Walking on water....

Last swan shots...this time the "take offs". It was amazing watching these big birds get the momentum to lift off.

you can tell their stride by the splashes behind them but it literally was a running (and flapping) take off...




such a graceful flight once airborne...

Something good....

Poor indeed is the garden in which birds find no homes.
(Abram L. Urban)

Something good came out of the artic blast of subzero temps we had to endure this past weekend...redpolls! Yesterday, I noticed 3 of them at the feeders for the first time. They are a rare occurrence here in the garden. I hope to get a better photo soon as this one is taken from about 25 ft through the window.
The juncos like to hang out around the water dish and use our discarded Christmas tree as shelter. I love how this female is all puffed up.
The male is a beautiful steel gray. They are one of my favorite winter birds.

All the excitement of Nathan's birthday and the redpolls arriving pushed back the last swan photos till tomorrow.

one of life's greatest blessings...

A recent addition to my home's decor is this magnetic board with the words "FAMILY Let's be grateful for those who give us happiness; they are the charming gardeners who make our soul bloom." I've also been crafting these tiles with the words "The love of a Family is one of life's greatest Blessings" ...this one will soon be heading to Tanya.
Last year my friend, Kari, gave me this photo frame which reads: Family - "Love one another deeply, from the heart. I Peter 1:22"


I just love these expressions of what FAMILY is all about.

Today is our firstborn's birthday...it was such a joy raising him into the man he has become.

Happy Birthday Nathan!

We are so proud of you and you truly are "one of life's greatest blessings..."

Love, Mom & Dad

Your sister has some great wishes for you too!

Your the one that I want...

You're the one that I want (You are the one I want)
You're the one that I want (You are the one I want)
You're the one that I want (You are the one I want)
The one that I need, oh yes indeed!
(lyrics from Grease)

I was shooting landings when I captured these two, notice how they are coming together before they are even fully down? Interesting swan & courtship facts at the end of the post that you can skip if you are sick of bevies, cobs & pens...






Courtship ended rudely with a fly by...shucks!

Interesting facts (at least to me):
Snow-white Trumpeter Swans present a truly spectacular sight. With a wingspan of more than 7 feet and a height of about 4 feet, the Trumpeter Swan ranks as the largest native waterfowl species in North America. Most Trumpeter Swans weigh 21–30 pounds, although some males exceed the average weight. The male is called a cob; the female is called a pen; and a swan in its first year is called a cygnet or juvenile.

Trumpeter Swans may form pair bonds as early as their second winter. A far greater number of Trumpeters, however, first nest when they are 3–6 years old. Trumpeter Swans mate for life and may live for 20 years or more. If one member of a pair dies, the survivor finds another mate. Swans usually form pair bonds on the wintering grounds and engage in courtship behavior—bobbing their heads and quivering their wings as they face each other.

It’s a special treat to see swan mates “displaying”, gracefully touching bill-to-bill and breast-to-breast until a perfect heart shape is formed, or gently intertwining their necks.
Only one more post on swans...I promise!

Noise, cygnets and a Iowan...

I wish I had a sound byte of how loud the swans & geese were. You'll notice in many of the photos the mouths are open...lots of noise.
There were many youngsters in the bevy (I just love using that word). Are they still called cygnets (baby swans) at this stage? Here a bunch of them seem to be cheering on a dispute amongst the adults.
Here is what the brochure says about the cygnets..."When hatched, a Cygnet (baby Swan) may gain 20% of their body weight on a daily basis and are fully feathered by 7 to 8 weeks, yet unable to fly until 15 weeks. Daily practice of flight begins in mid-September, and they remain with their parents throughout winter. The young are chased away by the parents following their first winter, although they stay with their siblings for up to two years, followed by choosing a mate. This is where Monticello plays a key role as the ‘singles meeting place’ for the swans. The winter meeting grounds on the Mississippi in Monticello plays a key role in the formation of new pairs. Minnesota swans are tagged on the wing. Left wing tag indicates female, right wing tag is male. Iowa swans have neck collars."
I like this photo because the little group at the top of the photo seems to be having a "family meeting".
Looks like there were a few Iowans in the group...
Tomorrow...courtship at the "singles meeting place"...

Swan Landings....

Some of the swans were at the little park when I arrived but most of them flew in over the course of the morning. The swans are huge birds and even in a crowded river they had such graceful landings. The aerodynamics were just like an airplane...first it was wingtips & landing gear down...


then a hard braking with the feet flat & forward...


and the canadian geese follow the same procedure though did not seem near as graceful :-)
Wish you could have been there!

a paddling, a gaggle and a bevy...

Jeff & I were disagreeing over whether a bunch of geese were a flock or a gaggle and what then would you call 1200 trumpeter swans?So I looked it up and this is what I found...
Ducks - A paddling of ducks, a raft of ducks, a team of ducks, a dopping of ducks
Geese - A gaggle of geese, a skein of geese
Swans - A ballet of swans, a bevy of swans, a herd of swans, a whiteness of swans
Today, I had a wonderful morning seeing a bevy of trumpeter swans along the Mississippi River in Monticello, MN. There was a gaggle of geese and a whole raft of ducks too!

I had been hearing about the Monticello swans for the past couple of winters and came close to seeing them last week when we drove through but didn't know exactly where to find them. When I got home and checked this Monticello Chamber website, I knew I had to go back the next time I was in the area. Today, Jeff was attending a class in St. Cloud so I drove over and had a great (but freezing) morning watching them. It was a very cloudy and gray day so not exactly great for taking pictures but I managed to take enough that I'll be posting swans for a week (unless you beg me to quit!).
This area of the river does not freeze over because of the nearby power plant and Sheila, the swan lady feeds up to 1200 lbs of cracked corn a day attracting all the swans to one spot. I have shots of fly bys, landings, take offs, courtship dances and squabbles....stay tuned for the next installment.

It's cold out there...

This morning, I went to my friend Sharon's and I took along the camera because there are ALWAYS pheasants in the wildlife area along the road to her home. Wouldn't you know it was only 3 degrees out and windy so all the pheasants were off hiding somewhere else. Back home this afternoon I happened to look out the window and there were 2 roosters and 3 hens in my own backyard.
Looks like I need to wash the windows again :-)

Hey, I was busy...

I've been taking some teasing lately on not updating my blog as frequently...but hey, I was busy.

The essential question is not, "How busy are you?" but "What are you busy at?" (Oprah Winfrey)
So lets see...there was work...a roadtrip with Jeff to Cabela's in Rogers...more work...running errands (where it is very hard to walk past any seed displays...so I started my 2008 collection)...
there was time for tea and recipe browsing because there's something about winter in MN makes you want to try all kinds of new recipes...
and big family gatherings that remind you once again what really matters in the "garden of life"!

I'll try to update more frequently this week :-)

Rockin' Robins...

I spent some time copying photos off the computer today...enjoy.

He rocks in the treetops all the day long
Hoppin and a-boppin and a-singing this song
Every little bird, every little bee
Loves to hear the robin go tweet-tweet-tweet

Rockin robin, tweet, twiddley dee
Rockin robin, tweet, twiddley dee
Yeah go rockin robin, really gonna rock tonightEvery little swallow, every chick-a-dee
Every little bird in the old oak tree
Wise old owl, big black crow
Put out their wings singing go bird go

Rockin robin, tweet, twiddley dee
Rockin robin, tweet, twiddley dee
Yeah go rockin robin, really gonna rock tonight
The chief bird standing at the birdbath stand
Taught him how to do the bop and it was grand
Start goin steady and bless my soul,
He out-bopped the buzzard and the oriole
He rocks in the treetops all the day long
Hoppin and a-boppin and a-singing this song
Every little bird, every little bee
Loves to hear the robin go tweet-tweet-tweet

Rockin robin, tweet, twiddley dee
Rockin robin, tweet, twiddley dee
Yeah go rockin robin, really gonna rock tonight
(Hollies lyrics)

January roses...

Anything can happen when your heart whispers, “I believe. . .”
It's January and the garden is cold and snow covered but if you look hard enough you can find a rose...

Compliments of the new macro lens...the tip of a Colorado Spruce branch.

always, always, always...

On Sunday, I told you about the gratitude list of 3...actually Jayme & I started this around Thanksgiving so for Christmas she made me this photo frame with the words...There is always, always, always something to be grateful for. Isn't she creative with the 3 always...
Our family is attending a second funeral in as many weeks and amidst all the sadness are moments of joy. There is joy in looking at old photos...joy in shared memories...and joy in having a big family to support each other.

Sunday, the family was together for the day and when we got in the car to go home, Jeff found a small package for me. Inside, there was a note from my sister-in-law with a hummingbird ornament for the bird tree.

Today, I am grateful for Keri...