With the end of August ringing in... it means my favorite time of summer has arrived. Harvest is here! The last Sunday of my August was spent helping the family doing one of the best things one can do after all the hard work of the summer. It was an amazing Sunday filled with good weather, and no major issues. It was the perfect evening since as the machinery was running good, and the sun was setting. It made for some of the most beautiful harvest pictures. One's that I can say looking at really give an all round feeling to the amazing time of year harvest really is. The color of the sunset really brought some amazing finishing touches to these photos. The blazing pinks, and soft oranges, made me think of some ocean/tropical scene with our "sea" of gold. Sure harvest is a time that can drive those driving all the machinery, and trucks, a little crazy. The long days, and the all the little things that can go wrong. But at the end of it all it is a great relief to have the crop off and safe in bins. It is a relief to see what the spring, and summer, work has produced. That is what I believe these pictures show, and I hope you see that in them too. I hope you enjoy this peek into the beauty of what farming, and farm life, really is.
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I have learnt a new thing this evening, and it is that kitten's LOVE camera's! My beautiful kitty cat had herself a set of five kittens. Long story short our house is currently overrun with kittens galore. They are adorable, and little bundles of trouble. But the thing I didn't expect, was there love for the camera. These little guys as soon as I pull out my camera come running for it. So since these little bundles of joy are such fans of the camera I thought I would share the pictures. Hope you enjoy them, and that they bring you much cuteness on your computer screen! The garden is alive with the buzzing sounds of bees that are pollinating the flowers. It is a beautiful thing to see the thing you planned, planted, worked, and hoped would turn out is coming together as planned. The garden looks better than I could have imagined, and I am itching to take off the harvest. I can't wait to begin to freeze, and can all the goodies that will come off of this garden. Planting a garden can really help a person get in tune with the seasons. In the Spring you plant, Summer you watch the blooms, and in August you see the fruit form. Since the garden, unlike watching nature, is something your own hands have toiled on, and brain has spent time planning, I feel one has a more connected feeling to those special moments as the garden matures. I plant, water, and weed just so I can enjoy those quite evenings in my garden amongst the product of what hard work can get a person. One can't beat August fun with the garden! The beauty of summer sunsets & the golden hour before is amazing. The golden hour of light before the sun sets is an amazing time when the world is washed with a beautiful golden glow. A golden glow that makes you really take a step back and realize how warm, inviting, and valuable everything in this world really is. It really helps you stop and take notice of all the beautiful flowers that are still in bloom, and welcoming in the fall season. When down by the water one can really notice how the water helps to reflect the golden light, and make the world on the water’s edge really sparkle. It can even make the cattails look like an amazing plant! On this lovely evening walk in August though I got to watch a spectacular show unfold. When I came upon the lake it was supper time for the frogs. It was quite the display that they put on for me. It really made me stop for a while and watch! After I took in the show, the sun began setting lower in the sky and I knew it was time to be getting home. But as always, I couldn't leave home without first trying something new. I decided to play with some long shutter speeds, and my zoom. It made for some very interesting pictures. But, at the end of it all when the light was last sprinkling the landscape I caught my sunset pictures for the night, and was amazed by the soft hues that decorated the landscape. August sunsets always have something special in them, and always give a treat to those who choose to walk during them. How does one in the country spend their relaxing August Sunday? Chasing frogs of course! I had a lot of fun at the farm chasing frogs on a bright August day. The little guys are all over the yard now, and it is a lot of fun to watch them boggy from one place to the next. Along with chasing frogs one has to check the crop to see how many days yet before swathing begins, and harvest jumps into full swing. Things around the farm are looking great in the crops, and the berries are falling off the trees. There are more berries than we know what to do with. Another great thing to do on a relaxing August Sunday on the farm.... check on the summer kitten & take a walk with the good lady girl farm dog. Relaxing August Sundays are short lived, but always full of great things in one of my favorite places on earth! I hope you enjoy your August Sunday as I did mine, for they are few but amazing all the same. In August one of the biggest annual meteor showers occurs, the Perseid meteor shower. It is quite the event to take in, and for the last two years I have had the pleasure of watching it. You will see many, many falling stars so have all your wishes ready! This year I got to experience the meteor shower while spending time down by Katpewa Lake. It worked out wonderfully that I had family event there that coincided with the event. Being in the West end of the beautiful Qu'Appelle Valley was definitely a great place to take in the shower. I got my first looks at this year from the golf course area, and then I moved to the top of the valley. At