Saturday Beauties

Last night's "Snow Moon" they call it...not sure why...we certainly don't have any snow here in Florida, but I know somewhere some of you may still have a lot of snow....

This is a little clearer picture of the moon last night...it was stunning:

And then when I woke up this morning, it was still stunning. 

The clouds added an interesting dimension to it.

I was taking these pictures while standing on our back porch, overlooking Still Waters Pond.

I wish you could have heard the sounds of the bullfrogs and the early morning calls of the birds...I'm thinking it was the Canada Geese talking to each other on the other side of the island, or perhaps some Sand Hill Cranes...I couldn't distinguish exactly what was making the sound, and dummy me, I didn't think to record it, but it was beautiful.

I told my hubby we need to sleep with the windows open so we can hear the pond sounds at night, but he reminded me that we also live near a busy road, and he already hears the cars racing up and down throughout the night, and we wouldn't get much sleep...

I guess I just need to get up really early more often and go sit on the back porch and listen. It was beautifully melodic...and being a Saturday morning there wasn't much traffic noise at that hour.

I hope you enjoyed these pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them...but then again, it's one of those things where you really need to be there to fully appreciate it. It was a glorious start to my day, time to thank the Lord for bringing us safely through another night, another week...

And thanking Him for all the good things He does for us every day that we take for granted...sunshine, fresh air to breathe...and our very breath. This past year has certainly helped me to appreciate this gift of breath.

Once the sun came up the birds began to sing...they are very active right now. They know spring is here, at least it is here where we live,  and it is coming soon to where you live I hope!

I thought this was an amazing photo of this little goldfinch resting on the grasses beside Still Waters Pond, contemplating his next move...amazing how he can sit on such a fragile reed and maintain his balance.  God certainly created the birds with marvelous skills, don't you think?

Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird are still very busy either furnishing their house, or feeding their brood...I'm not sure which yet...

There is a LOT of activity in and out all morning long and then again in the afternoons.

Here is Mrs. Bluebird, sticking her head out before she takes off again for some destination outside where she is gathering things she needs for her nest:

This Blue Jay kept passing by, and Mr. Bluebird made sure to shoo him away. I know that blue jays can be nest robbers, so I pray he stays  away from our little family.

Here comes Mrs. Bluebird, with something in her beak...Is it a twig, or something to eat? I'm not sure what, but she was doing a lot of that this morning...

There she is again...

Mr. Bluebird sits nearby in a tree and keeps a watchful eye on the birdhouse:

He looks this way and that...

And he even looks at me!!

Oh, look! There is Mr. Goldfinch...pecking at his feathers...he's finally getting more of his golden plumage!

I love to see these brightly colored birds in our trees. But I know this is temporary. The Goldfinches will soon be headed north for their summer homes...and I don't know where the Bluebirds will go, but I hope they will stay all summer. That would be so nice.

Mr. Bluebird bows his head in prayer...

And Mr. Cardinal says Amen.

Hope you have enjoyed this little visit to Still Waters Pond on this glorious Saturday morning.

Psalm 136:1-9

1.  "Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.

2.  Oh, give thanks to the God of gods!

For His mercy endures forever.

3.  Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!

For His mercy endures forever.

4.  To Him who alone does great wonders,

For His mercy endures forever,

5.  To Him who by wisdom made the heavens,

For His mercy endures forever;

6.  To Him who laid out the earth above the waters,

for His mercy endures forever;

7.  To Him who made great lights,

For His mercy endures forever..

8.  The sun to rule by day,

for HIs mercy endures forever;

9.  The moon and stars to rule by night,

For His mercy endures forever..."

Amen.

 

Friday Fotos - A Lovely Day on Still Waters Pond

Psalm 113: 1-3

1.  Praise the Lord!

Pale Meadow beauty https://flawildflowers.org/flower-friday-rhexia-mariana/

Praise, O servants of the Lord,

Marsh Pink - https://flawildflowers.org/flower-friday-sabatia-grandiflora/

 Praise the name of the Lord!

 2.  Blessed be the name of the Lord

Pineland Heliotrope http://hawthornhillwildflowers.blogspot.com/2010/01/pineland-heliotrope-heliotropium.html Update, we now think this is St. John's Wort https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypericum

 From this time forth and forevermore!

Florida Swamp Sunflower http://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/bakerco/2017/11/13/species-spotlight-swamp-sunflower/

 3.  From the rising of the sun to its going down

 The Lord's name is to be praised."

The flowers above were from my early morning walk around the edge of Still Waters Pond. As you can see from above, the wildflowers were so lovely, I just had to pick a few and bring their sunshine inside with me to enjoy all day long.  I believe the wildflowers were created by God, to show forth their praise to God all day long.

So that is how I started my day. I really can't think of any better way, than to rejoice in God's beauty that is all around us...we just have to have eyes to see and a heart to appreciate His glory.

