Finally, I got out for a drive yesterday, 28 November 2023; only the second time I have been anywhere in the whole month of November. October was the same, with just two outings. My main reason for going yesterday was that I really wanted to take a few photos of the snowy mountain peaks in Kananaskis, and that from 1 December till next spring, the main part of the highway through Kananaskis is closed.
The weather was beautiful, blue sky, not a single snowflake was falling. Apart from a few short stretches where there was a thin covering of snow and ice, the road was bare. Unfortunately, my eyes cannot take the glaring sun, so my drive was just long enough to get to a couple of locations that I always photograph when I go to this wonderful mountain area, SW of Calgary.
Another reason for wanting to get back to the city in time was that my favourite specialty take-out food place (Forage Foods) had such a delicious meal on yesterday's menu. "Tourtiere made with @broekporkacres pork is unbelievably good (iykyk). Today we are serving it with scalloped @eagle_creek_farm potatoes and roasted root vegetables with @brassicamustard. A side salad with our signature hickory smoked candied pecans, and @rustyroosterorchard apples. And some of our housemade Quebec red tomato ketchup." Who could resist? I think it was the first time I had ever had Tourtiere, and the whole meal was delicious. Getting there and back home would normally add on an extra hour. However, there was car accident on busy Crowchild Trail, causing an endless traffic jam from 33rd Ave. to Glenmore Trail, that took forever.
Usually, when I make this drive to the mountains, there is very little traffic. Yesterday, I knew that a few people would be out there, which is kind of comforting to know, just in case my car gets stuck somewhere. I was still surprised at how few cars I saw. The whole drive was almost deserted. A strange feeling on such a beautiful, sunny day.
When I reached my destination, a few people were just returning to the parking lot. I asked someone who was just about to climb into his car, had they seen any White-tailed Ptarmigan? For a few years, this had been such a good place to see these beautiful, pure white birds with little black, beady eyes. Last winter, I didn't see any reports of any being seen. I was told that 'zillions' of tracks had been seen, but that not a single bird was anywhere to be found. Makes me so thankful to have seen them several winters.
The only birds I saw on my drive was some kind of hawk on a very distant perch on my drive out there - too far away for a photo - and a tiny bird that suddenly flew up from the road and disappeared from sight. No idea what it was.
Felt so good to actually get out. The weather has been amazingly mild and sunny for quite a while now, apart from a couple of snowfalls, instead of everywhere being covered in snow and ice. What a difference it makes!
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