And So It Begins

The annual hawk watch at the Pembina Valley actually began about the middle of February,but it was a slow start.March 30th was the first day I went to the valley to observe. I wish I could say that the birds came through in record numbers,but that was not the case.

It was great to re-connect with friends who I see only at the Hawkwatch,as a rule.The weather was wonderful,warm sunshine and just a little wind.

The highlight of the day,other than meeting friends was a Golden Eagle which flew by close and low.

I had only had pictures of the Golden Eagle from far away up to this point.

It isn't just raptors that come over.This Black-billed Magpie looks quick elegant against that blue sky.

Of course no post about the Hawkwatch would be complete without a Bald Eagle picture.

I look forward to many more trips to the valley before the migration comes to an end around the latter part of April. Once I got to the valley on Saturday,I realized again how much I enjoy the company of the other birders and also just being there to witness this with my own eyes and my camera's lens.

Easter Blessings

I had my family over for Easter yesterday,Good Friday.We had a good time.

We chose to simplify the day and had 'make your own pizzas' for our meal.

They were tasty and because Steve and Linda did most of the work it was an easy on the cook day.

I had two precious ladies close the decor and set the table for me.Kate and Kai did a wonderful job of making the table look pretty.Each of us had a different napkin,so it was quite colourful and springlike.

You will notice we also had place cards and a coloured pencil so we could decorate our name cards,if we wanted to.All this was done without any promoting.Pretty special I think.

Here is the table just before we say down to enjoy our meal.

Right now the peace sign is the in thing,so Kai had to have her heart shaped pepperoni in a peace sign.

Steve took the time to use a cookie cutter and make both ham and pepperoni hearts for the girls.

Doesn't that look tasty?

The blessings of family give me reason to rejoice.

The other reason to rejoice is the fact that my Saviour,Jesus,did not remain in a tomb,but rose victorious over death and hell. 

PRAISE TO HIS HOLY NAME!!

Roses

Feeling a little desperate for something new to photograph,I bought myself a small bouquet of 6 roses.

I really don't understand why I picked the colour I did,because usually I would pick a bright pink or a red,but this time it is a more subdued colour.

All of these pictures are taken with the iPhone and have had no editing whatsoever.

This is the bouquet,nothing big or fancy,but they sure add a bright spot on my table.I used flash to get this shot,and yes,I used a large mug as a vase,because I can.I should also explain that the white you see in the water is torn up paper towel.This helps to keep the flowers standing more upright.

Getting a little closer,you can see some of the detail on the flowers.

 Looking straight down into one of the flowers.These roses are all the same colour,yet on the pictures they look so different.I suppose it could be the lighting.

A few flowers,and I have had a good time capturing their beauty.It has been a nice change from photographing snow.

Today the snow has started to melt and there is hope for a new season.

Thought for Today:

After the winter comes the summer.

After the night  comes the dawn.

After every storm,there comes clear open skies.

Then and Now

It's time to connect with my blogging friends again.

I guess my biggest problem these days is that I am not finding much to photograph except snow.

I have gone back to last year about this time  and picked a few pictures which show what I was seeing then.

You can see that all the ice is gone from the water and the ducks have arrived.This picture was taken on March 31,2012 and I can guarantee that we will still have snow and ice by the 31st this year.

Here is a far-away picture of some my favourite ducks,the Northern Pintail.To me these ducks look so elegant.

A walk beside our local lake gave me this shot. I was delighted to see a lake full of diamonds,just for me,that morning.

Looking out of my back door,I was greeted by this little friend.See,there is green grass,where now there is about 2 feet of snow.

This is what it looks like in my world right now.No,this is not on my yard,but only about a mile or so from town. Yes,I know the snow will melt in time.

One more picture and one of different nature.For those of you don't follow me on Facebook I will show  this one. Many of you know that my favourite Southern Gospel group is Legacy Five.On Wednesday,I had the chance to go and hear them again.I was going to get a simple picture of the guys around the piano,but the leader Scott Fowler had other ideas.Here he is doing a special up close pose for me. These guys sing well,but they also enjoy having fun.

I apologize for the poor quality of this picture,but 

i only had my iPhone and the light was not that good.

Flower Fun

Ok,I admit, I am getting tired of seeing snow and so have dipped into the archives for some colour.

I picked some colourful blooms and then used a program called Image Framer. I should say this is a Mac App and of course I just have the free one,so am a little limited with frame choices.

Let's start with one of my favourite colours,pink.

This is a unique lily,which has a spotted look,yet has a beauty all it's own.

I cannot do a special flower post and not share at least one Daisy. This simple flower is easy to grow,therefore I like it,but it is still beautiful from various angles.

