What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?

What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?
Remember: "When God closes a door, He always opens a window!" You never know what might be out there waiting for you!

Friday, August 20, 2021

My "Wild" Life in Review - Friday Foto Friends UPDATED

 Here it is late Friday afternoon, and I still don't have any new pictures to share with you for this week that you haven't already seen.  It's been too hot to go out and do much outside so we've been keeping cool inside and really not doing much of anything that we don't absolutely have to do! So, that being said, I've got nothing new to share with you. So I thought I might go back and find an old post that you might enjoy seeing again...or perhaps you haven't seen it at all before! 

This post was originally written  back in October of 2016, while we were still living in our house in the woods.  We left there exactly two years ago to move to our current home on Still Waters Pond, where life is a bit "quieter" and not quite as "wild" as before.

So here is the original post from October 2016..."My Wild Life in Review".... I hope you will enjoy this again!


"Ever since we moved to the Ocala National Forest almost five years ago, we have encountered many kinds of wildlife...oftentimes right here in our own front yard...and sometimes as we travel around the area "in search of" anything worthy of our notice...and to feed my "photography bug".   A few years ago my dear brother gave me a digital camera because I was the last one in the universe to still be using a film camera, and he happened to have an old Kodak EasyShare Z650 with a neat little attached zoom lens sitting in his cabinet, (he worked for Kodak) and when he gave that to me it opened up a whole new world!

So, for my Friday Foto Friends, here is a little bit of my "wild life" from just this past week.

We'll start out with our resident "Little Bear", who has been walking through our yard frequently over the past couple of months.  He started out looking much more scraggly and skinny than these pictures taken this afternoon. It appears that he is starting to fatten up as he prepares for winter.  Little Bear is probably just a year or two old, and apparently is an "orphan" bear, out on his own.  Our yard connects to the forest, and we discovered very soon after moving here that the bears claimed our yard as a part of their trail to the woods.  Click HERE for a previous post about our bears.



 I love how Little Bear stopped and posed for us before leaving the yard.  This picture makes him look a lot larger than he is, but it is definitely the same "Little Bear" as above.  He stopped and sniffed the air for a minute or two...trying to figure out where the noise was coming from...(we were INSIDE the house taking these pictures, I can assure you)
 Bye Bye Little Bear!

We also have a wildlife "night camera" that takes pictures of animals walking through our yard at night.  This is a bobcat prowling around.  We often also get pictures of coyotes, foxes, raccoons, deer, and of course, the bears...

If you've kept up with any previous posts recently, you've already seen my deer...but here they were one evening this week...the fawns have really grown up and no longer have any spots.  I've enjoyed watching their antics this past summer.  I pray they and their mother all make it through hunting season, which will be starting soon....(sorry to add a sad thought in the midst of this, but that is the reality of life in the big woods)

Now, this next batch of pictures I must admit was not taken in our yard or neighborhood.  However, we were invited to go play golf (that's another story that I'll explain later) with some friends yesterday, and the golf course proved to be a nature wonderland for me with my camera. (I don't play golf...so guess what I did?)  

Here is a critter that I have been trying to capture on camera for a long time.  This is a Fox Squirrel. (Click HERE for more info on this )  They live in the pine and oak woodlands around the forest, but are rapidly becoming almost extinct because of so much development.  I've seen some along the road near where we live, but by the time we can stop the car and get the camera focused, they are long gone. So you can imagine my joy and excitement as not one, but several fox squirrels showed up to watch us play!  Apparently people feed them and so they don't seem to be too afraid to come near.




When he ran up the tree he spread out on the limb like this and pretended we couldn't see him...


They were so much fun to watch...my friends had to keep reminding me that we had to keep moving on to the next hole on the fairway...

I did actually try to putt when we got to each hole, but I didn't attempt any long shots. We would have spent too much time trying to find the golf balls...

Here's the rest of our group. They were the serious golfers...
I was just along for the ride, and after a while my friend even trusted me to drive the golf cart, which was another first for me:


Well, back to the "Wild Life"....when we got to the 14th hole, (yes, I can't believe we actually played 18 holes...), there was some other interesting "wild life" to keep me entertained while the rest of them tried to hit the golf balls:

Out of the woods came this whole flock of wild turkeys:





 This one was looking at me with a rather disgusted look...and I think someone must have told her that Thanksgiving is coming in a few weeks...
So on that note, I will end this wild tale...and remind us that we ought always to be thankful!  I am very thankful for our home, for the wonderful creatures God has created and that we are privileged to enjoy, and also for good friends and family who brighten our lives and encourage us to step out on the "wild side" and try something new...

