Friday Foto Friends-It's a Wild Life Out Here in the Woods

Dear Friday Foto Friends, Last week I didn't have anything new to share with you...but this week I've hit the jackpot it seems!! It's been a busy week in the wildlife kingdom here in my neck of the woods. Possibly the Full Moon earlier in the week had something to do with it...plus it is springtime, and the critters seem to be feeling frisky...

I was surprised to happen upon the Sand Hill Crane family early one morning out for a stroll...and the baby "colts" have gotten so big it is almost difficult to tell the difference between them and the parents:

 I love that they stick together as a family and now spend their days foraging for food throughout the community, not just around the pond. They are becoming more "sociable"...

Excuse me if you've seen any of these other pictures already, as I may have posted some of them on Facebook this week...but not all of you are there...so here goes...

This is a Swallow Tailed Kite...and I saw him gliding overhead before I could get my camera focused for a picture while in flight.  That was rather frustrating to me, and as I continued my walk down the road I said, "Lord, I wish I could see where that Kite flew ...I've never seen one perching before".  As we walked to the end of our road and then turned around to head back toward home, I looked up in the trees over to my right, and there, pretty as you please, sat this gorgeous white Swallow Tail Kite!!! She/he sat there for the longest time, allowing me to take as many pictures as I wanted. It's too bad it was quite a distance away, and the quality of the photo isn't great, but you get the idea!!

http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/swallow-tailed-kite

 He even ruffled his feathers for us to see!!  I was praising the Lord and thanking Him all the way back home for hearing my feeble little prayer and answering it so sweetly and quickly!! Our God is an amazing God...if He hears and answers these kinds of requests, just think what He will do with our really important prayers!!!!

And then, a little farther down the road I spied this Great Crested Flycatcher http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/great-crested-flycatcher  Isn't he a beauty?

Another morning we looked out the front windows and saw this deer having breakfast...

But he wasn't alone...

Thankfully these weren't any important plants/trees they were snacking on.  Just the new growth on some scrub oaks growing profusely in the woods... there's plenty more where those came from...

Even earlier another morning our wildlife camera spied this beautiful bobcat traipsing through our yard!  Or maybe this beautiful bobcat spied our wildlife camera...look at those eyes!

Isn't he magnificent?  Too bad it isn't in color.

Well now: Even earlier on that same morning we had quite a party in the yard!! Not just one, not just two, but THREE bears!!  I believe these two closest to us are twin cubs, and the other to the right is probably their mother, but it is difficult to tell her size...she looks kind of small...so could be another cub. 

These two were pretty interested in the swimming pool, not just for a drink...I think they wanted to stay awhile and play...

But they were pretty thirsty after all...

This one seemed to have a bath in mind...

Hey!!! Where'd every body else go???

I think this must be THE END of the story....

I hope you enjoyed this little walkabout my neighborhood.  We do have some interesting creatures here...so thankful for the natural beauty that God has placed before us to enjoy. Every day is a new day to look forward to.

Maybe this wasn't The End after all...there's always more to the story...

Jesus was preparing His disciples for His departure in John 14:1-6...and they weren't too sure they understood where He was going or how they would be able know the way there as well.   Jesus responded to them in verse 6:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through Me."

And then in verses 13 & 14 Jesus gives them some other good news:

"And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the son.

If you ask anything in My name, I will do it..."

To give them further comfort about His departure He reassured them this way:

18.  "I will not leave you orphans;

I will come to you.

19.  A little while longer and the world will see Me no more,

but you will see Me.

Because I live, you will live also."

27.  "Peace I leave with you,

My peace I give to you;

not as the world gives do I give to you.

Let not your heart be troubled,

neither let it be afraid."

Okay, Now it's The End of the Story!

Have a blessed and glorious day, my friends!

 Now let us stroll over to Deb's Place at Breathing in Grace and see what our other Friday Foto Friends have been up to.