Some Favourites

Another month is coming to an end and my two month summer holiday has begun.As a school bus driver,I look forward to July and August,to have a little break from rigid schedules.

I am sharing a few recent images that I like.There is no special theme to this post, just a few favourites.

I thought this was a pretty scene.Wide open pasture, mostly a clear blue sky and a few fence posts to frame the scene.

Anyone who follows me of Facebook or this blog, knows that I love to watch the sky. Some dark skies just before sunset, added interest to the sky.

As the sun set,I was looking for something different to use in the photo.A coupe of thistle flowers were the perfect choice at least in my opinion.

The clouds never fail to amaze me.Sometimes they are all billowy and white, and at other times, like this, they send long fingers into the sky.

I can't explain just why I love this shot,but I really do like it.The road, leading to the distance and then those beautiful clouds, make for a pleasing image to me.

Something To Think About:

As both Canada and the USA celebrate special days this coming week,Canada,celebrating Canada Day on the first of July and the USA,Independence Day on the fourth, let's celebrate our freedoms.Let us also not forget to pray for our nations and for the leaders.

Lesson From a Lens Ball

Time keeps on slipping by quickly and I can't seem to get blog posts made.

Trust me it's not that I don't want to or that I don't have any pictures to share.Lots of pictures but too many other things that need my attention.

Well,here I am, with a blog post at long last. I hope that at least a few folks have not forgotten about me.

While driving through a marsh area, this male Yellow-headed Blackbird,was kind enough to pose for me.I find these birds to be very attractive.I can't say the same for their voice,but they are using the talent God has given them.

I have so many sunset pictures, but am always ready to get a few more.Each sunset is beautiful and different from all the others.This is actually not directly into the sunset, but rather the setting sun is painting the clouds a beautiful color to the south and to the east.

I mentioned in a previous post about using a Lens Ball to get some shots.Here are a couple more like that.I did find out, though,that you have to be careful when using it in direct sunlight.While holding this ball and trying to get a shot with the other hand,I noticed a stinging in my finger.At first I thought it was a cramp, but it came back just as soon as I held that ball up again.I finally realized that this ball was acting like a very strong magnifying glass and I was feeling the effects of the sun on my finger.  I realized that I could easily burn myself or start a fire with this ball, if I were not careful.

I do wish I could figure out a way to use the ball without my hand being in the shot.

I love the Irises and used to have a lot of them. Due to cutting back drastically on my gardens,I am down to two Iris plants. I do like this flower a lot.

Something To Think About:

Be contagious with your joy,your positivity and your goodness.

It would be wasteful to not share it with those who need it.

Wild Roses and Sunsets

It has been quite a while since we last met here on the blog.I have been busy getting more pictures and just living life.

On June 9th,would have been my Hubby and my 46th wedding anniversary.Of course,I do not celebrate this day, except to remember the good times. Well,this year,God had a surprise for me.

Many years ago,Jake dug up a Wild Rose for me and planted it on the yard.It never amounted to anything and I was ready to cut it down.Well,this year on June 9th,I walked outside and saw that this little shrub had several blooms on it.What a special treat that was!

It looks like the bumble bee was also enjoying this treat.

Steve has a lens ball and I got to try it out.It gives an interesting perspective.

Of course looking toward the sky usually yields some photo worthy sights.

Not too long ago,I was able to capture this images the sun was about to set.

Something to Think About:

Whatever your age, just keep blooming.

Photos and Memories

These pictures have been waiting to be posted for quite a while now.I wondered if I should post them, but as I think about it, it seems very appropriate to do so and to do it now.You see these were all taken when Jake and I walked these tails together.They bring back wonderful memories,and perhaps even more so, because on Saturday,June 9th it will be 46 years since we said, till death us do part.Death has parted us, but it is temporary.We will be together again and this time there will be no parting.

So on to the beauty that we captured many years ago.I do believe that I have taken all these shots.

If memory serves me right, these were all taken in the Assiniboine Forest,within the city limits of Winnipeg.

I love these white birch trunks among the green grass and leaves.

The above photos as well as the next two, were taken in summer.Everything was lush and green.

Walking along these trails was so enjoyable.I recall that I had to stop every few steps and get yet another picture.

We came back to the same place later that year, just as the leaves were beginning to change color. It was delightful.

More birch trees.The golden light adds to the beauty.

Beauty around every bend in the trail. The fall color is very evident, even in the grasses.

As the sun lights up those yellow leaves, they seem to glow.

 I love scenes like this.The bend in the pathway makes me want to see what is just around that bend.

Truthfully,I have not been back to this place since that day when Jake and I were there. I would love to go back sometime, but would rather not do it all alone.At least I have the pictures and the memories.

Something To Think About:

Never measure God's unlimited power by your limited expectations.

Spring Flowers

Time to bid farewell to May.

May has brought hot weather to my part of the country.The warmth is great, now some areas are just needing a little more rain, but that too, will come when God sees fit to send it.

