Spring Flowers

There is something about springtime that puts a "spring" in your step. When I travel around taking pictures, I love looking for signs of new life, especially spring flowers. Right now the daffodils and tulips are starting to bloom along with several other ground flowers and the fruit trees are producing beautiful blossoms. It won't be long that we will start seeing trillium in the woods, first a few than by the thousands. The past 2 weeks I have been speaking about Psalms 19 at church, which starts out with "The heavens declare the glory of God..." Part of God's glory is also seen in the world of nature around us, including all these beautiful flowers. Only a mighty God could create such a glorious thing as a delicate flower.

New Photo Ministry idea

For the past year and a half, I have contemplated the idea of starting a photo ministry where I can teach not only photography, but also teach a few Biblical truths at the same time. I considered several different methods of teaching and finally realized that a hands on training is the most effective. The name of the ministry will be PhotoGenesis, as we will be teaching about Photography and Creation. The ministry simply is taking students on photo shoots right here in N.W. Wisconsin to take pictures of wildlife, area scenes, animals, flowers, buildings and whatever is available. Along with learning how to use their camera they will also learn the many faces of composition. Here are the basic details:

   Who is this for? Any one from 9 - 90 years old who enjoys photography or would like to learn more about taking photos.
   How many can go at one time? From one person to a small group. (For small groups we will need chaperones and helpers.)
   When? When ever it fits into your schedule and mine. Photo Shoots can be a couple of hours or a whole day. 
   Costs? I don't charge for my services, but their may be costs for food and gas.

 
   If interested please contact me:
   Frank Distad  - Trego, Wi.
   Fdistad@Gmail.com
   715-635-9426  or 715-939-0601
   (A ministry of InFaith)

(If you have any suggestions or comments about this new ministry, PLEASE send me a note and let me know what you think. I am looking for creative help with this photography teaching tool. If you know how I can better promote this and get the word out, that would be greatly appreciated. There are still a few wrinkles to iron out and I can use all the help I can get. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!)

Ducks and Tulips

This has been a very strange week. The first part of the week we had snow and now the last few days have been more spring should be. Monday, after we had the snow I decided to see if there were any flowers peeking through the snow. Esther, in Trego, always has a beautiful garden of flowers, so I decided to check out her flower bed. Sure enough the tulips were up and covered with snow. The red tulips and the white snow make a great contrast in color. People complain about snow in April, but God sure knows how to beautify things up.

   Then Tuesday I was looking for things to shoot and I ended up at Trego bridge by Canfields campground. As I was walking toward the bridge I saw these 2 ducks in the lake. I thought for sure that by the time I got near and got my camera ready they would take off. They just sat there in the water swimming around for quite a few minutes before they were spooked. I found out by looking online that they were the "Common Merganser". They sure are beautiful ducks. Now my only question is which one is the male and which one is the female?

Wisconsin Point Visited again

Yesterday, I had the privilege of giving the message at my Aunt Lil's funeral in Moose Lake, Mn. It was strange seeing some of my cousins that I have not seen in many years. The funeral went well, as it was a time of remembering my aunt and the stories of times past. Aunt Lil was known for knowing the family history better than anyone else in the family. She could remember things that happened 50 years ago, so we knew who to go to if we wanted to know about the early years. She also had humorous stories about all of us and would tell us those stories every time we talked with her. She will be dearly missed.

    After the funeral, I decided to take the long way home and travel to Superior and take pictures at Wisconsin Point. I have taken many pictures of this lighthouse, and yet each time I come away shooting it from a different angle or in a different type of weather. The one photo looks like a stick is holding up the lighthouse. Yesterday was actually a beautiful clear day and yet cold and windy. On the west side of the lake, I shot these pictures of an old tree that was mostly in the water. I think it is amazing how an old tree can be so beautiful in the right setting.

Happy Dance of Spring

This time of year it is always fascinating watching how the animals react to spring. Today I saw a turkey spreading its feathers in full plume trying to attract it's mate. If it wasn't for the sun shining in the background, I would have gotten a picture of it. Yesterday I spent part of the day at Crex Meadows. I was able to take a few pictures of ducks and geese, but didn't see any Sand Hill Cranes until I was near the end of the tour. There in the distance I saw 50 to 60 cranes entertaining one another. They were doing what I call, "The Happy Dance" for quite awhile and putting on quite the show. So, is it the male or the female that does the "Happy Dance"? Of course the show was not for me, but it was their way of strutting their stuff in order to attract a mate. As humans we think this is quite humorous, but the truth is we are just as much a show off for the opposite sex. God gave these cranes and turkeys a unique method of communicating with one another.
   As a point of interest, notice how the swan's neck and reflection form a heart, if you look at it sideways.