Sunday Afternoon Fun With Family

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon in early September, My son Steve, granddaughter Kai and I went for a drive to look for early fall color. We didn't see much color but we sure had a good time exploring some different areas. We made our way to a picturesque valley, north-west of Morden. The area is called St. Lupicien.

At our first stop, I saw a flock of Sandhill Cranes circling overhead.

I love this old, abandoned building with a lovely backdrop of trees.

Looking down the road. The sky was blue and the temperatures were about perfect that day.

Some photographers get out of the vehicle to get that perfect shot, but when you are 13 years old, it seems to be more fun to sit in the window and shoot.

Some of the beauty is in the trees and surrounding area, but it also pays to take note of the smaller plants at your feet.

This valley is known for the abandoned site of The Leary Brick Factory.

You can read a little more about it at this site: Leary Bricks.

Today I show just this one image, but I have at least one more post of photos of this place.Watch for this in a few days.

Something To Think About:

Ain't gonna need this house no longer

Ain't gonna need this house no more

Ain't got time to fix the shingles

Ain't got time to fix the floor

Ain't got time to oil the hinges

Nor to mend no window pane

Ain't gonna need this house no longer

I'm gettin' ready to meet the saints

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

All the photos in this post were taken around the middle of September.

Enjoy the scenes as you are encouraged by the words of a familiar Scripture portion.

Let not your hearts be troubled. 

Believe in God; believe also in me.

 In my Father's house are many rooms. 

If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?   

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, 

that where I am you may be also. 

John 14:1-3

Warm And Sunny Memories

As I type this,I am seeing a heavy layer of snow outside.We are having our first storm of the season and it is bringing lots of snow ,BUT, I have pictures and memories to warm things up.

All the pictures in this post were taken at the end of August, at the English Gardens in Winnipeg.

A bee wanted to get into the picture as I focused on this Thistle.

It was a pleasure to watch the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds as they prepared to head to their winter home down south.

Got to get each feather looking just right.

Of course the whole time, they make frequent visits to the many flowers. That sweet nectar is just what they need as fuel for their journey.

Some critters, like this little frog use the Water Lilies for a bed/couch. He seemed quite content just to sit there.

 Even though it was toward the end of summer, many flowers were still showing their full beauty.  I am already looking forward to more visits to this garden and others, come next summer.

Something To Think About:

Matthew 6:26

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

A Bus Driver? Me? Chapter 5

Time for another chapter about bus driving.
The pictures have nothing to do with the story, but are ones I captured recently and enjoy.

 A school division covers quite a large area and buses come from all directions as they head towards the schools in town.This type of job is much different from many others in that you don’t work side by side with your co-workers. Sometimes the distance in miles can also create a distance in friendships. In Western School Division that does not seem to be the case. The drivers in this division have developed a special bond between them. The two-way radios have also helped to bring the drivers closer to each other. 

   

 Over the years some of the drivers have taken on nick names, which either they gave themselves or were given by others. Some of these names a have a special meaning, others just happened, but whatever the case, this added some color to the driving staff. 

       

  One such name is Fearless Freddie. Although Fred Allen has already passed away,he is still fondly remembered and most often referred to by his nick name. To my knowledge this name had no special meaning. Never the less, Fearless Freddie has had experiences which few, if any of us, can relate to. Freddie was a war veteran which in itself would be a story to be told, but prior to that he was already involved with school transportation. Fred used to take his route with a team of horses and a covered cutter/sleigh, where eight or nine children could sit. In winter the cutter/sleigh was kept warm by a small heater, possibly fuelled by wood or coal. After serving in the war he again took up the job of bus driving and continued until his retirement. 

   

Another name, this one with great meaning is, Apple Jean.The name came about because Jean is known far and wide for the many bushels of tasty apples Jean and her husband Merv raise on Spencer’s Mountain. Spencer’s Mountain, right here in southern Manitoba, is a beautiful place, but it is not really a mountain, but more like  a big hill. This hill is home to Merv and Jean Spencer, both of whom were school bus drivers. A fall visit to Spencer’s Mountain is certainly a day to be remembered. The beauty of the colourful fall foliage along the many groomed trails is beyond words. 

