Sun Dogs Extraordinaire

The above average fall temperatures are history now.  With the winter solstice came  winter weather and the onset of snow, wind and cold temperatures.  We have had a few inches of snow the last few days and last night we were supposed to get hit with a full scale blizzard.  Fortunately for us we only got two of the 3 criteria for a blizzard.  Wind and cold. -40 with the wind chill tonight.  Doesn't matter how you measure -40.  Fahrenheit or Celsius, its the same thing.  Dammm Cold.  The snow for the most part missed us so at least the drifts are only a few feet deep although the wind has hardened it to the consistency of concrete.  As I was walking Charli I passed a number of unfortunate soles out trying to shovel the stuff so they could get out to work in the morning.      

We were blessed with a rare sunset tonight.  At least rare for me.  I don't think I have ever seen twin sun dogs in such dramatic fashion.  I got a text from a friend of mine telling me to get outside with my camera.  Thanks Debbie.  Here are a few different interpretations of the event.  

Left this one in the oven a little too long.  A little overdone but I do like my colours. 

This one is a little more realistic.  Pretty spectacular.

A black and white version however I couldn't resist adding back just a touch of colour. 

Its not often you get to see this in Manitoba.  

May be my last blog before Christmas so if I don't talk to you before both Lori and I would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy new year. 

 #Manitoba Sunset

#Sun Dogs

A Trip to Falcon Lake

 Well it has been awhile but with lockdowns back in vogue, other than a few day hikes to some local parks to walk Charli and take a few pictures, there has not been much to report.  I did break down and give Apple more of my business.  I ordered another laptop through the Refurbished section on the Apple store.  Saved about $900. and it looks and works like new with full warranty plus Apple Care.  Got it in 6 days.  Was promised it in 3 but with Covid all deliveries are somewhat protracted.  Fed Ex delivery this time and handled much better than UPS.  I have slowly been setting it up, transferring data and loading programs.  Will take me awhile to get fully operational but its functional and I kept my old iMac so the data is all in there somewhere.  In fact I'm going to use the 21.5" iMac as a second screen for the MacBook Pro and I'm just waiting for delivery of some cables so I can hook it all up.  

Lori got an Apple Watch for an Anniversary present and I got a set of AirPods Pro for my birthday so Apple had a good revenue month just in our household.  Lori likes the Apple Watch although I still think its a bit gimmicky but the AirPods Pro are great.  I turn on the noise cancellation and listen to Youtube videos and can't hear the TV.  Just soft muffled background noise.  Of course I also can't hear Lori talking to me.  Really allows me to focus in on the important stuff.

Black Friday provided some great deals on Photo editing software and now that the new Mac is up and running I am experimenting with the new Luminar AI and some Topaz products.  Other than the installation of some baseboards in the basement my winter will be spent in front of the computer, daily walks with Charli and the ongoing struggle to get my fat old body downstairs to do some exercises.  Let me tell you those exercises are a lot harder at 65 than they were at 60.  Progress is slow and the scale only seems to know how to go in one direction but fortunately, or unfortunately depending how you look at it, I have the whole winter to work at it.

I have a ton of pictures to edit so lets get started with a little road trip we took a few weeks ago to Falcon Lake.  Falcon is in Whiteshell Provincial Park and about a 2 hour drive.  We thought it would be a nice break from our daily walks around town or our weekly outing to Birds Hill Park (BHP) just down the road.  You will see lots of BHP before the winter is over as I think I will have photographed every tree by spring.      

Perhaps some of the best pictures I took on this day was on the drive out.  The highway is lined with trees and the ditch is filled with bull rushes and reeds.  Combined with the remnants of some hoar frost I just had to stop and take a walk through the ditch.  Pulled over on the divided highway, put on the flashers, left Lori and Charli in the comfort of the heated car and I wandered into the ditch.  

The forecast was for a sunny day with some cloud.  Turned out to be more of an overcast day but with enough colour in the sky that it actually turned out to be a pretty good shooting day.  The hoar frost really helped. 

The warm tones of the long grasses really helped offset the cooler tones of the rest of the scene.  I liked the contrast it provided.  Otherwise it could have been a little drab. 

