Friday Foto Friends, Fellowship, Flowers, New Life

Hello Friday Foto Friends: I am writing on Thursday night as I will be busy Friday morning.  We have had a very active week, but it's all good.  What pictures would you like to see?  Let me scroll back through the pictures of the week and see how this turns out...

The purple wisteria vine in the Memorial Garden is just starting to bud out...this is the first of the blossoms just beginning...

 I love how they all of a sudden just pop out of nowhere!! The vines look dry and dead...and then all of a sudden, presto! It's blooming!!!

I sat in the Secret Garden for a little while early this morning...things are starting to green  up more and more...and the little azalea plants that I planted last spring are starting to really bloom.

"Be Still and KNOW that I am God..."

Psalm 46:10   

(I'm trying hard to do just that, Lord...I need Your help!)

This azalea plant was different in that it has two different colors on one plant!!  Pretty!

 So many of the others I planted are plain white. Not sure I realized that last year...but am thinking these were leftovers and I just wanted to plant whatever could be found.  They are still pretty and make me smile.

 What I love about this little plant is that it was one of several that were planted on the front side of our house, which is too hot and sunny, and they were dying. So last year I transplanted them into the Secret Garden, which is cool and shady, and now they are beginning to thrive!  There IS something very special about The Secret Garden...

This is an ancient azalea bush in the backyard that blooms every year without any assistance from me! My kind of plant! And it is just getting started on its blossoms...

If you recall my little tea party last week Click HERE For that story, I showed you this delightful February teacup and said that it was to be a gift for a friend whose birthday was this week...and I hoped that she wasn't reading my post last week or it would spoil the surprise!  So, Wednesday we had a birthday party for my friend here after our morning Bible Study, and she opened this gift...and no! She had not read my post last week, so she was surprised. I don't know whether I should be insulted or not that she doesn't read my blog...LOL.  Just kidding...and actually, we are having another gathering for her tomorrow (Friday) with "family"...so she will be celebrating a lot! I told her to bring her tea cup and open it again since that was the only gift I had for her! LOL.  We do have a lot of fun.

After opening  gifts here at the house our Bible Study group went to lunch at a seafood restaurant on the St. John's River.  We love to walk down on the dock and look at the river, boats, alligators, etc.  One of my friends said she couldn't walk down on the dock because her shoes were uncomfortable and she didn't think she could make it down the steps to the dock in them. We compared shoe sizes and determined that maybe I could wear her uncomfortable fancy shoes and she could wear my comfy Skechers so that she could walk down with us.  Here I am wearing her fancy pumps with my socks.  It was just too cute to pass up! Ha ha.

And here we girls are down on the dock. We exchanged shoes back again when we got back inside...(no picture of that)

Today (Thursday) Hubby and I went to visit his mother at the nursing home. When we arrived she was having her hair and nails done in the salon.  I'd say she looks pretty wonderful for almost 95 years old, wouldn't you? Here she is with the beautician.

Now, back to the wildlife here:

This picture is actually of a "trap" to catch an alligator in the pond where the Sand Hill Crane has her nest.  We think there may be more than one gator, but they are not real large, so if caught they will be relocated to another location.  An alligator trapper man came and set this up...it is baited with some rancid beef...and they say it should work...but so far no gator has taken the bait.

Thankfully, as of this evening, mama crane is still safely sitting on the nest.  I understand that it takes about 32 days for the eggs to hatch...I don't know exactly when they started the nest...but I've been watching for at least two weeks.  I will keep you posted.  Just praying the gator(s) are trapped before the baby cranes are born.  The gator keeps hanging around the nest, waiting...

Some thoughts from God's Word ... (we read this passage this morning in our devotions)

Jeremiah 17:7-10

7.  "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,

and whose hope is the Lord.

8.  For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,

which spreads out its roots by the river,

and will not fear when heat comes;

but its leaf will be green,

and will not be anxious in the year of drought,

nor will cease from yielding fruit.

9.  The heart is deceitful above all things,

and desperately wicked;

Who can know it?

10.  I, the Lord, search the heart,

I test the mind,

Even to give every man according to his ways,

According to the fruit of his doings."

Certainly some thoughts to ponder in light of the events of the past month.  

Well, friends, I pray you have a wonderful weekend, filled with the Joy of the Lord and many happy moments with those you love.  Please stop over at our friend Deb's place on Friday  at Breathing in Grace and check out what others are sharing for Friday Foto Friends this week.