Clouds

Everyone knows that I love watching the sky. There is an endless display of beauty in the sky, especially when clouds roll in.

Summertime means watching for those huge thunderheads, and then dropping whatever I may be doing and rush out to capture that beauty.

The first three images were captured on July 3rd, near sunset. The setting sun was giving beautiful color to these storm clouds.

I am always amazed at the way the shapes change and evolve so rapidly.

While watching this storm, which was to the east of us, you could see the constant churning in the cloud.

The following four images were captured on July 5th. It was a hot Sunday afternoon  and there were storm warnings out. At one point in the afternoon ,I found out that there were tornado warnings about a half hour drive away.

I called a friend and it didn’t take long for us to be on our way, in hopes of spotting a tornado from a safe distance.

We never did see on, but the cloud formations were awesome.

What a massive thunderhead!

I was in awe as I watched this cloud build and grow upward. just something stunning to watch.

I tried my hand at creating a panorama shot. It does give a bit more of the view at once.

 This verse from the Bible came to my mind as I watched.

Nahum 1:3

The LORD is slow to anger but great in power;

the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished.

His way is in the whirlwind and the storm,

and clouds are the dust of his feet.

One Gorgeous Sunset

Some days everything  just works out perfectly. 

I had been away for the evening, back in July. Spent the evening indoors and had not noticed the sky at all.

When I left this place, I could see that we were in for some amazing sights, so I hurried home, picked up my camera and headed out of town.

I thought it would be interesting , but had no idea just how beautiful it was going to be.

I found a country road that had little or no traffic, pulled over and started capturing the sights.

This is looking to the east.

A little later the sky lit up with this spectacular rainbow.

To the south of me the clouds were painted in soft pinks and lavenders.

But it was the show to the west that took my breath away. I thought this was intense color, and it is, but the show had only begun.

A few minutes later the sky was on fire.I have not enhanced these colors. There was no need to do so. God pulled out all the brightest and most vivid colors that night.

When the sun finally was down all the way, the sky turned dark, but my heart was rejoicing, because I had been privileged to capture awesome beauty.,

To God be the Glory!

Five Things to Quit Immediately

This post has few of my words. the photos have all been captured by me in recent months.

Here are Five Things to Quit Immediately 

1.Trying to please everyone .

2. Fearing change

3.Living in the past.

4.Putting yourself down.

5.Overthinking .

 

i am pretty sure that if we could put those rules into practice our lives would be more peaceful.

You are special and exactly as God created you to be.

Clouds,Country and Cattle

Hop into my car with me and let's go for a ride. 

We start close to home, at Lake Minniwasta. I love this view, overlooking the lake.

The clouds make the scene extra special. Because this lake is so close to my home, I go there often,to enjoy scenes like this.

After leaving the lake we turn down a country road going west. Once again the clouds caught my attention, but this time the cattle add interest.

Going just a half mile or so further west, we turn onto another road, this one heading south.

I love this view with the road leading the eye onward into the scene.

I live in a farming community, so seeing cattle is very common. These animals are just a short distance down the above road.

Ok, so get ready we are going to drive a number of miles, to get to the Pembina Valley. This is a part of the valley that I also love to visit. 

In order to get a better look at the area, we pull over and open the windows. Can you smell that fresh country air?

No sooner have we stopped, and these guys line up at the fence to get a better look at us. The poor horse looks lonely among all the cows. he seems to fit in though.

 

We continue on down the road, taking in the sights of the country, all while we are enjoying a nice visit with each other. 

It is time to head back to Morden, who knows, maybe we can stop at Tim Horton's for a coffee, tea or juice.

Thanks for joining me. I hope you feel refreshed from that country air and our conversation .

Until next time, 

Keep looking up and keep on smiling.

The Simple Beauty of Flowers

I almost hate to say it, but the fact is that our summer is winding down. We still have some wonderful, warm days ahead of us, but the nights are getting quite chilly.

So, before we change seasons I want to share a number of posts of photos I have captured during the summer months.

