Prairie Notes

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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


The Lake

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


At last

At last

Gentle overnight rain,
warm morning sun
coax Spring to awaken.

Blades of green reach up,
defying dreary brown
winter left behind.

Songbirds’ sweet chorus
floats through air,
lifting weary spirits.

Long-awaited season
of renewal,
finally here to stay. 

Sandi Knight © 2019

Spring Rain

In memory of my Aunt Jeanne who passed away on May 13, 2007.   I vividly recall the details expressed in this poem… “Those who touch our lives, stay in our hearts forever…”

 

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Spring Rain

Gentle, slow, steady…
a perfect rain
blades of grass turn brilliant green
buds burst open on waiting trees
tulips sparkle with raindrops
robins, goldfinch, sparrows
dart amongst feeders and shrubs
a warbler lands on the windowsill
briefly watching, beckoning – come join us
I would head outdoors
to walk in this warm spring shower
feel the rain on my face
refresh my spirit, cheer my soul
but the new life outside saddens me
someone I love is being taken away
ravaged by unrelenting cancer
there is nothing I can do
so I bake, prepare food
for care-giving family and friends
tomorrow I will visit, say goodbye
I want to share the joy of spring
give strength, courage, hope
but am helpless to stop the pain
I cannot cure, only try to comfort
will I find the right words?
the rain continues to fall
tears rolling down my cheeks
gentle, slow, steady…

Sandi Knight © 2007

One small rain…

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.

Morning Walk

Currently spring and winter are having a tug-of-war in Manitoba, and lately it seems spring is losing.  As I went for my walk yesterday, bundled in layers of winter-wear to protect myself from snow-pellets and the cold, north wind gusting from 35 – 50 km/hour, this was the kind of morning I was dreaming of…

 

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Morning Walk 

Crisp morning air
wakens senses
refreshes the spirit…
Gentle breeze
blows away cobwebs
of anxiety and worry
lifts them
to join wispy clouds
in azure sky.
Sun glimmers
through lofty oaks.
This peaceful morning
calms and renews,
inspiration
for a new day.

Sandi Knight © 2011