I think this is my favourite shot (below) from this location.  The frost covered spruce framed by green branches of the trees set back in the bush with those framed by the frost covered branches of the surrounding deciduous trees.  All capped off with the warm tones of the grasses in the foreground.  

Looks like a Christmas card.   Hmmmmmm! 

Proved to be a bit of an adventure getting the shot below.  I needed to get in the right position so I could use those two fallen trees as leading lines down the small creek bed, between the spruce trees to the long grasses.  I just had to get down into the dry snow covered creek bed.  

As I was positioning myself the ice started to crack.  

I stopped.  So, not a dry creek bed then.  

It stopped cracking.

I slowly knelt down took my shot and slowly made my way to the side of the creek.

No boots got wet in this adventure.

Tomorrow I'll start working on the pictures from the trail.

Till then.  

Apple Computer Update, Final Chapter

 This is a followup to my post d'd June 25th which will provide, I hope, the final chapter in my Apple/UPS saga.  By way of a brief recap, I had ordered a MacBook Pro which was to be delivered by UPS.  Confirmation from Apple advised that a signature would be required for delivery however UPS said they simply left it at my front door.  The package was not on my door step when my neighbour checked an hour of so later and numerous calls to Apple, UPS, Visa, Insurance Companies and the RCMP ensued.  

A word to the wise.  If you have Payment Protector Insurance through your credit card, and most credit card companies offer this, it is not as advertised.  Lots of forms to fill out, hoops to jump through, and turns out it is secondary insurance.  If your claim would be covered under another insurance policy, like you home insurance, the credit card insurance will only cover the amount of your deductible.  

In the end, 3 months later, after filing a dispute claim with Visa, I have my money back and the computer is who knows where.  At every turn in this process I was met with roadblocks, fine print, delays and general disinterest in resolving my problem.  Apple did finally accept my claim and resolved to order me a new computer or provide me with a refund however by that time I had already started the dispute process with Visa and felt that it would be faster to proceed with them.  That proved to be an erroneous assumption on my part. 

My concern with Apple ordering me a new computer was that it would once again be delivered by UPS with no firm guarantee that the final result wouldn't be the same.  At this time deliveries can't be made to the Apple store and the local store doesn't carry a machine in the configuration that I want.  The local Apple store would not take an order direct and suggested that I order online.  I'm caught in a loop and I'm getting dizzy. 

At this time I am on hold in the hopes that deliveries to the Apple store will be allowed in the near future although I'm doubtful about that given Covid's resurgence.  Apple has also announced they are dumping Intel chips and updating all their computers to ARM chipsets which are supposed to be faster, run cooler and provide better battery life.  For the time being I plunk away on my 2011 IMac and wait for the screen to reload with edits I have made to my photos.  So for the time being I will wait, at least for a few months or until my patience wears out.  

Good thing I'm retired and not going anywhere this winter.   

Now on to funner things.  

Deer Meadow Farm

A couple weeks ago we took a drive to Deer Meadow Farm which is only a few miles from our house.  We had heard lots about the corn maze and petting zoo and this year the design is cut to recognize Manitoba's 150th anniversary of joining  confederation.  Debbie and Don joined us on our trip and turns out it was a scouting trip for them as they revisited a few days later with grandson in tow.  We enjoyed our day however it is certainly an adventure designed for little people.    

This little tyke was certainly enjoying petting the calf

Hey!  Where did you get your ear piercing.  I'm Jealous

Lori hates chickens.  So unpredictable.  

Some of them have great colours. 

Who says the grass isn't greener on the other side of the fence. 

When the food dish is empty it doubles as a bed

Really weird coloured eyes.  

The bunnies were in large open crates so not easily petable. 
Probably safer though.  

We took a picture of the maze on our phones
however it didn't take too many turns before Don and I got us lost.  
The ladies took over and we all made it home safely. 

Debbie checking to make sure we are still following their lead. 

An old seeder all painted and pretty like.  

I prefer it a little more rustic looking so moved a few sliders
around and an old rusted piece of farm equipment appears. 

Thats it for today.  Have a ton more pictures to process however I may devote the next blog to an update on my sad saga about purchasing a computer online.  I finally have an end to the story.  

Till then.  

