The Bluebirds are Back Again!

 Guess who showed up this morning?  The Bluebirds are back!!!!  The last time I mentioned the bluebirds was here, on April 20th., when I discovered that the nest was empty and the baby bluebirds had fledged and left the nest while I wasn't looking!  So that is exactly 3 weeks ago...and now early this morning Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird showed up again, checking out both birdhouses, going back and forth and inside and out, one bird guarding from outside on top of the pole while the other went inside to check it out.  This has been going on all morning long, and this afternoon, now around 2:30 pm, they are still going back and forth.  

Thankfully I had cleaned out the old nests so that both birdhouses are clean and ready for action. There was a small nest in the other birdhouse that the chickadees had started in the spring, but they never did stay or lay any eggs. So that had to be removed as well.

Of course, I am elated to think that we will get to watch them again, building their nest, sitting on the eggs, feeding the babies, and maybe even this time we will get to see the babies leave the nest!

I promise to not bore you with too many details, but then again...I think some of you actually enjoy watching them with me, so for those of you who are rather "ho-hum" about bird life, you may just have to skip over the details if it gets too hum-drum.

I don't know about you, but I find being a witness to God's beautiful creation in nature a joy and a thrill! After all, I believe God created the "wild kingdom" for us to enjoy, so why not make the most of it?

Reminds me of 

Psalm 84

1. "How lovely is Your tabernacle, 

O LORD of Hosts!

2. My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the LORD;

My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

3.  For even the sparrow has found a home,

And the swallow a nest for herself,

Where she may lay her young--

Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts,

My King and my God.

4.  Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;

They will still be praising You."

11.  For the LORD God is a sun and shield;

The LORD will give grace and glory;

No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

12.  O LORD of hosts,

Blessed is the man who trusts in You!"

It was funny to see the Sand Hill Crane family kind of slink on by this morning, not wanting to get in the way of Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird as they were doing their house hunting.

(this is the view looking out our sliding doors to the back porch and to Still Waters Pond beyond)

Even Colt seemed to be ducking his head as he sauntered past the Bluebird house. Maybe they remember how Mama and Papa Bluebird would dive bomb anyone passing nearby while their previous clutch of baby birds was in the nest.  

Even Mrs. Cardinal appears to be ducking her head as she swooped down to get some breakfast from the bird feeder.

She snatched a few quick seeds and was out of there quick.

And now even our proposed site for the wildflower/butterfly garden might have to wait since the bluebirds might not like us working so close to their house. Maybe we can sneak it in while they aren't looking. I was hoping maybe tomorrow morning to pick up a few more plants at the flea market and do some work here...so we shall see what develops.

So that is our exciting news for today!

Meanwhile, what else is new?

Let's see, I got a haircut this morning, but no selfies to show you. I like to let it "adjust" for a few days before I show it off to anyone.  New haircuts are always just, well, too new... 

but here's a picture that I took of myself a few days ago for the Kentucky Derby. If you are a Facebook friend you've probably already seen this, but for the rest of you I just thought you'd get a kick out of it. We didn't even watch the Derby. Couldn't find it on the tv fast enough when someone mentioned it to me on Facebook and asked if I was wearing my Derby hat!  It's a silly thing I like to do every year...put on a hat and watch the race. I never bet on any horse...have no clue about the race. I just love the excitement of the ladies wearing pretty hats for a horse race.

So there you have my last minute grab a hat and take a picture of it for the Kentucky Derby that I didn't even watch! LOL.

Oh, here's another picture you might get a kick out of.  Someone sent me this picture from our Ladies' May Fellowship last week. Now you can see me in my flouncy flowered skirt that I told you about HERE. Actually I love this picture because it shows me standing next to my sweet Daughter in Love Rose, along with two other lovely ladies who attended our gathering. This was our table and we had such a wonderful time visiting and doing what women do best...just enjoying being together and sharing the love of Christ with one another. That's what really matters...not what we wear or eat or anything material...just sharing God's love and encouraging one another.

I Peter 3:3-4 describes it best:

"3.  Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— 4.  rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God"

That's the image I pray God will help me portray most of all...that "incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.."  and oh! to be "very precious in the sight of God!"  What could be better than that?

I know I have a long way to go in the "gentle and quiet spirit" department.  I've never been labeled quite that way as far as I know...especially not the "quiet" part. LOL. Just ask anyone who grew up with me.

I like to think I've improved over the years in that regard, but I've noticed that it's usually my section of the table at our ladies' meetings or Bible Studies that often gets the "look" when it's time to be quiet and pray or get on with the meeting... you know that look..."ahem...ladies...we're praying here, or excuse me ladies, but we're trying to have a meeting here..." LOL.  Yeah, it's still something that could use some improvement. But I like to think that God still finds us precious in His sight...after all, He's the One who created us! 