the top of the valley I was rewarded with some very moody fog. All in all it was a great experience trying to capture these stars, and this was the first time I really tried night sky photography. I am pretty pleased with how it all turned out. Probably wasn't the best idea to first try it out during the meteor shower, but oh well! I hope you enjoy the few pictures I got from the night. Sometimes life gives you a very clear sign! Well life gave me this a few nights back. It told me to stop and take a look around because my favorite month had arrived, and like all things will be done too early. The beautiful sunset I seen that night was testament to that. My favorite month is August. It is a month of change. It is a month that welcomes in a new season. For most it is a sad month for it means the coming of school. But for me it means the coming of my favorite "season".... harvest. August is the month where you get watch the crops transition into their next stage, and bales can be found in fields. Though it may signal the ending of summer coming there is a whole new buzz in the air. You can feel it wherever you go. Everyone is prepping for the excitement that comes with bringing in crop of the year. August is the month of change. I love change. This blog shall be short and sweet as I leave you with some pictures of both the too short sunset, and the fruits of my labour that I hope to be harvesting soon, my garden. The next couple days of holiday were spent taking in Gimli, and the Icelandic Festival. It was an interesting, and informative time to say the least! Lake Winnipeg never disappointed us with a view, and life in the Yurt was pretty sweet. It is something I could see myself spending a lot of time in future for sure. They are a really neat, and very comfortable to stay in! It was so nice to be so close to the water and nature in general. We were delighted to be visited by many neat and cute visitors during our stay in the Yurt. The town Gimli itself is an amazing little beach town, and has more the feel of a maritime or west coast feel than the middle of Manitoba. The buildings, and streets, show the strong Icelandic influence from the flags on the streets to the Viking Statue at the Harbour. You can definitely get a full dose of Gimli's fishing heritage at the tourism centre. We took in all the festivities that the Icelandic festival had to offer. We went through the vendors, seen the beach & harbour activities, and of course had to take in the Viking village. It was the amazing village of people who as a hobby re-create what it was like to live like a Viking. It is some rustic camping at its finest! The village was amazing, and had tons to teach people that went through. At night the festival delighted us with the most amazing fireworks show! It was a great time to take in the show on the beach. The festival also had a parade that one just has to see in person (which is why I put not pictures because it is just so amazing no picture could do it justice). All in all the festival was for sure worth the drive, and I look foreword to going back. I am planning on next year since it will be the festivals 125th anniversary and I am sure the show will be just as great as it was this year! So for the August long weekend my mother planned an epic family trip. We were heading to Gimli & Winnipeg, Manitoba. We were to spend the weekend exploring a few places, and seeing the sights around Gimli. The trip started out after my night at the Yorkton Rough Stock Rodeo. Then it was up bright and early and on the road to Gimli, Manitoba. On the way we seen a few interesting sights, including Riding Mountain Park [which was more a mountain than I remembered], and Lake Manitboa. Exploring the Parks Route, and the Northern Woods & Lakes route was amazing. Coming into the Interlake Lake, Inland Oceans was amazing, and a complete hidden gem. I enjoyed every minute driving through. Our first stop in Winnipeg was at the Aviation museum. It is definitely a stop that one should make while visiting the great city. It is in a quiet little place off in its own corner of the Winnipeg airport. Definitely worth the stop because there is so much Canadian Aviation history that is not known about. It is absolutely amazing what can be found in the Aviation Museum. Everything from different planes, how they work, to a very special collection of postal envelopes that include on signed by Orville Wright. Canada also has in its interesting aviation history a flying canoe! Then it was back to Gimli to explore the harbour after our time in Winnipeg. The harbour looked amazing, especially since there was a magical rainbow to greet us. The boats were all amazing, and there was even a coast guard there! Apparently, Lake Winnipeg is big enough to warrant the use of one. It was crazy to see the harbour, and all it had to offer. Not something you really expect to see in the middle of the prairies. But definitely worth the stop! The next day it was off to the Royal Canadian Mint & Winnipeg Art Gallery. Both were amazing time, and definitely worth the stop. The mint was a lot cheaper than what I thought it would be, and the tour guides were amazing. It was so cool to learn all the finer points about how our money is made. The Winnipeg Art Gallery was also amazing with its exhibition of 100 Masters in Canada Only. It was amazing to see these pieces, and truly inspiring. I loved the gallery. Then our last stop was a stop on the windiest corner in Canada. All in all, another great day in Winnipeg. Then after getting back to the campsite it was off to exploring around the Yurt. We were at Camp Morton, and it was an amazing old bible camp. So rich in history, and the lakeside views were also gorgeous. I enjoyed every moment I spent exploring that evening. |
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