Black-capped Chickadee

On November 28,I together with my co-workers and others,attended a morning

meeting featuring a motivational speaker. Among his many topics,he asked us to think of an animal which might in some way represent us. As a school bus driver of 29 years,I could have been many different animals over the years.

Later in a conversation with my supervisor,he wondered if there might be a bird

which could represent me

I have given this some thought and I do know which bird I would like to be like.

The Black-capped Chickadee.

The Chickadee is not very colorful, fairly common,yet always welcome.

What I like most about the Chickadee is that no matter what the

circumstances or the weather they always seem cheerful

Boy,do I have a lot o learn to be like that.

American Thanksgiving

The joy of enjoying

And the fullness of living,

Are found in the heart

That is filled with Thanksgiving.

Winter Scene

A cold winter scene taken by Jake many years ago.

This is one of my favorites and we used it on our computer

as wallpaper for a while.Keep warm and enjoy the wonders of each season.

God is so Good,Praise His Name.

Blessings,Ruth

Early Spring Photos,It Will Return Again

This is looking out of my kitchen window during a heavy snowfall . While walking at the lake in early spring I noticed the ice crystals at the edge of the water.The make some interesting patterns.

Standing at attention!

I took this picture at an elementary school near my house.

Reeds reflected in the rippling water of a favorite birding spot.

Snow Scenes

Sunbeams streaming through the evergreens. In the beauty of the snowflake, Falling softly on the land, Is the mystery and miracle Of God's creative hand! Heavy hoar frost on this pine cone looks sharp yet is so delicate. More hoar frost,pretty against the green.

An icicle slowly melting away,or is it growing.

These pictures are not current(taken several years ago)but still pretty.

Harvest Thanks and more

I wanted to post this picture to remind us of the good harvest.

It is a reminder to be thankful for what God provides.

This was taken just behind our yard in town.

The Downy Woodpecker enjoying the suet. You might have to enlarge this picture to see the Brown Creeper. This is perfect camoflage. A final picture,taken last winter.Soon enough we will see the frost on the windows. I think that there is such beauty in these frostscapes.

A collage of pictures

I have put together a collage of images which I like.

The Blue Jay adds a splash of color to the winter months.

A little Chipping Sparrow may not be colorful

but never-the-less is very cheery.

The White-breasted Nuthatch always seems to be busy.

He is handsomely dressed in his steel grey coat and black cap.

Red berries stand out against the bare branches.

Last,but not least is my little Sweetheart,Kai.

On this day we had just been busy putting in ponytails

and many barrettes.

This little girl has brought so much enjoyment to Jake and me,

and we are very proud of her.

Beauty:an act of God

The Pileated Woodpecker is always a thrill to see.

Perhaps because we don't see it very often.

This one was hanging out near the Dairy Queen,

maybe he was waiting for his order.

Jake took this handsome little fellow last winter.

Another one of Jake's pictures. This one is also proudly displayed in our living room. Thanks Steve for seeing the beauty in this. Just to show that we do have White-tailed Deer in our area. This is one that posed for Jake.

Winter Has Arrived

After a beautiful fall we were greeted with a layer of wet snow on Friday.

Here a Downy Woodpecker and a House Sparrow are checking out the suet. This Black-capped Chickadee looks charming,sitting on snow laden branches. A Downy Woodpecker almost hidden in the snow.

The colorful Blue Jay shows up well against a snowy backdrop.

This was the scene early Friday morning.

The roads and streets were a mess.

We had several school buses get stuck,mine being one of them.

This is the not so fun part of winter,but I still think it looks

lovely with the fresh snow.

A Few Birds

This little Dark-eyed Junco has a simple elegance. The Black-capped Chickadee,always a favorite. A male Mallard in all his beauty. "You can learn a great deal about God by studying His creation."

Some Older Pictures

This is our local Art Gallery in downtown Morden.

Jake took this on an early morning walk.

My mistake,some of you may have seen this

referred to as our Library.It used to be that

but is now the Art Gallery.

These wind turbines are located northwest of the town of Manitou in the St, Leon area. A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at a nest site. Overlooking the scenic Pembina Valley area. I did not see the Hawk in the picture until I had put it onto the computer.Sometimes luck is on my side. A creative shot of grain heads after a rain. All these pictures were taken in 2006. May you walk with Him And dwell in His love As he sends you good gifts From heaven above. Being able to enjoy the variety and beauty in nature is one of those good gifts.