Okay, I guess it's time to wrap this one up for another day. Tomorrow is Friday, and as of right now I don't have any new photos to share...but as you can see by the activities of this morning...one never knows what might appear here on Still Waters Pond at any time.

So stay tuned, and have a blessed Thursday.

 

Wednesday Treasures

Happy Wednesday Morning!  "Hump Day"...Getting over the hump of this week and rushing through May way too quickly. Seems like May always flies by and before you know it, school is out, and we are plunged into those long lazy crazy days of summer!

Well, for "Colt", our young Sand Hill Crane, these days are just flying by.  Some of you have asked me how he's doing, so here's a few pictures so you can see for yourself:

I have been told that the young crane's wings should be ready to fly by the time he is about 65-75 days old. I don't know exactly what day he was born, but according to THIS POST WHEN I FIRST SAW HIM on April 2nd, we know that he has to be at least about 6 weeks old by now, which would be about 45 days? So, maybe 20 more days or so...I guess I need to keep track so we can tell when he's ready to fly! I don't want to miss it!

Every day he gets taller and stronger, and his wing feathers are much more pronounced.

He spends a lot of time preening and scratching and flexing his wings, but I never can seem to get a good picture of him actually flapping them. It happens too quickly.  

But here below he spent a long time poking around at his tail feathers...it's like he's discovering that he's got more and more stuff there to carry around with him and like any young teen growing whiskers, he's quite fascinated with the new growth. Or else he just has a lot of mites making him itch...

It must be nice to have such a long flexible neck and beak that can get to that itch!

Yesterday I did see him flap his wings, but it was through the window and it isn't quite as clear:

So anyway, that is the update on "Colt" for now. They remain very active in our yard most every day, poking around for grubs and worms and whatever else they like to eat, so every day is a treat and a treasure for us to watch.  I'll try to keep you updated as Colt makes more progress.

Now moving right along:

Early morning picture of our sweet Bob-Tailed Cardinal with the sunshine reflecting off his belly making him look golden.

And then I saw him over under the other bird feeder with this female Cardinal, and I thought he must have a girlfriend...

But then I realized the other one must be a juvenile Cardinal and he is feeding her. So maybe he's the daddy?

Or else they are kissing.  Either way, it's sweet.  

You know me, I rejoice over every blossom in my garden.  Well, the Rose of Sharon bush is very special. It is one of the plants we brought with us when we moved to this house from our previous home and from the Memorial Garden we had there. After our son passed away on May 25th of 2014, we established a Memorial Garden there, and our daughter in law was down with us for our son's Memorial Service and she helped me pick out some plants for the garden. This was one that she wanted to be there in particular.  And so when we moved away from that house in 2019 I dug it up, along with the special rose bush, and brought them with us.  It stayed in a pot for another year until we finally got it planted in this new "Secret Memorial Garden", and so now every time it begins to bloom again we celebrate:

This is a double blossom. I love that this bush has started blooming in time for the 8th anniversary of our son's passing on May 25th.  Yes, these are some of my "treasures".

If you saw this picture on my Mother's Day post a few days ago, you probably wondered about that plant on the table. It is an arrangement of hyacinth bulbs about to bloom:

Well, I've been monitoring its progress each day:

And here it is now:

It is so lovely, and was a gift from Benton and Rose.  I am enjoying it out on the back porch because the hyacinth fragrance is a bit too strong for me in the house. But I can see it and enjoy it here just as well.

Another "treasure".

And last but certainly not least, here's "Lily Grace", waiting for an adventure. I'm afraid I've been a bit lax in providing adventures for Lily lately. My apologies to her many fans.  Anyway, we have plans to plant a butterfly garden and she is going to help me. It won't be today because I have a UMW meeting at church this morning...and by afternoon it is too hot to work in the yard. Maybe this evening.

Anyway, we plan to include these cute little stones in the garden...to make it a place of "Sunshine, Laughter & Friends", who are always welcome.  And a place of "Hope, Peace, and a place to Believe" in all the good things God wants to grow in us.

Here's some final thoughts for the day:

(devotional taken from "Choose Grace", "3-minute devotions for women")

Yes, like a garden, our heart is a lovely dwelling place where God abides. When we keep the garden of our heart well watered with God's Word, we will grow into a lovely place, "filled with the grace of the almighty God."

What a lovely thought for this day.

I hope you are taking care of the treasures in your garden-heart today!

Have a blessed and beautiful day my friends.

 

You Are Now Entering The Secret Garden - Updated 1-21-2018 One Year Later

I can't believe it has been a whole year since the creation of "The Secret Garden".  I was looking at these pictures earlier today, and marveling at how green and lush everything was at this time last year...and that we were wearing shorts and t-shirts!!  Not so this past week! We had several days of freezing temperatures (yes! here in Florida!)  And the picture that I will show you at the end of these original pictures will show you how the garden looks today.  

