Wildflower Wednesday

Our wildflower garden showcases just about every color under the rainbow, but there is something about a simple white flower that is so pure and perfect. 

Mikey stumbled upon this sweet flower and captured it's light and radiance beautifully. I hope you adore today's Wildflower Wednesday as much as I do!

©Life as an Artist’s Wife
Wildflower photographed by Mikey on our land in NE Wisconsin.

To peruse the previous posts in the Wildflower Wednesday series, click here.

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

-John 8:12

Disclaimer: I am not a botanist, floriculturist, horticulturist, or any sort of "-ist" so I will rarely attempt to indicate the names of the wildflowers featured in Wildflower Wednesday. These wildflowers are posted simply for your viewing pleasure. :)

Irresistible Irises

A good friend gave us some purple and white irises a few years ago and we planted them right on the edge of our pond. These irises are picture perfect for only two or three weeks during the summer and Mikey just happened to catch these glorious beauties at their peak. Take a peek...

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The detail and delicacy of this iris is simply stunning. Just look at those perfectly-poised petals!

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The sunlight takes this picture to a whole new level. I love how the rays make the petals glow and the water glisten!

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Mikey has promised to create a watercolor painting of this stunner. And I already have the perfect spot picked out to hang it!

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Here's a close-up to showcase that spectacular shimmer!

See why I find these irises irresistible?! I just can't get enough of them, so I better get that watercolor painting added to Mikey's "To-Do" list...pronto! 

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

-Hebrews 13:8

Wildflower Wednesday

Today's Wildflower Wednesday is dedicated to this dynamic duo. In any other setting, reds and pinks would likely...clash. But in a wildflower garden, I think they are quite complimentary!

©Life as an Artist’s Wife
Wildflowers photographed by Mikey on our land in NE Wisconsin.

To see the previous posts in the Wildflower Wednesday series, click here.

You will seek and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

-Jeremiah 29:13

Disclaimer: I am not a botanist, floriculturist, horticulturist, or any sort of "-ist" so I will rarely attempt to indicate the names of the wildflowers featured in Wildflower Wednesday. These wildflowers are posted simply for your viewing pleasure. :)

Jump Day

Mikey and I have been on Operation Baby Duck Watch duty with the hope of seeing baby Wood Ducks jump out of their nest box and into the pond! Jump Day has finally arrived and here's how it went down...

5 fingers = 5 a.m.! This was our fourth day waking up at 5 a.m. all in an effort to see some baby Wood Ducks!

This is what we were focused on...that tiny black hole across the pond.

Mikey's eyes weren't totally in focus yet (he needed a little more caffeine!) so he opted for his trusty binoculars to help him see more clearly!

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There she is...the momma Wood Duck that we've been watching for weeks. She was so active this particular morning, appearing very alert and quite nervous.

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Momma jumping out of the nest box into the pond. Is it finally time to call her babies?!

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Not quite yet! She waddled up into the grass to make sure the area was safe for her babies to jump.

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Here's a peak at her through some tall grass. What a sweet face!

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Time to check on the babies. Back into the nest box she flew.

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I love this shot. It's amazing how fast she would fly into that little hole!

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Momma poking out of her nest box again.

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 Splash! She flew back and forth between the nest box and pond a lot!

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Okay, all seems calm now. She starts to call her babies!

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It's a baby Wood Duck!! This is THE moment we've been waiting weeks for!!

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The baby Wood Duck (a.k.a. Mr. Peepers) landed safely in the water and is now swimming alongside his momma.

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Momma guided Mr. Peepers to the shore.

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Momma walked up the shore while Mr. Peepers stayed close by in the water (in front of the rocks).

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Another shot of momma on shore and Mr. Peepers in the water.

We kept waiting and waiting for more baby ducks to jump out of the next box. After awhile, momma waddled off with Mr. Peepers into the woods and didn't come back. We were so surprised and perplexed. Weren't there any more babies in that nest box?!

After a couple days, Mikey checked the box and there were eggs, but they didn't hatch. Momma had abandoned them. The eggs were still slightly warm, so Mikey took quick action...

He prepared a bucket with straw and feathers to transport the eggs to the safety of his workshop.

Mikey made a cozy "incubator" complete with a thermometer and light.

This picture warms my heart. He even added a slider light switch to help control the temperature. He also added a fan to the extensive set up.

After several days, it was apparent that it was time to relocate the eggs deep into the woods. It broke our hearts. We're not sure why they didn't hatch. However, we're very thankful we got to see the beautiful journey...the arrival of the Wood Ducks, how they choose their mates, the process of building a nest, Operation Baby Duck Watch, and Mr. Peepers' Jump Day. We learned a lot...and are ready for Operation Baby Duck Watch 2016!

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

-Proverbs 3:5

Wildflower Wednesday

Today's Wildflower Wednesday features one of my favorite photos that Mikey has taken of a single wildflower. Sometimes when I look at this photo, I think "sweet and simple" and other times I think "bold and vibrant." That is why I find this magenta masterpiece...mesmerizing!

©Life as an Artist’s Wife
Wildflower photographed by Mikey on our land in NE Wisconsin.

If you missed last week's launch of Wildflower Wednesday, click here!

