Happy New Year

Another year is done. As always, there are the good memories and the bad.

As the fireworks lights up the night sky, we can look forward to God's love to light up our future. I look forward to what the new year will bring. With the help of God, I am ready to face the good and the bad.

In the meantime, I want to wish everyone, Happy New Year. May God truly bless you throughout this new year.

We Are Being Watched

Sunday I got to enjoy being part of the 'Christmas Bird Count' that the Audubon Society does each year. This year we spotted 42 different species of birds.

While visiting a local farm, with the permission of the owner, we notice that we were being watched. In one of the trees a raccoon kept an eye on us. You can see his eye right at the bottom of the hole in this picture.

He was not the only one watching. The cows, horses, and other wild lives kept a watchful eye on us as we made our way around the farm.

Even though the purpose was to count as many birds as we could spot or hear, I could not help but enjoy all the other critters as well. I did not mind at all being watched.  

As The Child Gets Older

We have talked about a baby's first and a toddler's Christmas. Now is the time to talk about a child as he gets older. What does Christmas mean to him?

The child want the newsest game systems or any type of electronics. It is the computer age we live in now. It is all about the getting the newest PlayStation, Wii or Nintendo. Than there is the many forms of tablets and cell phones that show up on the child Christmas list.

He may still play with his toys, but that is only when you make him get off the electronics. Santa is kind of still in the picture. But he is starting to understand that there is more to Christmas.

This is the time we need to start sharing that Jesus is the center of this season. All the gadgets and electronics will break down or be replace with a newer model. But Jesus remains the same.

The hope we have in Jesus will never run down or be replace. When we receive this Hope, we learn that Christmas is more than all the gifts under the tree. Christmas is all about Jesus.

A Toddler's Christmas

After a baby first Christmas, he start to learn many things about the holiday. As the years goes by, he learns about Santa Claus. One of the first story he will remember is 'The Night Before Christmas' by Clement Clarke Moore

The tradition of reading this story has become world wide. The Santa you see in this picture recites the whole poem. It is one of my favorite story.

Another favorite story of mine is the story of Christ. I love hearing about Jesus' birth and the three wise men. When I look to the sky, I love the part about the one star that shines on the manger.

When the angels visit the shepperd boy and proclaims the good news of a child, I feel like I am sitting there hearing the same great news.

It is a timeless story like 'The Night Before Christmas'. The difference is that the story of Jesus Christ is a real story, not a made up one for entertainment.

The true Christmas story changes lives and gives us hope. As we read the many Christmas stories to our toddlers, let the story of Jesus' birth be a part of the tradition.

Baby's First Christmas

What did you give your baby for his or her first Christmas?

Most likely clothes, toys, and books were found under the tree for them. I do not remember what I got for my children or grandchildren on their first Christmas. I am sure it was something that they needed, like clothes.

There is one baby that I know what he got for his first Christmas. Jesus.

In Matthew 2, the bible tells of the Magi who brought gifts of gold, incense and myrrh, They traveled far and followed a star to reach Jesus.

As we give our presents to our loves one today, I pray that we also give the gift of hope to those who do not know the story of Jesus.

Jesus really is the true gift of Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

A Hanging Leaf

It was a calm day. Not a hint of a breeze was to be felt.
The leaf landed on the limbs of a tree. I sat watching it, wondering what it would take for the leaf to fall to the ground.

Only a slight breeze would send the hanging leaf down. But than again, it might take a storm to pry it off the branch.

The leaf is in the hands of the Creator. Whatever its lot is in its journey, God is in control.

There are times that I am just hanging like this leaf. I feel that just a slight breeze would knock me off my feet.

Whatever my lot is in life, I have the assurance that God is in control. If He needs me to fall, I know that He will be there to help me get back up.

Like this hanging leaf, I am in the hands of my Creator.

A Bee's Point Of View

When I headed down the steps at the Mariner, I came across what I thought was a dead bee. But than I could see that there were two bees. With my camera, I could see what they were doing. Upon closer inspection, I could see that was kind of scary.

If you look close enough, you can see how dangerous it was for the smaller bee. That stinger is a little too close for comfort in my opinion. Yikes!

