THE BEAUTY OF NATURE

September 1 is a few short hours away. The start of September means the start of school for us in Canada and that means back to work for me.It has been a good and busy summer and I am ready to get back into routines.

To start this new month I look back to a few more summertime beauties.

All of these pictures have been taken at The English Gardens.I present them to you without any further words,so enjoy.

Seasons change,but the goodness of our God remains the same.

Morden Corn and Apple Festival,Part 2

Corn and Apple Festival continued.

I will show some more parade entries.

As I said we are home to the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre ,Here is a replica of one of the fossils discovered in this area.

I didn't know that the Fintstones were still alive and active,but their car was driving down the parade route.

 So I now know what I need to look for when shopping for a motor home. It has to have a TV on the outside. How else could one survive this roughing it,called camping? LOL

The local Taekwondo group was out,handing out candies to the youngsters along the parade route. 

From motor homes with outside TVs to some the old vehicles,all are on display in the parade.

With all this activity,one must be fed. My church was cooking up some delicious apple ring fritters. All funds raised were going to the Pembina Valley Bible Camp,so it was only right that Todd,the director got the first serving.

This is a small look at the campers parked at one of the school yards in town. Yes,we do have a campground,but it is usually overfull,so a school ground is opened up for additional space.

My favourite ride to watch is the Merry Go Round. It is quieter and quite pretty. Of course I only watch.I will not be doing any riding,on any rides.

My favourite time of the festival is Sunday. The city has designated that all entertainment on the main stage is Gospel on that day.

We had a soloist,Aaron Ruston,who opened the day. Aaron sings a lot of Booth Brothers songs,but it doesn't matter which song he sings,he does a super job of it.This man has an amazing voice.

He was followed by an amazing speaker,Ron Pearce.Ron has been all over the world,sharing the Gospel and has so many interesting stories to share.I did not get a picture of him.

Another group was the Torchmen from Ontario ,Canada. These guys sing Southern Gospel style and do a great job. I had not heard them in person before,so it was a treat for me. There were a couple of other groups,but once again,I did not get pictures.

If you ever have the chance,come visit Morden during Festival time. We will treat you right,fill your tummy with good food,your heart with good music and preaching.

Morden Corn and Apple Festival,Part 1

I want to say up front that these pictures are not great quality,all have been taken with my iPhone,held in one hand while trying to hold an umbrella over my head with the other.

The weekend of August 22-24 was the annual Corn and Apple Festival in my home town/city.

This event draws people from near and far. Festivities begin on Friday,with at least 7 blocks of the main street blocked off.The street is lined with food booths and vendors of all kinds.At one end,several blocks are designated to amusement rides,a popular spot for kids of all ages.

Saturday morning begins with a parade.Here are my sister,Becky,her granddaughter,Addy and my granddaughter Kai waiting for the parade to begin. It was drizzling constantly,but we toughed it out.

Some of my favourite floats and entries are the marching bands. We didn't have many this year,but I enjoyed this small group as they came by.

Morden is home to peoples from many countries and it was wonderful to see a parade entry consisting of people from many nations.

Of course a parade is not complete without horses. These two riders are friends of mine.A father and daughter team.Dave and Clarissa look very comfortable on their horses.

Sometime during the parade the local firemen come along,looking for donations to the Children's Burn Fund.Lots of funds get dropped in those large fireman's boots.

Neighbouring communities take part as well. This is from Steinbach,advertising the Mennonite Heritage Village.

Morden is home to the Canadian Fossil Discovery Center,so this vehicle is advertising that.

Farmers cannot be left out. This is a far cry from the small tractors I grew up with. Better hope that the crops will be abundant,to help pay for a machine like this.

Not only are the tractors big,but so are the muscles. My nephew Dave is a body builder and works at a gym.He was on the float promoting the gym. With arms like that,I hope he will be around when I need some heavy lifting done.

From pure muscle to pure beauty.I loved this dress,worn by one of the representatives from another country.

Watch for another post about this festival coming in a day or two.

Weeds or Flowers?

Is it a weed or is it a flower? You decide.I know what I call them and that is a flower.

A weed is simply a flower which is growing where I don't want it to. Since these flowers were growing in a natural environment,I don't consider them weeds.

I don't have names for some of them so they will all remain nameless.

Take a look at the beauty and allow that to brighten your day.

Lake Minniwasta at Morden,n the background on this and the next picture.

The question of weed or flower comes in here. These two flowers are from some Lobelia that dropped seeds last year and now these tiny flowers are blooming right beside one of my stepping stones.I didn't plant them there,so does that make them a weed? Not in my mind.I smile each time I see them.

In my simple way of thinking,I believe that if we would take more time to enjoy,even the flowers on a so-called weed,we would see more beauty and appreciate even the little things,more.

I encourage you,as I have done before,take time to stop and really see the beauty all around you,then give thanks to God,Who has created all of it.

Some of My Favorites

This post is filled with variety.These are pictures ,which for various reasons,I like.

