Hawk Nest

This past winter every time I traveled on County Road K toward Trego, I noticed a large nest on a telephone pole. I always assumed it was an eagles next. A few weeks ago I noticed another nest being built right next to the first one. It was then I realized that this was a nest of a hawk. When ever I stopped to take pictures the hawk would stay at the nest until I got too close. then it would fly to another pole and then eventually back to the nest pole. It will be interesting to see if they actually will lay eggs and then watch them hatch. Anyone want to do a "Hawk Cam"? Like the eagle they are so majestic when they fly and seemingly a very smart bird. God gave them instincts for hunting, building nests and taking care of the family.

Early Spring Flowers

Spring has always been one of my favorite seasons of the year. the snow is finally gone and the wild flowers are starting to show up. Tonight I was down at lake not too far from here called Dilly Lake. The woods was right next to the boat landing and at the edge of the woods these white flowers were growing. I practically had to get down at eye level to take the pictures, but I think it was worth it. If any body knows the name of these flowers I would greatly appreciate it. The blue flowers were down the road a little. It won't be long and the trillium will be popping up along with other flowers. If you know of a place that is a good area for wild flowers please let me know. If it isn't too far, I will look it up and take some pictures. All I know is that God is a great artist and makes our world interesting to look at.

Enjoy the flowers and let me know what you think.

Crex Meadows

Yesterday was quite a busy day and yet somewhat of a day off. In the morning Linda and I went to Chetek to talk with the company that is doing our camp t-shirts this year. The lady that owns the place is a wonderful Christian lady and they do a great job with the shirts. After we got home that afternoon, I decided to take a trip to Crex Meadows, an wildlife refuge, near Grantsburg, Wisconsin. This is probably the 4th or 5th time I have been there. This time of year the sandhill cranes are coming back and the lakes are full of different kids of ducks, along with other animals that are fun to see. It is a about 45 miles from our home, so with the cost of gas, I don't go very often and it takes me around 3 hours to go through the refuge. As I was driving along, enjoying the scenery and taking pictures of what I could, I couldn't help of thinking of how great our God is in making all these amazing animals. The cranes are always interesting to watch. They are not only a little funny looking, but very graceful when they fly. Who would think that such a big bird would be so graceful and then to realize that their migration schedule is the same every year. God has given them a very accurate time table and sense of direction - all without a calendar or a GPS.
Enjoy the pictures and leave a comment about what you think of the photos or maybe you simply want to glorify God's great Creation.

A Walk in the Woods

Today was simply a beautiful day with temps around 40 degrees. About 3 miles form here is a place that you can park your car and take a walk through the woods. The trail follows the Trego Flowage and is easy to walk. The advantages of walking in the woods this time of year, are #1 - NO TICKS or Mosquitoes; #2 The tress are bare so you can see more of the scenery; #3 40 degrees is perfect for walking. There is still plenty of snow on the ground, but the trail is very easy to walk on. I didn't see very many animals, except these squirrels who were enjoying themselves. (I can't upload a couple of the pictures I took, because lets just say it is spring and the squirrels had a smile on their faces. This is a family friendly blog page.)
All I know is that walking in the woods is a perfect time to talk with my Lord and share my heart with Him. Just me and God and a few squirrels. So if you get the chance, head for the woods and spend some time with the Creator. Enjoy all He has blessed us with here in the North Woods.

I'll Fly Away!!!

Tonight we had a camera club in Spooner. Before the club I took a trip out to the experimental farm east of town. In the fields there must have been well over 100 geese walking and honking. I took 70 - 80 pictures of them on the ground and taking off. All I know is that I had to shoot fast and ask questions later. Not all the pictures were usable, but several were. Here are a few that I adjusted and decided to save. The song "I'll Fly Away" comes to mind when I look at these majestic (and messy) birds.

March Birds

Yesterday I was driving west on Highway E when I noticed a tom turkey in the field. I drove a little ways and then turned back to see if he was still there - he was. This year I have seen all kinds of hens but this is one of the first tom's I saw. I was able to take a few pictures of him before he darted out into the road. You can see by the picture that he almost did not make it. Fortunately the truck stopped just short of hitting him. Seeing it is almost spring, I also assume that it is mating season. maybe that is why he is so confused.
Later that night I saw some geese in the same field. They were not so easy to take pictures of. I had to walk into the field, wade through snow and mud to get near enough to shoot. This must be mating season for them as well. No matter how much noise I made or how close I got they just walked around honking at each other ignoring me. The honking worked because it wasn't long before a few other geese flew in to join the party.
Whether it is geese or turkeys, God instills a timing system (and mating urges) that is totally amazing.
A side note: The other day we had a grave side service for a dear lady in the Twin Cities. I read from 1 Thessalonians 4 where it talks about Jesus coming back and that when He does the Trumpet of the Lord will sound. In the background were a few geese that just "happened to" blow their trumpets as I was talking. It wasn't the Trumpet of the Lord, but it was amazing timing and a good relief in a time of sorrow.

The Negative Side of Photography

Tonight I was playing around with a few pictures I took of the swamp in Earl. In the original color they are quite beautiful in themselves. Then when they are changed to Black and white or even made into a negative the whole image changes. Sometimes it even seems fairly bizarre or weird. let me know if you like the negative and Black and white photos or are they over the edge? I am glad that we don't normally see things in Black and White. Praise God for letting us see in color.