Big Mouth Cardinal

It looks like the cardinal in this picture has a big mouth. What he is really doing is holding a half of a peanut shell. I took the picture just as he picked it up.

Some people might say that I have a big mouth. I love to talk. I do try to be conscious of what I am saying. But sometime I just blurt it out before thinking and that is when I get into trouble. I think what I need to do hold onto a peanut shell and keep my mouth shut.

With the help of  God I will work at keeping a guard over my mouth. I will try to be slow to speak so that it will give me time to think. If I think before I speak I will not have such a big mouth.

Boy, I think I had better keep a lot of peanuts in my pocket. Not just for the cardinals and squirrels but for me as well.

He Knows My Voice

Each time I go walking at the Mariner I call out to Stump-tail. Who is Stump-tail you ask? Well he is my favorite squirrel.  In this picture you can see why I call him that.

When I call out for Stumpy I always find him waiting on this tree branch. He knows my voice and will wait for me to show. He know that I have peanuts for him and comes to sits by me so that I will feed him.

When God calls out to me I hope that I recognizes His voice. I want to run to His side and be fed by Him. I seek Him each day waiting because I know He will come and renew me. Like Stumpy knows my voice I want to know God's voice.

A Little Of Everything

The squirrel in this picture is a lot like me. She has a little bit of every color on her fur. There is the brown belly, a gray tail, black alone her back, and a white nose, ears and paws. She is what I would call a Heinz fifty-seven.

I am one. I have many nationalities in me. There is German, Scottish, Irish, English and maybe some Indian in my blood. If I keep searching through my genealogy I will find that I have a little bit of everything in me.

But that is okay. The one thing that I am glad that I have in me is the Holy Spirit. No matter how mixed up my bloodline is I am made pure through the blood of Jesus.

Uncle Don's Picture

When I went to Oregon this past summer to visit my Uncle Don it was a long awaited visit. I had not seen him since I was a teenager. The visit was short but pleasant. As I was headed back to my car he called me on my cell phone.

"I forgot to give you something," he said. "Can you come back to get it?"

"Of course I can," I said.

To my surprise it was a beautiful painting that he had done many years ago. I had no idea that he painted.

I had to take a picture of it so that I could fool around with my photo program. These pictures are the results.

I can take from a summer scene and by inverting the colors make it into a winter scene. Or I can make it look like it came from the 1960 era.

Anyway I do it the picture looks great because it was a great picture to start with. I am glad my uncle called me back.

Dog Booties

Today while walking around the mariner I saw something that I just had to take a picture of. It was a dog with four adorable booties. He didn't even seem to mind that they were on his feet at all.

Today was cold enough to wear anything to protect you from the chilly weather. I myself was in many layers of cloths. I am also looking forward to the warm-up coming later in the week.

But in the meantime I will continue to go out in the cold and get pictures of anything that catches my eyes like this dog with booties.

Not A Blizzard.

At least this snow event was not like the blizzards we have had in the past. It is just an annoyance.

It is funny how the weather outside determines how you feel inside. A sunny warm day makes you feel all cozy and good. A cold wintry day makes you feel depressed and trapped.

When it gets too hot or too cold I tend to slow down. I do because I can't seem to handle extreme weather. I want to have the perfect temperature everyday.

I know that is unrealistic of me.  If it was perfect all the time how would I know that it is perfect without some form of measurement.

It is the extremes that helps me to know the normal things in life. When the bad days come it helps me to appreciate the good ones.

So even those we did not have a blizzard today I am happy for the annoyance. This annoyance help me appreciate the good days to come.

Dog Huddle

With the Ravens going to the Super Bowl I can only imagine what these dog are talking about in their huddle.

"Who do you think is going to win," one might be asking?

"Well of course the Ravens are going to go all the way," another might pipe in.

"I still cannot believe that they made it this far," the third added.

Well they did and many fans are praying that this is the year that they do go all the way.

On February 3, 2013 there will be fans gathering all across the state to see the Super Bowl. Some just for the commercials, like me. (Sorry I just can;t get into football or any sports for that matter.) Others for the chance to be a part of history with Ray Lewis retiring.

What ever the reasons this will be a memorable game. Go Raven.

Second Hawk

As I made my daily visit to the marsh by the house I lost my opportunity to get a good picture of a hawk. I was so busy paying attention to the ducks and geese swimming around I did not notice that I was only feet away from the hawk. I moved a little closer and off he fly to a  nearby tree where I could not get a good shot.

Needless to say I was bummed out about missing the change to get his picture. But God knows my heart and he gave me a second chance. Just as I made my way into town there sitting on a wire was a second hawk. I pulled my car over and got out with camera in hand. The hawk just looked at me and seemed to poise just for this shot.

How cool is it to have a God who loves you and wants to show you His wonders. Each day I can not wait to see what may be just around the bend in my life and with pictures. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

A New Bird in Town

Yesterday I got to see a new bird in town. It was a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. I know this because I had to look it up in the many bird books I have at home.

