Battle of the Birds and Other Wildlife

After an almost snow-free winter where the only wildlife seemed to be common house sparrows, also called English Sparrows, it's wonderful to see all the birds and animals return.

I spend time every day taking photos of anything that catches my eye and so when Nelson Draper wanted a good camera to use on his daily travels, I gave him my Nikon P500 to see if he liked it. I had upgraded to a Nikon P520 and really like the hybrid camera with it's long zoom, but without the need to carry around extra lenses.

And now we're getting into a nightly ritual of comparing the photos we've taken throughout the day.

Here's the best of our shots for April 13th:

Common Snipe, Southeast Saskatchewan, Apr 13, 2016. Photo by Nelson Draper

My best shot was actually a video of a Long-tailed weasel who had come poking around our yard. Here's the screenshot of it followed by the actual video:

Long-tailed Weasel, Montmartre, SK, Apr 13, 2016.
Photo by Anita Mae Draper

The video is silent because I was shooting through the picture-window of my living room. Yes... it came right into our yard.

I'll be posting more photos and video as soon as I can. Please enjoy this brief glimpse into Saskatchewan wildlife.

Talking Turkey

I'm talking about Heritage turkeys at Inkwell Inspirations today. Lots of turkey photos including this one:

Oh wait - that's Nelson and a pair of Broad Breasted Bronze Heritage turkeys, not 3 turkeys. My bad. Hahaha

Lots of info about preserving rare breeds.

There's also info about The Canned Quilter and her site about canning, quilting, and making things yourself. She lives at Hickery Holler Farm in the Ozarks and her Nov 14 blog is about making your own Swiffer dust pads. Neat!

And finally, there's a YouTube video about 3 Royal Palm soccer-playing turkeys. Too funny. Here, watch:




The questions for discussion today are:

- Were you aware of the roles the ALBC and RBC play?
- Have you ever looked a turkey in the eye? Touched one?
- Which variety do you think looks the nicest?
- Do you eat turkey for Thanksgiving/Christmas?
- Have you heard about the plight of the tigers?


Have a great day!

Montmartre Moose

After not seeing moose in this area for years, they're making a comeback. Almost a year ago, on Dec 11th, 2010, we spotted a cow moose and her 2 yearlings although in my photo journal of them, I said they were 3 cow moose. My father quickly set me right.

We saw the same 3 moose in the spring but they were too far for photos.

Last month, a bull moose started hanging around a few miles from our farm. Nelson spotted him on the way home from work and came to get me but by the time we got back, the moose was too far for photos. The next evening while I was on my way back from town around 5:20, I spotted him about a mile down the road. At least I suspected the dark shape on the side of the road was him because everything else was golden or yellowing vegetation. The shape moved as I drove closer and my suspicions proved true. I pulled over to the side of the road and took these photos while he lumbered away toward the west.

In between those photos, I was able to take this short video of the bull moose in action - slow action, to be sure, but action none the less. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va2lAWS3Fdo




Check my YouTube channel for more videos of animals and other things I find interesting.

2011 ACFW Choir Video

Last week I was in St Louis, Missouri at the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) conference. As usual, the conference ended on Sunday morning with a worship session which included the ACFW choir.

Rachael Phillips, the 2011 ACFW Choir Director said, "They are a wonderful, gifted group, and I love working with them. I send them music and mp3 files beforehand, which they rehearse on their own, and in four/five crazy conference practices wedged in between classes and appointments, these singers from all over the country blend their diverse talents and spirits into a single voice of praise. SO proud of them!"

So there I was in the back corner of the room with my little Lumix camera. Because I was so far away, the faces in the choir are barely discernable. And the video is shaky since I didn't have a tripod. However, the music is a beautiful outpouring of the spirit. I hope you can look past the inadequacies - perhaps just close your eyes - and receive the blessing of these gifted singers.




Thank you going out to all the singers as well as to Rachael Phillips, the ACFW Choir Director who wrote one of the songs, called "Writer's Prayer", based on scripture.

Gospel Music Videos

I'm blogging at Inkwell Inspirations today with 3 music videos I created for the Glenavon Church YouTube channel, like this one:

Jessie, Nick and Nelson lead worship with Lead Me To The Cross




I'm trying to get more made, but the optimum time to upload is between midnight and 6 am and even then it takes several hours for each 5 min video.

