Be Still

Beauty is not limited to one season or to one time of year. Every day, all around us we can find beauty.

The photos I am sharing today date back to December of 2021. Does that make them any less beautiful? I don't think so. It won't be much longer now and even where I live we hope to see those tiny shoots of new grass poking through the ground. Until that happens, I will be looking for and most likely finding beauty.

The day I captured these shots, I left the house right after breakfast hoping to find the beauty of hoarfrost. 

I will let you decide if I was successful.

One lone tree, it is actually a cluster of trees, I have photographed every month of the year and in various weather conditions.

Since this was in December the morning sun was still low on the horizon, casting a lovely warm light.

I found one spot that, upon closer inspection, had some lovely frost.

Those tall trees laden with frost are so beautiful in my sight. 

The soft glow of a winter morning created an almost magical scene.

A scene like this causes me to want to be very still and just allow the beauty to calm my senses.

Think About This:

It is in the stillness that we are most likely to hear the voice of God. 

Eye Candy

Are you tired of looking at a white expanse outside? I will be the first to say that I love seeing all the snow, but it is nice to take a break and look at some 'eye candy' as I call it.

Obviously, these pictures were all captured last summer. You know, it won't be all that long till we can expect to see those first spring blooms again.

I will allow the following quote and the photos to speak for themselves.

Each day has a promise to brighten up the day, but first you must allow the sun to come your way.

Put aside your troubles, don’t let them get you down, think positive, be determined, smile instead of frown.

Get not caught up in your troubles, and learn to deal with strife.

Allow yourself the freedom to enjoy His gifts of life.

Stop to smell the roses as you travel on your way.

Remember God is with you each minute of every day.

 

A Day With The Snowy Owls

Winter has limited photo opportunities, but on occasion the birds cooperate and I am happy with the results.

At the beginning of February, I went for a long drive, in search of Snowy Owls. I do believe the trip was worth it. All these pictures were captured on the same day, in various locations.

This mottled owl is likely a female or a juvenile. They like sitting on the power poles.

A little further along the way, I saw this beautiful white Owl, no doubt a male. Isn't he a beauty, and that blue sky certainly doesn't hurt the scene any.

This is the same owl, but I played around in some new to me software. Using Luminar Neo, I could eliminate the top, distracting power line, and it was super easy.

They sit up high in order to spot their prey. I had certainly picked the right day, as that blue sky made those owls almost glow.

On this one excursion, I saw 13 different owls. No, I didn't get a picture of each one, but of several.

All these photos are already cropped, so you can see, I am quite a distance away from these birds.

This one was exceptionally dark, and almost looked like he was wearing a black cap.

Before long now these Snowy Owls will make their way up north again, but as they leave other birds who have spent the winter down south will begin to arrive. Happy days are just ahead for the birder and the photographer.

Take time to enjoy the beauty of nature all around you.

To God be the Glory!

 

Great Gray Owl! Update

On February 7, I made a very quick decision to take a drive to east of Winnipeg to see if I might be able to see the Great Gray Owl, the bird of Manitoba. I had a friend who was willing to accompany me and away we went. It was all of a two hour drive to get to the vicinity where these owls have been seen in the past. 

We had driven up and down this one stretch of road so slowly hoping to see something, but alas, once again, no owl to be seen. I had given up on seeing it and was trying to console myself with the fact that it was a pretty area and a nice drive. 

I had also given up on the slow drive and was almost at highway speed, when I called out,"There he is."My friend said where, where. I cranked the car around and drove back to where I had spotted the bird.

This is my first time seeing the Great Gray Owl and my first ever picture. Now, lest someone suggest that these pictures should be cropped more, they are already cropped and I feel any more cropping would result in a poor quality image.

He sat there peering around the pole, when some snowmobilers came through. That was too much and he flew to another perch momentarily, but shortly took flight further into the bush.

I had my camera focused and on the bird so I caught some flight shots.

I am pretty sure I had a smile from ear to ear. When the owl disappeared into the trees, I got back into the car and just smiled and rejoiced over this little adventure. Suddenly all those miles were not wasted and I was a very happy lady.

These pictures are not the best, I have seen much better, but I saw it and I was able to capture some images and that makes me happy.

Here is a link to an interview which I gave on our local radio station.

Radio Interview

On our way home we were treated to a lovely sunset, so had to pull over to capture some of that beauty.

At the end of this exciting day all I could say was,

To God be the Glory!

 

Roses And Rules

Ok  friends, it is time to rest our eyes on some colourful beauties. I love the snow outside my window and would welcome even more, but occasionally I need to see some color.

Each year, I wait for the day after Valentine's Day and then treat myself to a bouquet of half-priced flowers, usually roses. See, I have no one to buy me these flowers, so I choose to be kind to myself. The roses I am sharing today were from 2021 and they are all iPhone shots.

Instead of me rambling on, I will share

 8 Rules to a Better Life

1.Never hate

2.Don’t worry

3.Live simply

4.Expect little

5.Give a lot

6.Always smile

7 Live with love

8.Best of all, be with God