Alberta Birds of Prey Centre

I stopped to visit the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale Alberta on the way to Nick and Colleen's.  This centre attempts to rehabilitate injured raptors and return them to the wild.  This was my third visit to the centre over the last 10 years, and it never ceases to impress me.  Many injured birds will never make it back to the wild and have become permanent residents. Over 100 others are released back to the wilds every year.  Quite a track record!

This first bird [next two pictures] is a Golden Eagle who was brought to the centre after having been shot.  He still has buckshot in his body and the disastrous outcome is that this bird is blind:  he must be hand fed daily and has no hope of ever going back to the wilds.  This majestic bird is often taken to schools and special events as ambassadors of the centre.  These two pictures are taken from behind the bird and shows the great flexibility these birds have to twist their heads almost a full circle.  Unlike humans and many other animals, these eagles have many bones in their neck to they can have a good look around!

As you can see, they have a beautiful pattern of feathers on their backs.

This next guy is the first bird brought to the centre almost 20 years ago.  The good care given at the centre has meant that this owl is much longer lived than he would have been in the wilds.  He's particularly tolerant of people so he visits many schools where he even allows kids to gently handle him including petting!  What a thrill that would be!  I think his name is Mr Boggle. 

These next two pictures are of another long term resident of the Centre.  He's a Bald Eagle who has also lived well beyond his expiry date...  What a wonderful place for these magnificent birds.  Here's a web site for more information:   www.burrowingowl.com  

 

These birds were all raptors; they're right up there on the food chain. They are all expert hunters with fantastic vision.  At the Centre, they are fed mice or chicken meat, or fish, or whatever they usually have in nature.  They have horrible breath, but are very efficient eaters.  When there's food available, they just gorge themselves, eating absolutely everything available when it's available.  I guess this is a hold-over from their days in nature where they might have to go a few days without food if the hunting is poor.  All in all, each visit to this Raptor Centre has been a valuable learning experience.  Hope you enjoyed it too!

Finally Internet in Medicine Hat Alberta

Don't pay the ransom, I'm fine!  

It turns out that the motel I chose on Saturday night didn't have Internet access; the sign on the highway said they did, the check-in clerk said they 'used to' and she apologized profusely.  It was late, raining, etc. etc. so I hit the sheets early.

Saturday's drive was into heavy winds most of the way around Lake Superior.  The sun peaked through for an hour or so and the traffic continued to be very light.  Non-existent at times!  

The picture below is from one of the look-offs, and you can see Lake Superior, and in the very middle you'll find the railway tracks.  The railway follows the lake's edge almost all the way so it's between the lake and the highway.  I met a chap who asked me when the next train might be expected.  Seems he took a picture from the very same spot 15 years ago and just loves it in spite of the picture being fuzzy so it can not be enlarged.  He wanted to repeat the picture with his digital camera and get it enlarged and framed.  We kind of agreed that there was a good chance that even the railway people might not know when the next train would pass by...

 

After an internet-free night just inside the Manitoba border, I drove into Winnipeg and Ema directed me to the 'English Gardens' at the Assiniboine Park.  Peter Cairns had taken me there when he and Chris lived in Winnipeg and a repeat visit was in order.  What would an English garden be without a mess of flowers in front of an Anne Hathaway Cottage look-alike?  I'm sure it's been 'done' a thousand times or more but here's my take.

A new thing for me was the mixing of greenhouse cactus plants with traditional annuals; quite a spectacular and unexpected display!

One of the cactus plants, a large everyday Jade, had a dragonfly just posing for the camera. 

Later on Sunday afternoon, I showed up at my nephew Michel and Heather's place in Portage La Prairie.  They were having friends over for a BBQ so a few hamburgers were added for me and a good time was had by all.

After an early departure for work on Monday, Michel returned for breakfast at 9, just after their son Pierre left for his summer job.  Pierre is just finishing high school and hasn't quite decided on a career just yet; he's very strong in science and maths so I'm sure he'll have no shortage of options.  

Michel had taken the rest of the day off so off we went to see the dunes nearby.  Heather had been there a few years ago but was shocked and disappointed at the growth of so much new vegetation.  I guess it's much like what happened to the Sandbanks Provincial Park in Prince Edward County.  It was hot, the walk was quite long, and the dunes were not the most exciting that I've seen, but these little flowers were struggling in the heavy winds and I thought they made an interesting statement.

Michel and Heather have made fabulous gardens in their yard.  Michel is the plant grower for a large local nursery, and Heather has created a wholesale and retail nursery that specializes in hosta plants as well as hanging baskets.  Their yard has become quite a showplace!

The first image was made while standing on their deck.  Had there been less wind, a red wine-in-hand would have completed the scene...

Here are two hosta plants at the foot of a red valley wagon that was part of the landscape when they moved in!

Here's another view of their house from the other side.  As you can see, the gardens are everywhere!  What a gorgeous showplace! 

So now it's Tuesday, I've passed two time zones since leaving home and  I'm in the local Fleabag motel in Medicine Hat, Alberta.  This place has seen better days but I imagine that even at its best, it wasn't much...  There's one light-bulb in the bathroom, and one more in the rest of the place...  By the time I got here, they had no more smoke-free rooms, so I made the big mistake of taking a smoking room.  What a stench, but that's another story.  But they do have Internet!

I should be in solid comfort at Nick and Colleen's tomorrow afternoon.

Ottawa to Wawa

Thought I'd keep the images ahead of the text so that you have time to figure them out...

Left at 8 this morning, quit at 7:30, so it was a fairly long day.  The road was fine, the traffic much less than usual. Had a little slow down in North Bay, which is usual, and there was very little construction so it was generally clear sailing.  It was very windy along the North shore of Lake Superior and there was a little rain, otherwise it was just misty.

According to Ema, I travelled 1022 km; stopped for 33 minutes and drove 11 hours and 6 minutes.  That's an average speed of 92 kmh which is pretty good when you consider that the speed limit is mostly 90 with some places at 100 thrown in here and there.

Most of the trip has beautiful scenery which doesn't necessarily mean nice pictures, but that's another story...

I turned off the highway to go to 'down-town' Wawa, population around 3000, to turn- in for the day.  The town is suffering: I saw at least four motels for sale, and twice as many restaurants either boarded up, or for sale.  Not a good thing.  

What I did see which I thought was very neat was a 'doors for grandma' event.  It seems that grade 6 kids were given a door  to decorate on one side with notes, pictures, or what-have-you about a special person in their life.  A second kid would do the reverse side of the door, then all the doors were installed along the main drag.  The first picture above is taken from the motel parking lot, looking out along the street.  The second picture is taken from the road edge and includes the motel sign [where I'm staying].  I don't know how many doors there are, but they line both sides of the street for five or more blocks.  It's quite impressive and I hope you get  reasonable idea of their efforts.  What a neat idea!