Yet from the bee's point of view, this was right where he wanted to be at. God created these bees. He created the stinger. He also created the instinct for these two to come together to continue the species.

So, who am I to question God's design. I am sure that these bees point of view do not question Him. I bet they are delighted beyond measure.

Window Dilemma

I got my car back Monday after being without it for three weeks. While heading to Tennessee the transmission blew and we had to end our trip before we got to our destination.

One of the thing we ended up doing after calling AAA for assistance, was make arrangement with the Uhaul company to rent a truck and dolly to tow the car back home.

Now. what you need to understand is, that you should never roll down my window on the passenger side of the car. The window will not roll back up. I have to push the button every few minutes just to get it to go up a faction of an inch. An hour later I finally get it all the way up.

This create a dilemma for me, because I hate taking pictures through the window. So I roll it down, only to regret it.

So when we got into the Uhaul truck, I wanted to take some picture of the fall foliage's while driving back home.

Now here was the dilemma. I could not find the button to push to get the window to go down. It took my husband yelling at me to take the strange looking knob and turn it. It was than I realized that there was no button to push. I had to roll the window down the old way.

Boy, did I ever feel stupid. It seems that I have issues with windows in cars. I am glad that I can now push a button again. I just have to remember not to do it on a rainy day like today.

Weekend Of Birding

From Friday evening to Sunday afternoon I have been learning about the birds of Harford county and the raptors from around the world.

Friday night I was invited to the Mill's Wild Bird Dinner to hear Dennis Kirkwood teach about the birds you may find through out Harford County. It was a great dinner with great friends.

First thing Saturday morning my husband and grandson headed to the Conowingo dam to see the many raptors birds on display for the annual eagle watching day. There were several both there to visit and learn about the different nature centers.

Of course, the eagles were the center of attraction. They were every where and the crowd with their many cameras were there to catch the one of a life time shot.

I also visited my usual stomping grounds to see my bird friends from the Mariner and the marsh. It was a great weekend of birding.

Deer Chase

Today was a first for me. As I headed up a path at the Mariner, I almost had a head on crash with a buck chasing a doe right in my direction. The doe had to turn around to miss running into me. The buck never took his eyes off the doe while chasing her.

She made her way back into the trees and the buck faced me. I was not sure what to do, so I just stood there waiting. He finally decide to go into the trees to follow the doe to my relief.

Of course, I could not leave it at that and I headed around to the other side of the trees in hopes of seeing them again. And I did. But this time it was only the buck and he head down the embankment, jumped into the water and swam to the other side right in from of a man in his boat.

This was the first time that I have ever seem deers in the park. It is mating season and I think next time I walk around the Mariner, I will be just a little more alert. I sure do not want to be chased by this buck.

How Many Turtles?

It was a beautiful day. The weather was so warm, even the turtles wanted to enjoy the warmth. The problem was that there was only one board for them.

As the board floated around the pond, the turtles did their best to hang on. I kept waiting for the board to sink or flip over from the weight of the turtles.

I wondered how many were on the board?

It also made me wonder, how many times I try to crowd in too many things in a day, when there is not enough hours in the day? The weight of my list becomes too heavy and I begin to flip out and sink from the pressures.

I soon realize that I need to give it over to God. He than takes the board and makes it sturdy enough to hold the weight, just like He did for these turtles.

Wax-winged Delight

Today I got to experience some cedar wax-winged delight. The trees were full of them. In fact, the trees were alive with many different types of birds. It is migration time.

I love this time of year. As the leaves changes their colors, the birds gather together to make their annual flight south. I even saw a osprey hanging out in one of the trees.

It was the antics of the wax-winged birds that kept me entertain for a while. I spent close to two hours walking around the Mariner enjoying the blue heron, robins, woodpeckers and sparrows to name just a few of the birds flying around me.

Of course the squirrels, bugs and butterflies caught my attention as well. It was good to get out and enjoy God's world. I hope I get to see the cedar wax-winged birds again tomorrow. They were a true delight.

