Thursday, October 25, 2012

Birds On My Yard

It seems that I am having a hard time getting to regular posting on the blog.
I know I could be giving all kinds of so called reasons,but they would sound more like excuses,so I won't go there.I guess,in part my life has become busier,and that is not a bad thing.
  

Today I pulled up a few pictures of recent bird shots.
Looking at the leaves on this Silver Maple,it shows that the fall colours are just beginning.
Somehow,this Robin looked a little lost,like he/she should have headed south already.


The Blue Jays and I have what might be called a working relationship.
I give them peanuts and they have to 'work' for me by posing for pictures.
I don't think they see it quite the same way,but whatever the case,it works in my favour.
I put the peanuts at such a place as is convenient for me to get pictures.
I really like how the background turned out in this shot.


Of course,other birds come in at close range,to get a drink of water and maybe a sunflower seed.
Here the Red-breasted Nuthatch is on one side of the birdbath and the Black-capped Chickadee on the other.


The Black-capped Chickadees are always ready to pose for a picture,providing the photographer can be quick enough.It doesn't matter how many pictures I have of them,I keep on taking more.These are my very favourite birds.


This Blue Jay seems to be in a contemplative mood,but more than likely he is deciding which peanut to grab next.I like the fine details visible in the feathers.


Thought for today:
In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous. 
Aristotle

Thursday, October 18, 2012

RED My Favorite Color

In looking through my recent pictures,I noticed somewhat of a theme. I was seeing red and lots of it.
Now,This did not make me unhappy in the least,as red is my favourite colour.
It is no secret to my family that I am insisting that my next car be a bright red one.
I wear  a lot of red,even when the fashion people would say that I should wear more subdued colours.
Who cares what they say,red,makes me feel happy,so I will wear red.
So,having said all that,when I noticed all the red in the pictures,I knew that I needed to do a post featuring this beautiful colour.


The first picture is from my Sumac tree.This tree is a nuisance,because of it's habit of suckering. It is an endless battle to keep it contained to a small area,but oh my,when fall comes and it shows it's red colour,I love it.When the sun shines on all those red leaves it is prettier than any Christmas tree.


The cherry trees Jake and I planted many years ago,were supposed to give me cherries to make jelly with. Oh,they yield lots of cherries,but the birds get to them before I do.
I guess I could get upset about this,but the birds need to eat too and I can always buy my jelly.
These trees sport beautiful almost burgundy leaves all year.In fall they turn to a rich red.


I have one small shrub in the middle of the yard.I have forgotten it's name,but it also has red leaves all year long.These leaves also turn a brighter red in fall,and sometimes a few will stay on the plant for winter.I love to see those red leaves,each with a cap of snow on them.


Finally,the stars of the yard,the Amur maples.These leaves can be anything from a rich yellow,to orange,or red.I love to see the variety of colours on these trees and sometimes even within one leaf.
In this picture you can see the touches of yellow and even orange,but the red has centre stage.


A final cluster of red Amur Maple leaves.I love how the edges are lighter,thus highlighting the leaf.
The beauty of these trees are that they are right close to the house and a a favourite perch for many of the birds.

Thought for today:
The primary reason for living in this world is to reflect the likeness of Christ.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Gold — The Color of Fall

In fall we are all rich,as we are surrounded by gold.
I hope you have already taken the time to enjoy this beauty,but just in case you have not,or the gold has not shown up in your parts,allow me to share some of mine with you.


This first picture is one that is so simple,I almost overlooked it.Here is one leaf floating on a bird bath which is sitting on my deck.The gold in the background makes this picture amazing,in my eyes.


At the other end of the deck is this pot of Mums and again,one lone leaf was caught in the flowers.
No,I did not place these leaves,the wind from a previous day had done that for me.


Not all foliage turns gold.I spotted this lone red maple leaf lying on the ground,joined by various others.
The red really caught me attention,in a sea of brown.


