Monday Monday! Another Day of Adventures on Still Waters Pond

 It's been another Monday Monday!  Actually, not a bad day at all. Started out early this morning with both hubby and I having fasting blood/lab tests done, so of course we had to go to breakfast after that!  We went to one of our local diners, which was actually our only local choice because the other one was closed for today to continue in their renovations  since they have new owners.  So we went to Nanna's Country Cafe'

And we had the Senior Breakfast specials for $6.99 (+ coffee or tea).   We each had ample servings  and delicious food!

For you who don't know what grits are, that's what that white stuff is above next to the biscuit and eggs and sausage. (hubby's plate).

My plate is below, with the Cinnamon Raisin toast, bacon , eggs, and hash browns. (There were three pieces of bacon before I took this picture  LOL).  

Speaking of doctor's office and lab tests, etc., I actually had been to the doctor a week ago because of a certain kind of issue I was having, and I was put on this very strong antibiotic for 10 days.  I really wasn't pleased about that because I know what kind of side effects this particular medicine can have...here are literally 6 pages full of potential side effects and warnings!

So I really prayed about it before taking it, because I definitely did not want any of those side effects to happen to me!  I remember my MIL used to have to be put on this medicine quite frequently when she was in her late 80's, and some of the side effects are hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, confusion, nightmares, agitation...just to name a few!   And she literally had all of the above.  She was still living alone at that point in her life, and we would get all kinds of phone calls about the things she was seeing and imagining and fearing, so much so that she would call the police.  We even went and spent the night with her to try to prove that the things she was seeing just weren't true, but she didn't believe us.  It wasn't long after that she came to live with us  for a period of time, and then with her other son, and so on and so on.  Thankfully she had some surgery that corrected one of her issues that required taking this medicine, and those scary side effects finally stopped.  Anyway, at that particular time, we did not realize that this medication had those kinds of side effects. Had we known, we probably could've made sure her doctor was aware and she could have been given something different.    So with all of that history, you can see why I have my reservations about taking this particular medicine.

I've been on it for a week now, and I want to thank the Lord for hearing my prayers and sparing me  from having any real negative side effects at all. About the only thing I have noticed (and my husband also commented on this) is that I've been much more talkative than usual and more animated. If you know me, you will say "uh oh!" That could mean trouble. LOL.   Oh, and by the way, the condition for which I have been prescribed this medicine seems to be cleared up and I am feeling so much better...but I still have to finish taking all of the prescription for 10 days so it won't come back. I'm trying really hard to be a good patient. LOL.  I am very thankful to God for answering my prayers about this!

(You can probably tell I've been a lot more loquacious here in my blog posts as well! LOL).

Well, moving right along, we've been having some issues with these Muscovy Ducks, who seem to think our porch and the cats' food and our yard all belong to them. They are definitely disturbing the peace of our Still Waters Pond for us, the cats, the Cranes and the Geese.  So today I called a place that sells farm animals and feed, etc. (Deep Creek Farms) to see if they knew anyone who would like to come and get these ducks.  They did, and a nice couple/family stopped by this afternoon to check out the situation.  After seeing the ducks they said they would be back tomorrow afternoon with appropriate nets to catch them and take them to their pond, where they have a LOT of these ducks and they breed them and sell the eggs and also the male ducklings to some other farmer who also has a purpose for them (I won't say what exactly).  Anyway, I am praying that all works out and they have no problem catching them.  Everytime I go out to feed the cats they come flying up there  to eat their food, and then they keep coming back multiple times and drink their water (when they have a whole pond to drink from!!!) and basically the cats are a bit nervous about them and not getting to eat their own food and I am tired of running them off of the deck everytime I see them out there!  

