It was fair weather – a beautiful morning – to take fowl photos. Enjoy.

Swans are MUCH bigger than geese.

Mallard Splashdown

Mallard in Hiding

Mom and Pop

Contemplating a Swim

Drinking Canadian

Australian Black Swan

Aussie Portrait

Feather

Pat and I traveled to the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary to visit the swans and other waterfowl (a future post). Maybe it’s because I played the trumpet for many years, but I have an affinity for the grace and hauntingly engaging call of the trumpeter swans . . . God’s trumpets. Here are some trumpeter swan images I hope you enjoy.

Portrait Pose

Trio in Flight

Take Off

Liftoff

Cruising

Approach

Splashdown

Family Outing (Mom, Dad, and Two 4-5 Month Olds)

Ripples and Reflections

York Minster was built on the ruins of a Roman army outpost primarily tasked with protecting Hadrian’s Wall. The cathedral is big and beautiful. Here are some stained glass windows I was able to photograph and a statue that moved me.

Relying on weather forecasts for a mostly sunny day, Pat and I planned on a Thursday outing. While waiting for Pat, I took a photo of the mist that would certainly soon disappear. It didn’t. Our morning was a mistery one. Close shots showed some clarity, but distant images were trapped in the mist/fog until the sun broke through after our late morning second breakfast. Here is some of what we saw.

Streetlamp in the Mist

Sun in the Mist

Web in the Mist

Telephone pole in the Mist (and soybeans)

Pond in the Mist

Dew in the Mist

Swans in the Mist

I took some pictures that don’t fit with other groupings. Some reflect the eccentricities of the Brits. Some reflect the oddities of this photographer. I hope that at least one will bring a smile to your face.

My Youngest Reflected in a Pub Window

Leap Frog

Double Decker through City Walls

Lost in One’s Work

Fountain and Lights

Diners Reflected in Ceiling Blinds

Cricket

Gotta Go

Fountains Abbey  was founded by 13 expelled Benedictine monks in 1132. They became part of the more reformation minded Cistercian order in 1133. The Abbey is one of the largest and best preserved Cistercian monasteries in England. Its history as a monastery lasted until 1539 when Henry VIII ordered all monasteries dissolved.

In 1983 the  National Trust purchased the 674 acre property. It was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. The property is managed and maintained by English Heritage.

I hope these pictures give you a sense of the mystery, reverence, and majesty of Fountains Abbey.

Great Britain, in many parts of the country, is one gorgeous landscape after another. I don’t take many landscape pictures because I have a difficult time capturing the fullness of the beauty I see. I hope these images give you at least a bit of the beauty of England’s northern landscapes and the heather on the hills.

The “golfball” buildings are from a nearby military base. You can learn about them here.

Facebook followers can see all the images at juliemariepics.com .

The British take their flowers very seriously; whether cultured or wild. I’ve chosen a dozen flower shots from our recent trip to Great Britain. We were there to see our youngest and his family, my youngest brother and his wife, and one of my nieces.

The weather was often overcast, but we visited area sites and very rarely got caught in the rain. Hope these images give you some idea of the beauty of England’s flowers. Facebook users, click on the link to see all the images. As always, I appreciate your thoughts.