A Bouquet of Flowers

These pictures were taken a few weeks ago.but the beauty of flowers is timeless,so I hope you will enjoy them.

This first picture was taken at St. Vital Park in Winnipeg,for those of you who are familiar with the area.

I was impressed with the beauty of this scene.The yellow flowers were so bright and then to have the soft pastels in the background.I thought it was perfect.

All the rest of the pictures are from a place you will all recognize,at least by name,The English Gardens.I had gone there with a friend and we were a little disappointed to see them watering the gardens. This kind of restricted us as to where we could safely walk.

I spied this plant surrounded by water droplets and thought it was worthy of a picture.

This single Zinnia was wet from the watering and when I saw it on my computer,I thought it almost looked like it was made of glass.Those petals have a lovely shine to them.

In a corner of the garden sits this bench.It would appear as though not many people use it to sit on,so the plants are using it to rest on.

I was struck by the unusual combination of colours in this Zinnia.

I had never seen one like this before,but it sure was pretty in its own peculiar way.

Looking at this Zinnia reminds me that each one of us,no matter how unusual or unique,has been created to show beauty and to bring Glory to God.

Recent Birds

Permit me to share some exciting photos with you.

OK,they may not be all that special,but I was excited to get these shots,especially one,which I will point out later.

 On Tuesday,August the 7,my sister Becky and I drove to Winnipeg. I wanted to see if I could find some more birds to photograph.I did indeed find some birds and came home quite happy with the days events.

Of course, no trip to the city for photography is complete without a visit to the English Gardens.

Here the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are beginning to feed in preparation for their journey south.

In this first shot the bird looks like an angel to me.Those wings have that angelic look.

I am quite pleased with how this picture turned out,yet I know I need to go back there soon. There are always more pictures which need to be captured.

In another part of the garden the American Goldfinches were feasting on the seeds of these flowers.

He was so busy eating that I could get fairly close.

In yet another area I found this Clearwing Moth.

He seemed very small to me,but pretty non the less.

My prize of the day came as we were approaching the city limits. I spotted a hawk on a pole and could not identify it.So I did what any photographer would do,I stopped,backed up,got out of the car and started shooting.

As I was slowly walking closer I began noticing some facial markings.

I was not sure about the ID of this bird until a professional birder confirmed that it is indeed a juvenile Peregrine Falcon.To say that I was excited about this is an understatement. This is my first picture of a Peregrine. The setting is not perfect and it is a young bird,so the markings are not very distinct,but I will take it.

Yes,I had seen a Peregrine before,but only in flight and I did try for a picture then,but all I got was a blurry blob in the sky.

It was my lucky day on Tuesday and I am still smiling about this.

I just had to share this with all my blogging friends.

Have a wonderful weekend and find beauty wherever you are.

Garden Beauty

Come with me as we wander through some beauty in Winnipeg,Manitoba.

The first thing we see is this large and unique planter. 

Here we see it with only a few plants in it.This shows the design of the planter very well.

This is the same design,but filled to the top with plants.

I like this look as well,now if only I could get a couple of these to stand in front of my deck.

 I don't know what kind of plant this is but I love the colour and the impact it gives.

Throughout the gardens I saw patches of plants like this and they sure gave a lot of colour.

I love grasses,whether growing wild in a ditch or ornamental,like these,growing in a carefully planned garden.They add a striking texture to any garden.

Last,but not least is this seed head.It reminded me of fireworks shooting out in all directions.

I guess this proves that not only are the flowers pretty to look at,but the resulting seed heads also provide beauty and interest.

Walking through a lovely garden is refreshing and relaxing. It has a way of melting away all the worries of life.

Thought for today:

Worry is a burden God never intended for us to bear.

The Prettiest Flowers

I may not have the most beautiful flowers in my garden,but I do know where to find some lovely ones.

Today we will take a look at a few flowers seen in the English Gardens in Winnipeg,Manitoba.