The thing that caught my eyes was that it was so small compared tot he other birds flying around. I really had to work hard to even get any pictures due to the fact that it would not stay still long enough to get a picture.

When I got the picture with the red showing on the back of the head it was a plus for me. It also helped me to identify the bird when I got home.

It is so awesome and I can't wait to go back to the Mariner to see if I can get a better shot.

I love when God gives me His little blessings. Even something as small as the new bird in town.

This Shoe Is To Big To Fill

Do you think this shoe will fit me or my friend? I don't think I have ever seen a shoe so big. This shoe is big enough to be someone home.

Have you ever known someone who's shoes where too big to fill? Maybe it was your father, your boss or a friend. Whoever it may be no one could fit in their shoes.

Jesus was just like that. There is no one who can fit into His shoes. Yet He wants us to walk in his shoes.

Jesus gives us the strength we need to walk in His ways. He empowers us to take each step.

Whatever it takes I will try and put myself into His shoes and walk the path He has chosen for me. I just hope they are not as big as the shoe in this picture.

The Parting of the Birds

The past several weeks the migrations of hundred of birds fly over our home each morning. They seem to go on for miles and miles.

A friend of mine told me awhile back that if you clap your hands when the flock of birds fly over you that they will separate. So this morning I did just that and sure enough they parted to the right and to the left.  It was so cool. I can't wait to show my grandson the parting of the birds tomorrow morning.

I love interacting with God's creations. I seek to learn as much as I can and share it with my grandchildren and anyone else that care to listen. God shows me so much and I drink it all in.

Someday I will find out where the birds started their migration and where they ended the trip. But until than I will enjoy the parting of the birds.

A Stroll In The Woods

There is not a day that goes by that I don't wish I was out taking a stroll in the woods. I love being out where the air is clear and the sounds of nature calms my soul. The stresses of the day just falls off my back.

But I can not always go outside. During the rainy season and the winter snows I find myself trapped indoors. So I am glad to have my pictures to look at and take in the scenery.

It is funny how a picture can cause feelings. It can excite you, calm you and even make you sad or angry. Every picture has a story. I want mine to tell of God's love and mercy. When you look at my pictures I hope it evokes good thoughts and feelings.

Today take a stroll with me in the woods and let the stresses of today fall away.

Stressful Fish

The yellow fish in this picture seems to have a beard. It turns out he has it due to stress. I can't imagine what a fish could be stressed over. All he has to do is swim around the tank all day. Yet he is stressed.

There are days that I feel stressed out. Yet when people look at my life that can't imagine what I have to be all stressed out about. Sometime it is money matters. Other times is it a family situation. Than there is the stress I get from my job. Whatever it is I am just like the stressful fish.

So what do I do to let go of my stresses? I turn to God. I ask Him to show me how to cope with the stresses and reduce them in my life. With His help I can swim stress free instead of stressful.

Cloudy Day

While heading to Pennsylvania to visit a friend we ran into some rain and a lot of foggy areas. But the thing that was cool to me were the formations of the clouds.

It seemed with the disturbance in the air the clouds look like they were rolling hills of snow.

When I got home I had to fool around with my picture program and see the different effects that I could do with the clouds.

I love the looks of the heat effect. It makes it clear the disturbance going on in the sky. It also makes for an awesome picture.

Sometime I need to have God put an little heat effect on me to get me to see the disturbances in my life. Through His eyes I see clearly what is going on. It helps me to understand what God is trying to show me.

Today I want to try and keep my focus on God. With His help I can get the disturbances to a minimum.

Game Night

Outside the football game with the excitement of overtime we are all set to have our yearly game night. Pictured above are just a few of our favorites. Of course that is if we can get our faces out of our phones, I-pads and computers.

When did we grow to be so depended on these electronics? My friends have raved all day of the benefits of owning an I-pad. I am ready to buy one if only I had the money. Yet with saying that, I find playing the old and true board games enables us to enjoy each other company in a way that the electronics cannot.

So while I will be spending the next years trying to come up with the money to get an I-pad, I will still look forward to the simple pleasure of playing board games with my good friends.

Girlfriend's Getaway

This weekend is my weekend getaway with two of my girlfriends.  my husband dropped me off at girlfriend number one.

But before we could leave she had to have her Buddy time. She would throw the ball out into the backyard and off Buddy would go to retrieve it. It was a chance to get some action shots of Buddy.

We have arrived here in PA safely and the weekend of fun has begun. Of course we are too tire to do anything right now but there is tomorrow.

Let the games begin. I mean Sequence, Apple to Apples,
Hoopla and many more.

Just Because

Today I am posting this picture just because I like it. No other reason. I love the colors and the way the bird is posed.

There are days that I do things just because I want to. No body is telling me to do it. I am not obligated to anyone. It is simple something I do to make me feel good.

I love taking pictures. I love posting them. I also love some of the feed backs I get from you all. But most of all I do just because I can.

