Derek Ryder
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ryderda.bsky.social
Derek Ryder
@ryderda.bsky.social
220 followers 120 following 620 posts
Skier, hiker, traveler, Former Director - Friends of Kananaskis, K-Country Bear Team member, Sunshine SnowHost, Wildlife Ambassador, and retired.
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ryderda.bsky.social
Got it here, too.
November 12, 2025 at 2:40 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
There be aurora at my house tonight.
Aurora borealis, in shades of red and green with pillars of white, dance against a dark sky with the outlines of unlit conifers in the foreground. A curtain of aurora borealis, in shades of red, white and green, dance above mountains, against a dark sky with the outlines of unlit conifers in the foreground.
November 12, 2025 at 2:38 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
Look what I saw in Setubal, Portugal today.
October 25, 2025 at 9:38 PM
ryderda.bsky.social
Today's lunch view. Not volunteering.
In the dappled shade of huge trees lining a linear park, a tall volcanic cone-shaped fountain and art installation trickles water, awaiting its next eruption. And erupt water it does.
October 9, 2025 at 4:18 PM
ryderda.bsky.social
I cannot share today's lunch view while out volunteering. So instead, who I saw an hour before lunch, and the view on the way home this afternoon.
In a cold and frosty covered meadow, a younger male moose with a small-ish rack marches out of the mud, with fog rising. Under a blue sky filled with high, wispy clouds, a mountain rises, with dark evergreens surrounding the magnificent fall colours of yellows, pale greens and golds on the aspens and poplars below.
October 4, 2025 at 3:38 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
Today's lunch view while out volunteering was the same as Tuesday. That's what happens when it's cold and I eat lunch inside. So also, I've added a pic from about 40 min before lunch.
A green and gold meadow, surrounded by green conifers, under a blue sky with scattered puffy white clouds. Yellow and gold aspens speckle the dense green conifers in the river valley in the foreground, while in the distance, rugged peaks rise, all under a blue sky with puffy white clouds.
October 3, 2025 at 4:20 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
Today's lunch view, and for fun, the waterfall I saw just after lunch.
Under a moody, overcast grey sky, an alpine meadow, lush with pale greens and yellows, surrounded by a green coniferous forest, with mountains in the distant background. A small waterfall tumbles down vertical exposed rocks into a greenish-grey pool, surrounded by a lush green mossy forest.
October 1, 2025 at 3:42 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
Today's lunch view while out volunteering was uninteresting: in a campground at a picnic table. So here is my view about 10 minutes after lunch.
Under a moody, cloudy sky, three rugged, rocky mountains rise They're being viewed through a wide slot in the trees and shrubs that are in fall colours of yellow & gold
September 27, 2025 at 12:31 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
Today's lunch view while out volunteering.
Across a crystal clear lake, reflecting the blue sky, majestic mountains rise.
September 24, 2025 at 4:10 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
Today's lunch while out volunteering.
Under a brilliant bluebird sky, a fall alpine meadow, bursting with willows in yellows, greens and golds, and surrounded by dark coniferous trees, with towering mountains in the distant background.
September 23, 2025 at 3:36 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
I’m late. Yesterday’s lunch view while out volunteering.
From within a fenced playground, past aspen trees in fall foliage, rugged mountains rise under a brilliant blue sky.
September 21, 2025 at 12:52 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
Today’s lunch view while out volunteering.
Under a stunning blue sky, with some pretty puffy clouds for accent, a rugged mountain rises above a large alpine lake, while in the foreground, green and yellow grasses line the shore.
September 17, 2025 at 3:09 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
Today's lunch view while out volunteering. Yep, a truck-nic on washboarded gravel road.
In the foreground, a horribly washboarded gravel road. In the distance, mountains tower under overcast grey skies. In between, a dense green forest and a willow-filled stream bed in muted fall colours.
September 16, 2025 at 3:11 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
Sometimes they snooze in other places.
September 12, 2025 at 12:51 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
More pics from Cirque.
On TRIPLE teterboards, three performers – INCLUDING one of the clowns – soar! Eight meters above the stage, the lead character in the show does a hands-free headstand – ON A SWINGING TRAPEZE! Near the close of the show, the performers show the inside of the cube that is the stage. It is filled with characters & wonder!
September 12, 2025 at 12:43 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
Went to see the amazing @cirquedusoleil.bsky.social show #ECHO last night! Brilliant! Spectacular! Awesome! The amount of raw global talent that Cirque puts on stage is mind-blowing. From costumes, to musicians, to technical people, to the ARTISTS who created such wonderful performance – MIND BLOWN!
On the giant cube that is part of the stage, while images are projected onto it, artists dressed as animals... dance? Hard to describe. In front of the Cube set, a gymnast is tossed in the air and spins. People, standing on the shoulders of other people, JUGGLE other people and throw them in the air! The remarkable "clown" act stacks boxes on boxes on boxes, and then carries the tower of boxes that is more than 2 stories in the air!
September 12, 2025 at 12:43 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
Today's lunch view while out volunteering.
Looking across, from the cliff edge atop a deep canyon, to towering peaks across a valley, all lit by a brilliant blue sky. There are flood control workings, including a dam, in the canyon below.
September 12, 2025 at 12:28 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
Here's an example from several years ago (I can share old pics).
Three Grizzly Bears are sitting on a mountain road, while in the background, Parks staff hold traffic back and keep people away from them.
September 10, 2025 at 3:05 PM
ryderda.bsky.social
This is what it looks like if we're not there to stop it. There's a bear in this pic. We're stopping the disturbance, among other things. I've never broken up a jam this big; 20 vehicles is my max.
At least 50 vehicles are stopped in a traffic jam because of a bear roadside. The bear is attempting to cross the road, but can't because the cars are blocking it. Multiple cars are stopped on the shoulders around the bear, all parked within less than 10 m of the bear, when they're supposed to not stop within 100 m of a bear.
September 10, 2025 at 2:57 PM
ryderda.bsky.social
Today’s lunch view while out volunteering.
Looking down across a willow-filled meadow, to a valley rimmed with rugged peaks, under a blue sky with some puffy white clouds.
September 10, 2025 at 3:02 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
Today's lunch view while out volunteering.
Under a clear blue sky, mountains rise – though many are obscured by haze and wildfire smoke – above a not-too-distant lake, while in the foreground, bear-attracting shepherdia bushes rise.
September 8, 2025 at 2:49 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
Today's lunch view while out volunteering
Brilliant blue sky lights up a grassy meadow with a paved bicycle path crossing it, leading towards tall rugged mountains partially obscured in haze and wildfire smoke.
September 7, 2025 at 1:03 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
Today's volunteering was near my house, so consequently, my lunch view was my front yard. So here's something cool I saw 10 minutes before lunch.
A dead tree has fallen over in a forest, in a green sea of horsetails (that EVERYONE thinks are ferns). The tree was cut because it was blocking the trail, and out of the cut end of the stump is growing a VERY cool white cap and stem mushroom.
September 6, 2025 at 12:44 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
I'm late. Yesterday's lunch view while out volunteering.
In the distance, under a blue sky with some wispy cirrus clouds, across a willow-filled alpine meadow already showing fall colours, rugged mountains partially obscured in wildfire smoke rise.
September 3, 2025 at 4:28 PM
ryderda.bsky.social
Today's lunch view while out volunteering
Across the grassy lawn of the Kananaskis Visitor Information Centre, a forested hill rises under a brilliant blue sky.
August 31, 2025 at 12:39 AM