Welcoming June with Flowers

May has slipped by ever so quickly and June is upon us.June is the month of roses and also the last month of my school year.This means 22 more days of bus driving in this school year.

I do not have roses in this post,but I do have a number of pretty flowers to share with you.

Each of these pictures show a flower or flowers that are currently blooming on my yard.

This first one is a Martha Washington Geranium.

Not a flower,but close-up of one of the Geranium leaves.

Another flower on the Martha Washington Geranium plant.I really like the brush strokes of color on these flowers.

Lastly I have a few pictures of  a pot of small Begonias.

The above color and the next one are in one pot and actually look quite nice together. I don't think I would have put these two colors together,but that is the way I bought them and it seems to work.

A second pot has the redder flowers.I like these plants,because they are so full of flowers that the leaves are barely visible.

Closing Thought:

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

Waterfowl

The last while has been good for spotting waterfowl.Spring has so many birds appearing all at once that it can be hard to keep up.

I like to visit the Kaleida Marshes frequently to see which new birds have shown up.

These pictures have been cropped,as the birds were too far away to really get great pictures.

This first duck is a Ring-necked Duck.

In the second picture are a pair of Canvasback ducks.

Picture number three is an American Coot.I have tried so many times to get good pictures of this bird,but usually all I get is it's tail end as he disappears in the water.Well,this time I got a fairly good shot.

It is so much easier to get pictures like this.The reeds stay put and all I have to do is get a good focus on them.I like how the water makes wavy reflections.

Finally a  pair of Northern Shovelers in flight.I like this picture,not just because of the ducks,but the clouds paint a soft backdrop.

Thank you Lord for another amazing day full of so many blessings.

More Springtime Crocuses

Today I want to share a few more Crocus pictures.

These flowers have such a short bloom time that I am glad I was able to get at least some pictures this year. Enjoy the delicate beauty of these Manitoba flowers.

This is not a Crocus but still a Manitoba beauty,in this Grandma's eyes.

Finally,a rock with some interesting patterns on it

Closing Thought:

The same boiling water that hardens the egg,will soften the carrot.

Everything depends on the individual's particular reaction to stressful circumstances.

Dr.James Dobson

The Prairie Crocus

Yes,I'm still catching up with pictures.All winter long it seemed there was little to take pictures of and now I get so many,that I fall behind in posting.

These pictures are from the middle of April.

The Prairie Crocus is not only a pretty little flower,but it is also the floral emblem of Manitoba.

This flower grows on pastureland,on short stems.They are often hard to see unless you are right near them.

Some plants produce a single flower while others have multiple blooms.

This one has just poked through the ground and will open up in a day or two.

While Steve and I were busy photographing these little flowers,Kai was exploring.She found this Crocus.It is almost pure white.I don't know if the color had faded or if this is a variant of the normal purple flower.

The pictures I have shared and others which will come on a later post,were all taken about a mile from my town.

To Think About:

Creation's design points to the Master Designer.

All About Birds

It's no secret I love birds.The pictures I'm showing today go back to April of this year.
This is about the time that the birds become  more active and new birds are showing up.

The Blue Jay is a year round resident in Southern Manitoba and I like that.Those bright blue feathers light up many a winter day,not to mention the fun it is to watch them come for peanuts and other food at the window feeder.

The little Dark-eyed Junco shows up on my yard in fall and again in early spring.I enjoy having them around.They fill the trees with their cheerful twittering.

The Purple Finches are some of our early migrants.These birds are easily recognized if you remember one simple rule.I read somewhere that the male of this species looks like he was dipped in a glass of red wine.They also do not have the heavily streaked breast that the House Finch has.

We have woodpeckers around all year,but not this one.This is a male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.The yellow on the belly is often almost to faint to see.They do drill holes in the tree trunks and wait for the sap and also the other insects that are attracted to the sap.

One bird that most everyone,birder or not,recognizes,is the American Robin.When the Robin has arrived in this area,it seems like it must be spring.I have them coming to my deck to get the raisins I put out just for them.As with any other hobby,bird feeding is not necessarily cheap.

The closing thought today is especially for all my friends.Thanks for being a part of my life.

Friends are the closest thing to angels,this side of heaven.

Loons on Lake Minniwasta

About a month ago I spent a morning at Lake Minniwasta,but I wasn't there alone.

I had some Common Loons entertaining me. They were not as close as I would have liked but it was better than I've had them before.

I have no further descriptions,so enjoy the photos.

Closing Thought:

Happy the soul that has been awed by a view of God’s Majesty.

This Is My Father's World

I invite you to join me as I wander around at Lake Minniwasta,back in the middle of April.

It's a pleasant spring day in Manitoba,cool enough for a light jacket,but still great to be outside after a long winter.

As you can quickly see,the trees are still leafless,but the ice is all gone from the lake.

I like being here before the folks are out with their motor boats.I love the peace and quiet I can experience at the lake during those times.

This picture is disturbing to me.You see,normally the water should be up to or past these boulders.The water level is very low and that is not a good way to start the year.

Even without the leaves on the trees and the green of the grass,there is still a measure of beauty at the lake.

A seed plume from last year adds some interest to the scene.

Closing Thought:

We believe that this is Your world, Lord. We marvel at You and Your creativity when we look at the sky and the world around us. You, and what You have done, are amazing! We stand in awe of You.

Springtime Birds

It is no secret that I enjoy the birds all year round,but in spring there is a special excitement with the returning birds.

Yes,Blue Jays stay in our area all year,for which I am very thankful.They brighten the winter landscape.

The next three pictures are long distance ones.You can get a feel of what I was seeing.

The Canada Geese were excited and creating a lot of noise.I so wish that they had chosen to do all this closer to me,but that was not to be.Yes,I could have cropped the pictures more heavily,but I really prefer not to do that.

I shot a sequence of pictures and these are just two of them.Even at this distance,I enjoyed watching the action.

When all else fails,turn to the Gulls.These birds are more plentiful and therefore somewhat easier to photograph.

To think about:

Anything under God's control is never out of control.