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!

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Friday Fotos : Things Are Looking Up!


 Hello Everyone!  I hope you have had a wonderful week! Here we are again...another Friday already!  (writing on Thursday night, however).  Some weeks just seem to drag by and we get to Friday and I have nothing to share with you...and have to go searching through the archives.
But this week seems to have been a good week for photos.   Or perhaps I've just been more observant than usual. That may be a good sign that things are looking up and I'm feeling more like participating!  Possibly because we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel and there is a sense of optimism in the air that everything is going to be okay.

I wonder what Mrs. Cardinal is trying to say to Mr. Cardinal..."Hey Red, Do you think we ought to tell the children where we are getting these seeds from?"

 "It might be easier than us having to keep taking the seeds over to them and feeding them one by one...seeing's how there are three of them over there waiting in the tree for their food!"


And then "Red" secretly showed up on my new window feeder, right in front of me as I was sitting here working. I don't think he told Mrs. Cardinal about his secret stash of the good stuff!
There she was. left on her own to keep gathering food for her youngins.  But they all looked healthy and happy and that's what matters! Things are definitely looking up!

After watching the birds here at home, we headed to our woodsy place to take our morning walk.
I was happy to see this beautiful "Buckeye" butterfly flitting about. He landed long enough for me to take his picture, and then off he went.


Here's another sweet little yellow wildflower, which I will have to look up and find out the name.
 Okay, it is a Piriqueta Cistoides, subsp.caroliniana.  Click HERE for more information.  I know you want to know!

Someone had cut up a tree and left the logs sitting in an area where people like to dump stuff in the woods. At least this is biodegradable.
 I wanted to gather them up and take them home and make stools to sit on in the yard for whenever we get a firepit.  But it would be easier to cut down one of our own big dead trees and do it right there than to try to lift these heavy stumps and haul them home.  Anyway, I appreciated having a little place to sit down and rest for a spell.

And then I got up and started walking again, and this beautiful Gulf Fritillary landed right in front of me and waited for me to take it's picture! I guess everyone was being quite the little "ham" today!!

Then we took a little ride out to the other side of town and down a road that we used to travel a lot before we moved over here as it was one of the routes we would take to come over back and forth. I have taken pictures of this old Florida "Cracker Style" house before, but I was inspired to take a few more pictures today. Now they have it all roped off with "Posted, No Trespassing" signs across the property, so I couldn't get any closer. Probably too many curious lookers have been stopping by.
  Can't you just envision the old folks that used to live and loved here? I hate to see it being let go to ruin, but I suppose it would be too costly to restore it.
 It's the style of house that I would dearly love to have (as long as it had indoor plumbing and electricity).  Here is a link to more information about Florida Cracker Style homes.

Yesterday evening I took this picture of a new rosebud on my Memorial "Don Juan" rosebush. See the cute little green grasshopper on it?

Here is that same rose this morning, and that grasshopper is still munching away.

So I thumped him off and cut the rose and brought it inside where I can enjoy it. This is yet another rose from our son's Memorial Rosebush, and again, it is blooming at another special time. Monday will be  the 6th anniversary of our son Matthew's passing, and I know I've told you this before, but this rosebush always seems to bloom around special dates in our lives. I always consider each blossom a gift from our son in heaven.

Tonight we took another walk, and I thought these clouds were encouraging...they look like rain could possibly be coming...but so far nothing. Please pray for rain! Our area of the state is very dry and that can be very dangerous when it starts getting so hot. Plus our poor little Still Waters Pond is really getting dry, and literally the waters are very still!
Seeing these clouds also reminds me that today is traditionally remembered as Ascension Day,  the day that our Lord ascended back into heaven, 40 days after His resurrection from the dead.  In the book of Acts 1:1-11, we see Jesus giving His last instructions to His disciples, and then in verse 9-11 it says:
9.  "Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched,
He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
10.  And while they looked steadfastly 
toward heaven as He went up, 
behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,
11.  who also said,
"Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven?  
This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven,
will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."

I don't know about you, but I am so looking forward to seeing Jesus come back "in like manner" as the Disciples saw Him go into heaven. I pray it will be soon.  Yes, then we will definitely be "looking up"!  I hope we are all ready for that grand and glorious day.


Have a blessed and wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. I will look forward to hearing all about it next week!

28 comments:

  1. The rose is beautiful and my prayers are with you all as you cherish the memories of dear Matthew. I love butterflies and your photos are wonderful! That's a cheerful yellow wildflower (I enjoyed reading about it) and the Cardinals are lovely, too. I wish you all a very blessed weekend.

