Family Fun

Tim, Juanita and kids came to visit this weekend. We went to the zoo on Monday.

Kaleb loved it. As soon as we got home, he wanted to go again!

Jon and Magan and kids met us there.
I don't know how Jon escaped my camera!

Baby Luke was so good and adorable!

We went to the Butterfly House.

I've been wanting to do that for years!
And I wasn't disappointed.
There are gorgeous butteflies all over, so many different colors, and they are just asking to be photographed!

Just Ducky

We went camping with good friends Rob and Linda at Westward Ho last week and enjoyed our riverside campsite. The weather co-operated so we could hike, swim, play botchee ball and make blueberry bushpies.

One of my goals is always to take some pictures of birds that I don't have yet, and this is one of them - they are female Common Mergansers. The males have green heads. I like the way the red heads are all fluffy. Apparently when they take off they run with their feet on the surface of the water until they are airborne.

I got this picture in Crossfield. It is a Horned Grebe, and so far it is my prize duck picture. Notice the feathers by the red eye - they stick out and look like a fancy hairdo! If you can't see it clearly, double click on it to enlarge the picture.

This is a Ruddy Duck, and it's claim to fame is its blue bill!

I took this picture in Coaldale.

This is a blue-winged teal pair.

I can't believe how many different kinds of ducks there are, and some so unusual! Now that I've got the Horned Grebe, my next big prize would be to photograph the Hooded Merganser or the Wood Duck. The Wood Ducks are very colorful and nest in trees. The Hooded Mergansers have totally wild hairdos - He is black and white and she reddish.

Another two months to find these birds!

Baby Robin Visit

Mal was drying some of his shoes on the railing of our deck,

and a baby robin settled right in between them.

He decided he might as well make himself comfortable.

Mamma came once to feed him, but that picture didn't turn out.

After awhile he hopped right into the shoe!

Then he flew to the other railing.

He hung out here with his mouth open,

so Mal decided he must be hungry and fed him some strawberry.

He took a bit, and then flew off.

His visit lasted about two hours.

Birds of Prey

I've been wanting to get some pictures of owls and eagles, and I finally did it! However, I feel a little like I cheated. They were not in the wild, but at the Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale. We really enjoyed our visit, in spite of the rain.
Here Mal is holding a Burrowing Owl.

A Bald Eagle.
I had trouble uploading the pictures, but I may add more pictures later.

Who are these babies?

Baby #1

Baby #2

Baby #3

Baby #4

Baby #5

Baby Luke!

Our new grandson, born to Tim and Juanita in the back of a van on the way to the hospital! For those who haven't heard that story, check Juanita's blog. He weighed in at 6lbs 10 oz.

All is well with mother and baby.

I spent a week with them and can testify that he has been a good, content baby.

No lack of hair, but no, it's not red!

Big brother checks him out.

Boy and dog.

I spent a lot of time with Kaleb and enjoyed the cute, funny things he says at his age!

The Altar

Laid on your altar, O my Lord divine,
Accept this gift today for Jesus' sake.
I have no jewels to adorn your shrine,
nor any world-famed sacrifice to make;
But here I bring, within my trembling hand
this will of mine - a thing that seems small,
but only you can understand how,
when I give you this, I give you all.

Hidden therein your searching gaze can see
struggles of passion, visions of delight;
All that I have, or am, or hope to be.
Deep loves, fond hopes, and longings infinite,
it has been wet with tears and dimmed with sighs;
Clenched in my grasp 'til all beauty is gone,
now at your footstool, where it vanquished lies,
the prayer ascends, "May your will be done."

Take it, O Father, before my courage fails,
and merge it so with your own will, that even
if in some desperate hour my cries prevail
and you give me back my gift, it may have been
so changed, so purified, so fair have grown,
so one with yours, so filled with peace divine
that I may not know or feel it as my own,
but gaining back my will, may find it yours.

Author Unknown