Wordless Wednesday~Sort Of...

 I've never really done a "wordless Wednesday" post before. Is there a group I'm supposed to link up to? I don't know how to be "wordless", as most of you can tell by now.  But here are a series of photos that I've taken on our walks recently and/or around our neck of the woods.  I'll try to be as wordless as possible...

2 Peter 3:9 New International Version

"9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, 

as some understand slowness. 

Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, 

but everyone to come to repentance."

(deer vertebra found in the woods; it's been there a long time)

Before

After

(another view from cell phone photo)

Psalm 62:5-8  New King James Version

"5 My soul, wait silently for God alone,

For my expectation is from Him.

6 He only is my rock and my salvation;

He is my defense;

I shall not be moved.

7 In God is my salvation and my glory;

The rock of my strength,

And my refuge, is in God.

8 Trust in Him at all times, you people;

Pour out your heart before Him;

God is a refuge for us. Selah"

That's all folks!  Have a lovely rest of your week.

Note: Our "kids" made it home safely from their almost month long trip to Minnesota! They will be coming over for supper tonight, so I need to get to work! Can't wait to see them!  Catch ya later alligator!

Do You See What I See?

Guess who I discovered in my rambling through the neighborhood early yesterday morning?

Yep, "Bambi" !!  

But not just ONE Bambi, but I believe I counted a total of FOUR Bambi's!!!  It was hard to keep track, they were running and scampering about so much...obviously excited to see the crazy lady with the camera that they've probably been warned to watch out for! 

Here are the pictures I was able to capture as they gambolled about, running up to their mothers for reassurance, and then frolicking back and forth as only carefree little fawns can do:  ( I apologize that some of the pictures are not very clear, but you must understand my excitement as I tried to capture every single movement I could...my poor old camera just couldn't quite keep up with them! And I didn't want to use my cell phone camera as it doesn't do as well at a distance...so just enjoy these beautiful babes in the woods with me...

 These are blurry, but they certainly blend in with their surroundings well, don't they? God knows how to protect His "babies".... (and that goes for us human babies as well...sometimes He has to camouflage us with His wings to protect us from the world...)

Psalm 91:4 (NKJV)

4 

"He shall cover you with His feathers,

And under His wings you shall take refuge;

His truth shall be your shield and buckler."

Even though this last one is blurry, it is my favorite...one last look before he had to run away with his family...

Who doesn't remember this beloved "Little Golden Book", as well as the animated Walt Disney movie from our childhood?  I never knew I would grow up some day to live where Bambi dwells...It just makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over to see these little fawns.  You can bet I will be watching for them every day now...

By the way, as I was reluctantly walking away from watching these happy little deer running about, I came across "Thumper" sitting nearby.  Thankfully I didn't run into "Flower" the little skunk...

But just across the road from where the deer family was gathered was this other special family of our woods: The Sand Hill Crane Family...busily pecking away for their breakfast.  Look how grown up the young "colts" are now! 

Yes, life in my neck of the woods is full of surprises and joy every day...one just has to watch for it!!

I hope your day has been filled with pleasant surprises and joy today as well.  Keep your eyes open...and see the beauty God has placed before you wherever you are!!!  It's there...just keep looking!!

Friday Foto Friends: Then Sings My Soul!

Hello Friday Foto Friends!  I just woke up after a very restless night, and then remembered that it was Friday, and I didn't have anything ready to share with you. But the 2nd verse of the beloved hymn, "How Great Thou Art", has been buzzing through my head lately, and that just came back to me as perhaps an appropriate way to display some photos from my forays into the woods and hills, both recent and in the past.  So here we go.  Sing along with me...I'm sure you know the tune:

"When thro' the woods

and forest glades I wander,

and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;

When I look down 

from lofty mountain grandeur,

And hear the brook

and feel the gentle breeze;

Then sings my soul,

my Savior God, to Thee;

How Great Thou Art!

How Great Thou Art!

Then sings my soul, 

my Savior God, to Thee;

How Great Thou Art,

How Great Thou Art!

Amen.

Deuteronomy 33:26 (NKJV)

26 “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,

Who rides the heavens to help you,

And in His excellency on the clouds.

I hope you've enjoyed singing along with me this morning.  These pictures are from all around my home in Florida, thus, there are no "lofty mountains grandeur" or any real "brooks" to hear babbling...but God's glory shines through these beautiful places just the same.  Have a blessed and glorious day, my friends.

Now please skip on over to visit our other Friday Foto Friends at Deb's place, Breaking In Grace, and see what others are sharing today!

Friday Foto Friends-Reflections of a "Happy Camper"

Well folks, today is "Friday Foto Friends" again...and this week has flown by without any significant photos that I can recall, so I will go back through my camera and see what pictures I've taken recently that you haven't already seen here.  Some of you who are my Facebook friends may have already seen some of these, but maybe not.  It's been a rather busy week in some ways...and a rather lazy week in other ways.  So here goes...they may not be cohesive or have any running "theme" that I know of yet...Let's see what happens, okay?

This lovely Great Egret was enjoying her own reflection in the pond early one morning...actually she was fishing for her breakfast...I doubt she even noticed her reflection...but I did!

This beautiful male cardinal was sitting in a tree in the Secret Garden, singing merrily away one evening! I believe he was giving thanks to the Lord for his lovely home here in the woods...

And this frisky squirrel has been enjoying the fountain in the Memorial Garden...seems to think this is his own private water fountain...

He also loves to run along the top of our new fence...It is amazing how agile and adept he is at running on that skinny "balance beam"...

The knockout roses are beginning to "knock themselves out" with blossoms again...

What's left of our confederate jasmine is blooming, alongside the Louis Philippe roses along the fence...

This young baby bear stopped by for an early drink one morning

And this bigger bear stopped by later for a bath in the pool! That is one tough plastic pool...and this bear is saying "I dare anyone to try and make me get out of this pool!"

Just gotta finish washing my paws before I leave....

AND THIS is what happens when new neighbors from out of state leave their garbage cans/bags outside overnight...we end up with their garbage in our yard and road and woods...thanks to our friendly neighborhood bears who were just looking for a midnight snack....

And now I am happy to say that our neighbors did clean up the mess in the woods promptly this morning, and so now I am a "happy camper!"

This is my new TERVIS replacement "tumbler"...Did you know that if you purchase a TERVIS tumbler (any size), that they have a lifetime warranty?  If it cracks or starts to show condensation on the outside, or any other issue, they will replace it free of charge?  You just have to mail them the damaged cup, and complete the form online to go along with it, and they will give you a coupon to replace it with a new one free, including shipping!  So, I just got this "Happy Camper" tumbler to replace a pink flamingo one that had cracked...and this just suits my style so much better these days!

Even though I don't really go camping, I feel like I live in a perpetual state of camping here in the woods, with the bears and the trees and the campfires and marshmallows...and see the camera in the first picture?  That would be me!! Taking pictures everywhere I go...

And as long as I can do that....I'm a "Happy Camper"!!

So, to end this story on a positive note...today I am thankful to live in the wild forest, even though the bears do sometimes make a mess (still not their fault), and they even like to take a bath in my front yard pool, and the neighbors are friendly and willing to take care of issues that happen... and the birds are free to fly and sing (and fish for their breakfast) and the squirrels are free to frolic about...and the flowers grow and blossom in spite of the drought (as long as I water them...)  and God is in His heaven, and all is right with the world, at least in my little part of the world...

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

For His mercy endures forever!"

Psalm 107:1

Now please go back and check out what other Friday Foto Friends are posting over here...