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    1. Thank you, Mildred, for your prayers and kind thoughts. For us, Memorial Day this year will truly be a day of remembering since it falls on the same day that Matthew died 6 years ago. We plan to do something special here in our "garden" as a memorial for him. I love butterflies too, and am always happy when they oblige me with a pose long enough to snap their picture! And the wildflowers are changing every day...new ones are starting to open up and smile at us along the roads, so I feel like they need to be recognized and enjoyed! The Cardinals are always special guests in our yard. I do hope that you will have a wonderful weekend and that you will be able to enjoy some beautiful weather and times together.

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  2. another post filled with beauty and wonderfully encouraging words. It is so special to have that rose bloom right on those special days. I recalled today, that years ago my Hubby dug up a wild rose and planted it on our yard. it never bloomed, until two years ago and the first flowers opened on what would have been our wedding anniversary . Yes, I had tears when I looked at it.

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    1. Oh Ruth! I LOVE that story!! That is so beautiful! And yes, that was definitely a special gift to you from heaven on that special day! What a blessing! I love how God shows us His love when He blesses us in such sweet ways. Thank you for sharing your story. (((hugs)))

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  3. We did get rain down here this evening. Not much but it lasted for a little while. Hope it made it up your way too. I always love your photos but do miss seeing the night vision pictures of the bears and deer. Those night vision cameras might show some interesting sites from your back deck, looking out on your pond!!

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    1. I am glad that you got rain. We saw some powerful "heat lightning" to the south of us, but it never actually came up this far nor did it rain last night. I think there is some in the forecast today and tomorrow. I hope it makes it! We are VERY dry. I know, I miss the bear and deer roaming about our home. I was looking at some of my old pictures of them yesterday and missing them. But even if we had a night camera here I don't think we'd see much more than a opossum or raccoon and maybe an occasional deer. But I've thought about getting a night camera anyway just to see what goes on. Maybe for my birthday in the fall. We've had too many other priorities for our money lately! :)

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  4. Such pretty birds and butterfies and the flowers, especially the special rose. Hope you have a nice Memorial Day weekend.

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    1. Thank you, Linda. We are looking forward to seeing my sister and her hubby and my niece for the first time in a while. So it should be a great weekend. Hope that you and your family have a peaceful weekend and enjoy being settled in!!

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  5. I love those Cracker style homes and am even now imagining the rain on that tin roof. :) Thank you, as always, for sharing your beautiful surroundings with us.

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    1. Oh I know...I love the sound of rain on a tin roof. We have a metal roof on our current home, but with the insulation, etc., it isn't quite as noticeable as it would be in an old house like that. But I can still hear it pitter patter...I just wish it WOULD rain, whether I can hear it or not. We need it so badly. Thank you for visiting and I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

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  6. I always love all your photos, Pamela, but the ones you shot of the butterflies are truly amazing! Thanks for getting my Friday off to a beautiful start.
    Blessings!

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    1. Oh Martha, I am so glad you enjoyed the butterflies. I thought it was nice of them to pose for me. They don't often sit still that long, so I thanked them and then they flew away. I love the little messengers of hope and joy that God sends our way each day. We just have to be paying attention! Hope you have a blessed weekend.

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  7. What a beautiful post. I love all the birds and butterflies. You take such really good pictures. I saw a Cardinal this morning perched on top of a sign on the way to work. It would have been a great picture, but alas, I was on the way to work and didn't have my phone camera ready.

    I see Cardinals and blue jays a lot, but can never seem to get a good picture. One of these days I hope to get one as good as yours.

    Have a great weekend Pam!!

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    1. Thank you, Cathy. It's not so much the quality of the picture, but just the fact that you stopped and took the time to enjoy the beauty of the moment. The picture is a nice reminder of that lovely gift from God. Trust me, when I was working full time I didn't have much time to take pictures either. But we just have to appreciate the beauty of the moment and give God the glory. That is what matters most. I hope you have a blessed and beautiful weekend.

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  8. I wonder if that little cardinal wasn't saying hello too on the anniversary of your son's passing. I am glad that little rose bloomed right on time. Things are hard to understand and I often wonder how on earth anyone can get through it without the Lord.
    Anyway, I loved the cardinal pictures AND that home. It is truly lovely. It is hard to watch the old fade sometimes but we have to be forward thinkers too. Finding the right balance between old and new is what I say. Have a great weekend.
    I was just reading this morning about the Lord's return in my quiet time. Hmmm.

