Autumn Saturday Morning and All is Well

If you are a Facebook friend you may have already seen these photos. Sorry they are kind of blurry, but it was getting dark and it was zoomed in to across the pond...But anyway...we know it is fall here on Still Waters Pond because last night 10 Canada Geese landed and visited with Mr. and Mrs. Sand Hill Crane on their island for a spell.

They mulled about, chattering back and forth with each other...probably talked about the weather and how nice it was here and asking directions to the big lake where they can swim a bit, etc.

Our pond seems to be growing another marsh island...that area where they are standing used to be all water, but now it seems the land masses are shifting and it has become another little sand bar covered with dying water lilies. They tend to do that in the pond. I just hope they don't all end up covering the whole pond,  but anyway...it does give the geese and cranes more space to land and build nests, etc.

After they visited for a while I could tell that the Cranes were getting a little concerned that the geese were taking up too much of their space, so they started their loud raucous cries at them, and then the geese started muttering among themselves a little more loudly until they worked themselves up into a honking frenzy and the next thing I knew they were up in the air and flying away. Too quickly for me to get focused and get a picture, but it was quite a sight.

I am sure they will be back. This is the season for them to start congregating on our lakes and ponds for the winter months, so the excitement has begun!! Stay tuned for further developments!

Meanwhile:

Back on shore I got busy the other nice cool morning and did some work out in my little butterfly garden area.  We had removed all the garden decorations the previous week for the hurricane, and so now was a good time to try to get outside and clean up the garden and put it all back...

Yes, I know it still looks weedy. I did pull a lot of weeds and grasses away, but some of that stuff is also the remainder of the flowers that were planted.   Some are starting to die back for the winter I guess, so I will continue to prune and pull and clean up as the days go by. Next spring I may do things totally over and prepare the ground better before planting...but I tend to do things spontaneously without much forethought and that's what happens...

Oh well, it still looks a lot better than it did before I ever planted the garden. And I love my new little lawn ornaments.  I will not be putting any regular birdseed in these items because of the squirrels, but I am experimenting with Safflower seed in the glass bird feeder to see if the birds will eat it and the squirrel will ignore it because they don't like safflower seeds. So far so good...

Oh, changing gears a bit...back inside...It's been cool enough a few mornings this past week to turn on our fireplace...actually we didn't turn on the real heat part, just the lighted part that looks like a warm fire but isn't really warm yet. We mostly use this just for the ambience. It makes our house feel all warm and cozy!

Well, with that in mind, I will close for today. It's going to be another busy day.  We have our "Agape Luncheon" at church, which is a gathering of church family for a pot luck meal and fellowship. I think I am making a pot of Hobo Stew (recipe can be found HERE ) and some cornbread. At least that's the current plan.  We aren't going to Dixie Cottage this morning, but we shall see how things go. If things get really busy there, we may go in and help out for a while. We hope it does get busy...it's been kind of a slow week.

Okay, that's all folks! Have a blessed and beautiful day wherever you are!

Here's a thought for today:

1 Thessalonians 3:12

" And may the Lord make you increase 

and abound in love to one another and to all, 

just as we do to you,"