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

-Psalm 16:11

Disclaimer: I am not a botanist, floriculturist, horticulturist, or any sort of "-ist" so I will rarely attempt to indicate the names of the wildflowers featured in Wildflower Wednesday. These wildflowers are posted simply for your viewing pleasure. :)

Operation Baby Duck Watch

Life as an artist’s wife is always a little more interesting when my husband is on a mission. When we started seeing the Wood Ducks earlier this Spring, Mikey's mission was to photograph their beautiful design and learn their behavior, habits, and schedules. And, with any luck, hopefully witness Jump Day – the day baby Wood Ducks jump out of the nest box and make their big splash into the world!

We titled this mission: Operation Baby Duck Watch.

One rainy Sunday morning while letting the dogs out, I thought I saw some baby duck heads bobbing up and down in the tall grassy area behind one of the two nest boxes – the "south condo." (Read about the nest boxes here.) 

Mikey put on his rain jacket, headed out back, and found one of the babies trailing behind the rest of the brood! Mikey's heart melted when he saw the 'lil guy...in the rain...and desperately wanted to scoop him up. He resisted, and the baby waddled off towards his momma. So, we missed Jump Day for the south condo...but it gave us hope for the north condo!

After Mikey saw the baby duck in the tall grass, he checked the nest box. Cracked shells and little feathers were all that remained.

A couple days later when we saw the momma duck fly out of the north condo for a meal (she had a very regular eating schedule), Mikey went out to assess the situation.

Listening closely for any baby quacks.

YES! He heard a very faint quacking...which actually sounded more like a bird chirping. This means Jump Day should be within the next day or so!

Mikey pondering about what to do next...

Gotta keep momma duck well-fed, so Mikey put out corn so she could stay her close to her nest box.

Let's tidy up and get the office windows sparkly-clean for clear picture-taking!

With the windows nice and clean, it's time to make some final adjustments to the camera lens and tripod. Everything's gotta be perfect for Jump Day!

In addition to the camera, Mikey also set up the IPad to video record the potential excitement.

A close-up of the nest box. We've been focusing intensely on that black hole for days!

Mikey the photographer is ready to get a jump on Jump Day! The bad news...this day ended up NOT being Jump Day. The good news...everything is all set up for the next day!

Here's a view from behind the nest box towards the house. If only the momma duck knew all we were doing in preparation for Jump Day!

Well, this is a surprise...the baby TURKEYS that we recently spotted on our land made an unexpected guest appearance (you can barely see them in this picture...in front of the two big turkeys!) We adore you baby turkeys, but we gotta keep Mikey's camera focused on the nest box! More on these cuties in a future blog post!

Our anticipation is building...are we going to see baby ducks or not?! Check back soon to find out!

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. 

Be courageous. Be strong. 

-1 Corinthians 16:13

Wildflower Wednesday

Welcome to “Wildflower Wednesday!” This is a new series dedicated to the beautiful wildflowers that Mikey has photographed on our land. 

©Life as an Artist’s Wife
Wildflowers from our land in NE Wisconsin.

From sprawling wide-angles to macro close-ups, we'll share a bountiful bouquet of wildflower photos over the next several weeks. Some of these wildflowers grow naturally in our woods and some grow in a very special wildflower garden that Mikey planted just for me! 

It brings us so much joy to watch these enchanting wildflowers blossom and we hope they brighten your day, too!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, 
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.

-Galatians 5:22

Wooing Wood Ducks - Part 2

Now for the conclusion of Wooing Wood Ducks…

We left off with the male duck trying to woo the female duck. Did his flashy feathers and stud muffin moves woo her off her webbed feet? Did she pick him out of all the other bachelor ducks to be her mate? 

YES!!!

Here are a few more of Mikey's pictures that capture this new budding romance...

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Awww...a perfectly posed picture of the happy couple! 

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Look at the proud hubby showing off!

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And how about the blushing bride's sweet face?!

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The happy couple needs to find a safe spot to build a nest. As they say in real estate - location, location, location!

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Well, this looks like a cozy place to nest! Wood Ducks opt for trees with holes near or above water. Mikey installed two nest boxes a few years ago, or as we refer to them, the "condos." This is the "north condo," which is a waterfront. The "south condo" sits back further in the woods.

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These are classy ducks with expensive taste...they're zeroing in on the waterfront condo. Good choice! It has all the amenities they're looking for in a nice home: it's a high rise, it's set in a heavily-wooded area, it's on the water, and there's no HOA fees!

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Home sweet home! With the female nestled inside and the male perched on top, we can stick a "SOLD" sign on this property!

Now it's time for mama to get all her ducks in a row. She'll line the inside of the box with her soft, fluffy feathers. She'll explore the area for food sources. She'll lay her eggs and wait patiently for them to hatch.

Since Mikey installed the nest boxes, we've been hoping to see some baby ducks.

Could this finally be our year?!

Just like the female duck, Mikey and I have to wait patiently for the eggs to hatch –  tick tock. And hopefully capture some photographs of the brood!  

We call this waiting period Operation Baby Duck Watch!

You can follow along with Operation Baby Duck Watch in some upcoming posts!

But if we hope for what we do not see, 

we wait for it with patience.

-Romans 8:25