The flower which is easiest to grow is the Dandelion. Ok,I know it's a weed,but those first few that pop up in spring are still beautiful. 

Periwinkle is another easy to grow flower and an early one to bloom

One more lily. I have lots of lilies in my gardens,thanks to Jake's love of this flower. I enjoy them more now than ever.I guess,truth be told,I like all flowers.

I hope you have enjoyed my flowers. I know I enjoyed looking at some bright colours.

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend.

More iPhone Pictures

Well,since spring has not shown up yet,you will have to endure some more phone pictures.

I am getting tired of seeing snow,but folks,that's all I can get right now,so here goes.

I will begin with a fun picture.I have mentioned it before,but this is a regular picture and then the water reflection is added with an App called Water My Photo.It is quite a cool app and works well on some pictures. Here is is somewhat unrealistic,but it is an interesting look.

Stepping outside one morning,on my way to work,I saw the sun peeking through the snow laden branches and liked what I saw.

I get tired of the snow by this time of year,but it does have a special beauty to it.Evergreen boughs weighed down with snow are especially beautiful.

This is a picture taken from on my driveway,looking south.Yes,there is a street behind that pile of snow. I have a pile like that on either side of the driveway.Needless to say,I pull out of my yard very carefully,inching my way forward,so as not to be hit by a vehicle coming down the street.

 All of the above pictures have been taken on my yard.I am more than ready to see some grass and bare dirt,but that may be a while yet.

I do not recall where this picture was taken,but it probably doesn't matter.It was the sky that caught my attention.

Thought for Today:

Even in winter an isolated patch of snow has a special quality.

                                Andy Goldsworthy

This thought is probably directed at me more than at anyone else.There really is a special beauty about winter.

Summer vs.Winter

I was checking some older memory cards yesterday and was surprised to find pictures from last summer.

I saw this one and thought it looked OK.Then I noticed some little legs sticking out over the petal.There is also a small bug flying to the right of the yellow centre.

I must have waited a second or two and found out who the legs belonged to.

This is obviously a macro shot.I think it good be an Alyssum,but am not sure. Even though the flowers are white,they are pleasant change from snow.

I did title the blog Summer vs. Winter,so there have to be some winter pictures as well.

This is from a recent drive in the country.The mound is at the side of a watering hole for the cattle.

The white on white caught my attention.

One more scene looking down the road.The blue of the sky adds a nice touch to the frost covered trees.

Thought for Today:

I saw this on another blog and thought it fit in here as well.

Hope you don't mind Kerri.

There is so much beauty in the world, but you must allow yourself to see it.

― Tom Giaquinto

Petals and Wings

It is time to take a look back to warm sunny days,when the flowers were blooming and the butterflies were busy.No I don't want to rush the days,but it can't hurt to think back to last summer and then to look forward to what is to come.

I am not here to identify each butterfly,all I want to do is enjoy their beauty.

Perhaps some day I will learn to identify these the way I can many birds.

It is not that often that I see one of these with both tails mostly complete.The wings look a little worn,but it is still pretty.

Dandelions and butterflies,a nice combination.Seeing a picture like this makes me like the Dandelion a little more.

Not many flowers have a true blue colour,but this one is very close.The little Skipper is a nice addition.

No I did not photoshop this one.It was my lucky day,to get a bee in each flower.If only I could have posed them to be in the exact same position. :)

For those of you who are seeing a lot of snow outside,as I am,I trust these pictures have been a ray of sunshine and joy,for all the others,hope you found these pictures a joy to look at.

Winter Birds

As the winter carries on the birds keep on visiting the feeder.

All the pictures today were taken with the Canon SX50 HS.

This first shot is again taken through a window. I like the size contrast here.

The male Hairy Woodpecker on the left and a Red-breasted Nuthatch on the right. You can also see another Red-breasted Nuthatch partially hidden by the suet.

I noticed this bird in my maple tree the other day.He seemed to be finding something of interest on the tree. I saw immediately that it was a Waxwing,but was pleased to see that it was  a Bohemian Waxwing.The rusty colour under the tail tells me that.

While I was outside photographing the Waxwing,I noticed this Hairy Woodpecker on the tree and took his picture as well. You can see that the ires have used this tree a lot.

A week ago,on a Sunday afternoon drive in the countryside,I came upon these birds.

At first I thought it was a Grey Partridge,but am pleased to see that it is a Sharp-tailed Grouse.

Three more birds joined him on this mound. I am quite happy with the performance of the little SX 50 camera.

Thought for Today:

Speak kindly of others - no matter what.

If we all followed this advice this world would be a better place.