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

 

Snow Sculptures and More

One month of the year 2022 is in the books. It seems that these months are flying by faster every year.

Winter has its challenges, but it also has its beauty. It is my desire to focus on the beauty as much as possible.

I am fascinated by the various snow sculptures created with just some tiny individual snowflakes and the force of the wind.

A few weeks ago, I looked out toward the east and sensed that we were in for a beautiful sunrise. Looking at this shot, I do believe I made the right choice to drive a short distance out of town to watch the beauty unfold.

Even the birds look cold when the temperatures plummet too far. We have had several days of bitterly cold weather. I wasn't about to go outside, but the birds have no choice. This was taken through the window.

Did I mention that I love the roadside snow sculptures?

Fluid beauty in this snow bank.

Then there is this one that has formed a sort of curl over. Each one has their own beauty.

I challenge you to look for the beauty. It may be in the little things and you need to look a little harder, but it is so worth it.

 

Not Every Day

It's not every day that I come across some unique and special sightings, but when I do, it is so worth the drive.

A beautiful Snowy Owl against that perfect blue sky is a real treat. This one even had sense enough to sit so that no power lines were across its body.

A drive around the rural area near my home can yield all kinds of treats. The sun was lighting up the snowbanks and creating wonderful sculptures.

So often we zoom along the road and pay no attention to the details around us. Just slowing down and of course stopping to get some pictures, you can see all the details in this snow. And to think that this was formed as these tiny snowflakes drifted across the field.

On a Sunday after noon drive, I came upon this scene. Many people might interpret this as a body lying in a field and somebody needing help. I knew immediately that this is my son Steve and that the end result would be some amazing snow scenes. I might add that it was a bitterly cold day, even with the sunshine.

With Steve's permission, I share the results of lying in an open field on a blustery winter day.

I think both these images are fantastic. I will say that I am glad he got them, so I could stay in my warm car.

Thought for Today:

Learn to slow down and take note of the smallest details in nature.

When you do this, you will be constantly amazed, and while we are at it,

Let's not forget to give thanks to God for creating such an amazing world.

 

More Random iPhone Photos

I have a more phone shots to share. Actually, I have hundreds of phone shots I could share, but I will be cautious as to how many I share last once. 

Frost on a window always gets my attention. The delicate designs are fascinating.

I have seen this spot many times, but it wasn't until this day, That I noticed how pretty it could be. The frost helped as well.

Every year I tell myself, I won't get another Amaryllis blub, but every year around November, I can't resist the temptation and usually get a couple of different colors. Those huge, bright flowers do add interest to an otherwise dull season.

Many years, I have also been gifted a Poinsettia plant and when I have captured so many images of the red leaves,I turn my attention to the the detail on the green leaves. The sunlight was hitting this leaf just perfectly, so out comes my phone and here is the result.

Forgive for posting too many photos of the frost at my heated birdbath. It's much like frost on the windows, but this is  more dimensional. Such super delicate works of art!

This is my prayer:

I want a beautiful life, Father.

Please produce Your fruit in me that I might live a life that points others to You.

 

iPhone Photos

This is the time of year that photo opportunities are few, so I have to get creative to think of something to share. Usually, I share photos captured with my camera, but I decided that there are numerous iPhone photos that I could share. Some of these are not current, but that really doesn't matter.

I have heard it many times and also used it myself, the phrase, " The best camera to use is the one you have with you at the moment."

Well, the iPhone is always with me, so many times it is the best camera to use.

This is frost buildup on my heated birdbath. I know I have shared photos similar to this on Facebook, but I always find these scenes fascinating.

On a cold winter morning as the sun rises in the east, my view is obstructed by trees. This time I used my phone to capture the sunrise through the trees and focused on the pine bough up front.

A shopping trip often yields some photo opportunities. After washing the fruit and allowing it to air dry on the counter, I had to capture the moment.

When I go out with my camera, I make a habit of also getting some shots with my phone.

These frost covered branches against the blue sky sure caught my attention.

Scenes like this take my breath away. They are so beautiful, not because I took them, but because God created such tremendous beauty.

I trust that some of these pictures will inspire you to use that phone and capture the moment.

To God be the Glory!

 

2021 In Review

Ok, so this is not all that I took pictures of in 2021, but it was a daily challenge. As most of you know, I took one picture from a certain spot on my deck, each day in 2021. The idea was to watch the changes as they happened. At the end of this post is a short video of these pictures.

Since I had all these photos, I decided to make a collage for each month. I chose to use only 24 images per collage, but that is still most of the images for each month. The pictures are cropped to make them square, but you still get the effect of the changes.

This is January.

I did enjoy when I could capture the sunrise as well, but we do have a lot of cloudy days.

Here are the February photos. Notice the snow disappearing and then we got more.

March brings us closer to spring and the sun has noticeably moved further north.I should add that the camera was pointing in a south easterly direction.

April, and the green is beginning to show.

May shows a lot more leaves on the tree. This is a month I really enjoy, as it is usually not too hot, but the cold of winter is gone.

June brings us to the middle of the year. Unfortunately last year was so very dry, that even the leaves on the tree were smaller than usual.

July, brings the heat and last year with the lack of rain also brought brown lawns.

August came and with it the slow winding down of summer.

Looking at these pictures, we must have had a few rains in September. The grass is looking greener.

October means fall is fully upon us. The leaves change color and ever so quickly drop from the trees.

November, and the first snowfall. 

That brings us to the end of the year and December. This was a fun challenge, but I really don't want to do it again, right away.

I end this long post with a link to the video, should you wish to check that out.

Seasons Video 

Winter Beauty

A few weeks ago, I visited the English Gardens in Winnipeg. I was hoping to catch sight of the Northern Cardinal that has been seen there, but alas, he had other ideas. 

It was a pleasant winter day for a walk through the gardens. The first sight that greeted me was this Red Squirrel. Someone had put some food out for the birds and of course he helped himself. 

The grasses were about the only thing that stood upright in the snow.I happen to like the looks of grass, whether green or dried.

Just to show what a lovely day it was, I got this shot of the blue sky with just a few wisps of cloud.

Back at home, a few days later, I was standing at the window with my camera ready and was able to capture this shot of snow being blown off the branches.

The Blue Jay was sitting in a nearby tree. He looks cold and likely was. This was taken through my kitchen window.

When we are in touch with beauty, we are in touch with the Creator.

New Beginnings

After a few weeks of a break from Blogland, I find that I am missing my friends here, so, I'm back. I may not post often, depending on how things go, but you will hear from me from time to time. 

Today's photos are all from a couple of years ago, but they have this in common, they are all taken during the month of January. 

Seeing a Bald Eagle is always a thrill to me. This one was sitting too far away, but I had to try for a photo anyway.

A beautiful sky is one of those things that gets me excited. The clouds add so much beauty to a sunrise or  a sunset.

This tree, or cluster of trees has been photographed many times over the years. It has a beautiful shape and looks good even in winter.

This is a sunset photo and one I am very thankful for. The tree in the foreground has since been cut down. I was sorry to see it go, but I am sure those in authority had good reason to take it down. All I knew was that is was a great photo prop.

Sundogs! 

Yes, it has been more than cold enough the last while to give scenes like this, even though this was taken a few years ago. There is a stark beauty about a scene like this.

Recently the words to a Gospel song have been on my mind and I think the words of the chorus are fitting to share here and especially at the beginning of a new year.

Something new, something new.

Our God is up to something new,

So go ahead and take your seat, 

He’s gonna move just watch and see.

God is up to something new.