Wednesday Treasures

 My heart is full of joy and gratitude tonight...I have a lot I'd like to share, but I might split it up for a few days.  We had a WONDERFUL day today visiting with our special "Your Friend From Florida", Terri, and her amazing heroic son, Joey!  Pictures will follow...I don't want to steal her thunder as she said she would have to wait until Friday to post her pictures. I don't know if I can wait that long! LOL. Okay, here's just one sneak photo:   Yes, the sun was very bright. It was a very beautiful, bright sunshiny day, and actually too warm and bright to stay outside in that sun for long!

But, I think I will wait for Terri to share her photos on Friday, and I will share a few more then too.We had a very lovely LONG visit over a very LONG lunch at Corky Bells...they were PACKED, and let's just say our lunch became "lupper"...(part lunch and supper) because we were there so long, but it was still great because we had plenty of time to visit with each other and with our family. Oh, yes, her son was with her, and I had my hubby and also my son and sweet daughter in love Rose! All of us! So it was truly great. Okay. I'll wait for the rest of the photos before I share more.

When we got back home I went around the pond to check on the progress of the Sand Hill Crane Family, and guess what?  I bet you guessed it! Yes! There is a baby crane! One "colt" has been hatched, and there is another egg waiting to hatch! They usually hatch a day or two apart, so that is normal. Of course I took pictures!!

Here's the first view I had of the new baby crane:

Mother Crane is tenderly prodding at and checking the other egg, probably checking for any signs that it is about to hatch.

Meanwhile, baby #1 toddles around on the nest, viewing his new world first the first time:

I am always amazed at how big these "Colts" are when they are born. (A "colt" is what a baby crane is called).  

Uh oh, here comes the nosey neighbors to see the new baby...that Muscovy Duck family has become quite at home here on Still Waters Pond.  Apparently they heard the good news and went to check it out.

It was probably this one who was spreading the news!   "Quack, Quack Quack! You gotta see the baby!!"

Here they come around the bend...Mother Crane doesn't seem to mind. She's too busy trying to prod that other baby to hatch...

The ducks glide by quietly, but I think it's nice that the other water birds on the pond always are very curious about the new baby Cranes.

It certainly is something to be excited about!

Looks like Baby is getting tired and ready for a nap, and mother is looking at me like she's saying "Why don't you come back tomorrow and give us some peace and quiet for now, okay?"    I said, "Sure, you can count on me to be back tomorrow, in hopes of finding another new baby!"

Speaking of those ducks...I never know where they are going to show up next...

This morning I walked out into the front yard and I noticed some of their webbed footprints on the sandy driveway, so I figured they'd been waddling around the yard already.  Something caused me to look up, and here's what I saw:

Yep, this time they were up on top of the shed, saying "Good Morning!"

Oh, did you see these pictures of these ducks yesterday? I put them on Facebook:

They were having quite a discussion about something on our back porch.  

I just found their expressions and actions so comical...

Can you imagine what they must've been talking about to each other?

You are welcome to come up with your own captions...

finally they just got tired of arguing about whatever it was...

And took off in a flying leap back into the pond...

They really are fun to watch, but I just don't want them to make a "mess" in my yard! You know what I mean???

Oh, We are still having fun with Sunshine and Blackie...and they are becoming quite at home here.

When Terri was here today, I had her look at Blackie, because Terri is very experienced with cats.  I wanted to know if she thought Blackie was a "he" or "she".  Although Blackie was a bit indignant at Terri trying to politely "examine" the derrier...Terri said she thinks Blackie is a SHE, not a HE!  

Uh Oh!  I was getting curious because her tummy looks kind of lumpy.  Scott said something about that when he was here on Sunday...so now I am wondering if we are going to have some more kinds of babies here on our little "farm".   Oh, I still don't know about Sunshine for sure either...and she/he wasn't here when Terri was here, so I couldn't get her opinion, but I've thought she was a she and Blackie was a he, but now I don't know for sure.  Oh, Blackie has pollen on her fur in the picture above after laying on the glass table where there was a LOT of pollen. LOL. Anyway, things could be getting more and more interesting around here...stay tuned...

One more thing that is a special "treasure" today...

Terri brought this beautiful Cardinal to me today...

This is what the tag says:

She brought this to me in memory of our Matthew.

Isn't it absolutely beautiful?  I am just in awe of this, and of her thoughtfulness in bringing such a beautiful gift.

I am speechless after receiving this. 

So this is a good place to pause for tonight. There will be more pictures and things coming in the next couple of days, I am sure.  And thank you all for so many wonderful comments on my recent posts. I am trying to visit each of you as I can too. You are each so wonderful and special to me. Thank you for being precious friends.

I would like to close with this special prayer of St. Francis of Assissi. It just really speaks to my heart during this season of Lent:

"Lord, make me a channel of thy peace,

that where there is hatred, I may bring love;

that where there is wrong,

I may bring the spirit of forgiveness;

that where there is discord, I may bring harmony;

that where there is error, I may bring truth;

that where there is doubt, I may bring faith;

that where there is despair, I may bring hope;

that where there are shadows, I may bring light;

that where there is sadness, I may bring joy.

Lord, grant that I may seek rather to

comfort than to be comforted;

to understand, than to be understood;

to love, than to be loved.

For it is by self-forgetting that one finds;

It is by forgiving that one is forgiven.

It is by dying that one awakens to Eternal Life."

Amen.