuff so far. I have an appointment this afternoon to go and get my snow tires put on - the snow beat me by just a few hours. Our temperature is -3C (windchill -7C) and we are under a Snowfall Warning.
On 28 August 2018, I drove SW of the city to Highway 40 and through Kananaskis. Almost a month later, on 25 September 2018, I did part of the drive again on the spur of the moment, after waking up and seeing sunshine, which seems to happen so rarely these days. I thought this might just be my last chance to see fall colours and, if I was lucky, a little Pika.
A good thing I did go, now that snow has arrived. Sometimes, one is out of luck, but I was able to get a few Pika photos, mainly more distant shots. It was a relief to find that there was no snow on the ground, as walking on a talus slope that is also covered in snow and ice is really treacherous.
These little Pikas/Rock Rabbits are only 6-9 inches long and are usually seen far away, running back and forth over the massive scree (talus) mountain slope that they call home. Very occasionally, one happens to come a bit closer, usually for just a quick moment.
"The American Pika is a generalist herbivore. It eats a large variety of green plants, including different kinds of grasses, sedges, thistles and fireweed. Although pikas can meet their water demands from the vegetation they eat, they do drink water if it is available in their environment. Pikas have two different ways of foraging: they directly consume food (feeding) or they cache food in haypiles to use for a food source in the winter (haying). The pika feeds throughout the year while haying is limited to the summer months. Since they do not hibernate, pikas have greater energy demands than other montane mammals. In addition, they also make 13 trips per hour to collect vegetation when haying, up to a little over 100 trips per day." From Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_pika
A couple of short YouTube videos in case anyone wants to hear and see these absolutely cute creatures:
youtu.be/OQ2IgcjVIfc
youtu.be/US_Hy_eGPtg
Tags: Alberta Canada Kananaskis K-Country Rocky Mountains Canadian Rockies nature wildlife animal wild wild animal mammal Pika American Pika Ochonta princeps Lagomorpha Ochotonidae Ochonta 6-9 inches long front view native rock lichens scree talus rock glacier cold climates resting for a few seconds outdoor fall autumn 25 September 2018 Nikon P900 Nikon P900 Coolpix annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2018 © All Rights Reserved
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This morning, 3 October 2018, I woke up to blue sky and glorious sunshine - and a temperature of -6C and many inches of snow! Calgary was hit with a huge snowfall yesterday, which continued overnight. It caused chaos in the city and endless accidents. Fortunately, I only had to drive close to home - for an appointment to get my snow tires put on, ha.
"Wednesday, October 3, 2018, 8:30 AM -The snow is gradually easing across Alberta, but Tuesday's significant and record breaking WALLOP has certainly left its mark on the region. Calgary ground to a halt after nearly 40 cm of snow hammered the city, prompting appeals to neighbouring cities -- and as far away as Edmonton -- for additional snow removal equipment. This unusually cold pattern however, is set to last through the first half of October, meaning these massive mounds of snow aren't likely to go anywhere .... Police say there were over 250 collisions reported in the city of Calgary alone between 11 pm on Monday and 3:30 pm on Tuesday. " From the Weather Network.
This photo is from 25 September 2018, when the weather forecast finally looked a little more promising. We have had so many gloomy, rainy days and when I woke up that morning and saw that the sun was shining, I knew I had better get out to the mountains before the fall colours disappeared. It was almost 11:00 am before I left home, so I was limited time-wise, but still managed to get to my destination. I had taken my computer to be fixed the previous day, to clear a virus and malware after being hacked, so I had more time to get out with my camera.
I thought this might just be my last chance to see fall colours and, if I was lucky, a little Pika. Luck was on my side and I saw both. How lucky we are to live so close to such magnificent scenery!
Tags: Alberta Canada Kananaskis K-Country Rocky Mountains Canadian Rockies nature landscape scenery mountain mountainside mountain slope peak ridge rock above the tree line erosion geology folds snow tree forest sky cloud outdoor fall autumn 25 September 2018 Nikon P900 Nikon P900 Coolpix annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2018 © All Rights Reserved
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HAPPY snowy CANADIAN THANKSGIVING!
After a couple of fairly sunny days, we are back to another snowfall this morning, 8 October 2018. Our first major snowstorm blew in at the beginning of October and now here comes the second one. I wonder if we will end up getting fall or if we are more or less going straight from summer to winter. Our temperature this morning is -2C (windchill -8C) - the norm is around 15C and we have been way below average for weeks now. Not to mention all the rain we have had.
This photo is from 25 September 2018, when the weather forecast finally looked a little more promising. We have had so many gloomy, rainy days and when I woke up that morning and saw that the sun was shining, I knew I had better get out to the mountains before the fall colours disappeared. It was almost 11:00 am before I left home, so I was limited time-wise, but still managed to get to my destination. I had taken my computer to be fixed the previous day, to clear a virus and malware after being hacked, so I had more time to get out with my camera.
I thought this might just be my last chance to see fall colours and, if I was lucky, a little Pika. Luck was on my side and I saw both. Getting photos of the little Pika required an awful lot of patience : ) A few days later, our first snowstorm arrived, bringing as much as 60 cm of snow to Kananaskis and about 38 cm to our city. How lucky we are to live so close to such magnificent scenery!
Tags: Alberta Canada on the way to Kananaskis K-Country Rocky Mountains Canadian Rockies nature scenery landscape mountain mountains hill foothills road backroad breathtaking hilly farm fields fence tree trees barn shed rural rural scene clouds outdoor fall autumn 25 September 2018 FZ200 FZ200#4 Panasonic Lumix annkelliott Anne Elliott © Anne Elliott 2018 © All Rights Reserved
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