Manitoba Outing - Grain Elevators

One striking characteristic of southern Manitoba and southern Saskatchewan is the absolute table-top flatness of the place. That flat landscape of endless grain fields highlights another striking feature - the brightly painted grain elevators.

Grain elevator near St. Malo, Manitoba

Manitoba Outing - The Church at Tolstoi, Manitoba

On our way to St. Malo Provincial Park for a gathering of fiberglass camping trailers similar to ours, we came across a small Ukrainian church near the highway at Tolstoi, MB.

Seeing that the door was open, we entered to find two women cleaning the place. We asked if it would be OK to look around and take some pictures. They said, "Of course!" So we did.

The inside of the place is really tiny - but charming. We were not prepared for the intricate woodwork and painting: nor, for the rich colors!

View from the choir loft

Another view from the loft

Eagles on the Thirteenth

Went to Greenwood Golf Course today. Played the back nine.

As I got ready on the 13th tee, I looked up to see a kettle of bald eagles. They came in low over the 13th green (a short par 3) and found a fast rising thermal. They quickly wheeled to ride that thermal up and up. In no time at all, they were thousands of feet up and going higher. There were three bald eagles, a turkey vulture, and a large hawk that I could not identify. A couple of times two of the eagles began an aerobatic dance. I thought that, perhaps, they'd lock talons and spiral toward the ground. But, it's the wrong season for that kind of carrying on.

All the avian participants in the kettle continued to ride the thermal up until they were hard to see against the building cumulus clouds. It was fascinating.

Pulling my attention from the aerial acrobatics, I lined up and pulled the trigger only to find that the show had played Hell with my tee shot. Pulled it left and short. Ended up taking a bogey on an easy par three and walked away smiling as I remembered the treat of Eagles on the Thirteenth.

Wild Rice and Jewels

The wild rice beds (Zizania palustris) are lush and flowering profusely. If the rice is able to ripen, there will be a lot of very fat geese and ducks heading south this fall. Next to the rice beds, along the shore of the Mississippi, are many jewels of the flower variety.

First, a look at the rice beds. You may have never seen wild rice as it flowers. Here is rice plant in flower:

The rain last night knocked down many of the wild rice flowers that had already completed their mission. This next photo shows that the flowers form below the spike that contains the growing rice kernels. It's easy to see that wild rice is a plant in the grass family.

The rice kernels are still young and green and tightly clasped to the spike at the top of the plant.

As I said at the beginning, the beds are lush. Here's how they look in front of our place. I've not seen the beds this lush and full in years past.

This summer has been a good one for flowers. There are several flower-jewels on the shore.

First up in the Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), also known as Touch-Me-Not. It is an exquisite little flower. The juice from the stem of the Jewelweed is said to be an effective treatment for poison ivy and other rashes.

Right next to the Jewelweed is this tiny little plant with tiny little purple flowers. I have no idea what this plant is, but I love the color of its flowers.

  

Just to the left of the tiny purple flower above is the fuzzy purple flower below. Again, I don't know what name it carries I just think it's pretty.

It's been a good year, too, for Canadian Thistle. For a noxious weed, they certainly have pretty flowers.

 

While I was admiring the thistle, a bee stopped by to harvest some pollen.

And finally, just a bit further along the shore are some Spotted Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum) plants. These plants, in addition to being striking are attractive to butterflies and bees. And, me, too.

 Wild rice and jewels on the shore of the Mississippi...it's a good time to be in the neighborhood!

Superior Hiking Trail Stroll

Nancy and I took a stroll on the Superior Hiking Trail in Duluth. We parked on Skyline Drive a bit west of 27th Avenue West. We walked on the road to where the Superior Hiking Trail (SHT) crossed Skyline Drive, then we headed up the hill. After a fairly steep climb - our stroll was more of a scramble or, maybe, a trudge - we arrived at the summit of Piedmont Knob.

The view from this spot is outstanding! Here's a short video . . .



I should have brought the tripod, or at least, the walking stick/monopod to steady the camera. Next time, for sure!

Dawn Patrol

Yesterday I headed into town on an errand. On the gravel road just before it meets the highway an otter crossed in front of me. It was headed in the general direction of the river. Pretty neat! We're not often given opportunity to see an otter, especially crossing the road.

This morning, not long after dawn, a family of otter were patrolling the shore of the Mississippi in front of the house. They were moving fast. I barely had time to run for the camera. The three of them were checking for breakfast along the edge of the wild rice bed.

Taking a look

Two otter. One above, one below (see the swirl and bubble trail).

Three otter. Two above, one below. Again, see the swirl and the bubble trail.

Otters on patrol.

Otters on patrol.

Could these two be any cuter?

The family continues on patrol heading out of camera range. The third otter is under the big swirl in the middle.

Observing a family of otter on dawn patrol is one of the best ways I can think of to start your day.

The Coyote

This early afternoon, I went into my bedroom for a reason that I now forget. I happened to glance out the window and saw a couple families of geese helping me keep the grass mowed. There were 12 of them. At the same moment, they noticed me and started to stroll leisurely toward the river.

I grabbed the little Kodak camera and got this picture through the window and the screen.

They stopped about half way to the water stood stock still. I stayed still, too, hoping that they'd get over their nervousness and let me get some more pictures.

After a few moments of being on high alert with the parents all looking in my direction, suddenly every one of them turned to look toward the nearby woods. After a few seconds, they took flight and disappeared over the river. "Huh", I said to myself, "I wonder what set them off."







Then I saw him...


A young coyote.