Friday Foto Friends...Around the Pond

 Here it is late Friday evening...and I am just getting around to posting this! Most of you won't see it until Saturday, so we could call it Saturday Foto Friends instead! LOL.  I really don't have a lot of great photos this week that I haven't already shown, so this will just be a mish mash of stuff from around the house and Still Waters Pond.  Let's see, where shall I begin?

How about with this Red Shouldered Hawk that was sitting up in a tree overlooking the pond this afternoon?  He was watching for something to have for supper I bet!

Sorry he is hiding his face behind that little branch...I was kind of at a distance and really couldn't see him that well, so I just started taking pictures, trying not to call too much attention to myself so he would stay put.

I think he knows I'm there anyway...

Right after this he took off flying across the pond and that was that...

Speaking of across the pond...one day this week we were driving around on a road on the other side of the pond, and it used to always be so full of brush and trees, etc., that you couldn't tell there was a pond there.  But someone recently bought that lot and cleared away the brush so now you can actually see the pond and walk down to it, and so of course that's what I did! This gives you a different view of the pond from the other side and also the back side of the two islands that are in the pond...

Years ago someone had built a pier over to that island and then beyond it onto the other island that is closer to our house.

It crossed over this canal to that island...

And there is what is left of it...it isn't functional anymore...I would not dare to try to walk on it.  I did kayak under it a few times back when I was strong enough to kayak around the pond.  Maybe I can find one of those pictures of under that dock...

Here are a few pictures from a couple of years ago when I was able to make that trip around the pond in the kayak...and here I am getting ready to go under that old dock...

We must always remember to stop and "smell the water lilies" along the way...

This is looking up from underneath the dock...I was a lot braver a few years ago than I am today...not sure I'd do that again now, but then again...maybe I might...I do miss going out in the kayak...it was so peaceful out there...

There were the Cat tails along the way...

And here I am...I made it around the pond and lived to tell about it, and brought home a lily to prove it! Again, this was a few years ago...I need to rebuild my strength in my arms before I venture out like that again anytime soon...

Now, back to the present...I was trying to see if you could see our  house from the other side of the pond, and thankfully you cannot!  At least not from this vantage point.  The islands tend to block the view...

And this is the view of that old dock from the shore, the way it looks now:  Kind of like the bridge to nowhere!   Or, a bridge too far, or something profound like that...

And here is an added bonus! These aerial views of Still Waters Pond were taken from a real estate series of photos via drone!  This gives you a pretty good idea of where the islands are:

That is our house to the left above, and pretty much in the center of the photo below, next to the pond:

Our house on right side of photo next to pond:

This one shows our shed, down on the left:

And again, that is our house down on the bottom center. You can see the highway on the other side of the trees to the left, and a business on the far side, top of photo. Because of that highway, our pond is not as quiet and tranquil as one would believe from my photos, but we've learned to just tune out the noise and enjoy the beauty, and listen for the songs of the birds instead...it's a good lesson to learn in order to have peace in the midst of the noise of the world...

Hope you enjoyed this bird's eye view of Still Waters Pond!

Here's the only other picture I took today of our turtles sunning themselves out on the little marsh island:

And we had a lovely sunrise yesterday morning...

I picked what I call "Fairy Flowers" in the yard yesterday...little tiny wildflowers that are popping up everywhere!!

And so I decided the fairies needed to come out and enjoy them as a centerpiece...

The view from both sides...

Last night our "kids" came over and we made spaghetti for supper, and they were "delighted" with this little fairy garden on the table.  My kids humor me a lot you might say...

And Lily Grace was getting ready for Valentine's Day...she sent out a few Valentine's Cards to some special friends...

Lily Grace says to send you all a great big hug and Happy Valentine's Day (week ahead!) too.

Today's verse on my little devotional book says:

"The Lord  God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet,

and He will make me walk on my high hills."  Habakkuk 3:19

Notice that says "high HILLS", not "high heels".  LOL.  I think most of us are past the age of wearing High heels...  And I love that this verse reminds us that God is our strength...and He will give us the strength we need to walk on whatever "high hills" may come before us...and even into the deep valleys on the other side of those hills. God is with us...our ever present help in every situation.  May we always remember that no matter what obstacles are in our path.  And who knows? Maybe I'll get that strength I need to make it around the pond again soon. That is my goal...as God gives me His strength day by day.

Okay folks, that's it for tonight! Have a blessed and beautiful weekend!