At the entrance to the gardens stands this little boy. His boot has been leaking water for a very long time.At least the water is allowed to run back into the little pond there.

Because I don't have proper names for these flowers,all I can say is that they are growing tall and healthy under the tender care they receive. 

I was amazed at the many lilies in full bloom at the end of July.It seemed as though each plant was trying to out do the others.

Of course no visit to this garden is complete without at least one rose picture. Oh,I took many more than one but will only share this one today.

You will notice that the gardens were being watered and some of the drops were still clinging to the petals.

The large beds of day lilies were vibrant. I love this dark red one.The sun shining on it gave a beautiful warm glow.

The thought for today is in the form of a song.
Legacy Five sings The Prettiest Flowers.
That will be a wonderful day when we get to experience this.
I should add that this is from several years ago,but the words still are so true.

Beauty All Around

Today's post features beauty in a variety of forms.

I trust you will enjoy these scenes as much as I did when I captured them.

Those of you who read this blog regularly know that I love visiting the A Rocha site nestled at the edge of the Pembina Valley. On a recent Saturday I had the pleasure of going there again. This time I was accompanied by my granddaughter Kai and her Mom Anita.

We spent a few delightful hours on site,enjoying the beauty of creation.

Getting a picture of Kai is not easy.She may have been in front of her Daddy's camera once too often. I did manage this quick shot while she was busy checking out the outdoor pizza oven.

I have been told that pizza out of this oven is perfect in every way. I hope they prove that to me some day. LOL

Kai was thrilled to see a batch of baby kittens.She couldn't wait for me to see them and insisted that I take a picture of them,so here they are.They were only a few days old.

 

 This Grandma was more interested in seeing all the beautiful flowers.Don't get me wrong,I love animals and baby kitties are very cute.

These yellow flowers brighten up the gardens at A Rocha.

Here is a sight that brought a smile to my face. The combination of colours is pleasing and I like that one lone pink Poppy standing tall among the other flowers.

I had to get a picture of just the Poppy. Isn't it a pretty little flower.

Delicate yet bright. Those papery petals are charming and for me,a lover of pink,so is the colour.

Purple Bee Balm and the ever present yellow flowers,for which I don't have a name.

I guess I just don't worry about the correct name,but rather enjoy the beauty I see.

I wish I could take all of you with me to A Rocha. Perhaps we could have a pizza party there.

Until that happens,I can at least share my pictures with you.

Thought for today:

Direct my footsteps according to Your Word.

Psalm 119:133

Flowers

Time seems to pass by so quickly and I fail to get regular posts up and running.

Here are a few pictures from recent excursions.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did when I captured them.

Driving along one evening,I spotted the thistles and stopped to get a picture or two.

What I had not noticed were these small white flowers which were growing right alongside of the thistles.The low light of the almost setting sun gave a pleasing warmth to the scene.

Seeing these bright flowers against the green of the surrounding trees and foliage caught my eye.This was taken at one of my favourite places,A Rocha,in the Pembina Valley.

At this same place they pointed out to me this Monarch chrysalis which was close to opening.

I wish I could have been there the next day,as I am sure the butterfly emerged at that time.

A simple flower and a small butterfly or most likely a Skipper,gave me reason enough to raise the camera to my eye and capture the moment.

I loved this bright red flower growing through the ribbon grass.The contrast was striking and in my mind worthy of a picture.

Thought for today:

You areYOU.

There is only one YOU.

And YOU are important.

BY:Charles Swindoll

Flowers and More

With all the hot weather we are having,my cameras have not been as busy as I would like.I do however have a few pictures I want to share with you.

I see very few flowers that are a true blue. Well this one in my eyes is as blue as can be.I think this is a Larkspur,but I do know that I love that intense blue colour.No,I have not enhanced in during editing.

Purple Coneflowers are a flower I can always count on. It doesn't seem to matter if it is hot and dry or cool and wet,they will bloom.This one is taken in my garden.

