Derek Ryder
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ryderda.bsky.social
Derek Ryder
@ryderda.bsky.social
240 followers 120 following 710 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
Today's before-lunch view while out volunteering, and the critters who were keeping an eye on us to make sure we stayed safe.
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.
January 27, 2026 at 12:50 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
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
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.
January 24, 2026 at 6:45 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
Today's 30 minutes before lunch view while out volunteering. It was too cold to picnic outside, but we were indeed tempted.
Under a brilliant blue sky, towering snow capped mountains rise, reflected in a wide icy river with snow on the banks.
January 21, 2026 at 2:09 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
There I go, talking about iPads again.
youtu.be/voeaoAYTafU
I Solved my iPad Problem!
YouTube video by Videos from a Messy Office
youtu.be
January 15, 2026 at 1:20 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
Line up at the suet feeder the other day. #birds #birdoftheday
A Northern Flicker hangs on a suet feeder and feeds, while a Clark's Nutcracker patiently waits on a nearby branch for its turn.
January 11, 2026 at 4:12 PM
ryderda.bsky.social
I keep having birds visit my yard that don't belong here in winter. First is my Robin, who arrived in November and doesn't seem to want to leave. Today, I had a Townsend's Solitaire show up. Both are common in summer but are supposed to migrate. #birds #birding #albertabirds
A plump female American Robin sits in a snowy tree, which has tiny red berries. A grey Townsend's Warbler with its distinctive eye ring and tiny yellow wing bars, sits in a bush, with snow on the wood fence in the background.
December 30, 2025 at 10:38 PM
ryderda.bsky.social
I ran into Paul Newman (in a bathroom) at a CanAm car race in 1981. Chatted for a few minutes. Wonderful man. My hero. Not a "minor" interaction at all.
Paul Newman being interviewed by news reporters at a CanAm car race in 1981.
December 30, 2025 at 5:43 PM
ryderda.bsky.social
How I spent Christmas Eve (tour guide at Sunshine Village for a dad and daughter on a snowy day).
Me, in an iridescent yellow ski jacket, standing next to a young skier and her snowboarding dad, against a backdrop of white ski runs, in the middle of a raging snowstorm.
December 25, 2025 at 2:14 PM
ryderda.bsky.social
How I spent today.
Two Sunshine Village SnowHosts dressed in bright yellow jackets (one - me - with a bright salmon coloured helmet) mugging for the Sunshine Selfie Cam on a foggy, snowy, grey day.
December 22, 2025 at 4:26 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
I liked everything Rob Reiner did. Such a sad loss, and for such sad reasons.
December 15, 2025 at 5:10 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
White Breasted Nuthatch hanging in my yard today.
A cute White Breasted Nuthatch birb stands on a tree branch – upright, for a change – with a fuzzy background of shrubs.
December 5, 2025 at 2:00 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
Today's about an hour before lunch view while out volunteering.
Across a snowy flat with in tracks of walkers and bikers, through a dark shadowed forest, a snow-capped mountain looms under a blue sky filled with wispy cirrus clouds.
December 4, 2025 at 1:44 AM
ryderda.bsky.social
Today’s lunch view. Not volunteering.
The base lodge area of a mountain downhill ski area, under a brilliant blue sky.
December 2, 2025 at 8:07 PM
ryderda.bsky.social
13 cm of snow on my wife’s car to shovel this morning so she could get out, then another 8 cm fell before 11 am that I had to shovel before she came home.
A steel ruler, embedded in snow up to the 13 cm mark, sits on the top of a Mini Cooper S. In the background is a snow-covered fence and snow-covered trees. A Mini Cooper S sits covered in snow, with a steel metal ruler sticking out the roof.
November 25, 2025 at 4:46 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
There I go making more YouTube videos again. This one is about the Raymcraft keyboard case for the iPad Mini.
youtu.be/eKG4ml4UTMQ
Raymcraft Case Review
YouTube video by Videos from a Messy Office
youtu.be
September 18, 2025 at 7:30 PM