  Each morning at 8 o’clock sharp, the good mornings begin with Peter Peters announcing the time and wishing everyone a “Good Morning from Peter’s Paradise.” This title was more than likely given to describe the picturesque setting of Peter and Edna’s farmyard.This yard overlooks the beautiful Pembina Valley. 

   The closeness between the drivers is further strengthened by times out for coffee. On many special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries or the arrival of someone’s new grandchild, all the drivers are invited to a given restaurant in town for coffee. Some of these meeting have added treats such as a carrot cake with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting, or freshly baked chocolate cupcakes. Besides these special times, many of the drivers meet for coffee almost daily. 

   Whatever the reason, whenever the drivers get together there is always much conversation and laughter. This is a time to be encouraged and to discuss the joys and sometimes, problems of each bus. Mostly it is a time to relax and enjoy each others company.

And so we carry on one day at a time, getting those kiddos to and from school.

As Seen Along The Trail

As the title would suggest, these pictures were taken along the trail, Lake Minniwasta trail, to be exact. Yes, these are from several weeks ago, and though the beauty and color is now all but gone, once captured on an image it can last forever.

My God and I go in the field together;

We walk and talk as good friends should and do;

We clasp our hands, our voices ring with laughter;

My God and I walk through the meadow's hue.

We clasp our hands, our voices ring with laughter;

My God and I walk through the meadow's hue.

Stepping Into October

So we are now stepping into October. Around here it feels like we have passed fall and moved on closer to winter. No, we don't have snow yet, but rain and more rain and with that colder temperatures. I'm not complaining, as I do prefer to put on an extra layer instead of being so hot.

These pictures are from the end of August, so the scenery by now would look very different.

I like the Goldenrod, as those cheery yellow flowers stand tall among the grass.

This particular view of Lake Minniwasta just never grows old. This is not a large lake, but this view is spectacular, in my opinion.

Walking along the trails bordering the lake is a relaxing experience, filled with beautiful scenes.

Sometime the unexpected shows up. There are usually Double-crested Cormorants on the lake, but they don't stick around to have their picture taken. On this particular morning, I came upon a very cooperative Cormorant.

It's almost as if he or she was turning around and checking to see that I got a good view of him or her.

As I was about ready to turn around and head back to my car, I heard something. I froze, hoping to capture whoever it was. I found myself almost face to face with this White-tailed doe. She stared at me for a moment or two and slowly walked into the bush and I made my way back to my car.

Something To Think About:

If you feel like you're losing everything,

Remember that trees lose their leaves every year

And they still stand tall and wait 

For better days to come.

Sunshine to Clouds

Over the years I have gathered a lot of pictures. I keep them, because for one reason or the other I like them. When I share these pictures, I am trusting that someone else will like them as well.

This tree has been photographed at many different times and seasons. I love it's shape and that it stands alone, away from the competition. When you closely, it is actually a cluster of three trunks, but working together, they form one beautiful tree.

It comes as no surprise to any of my followers that I love watching the sky. It is an ever changing display. Some days the sunset is amazing and on some days there is other beauty.

I was out there hoping for a spectacular sunset, instead what happened is that I got spectacular cloud scenes.

These clouds were just amazing. Yes, they looked angry, but did not deliver any storms.

 As the sun was setting, the clouds just got a darker, more defined look to them. I was loving every minute of this.

Something To Think About:

Your faith in God today is your lifeline to His heartbeat.

Faith is the hand that reaches up and takes hold of God’s promises 

and gathers in the spiritual treasures that are found in Christ.

Faith sees the sunshine of God’s face,even when there are dark clouds all around.

Golden Fields

These pictures were taken about a month ago, around the middle of August.

These are common sights as I drive the country roads, looking for photo opportunities.