Original Post 1/22/2017:

You are now entering The Secret Garden...

Welcome!

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

and into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name,

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

and His truth endures to all generations."

Psalm 100:4-5

This sign and the Welcome sign above were lovingly created for the Secret Garden by my sign-maker son!

For those of you who have been following this story, you will be happy to see that "The Secret Garden" is truly becoming a reality.  God has been blessing this sacred place...yes, I call it "sacred", because it has been "set apart for the worship or service of a deity" (definition of sacred according to the Merriam Webster dictionary), and in this case, the "deity" is none other than God Almighty, Our Lord and Creator.  And most definitely this beautiful secret garden is a place of worship and praise to our God, as well as a place of service, or ministry to His children.  I am His child, and the Lord ministers to me in this place as He speaks to me through His Word, His creation, and His Holy Spirit. Not only me, but to anyone who wishes to come to this place and sit in His Presence for prayer, meditation of His Word, and/or encouragement between friends.  That is my prayer and desire for this "Secret Garden".... may it honor and glorify God in every way.

So that being said, let me take you on a tour of the newest additions to the garden....
Oh, Hello Mr. (Mrs.?) Chickadee!  Welcome to The Secret Garden...

I believe she has already taken up residence here!  How amazing is that???  And I was concerned that because I could not put any bird feeders into the Secret Garden, due to the bears that roam nearby, that I wouldn't have much bird activity to observe....guess I was mistaken!!!

"Look at the birds of the air,

for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns;

yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not of more value than they?"

Matthew 6:26

Perhaps we will one day welcome a family of chickadees to the garden!

 Oh wait! This same chickadee flew over to the other birdhouse and deposited more seeds into this one as well!  Could she have two nests?  Two families?  Hmmm...we will have to watch these interesting developments...

"But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you;

And the birds of the air, and they will tell you;"

"Who among all these does not know 

that the hand of the Lord has done this,

in Whose hand is the life of every living thing,

and the breath of all mankind?"

Job 12: 7, 9-10

"Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;

Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises."

Psalm  98:4

"How lovely is Your tabernacle, 

O Lord of hosts!

My soul longs, yes, even faints 

for the courts of the Lord;

My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

Even the sparrow has found a home,

and the swallow a nest for herself,

where she may lay her young...

even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,

My King and my God.

Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;

They will still be praising You."

Psalm 84:1-4

(Jan. 2017) Meanwhile, back at the workshop, my two wonderful sons are finishing up the bench that was the inspiration for this marvelous Secret Garden project...

 Here they are putting on the crowning glory to the bench..."Mom's Secret Garden".... and I am in awe...

and then they placed it in the garden....

 and I am overwhelmed with the beauty of it all....

 Here's my "sign-maker son", who created all of the signs for the garden, including the "crown" for the bench...

And here I am with my other wonderful son, who found this bench in the dumpster and restored it for my Christmas surprise gift...setting the wheels in motion for the creation of this beautiful space....

"It is good to give thanks to the Lord,

and to sing praises to Your name,

O Most High;

To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,

and Your faithfulness every night,

On an instrument of ten strings,

on the lute,

and on the harp,

with harmonious sound.

For You, Lord,

have made me glad

through Your work;

I will triumph in the works of

Your hands.

O Lord, How great are Your works!

Your thoughts are very deep."

Psalm 92:1-5

Thank you for joining me in this visit to The Secret Garden. I do hope you will come often and enjoy the peace and beauty of this sacred place...and give praise and glory to God.

Back to the future:
1/21/2018, one year later:

Yikes! What a difference a freeze makes!

All those lovely ferns were bitten by the frost...but actually the frost has done me a favor.  The ferns were getting too overgrown and I didn't know how I was going to thin them out...and God took care of it for me! And they will grow back in no time at all with a little rain and warm temperatures...which we had today!

This reminds me of the story in John 15:1-8, about the "Vine and the Branches"...

Jesus said in verses 1 -2:
"I AM the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, 
and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, 
that it may bear more fruit."

Verses 4-5
"Abide in Me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, 
unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, 
unless you abide in Me.
I Am the vine, you are the branches.
He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit;
for without Me you can do nothing..."

This year  (2018) my "One Word" in Renew.  I think I am in a kind of "pruning" season of life...old things are being snipped away little by little, and God is renewing me and helping me to "bear much fruit" in the process...at least I hope that is going to happen. Just like these ferns, they have been frozen down to the ground so that all the old leaves have been stripped off and fallen into the dirt.  Out of that dirt will spring up new life, fresh, vibrant and green.  Old things have passed away, and they will become brand new.

Just like what it says in II Corinthians 5:17~
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new!"


I am excited to see what NEW things the Lord is going to do in my life in this year. 
How about you?