Change Is In the Air

There are subtle changes in the air...even though it is still very hot and steamy here in Florida,

there are little signs that we are about to go through a seasonal change.

 

This little dragonfly has been busily sipping nectar from the ends of these wildflower plants that are just about ready to start opening up.

I've been noticing them every time we take a walk, and there is a particular kind of wildflower stem that has little buds right at the tip top ready to bloom, and these dragonflies love to land on them and get a little sip of something good.

In the tree tops the Red Shouldered Hawks have been very active. This one is in the tall pine tree next to our house.  The Mississippi Kites who were guarding that spot seem to have disappeared, and now the Red Shouldered Hawk has regained his command of this watchtower.

Isn't he beautiful?

He rules the bird kingdom surrounding Still Waters Pond.

Just below his perch is this magnificent holly tree, and I couldn't help but notice how many berries it has! It is fully loaded, and they are beginning to change colors from green to yellow and soon to red. I don't even remember seeing these berries in the top of this tree last year...so maybe this huge crop means we are going to have a colder winter...(In Florida that might mean we'll get to wear our jackets and gloves occasionally!)

This is that same tree as viewed from the porch. It also shades our Secret Memorial Garden.

Around on the other side of our yard overlooking the pond is another big holly tree, and its berries are almost red already!  This seems really early to me.  But the birds are really going to love all these berries!

On the far side of the pond are these lovely maple trees, and they are already starting to turn red!

When we see maple leaves turning color, we get all excited because that means fall is just around the corner...or else it means we are in some other state because Florida really doesn't have as many beautiful autumn leaves as most places to the north of us. So we treasure every rare sighting of them.

I am looking forward to sitting on our porch and obeying every one of these "rules" as soon as the temperatures drop about ten more degrees, with no humidity.

Golf anyone?  I saw this strange sight in our wooded area on our property today, and I thought our son had forgotten to hit this golf ball and left it there on a tee.  Upon closer inspection I realized it was a mushroom!

Sure fooled me! It was even the same size as a golf ball!!

Along the edge of the pond there are a lot of grassy weeds growing. We were going to have someone come and cut them back so it wouldn't look too "snakey" around the pond. But upon closer inspection I found many new buds of wildflowers about to open.

These in particular I've never seen before:

And so I told my hubby that I'd prefer that we don't mow or cut them down until we get to see just what will be blooming there. Last year when we moved into this house we had someone clear that whole area, and so we never got to see what was growing there. I don't want to miss out on the natural beauty that God paints for us with each new season.

Of course, we still have plenty of the water lilies and lily pads in the pond. Even though the lilies are lovely, I wouldn't mind if someone could come and clean out a large portion of the lily pads so that I could paddle around in the kayak again.  Right now it is just too overrun with lily pads to navigate through them.

Do you see what I see?

Look closely....

And this is just another lovely view of the little island in the pond. I'd love to be able to paddle around it again. Maybe when it cools down a bit the lilies will die back some so I can get through.

Many of you were so sweet to wish our son a Happy Birthday. Here he is blowing out his candles after we sang Happy Birthday to him. On the far right is our Pastor and his wife, who came to enjoy the celebration with us.  Left to right: Hubby, son #3, (Scott), Daughter in Love (Rose), and son #1 (Benton), Pastor Dave and wife Carol. She is also our music and worship leader for our church.

And here I am with Rose and Benton.  We had a wonderful lasagna dinner prior to the delicious chocolate cake and ice cream. Rose baked the cake and also helped me with the lasagna. She is a great cook! 

You will notice that the number on the cake is 49.  Next year our son will enter a new decade in his life! It is hard for me to believe that I have a son who is almost 50 years old! How can that be? Where has the time gone?  Seems like only yesterday that I was anxiously awaiting his very late and long delivery. He was 2 and 1/2 weeks late and weighed 9 lbs. 13 1/2 ounces at birth!  Needless to say I was very happy to have him make his grand entrance into the world!  He is a joy and a blessing, and we are very blessed to have him. (along with the rest of our beautiful family too, of course, but this is about him!)

Seems like only yesterday he looked like this! (at 3 months old)

Makes me think of that song from Fiddler on the Roof:

"Is this the little girl I carried?

Is this the little boy at play?

I don't remember growing older

When did they?

When she did get to be a beauty?

When did he grow to be this tall?

Wasn't it yesterday when they were small?

Sunrise, sunset

Swiftly flow the days

Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers

Blossoming even as we gaze

Sunrise, sunset

Swiftly fly the years

One season following another

Laden with happiness and tears"

Thinking about the change of  seasons and seasons of life always reminds me of this passage from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.  I know it is familiar to most everyone, but when I look at the things that are happening in our world and country these days, these words become even more clear:

1

To everything there is a season,

A time for every purpose under heaven:

2 

A time to be born,

And a time to die;

A time to plant,

And a time to pluck what is planted;

3 

A time to kill,

And a time to heal;

A time to break down,

And a time to build up;

4 

A time to weep,

And a time to laugh;

A time to mourn,

And a time to dance;

5 

A time to cast away stones,

And a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace,

And a time to refrain from embracing;

6 

A time to gain,

And a time to lose;

A time to keep,

And a time to throw away;

7 

A time to tear,

And a time to sew;

A time to keep silence,

And a time to speak;

8 

A time to love,

And a time to hate;

A time of war,

And a time of peace.

Personally, I am looking forward to that "time to love, and a time of peace."  I think we've had too much time to hate ,  and too much time to "refrain from embracing". I think we've also had more than enough time to "keep silence"...many of us need to find that "time to speak"...and there has been way too much "time to kill"...we need time to heal and time to build up...no more casting stones...I'm looking forward to the day when there will be no more weeping and we can laugh out loud once again...and then we need to just dance.     Anybody else with me here?  

Praying for our country to heal...and praying that we will soon be able to laugh, embrace, and dance.

Have a blessed and beautiful Sunday tomorrow. If at all possible where you are, please try to attend the worship services of your choice.  If unable to attend in person, then please tune in to a church service online.  Here is the link to our church if you don't have one:

I hope you will enjoy this message and the music at the beginning.

Our praise the team is singing "Soon And Very Soon"

Soon and very soon we are going to see the king

Soon and very soon we are going to see the king

Soon and very soon we are going to see the king

Hallelujah hallelujah

We are going to see the king

No more crying there

No more crying there

No more crying there

Hallelujah hallelujah

We are going to see the king

No more dying there

No more dying there

No more dying there

Hallelujah hallelujah

We are going to see the king

Soon and very soon we are going to see the king

Soon and very soon we are going to see the king

Soon and very soon we are going to see the king

Hallelujah hallelujah

We are going to see the king!

I hope you are ready to see "the King"... the times and the seasons tell us that it might not be long!!