Just Playing

As the title of this post says,I have been playing.

Playing in Photoshop,to be exact.

Seeing that I don't have as many photo opportunities in winter,I thought I would try my hand at being creative.

all of these pictures were created by using Actions and a Filter.

The first one is simply a double frame added to the picture. I did go in a tweak the colours to my liking.I thought the addition of a gradient added to the whole look.

Here is a simple weed which I found in my wanderings. The snow cap looks nice on it.In this picture I added a filter called Plastic Wrap.Again I adjusted the sliders to achieve what was pleasing to my eye.

Here is the original picture,just for comparison.

Here I used an Action which creates the reflection for me.

It is so simple to use these,just choose an image and a desired effect and hit the Play button.

I found some free Actions on the internet and downloaded this one as well as the Refection one.

The image speaks for itself,but it is called a Snow Globe Action.

I imagine that any picture would look good in this,but today I was in the mood for flowers.

Thought for Today:

God has not promised to keep us from life's storms,

But He will keep us through them.

A Look Back at Fall 2011

I have had very few birds at my feeders recently,so I have gone back to this past fall.

I start today with a pretty leaf,I found on my yard.

I enjoy finding a scene like this,where a yellow leaf has landed among the dark red leaves.

Fall is such a lovely time of year,so I don't mind re-visiting this time.

All the bird pictures were taken while I was sitting on my deck.

Here is my favourite yard bird.I smile whenever I see a Black-capped Chickadee.

This little fella was enjoying some suet,hung just off my deck.

I like how the feather detail shows up in this picture.

The House Finches were going to great lengths to get at the seeds on this tree.

When I watch the birds feeding like this,I find myself wondering just how much I would be complaining if I had to work that hard to eat.

I was really pleased to have this Dark-eyed Junco pose for me in the sunshine.

He seemed to turn his head this way and that,hoping to strike that perfect pose.

It seems like for today I am focusing on the smaller birds.

Here we have an American Goldfinch in fall/winter plumage.

Catching that sparkle in the eye,is a special treat.

Thought for today:

God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into its nest.  ~J.G. Holland

Frosty Trees

I do hope you are not getting tired of seeing snow pictures. 

I am rather limited as to what I can photograph right now,so snow scenes is what it will be.

These pictures were taken around the end of December.

The location is two blocks from where I live.

I love how the trees were decorated with frost.

Here is a close view of the needles on this tree. 

I am amazed at how the frost can cling to each little needle.

Obviously there has also been some snow to add to the beauty.

Each time I see these trees,I am fascinated by the colour of the branches.

They give such a lovely contrast to the rest of the tree and to the whole scene.

Of course,I couldn't be out photographing frost and evergreens and not get a picture of a trio of cones.

The simple beauty of  frost covered branches against a winter blue sky is so attractive. Before too long these same branches will be sprouting new leaves and be home to the birds coming back to their nesting grounds.

Thought for Today:
I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.
George Washington Carver

More Winter Beauty

Today I want to show you a few more shots taken when Steve and I were out the other day.

This first picture shows part of the lake. It is on the right hand side,frozen and covered with snow.

The lake is mostly surrounded by trees and on this day they were gorgeous.

As we walked along,I spied this dried up Tansy.

I liked how it looked with some snow on it. Come summertime,it will produce those bright yellow button flowers.For now the snow is it's only adornment.

This trio of stumps caught my eye as well.

The hoarfrost covered trees make a great background.

When we get a hoarfrost,every little stem and plant turns into a piece of loveliness.

Here are those three stumps again,from a different angle.The bulkiness of these stumps stood in stark contrast to the lacy looking trees.

Winter does have a lot of beauty,even though there is a lack of colour.

The grasses and small plants bring in some colour to give a little contrast.

In Psalm 147:16 we read;

He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes.

On this day this verse came to life for me.Indeed the snow covered the ground like wool and the frost clung to everything like ashes.

Thanks for joining me on this walk.

Time Well Spent

Back on December 30th,I got a call from Steve,wondering if I wanted to join him on photo walk.

I needed no time to decide,this sounded great.

He picked me up and we went about a mile out of town to the local lake.

The scenery was gorgeous as we walked along the edge of the frozen lake.

Here are a few pictures I got that day.

I have many more but they still need to be edited,so will come at a future date.

I always enjoy capturing the photographer at work.

You can see that the trees were gorgeous with a layer of hoarfrost and some snow.

If you look over Steve's shoulder,you can see that the beavers have taken down some of the smaller trees. We saw a lot of beaver activity,in the form of chewed up tree trunks.Some of the trees were too large and they had not been able to get them down.

You can see the camera hanging from Steve's shoulder,but he also wanted to see how this would look with the iPhone.

Here I captured a picture of the picture.

The digital age allows us to experiment without adding cost to the end result.

It makes photography even more enjoyable.

