Derek Ryder

My question: what can we do about it? Hacking up K-Country isn't OK, especially because portions of previously protected parks are going to be sold off for real estate developments.

"Defend Alberta Parks" NEVER mattered more than today.

Rain where you are is AWESOME.

At a ski hill, with a ski run in the foreground, sunlight streams through fog-enshrouded trees.

I kinda took that pic yesterday.

Love the Varied Thrush. Spring/fall migratory visitors here, mostly. Where was this (generally)?

All-season resorts – Public notice View the proposed all-season resort project and provide feedback.

The public comment period for the plan for the proposed all season resort at Fortress has opened. Lots of folks should read and comment on this...
www.alberta.ca/all-season-r...

Once again, a reminder Albertans did NOT vote for her. In the last prov election in 2019, Kenny was leader & Smith didn’t even run for a seat. She won the UCP leadership with ~42,000 votes, and got her seat in a byelection

Yeah… no need of a foam shelter at all.

If only they believed that oath.

If you have hot running water odds are excellent you don’t need an emergency shelter made out of expandable foam.

Nope. Common Redpoll

Two White Winged Crossbills, a male with its distinctive red colouration, and a yellower female, sit on the edge of a brown eavestrough with a green forest in the background.

A Red Breasted Nuthatch, staring into the camera, hangs upside down (as usual) from the cage of a suet feeder.

A White Breasted Nuthatch hangs face down, low to the grassy ground, on the side of a tree trunk.

The distinctive red crown of a Common Redpoll pops in this picture of him sitting on the branch of a Spruce Tree.

Some birbs have visted me in the last few days. #birds #birding

No one in Alberta voted for Smith in the last (2019) election, because she wasn't leader. She took over leadership after Kenny stepped down. Separation WAS part of her platform when she ran for UCP party leader in 2022 – a race where just 42,423 people voted for her, all of them UCP members.

Any "guarantee" supplied by the US right now, to anyone for anything, is worthless.

I've seen Jake play a few times at the annual (free) Maui Ukulele Festival. Always a treat.

Under a brilliant blue sky, snow capped mountains tower across the valley, as seen from a bluff above a gravel quarry.

On a snowy, grassy slope, several male Bighorn Sheep keep watch, protecting the females and young in the distance.

Two female Bighorn Sheep and a young of year stand in a grassy, snowy meadow, watching with curiosity.

Today's before-lunch view while out volunteering, and the critters who were keeping an eye on us to make sure we stayed safe.

A male Hairy Woodpecker, resplendent in black – and white with a red head patch – sits on a suet feeder cage. All the while, a smaller male Downey Woodpecker, looking like the little cousin and with the red heat patch, sits less than half a meter away, waiting his turn.

Mere moments later, having driven both Woodpeckers off, a Flicker heads towards the suet.

Today's Suet Feeder Lineup: A male Downey Woodpecker waits for a male Hairy Woodpecker to finish. Later, a Flicker shows up for it's turn

Dollar at Par + a different president = maybe, but still likely not.

@paulisci.bsky.social

Under a brilliant blue sky, towering snow capped mountains rise, reflected in a wide icy river with snow on the banks.

Today's 30 minutes before lunch view while out volunteering. It was too cold to picnic outside, but we were indeed tempted.

I tour a LOT of Aussies at Sunshine in Banff. About half our staff are Aussies.

Canada’s nice, has GREAT (better) skiing, and has zero risk of being shot. Just an idea…

YouTube video by Videos from a Messy Office I Solved my iPad Problem!

There I go, talking about iPads again.
youtu.be/voeaoAYTafU

My Clark's Nutcrackers can pull my suet cages open, too. Gotta lock them shut.

I have Pileateds and Three-Toeds in my area but have never had them on my suet. Just Downys, Hairys and Flickers.

I just wish they weren't going to de-list portions of Spray Valley Provincial Park to allow Fortress to expand. And delist portions of Evan-Thomas PRA to sell it off for condos.

#DefendAlbertaParks

I love artist's statements. They're so... vacuous and self absorbed. Beautifully written.

I actually thought the Clark's would kick the Flicker off. But no, just sat patiently until it was its turn.

A Northern Flicker hangs on a suet feeder and feeds, while a Clark's Nutcracker patiently waits on a nearby branch for its turn.

Line up at the suet feeder the other day. #birds #birdoftheday

It may be small, but it’s hundreds of thousands of jobs in Ontario. Ford is throwing a fit over 180 Crown Royal jobs. You’re missing the politics. Big time.

While I wholly support the idea, it AIN'T. EVER. GONNA. HAPPEN. Canada (ignore Carney) has too much at stake keeping the UCMCA (or whatever it's called today) alive, and it's predicated on a ton of stuff that keeps the auto industry working.

It's such a shame that MASH writer Ken Levine no longer writes his blog about writing.