Today,I start out with a couple of pictures taken earlier in spring. The male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is a beautiful bird and one I look forward to enjoying for a short time in spring.They seem to pass through, so I usually only see them for a few days.

Isn't he handsome?

The rest of this post is all about flowers.I love flowers and am always looking for new photos of them. I found these at a place I least expected to see anything.Just driving along a country road,I spotted this apple tree in the ditch and it was covered with blooms.Of course that meant I had to stop and get some pictures.

I wandered down the back lane to my neighbours yard and one day was thrilled to see the hedge of Lilacs was covered in these luscious blooms.

Look what I found right behind my house! There is one small cherry tree, possibly a wild cherry of sorts, but the blossoms are so pretty.If I watch carefully,I may be able to catch the birds feeding on these cherries in fall.

The Mountain Ash on my yard is not looking all that good, but it still manages to produce some flowers.This bee seemed to enjoy the sweet treat.

I bought a potted Sunflower earlier in spring.I like the bright and cheery blooms.While I was watering the plants,I noticed this and knew that I had better hurry to get the camera, before those droplets had evaporated.

For those who follow me on Facebook,you already know my love for the Fern Leaf Peony.I've wanted one for years, but they seemed too costly.Well,when some friends moved into a different house,I noticed this Peony growing in one of the flower beds.I just commented on how lucky she was to have this and how I have always wanted one but had never bought myself one.A few days later she is on my yard with a black garbage bag and this plant inside.In her words,'she wanted to bless me with this plant'. She certainly did that.It has been a gift that keeps on giving.

Something To Think About:

Your mind is a garden.

Your thoughts are the seeds.

You can grow flowers,

Or you can grow weeds.

Birds On My Yard and More

It seems I can never catch up with pictures, but even though these are not from a day or so ago, the subjects remain interesting and, in my eyes, beautiful.

The male Purple Finch is a handsome fella and has a most beautiful voice as well.

Dark-eyed Juncos come through this area in early spring and late fall.I look forward to their cheerful twitter as they arrive in spring.

Common Redpoll is a bird I don't see every year.Usually they are in my area in winter, but this year a few showed up very early in spring or some might call it late winter.

The well known American Robin is a common bird and yet so very welcome each spring. Notice that this one has some unusual white spots on him.He is healthy and has been hanging around and feeding.

The Swans are beautiful and elegant.Unfortunately,I usually see them at too great a distance to get really good pictures.

Spring brings the various sparrows as well. The White-throated Sparrow is a cute bird.They also have a cheery song which brightens the yard each spring.

Love them or hate them, the Common Grackle is a beautiful bird.I can't say that I love their habits, such as being very messy eaters and also raiding other birds nests, but I still can appreciate their looks.

As the sun sets in the west, it paints a path of gold over the water.

Meanwhile in another part of the sky, the moon rises and sheds it's light on the now darkened world.

 Something to Think About:

Your day will go the way the corners of your mouth turn.

The Manitoba Crocus

The Prairie or Manitoba Crocus is one that most Manitobans know well. I can recall as a child that we had meadows filled with them.

I have always loved this diminutive flower.It grows low to the ground and blooms before most of the grasses even start to grow.

Nowadays it can be a challenge to find these flowers growing in the wild.I should mention, that these flowers do not grow well when dug up and planted in a garden.It is best to leave them where they are and enjoy them so future generations can also enjoy them. 

I did find out about a small patch in rural Manitoba that had Crocuses like I remember from my childhood. These locations are not given out too readily, for fear that the flowers may be picked or dug up.

The color of these early spring flowers is so soft and gentle.

I did find out while my reading about these flowers, that they are actually poisonous to people, but only if ingested.

Isn't that just the most pretty sight? To walk in a meadow like this one has to be so careful not to step on any plants.

Those short stems are covered in soft hairs, almost like a soft blanket to keep them warm.By now these flowers are only a memory, till spring rolls around again next year.

Something To Think About:

Matthew 6:28-30 NIV
[28]“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. [29] Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. [30] If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?

Look To The Sky

Let's turn our eyes toward the sky.

I find in the sky an endless and ever changing beauty.I would encourage you to watch the sky and see if you will not, also find beauty that is amazing.

No two sunsets are the same, but oh the beauty they give us.

Zooming in a little closer, the look changes, but the gorgeous color remains.

Ok,so not everything we see in the sky has been created by God.Some of it is manmade,but can also look good. I liked the light of the setting sun on these con trails and aircraft.

One evening the sunset produces the most brilliant oranges and on another evening the sky is glowing with rich pinks and lavenders,and deep blues.

The colors of the sky can also be reflected in any standing water.This was taken before the lake had completely thawed. Small areas of open water reflected the beauty of the sky.

Even as I write this,I am reminded that I need to reflect the love of Jesus to those around me.

To Think About:

When life is getting you down,and you can’t see a way through.

Remember behind the darkest clouds there awaits a sky so blue.