Swans on Ice

Posted on by Fred D

What a difference a day makes!  . . . freeze-up happened sooner than expected for our local Trumpeter Swan family. The few remaining open patches of water these big birds require for their running take-off is quickly becoming solid-state, and Mom is ‘honking-out’ Dad for not booking an earlier flight south for their cygnets and them 😊


Not to worry. I spoke with a neighbor today who is an avian expert and shares my concern for our Trumpeters’ plight. He is in contact with Bird Rescue authorities who will be able to institute SAD (Swan Assisted Departure) if necessary . . . stay tuned 😊

Where’s the ice skates?

“Love to Live, Live to Love” – Amy Carmichael    
                                                                 
Keep Looking Up . . . His best is yet to come!

Color and Emotion

Posted on by Fred D

Color holds power to impact our moods, emotions, and behaviors. It’s documented color influences 85% of shoppers’ purchase decisions.

What are your favorite colors? What emotions do they evoke? . . . red’s passion? – blue’s calm? – yellow’s happiness? – orange’s warmth? – black’s power – white’s purity? Generalities? . . . yes, but our color preferences and the emotions they arouse are as unique as each of us  Personally, I’d prefer to drive a red Lamborghini, but price and potential traffic citations temper my emotions, and I drive an off-green Subaru 😊

Remove red’s blaze from an ocean sunset; blue’s calm from an alpine lake; yellow’s brightness from a sunflower’s petals; orange’s glow from a mountain sunrise; black’s background from the midnight sky; white’s brilliance from a snow-capped peak . . . Unthinkable!

Today God brushed creation with animate and inanimate wonders of white to evoke a rainbow of peace in my soul.

“Who is like you among the gods, O Lord -glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders?”

Romans 2:24


Keep Looking Up . . . His best is yet to come!

First Flight
Majesty
Relaxing Together

Soul Contentment

Posted on by Fred D

Soul contentment is hiking above snowline to witness the day fade into a golden horizon . . . and then hustling off the mountain before zero-dark thirty sets in and your spouse calls Search & Rescue 😊

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftmanship”.

Psalm 19:1

I M Blessed . . . May U B 2
            
Keep Looking Up . . . His best is yet to come!

Rebirth

Posted on by Fred D

Temps reached into the 40s as Mother Nature granted a brief reprieve from winter’s arrival. Snow melt transformed to translucent droplets exhuming a colorful re-birth of leaves carpeting the forest floor . . . reminiscent  of the tears Jesus shed to offer all who claim Him as their own a glorious, forever rebirth.

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” –  1 Corinthians 15:55

Trumpeter Swan Update

Posted on by Fred D

Little orphan cygnet Bigfoot evidently is a prodigy who earned their solo flight certification early. He/she took off alone for points south yesterday . . . Hooray!


Mother Nature has granted our Trumpeter family a Flight School extension. The temps have warmed into the 40s and melted much of the ice that had began to form on the lake. The larger of our two local cygnets was able to get airborne for a short distance with their parents yesterday before splashing back down in somewhat less than graceful fashion. The smaller cygnet was unable to achieve lift-off and  paddled madly behind across the lake squawking “Wait Up! Wait Up!” 😊. Here’s a few pics of our ‘Trumps’.

I M Blessed . . . May U B 2

Trumpeter Swan Family
Cruising Fish Lake
Mom and Cygnets
Mom Dropped Something
All Grown Up
Dad Snoozing
Regal Beauty

Swans and Orphans

Posted on by Fred D

Trumpeter Swan Flight School finally commenced on Fish Lake today with the cygnets observing their parents demonstrate Avionics 101.

A lone Trumpeter Swan cygnet, slightly larger than our two resident cygnets, mysteriously appeared on the lake. I can only surmise this little orphan was somehow left behind by its parents I never saw. The little dude/dudette ??? attempted to join our two local cygnets but was fiercely honked away by their territorial Trumpeter parents.

In past years small flocks of swans have landed on the lake for a short layover before resuming their flight south. Hopefully this little Trumpeter I’ve affectionately nicknamed Bigfoot will  be able to resume its journey south before freeze-up.
         
Keep Looking Up . . . His best is yet to come!

Pre-flight Warmup
Airborne
Landing
Talking with Mom
Papa ‘Trump’
Trumpeter Swan Cygnets
Cygnet on Ice
Icy Waters
Orphaned ‘Bigfoot’

Leaf Speak

Posted on by Fred D

Winter’s approach has stripped the forest whose fallen leaves display beauty in cryonic death, and silently speak endurance to the ‘naked’ wilderness.

“In every change, in every falling leaf there is some pain, some beauty.” – Amit Ray

Freeze Frame
Last Leaf

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Keep Looking Up . . . His best is yet to come!

Dawn’s Splendor

Posted on by Fred D

Creation’s awakening at dawn spurs a grateful rebirth of joy in my soul. Here’s a few glimpses of dawn’s wonder that was mine to behold this morning.

“The whole earth is filled with the awe of your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy”.

Psalm 65:8

I M Blessed . . . May U B 2

Chugach Range Dawn
Dawn Angel
Dawn Cathedrals
Dawn Greeters
Dawn Spawners