Pastor's Breakfast

Many years the Fellowship Circle of women would do a Pastor Appreciation Luncheon. But it grew too big for our small group. So this year we decided to do just a small breakfast for the main pastor's staff,

Along with the breakfast the circle purchase a bicycle, some chickens and ducks for World Vision an Christian humanitarian organization in our pastors names.

As you can see, they did enjoy the food and fellowship. We enjoyed the service.

Ray Lewis? Where?

Today at work I noticed that the parking lot was getting pretty full. It almost seemed like it was Christmas time when you could not find a place to park. We were pretty busy, yet, i knew that all those cars were not for us.

One of my co-worker told me that it was because of Ray Lewis.

"Ray Lewis," I asked? "Where?"

It turns out that he was at Barnes and Noble near our store. I got off early tonight and headed straight for the book store. It was a challenged to get in by all the people waiting in line to get Ray's book and autograph, along with a picture.

As I made my way around all the store trying to find a good place to get just one picture with my phone, I found a small isle moved some of the books to get my shot, but the security guard was in the way. I politely ask if he could just move a little so I could take a picture. He was nice enough to move and I got this shot.

I am not a sport fan. But I know that this was a rare chance to get a picture of a celebity. And I was not missing this opportunity.

Yet, I still would prefer to get a shot of a bird, a deer or a beautiful scene. That would make my day.

A Swan Heart

I am getting there. My mission is to get the pair of swans at the marsh to make a shape of a heart. Today they were close enough to the road to try again. This was the best I could get.

They took turns putting their heads in the water forging for food. They would swim away from each other, than swam next to each other. One would be facing the wrong way, while the other would be in the right pose. I think I must have taken 100 pictures.

Even with sitting there for close to thirty minutes, it was worth it. The swans has my heart. I love watching them and the interaction between the two. They are truly devoted to each other.

I can imagine God looking down on us and loving the way we interact with each other when we show His love and His heart. Today I want to have the heart of these swans and the love of God showing through me as I interact with people.

Proof Of A Conquered Fear.

For those who know me well, know that I have an unhealthy fear of water. This is a picture showing that the fear has been conquered. I actually enjoyed being out on the pontoon with my grandson.

Year ago I went out on a boat with my cousins while on vacation. There was fear there, but I did enjoy that as well.

Once, I went out with friends from church. That was quite a few years ago. The fear was great then. Yet, I enjoyed being in the company of friends.

Sometime the fear that controls you takes years too heal from. It takes family, friend and others to help you get over the fears in your life. That is what happened to me.

God uses the people in your life to help you grow. I am thankful for all my family and friends throughout the years who stood by me. I can now enjoy going out in the water without fear.

Horse Farm

Today I got a treat. I was able to visit a local horse farm. A dear friend invited me to come along and take all the pictures that I wanted. Of course, I took a lot.

Here she is introducing me to one of her horses. I was in awe in the beauty of each horse, There were many different breeds. Each holds a special place here.

The day was breezy and sunny. There was a chill in the air, yet, the sun warmed us as we made our way around the farm. It was a perfect day.

Thank you my friend.

Yellow Rump

Here is one bird that the name really tells a story. Yellow rump warbler. There is no doubt to why it is call this.

What is in a name? A name tells a story. It can be a title of a book, a song or a poem. Just by the title you get an idea what you will be reading.

When you name your child, you are telling the world something about yourself as well as the child. Their names will tell the story of your family.

 The name of the car you are driving tells something about you.

Sport teams, clubs and groups names lets you know what they are all about.

The greatest name of all tells the greatest story of all. Jesus. His name has the power to heal, to give hope and to save.

Just as the yellow rump warbler's names tell his own story, Jesus' name tell the whole story of grace.

An Ugly Bug

I would be the first to tell you that bugs are not cute. But the bug that my grandson and I can across two weeks ago was one ugly bug. It was hard to get a front view of him, because he kept turning his back to me as Arthur held the stick.

Even though he was an ugly bug to me, he most likely was a handsome bug to another one of his species. He probably was the best looking bug at the ugly bug ball.

The one thing I can say, he was interesting. God has a purpose for him. I can not imagine what it could be though. But I do not have too know. God knows.

