Birds

Prairie Notes

/ Sandi Knight / Leave a comment

4″ x 5.5″ Blank Note Cards — $4.00 Currently selections from this series are available at Inspire Studio in Minnedosa, The Little Red Barn and Prairie Fusion Gift Shop in Portage la Prairie, or by contacting me.

What people are saying:

“You might think this is just a blank card, but to me, it’s a piece of art that you are sharing. Sandi has the ability to capture emotion with her unique perspective and frame of reference which inspires joy and happiness when you look at her cards.”

“I love giving a beautiful card with my own inspiring message on the inside. These are perfect for sending out to those you love for all special occasions.”

“Lovely, unique, high quality cards showcasing the beauty of the local landscape. A wonderful way to brighten some’s day, or to frame and keep.”

*Printed in Canada on FSC certified archival paper, manufactured responsibly with a reduced effect on the environment.

Whether on quiet country walks, in our farmyard or on a favourite trail, my camera is always close at hand. Documenting and sharing moments in time from our family farm in rural Manitoba is an integral part of my daily life. More images can be found on Instagram @sandiknight.

Florals

From our farmyard, the open prairies, rural roadsides and a friend’s garden, these captures represent the beauty and joy flowers of all kinds bring to my life.

“After the rain” ~ apple blossoms
“Lean on me” ~ sunlit tulips
“Slowly, softly, spring arrived” ~ Prairie Crocus
“Hello neighbour” ~ sunflower
“Spring on the prairies” ~ Prairie Crocus
“If I were a flower, I’d want to dance” ~ Cosmos
“Summer Party” ~ Coneflower
“Limelight” ~ Hydrangea
“Unexpected blossoms” ~ wild plum
“Roadside beauty” ~ Yellow Lady’s Slipper
“Small but mighty solar panel” ~ Prairie Crocus
“Grow your own way” ~ Black-eyed Susan Vine

Sunsets

I will never tire of praire sunsets. They breathe life into the sky and bring a calmness to my heart. I love the every changing skies, wide-open spaces and peacefulness of watching the stunning transformations at the end of day.

“Wheat dance at sunset’
“Beauty does not require perfection”
“Prairie Love’
“Sunset on history”
“Sunset magic”
“Simplicity”
“Prairie perspective”
“Colour outside the lines”
“You’re not alone”
“Hopper full of gold”
“Change is in the air”
“Prairie Silhouette”
“Unruly line-up”
“Canola catching the sun”
And the sky whispered, “Be still”
“Brilliance”
“Sky writer”
“Resilience”
“A dance with light”
“Endlesss possibilities”
“Twilight twirled her brush”
“Hope is on the horizon” ~ winter sunset

Birds and Butterflies

From endangered species like the Red-headed woodpecker to the common American Robin, our farmyard is visited by over 80 species of birds yearly. With milkweed abundant on our rural roadsides, monarch butterflies also find our area a welcoming habit which is enhanced by flowering native trees and a diversity of flowers in my garden. These are some of my favourite captures to date.

“Knock on wood” ~ Red-headed woodpecker
“Pause a moment” ~ Ruby-throated hummingbird
“Stopping by to say hello” ~ American Robin
“Land softly” ~ Monarch butterfly
“Move to your own beat” ~ Monarch
“Winged beauty”~ Monarch butterfly
“Believe you can” ~Ruby-throated hummingbird

Crops

Canola will always be the star of the show on the Canadian prairies, but wheat, alfalfa and sunflowers also make appearances on this card series.

“Dancing in the breeze” ~ canola
“Almost ready for harvest” ~ wheat
“Beauty and the Beast” ~ canola and mammatus clouds
“Blowin’ in the wind” ~ alfalfa blossoms
“Country roads are golden” ~ canola in bloom
“Always face the sun” ~ sunflowers

Autumn

The best season! Cool mornings, warm days, trees dressing into their vibrant hues, leaves letting go and dancing downward. From our farmyard, my favourite trails and parks these are a few on my most-loved captures.

“Wander a while”
“Magic morning light”
“Whitemud River reflections”
“The Collection”
“Reach for the sky”
“Autumn Bliss”

The Lake

Our farm is near Lake Manitoba so a trip to it’s shores is always a welcome reprieve in the summer.

“Tranquil lakeside moments”
“Dog days of summer”

Winter

Oh the beauty of winter! Snow, hoarfrost and rimefrost magically transform the landscape. Harsh winds sculpt beautiful snowdrifts, and the light and skies are enchanting!

“Stardust”
“Drift away”
“Simple wishes”
“Winter Wonderland”
“Peaceful winter morning”
“Snowy sentinel”
“Let it snow’
“The best way to look is up”
“Wrapped in white”
“Country contrast’
“Welcome to Narnia”
“Beauty in every season”
“Beauty does not require perfection”
“Embracing winter’
“Unruly line-up”

One small rain…

/ Sandi Knight / 3 Comments

It rained last night. Not much, a mere one millimeter, but apparently enough to awaken the magic of spring. Winter has been reluctant to loosen its grip, but this gentle overnight rain had sufficient power to shift the tides.

This morning there is an après-rain freshness in the air. Overhead, summer-like wispy clouds reach out into in the cornflower-blue sky.

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An enthusiastic bird chorus greets me as I step out the door. Robins, which have been slow in returning, cover the lawn in convention-like style. Black-eyed juncos gather beneath the bird feeders, cleaning up the winter leftovers. Sparrows, finches and nuthatches flit back and forth to claim seed, scattering into the trees whenever a blue jay or woodpecker noisily bullies them away. Chickadees sing their spring song. Mourning doves coo softly in the background.

The wind is light, the temperature warm.  Miss Sage is anxious for a walk, and on a day like this, who am I to argue? It is all too easy to delay the tasks at hand and head down our quiet country road.

 

At the creek, we are greeted by the trills of P1140794red-winged blackbirds – the first of the season. The glass-like surface of the water is broken as a muskrat dives for cover upon on our arrival, ripples circling out as witness to its disappearance.

Then, a distinct rolling call urges me to look upward – sandhill cranes. Finally I see them, flying in relaxed, synchronized formation overhead, rising and falling with the thermal lift. Another sign that perhaps spring is here to stay.

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Back in our yard, the lawn is still a dried-brown, but here and there, tinges of green are beginning to show. It might only be the quack-grass revolting against winter, but nonetheless it is a welcome change.

It is remarkable what one small rain can do. More growth and change is yet to come, but spring is now poised to make an entrance.  And it finally feels like winter is headed out the backdoor.