In short, the Wetlands. A mere 75km north of Winnipeg, the wetlands are a treasure trove of wild plants and flowers. What attracts most people to these wetlands is the abundance of medicinal plants, edible plants and orchids. Lots of orchids. Out of the 36 species of orchids in Manitoba, the Wetlands have 23 of them. That is an impressive number. While many of them can also be found elsewhere, largely diluted by other plants, here, they come fairly concentrated along a trail of about 2.5 kilometres.

The Brokenhead Wetlands are a cedar bog, a fen and a swamp, all rolled in one.

Read more: The Brokenhead Wetlands Interpretive Trail

People who know me will tell that I am not a morning person. Not that I stay in bed until noon every day, far from it. Getting up before the crack of dawn is not one of my favourite activities. But when I do get up, I want to make the most of it. That usually starts with a plan on the previous day.

Planning the trip for early morning is the least I can do, wandering about without aim while I could be in the warmth of my bed needs some motivation.

Read more: Early mornings

Doesn’t seem to make much of a difference, eh? When I first came across a 60mm macro lens a few years ago, I didn’t think I would be using it very much. After all shooting insects can only be done so many times before you start repeating yourself. Yet, if you add other subjects to that from up close, a macro lens can have a serious impact on your photographic life.

Nowadays I bring it out quite often. Walking in the woods, there is no reason to use a 600mm, after all, the trees hide the forest. A 60mm macro on the other hand will reveal tons of details in what you are seeing all around you.

Read more: 55 going on 60

Literally. All weekend. Instead of hunting birds I decided to go and hunt for some foreign landscapes. Many people here in Winnipeg or Manitoba will already know the places I will show here, but this was a first time for me. As usual, a first time anywhere is full of awe and wonder. Well, mostly.

When I was younger, I travelled a lot and saw many different places and cultures. Most of them good, some of them are off my list of destinations forever.

Read more: All gone south

Manitoba is dry this year. Winnipeg experiences driest April in 30 years, 4th driest on record, news outlets scream. And I wanted to go for a nice barbecue in the park. After all the fire pits are designed to keep a fire under control, right? Well, not so much. It all started with a handful of grass fires across the province.

The fires got out of hand and were uncontrollable within minutes. A local fire ban was quickly declared for the affected areas. High winds and more grass fires soon made that the fire bans were extended for the whole province.

Read more: Of BBQ and Fire bans

Spring, the long awaited season, probably the most anticipated season of the year here in Manitoba. At least if you listen to all the people complaining about the weather since November. What better sign of spring than the first flowers of the year? I’m not counting the Orchids from the Orchid Show each year in March, those have been prepared for months before the show. No, I’m talking of wildflowers, the Prairie Crocus.

The Prairie Crocus, which is not a crocus in the first place, is the first wildflower to appear on the sandy grounds of Manitoba. They appear overnight. One day there is nothing to be seen, the next has plenty of fuzzy buds and small flowers.

Read more: Looks like it’s here

Winter is dragging its feet to get out. Old Man Winter still has more stories to tell. By now, most people have had enough of winter and want to see something warmer. The quickest way is to go to Mexico on a beach and wait until the news of sunshine and warm temps reaches the beach. Or, one can try to find the signs of spring that hide beneath the snow.

Last weekend was kinda nice, temps around 0C, probably something like –0C, just enough to keep cold surfaces slippery. The little wind there was was enough to make you feel cold, but as soon as the wind died down, one was feeling warm. Where I come from, this is the weather that is the most prolific for germs; they arrive in the warmth and keep you busy in the cold.

Read more: Pre-spring mishmash