Now Spring is Here

 Finally, beautiful warm spring weather has arrived, and it looks like the rest of the month will be more of the same.  A number of honey bees were enjoying the snowdrops.  Another smaller black bee thought I might be a flower, but, after landing on me, it came to the correct conclusion that I was not a flower.

 A young hemlock soaking up the sun.

It's a great time of year to wander in the woods - warm and no bitting bugs.

A couple of birch bark swirls.

Native sedge and vinca looking unbelievably fresh and  lively.  I think they both would have been under snow yesterday.
I put quite a few of the plants I had started inside, outside today where they get morning sun. With the temperature staying above freezing for the next while, I won't have to keep moving them in and out as I sometimes have to do at this time of year.  My hose has thawed so no more bucketing water for my horse.  Ah! Spring!!

Museum of Nature - Rocks

 One of the things that I find fascinating about rocks and minerals is that so many of them look so dull and boring on the outside, but when they are split open they  have wonderful colours and shapes. 

 This is a meteor about 2 and a half feet wide.  It came all the way from - well, who knows where...

The patterning on this rock is reminiscent of an abstract painting  or an aerial view of a town.

The quality of the photos is poor.  I found it difficult with the glass, lighting, and sparkles to get good pictures, but you can still get an idea of the diversity of the rocks.
  

 I haven't labelled the rocks as I was only interested in them as natural pieces of art.  I particularly like the bright green sprinkles in this one.

The white rock in the middle had very fine spikes all over, but they got bleached out.  I like the large agate on the right side with its lovely contours.

 Again the whites are bleached out but you can still see the different shapes presented here.

 No, that is not your kid's playdough mushed together.

 The left one would make great paving stones. The spiky middle one in the foreground looks to me like an upright bunny facing left.

 Soft and bubbly on the left, cool and minty upper right, and  a patch of snow lower right.

 This is not an etching - this is an original rock painting done by a rock.  And the one on the right is not a child's glue project.

 Too bright for the camera, but vibrant red crystals are  poking out of a grey rock. In the back, tropical sea blue inside  a dull brown rock.

 Very fuzzy pic, but I really like the dramatic markings.

 Great chunks of colour.

 A crystal angel flying above a blue fountain.

 Just like a piece of modern military sculpture.

A gently nestled delicate aqua crystal in a shimmery silver setting.

A pouff of brilliant white.

And finally shades of blue, purple and brassy coins.

Happy Easter

"...and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life."

Revelations 22: 17

Museum of Nature - Birds and Watery Creatures

 Some  highlights from the bird exhibit.  Above is the iconic loon with its bold black and white patterning.

 Birds in flight illustrating different wing positions that different species use.

  On the left is the peregrine falcon that has successfully come back from the brink of extinction.  On the right is a prairie chicken puffing out its throat in its bizarre mating pose.                                                                                       

 A nice little   diarama showing how well the three little birds blend in to their natural environments. 

 A beautiful owl with the most wonderful lower feathers guaranteed to keep is feet warm.

The bird room encourages people to learn something about bird identification.  This display is a collection of common birds that the viewer is challenged to identify.  Elsewhere, you can try to identify birds by their songs.  

 This is my favourite display in the museum.  The photo does not do it justice as the green anemones in the background are really lime green.  The pink one on the left has jazzy spots on the base. Every time you look in this aquarium you see something new:  a different starfish, a purple sea-urchin tucked behind a rock, a fish swimming into view, and, tantalizingly, there are things that you can't quite see properly but look like they would also be fascinating to watch.

 The pink corner of the aquarium - even the rock in the foreground matches.  Whose the interior decorator of the group?

 A striped fish slides into view before hiding behind a rock.

                                                                                         
 I thought this was fun .  A box crab that fits together like a puzzle.

 A model of a sea turtle.
Also on display is the skeleton of a blue whale which is, of course, huge.
Some other fish and small turtles are in aquariums, too.
Next time,  the rocks.

Museum of Nature - Mammals

 At the Museum of Nature, I always enjoy looking at the diaramas of Canadian wild animals.  The attention to detail in the backgrounds is excellent, and the postures of the animals very authentic.
First up, Mr. Moose.

 These two wolves are barking at a couple of bison on the left of the diarama, but I wanted to focus on the wolves who look so lifelike.

I have never met a bear face to face in the wild, but this encounter will perhaps give me an idea of what it might feel like.

Some pronghorns. They are so delicate looking and have lovely markings.  The plants in the foreground really add to the atmosphere of the scene.

Cariboo in the far north on one of their long migrations.  The background painting really captures the feeling of late winter.

 This is a female polar bear who is focused on a seal under the ice. A museum worker told us that the male polar bears can be twice as big as the females.  They can stand 11' high.  The polar bear's feet are really large compared to the rest of their bodies and they have long curved claws.  You would not want to be swatted by one.

 The little pica blends in well with the lichen covered rocks. The rocks are my favourite part of this vignette.

And finally a profile of Mr. Moose because I just like moose, even though they can be aggressive, dangerous animals. There is something appealing about their funny looking face, and oddly proportioned bodies.
This is only a selection of the diaramas and specimens in the mammal section, but a post can only be so long!
Next time, birds.

Museum of Nature, Ottawa

 It says Victoria Memorial Museum, but it has been called the Museum of Nature for a long time.  Whatever it's called, it is a lovely museum that focuses on the animals, birds, fish and minerals of Canada.  Aren't the moose heads over the doors wonderful?

 The stained glass windows on the left and right feature birds.(click on photo for full width)

The last panel to the right in this set is a bit hard to see but it is a bird (peregrine falcon, maybe?) catching a fish. (click here, too)

The middle panel from the outside and looking out from the inside.  The far panels picture music and painting but I'm not sure what the middle panels are about. (click)

The museum has four floors and a basement level.  This was taken from the second floor balcony.  Each floor has two wings dedicated to a specific topic, and the centre is an open stairway.

 The wooly mammoths are life-size sculptures on the west side of the museum. (Sorry about the lousy picture quality-we were driving).
I have been to this museum several times, but I wanted to go this time to see a large exhibit of rocks and minerals.  They were amazing and there are photos to prove it, but next time I'll share some pics of the mammal and bird areas which are also great.  The rocks will be the grand finale.

Grace

Glad gift
Unmerited delight
Free joy

Flowing from God's unlimited love.

Grace that manifests for me uniquely
In special ways that cheer my heart.

Grace, blooms of beauty, even
Out of the dirt of my life.

Free gift
Delightful unmerit
Glad joy