My Everything Corner

American Avocet Spotted Sandpiper Moon on the evening of July 4th. Spreading Dogbane Anenome Female Red-Winged Blackbird It's not the greatest photo, but I finally got a shot of the baby  American Avocet. Such fancy plumage. A Wilson's Snipe- I think...

There's nothing like birds to bring life and cheerfulness to our landscapes.  In the winter, birds are scarce on the prairies and I can hardly wait for Spring to arrive so welcome them all back. Here are two photos of beautiful specimens.

It's great when you come across wildlife that is way too busy to care what you doing with your camera.  Foxes don't look their best in the spring when they are losing their coats, but she's a beauty nonetheless. This rainbow went on forever, it lasted for well over an hour and was incredibly vibrant. After taking the photo, I just sat on the couch and stared out my window. After the rainbow was over and the clouds were breaking up, the sky became very dramatic and again, the color lasted for quite a while. It was a nice evening to sit in front of the picture window. And then there's the train.  I hope to get more and better shots of trains this year.

Unlike a lot of people, when I crave an escape or a change of pace, I head for a city.  People who do the opposite, visit the country to escape the city, often say they are leaving far too soon.  I have never felt that way about a city. It doesn't take long, and I am eager to go home, to get back to the quiet, the dirt roads and the complete lack of people.

It's so hard to believe that we are in January.  The holidays came and went far more quickly than I could prepare for them it seemed. The tree is down, and the decorations will find their way into storage for another year soon.  I will miss how they fill my home with coziness, and look forward to easier housekeeping.  The weather has been very cold, but it has not kept me from getting outside.  There has only been a few days where it was completely unreasonable to go out.  When I go, I have my phone and sometimes I snap a few photos.   Loved how the sunlight illuminated the forest here. The contrast between the stark white frost and the black bark on these trees is stunning. I love taking a walk on a morning when Mother Nature has decided to redecorate.

I have more pictures from our Nova Scotia trip ready to go up, but I thought I would take a break from that, and have a little fun playing around with some nature photos today.   It's sunny this afternoon, but the wind is strong and frigid.  I'm not used to it yet, and frankly am a bit whiny about it.  So, a warm cup of tea, and some time playing with pictures helped to cheer me up. That, and I am making pizza for dinner tonight.  I always look forward to pizza night.   Have a great weekend everyone!  Oh, and I saw the most incredible meteor last night!!!

My last post was June 8 and the time that has passed since then has been full of every aspect of living.  We've celebrated birthdays, had a funeral, traveled, worked hard in our yard, relaxed in our yard, and took a thousand photos along the way.  Some of those photos will slowly make their way here to fill in that near 3 month gap.  We're getting ready for harvest now.  The pumpkin patch is an unimaginable size; could nearly be classified as a field. The garden is slowly being cleaned off as the vegetables produce the last of their bounty.  Swathing of the grain has started, and if the weather is even semi-co-operative, combining will not be far behind.  This time of year means unpredictable schedules and a need to be flexible for my husband while at the same time maintaining a strict schedule for my kids as they head back to school. The picture I chose to feature here is one I took of a dramatic sky on July 6, my 19th wedding anniversary actually, an...

I was awakened last night by our first thunderstorm.  There was plenty of fast paced lightening and thunder, one crack that had me nearly jump out of bed.  The sound of the rain relaxed me, as I knew how much work that would save me the following day.  With less work to do today on the yard, I headed out with my camera.  I had been worried about the low number of bees I was seeing, but yesterday I noticed that the numbers have increased dramatically.  They are everywhere and are of every shape and size.  Some are so big, they could be mistaken for hummingbirds. I love the bees, and am so glad to see them back in such numbers.  The threat of their extinction makes me feel incredibly sad, as I cannot imagine a garden without them. Nor, apparently, would us humans be able to survive without them as they are responsible for pollinating so many of the crops we depend on.  Science is working hard at solving this problem and I hope they can find...

All of these photos were taken 2 weeks ago, which doesn't seem all that long ago when put that way. But, when I take a look around my yard, it seems like ages ago.  Seasons are miraculous in how quickly they can transform the scenery.   The lilacs pictured here are done and there is a haze of brown where there were hundreds of vibrant lavender colored blooms that stood out from across the yard.   The sea of yellow has diminished into just a few blooms here and there.  In numbers like that, dandelions are beautiful.   I thought I would toss in another photo of a napping kitty, just because they are so charming when asleep. And the last photo (the "Something Different), is an attempt at blurred motion photography. I really don't know what I think of this one yet, but it was definitely my favourite of the dozen I took.  I'll have to come back to it in a month or two, comparing it to nothing else.  I do like the colors though. ...

As so many of us are in the Spring, I have been keeping very busy around my yard.  Clean-up, planting and building new gardens have been central to my life as of late.  It has been a lot of fun getting outside again.  The only thing putting a little damper on my spirits this year is the army worms.  They are wreaking havoc all over the country side and have recently invaded my yard.  They are everywhere!!!  There is nothing to do but allow nature to run its course, so my frustration with the repulsive little critters is getting me nowhere. Today was rainy, and windy and cold.  I took a much needed break and did a little project I've been looking forward to for awhile.  Our very dear Uncle passed away this past January and I asked if I could have one of his old worn out sweaters.  My goal was to create a critter for each of my children, but there was so much fabric, I made 2 pumpkins as well.  These four things only used up the sleev...

There still isn't a ton of yard work to be done, so I just keep walking around, enjoying the milder temperatures and searching for the latest developments of Spring. I'm taking a little road trip west this week end to see a good friend, and I've heard things have progressed a little further over her way, so I won't forget to take my camera.  Also, her neighbors have a fantastic selection of pets.  Maybe they'll let me spend time taking their portraits to share here.  I always have such a wonderful time when I visit, so I'm really looking forward to Friday! Here are a few photos I took this morning.  Pussy willows starting to bloom. Lilac buds. Moss.  I love moss.

I was out for a stroll this morning looking for signs of Spring.  You wouldn't notice them at a glance. You have to get up close and even dig a little to unearth the details that promise that change of season. This first photo almost looks like something you would see on a coral reef, but it is how the sem false spirea shows signs of life early.  It is definitely the early bird of the shrubs. Although I have seen a few ladybugs here and there, we actually dug this little guy out of his fallen leaf bed. He happily provided us with a portrait before he asked us to tuck him back in, which we gladly did of course. If you put a penny over top of the larger one, and a dime on the small one, they would both be completely hidden!  They are 2 tiny, adorable weeds growing on the west side of our shop among the gravel and moss.  When you look up close, it looks like I put together a little succulent garden.  If I'm correct, and I'll keep a close eye o...