freedom of chasing nature

Thank You!

A heartfelt Thank You for all your caring and kind comments, messages and emails!  Although they arrived from various provinces, or countries, and even continents, I felt the comfort as if they came from right next door. I am slowly but surely making progress with healing, yet still have a ways to go.  

Freedom!

Thirty hours before boarding a plane for two weeks in The Netherlands and Norway, my path in life took a turn in an unchosen direction.  Later that day, a few times for a few minutes, I mourned the loss of what would now not be.  Pretty quickly, I let go of what was not to be and unwantingly accepted this new journey I had been handed.  This path, in a sense, comes with a loss of freedom, yet I choose to acknowledge the freedoms I do have and find the best way to navigate this new journey.       

Chasing Nature!

Nature is nurturing as is watercolour painting!  I like to turn my "out & about" experiences into watercolour paintings.  The opposite is the case with this painting, I would like to experience what she is experiencing.  That won't be happening for me any time soon.   

This was close to it but far from it.

Yet many successes were accomplished here.

With loads of hours being at home on my hands, taking another online course through the Cornell Lab Bird Academy was just what the doctor ordered.  With a sale on learning all about Hummingbirds, I signed up, paid the price, took the course and received my completion certificate.  Now the Owls are calling out to me, as are the ducks and shorebirds.  I have the freedom to chase nature through these lessons and have success.

list of courses I took so far over the past few years

Journey!

To repeat, nature is nurturing as is watercolour painting and writing is too.  When I retired, my intentions were to get into creative writing.  I bought books and took lessons to help with the creative writing journey but time was never on my side for it.  Even when our world changed in 2020, the timing was not right to write.  Fast forward to these past couple of weeks and putting together a book was just what the doctor ordered.  The concept may have been born while I was on strong medication but I would like to believe my creativity took over from there.   The book arrived and I took a few photos from the twenty-four pages. 

the cover

inside back cover

back cover

All the paintings were made from photos I took, I added a little flare here and there. 

This was an enjoyable project and the distraction I needed.  

I am not sure when I will do another blog post.  Next steps are continued rest, attending appointments and letting my mind wander to the freedoms I do have for finding ways to chase nature along this journey.

Things Happen In Life!

 Life happened to me today! I cancelled my European trip! I will be laying low for the next while.

The Inglewood Bald Eagle UPDATE May 18, 2025

A very grey, dull, overcast, cloudy and at times showery morning, turned into a most beautiful morning! It was quiet bird-wise and people-wise being a long weekend and not so pleasant weather.  When the showers started, I debated whether to head on home but thought otherwise, a little rain won't hurt me.  I strolled along the backside of the Sanctuary stopping at an opening through the trees so I could see across the river. As I zoomed in on the Bald Eagle's nest across the river, I spotted unusual movement.  I leaned against a fence post to help with steadiness as I peered through my lens at full zoom.  I uttered a very loud ooohhh!  This is what I saw, Mom feeding her Eaglet!  I was so excited! I'm so proud for the parents!  I even felt emotional!  I showed the photo to another birder and he suggested the Eaglet is probably a day or two old.  I wish the family well and hope the Eaglet gets to live its best life!  

 

Good Morning!

 Good Morning!

Some of my favourite early mornings are when the sky becomes cheerful while the new day is dawning!  Watching the sky's shades shift, dance and blend together seems effortless. Mother Nature has rhythm!  Getting the watercolour paints to behave in the same manner when laid on paper to create this atmospheric sunrise scene was another story. Soaking the paper with water, brushing on very wet paint, holding the paper and moving it in different directions, then doing that again on top of what was already there is what it took to create the luminous sky and background.  The same was done for the bushes in the middle, the lake and for the foreground at bottom and right.  All of the above had to be done quite quickly. Once that was complete, it took some time to fully dry naturally.  Finally the trees, bullrushes, grasses, leaves and splatters came easily.  If a morning is moody in an atmospheric way like in my painting then I would definitely declare it a "Good Morning"! 

a "Good Morning" at Nose Hill

Crocus season has passed and now the hills are alive with carpets of yellow! The morning offered up the most perfect weather paired with little surprises here and there, for me and for what I shared the area with.  I covered roughly ten kilometres and these Shooting Stars were the only ones I saw.  Never before have I been able to get so close to Grey Partridges. I believe I surprised them! As I got within five feet they suddenly flew off. The coyote was slowly sauntering along. I may have surprised it because it sped off once it spotted me. In the peace of the morning, this White-crowned Sparrow was a sweet surprise for me! Receiving these surprises plus many more, I would definitely have to declare it a "Good Morning"!

a "Good Morning" at Dale Hodges Park

I needed to take care of an errand close by this park this morning so incorporated a visit for beforehand.  It's a good thing the errand was not for a specific time because I lost track of time getting caught up in all the sights and sounds.  The ponds and waterways were full to the brim.  The vegetation was blooming and vibrant.  I have never seen as many Red-winged Blackbirds as I did this morning.  While they were so vocally loud, the Osprey sat so quietly in her nest. The Yellow-headed Blackbirds regularly belted out  breaking any kind of sweet silence there may have been. Hold your head high little gosling!  A "lifer" for me this morning was spotting this Marsh Wren.  With so much to see causing me to loose track of time,  I would definitely have to declare it a "Good Morning"!

a "Good Morning" at Inglewood

All the local parks are full of life of all kinds these days! Greens are becoming greener and trees are filling out. Wildlife are busy bustling about. While I may be busy I am certainly not bustling. I would not want to miss a thing so that takes time and patience. I spotted this muskrat and smiled when I saw the stem on its snout instead of in its mouth.  The Swainson's Thrush blended in and I would have missed it if I was not slowly and methodically moving along.  Be patient I said, the House Wren will appear again, and it did.  The male House Finch shades are like a cheerful sunrise. Being in a place that felt so alive, I would definitely have to declare it a "Good Morning"!

