Special Delivery!!

Just be forewarned...there are a LOT of pictures today! But there was no way I could leave any out! This is the day we've been waiting for all spring!  Yes! We received a "special delivery" today of four beautiful Canada Goose Goslings!

I think you can just imagine my joy and delight to see both Mother and Father Goose swimming across the pond to our shore, with their beautiful new family bobbing along behind them.

It was truly as if they brought them right over to us so we could see them.  

They did not seem the least bit afraid of me standing up on the porch crying and saying "Oh Thank You! Oh! They are so beautiful! Oh, Praise God! Oh! How wonderful!"  Over and over again...as I kept snapping pictures as fast as I could, fearing I might miss a single moment of this great event.

I mean, who couldn't resist standing and watching and cheering them on?

Could YOU?

Oh, they are just so adorable!!!!!!!

Father Goose stands proudly at attention, as if to say, "Yes Ma'am! These are my goslings! Aren't they the handsomest things you've ever seen?"

Yes, they are just perfectly wonderful!!!

Mother Goose has survived her long wait, and now she is proudly showing off her pretty babies...

I can't believe they swam all the way across the pond from the island to our shore...they are so little!

Well, we want to keep them moving along. We need to show them more of the pond and teach them more about where it is safe and where it isn't...

And so, after Mother Goose dunked her head in the water a few more times...(I am sure she was hungry and thirsty after her ordeal)

They rounded up the little flock and started on around the shore...

Bye Bye little goslings!  We'll be watching for you to come by again!!

And so they went around the bend a little ways, and there they stayed in a little cove near the shore for a while, resting and probably eating the grasses...

A little while later I saw this Great Blue Heron fly in and land in a tree not too far from where the geese were resting...

Immediately Father and Mother Goose started honking loudly and frantically got their children in a row and started swimming as quickly as they could back toward the other side where their nest on the island is...

Mr. Heron is keeping a very watchful eye on them, and Father and Mother are surrounding their children and hurrying them away to safety...

It is a long hard swim across the pond back to the island, and the water is much deeper there. But they must feel safer taking them across the water rather than back around the shore line.

Hurry, little ones! Hurry! We must get back home to safety!

Father and Mother are keeping a close watch on the children and also a wary eye on the heron to make sure he is staying put...

Mr. Heron is quite interested in this little parade, and stands up tall to watch them go...

Hurry Children! Keep Swimming! We are almost there!! No time to lose!

Just a little while longer and we will be back to safety...

Keep going...don't dawdle...

Are they all still with me?

Wait, I only see three heads...

Oh, Thank Heaven! Look again, all four are there! And we have made it back to our island where we can safely get back into our nest away from Mr. Heron's prying eyes.

That was a close call! But Mr. Heron, you will just have to go away.  Mother and Father Goose are not going to be fooled by you.

As you can imagine, I sighed a prayer of relief when that little trip was over and the family was safe at last.  But I know there are many dangers out there for these little ones, and they aren't "home free" yet. It will take a lot of diligence on the part of the parents to keep them safe until they are able to fend for themselves.

Sometimes we may feel like there are dangers all around us and we need a place of protection from our enemies of fear, loneliness, grief, or just general worries about health, finances or family. Today I was very concerned for a loved one who was having some tests done in the emergency room because of some potentially serious issues. I sought the Lord in prayer, but still felt a sense of panic and worries about the "what ifs".  I asked the ladies at our Bible Study this afternoon to please remember my loved one in prayer as well.

You can imagine my great relief when I got home and contacted my loved one and found out that she was on her way home and that all tests were negative and the news we had dreaded the most was not true at all.  Praise God!

We are blessed to have such a loving and compassionate Heavenly Father, Who is always there for us, ready to calm our fears and carry us safely "home".   Like  those Canada Goose parents, He surrounds us with His love and covers us with His feathers, and protects us from our enemies.

"He shall cover you with His feathers,

And under His wings you shall take refuge;

His truth shall be your shield and buckler."

Psalm 91:4

So very thankful for answered prayers today for my loved one, and also for a happy ending to the Goose Family story.  It was a wonderful lesson in the power of prayer and putting our trust and faith in our Heavenly Father.  