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    1. I do think Cardinals are special messengers, and I am always thankful for the "close encounters" we have with our birds, butterflies and even flowers. I consider them all to be special blessings from the Lord to show us His love and that He is thinking of us. And then when there is something extra special, I do think about my son and/or my parents and others who have gone on before us, and think perhaps they are sending their love too. Even if there is no such possibility, it is lovely to think of it and be blessed, and that is the purpose...to give God the glory for His sweet messages. I do believe it won't be long before we will be seeing heaven and all its glory for ourselves, when the Lord returns to take His children home. Thank you for visiting, and I hope you and your family have a blessed Memorial Day weekend.

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  9. Pamela, your photos are so beautiful and you have so many interesting things to look at, I don't see how you ever get anything done!!! Sweet little birdees, and the butterflies! Gorgeous! Now maybe you could have rolled those stumps home?? Lol!!! The roses are gorgeous. I read there are wildfires happening in Florida. Is that still happening? I wondered myself this morning if we might see Jesus coming back very soon. What a day that will be!!

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    1. Ha Ha, Nonnie...I probably DON'T get as much done as I should, but then again...I am retired. It will get done when it needs to get done, and if it doesn't, well...I enjoyed my day and the blessings God sent my way, and sometimes I think that is greater good. Ha Ha on rolling the stumps home. We now go walk at a location that is a couple of miles from our home and we have to drive to get there. That would have been quite the sight going down the highway! LOL. Would you like to come help me? :) I think the wildfires you heard about were up in the Panhandle area, near Pensacola area. I hope and think they are out now as I haven't heard anymore about them. But we are all very dry and it could happen here too. So please pray for rain. As far as Jesus returning soon...Yes, Lord!! Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus! Take your children home. This old world is getting too crazy. And yes, what a glorious day that will be!!! Praying we will all be ready when that day comes. Have a wonderful weekend. I hope you will be able to be with some family and/or friends. Blessings to you my friend.

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  10. Oh, I love all of your fotos, but especially the ones of the old house. It reminds me of my Mamaw's house that's been abandoned since she passed away 9 years ago. It's sad. And what a beautiful rose! Hope you have a great weekend! 💜

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    1. Oh my, Debbie! I hope your family will be able to do something special with your Mamaw's house before it gets too far gone! Those old houses don't last long when they are no longer being maintained. But I know how expensive it is to do that and it becomes a burden that no one seems to want (or be able) to do. :( I hope you have some good pictures of it, and I know you have wonderful memories there. Thank you for visiting and loving my beautiful rose! It definitely makes me smile when I look at it. I hope and pray your weekend is wonderfully blessed too.

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  11. "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven?
    This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven,
    will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."

    This is so powerful!

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    1. Yes it is...I am glad that you noticed that part of my post...which was THE most important part! We need to keep our eyes focused on "the eastern sky" as they say...I believe Christ's return is getting closer and closer every day. Have a blessed and beautiful weekend! Thank you for your thoughts always...

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  12. Beautiful photos, Pam, thank you for sharing. I love how God sends signs in creation of His love for us.

    Blessings!

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    1. With God there are always wonderful surprises in store for us if we just keep our eyes and ears open! Have a blessed weekend!

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  13. I loveeeeeee that house, my kind of house, smiles. My folks don't understand why I prefer an old house, sigh.

    Thank you Pamela for the smiles.

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    1. I love old houses too. They have so much more character and charm...but they do require more maintenance than a newer house and can become quite costly.I still love them, but at our "great age" we have opted for something that is lower maintenance. When you get your old house let me know so I can come visit and enjoy it with you! :)

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  14. I am so looking forward to His return. Sometimes when I'm porch sitting I look up and try to imagine what that day will look like, just to hear the blast of the trumpet and see Him calling us up. WoW, as our friend Cindy Conner says, it gives me holy bumps!! Great pictures today as always, really like the old house. If finances were not an issue I would much rather refurbish an old home than buy a brand new one. Hope your week-end is happy and blessed.

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  15. Pam: I truly love the pictures of the Florida Cracker house. I envision people sitting out on the porch snapping green beans from their garden. I see an old hound dog laying under the end of the porch, trying to keep cool. I hear the radio playing. Lum and Abner are at their store. Yes, I have southern roots. I remember traveling through Alabama a few years ago and seeing some houses like this one. Peace and blessings to you.

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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.