In the book of Philippians, chapter 4 verses 4-7, we are given the "secret of the peace of God" (according to the heading in my Bible)

"Rejoice in the Lord always.
Again I will say, rejoice!
Let your gentleness be known to all men.
The Lord is at hand.
Be anxious for nothing,
but in everything by prayer and supplication, 
with Thanksgiving,
let your requests be made known to God;
and the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding, 
will guard your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus."


35 comments:

  1. I love wild life to Pamela, your kind of wild life! I think I would stay in the house to take those bear photo's too. Good photo's.

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    1. Thank you Sylvia. Yes, I don't venture outside when I know there is a bear around. I have accidentally stumbled onto a bear in the road when I was out for a walk, and after we had a stare-down, he finally moseyed on his way back into the woods. I am very careful and try to make lots of noise when I go out alone.

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  2. I loved seeing all of the wild creatures in your post, Pam. It is not uncommon for us to see black bears in our neighborhood as well as flocks of turkeys. I especially enjoyed seeing the pictures of the fox squirrel! I get tickled how they lay down like that in hopes that humans don't see them. You do a great job with your camera!

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    1. Thank you Dianna! I am so glad you stopped by for a "visit" to my "wild kingdom"! LOL. What part of the country do you live in? Do you find the black bears to be aggressive or mostly just minding their own business unless challenged or when their cubs are near? Ours are mostly non-aggressive here, but they do love garbage, so we all have to be very careful not to leave any food outside at all, especially in a car. Thank you for enjoying the view with me today.

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  3. What a wild life parade at your house! Almost like a Disney movie. Little Bear is certainly getting big. We have lots of squirrels at my house. I think they are tree squirrels. I think I have that same Kodak Easy Share camera. I'm wanting to get a new one. Maybe soon. Have a great day.

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    1. Hi Melanie! I am glad you enjoyed the wildlife "parade". The funny thing is, when you are looking for them, they never show up. They always like to take us totally by surprise. That is why I keep my camera close by all the time, because you never know what might show up and pose for you! I love my camera. It is getting old, but I can't afford a new one, and this one is so simple to use with great results. I hope it doesn't quit on me! Have a blessed day my friend!

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  4. Wow!! So many creatures around your house. Your photos are wonderful and I love the Little Bear and the squirrel. So cute. But I also liked the turkeys and you in the golf cart! What a fun day.

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    1. Thank you Nonnie! Yes, we do have a lot of God's creatures around us here, and it is such a privilege to be able to watch them in their natural state. We did have a fun day...I'm so glad my friends knew that I would be more interested in the wildlife than in golfing...and they planned it that way on purpose. Such great friends! God is good!

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  5. My Goodness, You do have a lot of wild life! That is such a pretty squirrel. The ones here are just all-over light gray and we have lots of them :)

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    1. Thank you Karen. Yes, we are blessed with our little "wild kingdom" here. The fox squirrels are very interesting. They are much larger than the normal grey squirrels, and tend to be more friendly. However, they are rapidly disappearing, so I am so happy I had this opportunity to get some good pictures. I hope your day is filled with pleasant surprises!

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  6. I always enjoy your wildlife pictures. What a wonderful place to live. Hope you're having a very blessed and happy day!!

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    1. Thank you Mary. I am so glad you enjoyed visiting our little "wild kingdom" here. It is a wonderful place to live. God is so good to us to give us this privilege. I hope your day is filled with joy and blessing as well.

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  7. I really enjoyed seeing all the animals. That squirrel is a unique color as i never saw one like that before. Ive seen the black in Canada and here in NJ ours are gray but that one is really neat!
    Lovely photos. We are so blessed in this nation with wonderful scenery.

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    1. Thank you Annie. The fox squirrel is very unique and becoming endangered, so I feel privileged to have had this little "meeting" with them. Yes, we are so blessed here in America with so much diversity in nature and land. Our God is an awesome creator/master designer!

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  8. Absolutely awesome pictures. I still can't believe you have bears walking right through your yard...that's amazing!!! So glad you have the camera to capture the pics at night. And, I've never heard of the fox squirrel. We have lots of gray ones here in East Tennessee, but I've never seen one like that...unique! Thanks so much for sharing....HOPE your weekend is blessed.

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    1. Thank you Debbie. This little bear seems to like walking through our yard every afternoon lately...saw him again today. The bears always seem to take the same trail, which tells me that is an ancient bear trail since before we humans invaded their space. So, I give them their space...and enjoy the view. We all have such interesting places and things to enjoy here in our beautiful country. So happy for this weekly photo op to meet such wonderful people and see such lovely sights! Thank you.

