Inglewood Bird Sanctuary April 16, 2023

In the back of my mind I booked Sunday morning off to hang out at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary.  Sunday is go there day for me because I prefer less traffic on the Indy 500 (Deerfoot) and construction at the Sanctuary is scaled back for the day.  It has been weeks since I was there and the sites I follow showed it is becoming a happening place.  I arrived shortly after sunrise to finally see all the trails clear of ice and snow.  Snow and ice still remained on the Lagoon and in the forest.   

wide open beauty

From the second I arrived to the second I departed, the birds and ducks, deer and ground squirrels were busy as bees.  The Sanctuary was filled with songs of all sorts with not a second of peace nor quiet.  That's what you want here!   Yes, it definitely was a happening place with all the flirting, mating, feasting and nest building.

The Wood Ducks are back and were a popular sight for all the birders.  I watched them for a while but not near as long as the time others invested in admiring them.  I wondered was I missing something!  The same birders plus more were in the same spot doing the same thing an hour later when I returned back to that area.  

The Bald Eagle was my first sighting of the morning as it perched on top of the biggest tree as you arrive at The Lagoon.  The Gulls were pestering it and it moved along to various tree tops to escape them.  

Time came to cross the bridge and I did so with caution.  The two Canada Geese were guarding an area close by.  From experience when a similar situation was presented where one Goose nipped at my sister's leg, I knew I was taking my chances with the crossing.  I put my hood up and my head down then motored across to the other side.  They stayed where they were but with their heads down and forward, they hissed as I passed.

There were lots of entertaining moments put on by the ducks .  That means it is spring!   

It was a very fulfilling few hours at The Sanctuary today.  The population will only increase and with that will come a greater variety.  What I am not feeling fulfilled with these days is the fact I am not having much success with spotting a bountiful beauty of crocuses.  It has been a couple of days since I hunted them so will head out again soon.  Sighting reports have been minimal, others asking where are those wildflowers?  I said stayed tuned a few weeks ago and I will say it again now, Stay Tuned!

Hopelessly Devoted April 10, 2023

On March 21st, I ended my blog post with the words "Stay Tuned"!  Since that day, I have been hopelessly devoted to spying my first crocus of this new spring season.  I searched high and low each day except for three days last week when I was away.  Finally today it is time to tune back in, I spotted my first crocus, actually it was this bouquet! They were barely visible and it took getting down on the ground and being one with Mother Nature, clearing away some twigs then snapping this shot.  These crocuses are about one inch high and as you can see are just mere babies.  Now as each day passes, more and more will grace the grounds around with their beauty and I plan to be witness to it! 

While I was on the hunt and having no success, I passed some time painting crocuses.  

buds bursting up through the snow

defying Mother Nature and thriving in the snow

Many sights captured my attention while on the crocus hunt these past number of days.  

While the moon was not full, it looked gigantic!  

Some Robins stayed local this winter but I am thinking this one did not.  

I spotted it at The Sanctuary and when I saw it was banded, 

I wondered what travel stories could it tell!

In a matter of a few days Nose Hill Lake goes from being bare as a bone to being full and overflowing.  I remember being curious in previous years wondering how does this happen when there has been no new snow nor rain!  

We eyed each other, kept our distance, then went on our merry ways in opposite directions.

The freeze/thaw was quite significant this year.  In the midst of a gorgeous thaw came a freeze!

Oh what a sweet song you sing!

Black-Capped Chickadee

In the past number of years, I truly thought I was in tune with everything nature had to offer!  I learned to "Remember to Breathe" and practiced that to what I believed was the full extent.  That was until I learned about nature journaling.  The more I learned about it, the more I wanted to do it!  I even made painting in nature one of the items on may "Vision Board" for 2023.  A little while back, I purchased this journal.  It has been sitting on my coffee table waiting for when the time was right to venture in and christen it.  

The back number of pages have instructions to help get you started with this art.

