Dreaming / Longing…….

Right about this time of year I get a longing for spring.I know,I know,there is still beauty around in winter and in a few days I will show you some of my recent finds,but I still wait for the that time when the landscape will again be filled with colour.

Now here is where being a photographer comes in handy.

I get to see colour,birds and flowers all year long.All I need to do is sit down in front of my computer and browse through the many spring and summer images I have.

Allow me share a few with you.I hope they brighten your day as they did mine.

Pray tell,what says spring better than the Lilac? I grew up on a yard which had a long row of Lilacs on the east side.In spring this hedge was covered with Lilac blossoms a little darker than these.

The fragrance on our yard was amazing.

This picture is of the Lilacs on my yard now,still pretty,but I would love to have the darker ones of my childhood.

Another yearly treat is the apple tree covered in these delicate and fragrant blooms.

I love the soft blush of pink on these flowers and buds.The flowers hold the promise of tasty apples later in the year.

Ahh,yes! The Dandelion.You most likely don't consider this a desired flower,but when a bouquet of these are presented in the grubby little hand of a child,they are priceless.

I have received so many Dandelion bouquets,first from my son,now from my granddaughter and throughout the years from the young children riding my bus.Each bouquet is a treasure,given with love and from the heart.Upon closer inspection,the Dandelion is a very pretty flower.Now if only someone would cultivate a Dandelion which doesn't spread,we might all want them in our gardens.

Let me just say here,I have some of the best friends.

Friends of mine moved to a new place,and as she was showing me around we came upon this plant.

This is a Fern Leaf Peony,a plant I have long wanted,but was not willing to pay the price.They are quite expensive.I expressed my delight in this plant and a few weeks later,my friend arrived at my house with none other but her plant,which she had dug up for me.I was blown away by her kindness.

Each flower does not last for very long and so I don't have a good picture of an open flower.I will need to do something about that this coming spring.

From the vibrance of the Peony bud to the gentle pink of a Moss Rose,or Portulaca.

I guess I had never really paid close attention to the individual flowers,but found that this one looked very much like  a small rose. I think the colour in this particular flower is about the sweetest I have seen.

I trust that your day has been brightened by these flowers and before we know it we can see them growing outside again.

Thought for Today:

Father in heaven,the world full of flora and fauna is full intentional design and purpose,constantly testifying that You,the all-wise,all-powerful God created them.

Winter Birds

With all the very cold weather we have had,I have not been out much to get pictures.

What I have today were  all taken through the windows and not really clean windows at that.

During the winter months the regular birds seen at my feeders are Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers,Black-capped Chickadees,Red-Breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches and the Blue Jays

Here is a female Downy Woodpecker clinging to the tree.I am sure she is waiting for her turn at the feeder. This picture was taken with the Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens.

 Another regular visitor is the small Red-breasted Nuthatch.This was taken on a very cold day and the birds would come to eat and then just sit and try to get warm. I have suet in the feeder,but on these cold days I put peanut butter out there as well. The peanut butter freezes quickly,so they get small pieces at a time.The next three pictures were taken with the Canon SX50.

Here is a male Downy Woodpecker.You can see that it is a snowy day.I feel sorry for the birds in winter,but there is only so much I can do for them.

The female Hairy woodpecker comes to the feeder as well.The Hairy is much more cautious and will fly away at the slightest movement.This is obviously taken the same day as the previous picture.Notice the longer bill on this bird,a sure way to identify this one.

On Christmas day my sister was over and we were watching a video,but I kept noticing some birds in the evergreens.When I got my camera and telephoto lens,I realized that we had a few Robins paying us a visit.I have to wonder what they find to eat,because the worms are all buried under a foot of snow or more.This is a very poor image,but at least it proves that I saw the Robin.

Verse for Today:

Look at the birds of the air;they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.Are you not much more valuable than they?

Matthew 6:26

Frost,Flowers and Memories

My first post of 2014 has a variety of images.

I am hoping you are not getting tired of the frost in my windows.
I see it daily and am still enthralled with the variety of patterns in the frost,together with the different colours in the background.
I like this view because there is nothing but blue sky in the background.

In August of 1970 when a young man by the name of Jake Hiebert drove onto my parents yard to pick me up for our first date,he arrived in a car like this.That was the start of a beautiful time together with the love of my life,a time that ended all too soon.

The 1963 Chevy Impala SS was a car which Jake took great pride in.Unfortunately,like all vehicles it got old and had to be traded off.This is a exact replica model built for me by Jake's brother.It is now my prized possession.

My second Amaryllis is now blooming.I wanted to show the stamens,but I also like the shadows they created.

Here is a better picture of the flowers.I don't think it could be any redder.The flower stalks are almost 2 feet tall,so it makes quite a statement.