God has a purpose for me as well, even though I sometimes forget what it might be. There are times I feel ugly. But I remind myself that God does not create junk.

So even though I think this bug is ugly, God see the beauty in His creation. God also see the beauty in me and you as well.

Solitary Sandpiper

Today I had a rare treat of seeing a bird that I have never seen before. It was a pair of solitary sandpipers. They call them solitary birds because they do not travel in flock like other birds. I guess they like the solitude of being alone.

I can relate to enjoying the quietness of being by myself. There are times when being in a crowd becomes too much and I need to go off and be with God.

These birds have traveled along way to get here from Canada. I sat by watching them get their fill of food. In my solitude, I was getting refreshed with the pleasure of their company.

When I spend time with God, I get refreshed as well. I just hope my times with God does not become as rare as the sightings of these sandpipers. I need to be more conscious of how I spend my days.

Today I did well and God blessed me with a treat.

A Promise

The ringing of the phone woke me from a sound sleep. It was my son calling to tell me to look outside, there was a double rainbow. I told him to take a picture with his phone and text it to me. He said his phone did not take good pictures. I just wanted to sleep just a little longer, so I closed my eyes and started to doze off again.

The ringing of the phone work me up a second time. It was my husband telling me I needed to look out the window and see the rainbow. So I reluctantly got up, grabbed my phone and looked. There was one of the prettiest double rainbow that I have seen in a long while. It lifted my spirit.

I found out later that my daughter was going to call me as well, but she did not want to wake me up. I am glad my husband and my son had no problem waking me up.

Each time I get to witness a rainbow after a storm, I am reminded of the promise that God gave to never flood the earth again. What He did not promise was that we would never have storms in our life. But when the storms do hit, we need to just look up and see the rainbows that follow.

God made another promise, never to leave us nor forsake us. With each rainbow I hang onto that promise as well.

Super Blood Total Lunar Eclipse

Tonight I wait in anticapation for the lunar eclipse. But there is a problem. The clouds are rolling in and cover the moon. So before the moon is completely gone from sight I took pictures.

This is the fourth one that I have seen in the past two years. There will not be another one until the year 2033. I will be 76 years old. I think I will stick around to see the next one. My mom is in her 80s, so I think it is a date.

Even though the clouds keeps me from viewing the whole eclipse, I know that it is going on.

I believe in this just as much as I believe in God. Even though I can not see Him, I know He is there just like the blood moon behind the clouds. I do mot need to see it to believe.

Pick A Favorite

This afternoon I will be going to the photo club meeting. Each time we meet, we have to pick our favorites shots and put them on a memory card to have them critiqued. The problem is that all my favorites are of the chipmunks we took over vacation.

I know that last thing this group wants to see is chipmunks. So I had to find five other pictures to put on the card.

There is just something so endearing about these little creatures. I want to take them home and love on them. But God put them where they will live a full life according to His plans.

I get frustrated with my place in life sometimes. I wish someone would take me away and love on me. Than God reminds me, that I am where He has placed me. I can live a full life here, when I let Him guide me.

God loves on me everyday. I forget that a lot. Today I am going to soak in that love. I will go to the photo group and let them critique my five favorite shots. Just for fun, I did throw in one chipmunk picture. The one you see here.

Bending Backward

Walking around the Mariner with my grandson, we came acroos this caterpillar. When my grandson put his finger near him the little guy bend backward to avoid getting onto my grandson hand. I was impress in how far he was able to bend.

Sometime I wonder how far I must bend before I break? Life tests me to my breaking point and I bend beyond my abilities. Unlike this caterpillar who seems to be able to bend in half, I am limited.

When I turn my life difficulties to God, He does the bending for me. God abilities are unlimited. With a thankful heart, I do not worry about breaking. With God's help, I only have to bend as far as He needs me to before He takes over and rescue me from my breaking point.

You Never Know

I never know who I will run into when I go on my walks, go to work or meet someone for the first time.

 Like today. I took my grandson to the Mariner to get him out of the house and away from the electronics.  Arthur has to pet every dog that we pass by.

As he was petting the dog in this picture, the young lady asked, Hi Dawn, this must be Arthur?"