Of course I had to get in close to really see how the picture looked on the iPhone.

I must say it does a pretty good job,but I won't be selling my cameras anytime soon.

Thanks Steve for making my day by asking me to join you. I had a wonderful time and hope we can do it again.

Thought for Today:

Today,be thankful for the beauty,the peace,and the marvel of nature.

In Memory

Once again I need to make a post in memory of a loved one.

This Peony is for Helen.

On Friday,January 6,2012,Jake's youngest sister slipped from the bonds of earth and joined her parents,brother and others at Heaven's throne.

The whole family was at the beside as she was ushered into Glory.

This was a lady who gave of herself constantly.She was more than my sister-in-law,she was my very good friend and in the last year or so also my support and help.

We will all miss her cheery smile and friendly ways.

One thing Helen did not like,was to have her picture taken,so I cannot show her smile to you,but I can see it in my mind.

Her husband Wayne and adult son Jared will feel the emptiness the most,so please remember to pray for them.

If I am not posting or even commenting during the next little while it is because I am busy with family activities and the funeral.

God gives strength as we need it.

My Christmas Day

Here it is already January the 5th and I had hoped to post more regularly.

Life tends to get in the way of our hopes and wishes.

Thinking about what I should post,I decided to step back into 2011 and some some pictures of my Christmas day.

This picture was taken December 24th. Jake's youngest sister has been battling pancreatic cancer for a while,so another sister-in-law got together a group of people and we went to sing carols for this family.We had a great turn-out and were well received by the family.

We were even fortunate enough to have our personal choir director,complete with the appropriate outfit.

On a side note the sweater used to belong to my Dad and is a Yamaha sweater.You see as far as my Dad was concerned there was only one kind of snowmobile and that was a Yamaha.

These two girls are Jake's nieces and I call them my nieces as well.Very precious young ladies they are.

Here we are on Christmas day,and my niece is trying out her Christmas gift,a very nice camera.She was trying to get a good picture of a rabbit who was on the other side of the chain-link fence.

Notice that she is only wearing a light hoodie.The weather has been exceptionally mild this winter.

I spent two nights with Jake's brother and family. I got the privilege of sleeping with the animals.Tim is an avid hunter and has several mounts on the walls.He,however cannot take credit for this buck. Jake shot this one many years ago,before he took up the camera.I had no place to display it and I knew that Tim would cherish it,so here it sits in his house.

This is my friend Duffy.She is very special to me.Some of you may remember seeing pictures of Jake holding this little dog,during some of his final days with us.

Duffy could bring a smile to Jake's face when nothing else could.

Duffy is Tim and Liz's dog,and a bundle of energy.

So that was how I spent Christmas day. I had had Christmas with Steve,Linda and the children on the 23rd.of December,so I was free to join this family and it was fun.

No thought for today,but rather a request for prayer.

Helen,Jake's sister is now hospitalized and very weak.

She and her husband and son need lots of prayer.

Happy New Year

2011 is almost history,and what a year it has been.

I am sure that each of us has seen our share of trials and also blessings.

As I stand poised at the threshold of the new year,I wait on God to show me the way.

THis was the scene in my area yesterday.Finally we for some beautiful snow.

I spent a delightful time with my son,photographing all this beauty.

I am sure you will be seeing more of those pictures in days to come.

Since I have not been posting for a little while I just wanted to take the time to wish all of you a Wonderful New Year,rich in love and peace.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I expect that this will be my last post before Christmas,so here is my wish for you.

I am also including the letter which I sent out to people with a card.

I count all of my followers as my friends,so this later is to you as well.

To you my dear friends,

    As you all know, the last 15 months or so have been filled with change for me.. I would not have chosen the path on which I find myself right now,but God knows what is best for me. When my beloved Jake took his final breath on November 10th of 2010, my whole life was turned upside-down. Now I can honestly say that it is beginning to be turned right-side up again. 

    2011 has been a year filled with many sad moments,yet,I can also say that there have been many good times.God has taken my hand and walked along with me through the ups and downs.

    I feel so richly blessed to have you as one of my friends.I want to thank you for the support and love I have felt from you. It is during a time of deep sadness that we find out who our real friends are,and you are definitely one of them. Thank-you. 

   I look forward to what God has in store for me in the coming year.

    What are my plans? I make plans very loosely,as I know they can be changed in a heartbeat.I do want to continue to pursue my photography,as this is something which I very much enjoy.I also plan on staying with my job as a school bus driver,at least for a few more years,Lord willing.Besides this I am always willing to join friends for coffee and a visit.

Thanks for your friendship and I will be back after Christmas,but first I will celebrate with family and friends who are near.

Wintery Scenes from 2006

I have not been out taking pictures recently,so I went back into the archives and pulled a few from there.

All of the pictures in today's post were taken by Jake,on an early morning walk around our town,back in 2006.

The first picture is taken,looking west down the main street of our town.