One of the scenes I don't get tired of,is seeing the morning sun through the trees

It makes me happy to see this and then add to that one of five crystals hanging in my window,which later in the day give me MANY dancing rainbows in the room.

I don't need a lot of fancy things to make me happy.

Verse for Today:
Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!
Psalm 34:9

Happy New Year

Another year has come and gone and we stand at the beginning of a brand new year.
What will this year hold? we do not know and I am thankful of that.

All the pictures today are from early in 2013,as I have not taken any yet in this year.
This is an early morning scene on my yard and it reminds me of the beginning of a new year.
Bright with promise.

Each day is different and some will no doubt be filled with the storms of life.
One thing we can be certain about and that is that even during the storms,God is always right there with us.

The wind shapers the snow in an endless variety of shapes.
So too each of us are unique,yet beautiful in God's eyes.May you be reminded of this daily.

Intricate frost patterns decorate my windows in winter. I am grateful for these,because what else would I have to photograph,if this was not present.

More frost and more beauty.
May you see beauty all around you this year.
Take time to stop and enjoy each moment and allow the beauty of God's creation bring new joy to your heart.

Verse for today:
With God are wisdom and might;
He has counsel and understanding.
Job 12:13

Remembering 2013

For this last post in 2013 I decided to go back and pick some of my favourite pictures from each month of the year.

For January I chose a sunset picture,taken on a cold winter day.Snow was drifting across the fields,but the image was still very pleasing.

February is an early morning scene on my yard.Looking out and seeing the morning sun painting the snow a wonderful shade of gold is a good way to start the day.

March,and a Hairy Woodpecker is enjoying the food at the window feeder.

April is the time for Raptor migration at the Pembina Valley.The highlight was the day I got this picture of a Peregrine Falcon.

May brought another bird highlight for me when I was able to capture this image of a Common Loon,just west of Morden.

June brings out the flowers and the apple blossoms are always a thrill to capture.

July showers leave the pine needles decorated with tiny jewels.

In August I was able to photograph the old railroad trestle once again.

September evenings are pleasant and a great time to capture the full moon.

July had another highlight which I will feature on it's own.

By the time October rolls around the leaves are turning into beautiful shades of gold.

November means winter has come and seeing an American Goldfinch is a special treat.

December and Christmas come together and this year my neighbours sent me this beautiful Christmas arrangement.

Now for the highlight of my year.

A Fehr-Way Tour to Red Deer,Alberta to attend Canada's Gospel Music Celebration.

This had been a dream for a long time.I knew I would enjoy the music,but I was not prepared for the out-pouring of God's blessing during that week.

The bus ride and the care of the tour people was amazing.

The atmosphere at the venue was electric,but meeting some of my favourite groups was the best.

The quartet in the lower right corner are called Tribute.They are a fairly young group but will go far,I'm sure.

The centre picture was no doubt the best moment,as I could get my picture taken with my favourite guys,Legacy Five.

Did I mention that I am already planning on taking the same tour in July?

I can hardly wait.

Happy New Year to all my friends in Blogland.

Merry Christmas

It is my prayer that each one will be celebrating the real meaning of Christmas.

Without Christ we have no reason to celebrate.

May you be surrounded by family and friends and may the day and indeed the whole year be filled with love,joy and peace.

From my house to yours,Merry Christmas.

Joy To The World

I have few more pictures to share before Christmas.

My Amaryllis has been putting on such a beautiful display.By the time this bulb will be done,it will have produced 12 flowers.The last stalk is now beginning to open.I do have another one,this one should be a bright red.

I have also been enjoying the arrangement I got from my neighbours.I have taken a variety of pictures of it and here I am featuring the red berries.

A close-up of the pine cone nestled in the greenery.

Finally here is a close-up of one of the flowers in this arrangement. This gift has given me many hours of enjoyment. Each time I look at it I am reminded of blessed I am to have such great friends.

We had a good snowfall the other day and of course I had to take a few pictures. This particular evergreen always looks so lovely with freshly fallen snow on it.

Last but certainly not least,I must share this ornament again. Two of my favourite people.One who I get to hug and love on often and one who I miss more than words can express.

 Joy to the world,the Lord has come!

That is what Christmas is all about.

Christmas Greeting

I know that we still have a few days until Christmas,but I also know that some of you,my friends will be too busy to spend much time at the computer,so I wanted to get my greeting in early.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank each of you for your friendship.You are all very dear to me,even though I have not met most of you yet.My life is richer because of the friendships I have made on the Blog and on Facebook.

Merry Christmas to all.

Frost and Flowers

Frost and flowers do not belong together,but for this post they do.I hope you are not getting tired of seeing the frost on my windows.I think it is beautiful and quite frankly,there is not much else to take pictures of right now.

This is a frost covered window and no,it is not in my house.This is one of the side windows on the school bus.I had the bus at home a couple of days and the frost on the windows really caught my attention.It seemed that each window had a slightly different pattern on it.

