Saturday Hurrahs!

 It's the first Saturday in October, and I want to give it a big HURRAH!!! It's raining, it's pouring, and most likely the old man and woman are snoring, or will be soon enough! It's a great day for a nap. I love to sleep when it's raining, don't you?  Our porch kitties sure do! 

 

You really can't see the raindrops very well in these pictures, but trust me, it's coming on down!

You can see the rain a little better here:

The wind has been gusting and blowing the rain, and still the kitties sleep on in perfect peace.

I think the kitties can sleep through the storm because they know their Creator,  the Master of the wind and sea...

Mark 4:35-41 NKJV

35 On the same day, when evening had come, He (Jesus) said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 

37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 

38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 

40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” 

41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

Oh that we could have such perfect peace and trust as these creatures do. Sometimes I believe the creatures are more in tune with their Maker than we humans are...just a thought...what do you think?

A little earlier this morning we took a country ride before the rains started.  We were surprised to see this gorgeous creature strutting down the road:

I kept snapping pictures in hopes that he would show off his beautiful tail feathers, but he was in too big of a hurry to get out of the road:

I do believe peacock blue is one of my most favorite colors:

He eventually went on into the woods and back to wherever he lives, but OH! What a lovely sight to see today on this rather dark and cloudy, rainy day!  This was definitely a bright spot and a big "HURRAH".

This was the sunrise this morning...another "Hurrah!"

Another "Hurrah" was yesterday when I went to the mailbox and found a package in it addressed to me.  It was this beautiful fall top, which is a "belated" birthday gift from my sweet and thoughtful sister in law Peggy.  When we were together for my actual birthday, she was wearing a top just like this one, and she told me then that she wanted to get one for me but couldn't find another one in my size.  Actually, that was a good thing, because she was thinking  I needed a smaller size, and when I told her that I really needed a large, she said she would still try to find one for me, but I really wasn't expecting that she would.  Well, here it is!! And I LOVE it! It will be a great addition to my fall wardrobe and I will probably wear it everywhere for the next two months (Oct.-Nov)!  

Here's a picture of Peggy wearing her top when we met for lunch on my birthday:

So now if we go anywhere together during the fall months, we will be twins. LOL. What a nice surprise, and another big "Hurrah!"

These Rose of Sharon flowers are really blooming nicely and enjoying the cooler days and nights lately! Hurrah!

Just some pretty goldenrod blooming down by the "pond":  Hurrah!

And my sweet kitties last evening came down to enjoy the beautiful evening with me. They stayed right beside me while I walked around looking at flowers and things...and then they raced me back to the steps to see who could get up the steps to the porch the fastest! They won that race for sure, but it was such fun having them being so playful and sweet.

HURRAH!!

Psalm 150:6 NKJV

6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord!

Friday Foto Friends~A little This and That

 Happy First Friday in October! I wonder how your October is starting out? So far so good here...we've been getting some intermittent rain throughout the week, and the forecast shows a lot more coming over the next week, so we are very hopeful that our Still Waters Pond will soon begin to look like a real pond again instead of a desert pond.  

Still Waters Pond this morning...

If you look closely, you can see some water over there...not much, but it's an improvement!

Our skies at sunrise today...We do have rain forecasted later this morning...I do hope it does what it says it's supposed to do!  

We really haven't been out and about much this week, except for a brief visit to the Kenwood Boat Ramp yesterday...

And these pictures are more about what I didn't get a picture of as opposed to what I did...

I was looking for the little alligator that I saw here once before...

But he was nowhere in sight.  However, I did see some fish literally jump right out of the water, but my camera was not quick enough to capture that sight!

They were literally right there in that water:

And then, before I could say "boo!", a Belted Kingfisher bird flew right in and caught one of those fish and carried it back away with him down there somewhere out of my sight! He was really quick!!

I did manage to capture a picture of this Florida Box Turtle alongside the road as we were driving into the park.  He was actually on the road, so we stopped the car and I got out to take his picture, but he was already in the weeds alongside the road before I could get close to him...so here's what I got:

So since I am a bit short on pictures and adventures, I thought I would share some of our "kids" adventures with you today from their continued vacation in Minnesota, and we can join them vicariously!

"Over 500,000 people visit Itasca State Park every year to dip their feet into the headwaters of the mighty Mississippi River. Also known as the Great River, it flows north and east through Minnesota’s Northwoods before heading south across the continent on a 2,552-mile journey to the Gulf of Mexico. Combined with the Missouri River, the Mississippi ranks as the longest river system in North America and the fourth-longest river in the world."