Note all the snow in these pictures. This is the way it usually looks around here at this time of year,BUT,not this year.

We have a dusting of snow,but lots of dry grass and bare ground showing.

The following pictures were all taken in our local park. This is a very busy place in summer,with kids at the playgrounds and pool,and picnics being had.

In winter it is a place of quiet,and on this early morning it was beautiful.

There is some hoar frost on the trees and that adds a special touch.

The picnic tables stand empty,waiting for the first warm days of spring.

Here is another view.Looks like someone else was in the park.

I am sure glad Jake took these pictures,so that now we can enjoy these pretty scenes.

Shooting in low light tends to make the pictures look more purple than what is natural.

This is the same as the one above,but in a black and white version.

I like this almost as well as the coloured one.

Which is your favourite?

Thought for today:

A SNOWFLAKE IS ONE OF GOD'S MOST FRAGILE CREATIONS,

BUT OH WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN THEY STICK TOGETHER!

Christmas Cookies

Today was a fun filled day.

Kai came over in the morning to help me bake cookies,no not just any cookies,but, Christmas cookies.

We had a lot of fun doing this,as we always do,but the real fun started in the evening.Steve and Kai came for supper,and after that we set up shop and began decorating the baked cookies.

I apologize for the darkness of this picture,but this was the scene at my kitchen table.The sugar,sprinkles and frosting.

Of course Steve had to capture this time as well.He is using his iPhone,while I used my regular camera.

I have star shaped cookie cutters,which when stacked just right form a tree.

Kai looks pleased with her tree,all decorated with frosting and sprinkles.

Here she is still putting on a few more sprinkles,to make it just perfect.

She decorated two trees. I must say they are perhaps the sweetest trees I have ever seen,both in reality and because they are made by my favourite baker/decorator.

This looks good enough to eat.Will you join me for a cup of tea or coffee and a piece of this beautiful Christmas tree?

I spent two days with Jake's brother and his family,over the weekend.

They live in Winnipeg and so we went out looking at all the Christmas decorations.

This house was by far the best I have seen in a long time.

All the decorations were synchronized to music,and the best part — they were accepting donations for Cancer Care.

The cookies are delicious,the lights beautiful,but let us not forget the REAL reason for Christmas,the birth of Jesus Christ.

Roses in November

I just finished editing some pictures taken on November 11.

I know this post is not at all Christmas related,but then,roses are always in season.

A dear friend of mine had roses delivered to my door,right around the time of the anniversary of Jake's passing.

First let me say I appreciated the roses for the message which they brought.,but I ask you,what is a woman with a camera to do when she gets roses in November?

All around outside everything is drab brown and grey.Roses bring colour,so it is time for a photo session.

Thanks Hannah for supplying the props,(roses).

Now I do believe that roses and pearls are a great match.

These orange/peach coloured roses were different than any I had seen before.

Look at all those petals.

I think turning the image into a sepia tone,shows the petals even better.

The yellow roses were  the traditional florist roses.

They opened beautifully and lasted longer than any I have ever had.

I threw the last rose out at the two week mark.

The above rose is the same as the one below. 

I think it looks quite dramatic in sepia tone.

I know that this photo is way over done,but I kind of like the gold look.

I added a warming filter in Lightroom

It is fun to play with the different effects.Some turn out good,but others are a total flop.Tell me whether you like this version.I would like to hear what you think.

Like I said,I kind of like it,but am not totally convinced.

I am sure that you will be seeing more of this bouquet of roses,as I took MANY pictures.

Because I know that these roses were given in love,this thought seems to fit:

The love you give to others

Is returned to you by the Lord - - -

And the love of God

Is your soul's rich reward.

Thanksgiving Everyday

I know that we are in the Christmas season,but today I want to step back about two months,into October.

I have picked a few pictures which I enjoy.

All of today's pictures were taken from my deck.I can hardly wait to enjoy that space again,come springtime.

This little Yellow-rumped Warbler,dressed in the subdued colours of fall and winter,is checking me out.

At one end of my deck I have this heated birdbath. Obviously it was not being heated when this picture was taken,but now that we have freezing temperatures I do have it plugged in so the birds can enjoy a drink,even in winter.

The Black-capped Chickadee is one of my favourite birds.

They can be counted on to show up when all others disappear.

I really like how this little fella would come and sit on the lattice which surrounds the deck.I think he is a perfect addition to my deck.

Looking up and away from the birds I noticed these cloud shadows.

I think they are unique and pretty.

 The heavens declare the Glory of God!

The tree in the picture above is the same one you see in this picture.Here you can see it's yellow leaves,because the sun is highlighting it so well.

This is also taken from my deck and it is looking south-east,into my yard.

Perhaps a thought about Thanksgiving is still in order.

Thought for Today:

Dear God,no words are great enough

To thank You for just living,

and that is why everyday

Is a day of Thanksgiving.