Just so you get an idea of what I was seeing,here is a picture taken with my iPhone,while standing beside the dining room table.This is one reason I don't want the bus at my house to often.I really prefer to see something other than just the bus. The picture above was taken before little hands had left their marks all over the windows.

I must also show a couple of pictures of the frost on my house windows.The delicate swirls are just too pretty to ignore.

I took note of this one small patch of frost,away from the others,yet so lovely. It is simply amazing how the frost forms into these tiny designs.

I did mention that I had flowers as well. Here is another picture of the arrangement sent to me by my neighbours.I am so richly blessed to have wonderful neighbours on either ride of me.

My Facebook friends have already seen the Amaryllis flowers I have,but I wanted to share them here as well.I have two different bulbs.This one has three flower spikes and the two which have opened,each have four large flowers.One of the flowers measured 6 ½ " across. I am now waiting for the other bulb to show it's flowers.

From the intricate designs of the frost to the beauty of the flowers,our God designs them all.

Winter Wonderland

I see so much beauty in winter. We may not have the colourful flowers of summer but that in no way means that there is no beauty.

When the sun shines through the trees and paints the snow a pleasing shade of gold,that is true beauty.

 No flowers to be found in our winter gardens,but instead,I find them blooming in the frost on my windows. No,the Hummingbirds will not be visiting this flower,but I can enjoy it from the warm comfort of my house.

I realize that I may have a strange sense of beauty.I do hope that you can see at least something of what I see in a picture like this.Condensation forms on my windows and on it's own it is not much to look at,but get really close and suddenly it becomes a beautiful textured print.

Of course there is still some action outside.When I put out the peanuts,it doesn't take long for my friends the Blue Jays to come for a visit. I have added some cedar boughs to the feeder in hopes of making the pictures look a little better.This is taken through the window.

Last,but certainly not of least importance.I have a very small Nativity set and I wanted to share with you all how Kai set it up.At first I was tempted to change it,but the more I look at it the more I think she has it right. All of the people are facing the Baby Jesus in worship.Isn't that what we should be doing? The figures will stay just as she placed them and each time I look at this I am reminded to give my full attention to Jesus.who was born,died and was raised again so I and all who believe can have eternal life.

JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON.

The Snow Has Arrived

There is no doubt,but that winter has arrived.The temperatures have dropped and the snow has blanketed everything. All the pictures today are taken with my iPhone.

This is what I see when I look out on my back yard.This picture was taken on Tuesday,December 3rd.Not very much snow had fallen yet,but it is a start.

This morning,December 5th,we have a good blanket of snow. This is my backyard.No need to mow lawn or pull weeds now.

Just so you can get a feel for how much snow has come down in the last couple of days,here is a close-up of the railing on my deck.I have not measured but would guess about 4 inches.

I know I should probably take the snow of the railing,but I like how this looks.

In this shot I have zoomed back some,still showing the amount of snow,but also another part of my yard.

 I like to take some fun pictures and this is one of them.Since I had been in and out of the house a few times the window in the door had become frosted up.As the sun was coming a little higher,I thought it looked pretty through the frosted glass.

With all this snow,I am getting my exercise by keeping the deck,car and part of the driveway cleared.I do have someone to come with a front-end loader to clear most of the driveway,as needed.

I do like how fresh and clean everything looks with a new blanket of snow.

December 2013

Where did 2013 go? It seems like it was just January 1 and now we are in the last month of the year.

Christmas is right around the corner.

In my part of the country when we think Christmas not only do we celebrate the birth of the Saviour,but we also think snow.This year we have not had very much snow yet,so I went back into the archives and dug up some snow pictures.

As I said these are all from last winter,but they are still as pretty today as then.

When a heavy layer of hoarfrost covers the trees with a backdrop of blue sky,I smile and grab my cameras.I love scenes like this.

While driving down the country roads I am always on the lookout for beautiful snow sculptures.

Just look at the details in this small patch of wind blown snow.One can almost imagine high mountains in this scene,even though the highest point was likely not much more than a few inches tall.

Of course,as I have said before,I don't even need to leave my house to see beauty.This is one of the many frost designs on some of my windows.Overnight,God has been busy designing these pretties for me to enjoy.

Pardon the dirty window,it is winter,after all.I can't clean windows in winter.That's my story and I'm sticking to it.LOL

Stepping outside,I see the ring of frost around the heated birdbath.Yes,it is supposed to be for the birds,but I also benefit from the added beauty of the frost.

This is the kind of scene I just never get tired of seeing.Evergreen boughs laden with snow.I am so thankful to have evergreens along both sides of my yard.

Dear God,You promised that You would forgive our sins and wash us as clean as the new-fallen snow.(Isaiah 1:18) Wash me now,Lord! Restore me!