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  9. Fantastic photos Pamela. We too get black bear, deer, squirrels, wild turkeys, raccoons, red and grey fox etc. here in upstate NY too. I've never see a black head squirrel, here the are grey. Amazing photos, thanks for sharing. Have a blessed weekend my friend.

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    1. THank you Toni. Yes, the fox squirrel is unique and interesting, and becoming an endangered species because of so much development in its natural habitat...so I feel privileged to have had this little time with them! Thank you for stopping by! Have a blessed weekend too!!

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  10. Wonderful photos and what a fantastic place to live (though I would always be afraid to walk out the door without making a LOT of noise first). The bear is amazing and those squirrels are really something! I've never seen one like that before. Interesting.

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    1. I DO make a lot of noise, especially after dark. We also make noise as we take walks, because we never know what may be ready to come out of the woods as we approach. The fox squirrels used to be quite prolific in this part of the state, but they are becoming endangered due to so much development. So I was happy to have this opportunity to watch them for a spell. Have a blessed and wonderful weekend!

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  11. Marvelous photos, Pamela! I especially enjoyed the ones of the Fox Squirrels. I never knew this species even existed. What a treat!
    Blessings!

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    1. It just shows we are never too old to learn something new! Glad you enjoyed the pictures! Thank you for stopping by! Have a blessed day!

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  12. So much wildlife!

    I just want to give that little bear a hug. There's probably a reason not to...

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    1. Yes, probably a very good reason...I don't think he'd let you get close enough anyway. He's more afraid of us than we are of him...well, maybe not, but we both have a healthy respect for one another! LOL

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    2. Funny...just read this again and had the same thought. Little Bear needs a hug!

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    3. Ha Ha Sandi! I guess your thinking hasn't changed much in 5 years! LOL. Funny. Thanks for coming back again!!! I always love to hear from you.

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  13. Hi Pam, what a fun post! You do have alot of wildlife visiting and you take beautiful pictures of them! We have lots too but no wild cats here! ( But we don't have a night camera!) Hope your temps are cooling down, mine certainly are! Have a great week!

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  14. Hi Pam, what a fun post! You do have alot of wildlife visiting and you take beautiful pictures of them! We have lots too but no wild cats here! ( But we don't have a night camera!) Hope your temps are cooling down, mine certainly are! Have a great week!

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  15. We sure see a lot of wildlife here in Florida. We haven't seen a Fox Squirrel in a long time and would love to see one again. Too hot to get out lately! Enjoy your weekend!

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    1. Yes we do have some interesting wildlife here. The Fox Squirrel is becoming more and more rare in this part of FL. Too many developments. Same with the bear and bobcats and deer...too many people. It's sad. I really wish we could somehow shut the doors to Florida and not let anymore people in...LOL. Yes, it is way too hot. We took a ride today back to Salt Springs, and I got out and took a few pictures, but was glad to get back in the car. Hope you have a great weekend too.

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  16. Oh, I love every little thing about this post. So glad you re-ran it ... doubly glad I signed up with the 'Follow' gadget b/c it's not showing up in my Blogger read list. I've had several people try to teach me to play golf, to no avail. First, I'm totally uncoordinated, 2nd, they took it WAY too seriously and finally -- I'm like, "Why? This is a stupid game." (LOL)
    LOVE the black bears so much. What a thrill to see them wander across your yard so nonchalant. Forgive me if I've asked before (I can't remember) -- have you read Emory's Gift? It's such a sweet coming-of-age story with a surprising Christian ending.

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    1. Thank you, Myra. I'm so glad you found this and read and enjoyed it. I love to go back and look at some of these old posts and remember how much fun it was to see these wild creatures up close and personal! LOL. And I agree with you about golf. Not my kind of fun...same reasons you stated exactly! And it's expensive! But, our son Scott works for a golf course so I have to appreciate the sport since it keeps him well employed! No, I haven't read Emory's Gift. I must look it up and see what it is all about. Thank you for telling me. HOpe you are having a great weekend.

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  17. Thank you for the prayers Pam! Love your pictures. They remind me of a song we sang in church "All Creatures of our God and King."

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  18. You are so right about the heat -- it's just been way too hot to be outdoors for any length of time. Looking forward to cooler weather!!

    Have a blessed Sunday.

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  19. Your photos are just gorgeous. That squirrel was posing for you. I was never any good at golf or tennis. I love your words here. SO encouraging. Thank you . I hope you are having a blessed week.

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Thank you for visiting here today. I would love for you to sign my guestbook and let me know you stopped by. I always enjoy reading your comments and words of encouragement! May you be blessed as you go on your way. Please come back and visit again soon.