But I also do it to please God. He has given me the desire to go out and view His world through my camera. I love learning new things and discovering the wonder of nature. I am never disappointed.

Hawk's Eyes

I would give anything if I had eyes like an hawk. This way as I walk around I could see thing that were far away more clearly. But the cataracts that started to form on both of my eyes makes it hard to focus.

It is a good thing I carry my camera around with me where ever I go. It has become my second pairs of eyes.

Just today when I spied this hawk I first though it was just a trash bag on the tree. Once I viewed it through the eyes of the lens of my camera that is when I found out it was really a hawk.

To be able to see like a hawk would be great. God has allowed me through the camera to see thing clearly.

God also uses His Word to help me see thing more clearly as well. My mind is not clear enough to understand because I have cataracts on the brain sometime. Yet through God;s eyes He clear them up for me. I get eyes like a hawk.

Dragonfly's Broken Wings

When I went to take the picture of this dragonfly it took off and flew to another leaf. I was impress because his wings seemed to be broken. Yet he had no problem flying at all, even with his wings all battered and bruised he adapted to it.

Many times in my life I feel all battered and bruised by what the world has to throw at me. But by the grace of God I adapted to it and still function. I fly on broken wings.

Today's Bird Lesson

Today I got to give a bird lesson. While I was walking at the Mariner in Joppatowne I notice a family trying to encourage some chickadees to eat some pieces of pizza that they had put on a post. Of course I had to ask if they were seeing many other birds. "No" was their reply.

So I grabbed a handful of bird seeds out of my pocket along with some peanut and put them on the same post. Before too long some titmouse and nuthatches along with the chickadees came by to get their share of the food. The young family thought that was so cool and soon other passers by stop to watch the birds. More birds soon arrived and more people with cameras showed up. I was giving a bird lesson to an audience. That was fun.

These past few years I have come to know the birds well. They seem to follow me each time I come to take pictures. Of course I have my following of squirrels as well. So I always make sure my pocket is full and my camera is ready. Who knows what young minds will want a lesson about the birds of Joppatowne.

Bee Stuck

As I watch the bee go from flower to flower and stick his head deep into the middle I wonder if he would get stuck. Sometime he would disappear into the flower.

Of course he was doing what bees do. He was after the nectar of the plant. But he also was leaving pollen as he made his way to the next flower. This pollen would be the ingredient needed to continue the cycle of the plants.

As Christians we need to leave a little bit of the pollen of the word as we go from place to place. We should be spreading the news of the grace of God. This is the start of the ingredient needed to help them grow as Christians.

Each day as I interact with my co-workers, friends and family I want to leave my mark and be a part of God's plan to bring about a better world for all.

Looking Back

Looking back at my life I ask the question what have I accomplished? I wanted to have something I have written published. But no takers. I enter contests with my pictures and again no takers. Yet I still enjoy doing both.

So what if I never see my words in print. If someone out there reads my blog and receives a little inspiration from them I have done my job. If my pictures put a smile on your face and brighten your day than once again I have done what I have set out to do.

I just want to add a little ray of hope to each of my friends and family. I refuse to look back at my failures and look forward to what might lie ahead.

I will get published this year. Don't know where or when. But I will give it the old college try. In the meantime enjoy my thoughts and pictures and look forward not backward.

No Place Like Home

There is no place like home for the holidays. After all the visitations, gift giving and devouring plate after plate of food you look forward to getting home, putting up you feet and passing out from exhaustion.

While it was fun enjoying the family gatherings and the many parties it is a blessing to just drop on the couch and drink in the memories of another year.

Home is a place you can let your hair down, strip off your dressed-up clothes and throw on your old rags. It is a place you can relax and be yourself. No one is watching. Except for God of course.

This home is only temporary. The home I am looking forward to is the home God has set up for me in heaven. Now there is a place I can really be myself. But until than I will make do with the one here on earth.

New Year Tree

There were trees to represent just about anything you could imagine at the festival of trees. One was the New Year Tree. 

Every year we wait in anticipation for the ball to drop and ring in the new year. With the stroke of midnight we celebrate the passing of an old friend and the introduction of the new hope that this year will be better.

Each year has it ups and downs. Sometime the down times out weigh the good times. But it is the good we hang on to for the memories. It helps us to face what lies ahead. 

This year I hope to bring someone just a little closer to God. I hope that with the life I live I show compassion and mercy to everyone that crosses my path. I want this year to end with the hope of God for the future.

Dazed and in Bed

I spent most of my holidays dazed and in bed. The flu bug got me good. It was all that I could do to make it to work and back home. Once home I spent it sacked out on the couch or propped up in bed due to all the coughing and nose blowing. Sleep and rest was the last thing I was getting.

I am glad to announce that I am recovering slowly and getting back to my old self. I can sit here and blog again. Not much to say tonight. But I will get back into the swing of things fast.

So in the meantime I hope all is well with you all. Stay healthy. Happy New Year to all.