Waterton Lakes National Park and Happy Anniversary!

Ron could call me a nag. He could but he doesn’t (okay not usually). One of the things I might nag Ron about is to take more “dry” photographs. You see Ron considers himself foremost a landscape photographer and his favourite type of a landscape photograph would include a reflection. This means a lake or some other body of water is required and makes the photo “wet”. So his idea of a beautiful landscape in the Rocky Mountains in Waterton Lakes National Park would be a mountain vista with a perfect reflection in a lake. And why wouldn’t it be? Reflections can be beautiful. But on this visit Waterton Lake would not be calm enough for that perfect reflection so Ron would settle for other wet landscapes with just a little colour reflected in the water.

Waterton Lakes National Park

Waterton Lakes National Park

Red Rock Canyon, Waterton National Park

Sometimes though just to please me Ron will also take pictures that include no lakes, waterfalls or wetlands – not even puddles. At Waterton National Park he did just that and the results were a beautiful anniversary gift don’t you think?

Bellevue Hill, Waterton National Park

Plains Bison, Waterton National Park

Happy Anniversary to you too Ron!

Prairie Crocus

Don’t worry Mom!

Black Bear Cub

This bear cub was photographed from the car. We couldn’t even see the Mother bear so we weren’t in any danger (and neither was the bear). In fact we spotted the bear already up the tree as we were driving by. We were in Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba looking for wildlife. This park never disappoints. Mostly, we found White-tailed Deer.

White-tailed Deer Fawn

White-tailed Deer Buck

But this park has lots of wildlife, such as grouse, owls, coyotes, moose, elk and an enclosure for Plains Bison. The enclosure is a big fenced in area of trees and prairie. You drive into it over cattle or Texas gate, which is basically a bridge of rounded poles instead of planks. The poles or metal tubes are spaced far enough apart that a bison’s hoof could slip between poles. So they don’t want to walk over it but a car can easily pass over it. But don’t get out of your car! These are still wild animals even if inside a big enclosed area. Most of the herd was trying to stay cool in the trees. This big bull came out to see what Ron was up to when Ron was trying to photograph a bird by the gate.

Plains Bison Bull

He seemed unimpressed with Ron!

We also enjoyed the landscape and wildflowers in the park.

Riding Mountain Biosphere Reserve, MB

Black-eyed Susan Wildflowers