A Visit to Summer 2014

It has been too long since I posted to the blog.I guess,I like so many others,get busy with day to day life and the blog has to take a back seat.

Today I decided to look back at last years summer and dream of warmer weather ahead.

A peaceful river flowing along is just about the most relaxing scene there is.For those of my readers from Manitoba,this is close to Rock Lake.

I love the Pembina Valley located not too far from where I live.The rolling hills and then the variety of colors seen in the fields,all make for some wonderful photo opportunities.

Many times beauty is right before our eyes.This is the case with this picture.I literally only have to step out of my house to see this.It may be simple beauty,but then,I am only a simple person.

Usually a photographer tries to get as close as possible to a bird,in order to get the best picture.As you can see I wasn't very close to this Robin,but I like the whole scene.Obviously this photo was taken towards the end of summer,as you can see by the red berries on the Mountain Ash,

Usually the best pictures happen from outside the car,but sometimes,even shooting through the windshield works. I will have you know that I stopped for a moment to get this shot,so no,I didn't take pictures while driving. This picture was also taken close to Rock Lake.

Something to think about:

Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.

A Step Back,While Looking Forward

Today I will step back into last summer,while looking forward to the summer which is to come.

These pictures are mostly taken with my iPhone and I'm using my iPad to make the post.

I love watching the sky. It may be a few fluffy clouds in the sky,but they create a scene of beauty.

Each time I see a scene like this I just have to take a moment to stop and give thanks to God for giving me this moment.

Those billowy thunderstorm clouds are a beautiful sight.

Sometimes those same blue skies will have an Eagle gracefully soaring along. I don't expect that I will ever get tired of watching the Eagles in the sky.

The thought for today speaks directly to me:

Learn to appreciate what you have,before time makes you appreciate what you had.

Sunsets and Eagles

This time of year photography takes on a whole new life. The weather is warming up,so going out is so much more enjoyable.The second BIG change is that the birds are slowly returning north. YEAH!!!

I love going out before sunset,choosing a spot where I will hopefully get some good shots and then waiting for the sun to set.The other day,I was caught a little off guard,as I didn't expect to see much beauty with the setting sun.I scrambled to find a location from which to shoot.

Here is just one of the many photos I got that day.The sunset was amazing.I thought that there were too many clouds,but once again I was proven wrong. Boy was I glad I was out there ready to shoot when that magical moment happened.

A small puddle of water was also catching the glow of the evening sky.

 The time for bald Eagles has come and I enjoy every moment of it.

We see Bald Eagles of all ages come through the Pembina Valley at this time.This low flying bird is an immature. I used to think that all Bald Eagles had the white head and tail,but have learned that they only get the full white head and tail at about 3-4 years of age.

Of course I love getting my lens on a mature Bald Eagle and when they cooperate and fly a little lower that is even better.

I will be back at the valley again soon,hoping for more chances to capture these gorgeous birds and others as well. The Red-tailed Hawks should be pushing through every shortly.

ALL CREATION IS A GLORIOUS GALLERY OF GOD'S HANDIWORK!

One Last Snowy Post,I Hope

Forgive me,these pictures all have snow in them.I'm sorry.

I do hope that this will be the last snowy post this winter.

What I really wanted to share with you,are the birds,so please look past the snow and see the birds.

I was out looking for Bald Eagles and found this one sitting much too far away,but had to get a picture anyway.You know,I can never know if this will be the only eagle I will see that day.

Fortunately,it was not the only one I saw and some of the others were much closer.

This one was very cooperative and allowed me to get out of the car and walk around on the road,so I could get a shot without branches behind the bird.

Being satisfied that I got some decent eagle shots,I made my way home,but had to stop and capture this Horned Lark.This is one of the earliest birds to return in my area,but it is also a very skittish bird and seldom sits still long enough to get a shot.Once again,distance was a bit of a problem,but at least I got a picture.

I will close with this picture of a snow drift on  my yard,earlier this winter.I am glad it is now gone and certainly hope that the next time we see significant snow will be late in October or November.

We'll see,but I can hope.

Thought for today:

What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it.

Golden Yellow

The sun has been shining and the snow is rapidly melting.It feels like spring,but I live in Manitoba and we just kind of hold our breath,knowing that we may still get more snow and even storms before this winter bids us farewell.

Be that as it may,I have some sunny yellows to share today.

I have had several years with almost no finches using the Nyjer feeder,but that has changed this winter.The American Goldfinches are busy feeding on most days.

These pictures are not perfect,as they were taken through a dirty window.

I am encouraged by the touches of yellow on these Goldfinches.It tells me that they are slowly shedding their winter coats/colors and putting on the brighter summer ones.

On Valentine's Day I treated myself to a bouquet of bright yellow roses. The main reason for doing this was that I needed something other than snow to take pictures of.

These roses brightened my kitchen for a while and I trust they will brighten your day today.

Once I got the pictures on the computer it was time to experiment with color.

I tried different colors,but liked this one the best. The soft sepia seems to fit with the richness of the roses.

A phrase my Dad used to use when I was having a bad day was,

Your never fully dressed without a smile.

So,put that smile on and enjoy each day.

Making Lemonade?

As most of you know by now,I have not been able to get out much the last two weeks,because of an ankle injury,but that does not mean I couldn't take pictures.

They say that when life gives you lemons,make lemonade,well that is what I have been trying to do.The biggest lemon for me at this time is an injury,but another one is that the windows in my house need replacing.That said,the cold weather has left some amazing designs on my windows and today I want to share a couple with you.

 Too much time on my hands has 'forced' me to play with these images.I sent them through my Photoshop program and added some decorative edges.

 Here is another view of the ice flowers I see daily.These pictures have all been taken with the iPhone,by the way.

 Some of you,no doubt,have seen this one when I posted it to Facebook.Early winter mornings are so beautiful. I love the warm light on the snow covered lawn.

 Sitting at my breakfast table the other day and I noticed the Goldfinches were also having breakfast. The morning sunlight was so pretty on them. Try to look past the frost and ,just maybe some dirt on the window.

Here is one last picture to enjoy. The photo was taken last summer on my yard,but I added a creative element to it,by  using an App on the phone. The App is called LiPix,for anyone who cares to check it out on the App store.

Trying to find words to describe nature's beauty is like trying to measure the moon with a yardstick.

A Touch of Spring

March 1 and spring is just around the corner.

Last week a dear friend of mine came to spend part of the day with me,but she did so much more than that. She brought with her a touch of spring,in a bouquet of tulips. Because of my recent injury,I still don't do stairs really well and my laundry is downstairs,so she took care of the weekly laundry for me.What a blessing that was!

 It's a good thing the fall I had did not injure my trigger finger. Ha! Ha!

I made sure that bouquet of tulips was at a location where I could get lots of pictures,many of which were taken from my recliner. I should add that these shots were all taken with my phone,as that was the handiest most of the time.

Enjoy this beautiful touch of spring.

It was a small bouquet but it brought me huge joy.

A verse for today is:

How precious to me are your thoughts,O God!

How vast is the sum of them.

Psalm 139:17