At first I did not recognized her even when she told me her name. I am old, it takes awhile to connect the dots. Than it hit me. It was one of Don's girls from when he coached softball for Edgewood rec.

This past week at my work, I met a good friend of a good friend. Before that, I met with a photographer who restores old pictures. It turns out that he knew the same friend that the one from work knew. It really is a small world.

So, you never know who will run into. But I love when it turns out to be someone who you can relate to.

Drain Baby

For the past year I have look forward to seeing what new outfit the drain baby would be wearing. The last two times I went onto base, I noticed that the doll was gone. I assumed the person who owned it moved off the base.

Than I saw this sign when I went by there this past week. Someone had kidnapped the doll. This sadden me. Why would someone do this? I hope with this sign, someone will return the drain baby back to its rightful place.

Here are a few more pictures of this special doll. It was one of my highlight of going on base. I look forward to seeing the drain baby again.

     

Four Corners

It is not too often that we get to say that we are in several place at one time. Here I got to say that I was in all four states at once.

Note: Thanks to my cousin for taking this picture.

Vacation this year was a blast. We saw thing we have not seen before. We went to places that we had not visited before, like the Four Corners. But the most important thing, we got to spend it with my cousins who always make it exciting.

I know when my time here on earth is over, I will have no regrets. By God's grace, I seen things here that I never dreamed I would. I have been everywhere He has open doors for me to enter. But the most important thing, when I get to heaven, He will make it exciting to be in His presence.

This is the one thing I live for the most. But, in the meantime, I will look forward to my vacation times with my cousins.

Dairy Sunflowers

Several times this week I have visited the dairy farm off of route 543. Why, you ask? Because the sunflowers are out.  

Each time I would go, the warblers would fly in and out of the field. This time I stood still and one landed on a sunflower and proceeded to eat of the harvest. 

They were not the only creatures enjoying the flowers. There were many butterflies, bees and bugs making their way around the garden. I tried my best to capture as many of these on the sunflowers.

Of course, I was not the only one taking pictures. Many others were bringing their children to catch that perfect shot. Any one who owned a camera, or a smart phone were among the families in the field.

I must be honest and took about a hundred myself. There is something about sunflowers that brightens up your day. Of course enjoying an ice cream from the dairy farm was a treat as well.

Big Or Small

It does not matter if God creatures are big or small. They still fascinate me. This white ant like bug caught my eye. I  have never seen anything like it.

I try my best to keep my eye open to my surrounding. There is not a rock or leaf that I will not study in hope that there will be something new to discover.

I need to look at the bible the same way. There should not be one page that I do not study every inch to find some new discoveries. You never know what small tidbit God wants me to see.

Unseen Horse

It was cool to get to catch some feral horses among the trees. The gray horse was standing near a tree munching on the plants. What we did not see was that there was another horse standing right next to him. This horse was black and seemed to outline the gray one. It was not until the black one raised his head that we saw it.

Life is like that. We sometime only see what is right in front of us. We do not see the unseen circumstances that lurks behind. It is not until it lift its head, that we see what was there all along.

I try to be aware of my surroundings. But I am limited by my short sightness. It is when God opens my eyes that I see clearly what is unseen like the black horse.

Pica Mistake

Do you see it? Right at the tip of the rock sit a pica.

For over ten years I thought a pica was a small mouse like mammal. I was wrong. So  when I saw this small rabbit like creature running around collecting grass I had no idea what I was looking at. It was not until I bought a mammal book that I discover it was a pica.

All this time through the many vacations, the little varmint running across the road in front of us was not the pica. It was a pica mistake.

Now that this cutie has cross my path, I have found a new love. The pica and the chipmunk have my heart. But I think the pica might have just taken the lead.

Humming Bird Frenzy

While eating at a restaurant, I noticed flashes of something passing by the window. There were people eating out on the porch. One of the customer got her phone out and began taking pictures of the flashes. I soon realized that the flashes were in fact, humming birds.

When we finish our meal, we headed for the car and got our cameras. For the next fifteen minute we all tried our best to get a good shot of the humming bird frenzy. They are the cutest birds, yet the hardest to get on camera.

Anything worth getting sometimes take patience and at least thirty plus snapping of the camera. I was fortunate enough to get a few good shots. This one is my favorite.

I hope to get a chance to see another humming bird frenzy.

Unexpected Occurrence

Well, I had a unexpected occurrence today. As I pulled up to the Aberdeen Proving Ground gate and stop to show my ID, I was told to hold up so that they could expect my car. So my grandson had to get out while they searched my glove and arm rest compartments.

While on vacation there was another unexpected occurrence. We got to see a black bear with three cubs during the jeep tour. This was such a rare sighting, that the tour guide stay longer so we all could take all the pictures we wanted and watch them as they walked off.

One thing I have learned, always expect the unexpected. Good or bad, I need to go with the flow and learn from the experience.

Snake Scare

My cousin and I are always on the look out for bones in the desert. So when we saw what looked like the rib cage of an large animal, we jumped out of the car and headed straight for the site. It turned out to be a dried up dead bush.

Disappointed we headed back to the car where our husband were waiting. We only took a few steps when my cousin ran behind me and grabbed my arms.

"There's a snake," she screamed.

Sitting by a smaller bush was a scary looking snake. We made our way backing slowly away from the snake. Both of us yelling out to our husband to come and check it out.

Than I notice something. The snake was not moving. Through my camera I could see it was dead. Of course my cousin had to throw a big rock at the snake. If it was not dead before, she made sure it was dead now.

From that point on we made sure we paid attention to where we were stepping. We did not want to have another snake scare like that again.

Double Save

We all love to save money. I use to look forward to double coupon savings when I would go grocery shopping.

There is another kind of double save. Sport fans love it when the outfielders work hard to get a double out only to fail and it becomes a double save for your favorite team.

The other day at my work a young woman proceeded to take her infant who was still in the car seat and place it on top of the shopping cart. As she turn back to pay for her stuff the car seat and baby fell from the cart. The manager who just happen to be nearby rushed to catch the child.

But in the same moment he lost his balance and was falling backward with the baby heading straight for the counter. Another associate was close enough to throw his body between the manager and the counter saving the both of them. A double save.

I wonder how many times God has had to double save me. First He gave His Son freely to save me from eternity in hell. Than He saves me from myself on a daily basic. I thank the Lord for "double save"

Colorful

At the entrance of the shopping center not far from my place sits a garden that is very colorful. As long as there are no cars behind me, I drive by this garden slowly so as to take in the beauty of all the colors.

Every garden no mater how small or big, hold some kind of beauty. The reason for this, is the love and attention that is given to the flowers, plants and bushes put there by the planter.

God puts in the same kind of love and attention to each of his creations, The world, His garden has more colors than anyone could even begin to imagine. The beauty takes my breath away.

I am so glad that I get to be a part of God's colorful garden.

Blocked

I made my way around the Mariner only to come to the end of the path and find it blocked by a fallen tree. There was a dilemma. Do I turn around and go back the way I came? Maybe I can find a way around the tree. I could crawl under it. Not! So what was I to do?

While I was pondering my next move, a man with his dog came through the tree. It turned out that there was enough room to bend down and go through the branches, into the grass and make it past the tree. It was nice to be able to see the top of the tree without climbing it.

I think of the many road blocks that gets in my way on my journey through life. When I wait on God, He shows me the way around them. It is not always easy. I might get some scrapes and bruises along the way. But it is worth the trip.

Trapped

When I watch the many nature channels, I see the many ways they trapped animals. The turtle man and the crocodile team use their bare hands, while others hunters uses different types of traps.

While walking around Harford Glen I notice one of those such trap sitting under one of the building porch. After several days the trap catches its attendance target. Sitting inside was a scare ground hog. I felt sorry for him. Yet, I know that they are a nuisance and causes a lot of damage.

I wish there was a way we could set out traps for the devil. He is such a nuisance and disrupts many lives. It is great that we have a loving God who we can rely on to protects us from the damage the devil causes us.

God sets out His traps and free us from worrying over the devil. I for one am glad for those traps.

Scared Out Of His Mind

I could spend hours watching the green herons fishing for small fishes and tadpoles. This day was no exception. I came across this heron busy catching tadpoles. He had no idea that I was just a few yards away behind a bush.

