rose of Sharon

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Sunsets....

This sequence of the sun setting was on August 7 between 8:25 pm and 8:47 pm.

There are a lot more shots in between these ones but thought I'd show you just how beautiful it was that evening. I used the zoom on some of them and various settings to get various effects. As you can see, I enhanced a few of them a slight bit to bring out some of the hues but on the whole, they are pretty much untouched.

Perhaps tomorrow night we too, will enjoy a sunset once again....although the rain was beautiful.

As the guest pastor, Jake, said this morning, it is good that we receive good gifts like sunsets from our God but he is not a God who only wants to hear our thanks and requests....he wants our total beings to be immersed in his, where relationship can happen. He and I. You and He.

THAT'S what he wants.

May He watch over you this night. May he provide you with all of your needs and may all of us begin to recognize the immeasurable love and grace that He has for us.....as we see in this sunset.:)

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Pelicans...

Coming straight for me...before I could focus my Olympus

Pelican was too close to focus (and for comfort!!!)

The Scout

Pretty impressive span.

"INCOMING.........heads down!!!"

Pelican Ballet

They just kept coming....... (same pic as last post!!)

I know the top picture is very blury and the second picture doesn't show anything....but see that orange thing on the top right-hand side (2nd pic)??? I was trying to get into the inlet (bottom picture) to see how many of the birds would be coming out of there. As I walked in, there were two still left in and were pretty afraid. They needed some air space for take off and I happened to be in the way. They flew right at me. I tried desperately to focus the camera as they approached, but alas, I had to flatten to the soggy ground.

I don't think I've ever seen that many pelicans in one spot. Many of them nest on Lavalee Lake on the northern portion of P.A. National Park. This rookery obviously nested around the Narrows at Waskesiu. They swim in a line or semi-circle and head for shore, beating their wings to "herd" the fish into a smaller area.....then.....SCOOP!!! Quite the fisherbirds.

I know I have expounded on their beauty many times here before but you know, they're worth talking about. When husband and I went fishing one day at the Heart Lakes, we found quite a few dead fish floating on the water. Not sure what that was about but gulls were there trying to cash in on this find. As soon as a gull would start in on one, a pelican would come swooping down, chasing away the gull and gulping down his fish. One gull wasn't going to have that happen to him, so as soon as he saw a pelican approach, he grabbed that fish by the head and somehow managed to swallow that whole fish himself!!! We thought he was going to choke to death. Total guts and determination!!!!

Have a "good night........sleep tight.....mind the bugs don't bite!"