Good Morning to you!

May 15, 2025 : You know what that means!

Today the gate opened allowing vehicles to drive deeper into the Elbow Valley along Route 66 and that's where Forgetmenot Pond is located.  But, you already know all about this if you have been a loyal follower of my blog because I post about this every year!  I marked my calendar so I would not forget to go to Forgetmenot Pond once the gate opens.  Once a bit of cloud cleared and some blue popped out, it was as beautiful a scene as usual!  

The early birds gave the feel of a Maritime Reunion!  I hoped to be first at The Pond but caught up to a vehicle ahead of me at the turn off before Powderface Trail.  I then noticed a vehicle behind me but it carried on past the parking lot. I parked further along in the lot from where the first vehicle parked.  We ended up meeting up along the trail.  We chatted and decided to carry on together into the forest section looking for birds and with hopes of seeing the Mustangs.  As we meandered along, she shared that she was from Prince Edward Island, I told her I was from Nova Scotia. The next person I spoke to was from New Brunswick who was in the car behind me on the way in!  We Maritimers from the three hour ahead Atlantic Time Zone know there is something about being well ahead of others.  

On the drive out it was showering off and on yet it stopped when I arrived at The Pond.  It was dull, grey, overcast yet atmospheric and moody.  My mind has been wondering to atmospheric and moody lately yet in a good way and it brings a smile to my face.  More about that in weeks to come.

When some clouds cleared, Forgetmenot Pond offered up that view that I love so much!

snow up there on Powderface Ridge

the low clouds danced

We worked our way to where I sometimes see the Mustangs.  

Upon arrival this is what we saw!

Then we saw her! She is expecting and is due any day now!

Then these two came along!

Another followed them!

But, no babies!  Although.....

.....there could be one in ten months!

When all the morning routine was accomplished, then came time to rest!

The birds were plentiful and singing such sweet songs! There were more than I ever saw in this area.  It definitely helped that the PEIslander is a birder and knows her birds!  A few times it was sensory overload for me trying to listen to all the songs and admire the scenery at the same time.  I captured lots of bird photos but the majority of them, this time around, were not the best.  I like lots of good lighting and that was not the name of the game this morning. 

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Solitary Sandpipers

Spotted Sandpiper

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

White-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

bath time in Forgetmenot Pond

When I saw the weather that was forecasted for this morning, I debated whether to head out this way, I am so glad I did.  Forgetmenot was everything I remembered it to be and it turned out being everything I hoped it would be and more, oh except for no baby Mustangs, at least not today!  

World Migratory Bird Day May 10, 2025

In recognition of World Migratory Bird Day, I created the above watercolour painting of a Black-capped Chickadee using a photo I took today as a reference. I picked the Chickadee to paint because this sweet little bird is the Official Bird of Calgary.  Calgary was one of the first cities in Canada to be declared a Bird Friendly City back in 2022.  To be a Bird Friendly City, the city has to have an official bird.  For the month of April in 2022, the city held a public vote to pick a bird.  The candidates were: Black-capped Chickadee, Black-billed Magpie, Northern Flicker, Blue Jay, Red-Breasted Nuthatch.  The Chickadee won by a landslide with 44% of the votes and that included my vote.  On May 14th of that year which was World Migratory Bird Day, the winner was announced.  World Migratory Bird Day is celebrated on the 2nd Saturday of May in Canada and the United States and on the second Saturday of October in Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

Today I spent three hours birding at Carburn Park and covered eleven kilometres.  I arrived to this colourful sight with hopes of seeing many other colourful sights.  It was warm already with not even a breeze.  I could here songs and squabbles too.  It was time to hit the trails alongside the ponds and into the forest then down by the river. I have included the majority of species I saw. 

two of ten Mallard Ducklings

one of two Red-necked Grebes building a nest

Yellow Warbler

Red-tailed Hawk

Spotted Sandpiper

White-breasted Nuthatch

male Wood Duck

female Common Goldeneye

two American White Pelicans

male House Finch

Horned Grebes

Tree Swallow

Savannah Sparrow

Lincoln's Sparrow

Bald Eagle

This is the Carburn Bald Eagle watching towards the nest.

I could not see if the other Eagle was in the nest.

Canada Geese still in the nest high in the tree.

This is the photo I took of the Black-capped Chickadee which I used as a reference for the painting.  

Seeing all of the above species, plus others that I did not include, seems fitting for World Migratory Bird Day. Many people were out and about at the Park on this beautiful day. I chatted with a few, sharing sights we saw and where we saw them.  It's a day like this when I am excited to look on eBird and see what others saw at the same location and other locations.  Chick-a-dee-dee-dee-dee what a day-day-day-day!