Around here, the big round straw bales are about all you see. No longer do the farmers use the smaller rectangular bales, like they used to.

I need to be honest here. Given a choice, I would rather have had a couple of John Deere combines on the field, but this is what I saw. I grew up with the green and yellow equipment and still like how it looks.

Each little kernel in that stock, has potential to either be used as food for humans or animals, or if the farmer chooses to plant it next year, it can increase many times over,

I am not a farmer so I know very little about the details, but I know what is pleasing to my eye.

Seeing these beautiful symmetrical swaths, gets my attention every time.

That is just a pretty sight in my eyes.It has a neatness about it, that I like.

In Closing:

Come, ye thankful people, come,

Raise the song of harvest home;

All is safely gathered in,

Ere the winter storms begin;

God our Maker doth provide

For our wants to be supplied;

Come to God’s own temple, come,

Raise the song of harvest home.

A Buss Driver? Me? Number 4

This will be a lengthier post so get a beverage of choice and enjoy the ride.

All photos were taken at The English Gardens this past summer.

I should mention that these stories are told as they happened and in no way am I or other drivers making light of animal accidents when they happen,

The Rock Hound?

     A chosen career as a school bus driver will yield a variety of experiences as the years roll on.Some of these will be humorous, some frustrating and maybe a few downright sad..

   Students seem to be curious about the age of the driver. When one of the female drivers was asked about her age, she chose not to disclose this, but instead asked the students how old they thought she was. The guesses ranged anywhere from 17 -70 years of age. The driver was enjoying this time of playful interaction with the students when one little girl looked at her very seriously and made the following well thought out statement..

    

  “You know Mrs B you have only  a  few grey hair but,” and at this she took on a very solemn tone of voice and a disturbed face and continued,.” Your face looks v-e-r-y old.”

    The absolute honesty of a child speaking her mind, even though it may hurt.The statement was made from a young child’s point of view because everyone else would agree that the driver in question does not look very old, in fact the opposite would be more correct.

   Constant challenges are the dogs and even the cats there at the road to see their owners off in the morning, or to greet them at 4 P.M. Many are the stories that could be told about these. There is the dog that wants to come on the bus to be with his owner, or does he want to attack the driver?  We may never know for sure.

    

 Then there is the little kitten that runs under the bus and jumps up onto one of the rear tires just as the bus begins to drive. The driver feels the thump, then sees the kitten rolling into the ditch. You can only hope that some child was not too attached to this pet or at least can find a quick replacement.

  

 We also have the driver who claims to take nothing but the best. After a long struggle, trying to avoid running over these two dogs, one day the worst happens. With mixed emotions he tells us that he has run over and killed a registered purebred German Shepherd.

 

  When the drivers get together they may joke about these happenings, but truthfully speaking , no one wants to run over an animal and each of us feels bad when it happens.

      

 The following is a  “Believe It Or Not” story, but as drivers are a very truthful lot, I know that it is absolutely true.

     

  Early in the new school year one of our more seasoned drivers had mentioned that this certain dog was always at the road with the children. This caused him some concern, because not only did he have to watch for the safety of the children, now he had a dog to look out for as well. The dog was obviously enjoying this daily encounter with the school bus. As soon as the bus began to drive the dog would begin to run, staying just ahead of the bus for as long as possible. 

Bus driver and dog did not feel the same about this, as the driver mentioned this on the two-way radio several mornings and seemed somewhat irritated. Not only was the dog being a nuisance on the road, but as he was running he was kicking up stones which hit the bus. To everyone’s great surprise it was a day to two later that this same driver was on the radio, reporting a stone chip in his windshield. The by now famous dog had again taken up his position ahead of the bus and proceeded to run along. The dog, who had been given a few uncomplimentary names, kicked up a stone which hit the windshield, and in spite of the fact that the driver had already slowed down to avoid this, made a chip in the glass.

 

 Now I wonder, would you call that a true Rock Hound? Being a school bus driver is never predictable or boring. Just another reason to choose such a career.