Friday Foto Friends and Showers of Blessing

Happy Friday, Friends!

Two Great White Egrets and a Sand Hill Crane.

Here are some early morning views on Still Waters Pond today.

The sun was shining so brightly that it was difficult to get a really good focus of these Great White Egrets.

This one was "up a tree", enjoying the view, I guess...

There were actually three egrets out there...two Great White Egrets, and one smaller Egret, not a baby, just a different species.  

I enjoyed watching them flying around the pond this morning. They were much prettier than they look in these photos,  because of the bright sun reflecting off of their white coats.

There may not be many "fotos" for today...seems like I've already shared most everything of note lately, and speaking of which, in my last post HERE, where I showed pictures of a small alligator, apparently I didn't make it clear enough that we saw that gator when we traveled down to the Kenwood boat ramp about 5 miles from here.  He was NOT in our Still Waters Pond!  Thankfully, we have NEVER seen an alligator in our pond, and I truly pray that we never do.  Our pond is rather small and shallow, and gets even more shallow when we are going through a dry spell, and it seems to me that it is not a favorable environment for alligators because the water just isn't deep enough.  So, although I appreciate everyone's concern that the little alligator is in our pond and might get too close to our "friendly" wildlife, thankfully that isn't the case.  

And also, as far as the turtle eggs go, I hope we might get to see them hatch, but over the years we've lived here, we've had other turtles come and lay eggs in our yard, and I have yet to ever see one turtle egg hatch. I think they must do it either at night when the hawks or other predators aren't looking, or something else gets the eggs before they ever have a chance to hatch. Actually, when I went and took a close up look at where the turtle appeared to be laying her eggs, I couldn't find any evidence of it in the ground.  So maybe it was another one of those "false pregnancies" around here! LOL.  So, I apologize for any false hopes or misconceptions about life here at "Pamela's Wild Kingdom".  Sometimes it is quite interesting and exciting, and then other times, like right now, I can't find much of anything interesting to take a picture of. LOL.

However, we DID get a lovely rain/thunderstorm yesterday afternoon, for which we are most thankful!

The storm rolled in while we were over in the "city" about 15 miles from home, where hubby was finally having his MRI.  When he was done and it was time to drive home, it was thundering, lightning, and blowing rain so hard that we had to wait inside the building for a while before we could leave. Then, thankfully I had brought in our umbrella, and we were able to make a mad dash for the car in a momentary lull in the storm.  However, driving home in that rain another story! Hubby wasn't quite up to driving, so I took the wheel and managed to get us home safely. By the time we got here the rain had pretty much stopped for a while, and then another storm rolled in later.  These pictures don't really do it justice.  But it was definitely a "Shower of Blessing" for us...and we hopefully are going to be getting some more much needed rain tonight.

Thank you all for your kind thoughts and prayers over the past couple of weeks for my hubby. He is feeling much better than he was, and we will have an appointment to go over the results of the MRI next week with the doctor.  I think he's mainly relieved to finally have that test over with. For those who have had them, MRI's are not much fun,  especially if you tend to be claustrophobic.  We are taking things one day at a time, and trusting God for a good outcome.

These verses seem somehow to be appropriate for all we've been talking about here today...

Ezekiel 34:25-27a

25 “I will make a covenant of peace with them, and cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 

26 I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing. 

27 Then the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their land; and they shall know that I am the Lord..."

That makes me think of this favorite old hymn, "Showers of Blessing".   Sing along with me...

1

There shall be showers of blessing:

This is the promise of love;

There shall be seasons refreshing,

Sent from the Savior above.

Chorus:

Showers of blessing,

Showers of blessing we need;

Mercy-drops round us are falling,

But for the showers we plead.

2

There shall be showers of blessing—

Precious reviving again;

Over the hills and the valleys,

Sound of abundance of rain.

(chorus)

3

There shall be showers of blessing;

Send them upon us, O Lord!

Grant to us now a refreshing;

Come, and now honor Thy Word.

(chorus)

4

There shall be showers of blessing;

O that today they might fall,

Now as to God we’re confessing,

Now as on Jesus we call!

(chorus)

5

There shall be showers of blessing,

If we but trust and obey;

There shall be seasons refreshing,

If we let God have His way.

Chorus:

Showers of blessing,

Showers of blessing we need;

Mercy-drops round us are falling,

But for the showers we plead.

And with that I will close for today.  I hope you are all doing well wherever you are and whatever is going on in your lives.  I will try to get caught up with you later...Bye for now, and God bless you all.