One more look at gold,with some orange added.
The Mountain Ash leaves turn into varying shades of yellow to orange,in fall.


I am not really good at getting moon shots,but I did like this slightly out of focus image with a cloud over the face of the moon.


Thought for today:
We do not see nature with our eyes, but with our understandings and our hearts.
William Hazlitt

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Sunday Adventures

Back on September 23rd,I had the privilege of spending a Sunday afternoon and evening with some dear friends / cousins.We were in search of photo opportunities and were quite successful.Since we had no specific agenda,it was a matter of driving around the countryside seeing what we could find. I like doing it this way most of the time.
Jennie was our driver,Cora was along for the ride and Vel and I were hoping to find some unique pictures along the way.

Driving down a dusty country road Vel spied an old house,so Jennie successfully drove to within walking distance of the place.The drive itself was an adventure,as the grass was high and we were making our own tracks.
Here Vel and Cora are on their way to the house.You can see that this is not a well travelled area,but that made it all the more fun.


This was the building we wanted to see,a large old farm house.At some point in the life of this house it must have been a lovely home for a large family.Now the walls are all leaning,the windows are broken,as are the doors. I was amazed to see the detail visible on this house,the brick work and the fancy framing around the windows.


Instead of glass in the window frame,I found this spider web.I guess this will have to do for a curtain now.


The knots in the wooden boards fascinated me as well.
I just liked the patterns here.


When we were done at the house,we made our way back to the road and after some more driving came across this abandoned railroad trestle bridge.
We stayed below the trestle,but apparently one can now drive over it with a vehicle.
The sun was getting to be low on the horizon,so we had quite a few shadows,but I still liked the warm glow on the bridge.

What a wonderful time of adventure and fellowship we had that day.
I am so thankful that I was able to spend quality time with extended family.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving

This weekend,more specifically on Monday,we as Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving.
Every day should have an element of Thanksgiving in it,so the day we celebrate it is not that important.
I know that I have rich blessings all around me.God is so good to me,I cannot help but give Him praise.

I may well have shown these pictures before,but they are such that another look may be OK.
Fall is filled with so much beauty.Each leaf and each blade of grass rivals the beauty of the springtime flowers.


I have said it before,but it bears repeating,we need to slow down long enough to really see all the beauty which is right before our eyes. Fall is a good time to that.Much of the work of the summer months is finished and we can shift into a slower gear to enjoy this beautiful season.


I encourage each one of you,whether you celebrate Thanksgiving now or in November,as my US friends do,to take time to count your blessings.
Doing this will help us to realize all that we have.

I saw this on Facebook and totally agree with it.

My life may not be going the way I had planned it,but it is going exactly the way God has planned it.

Knowing this is enough for me and I can praise God for the way He planned it.


Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

From Summer to Winter

A while back I did a couple of posts about our Corn and Apple Festival.I also shared a picture of some metal art,saying I would show more pictures later.
So here are a few of those pictures.


I don't know who the fella is that is doing this work,but it is well done.
Here you can see one of the welds up close.I like the various colours shown here.


Look at all the detail in this metal flower. You can see a lighter one in the background.
These were quite tall,probably about 4-5 feet.


 This is a different sort of flower,with larger petals.
I think they are really quite lovely.I have no idea how they would weather,but it would be interesting to see that unfold,and,no,I didn't get any.It was cheaper just getting them in pictures. LOL


I had to throw in a couple of nature pictures.
I don't remember where or when I took this shot,but I do love how the sky looks.


This one was taken in late August,near Lake Winnipeg.
It had been a super hot,yet fun day spent with family.
The close of the day was spectacular as you can see.
I love the beautiful shades of colour here.


When I look at these summer pictures,it is hard to believe that parts of southern Manitoba are under a winter storm watch tonight.My guess is that it won't be that serious,but at least we are getting some much needed moisture. Yes,temperatures are near the freezing point,but I don't really mind.
It feels really good to put on a warm sweater and turn on some heat in the house.