I spent an evening with friends recently and since we all enjoy taking pictures,after supper we headed out into the pasture.Thistles were just beginning to open,so I chose to capture the back side of this blossom.

Back on their yard I spied this little gem.It looked so cheerful with that bright yellow centre. This is a fairly small flower tucked away in the back of the garden. To me this proves that I don't have to have centre stage to shine for God.

A week or two ago,I was out with a couple of ladies.We had been searching for photo opportunities and now the sun was setting fast.

As I drove into the Pembina Valley,I saw this.I quickly pulled over and got out of the car.The deer is much too far away and the light was very low,the image is not sharp,but I like it anyway.

Thought for today:

Each time you pick a daffodil

Or gather violet on some hill

Or touch a leaf or see a tree,

It's all God whispering,

"This is Me".

For You My Friend

I am aware that some of my blogging friends are going through a difficult time and so with that in mind I am dedicating this post to those of you who are in any kind of trying circumstances.

You may be finding yourself struggling with health issues or the failing health of a loved one or even weather related problems,I trust that this picture will bring you a sense of peace.

A scene overlooking the beautiful Pembina Valley.

To me this picture speaks peace. When I am standing at this spot and I see this,I feel a deep sense of inner peace and contentment.

I hope it does the same for you.

 God's love does not keep us from trials;it helps us through them.

Wildflowers bloom in profusion,spreading their cheer all around.

These may be simple flowers but they are so brightly coloured that they are like yellow lights among the grass.

Purple Delphiniums wind their stems around a rustic bird house.

The little bird who makes his home here will have flowers gracing the front door.

A single stem of purple Delphiniums stands tall in another part of the garden.

I trust that as you look at these pretty flowers they will bring a smile to your heart and help to lift a heavy load you may be bearing.

As the sun sets it spreads a warm glow through a stand of trees.

As in life we may have trying days,but always God's love shines it warm light through the darkness.

Thought for today:

I was thinking of YOU today and just wanted you to know how important you are to me.

Pictures That Make Me Smile

Spending time at a local marsh has proved to be successful. I have taken many pictures which make me smile.

Here are a few of them.

Along a country road I found a patch of thistles and so had the butterflies.

There were numerous butterflies fluttering from flower to flower.

This Fritillary stopped long enough for me to get some good shots.

Here is just one of the many I captured that day.

This is not a butterfly,but some sort of moth. 

I am fascinated by it's colourful body and those antennae which look like little feathers.

You cannot see the body here,but it has bright blue on it as well.

At the marsh I usually see a Great Blue Heron,unfortunately he sees me as well and soon leaves.I liked how this picture turned out. It looks like the Mallard is chasing him,when in fact it was also trying to get away from the photographer.

 You knew that there would be more American Avocet pictures,right?

I cannot help myself so I just keep on shooting whenever I am in their presence.

I really like the reflections in this picture.In the background you can see the heavy algae bloom on the water.

And finally,this is my very favourite picture.

This is as it came out of the camera,no cropping or any adjustments.

I love it when a picture turns out like this one.

I still smile when I look at it,hope you will as well.

Thought for today:

No act of kindness,no matter how small,is ever wasted.

American Avocet and More

AS many of you know by now,I love birds and so with my new camera in hand,I headed off to a marsh near my home.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a pair of American Avocets here.

I had never photographed these before and had not seen them since 1992 or so.

Of course there is always beauty in the surrounding countryside.

A distant field of Canola adds a bright splash of colour here.

Not to be outdone in the colour department is the Yellow-headed Blackbird.

Here was the primary focus of this visit to the marsh.A Pair of American Avocets.

These birds are graceful both in the water and in the air.

I have many pictures of these birds and more will surface on this blog in the days and weeks ahead.I could hardly stop taking pictures.

The water is covered in algae,but that green slime kind of adds interest to these pictures.

Even an Avocet gets an itch once in a while.

Thought for today:

TGIF

This usually stands for:

Thank goodness it's Friday.

Here is another version:

Thank God I'm forgiven!

How about you?