Good-bye May and Hello June

Another month has come to a close. June brings excitement to my part of the world. It is the last month of school. There is excitement in the air.

These pictures were all taken on April 29, so it all looks very different by now.

Lake Minniwasta is usually a sure bet for some lovely shots.

On that particular day, I was thrilled to see a Common Loon on the lake.Yes, the Loon is not the main element of this picture, but it adds to the interest of the scene.

Here I was able to focus on the Loon.I get thrilled every time I see one of these birds.

Along the edge of the trail the empty pods of the Milkweed plant are showing their own beauty.

Later that evening, the sky put on an amazing display of color.

Something To Think About:

This is the day to marvel as you discover a bit of God

in people, in nature and in happenings.

The Return Of The Birds

Springtime brings with it the arrival of birds, many of which we have not seen since last fall.

Before anyone gets too excited,I know, we are well on our way into summer, but the following pictures were captured in early to mid spring

As one who love birds and looks for their return every spring, these images give me joy.

The first one is a Dark-eyed Junco. These birds are some of the earlier ones to show up.They may not have a lot of color, but after a long winter, their cheerful twitter is a treat to hear.

The Yellow-rumped Warbler is one busy little guy. It's hard to get  a good picture of them, cause they are most often on the move.

Here the bird is enjoying some of the sap from the Amur Maple.

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is a regular visitor for a short time in spring. Yes, they really do show a tinge of yellow other bellies.

Now you see me.........

........Now you don't.

These two picture show the small and well camouflaged Brown Creeper. As they spiral their way up the tree trunk they blend right into the bark.,

A male Purple Finch is one of the colorful birds we see here.Not only is he pretty, he has a lovely song that he shares readily.

The Common Grackle is a bird that most folks would rather not have around the feeders. They can be very aggressive and noisy. I am one of those who don't particularly like this bird, but it is a beautiful bird in the right light.

Something To Think About:

Plunge into the blessings of spring...

the sprouting of trees and grass,

the sound of birds returning from their winter furlough,

the daffodils and tulips.

Manitoba Spring

It seems that every year in spring, we in Manitoba experience high water levels and even some degree of flooding.

The following pictures are from early spring, showing some of the high waters.

As I have said so often, even in difficult times, we can find beauty.

I think a scene like this proves that. This is normally a small river or creek, but the water has risen and is over the banks in some places.

These bodies of calm water resulted in some amazing reflections.

I am not unaware of the damage that these high waters can do and the heartache it brings to people.

I just try to look for beauty when I can.

Too much higher and this railroad bridge would likely not be used.

I turned around and looked in the opposite direction. What do I see, but a cross on the local church.

The cross, always pointing us to Jesus our Saviour.

Once again, these perfect reflections caused me to stop, back up and get a picture. This channel is well within its banks. 

Something To Think About:

Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness.

 Mother Teresa

Pelican Lake in Springtime

A while back my sister and I took a drive to Pelican Lake, which is about an hour and a half drive west of Morden. Since it was still early spring the colors are fairly  muted, except for the blue of the sky.

This is a little bridge going nowhere, at least that's what it looks like to me, but it makes for good pictures.

I took this photo because of the reflections. When there is not much else to see, you look for every opportunity to get a picture.

Here is the same bridge as the first one, but from the other side. It must have been a railroad trestle at one time, but there are no tracks left by now.

The blue of the sky and some fluffy clouds caught my attention.

A short time later, something else caught my attention. Something that seems very out of place for southern Manitoba. See next picture.

Seeing a lone Elk in Manitoba is rare, but to see this herd was quite unusual. I'm still wondering if someone nearby raises these animals and they got out of there enclosure. Whatever the case may be, it was a surprise and a treat to see these. Notice that there are even some antlers in the herd.

Something To Think About:

It doesn’t have to be perfect to be good.

Melissa Brady

Looking Up and Looking Down

When heading out with one purpose in mind, you have to be open minded, because something else may make itself available.

Steve, Kai and I went out to capture Crocus pictures, as you saw in the previous post, but it pays to look up once in a while.

These Swans came over and were beautiful against that sky.

I quickly snapped a couple of shots and then it was back to the Crocuses.

By now these flowers are all gone, but I am thankful I have pictures to enjoy their beauty year round.

I have said it before, that I take pictures because I enjoy doing so and I have some satisfaction in seeing a picture turn out right.

My son Steve gets far more serious about it and of course the results are beyond anything I can do.

 When out in the field, you have to improvise. This is where Kai comes in. She can hold that soft light at just the right angle so that the picture is perfect.

I enjoy being out with them and watching and capturing the action from my viewpoint.

Here are two shots taken by Steve, during the above shoot.

Something To Think About:

Flowers are heaven’s masterpiece.

The Beautiful Prairie Crocus

I am pretty sure I post about these flowers every spring, but then they are our provincial emblem, they show up every spring and they are just plain pretty.

As you can see these flowers push up through the soil very early, before any other growth is around.

They have very short hairy stems, but a look inside one of these flowers reveals a special beauty.

Here those hairy stems really show up.

I was out with son Steve and granddaughter Kai. We are very careful not to pick any flowers or otherwise destroy them.They are a protected species. Kai thought those stems just felt so soft, so she gently felt them time and again.

I just take  pictures, but Steve gets real serious about this. Notice that the camera is on a tripod and he has an umbrella like gadget that actually has a soft light in it.Watch for my next blog post to see how this is used. The resulting photos are wonderful. To see some of his work check Steve's Photos. Here you will see Crocuses and other nature scenes as well.

One last look at these small spring flowers. By this time of year, May, they have all finished blooming and we wait for next spring to do it all over again.

Something To Think About:

Flowers are heavens masterpiece.

Clouds Part Two

We continue on with the theme of clouds.

The following are all taken the same evening as the previous post.

The variety of scenes, all seen in one evening is why I strongly encourage everyone to be aware of the beauty that is in the sky.

As the sun was setting the light became golden.That wonderful time of day when the world has a golden glow.

Always mindful that beauty is all around me, I once again turned around, facing eastward. The beauty was more subtle, but still amazing.

Slowly some dark clouds moved in and I was about ready to head for home, but I stayed just a little longer.

The sun, now had dropped below the horizon, but was till tinting those dark clouds with color.

The color intensified as I waited a few more minutes. Just look at that gorgeous coral color in these clouds. Had I left when I first thought it was all over, I would have missed this scene.

Something To Think About:

God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars.