How shall I begin this Monday morning post? Hmmm, let me go back over the past few days in photos and see what we shall see, okay?
This was sunrise, Saturday morning, February 22, 2025. (George Washington's Birthday!)
What a glorious way to start the day!
And this was the amazing sunset on that same evening on Still Waters Pond:
The verse for the day from devotional readings was this:
Psalm 31:14 NKJV
14 But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
Our choir sang this song in church Sunday morning...which seems appropriate for these photos:
Above all powers, above all kings
Above all nature and all created things
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man
You were here before the world began
Above all kingdoms, above all thrones
Above all wonders the world has ever known
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure what you're worth
Crucified, laid behind a stone
You lived to die, rejected and alone
Like a rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall and thought of me
Above all
Amen.
In the afternoon, between sunrise and sunset, I enjoyed some "porch time" for a little while...
And then I decided to move down to the Secret Memorial Garden and sit on the garden bench while I listened to the birds singing in the trees...
This would be a good time to go check on the nest, but I try to wait until "the changing of the guard", when one replaces the other on the nest, so I can see them stand up and reveal how many eggs there are...
Azaleas are blooming!!!
There was Mr. or Mrs. Crane, sitting peacefully on the nest...
And Mr. (or Mrs.) Goose decided to take a swim since they had been discovered up on the island...
There only seems to be one of the two ducks left here. I'm not sure where the other one went, but I haven't seen it lately. Seems like last year they left the pond in stages, so maybe they fly back home with different flocks. It's about time for them to leave to back north for the summer.
And since the Crane wasn't cooperating with standing up and showing off her eggs, I headed back around the pond to home. The Carolina Jessamine is really blooming beautifully right now along the fence row between our house and the new house next door. Just think, if you lived over there in that house, we could meet at the fence and chat and enjoy the beautiful flowers at the same time!
They are a vine that grows up into the trees, which can be a bit of a problem, but it's a beautiful problem and I prefer to let them grow and enjoy them for this time period each spring.
Oh, when I came back, there was Mr. or Mrs. Crane again, waiting for me to throw him some bird seed!
I did, and after he (she?) ate it he headed back around the island to the nesting area on the other side.
During nesting time they never venture very far away from each other while foraging for food.
He (She) decided to venture out into the water a little ways to either take a bath or look for bigger fish. LOL. Although Sand Hill Cranes are more into smaller creatures and grubs and such than they are fish.
By the way...it got quite warm here yesterday afternoon. (Some of these pictures were from Saturday, and some from Sunday, but you don't mind, do you?)
Meanwhile, these Mourning Doves were enjoying an afternoon nap in the Pine Tree along the shore.
Uh, while Mr. Crane was out foraging for food, suddenly he discovered that Mr. Great Blue Heron was a little too close to where Mrs. Crane was sitting on the nest, and although I didn't get to catch the scene on film, there was quite a loud squawk as Mr. Crane chased Mr. Heron out of the water and up into this pine tree on the island!
And there Mr. Heron had to stay for a while, out of the way of the Crane Family.
He watched them from a distance for a while, but he knew better than to venture back too close to the nest, or he would have you know what to pay from Mr. Crane!
So he just decided to stand there and preen himself for awhile, and eventually he flew off to calmer waters to fish for his supper.
Even in the rain, there is so much beauty here to enjoy. I'm not complaining. We need the rain to make the flowers and trees and grass grow, and also to maintain the waters of Still Waters Pond so we can enjoy all that God provides for us here.
Like these "diamonds" in the trees...
Let's close this morning's visit with these words of wisdom:
After a little while here came Mrs. Sand Hill Crane while out on her little respite from nest sitting.
Daddy Crane goes and gives her a break several times a day so she can get some exercise and food.
But they weren't being cooperative in making the switch at a time when I was able to get back around to where I could watch. So I stayed in the garden for a while and enjoyed the beautiful day...
Eventually I walked around to the other side of the pond where I could see what was going on, and I noticed Mr. (or Mrs.) Goose standing up on Goose Island! I wonder if they are building a nest yet? I couldn't see any evidence of it, but they may yet surprise me. (I hope).
Oh, there's also the Ring Necked Duck (black and white diving duck) in front of the goose, and that blue tarp thing over there on the other little island is a mystery item that has been here since way before we came here. There used to be a dock there that spanned from one little island to the Goose Island, and something is under there and under that tarp, I'm sure, but I'm not brave enough to paddle over there and pull it off. I'm afraid it might be a good place for snakes to hide, so I will just leave it alone. Maybe someday someone braver than I am will go pull it off and see what's hidden there.
Anyway, Mr. Goose and Mr. Ring Necked Duck swam away...
Uh, while Mr. Crane was out foraging for food, suddenly he discovered that Mr. Great Blue Heron was a little too close to where Mrs. Crane was sitting on the nest, and although I didn't get to catch the scene on film, there was quite a loud squawk as Mr. Crane chased Mr. Heron out of the water and up into this pine tree on the island!
Things are a bit quieter this Monday morning as I am sitting here writing. It's been raining since early dawn, and looks like it will be raining all day! I still have to go across the street to feed the neighbor's cats in a little while, so I am hoping for a break in the rain when I go. Otherwise, it will be a good day for my rain parka and an umbrella!
Good words to ponder..."Wait for me", declares the Lord...
Amen.
