May 20, 2023
I occasionally miss having a dog, so I don't mind dog-sitting now and then. One of the benefits of a dog is that a daily walk, preferably off-leash, is a must, so there's no room for procrastination. My brother's dog Ziggy had a two-night sleepover this week, and he took me for a couple of early-morning outings down along the Kootenay River near the canal.
The morning sun illuminated the ferns (possibly Rocky Mountain Woodsia) growing among the heavy rip-rap shoring up the banks of the Kootenay canal.
There's a little meadow here where I often see common alpine butterflies.
Star-flowered false Solomon's seal was in bloom along the shady forest path.
When the canal was built, Bird Creek was diverted through a culvert beneath the canal. It reemerges just above this little waterfall.
The red-winged blackbirds were busy foraging and defending their territory among the cattails around the beaver pond.
The new shoots on this snowberry shrub look like they're about to take flight.
This family of Canada geese seems frozen in a moment of perfect tranquillity.
Thanks, Ziggy, for taking me out on such a lovely walk!
Thanks again, Karl. I thoroughly enjoyed this morning's walk with you and Ziggy's dog. Did I miss the dog's name in the post? Gorgeous shots of the red-winged blackbird and other scenes.