The Ever-Changing Sky

We were driving home late this afternoon following our family event in the Niagara area, and I couldn't help but notice the ever-changing sky as we travelled. It truly looked again like the brushstrokes of an Artist presenting a slide show for the world to see. I captured a few photos through the car window but they don't do justice to the beauty of the sky. I also thought about my daughter K, who is on the other side of the world in India. She looks up at the same sky and shares the same sun and moon as we do. From a young girl on, she has always loved looking up at the stars and knows all the constellations by name.
These photos are for you, sweetie, knowing that the same God who cares for us here is watching over you on the other side of the world and knows you by name....What a comfort that is!

"When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that you visit him? ... O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!" Psalm 8:3,4,9

For the director of music.
A psalm of David.
Psalm 19:1-6
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.

(to listen, pause play list at bottom of page)

Of Birds and Blooms

It is just after 7 am on a beautiful day here in Ontario. We have had plenty of rain over the past week, but are looking forward to drier weather as the weekend approaches. This morning as I stepped out, the birds were singing their sweet tunes, and the moon was retreating behind the trees to make way for a new day...

...as the sun was making her glorious entrance in the eastern sky:



This is where much of the bird activity has taken place over the past few weeks so I thought that I would photo journal it for you. This ornamental tree has kept a secret from us, until we noticed a robin frequenting her visits here...

...and we discovered this:



From egg to hatching is apporximately 12-14 days

The mother robin is extremely protective of her young, so I had one of my children guard me while I took these photos...seriously! We did our best not to disturb or upset the mother, or invade her space too much, and made haste when she came nearby with her reproach. The male robin is also very protective and will dive-bomb the enemy and attack if there is a threat to the babies, so we were not going to take any chances!

He will also make sure the female robin has enough to eat and will bring her food if she doesn't leave the nest for a time. I love the image of the male and female robin working as a team toward the common goal of having healthy baby robins to nurture before they leave the nest, and even then, the father and mother robin are protective as they care for their young.

Feeding the babies is a full-time job:



Robins may feed their babies worms, insects, spiders, moths, and some fruits:

After just over three weeks of observing, one morning we peeked in the nest and it was empty. We did a quick search and heard the baby robins chirping for their mother as if lost:

Oh, what a faithful mother she is as she has come to find and feed her little ones, who wait with eager expectation:


Some facts about robins:
Mating:Robins generally remain together for the breeding season, but often mate with other individuals the following year.
Nesting: It takes from two to six days to make the nest, with an average of 180 trips per day to find materials. Males sometimes help gather nesting materials but the female chooses the site and builds the nest.
Brooding: The female robin incubates her eggs for about 12 to 16 days. She sits on the eggs for 40-minute periods. Then she stands up, turns the eggs and flies off to feed or for a break. The male stands guard and sometimes sits on the eggs.

You can listen to the beautiful singing of the robin here

and read more about the robin here.



And a quick garden tour before we head out to the Farmers Market today.

The phlox are in full bloom and smell so delicately sweet:

Meet the Wife of Bath, a David Austen rose that we planted as a reminder of our wonderful time in England. I brought some roses inside so that we could enjoy their lovely fragrance:

Purple coneflower:

Shasta Daisies:

Lilies:

The Rose of Sharon:

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy and love

Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed thy hand hath provided;
great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Thomas O. Chisholm

For the Glory of the Skies

This morning as I was bringing my laundry

outside to hang on the line,
I was singing this song

by the Carpenters:

"Such a feelin's comin' over me
There is wonder in most everything I see
Not a cloud in the sky
Got the sun in my eyes
And i won't be surprised if it's a dream..."

The sky was a brilliant cobalt blue

with not a trace of a cloud,

and it felt almost muggy and humid outside.
(I don't normally write two posts in one day,

but couldn't resist sharing these photos,

all taken over the course of today...

so much contrast in the skies)

A little later in the day, I noticed that clouds were forming and they were stunning against the backdrop of the blue sky:
I had to go into town for groceries and errands and as I was heading toward home, I noticed the sky growing darker and the rain clouds were forming:I just made it back inside with all the groceries when the thunder struck and the rains came down, splattering against the window pane. Thankfully my daughters had taken the laundry off the line earlier in the day while I was away!
Although the farmers had plenty of time to get their seed sown, it has been an exceptionally dry season so far, and I was concerned about the lack of Spring rains, so even spotting the puddles after the rains is such a welcome sight!
Tonight my youngest daughter, J, took some awesome photos as we watched the sun go down to conclude another day:

"The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge."

~Psalm 19:1, 2

God of Wonders

Psalm 19
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
3 There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.
(photos taken by daughter, k)

Farmers Market Day

I left early this morning to meet up with my eldest daughter, K, who was just getting off night shift. Although it was still cool, cloudy and overcast, the sun made an effort to break through, making the sky look stunning!
We arrived together at the St. Jacobs Farmers' Market and were greeted by many booths displaying an abundance of fruit and vegetables as well as vendors selling a variety of merchandise.
I bought my first rhubarb of the season. Can you spot the rhubarb on this display?
I could not resist this gorgeous display of flowers and bought three large bouquets:
(a great deal)

More vendors with fruit and vegetables:

There are musicians at every corner. Most of them are students who are making an effort to earn more money toward their university tuition. My daughter really enjoyed this young man's music as he was so talented and had the ability to play several instruments at the same time. He was very innovative in his approach and played great bluegrass music:

We made a stop at La Casbah in the market for take-out lunch which we enjoyed in the sunshine!

"Moroccan cuisine is home to some of the most tantalizing food imaginable with its sweet and spicy combinations, and its exciting use of cumin and coriander, saffron, ginger and cinnamon, chilies and turmeric, olives and preserved limes. "
We ordered the Mahajeb (semolina pancake stuffed with spinach and feta cheese) served with salad and hummus....so good!
I also purchased their spicy pita chips to go along with their roasted red pepper dip:

We took our bikes along and spent the afternoon exploring another great cycle trail. The weather turned out to be sunny and warm with temperatures going up to 27'c, again unbelievable for April. The farmers were all out in full force doing field work and making the most of this weather before the expected rains tomorrow.
We arrived home again later in the afternoon to wind down and relax with a cup of tea and apple fritters. The rhubarb and apple squares are a treat for the company we will be receiving on the weekend. (click photos to enlarge, double click for full screen)


http://www.lacasbahkw.com/

http://missadventureathome.blogspot.com/2009/10/st-jacobs-oktoberfest-sausage-and-apple.html

http://seasonalontariofood.blogspot.com/2007/08/visit-to-waterloo-farmers-market-st.html