Red-Tailed Hawk

The red-tailed hawk is interesting to watch. You often see them sitting on top of telephone poles or soaring high in the sky. We enjoyed watching this one high in the sky.

Hoodoos in the Badlands

The hoodoos outside of Drumheller, Alberta are an interesting part of the Badlands. Hoodoos are scattered throughout the Drumheller valley. We were able to visit the official protected Hoodoos site, which is now designated as a Provincial Historic Resource.  At this site, you are able to walk around the hoodoos without getting too close and causing damage to them. We hadn't seen them before, so this was a new experience for us.

 

The hoodoos are also known as fairy chimneys and earth pyramids. They are tall rock pillars made from soft sedimentary rock (sandstone) on the bottom part and capped or topped by a harder rock. This cap is more resistant to time and erosion and it protects the softer rock from eroding as fast as the rock that is surrounding it. Eventually, over time, 4 to 7 metre tall rock pillars the shape of mushrooms are created.

 

It sounds like the aboriginal peoples may have had different ideas about the hoodoos. Some thought they were petrified giants who came alive at night and threw rocks at people. Others thought they were giants who were turned to stone because of their evil deeds. Still others thought they were evil giant gods who were turned to stone by the Great Spirit.

 

The scenery in that area has such a different look than we see here in Ontario. The drive around Drumheller to the Hoodoos is very interesting.

Hoodoos. It's interesting looking at them and seeing how they have developed over the years. God has made an interesting world for us to look at and experience.

By faith we understand that the universe was created
by the Word of God, so that what is seen
was not made out of things that are visible.
Hebrews 11:3

Wapiti

At one time, elk (wapiti) were found across North America, but now are mostly found in western North America. By the late 1800's they were no longer in Ontario. However, in recent years, there have been shipments of elk from Elk Island National Park, Alberta, to areas in Ontario. The Bancroft North Hastings area received a herd in 1999/2000. This is the closest area to us, and even though we drive through this area many times a year, we have only seen them once.

This meant that I was quite interested in seeing some elk when we travelled west this fall. We were there during rutting season, and actually walked around in the Elk Island National Park for a bit ... and we still didn't see any there. I was glad we didn't see any when we were walking on the trails though.

When we were driving through Jasper, we were able to see this male (bull) on the side of the road. His herd was just down the road from him.

 

I was amazed at how close the people were to the elk, even though there were all kinds of warnings about getting too close and how dangerous it was, especially during rutting season when the bulls can be very aggressive. I felt much safer hiding behind our trailer and using my telephoto lens.

When we were at the BC Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, we were able to see another herd, and watch them up close.

We were able to see how aggressive the bull can be - "Thunder" definitely made sure his herd knew that he was in charge.

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I think the most fascinating one for me was the bull at Jasper. They are big - much bigger than deer. With the antlers, the bull can be 9 feet tall. I wouldn't want to meet one on a trail.

Another one of God's creatures for us to enjoy.

Grizzlies

We had the opportunity to visit the BC Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Kamloops, B.C. in our travels last month. Their focus is on rehabilitating animals that are brought in to the centre - orphans and injured animals. They have some animals that have not been able to be rehabilitated and are there permanently.

We found this very interesting, and one animal we really enjoyed watching was the grizzly. They have two, a brother and a sister, who were orphaned.

We don't have grizzlies in our area. The most notable difference in them from other bears is the hump on their back.

I know they can be fierce, but this next picture makes me think of a large teddy bear.

The people at the centre hide their food so that they have to hunt for it, much like they would in the wild.

One thing I didn't realize about them is that they climb trees very easily. Both of the bears climbed the trees.

Their claws are between 2 and 4 inches long - scary looking! I was glad there was a fence between them and us, especially when I saw how easily they pulled up rocks and logs when looking for their food.

 Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power;

for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.

Revelation 4:11

Enjoying the Fall Leaves

We took a camping trip from Ontario through to Vancouver Island this fall. Over the next few weeks, I will be posting some of the pictures from this trip. Canada is a beautiful country, and driving across it gives you the opportunity to see God's handiwork up close and personal.

As we came home, the leaves were changing, and since it is still fall, I thought I would post these pictures first.

Thankfulness for Families

We can be thankful to God for our families this Thanksgiving. I had the privilege of taking photos of this lovely family a couple of months ago. We did a photo shoot together a couple of years ago - they are a very easy family to work with, and it's interesting to see the changes in their children as they grow.

Stormy Weather

It seems we've had a lot of stormy weather this summer.  Although it isn't our favourite type of weather, the clouds are amazing to look at and can be interesting to photograph. Sometimes when you are driving, you don't know what the weather is going to do.

These next two photos were taken in Renfrew, Ontario. I liked the lighting on the buildings, so quickly got my camera and took the photos. The clouds looked more threatening than the storm actually became.

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1

Chinese Bellflower

Balloon flowers, otherwise known as Chinese Bellflowers, are fascinating to watch. They originate in Asia, especially China, which is why one of their names is Chinese Bellflower.

I have one small patch in my garden, and the patch is getting bigger each year. Sometimes they look purple, and sometimes they look more blue. 

They get the name balloon flower because the flower buds look like balloons. They eventually pop open and become star-shaped flowers.

The balloon flower is later blooming, so often I think that I've lost the plant when I'm cleaning in the spring. You have to be very careful not to dig it up or throw it out thinking that it is a weed.

I especially like looking at closeups of them. You see more detail than you can see with your own eyes, and they are beautiful.

Now therefore, our God,
we thank You, and praise Your glorious Name.
1 Chronicles 29:13

Ducks

We have a lot of ducks around our lake, and I enjoy taking photos of them. They have become very habituated so that it's easy to get up close enough to take photos. These are some of my favourites.

This next photo was taken a few years ago. The mother duck and her ducklings were walking along our beach, and I just happened to snap this one. It looks like the youngster is trying to copy its mother.

So God created ... every sort of bird ... and God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:21