Speaking of the cats...A.K.A., "Blackie Sue" and "Sunshine"... This lady that came about the ducks also has a lot of cats and knows more about them than I do.  I asked her to look at Blackie Sue and tell me what she thinks, whether or not she is expecting.  She literally picked her up and held her like a baby in her arms! (I'm too afraid to try that, but yes, someone asked me if they let me touch them, and yes, I pet them all the time and even brushed Sunshine's hair!)   Anyway, she confirmed that Blackie Sue is indeed pregnant.  Great!  And then she took a good look at Sunshine...and stated that Sunshine is definitely a HE, and most likely the FATHER of Blackie Sue's kittens! Oh great! And here I just thought they were good friends! A lot I know!! LOL.

Blackie Sue has been hanging around a lot more all day long these days...this lady said probably in about a month her kittens should be born...

Yeah...don't give me that "I told you so look".  LOL.

No wonder they are so chummy!  

Although I never knew cats were actually "chummy" with their mates. I thought it was usually more like a one night stand type thing.

Sunshine, And here I thought you were an old granny cat!  Sure had me fooled, you old tom-cat! LOL.

Apparently, most orange cats are usually male...about 80%, due to something to do with their chromosomes.  Here's a link to one study about this for more information.

Learn something new every day!   

Okay, so enough of this! What about the Cranes?  Here's the latest pictures from this evening...

Yes, I think they grew another inch overnight...

While the Crane Family was trying to have a peaceful supper, the Geese kept creeping up closer and closer to them...

And Papa Crane turned around and chased Mr. Goose away...

Flap flap flap, honk honk honk...You'd think he'd learn his lesson...

But no, he just kept creeping up from behind them...

And Papa Crane turned around and chased him off again...

"I told you to go away and stay away!!"

Meanwhile the ducks are having their own pow-wow about how to get back up on the porch with me standing there taking pictures of the Cranes and Geese...

The Geese sneak around and finally make it back to the pond...

and the ducks stood off at a distance and looked like they were laughing about the whole thing.  They were a bit smarter today and stayed out of the way of the Crane Family.

Oh, unbeknownst to me, hubby was also watching all the action out on the porch and yard, and taking pictures of this funny looking "chick" creeping across the porch in search of those crazy ducks who kept flying up to the porch everytime I'd turn my back.

(do you see the cranes down on the ground?)

Oh, hello! I just noticed him there taking pictures!

I'm not sure if I was looking back at the geese, or the ducks, or the cranes, or the cats at this point...it was one crazy time of activity going on!

Hello !

Well, on that note, I think it's time to close this post down for the night. Tomorrow morning we have to head out early for hubby's eye appointment about an hour away again...so I probably won't be too active here in blogland or out on the porch overlooking Still Waters Pond for most of the day either...so I will have to catch up with you all later. No Foolin'!!  Tomorrow is also April Fool's Day!! Wow! I hope no one plays any tricks on any of us!

Here's some words of wisdom and a prayer for guidance for the day...

Psalm 5:1-3 NKJV

A Prayer for Guidance

"1 Give ear to my words, O Lord,

Consider my meditation.

2 Give heed to the voice of my cry,

My King and my God,

For to You I will pray.

3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;

In the morning I will direct it to You,

And I will look up."

Amen.

Hope to see you all again soon.  Thank you for visiting! You always make my day extra special.

Rainy Sunday Afternoon on Still Waters Pond

Today, Sunday, has been a lovely day...after church we had our 5th Sunday Covered Dish Luncheon, which was well attended and LOTS of good food! I forgot to take any pictures, but if you've ever been to any small town country church covered dish dinner, you know what it's like!  I think the Pastor called it something like "welcome to Crock Pot Heaven".  LOL.  Yes, there were LOTS of crock pots filled with all kinds of good stuff, spaghetti and meatballs, beef a roni,  BBQ meatballs, pork and gravy with rice, baked beans, baked chicken and fried chicken, etc., and then there were things like chicken enchiladas and smoked sausages and jello salads, coleslaw, and then desserts...blueberry cobbler, apple cobbler, some kind of cherry cheese cakes, chocolate cake, pound cake, cake with pretty pink icing, everything except for any healthy foods like green vegetables and fruit! Oh well! I guess we won't die if we missed a carrot stick or a pineapple chunk. LOL.