To begin with, I share, first a couple of shots of the Wild Roses growing on my lawn. Yes, you read that right. I do have Wild Roses growing right on my lawn and I love it.

My husband planted them there many years ago and now they are finally giving me the flowers I have been waiting for.

Here some insect is enjoying the nectar.

Another one of those simple yet beautiful roses.

No post about flowers is complete without a visit to The English Gardens. This is the view as we enter the gardens.

Each season brings different displays and all are pretty.

This is the bud of a bright red Peony. Again, simple yet pretty.

Another Peony, single petaled but rich in color. Each petal had a very narrow band of white around the edge.

 

A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.

Hugh Downs

Sunshine and Clouds

Looking into the sky usually brings some interesting results, especially when there are some clouds in the sky.  Many people want a clear, cloudless sky, just like we want a life free from all troubles. Neither of these are always the best. The sky definitely becomes more interesting and more beautiful with the clouds and our lives often take on deeper meaning when we have some 'clouds' in them.

While sitting at Lake Minniwasta,waiting for the sunset, I was able to capture this scene.

The setting sun paints the sky and the lake a rich tone of orange.

As the sun continued to drop below the horizon, a few clouds moved in to add to the beauty.

Just for fun, I played with the above shot and turned it into a black and white image.

Give me your feedback on which you like better and maybe even ,why.

The color in the sky is rich and deep. Even though I have seen this so often, I am in awe each time.

I decided to add a brighter image as well. This is a scene I captured about a year ago.I would consider this a typical farm scene.The yellow of the canola fields, blue sky and the grain bins, waiting to be filled. I almost feel like a combine or truck should come rumbling down that road.

 

Something to consider:

We need both sunshine and rain for plants to grow and

 in our lives we need joys and sorrows to help us to grow. 

A Little Love and Kindness

This post is simply meant to bring a smile and to lift you up. 

I trust that both the pictures and the words will leave you with a sense of joy and peace.

I am not sure of the author of these words, but The Collingsworth Family sing this song.

Sing a song, Sing a song; Spread some cheer, Spread some cheer

There are sad and lonely faces every where...

Be a friend, Be a friend; Show some love, Show some love

It will lift them from the dungeons of despair.

Show a little bit of love and kindness,

Never go around with hatred's blindness

Take a little time to reach for joy and wear a happy face...

Sing a little bit when the days are dreary,

Offer a little help to a friend who's weary

That's the way to make the world a happy place.

Sing a song, Sing a song; Spread some cheer, Spread some cheer

There are sad and lonely faces every where...

Offer help, Offer help; Bring some hope, Bring some hope

To the weakened and discouraged on life's road...

Show a little bit of love and kindness,

Never go around with hatred's blindness

Take a little time to reach for joy and wear a happy face...

Sing a little bit when the days are dreary,

Offer little help to a friend who's weary

That's the way to make the world a happy place.

Memories of Spring

As we step into another new month, I look back at a day in the end of May, a day spent with a good friend, exploring an area around the north end of Lake Manitoba.

Come along with me and let's see what we can find.

One of the birds that always makes me smile, is the American White Pelican. These guys have a somewhat goofy look, but are majestic in flight.

As this threesome passed in front of the clouds, I thought it made a nice looking image.

More Pelicans and more clouds, but a totally different sort of scene.

I was about to get into the car to leave, when these guys flew by, so low, I could hear the sound of their wings, as they gave an occasional flap.

Flying away from me, in perfect formation and low above the water.

You can see by the blue sky and a few puffy clouds, that we picked a perfect day to go exploring.

Yes, it was a perfect day, yet because of the time of year, the beach was still mostly unoccupied .

Water and sky for as far as I could see. 

Look at those beautiful clouds and enough sunshine to cause the water to sparkle.

Yes, I am still close to the lake, but by taking a slightly different angle, the whole scene changes.

This is the kind of sight I could never get tired of seeing.

It was time to head for home, about two hours away.

I think this quote is appropriate for the days we are in.

We live in a broken world where broken things happen.

Lysa TerKeurst