Church in Cooks Creek

Just out for a drive down a country road looking for interesting photo opportunities and look what we came across.  Officially called the Grotto Church of the Immaculate Conception, this Ukrainian Catholic church is located in Cooks Creek, just a 10 minute drive from Oakbank, Mb.  Cooks Creek is a small community, guessing under 100 people plus the surrounding farms and rural residents, but even in its hey day I doubt you would have expected to see a church of this size.  Church services are still held although for the time being they are held just next door in the outdoor Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes.  Gotta give them credit for creating impressive names for their religious edifices.   I would love to get a peek inside but until this Covid thing subsides I suspect it will remain closed.  

Construction started in the 1930's and it was consecrated in 1952.  Apparently during this time there was a flurry of similar churches constructed across the prairies.  The structure was almost entirely hand-built by volunteers.  Restoration is an ongoing challenge with funds always in short supply to maintain a structure of this size and age.  Makes one want to source out some of the other similar churches built during this time.  I suspect there are not many left and certainly not this grand.  

These pictures were taken during a return visit this past Sunday afternoon.  I was waiting for an interesting evening sky with a good sunset.  While the sunset was obliterated by storm clouds the angry blue skies provided all the drama needed for some good shots.  In fact it started raining as I finished shooting and by the time we got home, only 10 minutes away, the thunder was banging loud enough to rattle the windows in the house.  In fact a lightning strike got a hydro pole less than a mile from our house and put us in darkness for a few hours. 

Pretty amazing. 

 

The Bell tower with part of the outdoor grotto in the foreground. 

 

A couple of trumpeting angels framing the bell tower in the background. 

The roof line sporting quite the collection of crosses.  I believe 9 in total although only 8 are visible here.

A grand front entrance.

Thats it for now.  Monday we headed over to the Trappist Monastery in St Norbert and I'll start working on those pictures tomorrow.  

Till then. 

Birds Hill Park Sunset

 On Friday evening the drama in the sky looked promising for a good sunset so we headed over to Cooks Creek, just a 10 minute drive away.  I wanted to get a picture of the old church and the skies looked like they would provide a beautiful backdrop.  Unbeknownst to us the grounds to the church are locked up during the week and only open during the weekends.  On to plan B.

Birds Hill Park is on the way home so we decided to take a drive over and see what opportunities might present themselves.  On the way over we drove through a sun shower and just as we were entering the park gates a double rainbow appeared.  I hustled across the highway, camera in hand, and got a shot before driving on into the park.

We decided to park at the East Beach to take advantage of a well treed causeway that divides the beach area from a large pond surrounded by bull rushes, wild grasses and brush.  I still want to get to this area for sun rise as the bull rushes are often populated by redwing blackbirds and would be a good opportunity to get some bird closeups with the 600mm.  I'll wait for September when sunrise isn't so ungodly early.  

We were greeted by a beautiful sunset and the opportunities below were there for the taking. 

Note to self.  After getting caught in a rain shower, no matter how good a job you think you do in protecting the lens from rain, always clean the glass.  I didn't notice it at the time but when I got home and checked the pictures on the computer I had to remove up to 30 spots per picture.  That in addition to a dirty sensor make for heavy use of the erasure tool.  

The glow from golden hour was just too fabulous to pass up.  

Another couple of golden hour shots.

The golden hour gets its name for a good reason.

It was a magical evening.  Felt I was at a remote lake in Northern Manitoba when in actual fact I was only a 5 minute drive from home.  Just needed the Loons to start calling.

Its interesting how once the sun is below the horizon the light is reflected back up  into the clouds and then back down into the water.  

The best light is usually just after sunset.  The end of golden hour and the beginning of blue hour.  Gotta be ready cause the best light only lasts a few minutes if your lucky.  

Thats it for the sunset at BHP.  We did make it back to Cooks Creek on Sunday just before a thunder storm so those pictures will be up next.  

Till then. 

A Rose in the rain

A few weeks ago we visited Assiniboine Park with our friends Debbie and Don.  A walk in the garden followed by a wonderful lunch in the restaurant.  Tables appropriately spaced. 

The English Garden at Assiniboine Park presented me with a wide array of floral beauty.  This is just one shot of many.  

A rose in the rain courtesy of my imagination.  

Stay tuned for more garden shots. 