Postscript:  If you want to see the sequel to this story, please check out https://adventuresoflilygrace.blogspot.com/2021/04/lilys-goose-story.html to see the next part.

And there is THIS UPDATE...

And then check out THIS post for a happier ending.

 

Friday Foto Friends Birds, Bees, Blooms, and Reflections

Spring is definitely busting out all over here in Florida! Even though the official arrival of the Vernal Equinox is not until next Wednesday, March 20th, someone forgot to tell the flowers, birds, and bees that they needed to wait!

This fat bumblebee was making his rounds around the wild blackberry bushes blooming along the road.  I had to be careful while taking his picture to make sure he wasn't coming in my face to give me a "buzz"...

I love the natural beauty of these blossoms...

And then we have apple blossoms on the little tree in our yard...even though we never get apples, it is nice to see the blossoms...

The azaleas have been putting on quite a show this year! This particular mass of blossoms is better than I've ever seen it in all the years we've lived here!  What is amazing, I don't have to do anything to these hardy old bushes...they just keep coming back year after year.  I wonder what would have happened if I had taken care of them???

Talk about perfection! This Pink Perfection Camellia is doubly perfect!!!

And here's some more getting ready to bloom...

Now, on to the birds:  This is the Female Eastern Towhee coming by for a quick drink of water...

Isn't she pretty?

I love how she is showing off her colors for me.

Here is her mate...this picture was from a few weeks ago. I've never managed to see them both together, but aren't their colors interesting?

Now back to the flowers again...the purple wisteria is opening up and showing off all over our back fence around the Memorial Garden...

Aren't they beautiful?

Here again, I really don't have to do much for these flowering vines to come back every year...we've cut them back a few times, but they grow right back...so lovely...

I paid a little visit to the neighborhood pond to check on the Sand Hill Crane Family.  Here they are on the island where they have their nest.  The two babies are apparently sleeping under the wing of the mama bird, and the father is standing guard over his family...

I wouldn't have known the babies (colts) had already hatched if I hadn't seen them out walking around last week.  I love how they come back to the island every night to sleep, tucked safely under their mother's wings...

Psalm 91:4 (NKJV)

"He shall cover you with His feathers,

And under His wings you shall take refuge;

His truth shall be your shield and buckler"

.

Reminds me of this old hymn:

"Under His Wings"

As I sat there looking around the pond, my heart was a bit heavy for one of our neighbors who lives over on that side of the pond:

My friend has lived here on this little cove for quite a few years, and dearly loves this place. She has been a protector of the wildlife as well as all the neighborhood pets and animals, flora and fauna.

A wonderful neighbor and friend.

She has been battling cancer for quite a while, and has now been

taken to a Hospice House.  We know that once a person reaches this stage, they most

likely don't return home to their earthly house again, unless there is an unexpected rally and change of condition.  

So my heart was a bit heavy, thinking about how she loves this place, and I sat there on the little dock and lifted her up in prayer...praying that her remaining days will be sweet and comfortable, and that when the angels are dispatched to carry her home, she will truly be ready and waiting.

 Such an interesting reflection of the clouds on the water...

reminds me of the circle of life..

heaven really isn't that far away,

and we should all be sure that we are ready to go to our heavenly home.

We may not have the opportunity to prepare for our last days...the Lord could come at any moment...or He could send His angels to call us homeward when we least expect it.

So during this time of Lent, it is a good time to reflect on the condition of our own hearts and be sure that we are ready to "go home" when the Lord calls.

Personally, I am eagerly looking forward to that day. I just pray that all my family and friends are ready as well.

Okay...moving on...I do pray that you will have a wonderful day and weekend. Thank you for visiting here today.  We don't currently have a "Friday Foto Friends" linkup, but I imagine that many of our friends are still posting some lovely pictures about their week today...so why not go visiting around and see?

I know I promised that I will be posting updates on "Pamela's Victorian Cottage"...and I intend to do  that soon....believe me, it is still quite a work in progress, and you will be surprised to see all the "home improvements" that have been made this week...but I wanted to get a few more things done before I posted any more pictures. So stay tuned for the next episode. I know you don't want to miss it!  :)   Bye Bye for now folks!!