Fresh Air Photos can sneak up on you, sometimes evolving before your very eyes. Arlene includes the darkened sidewalk, as the sky started to show off the sweeping and beautiful clouds: “April 3rd sunrise as I was walking to Stadium Station. I checked the time it was exactly 6:52“.
DID YOU KNOW? On April 3rd the officialsunrise time was 7:01am – 9 minutes after Arlene snapped this shot. The best time to capture the waking sky is before the sun peeks over the horizon. Dawn (and dusk) provides incredible ambient lighting in shades of gold, rose, orange, and if there is moisture in the air you might even see fog or mist. Get creative! Think of objects that would look cool and different in these lighting conditions like trees in a silhouette. Once the sun comes up, it will erase those subtle shades.
START YOUR (AND OUR ) DAY OFF RIGHT! FRESH AIR PHOTOS AIR EACH MORNING ON BT AND ARE FEATURED ON THIS BLOG. GET OUT THERE – SNAP AND SEND.
Incredible! Yvonne thought so too, enough to engage on a safari of sorts for these Sandhill Cranes. Read on! “Not far from Slave Lake we saw these 2 birds, so unique that I just “had” to get a picture. I actually ran after them on the opposide side of the road for about 3 kms just to get this one shot but it was such FUN. They are so shy so only allowed me one shot! It is an honour to share them with other viewers. I told my husband “BT will will appreciate the photo — LOL!!!” Do we “ever” Yvonne, thanks!!
DID YOU KNOW?Sandhill Cranes are as fascinating in the air as on the ground. They are graceful giants with a slow downstroke, but a rapid and jerky upstroke. In flight they form a V or a straight line. West central Alberta provides great nesting sites because of the abundance of isolated marshes and bogs that are hidden by trees. And as Yvonne witnessed – it’s common to see them in family groups taking walks through open pasture areas. When you see a group of cranes you can refer to them in many ways including: a “construction“, “dance”, “sedge“, “siege”, and “swoop“.
DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT! WE’RE TALKING ABOUT YOUR CAMERA OF COURSE. SNAP AND SEND, THEN SIT BACK AND COLLECT THE COMPLIMENTS WHEN YOUR PHOTO AIRS ON BT AND IS FEATURED ON THIS BLOG.
Quite the creative close up! Jennifer is behind the lens: “I took this in my backyard after a heavy wet snowfall in late April. My fuji camera is waterproof, freezeproof and lets me get really close without worrying about the elements. I managed to capture the trasnsormation of snow into water droplets”.
DID YOU KNOW? Some days, we can see snow melting right before our very eyes. Warm air and the warmth of the sun are the primary factors that turn the white stuff into water. But the wind, the speed of the wind, and the temperature of the wind also play a huge part in melting snow. Those who live in southern Alberta know that all too well! You may have heard of Chinook winds. The origin of the word Chinook comes from our First Nations People – it means “Snow Eater” - the snow literally evaporates in the dry wind. And talk about a warm up! Chinook winds have pushed a temperature from −20 °C to PLUS 10°C in just a few hours.
THERE ARE SO MANY TREASURES WAITING TO BE DISCOVERED – AND YOU ONLY HAVE TO GO AS FAR AS YOUR BACKYARD. UPLOAD YOUR PHOTO TODAY, SEE IT ON BT AND THIS BLOG – TOMORROW!
Every month, I get to do one of my favorite things!
Deliver the Golden Apple award to the most deserving teachers in Edmonton and area! This month, the kids of Laurier Heights 5/6 french immersion class had so much energy and great things to say about their Madame Maine, that I had to post it for everyone to see.
If you missed the Golden Apple live ~ click here to watch it on line or…Below is the exclusive video on how the kids really feel about Madame Maines… teaching style!
If you are bored, raise your hand. Can’t? Too busy trolling the Internet looking for post-election post-mortem? Looking for articles by pollsters trying to explain away what went wrong? It’s been a week since #abvote ended and well…it’s a little slow.
Don’t get me wrong; the negativity was overwhelming. The misinformation and visible hatred was horrific to watch. But, as much as I cursed the negativity and the drama, it was exhilarating and in a masochistic way… kind of fun. I know I am not the only one. I see you out there one week later…sharing articles. Writing blogs. Trashing your opposing political parties. You still have those twibbons on your twitter avatar and your party’s colours on your Facebook profile. You miss it too.
This was the (seemingly) closest race we have had in a while. After 41 years of the same government a lot of people and especially the media were looking for a change or even just a real horse race. I’ll let you in on a little secret…media like drama. Ok..not sure if that’s a secret. They like conflict. And they devour polls that..as we found out…that have no apparent basis in fact. Lest I forgot about 2008. Pollsters back then were also calling for a tight race. But the Liberals were the ones doing the heel nipping. Deep down I think the bulk of Albertans will never be able to vote in a Liberal government…not until all memories of the NEP are bred away. My husband tells the story of the last election…as the results came down in 2008. It was looking like another Tory majority. He heard a reporter yell out…”FUCK. I can’t believe it!” Was this reporter a NDP supporter? Did he have ties to the Liberals? He may have even voted for the the PC’s. Not sure..but odds are they were pissed because they wanted a change. Another story. Another challenge. Not the same old government. With the same old predictable characters.
Oh well…it is what it is. Now, election junkies will have to immerse themselves in the run off election in France. Or apparently according to pollsters the Federal Conservatives and the NDP are neck in neck in the latest polls. With Wilfred Laurier coming up not far behind. Wink.
Got to love nature!! George agrees, and most likely had a chuckle as he snapped this fantastic photo. “It was a sunny Sunday. A perfect occasion to spend the afternoon walking in the river valley with a close friend. I was lucky enough to spot these two ducks and get a shot at the perfect moment. Enjoy!”
DID YOU KNOW? On the left is the drake (male). The hen (female) is on the right. Mallard ducks are one of the most recognized of all the ducks … at least when they are ”on” the surface! What you see them doing above is “dabbling”. That’s how they eat – by tipping forward and grazing on the underwater plants just below the surface. They have little ’strainers’ along the edges of their bills and while their heads are under water, they open their mouth to take in and then strain out that water – keeping all the delicious bits of food. Look for Mallards on lakes, ponds, marshes, rivers – any wetlands natural or man made. According to Ducks Unlimited, Canada’s wetlands are vanishing. For more information – click to visit their website:
