Snow and Roses

Winter is still holding on up here,so I may as well make the best of it.

On Sunday,February 27,I drove to the Pembina Valley,hoping for some Hawks or Eagles,but instead I found was another birder who was also waiting for the Raptors to come.

I determined not to leave the area without at least one picture.

This is the scene which greets everyone who goes to the Pembina Valley Bible Camp.

I thought it looked quite attractive in all the snow.

I think I may have to take some pictures here as the seasons progress.

The rest of these images are from a week or more ago.

This was just the other day.

I think I am getting bored so any photo subject will do.

This is the frost on my living room window.

I put the frame around it just to give it some depth.

As my Valentine flowers were fading,I found them to be pretty   just the same.

I added a little saturation to this one,because the flower was fast losing it's color.

Sometimes I get these little surprises in my photos.

This is one example of just such a surprise.

I had placed this,past it's prime,rose on a white table.

The first image is edited to give a little color to the background,but the next one is SOOC.

I like the curled edges on this dying flower.There is beauty,even in death.

Hmmm,I didn't think I would be able to say that.

I received the following text message from my teenage friend,

She is a sweetheart and knows how to make my day.

Thanks Sydney.

May the sun always shine on your window pane,

May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain,

May the hand of a friend always be near you,

And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

Winter Friends

On February 13,I took a little drive out of town.

I was not sure what I could expect,but here are a few pictures taken that day.Allow me to share some of my winter friends with you.

Just at the edge of town,these deer were feeding on the field.

They were so engrossed in their feeding,that they mostly ignored me.

I think this one was watching the traffic on the road,just down the hill from here.

I turned around after seeing the Deer and went north of town,looking for something interesting to photograph.

I came upon this stand of trees.

I like the delicate look of the branches against the sky.

Back at home is where I find the birds.

The Red-breasted Nuthatch is eating homemade suet,just outside the dining room window.

Having a bird feeder this close to the window,means always having a dirty window,but the rewards are worth it to me.

A little later in the day,I looked out and saw the White-breasted Nuthatch sitting motionless on another suet feeder.

He sat there for so long that I started looking around for a hawk or other predator.

I never did see any enemy,but I do think one must have been nearby.

I have noticed that whenever one sees the birds motionless or all disappearing in a hurry,be on the look out for a Hawk.

On the above photo,I cropped it a little and then I edited the wire out.The wire was actually in front of the bird,but I didn't like that look.

I do hope that soon I will be able to show pictures that don't have snow in them.Unfortunately that may be a while before that happens.

Thought for today:

When you awoke this morning,

you were given a wonderful gift —

a brand new day,a chance to "begin again."

Come Walk With Me

It is another cold wintery day in my world,

so I will take a walk back in time and look at some flowers.

Do you care to join me?

Great,I would love to have company on this walk.

All the flowers we will see were photographed by Jake,many years ago,using slide film,so the quality may not always be the best.

Having said that Jake took all these pictures,I realize that I took the first one.

Oh well,I was still using his equipment.

I was on a nature hike with a group of school children when I saw this beauty.For once I was glad that Jake had insisted,I take his camera along.

A simple weed is still pretty.I would guess that this is somewhere in a ditch.

The Wild Anemone is a very simple flower,but it puts on quite a show,when the ditches are full of these flowering plants.

No Manitoba flower walk would be complete without the Crocus.Many pastures are full of these low growing plants covered with the delicate purple flowers.

This is the Provincial flower of Manitoba.

I know exactly where this picture was taken,because I was with Jake when he took it.

This is a park in Portage La Prairie,Manitoba.

The sight of all these Tulips and Daffodils was lovely.

Now if we had brought a picnic lunch we could find a table under one of the trees and enjoy a snack and a visit.

Thanks for taking this walk down memory lane with me.

Thought for today:

When we take time to notice the simple things in life,

we never lack for encouragement.

We discover we are surrounded by limitless hope

that's wearing everyday clothes.

Thank-You

This post is a Thank-you to all of you who visit this blog.
Recently I have become more aware of just how important my blogging friends are.
Where would I be without each of you,who take a moment to read my simple posts,and then leave words of encouragement for me.
Pictures on today's post are just for you to enjoy.I have taken them during the course of the  last year.

The Black-capped Chickadee sings a cheerful song,on the coldest day.I could learn a lesson from this bird.

Many of you know how much I love reflections.
Here is one I took this past fall,in our local park.
As I look at this,I reflect on the many blessings I have received from fellow bloggers.

Flowers can brighten any day.
Many of you have brightened my day,by the kind words you have left on this blog.Thank-you.

Each flower is beautiful in its own way,and so are people.

Thought for today:
A friend knows the song in my heart,
and sings it to me when my memory fails.
Donna Roberts

Happy Valentine's Day

It may be at the end of the day,but my wishes are sent from the heart.

Today has been a difficult day for me.

The loss of one so dear has been heavy on my heart.

In all this sorrow,God has sent blessings,more than I can understand.

This morning while having tea at a friends house,my son drives up.He comes in to give me one long stemmed blush pink rose and a hug,and an 'I love you,Mom'.Wow,what a way to make a mother's heart melt.I love you too Steve.

My way of making this rose last longer is to take pictures.

Both of these are taken in the same room,but with different lighting.The dark background had the sunshine on the rose.

After I got home from work a friend and her two children drove up.The children being an almost 16 year old and one almost 14.These children have been almost like grandchildren to me and Jake.

The 16 year old had bought this rose for me at school today.

The flower had been without water for a while so I thought it best to cut it down and put it in a small jar.

The 14 year old had spent the day at home and baked Chocolate Chip Cookies with Mom.

He brought a small bag of fresh baked goodness.

Once again I was overwhelmed by the love of this family.

On a day of many tears.I still have reason to praise God for His goodness and sending my son and these friends into my life.

Thought for today:

Although the threads of my life have often seemed knotted,

I know,by faith,that on the other side

of the embroidery there is a crown.

Corrie Ten Boom

Beauty

Time for another post.

I have been wanting to make this one for several days,but just did not get it done.

Today I will show you a series of flower images taken in Winnipeg,at the English Gardens.

I think I could spend all day shooting at this Garden.

When the birds go into hiding there are always the flowers to photograph.

I wish these were all growing in my garden,but that would mean I need to take care of them.

Most of the time one can see the gardeners busy at work,pulling weeds,pruning and even replanting.

The beds are designed in very creative ways.

I admire the constant care which goes into keeping this place beautiful.

I am already looking forward to spending quality time at the English Gardens this summer.

For now a look back at last year's flowers will have to do.

Thought for today:

God's plans are always perfect.

Trains and Tears

I am taking you back into my memory vault once again.

I do hope that you are not tired of these memories.

Memories mean so much to me now,it's all I have left.

Let me go back to 1973,April 5.

This was the day Jake and I welcomed our precious son into the world.

One of the first things Jake said,after looking at his newborn son was,"Now I can get that model railroad."

He had been dreaming of owning a model railroad since long before I knew him.

As I recall it was not many months after Steve's birth that the first trains made their way into our home.

Little did I know where this would lead to.

We started out with an HO-scale set,but soon realized that it took up too much space,so Jake sold that and started on a N-scale set.

This picture was taken in 2006.Our Granddaughter had her first look at Grandpa's trains.

As you can see,the table is far from finished.

Notice how that little hand is being carefully controlled by her Daddy

The following pictures were taken by Steve,yesterday.

We are trying to preserve some of the memories with photographs.

Here you can see Jake's prized locomotive,The Big Boy coming out of the tunnel.

Another shot of the Big Boy,as it crosses the bridge.

I have heard about a Big Boy,since before we were married and when Jake was finally able to purchase this one,fully equipped with digital control and sound,it was a happy day.

I might add that this locomotive will stay in my possession,as a special memory of the model railroad that was.

A colored photo showing the two SD 90s which were also quite special.These Canadian Pacific engines look great pulling a long line of cars.

All the scenery was lovingly made by Jake.It took hours,or even days of planning and then hours and hours of slow work to put it all together.

The table never got completely finished,because,and this is where the tears come in,Jake was called home to glory before he could finish this work.

It makes me sad to see this project in it's unfinished state.

I cannot do a post such as this without,once again,showing the face of the designer and owner of this model railroad.

Unfortunately I must now find a buyer for this table and all those engines and cars.

I do hope that it will go to someone who will cherish it.

I know that with the pictures Steve took,I will have these memories forever

And now,because I can't see for the tears I must close this post.

Sunshine Yellow

With all the stormy weather that has been happening,

I thought we all needed a little bit of warm sunshine.

Here are flowers from our garden,last summer.

I think the first two are called Rudbeckia.

Their bright colors light up a garden.

 Sometimes I like to get a different angle of the flower.

This one shows the bottom of the flower head.

Tansy is a unique flower.It has these small flat heads which are the flowers.

The plant can become fairly large,so they have lots of color.

Notice all the insects coming to the Tansy buffet.

Of course when a Monarch Butterfly lands on a brightly colored flower,that is an added bonus.

Now,even though for some of you,myself included.the snow is still piled high,I trust that these bright yellow flowers have brought a ray of sunshine and hope.

Thought for today:

Keep your face upturned to God as the flowers do to the sun.

Look,and your soul shall live and grow.

Hannah Whitall Smith