Friday Foto Friends is Here Again!

It's time for Friday Fotos, Friends!  It's been kind of a busy week and yet not really that busy, but for some reason I just haven't had much time to spend here in Blogland or on Facebook. I think I've kind of been burned out by all the hype going on and just needed to pull away and focus on more calming and peaceful things.  It seems like many of us are suffering the same kinds of feelings and we need to allow ourselves to escape for a spell for sanity's sake.  So here are a few random photos from the week:

The baby Tufted Titmouses have flown the coop, left the nest, disappeared...I'm sure their parents have taken them to someplace of safety to teach them to fly and survive on their own.  But this was the scene at their house this morning...looks like they moved out in the early hours and left behind some of their nesting materials...

I will keep a watch out for them to see if they show up at the bird feeders with the parents anytime soon.

Speaking of showing up at the bird feeders, we have had a LOT of Blue Jays flying around and showing up at the bird feeders this week. Seems like another new family has moved into the neighborhood...

And here's another new youngster who discovered the secret bird feeder on my window.  Only a few privileged birds have discovered it, and this young Cardinal is one...she stayed there quite a while feasting on the seeds while none of the others knew where she was...   There are a lot of very young Cardinals out there, and I think she was hoping they wouldn't discover her secret stash.

This is right in front of my desk and computer, and I just sat here and watched and enjoyed the show.

Thursday morning I decided to take another ride around the pond in the kayak.  I know, it's hard to see me way out there. I need to teach my hubby how to use the zoom feature on the phone/camera...but you get the idea...It was a gorgeous morning.

And while I was paddling around, I spied this beautiful male Wood Duck in the pond.

But he promptly flew away as soon as he caught wind of me sneaking up on him.

So I just had to concentrate of taking pictures of all the other beauty around me as I paddled about:

See the bee in the lily above? I had to be careful as most every lily had a bee in it! But I guess that is a good sign! The honey bees seem to be alive and well here on Still Waters Pond!

This Pickerel Weed was really blooming even better this week, so I tried to get a little closer to get a good picture.

Did you notice what I did NOT notice until I put this picture on the computer?

Yes, that is a dragonfly right there beside the flower...and he stayed there for both pictures.

Now I wish I had zoomed in a little closer to get a better look at him, but this was good enough.

I guess he gets the prize for being the best photo bomber of the day!

I wanted you to see how pretty this location is where that Pickerel Week is growing, right under a lovely maple tree along the shore. The sun was really bright so the lighting isn't the best, but it was such a pretty spot and a very pleasant place.

Oh, I managed to pull up two water lilies today without tipping myself over! (and without getting stung by the bees!)

Now, here is another story from the week.

We were watching this beautiful Great White Egret fishing in the pond one day.

She was busily watching for a fish to catch and being ever so patient.

And then this Great Blue Heron flew in nearby and started fishing in the pond for his lunch as well.

All of a sudden the heron caught this fish! He did it so quickly we barely saw his head go down to snatch it from the water:

And then he sat there and devoured that fish whole...right down the gullet.

Well, we looked back over at the Egret, and she had this very jealous look on her face as she watched the heron catch that fish and eat it right in front of her! It was as if she was saying, "The nerve of him catching that fish in my pond and not even offering me a bite!"

As soon as the heron finished his meal, he moved on to other places looking for his next snack.

And what was so funny was this egret hurried right over to that same spot where she saw the heron catch that fish and started fishing there herself! Isn't that just like us?

We see someone else has better "luck" than we do with life and we get jealous and want to do exactly what they did to be successful.

But sometimes that just doesn't work out like we hope it will.  We weren't all meant to be herons. "Keeping up with the "Herons" in life isn't always such a good idea.

Maybe we should learn from these messages:

Matthew 6:33-34

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, 

and all these things shall be added to you.

34.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,

for tomorrow will worry about its own things.

Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Matthew 7:7-11

7.  "Ask, and it will be given to you;

Seek and you will find;

Knock, and it will be opened to you.

8.  For everyone who asks receives, 

and he who seeks finds, 

and to him who knocks it will be opened.

9.  Or what man is there among you who, 

if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?

10.  Or if he asks for a fish,

will he give him a serpent?

11.  If you then, being evil,

know how to give good gifts to your children,

how much more will your Father who is in heaven

give good things to those who ask Him!"

I hope you are having a good week and that God is taking good care of you!  It's been a long few months, but God has taken very good care of us. I am very thankful for the ways He watches over us and our loved ones.

Have a blessed day and weekend friends!