But so far, I have videos by:

• The Draper;s
• The Keller's
• Dianne Bonk
• Joey Theriault (a guest singer)

I'm working on one with only Nelson, and more by the above musicians.

These videos are not professional and neither are the musicians, but they are heart-inspired by the people leading the worship who have the courage to get up in front of a congregation and lead the rest of us.

I'm sending a huge thank you out to all those people who lead praise and worship in whatever venue the Lord has called you to fill. Bless you.

 

Nick's Mission to South Africa

This summer my son, Nick Draper, is heading to South Africa on a mission trip with Street Invaders, so I’m dedicating this post to him.

Nick’s main claim to fame is due to his 2006 TV appearance when he appeared in the Kid’s Stuff episode on Corner Gas (Season 4, Episode 11). That and other experiences in the TV and film industry taught him patience and teamwork among other things.

Here’s a portion of that Corner Gas episode where we first see Nick. His segment starts at 1:40 as Davis and Karen (the 2 RCMP officers) are walking down the sidewalk. Nick is the young boy that pops out of nowhere.

http://youtu.be/OMgjVKw6U6Y



Those work attributes helped in 2009 when Nick signed up for his first Street Invaders mission trip at the age of 14. His team worked with childrens' summer camps in Saskatchewan and Alberta where Nick found he had an affinity for that type of work.

Nick went homeless for part of the 2010 Easter Break while being a participant of Project Aware. This Regina-run project shows teens what it’s like to be homeless. They learn the scary truth about what it means to be homeless as well as how to interact, help and empathize with kids and adults in that situation.

Fifteen year old Nick started the 2010 summer by counseling kids at the Springside Apostolic Bible Camp here in Saskatchewan. He followed that week with a second Street Invaders mission trip which took him all the way to Australia.

Again this past Easter Break, Nick volunteered and was accepted into the Project Aware program in Regina. He came home more determined than ever to keep working with kids whether homeless or not.

This year, Nick was invited to join the Street Invaders mission trip to South Africa and it wasn’t a surprise when he said he wanted to go. The Street Invaders website says, 'Imagine! Flying to Capetown, South Africa and working in schools, prisons, on the streets, and in the feeding stations. Your entire 2 weeks will be absolutely full of opportunities to live the Gospel! This continues to be one of Street Invaders greatest mission outreaches ever!’

One thing he’s doing before he goes halfway around the world is taking a 2-week Leaders in Training (LIT) course at the local Circle Square Ranch. This Christian based summer ranch camp really needs workers otherwise they have to turn campers/ranchers away. More often than not that means disadvantaged kids from the city who look forward to the experience all year.

The LIT course will enable Nick to become a ranch counselor when he’s not on the Street Invaders team. It also means a full summer of work without pay, but it’s one of Nick’s choosing.

Nick does most things kids his age like to do such as playing video games, chatting on the internet and driving the family car. Musically inclined, Nick plays the snare drum and other percussion instruments in the school band. He also leads worship one Sunday a month with his dad who is the source of his music talent.

And for all those friends and relatives who read my blog and have inquired about supporting Nick in his missions (especially the airfare), the best way you can help is to send a donation to Nick’s AYMI (Apostolic Youth Ministries International) account over in their Calgary office.

It’s real easy to do online. Just go to the AYMI website http://www.aymi.ca/ and click ‘Donate’ at the bottom of the page. It will take you through the PayPal site. To ensure the donation goes to Nick’s account, please follow up with an email to office@aymi.ca.

Or, you could send a check/cheque made out to AYMI and designate that it's for Nick to:

AYMI, #8 3530 11A St. NE Calgary AB Canada T2E 6M7

The AYMI’s contact numbers are 1-877-356-0707 (toll free), 403-717-0707 (Calgary area), or 403-717-0709 (Fax).


Although I’m a tad worried about Nick going so far away, I’m proud of his willingness to serve God by spreading the Gospel and working with the poor – in spirit and otherwise.

Whether you make a donation or not, I want to thank you for taking an interest in Nick’s mission by reading this post. God bless you.

Anita Mae.

Red Fox in our Farmyard

On Apr 20th I heard Anna barking up a frenzy with a few growls thrown in for good measure. It wasn't just a cat she was after! I grabbed my camera and ran outside. Anna, looked south, jumped up and down on her front paws, glanced at me, then back south. Something was in the field behind the quonset. I hurried down mindful of the muddy ground and saw it - a red fox running along the fenceline. I started taping and this is what I got:
A red fox in our farmyard...  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50IfIYvucBw



At least it didn't get any of my chickens and ducks - this time.

