Tuesday 4 and More

 Here it is the first day of March already!!! Where did February go?  I guess it is "Gone with the Wind"!

As I turned the page on my calendar, I see this lady working in her garden already.  The cat is sleeping in the wheelbarrow, and the Robin is sitting in the tree, probably laughing at the cat and saying "He can't get me!"

I would  love to have a garden shed like this, but I probably wouldn't fill it with gardening things...that would be my sister's shed. (Especially since it has daffodils around it, her favorite flower!)  I just would like to have my own "she-shed" to "play in".  Maybe I could be inspired to do more gardening...or maybe inspired to make it a painting or writing studio...who knows?  

Anyway, seeing that lazy cat reminds me that we've had a very "active cat" in our yard lately, stalking our birds every morning. He loves to lay under the birdfeeder and just wait and see if any birds dare to come that close to him.  I keep trying to shoo him away, but he just gets up and saunters toward me, meowing as if we know each other and we should be friends!  Well, I do like cats, but not neighborhood cats who have no business in my yard preying on my birdies.  I won't be mean to him, so don't worry, but I really don't want him there.  I'm not sure who he belongs to or even if he does belong to anyone. He just kind of wanders around the neighborhood, but he looks well fed and healthy, so someone must be taking care of him. I would just prefer that he didn't wander into my yard and under my birdfeeders!  Okay, rant over! LOL.

March Weather or Not!

Welcome back to another Tuesday 4 in honor of Toni Taddeo it's founder.

They say March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.

 Sometimes it is the reverse. March has a
lot of happenings like March 1st the start of Mardi Gras, the 13th is Daylight Savings Time, the Ides of March on the 15th, St Patrick's Day on the 17th, the first day of Spring on the 20th this year March 29-31 are the "borrowing days" when weather is traditionally rough or stormy.

1. Do you celebrate Mardi Gras or St. Patrick's Day and how do you celebrate them?

I have never celebrated Mardi Gras nor have I ever been to New Orleans. Doesn't sound like something I would enjoy much.  But now St. Patrick's Day is a little different.  We always are certain to wear something green so we don't get "pinched"...and although I don't always cook any corned beef and cabbage on that day, I certainly won't turn it down if offered.  

2. Do you decorate for the spring in any way at all?

Yes, I do decorate for spring. I usually put a spring wreath on the front door and some kind of spring flowers on the table and around the kitchen area.  For St. Patrick's Day I like to have a little extra "green" in the decorations.  And I bring out my little Madame Alexander dolls from Ireland to add to the decor.

And last year was the first time we had Lily Grace to add to the festivities...

Of course I also decorate for Easter as we get a little closer to it, but since that isn't until April, we will save that for later.

3. Daylight savings time doesn't make the day longer. Experts say it puts kids heath at risk as well as contribute to heart problems for adults. Arizona and Hawaii don't change times. It began as "war time" so war workers in WW2 could come home in the light. What about you though? Are you happy to see it return or not?

I really am not too thrilled with the time change each spring and fall. It always takes me more than a week for my body time clock to make the adjustments. However, I do enjoy the longer hours of daylight in the summer. It gives us more time to take evening walks when it isn't quite as hot, or do some yard work after supper. But that's about the only good thing about it that I can see. I'd be just as happy if they left it alone.

4. How has the weather been in your neck of the woods as March approaches. What would be your ideal for weather?

Well, this past week was beautiful. Cooler mornings and warm, sunny afternoons, but not too humid or hot yet.  Today was different...cloudy and chilly and we finally got some much needed rain. It will be a little cooler tomorrow, and then I think it will warm up again as the week progresses. Here in Florida March can be a little mixture of everything...rainy, chilly, warm, sunny...and yes, it is usually windy too.

My ideal weather would be 50's-60's in the morning, and 70's up to 80 in the afternoon, with sunshine and breezes and low humidity. But we can't leave out the rain. Our flowers and trees and grass and even Still Waters Pond depend upon the rain to grow and be healthy!

