Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Images from the past Fragile Elements exhibition and... Blessings.

 Alberta Tarsands Goose on display at the Art Gallery of St Albert March & April 2014.
A visual statement pertaining to the destruction of wildlife due corporate greed.

Explaining to a patron of the arts why I chose to build over 120 nests that no bird will ever nest in.  Our man-made plastics pollute. Plastic bags, fishing line, balloons bits, etc add many unnecessary deaths each year as well as desecrate our soil, waterways and air.

On a brighter note we went to check out the exhibition at the train station in St Albert at the Grain Elevator Museum, can you guess who's work is on display?
We had a wonderful tour by a young gentleman who works there, sorry no photos as I left my camera in the vehicle, this photo courtesy of my sweetie.


An etching I did some years back dedicated to a great Leader, Elder and teacher, Morris Crow. 
Blessing to his family. Blessing to this Earth for all the nourishing bounty she gives us. Blessing to  Water for liquid nourishment that sustaining us. Blessings to the Air for clearing our minds and lungs. Blessings to all our relatives, the animals of earth, the winged ones, the finned ones, and even the ones so tiny we cannot see, for all together we are community. All together we are related and connected to one another.
Blessings.
Blessings.
Blessings.


Saturday, June 21, 2014

New Adventures.

For the last three weeks I've been attending a program with my my dear husband whom graciously supports my endeavours wholeheartedly. I have to admit the program did not fulfill my expectations; nor did it fulfill what I considered to be their statement objective, but I've committed to continuing volunteer work and have met wonderful people along the way.

We've been enjoying photographing spring flowers in bloom along the Whitemud Ravine in Edmonton. The Whitemud is a special area of interest to me as a splinter of natural or as close to natural as possible within city limits as one can get.

Columbine

Goldeneye ducks nest and rear young in the Whitemud Nature Reserve.

Beautiful blossoms abound.

Canada Violet
Whereas the majority of Canada Violets have white on their petal face with purple on the backside of petals these violets are tinged with a pinkish mauve blush. I wonder if it has something to do with the soil they grow in. Where I find a purplish or pinkish violet I notice they tend to grow in a small patch about 3 feet diameter at the base of a tree. 

Wild Roses

Monday, June 9, 2014

Final Irricana post of birds and critters

Our final morning in Irricana produced a drizzly morning mist fog as in a surreal dreamscape, it was beautiful soft and grey, though slightly chilly and the birds were fluffed against the cool breeze that kept them grounded.
 The clay-colored sparrow sang no matter what the weather was doing, sporty bird he is.

 The chipping sparrow priceless expression makes me think he may be grumpy about the rain.

Wet Warbler in a soft rosy hued drizzle.

 During spring a lot of chase happens on ponds across the county as males defending their females chase off interlopers or chase their females.

 Shorebirds flight, take notice as there is a Phalarope amongst the smaller birds.

 On the drive home we take backroads and came across a large pond and as we had seen only one other vehicle on the highway we stopped for our lunch by the pond. It looks like Muskrat had the same idea.

We ate while listening to a froggie choir, nothing like dinner and a musical.

 American Robin, I love how the beak of the Robin turns a brilliant yellow for a short time in spring.

 Bees at the pussy-willows. Though there were plenty of bees at this clump of bushes I've seen very few in the City this year so far.

I leave off with another frog, isn't it beautiful.
May we all walk softly upon this earth and care for her in a gentle and kind way. All the beings, mammal, bird or bug are our relatives in the big circle of life. We are all community and must go back to relating as community for if one is endangered, we all are endangered.