What's the wildest creature you've seen up close?

Video: Driving Through the Flood

It took a long time to upload, but here is the video I filmed of our Apr 24, Easter morning flood.

The first part shows how we got the car across. The van's low and the water's rising. We needed it on the other side in case we had an emergency in the ensuing days. 

The second part is where I film from inside the truck - twice. First going to church, then coming back. Let's just say it was easier to film than drive the truck. On Sunday afternoon the guys went out and marked the edges of the road so we could see where we were going. But that was after this video.

Sask Farm Flooded Out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbDJjSPI54g



For the beginning of our flood watch, see my post before this one, Operation Wading Boots.

Stayed tuned for more fun when we take the paddle boat out for a spin.

(And please forgive the lack of a smooth transition from normal to zoom on my little Lumix because I have to stop filming to zoom in and then start again. I lose 5 seconds every time I shut down and start again.)

Operation Wading Boots

My new blog header is the scene that greeted us on Easter morning (Resurrection Day). Camera in hand, boots on my feet, I walked straight down the driveway and stopped at the corner where we turn onto the road. That's where I'm standing in this photo, looking west:

I turned to the north and took this photo of our road. Or at least where our road was supposed to be:

Since our van is very low, we needed to get it to the other side before the water level rose any higher. Nelson called the crew into action as spotters. For this dangerous work, Nick donned Nelson's waders. The boys were primed with purpose.









They walked down the road while Nelson drove the van slowly behind them. He left it parked in a safe zone and walked back. It was Easter morning and we needed to get ready for church.

We then hopped into the truck and drove across. I filmed this epic crossing and will post it here shortly. Once across, we switched to the van and went to church repeating the scenario on the way back.

The rare photo opportunities of this temporary lake beneath the western sky is amazing. I marvel at the blessed beauty of this spring.

And look... more snow! There is still lots of snow hiding on the north side of buildings, under trees and in the shadows to keep the water running for many days yet. I stood near our apple trees to take this photo. The road and driveway on the right.








More photos and videos on the way.


So, what's the weather like where you are? Did you get caught in the tornadoes? Live where you're crying for rain? Let me know and I'll pray for you.

Porcupine Damage

Spring has been a slow melt which is good because many parts of Saskatchewan are flooding even with the cold weather. I've been out taking pictures every day and am working on a neat 'flood' post for you but I wanted to show you photos of the porcupine since it looks like we've seen the last of him for this year.

Several times we found him in the trees, like this photo from April 7th:

But unlike the first day when he scooted down the tree and left, in the succeeding days he only froze when I stopped to take his picture. A good photo op, but no munching action.

On Apr 9th he moved to what would be his highest point before leaving us:

One time I looked out my kitchen window at the right moment to see him slip and hang by his front paws for a second before pulling himself back up. As you can see, he's such a cuddly looking animal...

Apparently the little critter was really out on this limb and at one point he crawled out so far Nelson saw the branch curve down until the porcupine scuttled back.

However, he left plenty of evidence of his visits behind in the manner of branches stripped of bark.

This isn't good because it leaves the tree susceptible to insects which bring disease. And that's if the tree manages to stay alive without its protective barrier against the harsh and drying prairie wind.

Here's the batch of wolf willows at the end of the driveway where we first saw the porcupine.

So, he may be a cute critter, but he's not cuddly and he certainly isn't nice!

If you want to relax for a minute, here's a video I took of some snow geese flying over my head on Apr 7th before the clouds hid the sun and the porcupine was in another tree close to the garage. Turn the volume up if you want to hear the geese. A special day - no wind!

Porcupine Climbing Down a Tree

He's ba-ack. Again, Nelson came home from work and said the porcupine was out in the trees. But this time instead of being on the ground, he was up in the tree. All I could see was a black bulge straight out from the kitchen window where the shelterbelt divides the yard from the prairie. Naturally, I grabbed my camera and scooted out the door. I stood in the driveway and filmed the porcupine as he climbed the 15 ft or so down to the ground.

Porcupine Climbing Down a Tree: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NK5Btmje28

This porcupine is starting to make a regular appearance on the farm. But why in a tree? If he carried a telescope, I'd suspect him of spying on me. Haha.

