Wildlife Of The Northern Nation

 Side by side here is a moose skull, with that of a thinhorn sheep skull.

Here we have three thinhorn sheep, residents of the northern mountains.

One of the most majestic animals to be found in Canada- the moose. This diorama, with its combination of specimen, painted background and textured foreground, really stands out.

Across the way, a display case features several kinds of mustelids. On the top shelf are the least weasel, the ermine, and the long tailed weasel. Below them is the fisher.

The American mink and American marten are paired together.

The sea otter and river otter are part of the mustelid family.

As are the American badger and the wolverine.

Moving along, this smaller diorama features the Richardson's ground squirrel, a resident of the Canadian west.

Animals Of The Western Plains

 This diorama is a dramatic one, featuring a stand off between a bison and wolves. The bison is very much a symbol of the west, and wolves will think twice about messing with a healthy adult.

Another diorama, but also fitting of the Canadian west. A family of pronghorns are gathered against a dramatic prairie background.

The skulls and antlers of various animals are mounted on the wall here.

They include a muskox.

Mammals Of The Canadian Wild

 Close to where I left off in this visit to the Museum of Nature is the other portion of this first diorama of the Mammal Gallery, with a mother polar bear and its cub at an air hole in the ice. A seal is below, key prey for the bear.

This gallery has large and small dioramas, and they are very well done. This is a family of beavers.

From apex predators to their prey, mammals have a wide variety.

Two predators and one prey are seen here. Adolescent grizzly bears are perched on the rocks, while a pika can be seen at bottom left below the ledge.  

Across the way, something different from my last visit. This is a slab of western red cedar, over seven hundred years old when it was brought down.

City Daily Photo Theme Day: Fruit

 The first day of each month is a theme day for members of City Daily Photo, and for May, that theme is Fruit. See how others are interpreting the theme right here.

To begin, fruits can be made into many things. I pick up jam from a vendor at the main farmer's market. Two jars at home- blueberry jam and raspberry jam.

Last December during the Christmas market, I picked up some strudel. This one was blueberry.

From time to time I'll get a pie. Here we have apple-cranberry maple pie.

Taken in April, I came to Lansdowne Park to the farmer's market. Here at the east end of the property, we find a grove of apple trees off to the right on this central island.

The farmer's market is held in the Aberdeen Pavilion in the colder months, and through the winter, produce farmers that are still selling are those who have a good cold storage building on their farm.

One of them is an apple orchard I get cider from. I stopped by. Aside from apples, they have baked goods.

A retail business downtown, Edible Arrangements, does fruit baskets in lieu of flowers, and has been doing this for many years.

I finish with this painting from the archives, taken at the National Gallery of Canada. Eve, The Serpent, And Death is by Hans Baldung Grien, circa 1510-15. It depicts Adam, Eve, and the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Eve conceals an apple behind her, while Adam, having had become Death after eating from the Tree of Life, reaches for another apple.