When we came out of the church fellowship hall after dinner it was pouring down rain, which of course we needed very badly, but it made for a lot of figuring out how to get to the parking lot with our empty casseroles and other bags, etc., and hold the umbrella in place so we didn't get drowned.  We survived and by the time we got home the rain had pretty well stopped, but it kind of came back again in waves. That's okay...we need it!

So, all that being said, what else is going on out here in our neck of the woods, or along the shore of our pond?  Well, some of these pictures were taken yesterday afternoon, and then some today...

I hope you don't get tired of seeing the Sand Hill Crane family.  Oh, someone mentioned in my last post they wondered why the babies were called "colts".  Well it is because of their long legs.  If you look at a baby horse COLT, and a baby Sand Hill Crane COLT, you will see those similarities in their legs, right from the very beginning!

 These babies are born ready to run and follow their long legged parents around everywhere they go right from within an hour or so of hatching from the egg!

And as you can see by these pictures, they grow very rapidly! 

 

I really never tire of watching them, and am so thankful to have a front row seat to do just that while it lasts.

There is definitely never a dull moment around here...I've already told you about these Muscovy ducks and what a pain they are.  They fly up on the porch and eat the cat's food, they try to get close to the Cranes and/or geese and eat whatever they are eating, and they tend to make a general muisance of themselves. I am thinking about finding a farmer or someone who thinks he wants them to come and trap them.  

The Canada Geese are right close by too, but at least they are more polite, and they have become my champions by chasing off the ducks.  Then they strut right past our porch honking and talking to me as if to say, "There, I took care of those pesky ducks. Now may I please have a reward?"  And they know I will probably toss them a few birdseeds to thank them.  We've become allies in the battle against the ducks.

Spring and Trumpet are pretty oblivious to all of the antics going on around them...they just want to know where the food is and they stay really close to Mama and Daddy.

Hey! Which way did they go???

Oh, thank goodness! Here they are!

They do love to forage for yummy worms and tadpoles and who knows what down along the shore of the pond too.

So now, this was today...in between rainstorms the Crane family worked their way around the pond and came calling... Oh, I wanted you to see that my Bottle Brush Tree is starting to bloom!  Hooray! Just in time for the hummingbirds, who have been around for the past couple of weeks at the feeder on our porch, but I just haven't managed to get a picture yet.  I've been too focused on all this other activity going on.

Blackie Sue was also watching all the activity from her latest perch up on the BBQ grill just outside my window in my little Room With A View.  (I did finally wash the window, but it isn't that great because there is a sunscreen on the window to cut the glare and heat coming through the window on this west side of the house)

I was beginning to wonder where Sunshine was during all the rain as she wasn't up here on the porch, and just as I looked out the window at Blackie Sue, look who I see peeking up at Blackie Sue from down on the porch?

Yes, there she is, trying to get Blackie Sue's attention, but you can see who Blackie Sue is looking at...

However, she soon notices Sunshine down there and she immediately goes to greet her friend:

About the same time there was some real action going on down on the shore...one of those ducks got too close to the Crane family and Papa Crane took off after him:

He chased him into the pond by flapping his huge wings and probably scaring the life out of him:

Yes, that duck flew out to the middle of the pond pretty quick when he saw Papa Crane coming after him! Hooray!!!

Once again peace reigns for the very wet Crane family...

And Blackie Sue is keeping a watch over other bird activity out there from her place on the porch...

While Sunshine hides under the wicker chairs until she feels safe...she's a bit more timid and nervous around all this activity...

But it's not long before she climbs up into the chair and takes a nap...

And Blackie Sue is once again on top of the BBQ grill, and notices me inside the window looking out at her!  

And now all is calm and we can relax for a while beside the Still Waters...

Psalm 23 NKJV

The Lord the Shepherd of His People

A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

3 He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord

Forever.

Amen.