Anybody know what a porcupine eats?

Punked By A Porcupine

I have to show you this video I made yesterday during our blizzard warning... that porcupine got the drop on me this time. LOL

http://www.youtube.com/user/anitamaed?feature=mhum#p/a/u/0/mqbLdaiFBO0



I can't believe it took so long to sink in that he was there. Sheesh.

By the way, Happy Birthday, Bonnie!

Porcupine Patrol

The days are a rollercoaster of warmth and cold, which is what we need to avoid a spring flood. However, the critters are crawling out of hibernation as can be seen by this porcupine. On March 9th, Nelson came home and said there was porcupine a quarter mile away. By the time I grabbed my camera and jumped in his truck we were almost too late. This photo was taken approx 200 ft away and I zoomed in for it:

However, I managed to get a short video of it before it walked over the hill. Nelson had dropped me off and then drove on down the road to turn around, so the only sound on the video is that of the wind, the camera itself, and a few of my movements.

Here's the porcupine's meandering track as it started up the hill.






Five days later - on March 14th, Nelson came home and said their was a porcupine at the end of the driveway. I grabbed my camera, put my outerwear on and headed out, hoofing it. I could see him right from the house. If you look at my blog header, he was hiding in the bush that sits at the end of the driveway on the right side.

He wasn't moving and I wanted a good photo, so I yelled at him a couple times and wouldn't you know it - he turned his back on me! Although he was a good 30 ft away, I'm not in the habit of standing behind a porcupine, so I high-tailed it back to the house and let him have his peace.

What kind of creatures are coming out of hibernation or flying in where you live?

The Uniqueness of a Church

I'm blogging at Inkwell Inspirations about the different denominations of churches I've attended over the years and what makes each one unique in What Makes a Church Unique?

One of the aspects I love about our present church is the music - especially the gospel songs. Here's an example of

Joey Theriault singing old time gospel, Where Could I Go But To The Lord in one of my first attempts at making a YouTube video:

My questions for today are: What about you? Is there something unique about your church that you’ll like to share?

Fun Question: What do you sit on at church? Wooden pews, padded seats, cushions on wooden pews, plastic ‘bucket’ chairs, etc.

And if you don't attend church, what's your favourite chair at home and why?

Christmas Song Spotlight: He is Born by Sawyer Brown

Today's Christmas Song Spotlight is Saywer Brown singing He is Born in their own church. I first saw this video on TV a couple year's ago and never forgot the unbridled passion of this group's enthusiasm for their song.



I can't believe I found this video! This says it all for this Christmas Day 2010.

Merry Christmas.

Christmas Song Spotlight: Love Came Down at Christmas

Today's Christmas Song Spotlight is Love Came Down at Christmas written and sung by Jars of Clay.



I really like the sound of this band.

Have a very Merry Christmas and thank you for joining me on my Christmas Spotlight Series.

Christmas Song Spotlight: Joseph's Song

Today's Christmas Song Spotlight is Joseph's Song by Michael Card. I'm not familiar with this singer, but the words touched my heart and the video pics enhanced the song.



I hope you're enjoying my Christmas Song Spotlight series. The songs may not be all well known, but together they let you know what's in my heart this season.

Christmas Song Spotlight: Take a Walk Through Bethlehem

Today's Christmas Song Spotlight is Talk a Walk Through Bethlehem sung by Trisha Yearwood and a favourite of mine.



malmal1392 is to be commended for putting such a heartfelt youtube video together with Trisha's music.

By the way, when the ad banner pops up across the bottom of the video, you can get rid of it by clicking on the little x in the top right corner of it.

Christmas Song Spotlight: Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)

Today's Christmas Song Spotlight is Amy Grant's Breath of Heaven. This is Mary's song of love and awe as she gives birth to Jesus whom she's been told is the son of God. I can't even begin to imagine the emotional and mental strength it took for her to believe and carry through this miraculous event.



Such a beautiful song.

Christmas Song Spotlight: Christmas Must Be Tonight

Today's Christmas Song Spotlight is Christmas Must Be Tonight. It's a beautiful song about the night Jesus was born.



Written by Robbie Robertson and originally performed by The Band, this youtube version was recorded by Tulsa's own SPARKPLUG: Cindy Cain, Don Miller, Rusty Miller.

Why hasn't this cover been recorded more?