A Peaceful Evening

This post is not exactly Christmasy,but in a way it may be.The photos show an evening of peace and tranquility and I believe that Christmas and the birth of Christ are peaceful.
Welcome to December,even as I take you back to the middle of October.



As I have mentioned before the lake located just west of my town,Lake Minniwasta,is one of my favourite places to go for sunset photos,or most any photos.
The following pictures were all taken on a beautiful evening around the middle of October.

I had gone to the lake to see if by chance the sunset would be a photogenic one.Well,I was in for a surprise.Not only was the sunset gorgeous,but the time leading up to it was filled with amazing beauty.

The water of the lake was as smooth as glass and that resulted in gorgeous reflections.

The low angle of the setting sun,cast a golden light on the surrounding trees and grasses.

I found myself turning from east to west to try to capture all the beauty.

I had to keep on shooting as the color and the beauty was all around me.

Even the stones at the water's edge looked lovely.

I spent far more time at the lake that night than I had planned on and took far more pictures than I had expected to take. It was a refreshing time to be a witness to such beauty and calmness.

Fun Phone App

As many of you know,I enjoy playing with the different iPhone apps.The camera ones can be super fun,without a lot of work on my part.
The following photos are all taken with an App called 'Fisheye Pro'.
It has different lens options with the touch of a finger.

Here for no reason other than that I want to share my fun with you are a few shots taken during the fall of 2014.All are taken on my yard and while standing on my deck.

This shows the maple trees in the centre of my yard.

The potted Mums sitting on my deck.

A fisheye view of my back yard.

Another lens option on the fisheye camera showing the trees on my yard.

The crystal ball effect using the same camera app.Still my yard ,the trees and that beautiful blue sky.

This quote can apply to the above photos,but also to each of our lives.

When you change the way you look at things,
the things you look at change.

Special Views and Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends. Have a wonderful day.
The title of this post is Special Views and what is more special than family and friends.
Let's all remember to give thanks for the many blessings in our lives.


I have entitled the post,Special Views.Each view is special in my opinion,but some are just
slightly more so than others.

A walk around the yard resulted in this photo and the next.
It is so easy to walk right past something like this and not really see the beauty.
The lichen growing on this limb is filled with intricate details.

Trying to get a bugs eye view of the area under the evergreens,resulted in this shot. I kind of like the perspective.

Here are a few more pictures from my sunset shoot in mid-October,at Lake Minniwasta.

There were only a few clouds in the western sky,but they were just enough to create interest.

When I noticed a small flock of birds flying across the lake,I tried to capture them in the sunset. I am not totally sure,but I think they are Double-crested Cormorants.

The eastern sky had  more clouds and they picked up the rays of the sun,making for a gorgeous display.

As the sun was setting,it seemed as though I could hear God say.

"Relax,your problems are in my hands now".

More Manitoba Beauty

Once again,I take you to Lake Minniwasta,during the early fall of 2014.


This is a spot I don't visit very often,as it is the actual boat launch.Of course I don't have a boat,nor do I want one,but I still enjoy the beauty of this spot.

A walk along the shore of this lake can be so peaceful.This scene speaks peace to me.Of course I recall being there that morning and feeling the calm sweep over me as I walked along.

One small shrub put on a gorgeous display of color. The sunshine brought out it's beauty even more.

A few Milkweed pods were still clinging to their precious seeds,even as  the wind was trying hard to dislodge them.

A seldom used railroad track and a cluster of late blooming Asters made a great combination.

Those who walk with God always reach their destination.

Scenic Lake Minniwasta

In looking back through some of my photos,I couldn't help but be surprised that I had not shared these before,so here goes. I know we are stepping back a month or so,but the beauty remains the same.

Lake Minniwasta is a small lake,as lakes go,but it is the main source of water for the City of Morden.Aside from that,it is also a place of great beauty.
This is the road leading to the back,where the canoe launch is located.

A short walk through the trees and I can find this beautiful spot.I have stood at this place so many times,yet each time I am in awe again,at the beauty I can find there.

At the canoe launch site,which is a gently sloped,graveled area,one can walk right up to or even into the water.Since I am not a water person,I stand at the edge and get my pictures.

Gentle waves lapping at the shore create a peaceful scene.

The sun creates a path of diamond across the lake.I love how this particular time they actually looked like stars on the water.