So our "kids" were two of the "over 500,000 people to visit Itasca State Park" this year!  Here they are at the headwaters of the Mississippi River!

Looks like Rose is hanging on to Benton for dear life: 

Hard to believe that is the beginning of the mighty Mississippi!

Then they visited and I think had lunch here at the Douglas Lodge Restaurant in the park. It is quite old, as you can tell, and very interesting! 

Douglas Lodge Restaurant

Internet Photo Douglas Lodge

Looks like a place I would love to visit!

This was their skies in Minnesota last night:  Oh, and they said their temperatures have actually been warmer than ours are here in Florida! That's pretty amazing!!

Back to our own back porch, I thought you might like to say good morning to Sunshine and Blackie:

Sunshine was hopeful that I was going to give him some extra treats instead of just the plain old ordinary food for breakfast.  But I usually wait and give them treats with their supper or as a "Treat" later, not at breakfast.  Sorry Sunshine! You need to go be a good kitty and eat your food, 

Like Blackie is doing...he jumps right in and starts chowing down.  They are both pretty sweet, and they make our days more interesting, that's for sure!

Well, I need to draw this to a close and get on with our day before it starts raining. Hubby wants to go take a walk, so I need to say good bye for now and happy Friday!  

Here's some good thoughts for today:

Psalm 63:1-8

 "1 O God, You are my God;

Early will I seek You;

My soul thirsts for You;

My flesh longs for You

In a dry and thirsty land

Where there is no water.

2 So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,

To see Your power and Your glory.

3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,

My lips shall praise You.

4 Thus I will bless You while I live;

I will lift up my hands in Your name.

5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,

And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.

6 When I remember You on my bed,

I meditate on You in the night watches.

7 Because You have been my help,

Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.

8 My soul follows close behind You;

Your right hand upholds me."

Happy October!!!

 Good Morning! Happy October! What is it about October that just makes us want to stop whatever we're doing and head outdoors, where hopefully the days are starting to get a little cooler and the leaves are starting to change into beautiful hues of orange, red and yellow...and we can't resist the temptation to have a cup of hot chocolate and sit around a campfire and roast some hot dogs and marshmallows and make s'mores with friends and family?  That's how I feel when I turn the page of my calendars over to October, even if the temperatures really haven't fallen all that much yet, and here in Florida we really don't have so many beautiful leaves on the trees...but there's that certain feeling in the air (or at least in my mind) that makes me want to do all these things.  At least I can dream along with Anne of Green Gables...

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. 

 It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn't it? "

So let's get on with the October calendars, shall we?

John Sloane's Country Seasons October painting, "Harvest Homestead"

I love how both of these two calendars are showing people riding in a horse-drawn buggy, enjoying a beautiful autumn day in the country. Wouldn't you love to be there with them? I would!

Thomas Kinkade's "Fall Outing".

I love the Susan Branch calendar for October...all in fun...

This reminds me of the only postcard I have saved from my maternal Grandma, sent to me for Halloween when I was just seven years old.

Click HERE for the link to that story and more about my Grandma.

What an interesting teapot setting for the Teapot Calendar for October:

And I agree with what C.S. Lewis had to say here:

This is the description of that tea set, if you can read it...very unique!

However, THIS is more my style for tea time in October:

And speaking of autumn leaves and October beauty...I really don't have any of my own to show you, so I will share with you some pictures our "kids" sent us from their current trip to Minnesota for a family reunion for Rose's family:

This is Rose's current family of siblings (7 kids in all!) and their father. They have not all been together at "home" at the same time in a long time, and this was very special for them! I'm so happy Rose and Benton got to make this special trip.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 NKJV

"16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, 

17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work."

On another note, I wanted to let you know that we have finally been getting some good rain this week...over two inches so far!  There's still a long way to go before Still Waters Pond will be full again, but at least it's a start, so we are very thankful!  And also thankful that storm that was in the Atlantic didn't come ashore, but at least it helped bring us some rain!! God is so good, and we are very thankful!

Okay, that's all folks for now! I know I've been a bit AWOL here lately...just been busy with "stuff" and haven't been able to sit down and read and write like I'd like. Hopefully things will get back to some kind of normal routine soon!  Have a blessed October everyone!!