Gull River Pictures

Last week we went to Minden, Ontario to look at the flooding there. While we were in the area, we went to the Gull River where the rapids are. The water was quite high as you can see in the two pictures below. You can usually walk beside the river and sit on the bench.

I didn't have my tripod with me, but I thought I would try taking some pictures with a slower shutter speed. I leaned against a tree whenever I could to try to keep the camera shake down. I need to start keeping a tripod in the trunk in case we stop for pictures. 

Water can look so different, depending on how you set your shutter speed.

Fast shutter speed

Slow shutter speed

Fast shutter speed

Slow shutter speed

 It's interesting when you think of water. It can be enjoyable to look at and listen to, and can provide all kinds of fun. But when water is out of control as it has been in our area, there can be a lot of destruction.

 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 

Now the earth was formless and empty, 

darkness was over the surface of the deep, 

and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

Genesis 1:1,2

Pansies - sure sign of spring

I had prepared this post before we had the flooding:

Our spring has been pretty late coming this year. We were down to Scarborough last week, and they are much farther along than we are. Our daughter was busy planting pansies and an apple tree, so I thought I'd take some pictures of the pansies with my 50 mm. I'm still working on depth of field issues with this lens. Much practice needed.

I took the pictures to remind me that my garden, which is still under a foot of snow, will soon be blooming too. My front garden gets piled with snow - we have mostly bare ground now. I really like the boots she has them planted in.

The flowers of pansies can be added to a salad, or used to decorate a plate or cake. It is recommended to not eat ones that have been purchased from stores because they were probably sprayed with chemicals. However, once the plant is mature (i.e. gone through a full season), it is likely okay to eat the flowers.

Pansies are quite tough, and enjoy the cooler weather. They are a bright "pick me up" in the spring, and add colour to dead looking gardens.

Sometimes we bloom better in cooler weather too. As we go through life, things are not always warm and fuzzy, but often we go through difficult times. There is a saying, "when the going gets tough, the tough get going". I prefer to think that when the going gets tough, it's best to turn to God. He is the One who can help each of us through difficult times.

Jesus said: I will never leave you, nor forsake you.

Ice and Flooding

In the last couple of days, we've had a lot of flooding in our area. We live on Green Lake, and our boathouse has been destroyed. Several of my friends have asked to see pictures so I thought I would put them up on my blog as a special post.

The first pictures are of our boathouse. It is across the road from our house and is on the beach. The lake level is very high, and the ice came across the lake (about 6 inches or more thick) and pushed the boathouse around and over on its side. It cannot be repaired. We cannot build there again either, as municipal bylaws do not allow building on the lakeside. 

We have an old boat that sits on the beach. Today we were able to turn it over, and break enough ice to get over to the boat house and rescue our canoe and kayak. My husband climbed into the boathouse from the other side, was able to get his chest waders and then was able to retrieve some things from inside. We still have lots to do.

Some of our neighbours have had a more difficult time. Friends of ours have their basement flooded which means their furnace has been flooded. They have no heat or water. The truck in the picture had a dead battery and flat tire. They were able to get the truck out.

Cottagers on the lake side are flooded. The people who own the cottage in the next picture have just remodeled and bought new furniture. They haven't come up to the cottage because there isn't anything they can do at this point. It won't be very nice for them to have to look after it.

We are unable to get out our road towards County Road 7 due to the flooding. This is what the next pictures are about.

In the other direction, the water is right up to the bottom of the bridge. Usually you can go under this bridge with a canoe very comfortably.

 There are many people who are experiencing more difficult trials with the flooding. We are very fortunate that our area isn't worse. We are thankful that it is just "stuff" that has been damaged and lost. These are temporal things. It's been very interesting to get to know our neighbours more, and there have been many people offering to help. We've had some good visits.

God is still good. He continues to watch over us and love us. We can turn all of this over to Him.

 Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.

1 Peter 5:7

Candlelight

I was taking some pictures this winter of some children blowing out candles. This was challenging, as I was hand-holding my camera and using my new 50 mm lens ... and children don't always stay very still. I've chosen my best ones to remind me how I did them.

I shot the pictures in manual: f2.8, 1/15 shutter, and ISO 800. I still could have gone higher on my ISO so that I could have a faster shutter speed, which I would probably do the next time.

In the meantime, I enjoyed taking these photos.

I like the way the next one is lit. This is probably because I was closer to him, and he was facing me. He also stayed very still for me, which helped.

At the same time, I'm preparing to speak at a Ladies' Bible Fellowship Group, and I wanted a picture of a Bible with candles for the powerpoint I'm working on. So I tried taking a couple of pictures with candles and a Bible. It took me awhile to get the right setting for it, but I was happy when I finished. I also used my tripod, and a remote trigger so that I could get a sharper picture. 

f2.2, 1/20, ISO 800

Milkweed Pods and Seeds

We still have some snow, and have been able to continue walking in the bush behind our place. When we were out for a walk, I was interested in seeing the milkweed pods and seeds that were up in the field. The white snow made a great background for them, and I wanted to try out my new 50 mm with it. It's still challenging to get a small depth of field, and keep enough in focus.

 I think this is when I like the milkweed the most, even though when you see them in the field, they look dead and a bit ugly. It isn't until you are up close that you see the details. I like the long, silky hair at the end of the seeds and the way it contrasts with the darker seeds.

Milkweed is the only food source for the monarch caterpillars. Many Native remedies used milkweed and the seed pods have also been collected to stuff pillows and jackets. It is considered a harmful weed because it grows so quickly, but I still find it fascinating, especially at this time of year.

Plants do not lose their usefulness when they get older, but produce their seeds so others can grow. As we get older, we don't need to lose our usefulness either. God still wants us to serve Him (if we know Him, and are one of His). We can love others and teach and encourage them to know Christ, to love Him, and to serve Him. 

Let them praise the name of the Lord, 

for His name alone is exalted; 

His majesty is above earth and heaven.

Psalm 148:13

Using Photos on Bookmarks

Have you ever taken a photo and wondered what other things you could do with it? I experimented with some photos to see if I could use them on some bookmarks. The bookmarks may be used if I go into more family photography.

This first photo was taken of two girls sitting in the snow watching other children. You don't see their faces, but it still tells a story, and you might be wondering what they are watching or doing.

I took this photo and played with the crop tool. I set the crop tool to 6x2 inches, and selected the crop from the picture. You have to show the crop handles, and then extend it using the handles on the crop. Then you can add other items to the bookmark.

 I like this next photo. It shows one of the girls looking back, and you can see that they are both eating apples, probably the only reason they are sitting so still.

I took this photo and did the same thing with the crop tool to make a 6x2 inch bookmark. I also used the gradient tool to blend the edge of the photo on to the bookmark. This makes it look neater.

So ... I'm not sure where I'm going with this, but thought it would be good to put my experiments on my blog. Maybe it will help me make up my mind as I look to what I am doing next.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, 

and lean not unto your own understanding; 

in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5,6