So, I read numerous articles about getting started with journaling for first timers.  The majority of the articles said, just do it.  I did not feel I could just do it.  Many people stated they were nervous about christening their journals. With the beautiful weather I had while caboosing last week, I thought this is the perfect time to take the leap.  I took the leap and as you can see, a page has been torn from my brand new nature journal.  My first project was the Red Breasted Nuthatch but the outcome was a mess.  This was my second go at it!  I purposely left two blank pages at the front of the journal in case I messed up and I went back to one of those pages for my second attempt.  I am very pleased with this page.  I think I might become one of those nature journalers who likes blank space.  

This is my second project.  It was done at my dining table and not from what I saw in nature nor from my photos.  I wanted to practice and took another leap and went with a two page spread.  Once again, I left loads of black space and I like it like that.  

Just like I stated at the beginning of this blog post about ending a blog post with the words "Stay Tuned" with regards to crocus hunting, I am now saying "Stay Tuned" for more nature journaling projects.  

Canadian Pacific Caboose Enjoyment

There was beauty inside and out, I wanted it all so spread my time between both.  The weather was incredible enough to cook my meals inside yet eat them outside, even early morning breakfasts. I feel like I am ready for camping season.  This caboose stay is very, very glamorous camping.  The details inside my caboose were top notch and it seemed each time I turned my head, I noticed something different. 

sofa (opens to a double bed) in the living area 

my queen bed at the back showing the door to the back balcony

at the left is the ladder to upstairs 

right is microwave, freezer, fridge

kitchen area with two induction burners

all dishes, pots, pans, cutlery etc were provided 

sink in the bathroom

shower

wall hanging

wall decor

books in the desk 

wall hanging 

gas fire place

The deck came with a gigantic bar-b-que, table and five chairs.

My caboose was surrounded with trees, just dense enough to create a very private space.  It also made for a sweet spot to just sit and enjoy bird song.  This Red-Breasted Nuthatch spent hours on end in the trees beside me.

Fire time was almost never ending,   A load of wood was provided to burn.  The crackle was soothing while reading, sketching and writing. That sound also pairs nicely with beer and chips.

another desk with a view to my yard

a selection of movies that I had no time for

This is the chair at the top of the ladder beside the bed.  

I assumed this would be where the caboose person would sit.  

the view out the front window from the above chair

During the day, as each sunny hour passed, maybe a centimetre of snow melted.   

many Robins came by to serenade me

There were numerous little unique details included that made my stay here extra special.   My experience staying here and the Canadian Pacific Caboose itself far exceeded my expectations.  I did not get to use everything or see everything due to it being early spring.   The peace and quiet that comes with early spring makes this time of year my favourite for this kind of experience.

Canadian Pacific Caboose at Aspen Crossing

The back balcony of my caboose faces east, this was the view when I opened the door around 7:00 am this morning. A sight that forecasts a beautiful day to come, and it certainly was.  The other two cabooses remained vacant last night as did a very high percentage of the camp sites. Not only was it a beautiful start to the day, it was peaceful and quiet, except for the sparrows, robins and nuthatches.

When I parked my car next to my caboose yesterday, the plan was to leave it there until I check out and head home.  I wanted to savour every second staying local.  Yet, I still wanted to be somewhat active so incorporated a six kilometre walk around the Aspen Crossing Property.  There was lots to see!  

This is where you board the trains during summer that take you on rides of a couple of hours. The rides offer a variety of entertainment and meals.  The season kicks off on Mother’s Day in mid May.

The train is hibernating for the winter!

This is the lagoon with a small beach and dock.  

Yes, even though it is spring, it is still winter-like.

old police car on display

wagon on display 

a flock of Snow Geese flying over

Employees were busy cleaning snow from the campsites, they did not get to this one yet.

I found a goat pen!

This photo was captured by zooming in as close as I could with my camera. With the naked eye, I was not sure what I was seeing as it moved along.  I was thankful for my long zoom, as it confirmed I was safe from a cute small black cat.

part of the kids play area is still snow bound

waiting for the spring arrivals to build a nest 

prairie land surrounds the property 

my Canadian Pacific Caboose

Northern Alberta Caboose

Union Pacific Caboose

There were other areas on the property that were not accessible due to snow, ice or mud.  I was content with what I did see and with putting some easy enjoyable kms on my boots.  It was now time to savour snacks, sips and sights at my caboose site!