This afternoon I decided to sit outside in the shady garden beside the pond and read my new book for a while. It was so peaceful and beautiful, listening to the birds sing and the squirrels chatter in the trees above me.

Suddenly there was a flurry of bird activity, and this lovely Blue Jay flew into the bird bath to get a little drink.

I was surprised that he came so close while I was sitting nearby. Aren't his back feathers just gorgeous?

And then, much to my continued surprise, the Blue Jay disappeared, and this beautiful red male Cardinal flew in so that he could also get a drink. It has been so dry here lately, I am sure all the critters are thirsty.

Isn't he beautiful?

I think he is trying to pose just like that red poinsettia beside the birdbath. They certainly could be "twins". LOL.

I looked up in the tree above because I kept hearing something scratching around on the tree limb...and who do you suppose was up there watching me?  Yep...that same pesky squirrel (or one of his family members) who was scolding me yesterday morning for not having the right kind of birdseed for his breakfast!  He's still miffed at me because I haven't gotten anything different yet...so he's keeping a close watch on me!

 I hated to go back inside, but unfortunately "a little birdie in the sky almost threw "whitewash" in my eye"...but thankfully, but not really too thankfully, it landed on my open book...So I had to go inside and clean up the page before it soaked in and ruined my nice new book!! I guess I will have to make sure the umbrella is over me and my book next time. LOL

This morning we did actually go do some shopping in the "big city" next to us. (Not really a big city, but much bigger than where we live.) We went to "Ollies", where you get good stuff cheap, so they say...
And actually, they did have some good bargains. Like this beautiful new garden flag for $3.99. I love its vibrant colors and patriotic theme with Memorial Day and 4th of July coming up, so I couldn't resist.

And then I saw this one! Wow! I love that scene. My dream scene...sadly I don't think our pond will ever quite look like that, especially now as it is SO dry. If we don't get any rain soon, we will just have a bunch of dead lily pads in a mud bog.  But this flag cheered me up and made me smile.

 And since I haven't been shopping in over two months, I decided that I deserved to buy myself this little treat, especially since it was such a bargain!

I also picked up another "bargain"...these rubber boots so that I can go tromping around the pond in the dewy mornings a little better.

 And just as I was taking that picture of my new boots, we heard the Sand Hill Cranes fly in and land somewhere on the other side of our little island.

As you can see in this picture above, it is practically all dry all the way to the island now, but I still can't walk on it as it will sink down into muck...and I am not that game just yet... (Please pray for rain!! We need rain so badly! I'd gladly sacrifice my excursion to the island to have water back in the pond again.)

But, with my new rubber boots, which I quickly jumped into, I was able to walk around the edge of the pond to see the other side of the island...and there they were!!!!

We have noticed that the Sand Hill Cranes have been flying in each evening and flying out in the mornings.  So apparently they are making this their nighttime headquarters for now.  They are standing on a marshy area on the other side of the little island, and I am sure they feel safe there away from predators for the night.

 Here I am in my new boots on the dry pond shore...

After that little adventure, I turned around and climbed back up the bank to our back yard.   Very peaceful in the evenings,

with a nice breeze once the sun goes behind the trees and slowly sinks down into the western sky.

 And another surprise! As I sat there watching the sun setting and enjoying such a lovely breeze, someone plopped down in the chair next to me and enjoyed the sunset and cool evening with me! Now that was a pleasant surprise for certain!

And as we sat there we discovered that we weren't alone...there was a lone opossum making her way across the dry pond bed...

So we sat and watched as she explored a little while, and then she headed back for the bank and we decided it must be time for us to go in too if the night critters were already coming out!

Again...a perfect ending to a perfectly Lovely Day.

"From the rising of the sun to its going down, 

The Lord's name is to be praised!"

Psalm 113:3

(Written on Thursday evening for Friday Fotos!  I am looking forward to seeing what you have been seeing this week!)

"When Morning Gilds the Skies"

"When morning gilds the skies,

(The early morning mist on Still Waters Pond)

my heart awaking cries;

May Jesus Christ be praised!

(Little Wren outside my window.  Picture taken through the glass/screen in dawn's early light)

Male and female wood ducks on Still Waters Pond

Alike at work and prayer,

To Jesus I repair; 

Did you ever see such beautiful ducks?  

May Jesus Christ be praised!

 (Little Wren still singing)

 The night becomes as day

(The sunset of the same day)

When from the heart we say;

May Jesus Christ be praised!

The powers of darkness fear

 when this sweet chant they hear;

May Jesus Christ be praised!"

Let all the earth around ring joyous with the sound:

 May Jesus Christ be praised!

In heaven's eternal bliss the loveliest strain is this:

May Jesus Christ be praised!

Amen!