Speaking of Still Waters Pond...on Sunday morning I woke up early in the morning feeling extremely dizzy. So dizzy that I literally got a little sick to my tummy, so I had to stay home from church. I went back to bed and slept a while longer, laying very still to keep the room from spinning around.  Finally when I woke up again I was not quite so dizzy thankfully, and I managed to get up and have a cup of tea and went and sat in  a recliner in front of the glass doors looking out over the pond. It was kind of a foggy morning, and it was as if God orchestrated the birds to put on a show for me so I could enjoy sitting there watching them.  Here's a few pictures that I managed to take.

Yes, the bluebirds were very actively working on building their nest in the bird house...

Well, Mr. Bluebird was standing guard while Mrs. Bluebird was busily building the nest...

The Ring Necked Ducks were swimming and bobbing up and down in the water, having a great time. Thankfully they were closer to shore where I could see them a bit better:

The female is the brown one on the left, and the male is the black and white one on the right.

There are lots and lots of these little birds...is this a warbler of some kind? Please tell me if you know:

Oh, there's a striking pose by Mr. Bluebird:

He is a handsome fellow, isn't he?

Mr. Squirrel was resting in the tree for a while, but usually he was chasing his brothers (or sisters) around through the trees and then also raiding the birdfeeders every chance he could:

Now, I am assuming these are Goldfinches in their winter plumage, which is not as bright as their spring and summer colors. But then again, I'm not sure. If you know for sure what these are, please tell me:

Mr. Red Bellied Woodpecker came knocking...

And playing "peek-a-boo"...

There were two of them, but I am not sure which is which:

And last but not least, Mr. Cardinal came calling too...Isn't he gorgeous against the foggy and diamond studded  background?

Yes, I thought this was a marvelous display of beauty from God's creation...just for me!  What a blessing. I certainly started feeling better after watching these lovely creatures...

Then I listened to our choir singing "Heaven Came Down and Glory Filled My Soul", which we pre-recorded last week, followed by our Pastor's Sermon from Luke 9:28-36, on the "Transfiguration of Christ":

I felt like "heaven came down" and filled my soul with God's glory as I watched the birds and thought about how much He loves us.  Here's the words to the song if you want to sing along: 

"O what a wonderful, wonderful day, day I will never forget

After I’d wandered in darkness away, Jesus my Savior I met

O what a tender, compassionate friend, He met the need of my heart

Shadows dispelling, with joy I am telling, He made all the darkness depart!

Heaven came down and glory filled my soul. When at the cross the Savior made me whole.

My sins were washed away, and my night was turned to day.

Heaven came down and glory filled by soul!

Born of the Spirit with life from above, into God’s family divine

Justified fully thro’ Calvary’s love, O what a standing is mine

And the transaction so quickly was made when as a sinner I came

Took of the offer of grace He did proffer

He saved me, O praise His dear name!

Heaven came down and glory filled my soul. When at the cross the Savior made me whole.

My sins were washed away, and my night was turned to day.

Heaven came down and glory filled by soul!

Now I’ve a hope that will surely endure after the passing of time

I have a future in heaven for sure, there is those mansions sublime.

And it’s because of that wonderful day when at the cross I believed

Riches eternal and blessings supernal

From His precious hand I received.

Heaven came down and glory filled my soul. When at the cross the Savior made me whole.

My sins were washed away, and my night was turned to day.

Heaven came down and glory filled by soul!"

I hope you enjoyed this visit today, and that you also enjoyed watching the birds with me. What a joy and blessing.  And yes, I am feeling mostly better, but I think I have some sinusitis or something of that nature brought on by allergies and the pollen, which is becoming quite "active" right now, both pine pollen and oak pollen, among many others.   So I am taking allergy medicine and trying to stay indoors away from the pollen as much as possible.  That is one of the downsides of spring here in Florida, but without the pollen, there would be no lovely trees, flowers, grasses, etc., so we have to take the good with the bad. 

Okay, now, please go over to "Tuesday 4" and see who else has something to share. Happy Springtime!