Black And White Birds

I have a set of pictures taken the other day when I was up at Lake Manitoba,and the surrounding area.

As I looked at these,I realized,that although they are coloured pictures,it is mostly balk and white.

The first picture is that of a Franklin Gull,and yes,it is white with a little black.If you look closely you can also see a hint of pink on the belly.I find that very interesting,and have no idea what they have that.

This is mostly a black bird,but I was surprised to see that the wings are two-toned.This is a Double-crested Cormorant and it is also one of the better pictures I have ever gotten of this bird. It does have a patch of bright yellow or orange under the bill as well.

This is one of those sights I just never get tired of seeing.The American White Pelican is a graceful flyer with a very large wingspan.This bird has a wingspan of up to 110 inches.

I was fascinated by the Common Terns and their hunting style. I love when they hover like this one is doing and then suddenly dive straight down into the water,only to surface with some morsel of food.

Last but not least is a picture that brought me great joy,even though it is not totally sharp.

The Western Grebes were pairing off and here we see a pair running on the water.This may not be new to many of my readers,but I had only seen this once before,so I was thrilled.As they run one can actually hear the feet slapping the water.In this picture you can see that this pair had an audience as well.

The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.

            

A Visit to Lake Manitoba

On May 17,my friend and co-worker,Gwen and I decided to check out a part of our province about an hour or more away from us. We left right after breakfast and headed to Portage La Prairie and then on to the lake area,stopping first at Delta and then at St. Ambroise.

This area has in the past had beaches and campgrounds,but due to recent flooding that has all but ended.The birds don't seem to mind and that gave me many great opportunities for pictures.

Here I caught a Canada Goose just touching down.In the background you can see some of the many Western Grebes that were there.

What we were not expecting was the ice not that far from the shore.Yes,folks that is ice pushed up on the water.Lake Manitoba is a fairly large inland lake,so it takes longer for the ice to melt.

At St. Ambroise we not only had ice on the water,but they actually made a cut through the snow bank so people could get to the shore of the lake.

There was not much activity at the lake and that came as no surprise.The picnic table looked somewhat deserted.

Despite the fact that there was still ice and even snow,I found beauty.The blue of the sky brightened an otherwise dull image.

In the nearby trees we could hear birds singing,it wasn't cold,even though it looks cold. 

We had a great time.Yes,we had to have our food in the vehicle but it still tasted good.

We have been anxiously waiting for spring,but of one thing we can be sure. It will come,God says so in His Word.

As long as the earth endures,seedtime and harvest,cold and heat,summer and winter,day and night will never cease.

Genesis 8:22

AN EVENING AT THE MARSH

A friend and I went for a ride to a local marsh the other day.It was in the evening so the light was fading fast.

There is still no new growth visible in the marshes,but the birds are sure busy,as are the frogs. The noise of the frog chorus was almost deafening.

As the sun was setting the marsh took on new life.I like the light in this shot.

Some of the many ducks which were on the water were these,two male Ruddy Ducks.

They were very far away,so this shot has been cropped. The added bonus are the reflections in the water.

Of course there is constant action,with ducks flying from one side of the marsh to the other.I think these are Gadwell,but I am willing to be corrected.

A male Yellow-headed Blackbird decided to pose for me.Just look at how talented he is,holding on with only one foot.

When he was done posing he took off,but not before I was able to get one quick shot.

When I saw this picture on my computer,I knew that this evening had been successful.

God,who made the world and everything in it,since He is Lord of heaven and earth,does not dwell in temples made with hands……As though He needed anything,since He gives to all life,breath and all things.

Acts 17:24-25 NKJV

Having Too Much Fun With Apps

I will begin by saying that although I take my photography seriously,sometimes,I just love to have fun and what better place to do that than on my phone.

The iPhone camera does a decent job of taking pictures,but the real fun comes in all the Apps available.

I may go a little overboard at times,but so it is.LOL

 I have mentioned before the App called Fisheye Pro,well this picture was taken with that.The App calls this a Crystal Ball lens.I do like the effect on some shots.

This picture was taken at sunset recently.

Another Crystal Ball lens photo.This one was taken at a marsh not too far from where I live.

Another Crystal Ball shot at the marsh.I have another App called Super Photo.I used that to create this unique frame effect.

Taking the same photo,I tried another effect in Super Photo.I kind of like this one.

 A petalled pillow I have on the couch has been used for some unique photo ideas.This time I used the Crystal Ball lens and like how it turned out.

While I was having fun playing with the various Apps,I took the image into yet another one,called PSExpress and turned it into a soft black and white.

Will I ever use these images for slideshows or enlargements? Most likely not,but I sure had fun making them,and just because I can,I will likely make a few more fun shots as I go along.Who knows,I might even be silly enough to share them here again.

I may be getting older,but I refuse to grow up.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Happy Mother's Day to all.

In memory of my Mom,I post this picture of her. She was promoted to her Heavenly home on September 19,1982,at the age of 54.I miss her and often feel like I should pick up the phone to call her,as that is something I did daily while she was still with us.

My Mom loved her family and would go to great lengths to please us. 

Was she perfect? No,and she would have been the first one to admit that,but she loved the Lord and prayed for us and taught us so much about life and how to live it.

Today I have the privilege of being Mom and Grandma to these two people. Steve and Kai. 

Both of them mean the world to me.I am trying to follow in my Mom's footsteps,by praying for them daily and being a mentor as best I know how.

Steve is not only my son,but also my friend and one I count on for support. Kai is the cutest young lady I know of and is the sparkle in my eyes as well as THE BEST helper when it comes to baking.

I LOVE YOU YOU,STEVE AND KAI!

The Sunset That Wouldn't Quit

On April 30,I realized that we were in for a very pretty sunset,so off to the lake I went.

I took pictures with my camera,but also captured some with my iPhone.

Today I am sharing just the iPhone shots

This was the start of some amazing beauty.

This was the sunset that wouldn't quit.It just kept on getting better and better.

You can see our local lake still had some ice on it that day,but the colours of the sunset were so pretty,I hardly noticed the ice.

Here you can see in those patches of open water how the colors were reflected in the lake.

This was one of those evenings where the beauty was unbelievable.

I thought that the event was over so I headed for home,but looking in my rearview mirror,I realized that it was far from over.

I was getting back into town and even though I now had buildings in the shot,I had to capture just one more picture of that gorgeous sky.

Shortly after this the colour faded and the beauty was gone for another day.

This was one of those times when I was happy that I followed my instincts and went out to see the sunset.

The day is done,the sun has set,yet light still tints the sky;

My heart stands still in reverence,for God is passing by.