I tried to get up close and personal with the water and still keep my feet and camera dry. The camera was of more importance than my feet.

A small wave breaks at the shore and gives me a picture I really enjoy.

I hope you enjoyed visiting 'my' lake once again.Let's do it again soon.


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

The Start of Christmas 2014

At my house the Christmas trees go up early,maybe too early for some,but I like to have them up early and then once December 26 rolls around,I am ready to turn my house back to normal.

This year it was on November 7th that Steve and Kai came over to help set up my two trees.I need to clarify this,I put the trees where I wanted them and put the ribbon on them,Kai did all the decorating and as she put it,'Daddy can just sit there and watch'. 

Well Steve found something to do,he grabbed my camera and took a few shots while she worked.

That intense look on her face says that each ornament,no matter how small,must be hung at just the right place.

This little Reindeer has been in my home for many years and always gets a special spot on the tree.After the decorating is done,it becomes a game to see where the reindeer will be hiding and what may be in it's mouth.

Just to prove that the reindeer can open it's mouth when you squeeze his cheeks.

 This is tree one with red and white .

And tree two with pink and white.

The trees came pre-lit and even the bases are pretty.The lights flicker and make it look like stars twinkling.

This is a close-up of the stars in the base.

Whether you are preparing for Christmas or Thanksgiving in the US or any other event,remember:

Invest the time,talent and resources God has given you this day.

A Birthday Surprise and a Photo Ride

On October 25,I was called upon to help surprise my friend of many years.Her birthday is October 29,but her daughter decided to give her a surprise 65th birthday party on the 25th. My job was to get her out of the house for a while,so the house could be readied and the guests could arrive.

I decided to take her with me on a photography ride.We headed north and west of Morden.Here are a few pictures from that ride.

Before I go any further,let me say,we did surprise her,but I was surprised as well when I found that she enjoyed the photography almost as much as I did.

The first stop was at the old railroad bridge,which has been shown on this blog a few times before.

You can see that the trees are bare,but the bridge still was photogenic.

Along the side of the road we found a few Milkweed pods bursting with ripe seeds.

 We made our way to a valley still further north.This is called the St. Lupicin area and is very picturesque. The white bark on this stand of birch trees caught my attention.

A little further down the road was this scene and I knew I needed to get a picture of it.I like the old broken down tree and the blue sky background.

I had to stop and get this picture of the bare trees and the blue sky.

 It was a fun few hours,but by now I needed to get the honoured guest home to the party. I knew we would be late,but hurried home as best I could,without giving any clue as to what was happening.

Once we turned down her street,she saw some cars which she recognized and wanted to know if I had been asked to take her away for a while. I had to confess,but it was still somewhat of a surprise for her. Happy Birthday Hannah,glad I could have a part in celebrating your birthday.

Going Back on My Word

In my last post I stated that those would be the last pictures of fall 2014.

Guess what? I found that I had 10 more pictures ready and waiting to be posted, SO, since I am a woman and I have the right to change my mind,here are some more fall photos.

You may laugh now or leave the site and come back another time.I do hope you stay for a while,I'll take the laughing. So here goes.

With so many photos,I will keep the words to a minimum.

This tree stands on the neighbours property.Yes,it is standing straight,but just for fun,I held the camera at an angle.

Another angled camera shot.This is in our local park.

Similar to the above,but the camera held correctly.

In our local park.It's a pretty spot most any time of the year.

This is a shrub on my yard.I liked how the sun lit up these leaves.

An early morning at the park,the dew covered all the fallen leaves and made for some gorgeous shots.

The foot bridge across the creek in the park.

Looking down into the creek to capture the fall reflections.

A carpet of leaves makes a pretty scene.This is also at the park.

Here is a close up of the texture of the bark on one of the many trees in the park.

I may have a couple more pictures with fall color,but the next post will certainly show that winter is on the way.

Have a wonderful day and enjoy the beauty around you.

Fall Spectacular

Since we are at the mid point of November,this will likely be my last post for this year,of fall pictures. These are all taken on my yard this past fall.

The leaves of the Mountain Ash look really pretty in late fall.

Of course this same tree also sports clusters of bright red berries,so is an attraction for the birds.

Even the apple tree puts on a bright display in fall.

The soft orange of the Mountain Ash leaves against the blue sky are beautiful to me.

I may see things differently than many do,but a carpet of coloured leaves is a special treat for me.

Creation's design points to the Master Designer.