Picket Post - Feeling creative

 This morning I decided to reach back into my archive of pictures from this past winter and found a collection from some of our hikes around Picket Post mountain.  It is truly one of my favourite hikes as the variety in the scenery and terrain always makes for an interesting hike.  It takes you up and around the side of the mountain on an easily traversed path through cactus, sand, gravel and all varieties of brush.  That turns into a walk through tall grasses and saplings which reach well overhead creating the feel of travelling through a tunnel.  Soon you come to a creek bed which we follow for a few miles having to make frequent crossings.  Towering Cottonwoods line the creek creating the feel of walking through a forest and not at all like a desert hike.  We frequently pass a small heard of cattle munching on the grass growing on the banks of the creek.  One one occasion, around Christmas if memory serves, we decided to head out on this hike after a few days of rain.  We only got as far as the first creek crossing as the usual method of crossing by hopping from one flat, hopefully stable, rock to another was not available to us.  The creek had turned into a torrent of water, easily 3 feet deep and ripping new paths out of the creek bed.  If one persists the trail is about a 9 mile hike and takes you from the creek and up and around the other side of the mountain.  We didn't make the whole loop this year but have in the past and its a real workout.  

We took this hike a number of times this past year from November right through into the late winter.  Often during the early morning but also a few late afternoons to catch the better light.  The different conditions led to some interesting shots and I let my creative juices flow on a few of the pictures below.  

Enjoy. 

The trail follows a fence line meant to keep the cattle in certain parts of the desert.  We had to pass through a number of gates and have to make sure we close and latch them once were through.

This was a shot taken late in the afternoon on a beautiful day in November.  We went out to catch the last of the beautiful fall gold colours.  The creek was almost dry at this point but a month of so later it was a torrent of water. 

This day we got out early and the sun was just breaking over Picket Post.  Apparently the mountain got its name back in the day when the US soldiers would have to haul all their supplies up the mountain to keep watch for invading Mexicans or Indians.  I think the story regarding who the invaders were changes depending who you ask.  

Thats it for today.  Stay tuned

Canola field and a thunder storm

 On our last trip back from Swan River, July 13, we left with the truck loaded with the last of Lori's mom's possessions.  The box was full and although the forecast was for sunny skies I had bought a heavy duty tarp to secure the load in the event of inclement weather.  Good thing as the skies got dark and the winds picked up 90 minutes into our 6 hour drive. The deluge began just before we got into Dauphin and I had to slow down to abut 60 kph so the wipers could keep up.  After about 20 minutes of driving we got ahead of the storm and were presented with an opportunity to combine the yellow canola fields with a backdrop of angry dark clouds.  Too good an opportunity to pass up.  

Lori and Charli cooled their heals while I pulled over and ran to the edge of a Canola field to get some pictures.  Besides I needed to check the tarp. Or so the story goes.  I snapped away until the wind started to pick up and large rain drops started to fall.  With the storm catching up to us I headed back to the truck as fast as my gimpy knees would carry me.  As the rain started pelting the truck we high tailed it east and drove another 30 minutes or so.  Ahead of the storm once again I was presented with more Canola fields.  Pulled over again.  This time Lori was a little less enthused however Charli and I both needed to find a bush to water so looks of mild irritation slowly melted into resignation.  

I had been waiting for the Canola to get to full bloom and given that every second field in Manitoba seems to be sown to Canola I had lots to choose from. I had been searching for a flax field as well but in all of our travels up to Swan and back and drives around Oakbank I did not see one field of Flax.  Perhaps next year I can get a yellow field of Canola next to a bright blue Flax field. 

The fields were beautiful and lush and the clouds were angry and full of furry.  A nice combination.  A good opportunity to add a bolt of lightning.

The hills in the background, almost obliterated by the coming storm clouds, is Riding Mountain National Park.  We have camping reservations for the last 2 weeks of September which will be our last major outing before winter sets in, which, as it stands right now, we are going to have to endure this year.  

No twisters in these skies but we have had a few this year and one took the lives of 2 young adults when their truck was caught and thrown from the roadway into a field.  A sad testament to the power of mother nature. 

Was happy to find some wild flowers growing in the ditch.  Makes for a nice foreground.

Back home and a beautiful double (just faintly visible) rainbow.  Shot was taken from the field  behind our house. 

Thats all for today.  Stay tuned.