Flying Into October

September has flown by, so it seems. it has been a good month and one filled with many happy times for me. I trust it has been good for you as well.

Today the birds will help me welcome October.

All pictures were taken at Lockport, Manitoba this past summer.

A Double-crested Cormorant makes a quick pass in front of us.

Watching the American White Pelican in flight just never gets old. Add to that the beautiful blue sky and the results are just as I wanted them.

The water in the Red River was quite turbulent near the locks, but these birds are masters at making that perfect landing.

A closer look at the Pelican shows a face that is both cute and almost ugly, but it is those large white wings tipped in black that are outstanding.

I think this is formation flying at it's best.They almost have a self-satisfied look on their faces.

So, as we open the door to October, a new month, filled with unknowns,let us keep on smiling and looking for the beauty around us.

To God be the Glory!

The Fury and the Beauty Of Nature

This last summer has brought us a variety of weather. On one of those stormy days, my son,Steve and I headed out to see if we could get some good shots.

The sky looked pretty angry, so we felt that some good opportunities would present themselves. 

We found a road seldom travelled and set up, hoping for lightening shots. I am very much a novice at this, but still got a couple of images that I am happy with.

Those dark rolling clouds looked good, even without lightening.

Off to the north, we could see the edge of the storm.

One last lightening shot. Of course I would have preferred a bolt that was vertical, but this is what I got.

Maybe you prefer the gentler side of nature, so I am including some flowers captured at the English gardens.

I don't have a name for this one, but it does look like a Queen Anne's Lace.

Water Lilies are always an attraction to me.I can't pick a favourite here. 

I really like the added reflection in this shot.

This is a False Spirea.I really like those soft and gentle looking plumes.

As we transition from summer to fall and then winter, let's keep in mind that each season has it's own beauty.

To God Be The Glory1

Ever Changing Beauty

Nature has a way of surprising me. I had gone for a ride with a friend. We didn’t go far, just out of town. It didn’t take long to realize that we were in for a lovely sunset.

I was waiting for those last sunbeams to light up this cloud.

When I turned to look toward the east, this scene greeted me.

My wait was rewarded. The sky was beginning to light up and the display of beauty was happening .

The setting sun tinged these clouds a soft peach tone.

It was hard to decide what direction to turn to for the best scenes. 

This was the sky to the southeast. It was as pretty as the western sky.

Friends, take time to observe the free display of beauty in the skies above and around you.

God uses the best color palettes.

To God Be The Glory!

Comet NEOWISE

On July 16,2020, I picked up a friend and she and I drove down to the Pembina Valley. I was around 9:30 pm when we left town. The express purpose of this excursion was that I might see and hopefully capture some images of Comet NEOWISE.  I had seen the pictures Steve had taken earlier, but as a photographer,I felt the need to capture my own.

As we waited for the sun to set, we looked around and enjoyed the scene from the safety of the car. I say that, because the mosquitoes were so bad, that even opening the mouth to speak meant that they wanted to fly in there.

The orange glow in the west after sunset painted a pretty scene with this old building.

Zooming in on the horizon,the trees were silhouetted against the sky, but still no comet in sight. 

With instructions from Steve, I put my camera on a tripod and took a wide angle shot in the general direction of the comet.

Even on the camera I could see the faint glow of comet NEOWISE.

I was excited. Unfortunately,it was getting pretty late and my friend still could not see the comet. 

We decided to head back to Morden.

While I was driving east toward town, I kept on glancing to the northwest, in hopes of seeing the comet one more time. I did finally see it and so did my friend.

I pulled off the highway, onto a deserted road, set up my tripod and camera again and started shooting.

When I turned around to look south, I was awestruck by the Milky Way. The beauty of this broad ribbon of stars across the southern sky was just amazing.

How Great Is Our God!

Yes, I did also get a better shot of Comet NEOWISE.I was thrilled and still am glad that I made the extra effort to get my own images.

Yes, my friend also saw the comet and the Milky Way. We were both speechless and in awe of this majestic display.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY! 

Let's Explore Southern Manitoba .

I invite you to join me as we travel down the roads less travelled and explore parts of my world.

Staying on paved roads and well known roads can at time be boring, so today we check out a few roads that may be more trail than road.

We'll pretend that we are all in one vehicle, cause that way we can carry on a good conversation as we travel.

As we turn off a main road and start following this trail, we laugh and remark how women of our age should not be doing this. My question is 'Says who?'

We are young at heart and can go most anywhere we want to.

Isn't this a peaceful road? Only the wind in the trees and a few birds to keep us company .

Just beside this road/trail is a lovely meadow, surrounded by mature trees. I was waiting for a deer to step out of the tree line, but it never did.

The following four pictures are from a different excursion . As you can see, even this road is not a main road, but isn't this a pretty scene? 

I love seeing the  blue sky and the lovely yellow of the Canola fields on either side of the road.

Obviously we are still in Canola country, but the attraction here is that endless row of power poles.

A little further down the road are some more big structures, even bigger than the power poles. These wind turbines are huge.These were taken from a distance, but when you get up close to them their size is amazing.

A short stop at a small park out in the rural area not far from Morden, yields some interesting trees. Anytime I see the combination of blue sky and green trees and grass, that makes a good picture in my mind.

Something tells me that this old tree does not have many years left to stand. It looks like a lot of it is hollow.

Just a short drive northwest of Morden stands this tree. I have admired it for years and also taken many pictures of it. Something about it's shape and gnarled limbs just draws me to it.

Thunderheads building up in the east, right around sunset, make a beautiful scene. 

We have travelled, north and south of Morden to find some interesting views. The conversation has been pleasant and uplifting. I am certain that if we could all be together we would have so many things to discuss, there would never be a dull moment .

For our final stop today, I take you to this beautiful tree, or cluster of trees, that sits near the Pembina Valley. This time we are there at sunset, so the warm evening light enriches the scene.

Thank-you for joining me on some of my travels. The miles seem shorter when they are travelled with friends.

'Your love, Lord , reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. '

Psalms 36:5