I like red Geraniums.They are bright,and so cheerful.Some day I hope I get to photograph a Hummingbird at a flower like this.

Sitting on my deck the other day,I noticed the heavy crop of cones on the trees.The squirrels and some of the birds should be well fed this winter.

I was at a friends house the other day and noticed their sunflowers.They were well over 6ft.tall and still not opened.My only chance for a picture was to look at the unopened bud from below.

The Goldenrod is a fall flower,so when I see it in bloom,I know that summer is winding down.I do like this flower and I also look forward to the cooler days of fall.

One of the bonuses of living in a rural area,is that I don't have to drive far to see country beauty.

I was hoping for a spectacular sunset this evening,but that didn't happen. Things may not turn out the way i had hoped,but I still found beauty.I like this picture,hope you do too.

We could never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world.
Helen Keller

Sunflowers

 I have grown up in rural Manitoba and I can't recall a summer without seeing fields of sunflowers.
I used to think that this was just another crop and didn't really pay much attention to how these flowers looked,after all,the goal was for the seeds to ripen and then send the combines in to harvest the crop.
That is still the goal today,but my priorities have changed.Since taking up photography,I see beauty in almost every place.

A field of sunflowers in full bloom is gorgeous from almost any angle.

The heads are held up high and those bright yellow petals draw attention to the seeds forming in the centre part.

Let's just take a closer look at the heart of a sunflower. Each tiny floret will have a seed at it's base.If the rains come at the right time and the bees get in there to pollinate these flowers than later in fall a harvest of sunflower seeds will be available.

Did I mention that each flower needs to be pollinated? Here one bee is busy doing that while also collecting pollen and nectar to take back to the hive. I find it fascinating how God has created all of nature to work in harmony.

One last look at this field of gold.It won't be long now and those heads will be bowing under the weight of the seeds in it.It is about at that same time that some of the birds may find an easy source of food. I am fairly certain that there will be seeds enough for the birds to enjoy some and yet for the farmers to get a good crop.

I found this quote and thought it was suitable for today:
Thank You,Lord,for the richness of honey!
Though the myriad wildflowers,or sunflowers,that supplied the nectar have passed from the earth,
their sweetness lives on.

Birds on My Yard and More

It seems that it has been a while since I last featured birds on this blog.Today I will correct that.Here are a few recent sightings.Yes birding has been slow recently.The birds have been busy with nesting and raising their young and also,it has been fairly hot,so this photographer has not spent very much time outside.

The other day I sat on my deck and waited to see who would pay me or the feeder a visit.
The White-breasted Nuthatch came to pick out a seed and then quickly fly away to eat it.

A somewhat scruffy looking Downy Woodpecker didn't quite dare to come to the feeder,but quickly grabbed a peanut and took off.

Of course the Black-capped Chickadee is one who comes easily and doesn't mind my being there. I like the slightly cocked head,making him look inquisitive.

A little farther from my home,at the Kaleida marshes,the ducks still had young ones in tow.I believe this is a Mallard duck with her young.I shot the picture because of the birds,but I also like the look of the water.

Most recently the birders in Manitoba have mostly been focused on a small area of Winnipeg.A birder with a keen eye spotted what he thought was a Mississippi Kite.Upon further investigation,it proved that he was correct and that indeed there was not one but two Kites.After some cautious scouting,someone found a nest with young in it.If you check on a range map,you will see that these birds are quite a lot further north than where they normally are.To see one of these birds here is special,but now to have proof that they have/are nesting in Manitoba is amazing.

I,like many other birders had to make a special trip,a two hour drive,to Winnipeg to see and photograph these birds.

Just another little tidbit of excitement.The birding community of Manitoba has spent the last five years collecting data for a Breeding Bird Atlas.Well,now it seems we will finish this project on a high note,with documentation of a successful nest of a pair of Mississippi Kites.It doesn't get much better than that.

ROSES,ROSES,ROSES!!!

I am so thankful for all my friends who live in 'Blogland'. I don't know what I would do without you.

As I started thinking about this post and wondering just what direction this post should take,one name came to my mind. One of my 'Blogland' friends is having a birthday on August 5th,so this post shall serve as a birthday card for her.

Happy Birthday Betsy.I hope your day will be filled with all the things you enjoy most.

I know that you get a rose each day from George,but please accept these roses,although not from my garden,as a special bouquet from me.

I 'picked' these roses at the English Gardens in Winnipeg.

Even the bud of a rose is so pretty.

This yellow rose reminds me of the rose bush my parents had in their garden.I love that soft colour.

One can't go wrong with a pink rose,at least not in my mind. Just look at that cute little bud,waiting it's turn to show off.

When in doubt,then mix the yellow with some pink and the result is spectacular.

I'm thinking this is a more mature version of the one above. Oh how I love the roses and each time I visit this garden I get yet another bunch of pictures.

Happy Birthday Betsy.May God shower you with blessings.

To all my other readers,I have not forgotten about you.Please take this bouquet of roses as a thank-you for being a very important part of my life.