I did my best not to do any sudden moves as not to scare him away. When out of no where a helicopter flew overhead and scared both the heron and me out of our minds.

I can not count the times that I have been scared out of my mind. Tonight for example, work let me out early to beat the rain storm home. They know how afraid of driving in rain storms I am.

There was the time that my youngest son fell down a flight of cement steps, cracked his head open and went into a seizure. I was beyond scared out of my mind.

Than when my daughter was three years old, she showed up missing. I was scared out of my mind because a week earlier a five year old girl was found dead a block away.

Another time my oldest son decided it would be a good thing to jump onto a moving car only to fall off face first into the pavement. He ended up in intensive care with several factors around his eye socket. I was scared out of my mind that he would loose his one eye.

Each time I had family, friends and of course God on my side. I could write a whole book of the many times my children have scared me out of my mind.

I am so glad that God is there all the time to put my mind back. I just hope the green heron fared as well.

Red Clouds

Wow! What a storm we just had. After the rain past, of course there was a rainbow. Soon after there were cotton ball type clouds. As the night approached, than the clouds turned red. This to me was the best part of the storm.

I hate rain. But this time I was grateful for the storm. It was so hot and humid that the sweat would not even evaporate. Now as I looked to the red clouds, I can feel how much cooler it is.

We needed the rain. We sometimes need the storms. Yet, I am always glad for the rainbows and red clouds. I know that it means that it is all over for now. So, I will enjoy the red clouds tonight and sleep well with the cooler temperature.

Butterfly Eggs

Finally, I got pictures of the Baltimore checker-spotted butterfly eggs. It has come full circle. I watched the caterpillar turn into a cocoon, than into a butterfly. I capture them as they mate and now the eggs.

It is so exciting to see how God's creatures live the life that they were created to live. They do not fight with God and try to be something that they are not. Their lives are simple.

But it is not so for me. I question everything and I am not always sure of my place in life. Life is not simple.

The one thing I do is turn to God. He gives me the answers I seek and helps me to know what His plans are for me.

He blesses me with the desires of my heart, when it goes along with His desires for me. Like today, getting to see the butterfly eggs was a true blessing.

Bird Nest

For years now I have been trying to get a picture of a red-winged blackbird's nest. The problem has been that they built them deep in the field of cattails.

This day as I watched the blackbirds flying in and out of the cattails, I notice one was pretty close to me. As I try hard to place where the nest must be, a gust of wind blew against the field and exposed the nest for me.

I tried to take pictures with my camera but was to close. If  I backed up I would lose my view. I thank God for cell phones. I took it out and got this pictures.

God is so good to me. He loves giving me some of the desires of my heart.

I know I can not have all my desires of my heart. If this was so, I would live in a mansion, drive new cars and never run out of money.

Today He gave me what I needed. This is all I can ask for, because it made me smile the rest of the day. God is GOOD.



 

Butterfly droplets

Today after the morning rain, I set off to Harford Glen to check on the cocoon that I am waiting to open. While I did not see any Baltimore checker-spotted butterflies, I did see some cool things.

There were many other bugs, butterflies and birds enjoying the refreshing air. There was this one butterfly that seemed to be drinking from the water droplets. He was just as pretty as the checker-spotted. So I did not mind not seeing them today.

The checker-spotted cocoon has not open yet. So I will check on it tomorrow.

Today I drank in the sights of the Glen and its many creatures. Just like this butterfly, I found the water droplets refreshing and was drawn to them.

The rain seemed to renew the plants and  provided refreshment for the many lives making the Glen their home. It was a pleasure watching the interactions of the butterfly and the water droplets. It refreshed me as well.

Pollywog Catfish

Note: This picture is not ripped. That left bottom corner is just a white rock that the fishes were swimming around.

As I watch what I thought was a school of polliwogs, I notice that there was something different about these baby frogs. These tadpoles had whiskers. On closer look, I realized that they were baby catfishes.

This was another first for me. They were so tiny and of course so cute. There were so many that it was easy to mistake them for polliwogs.

God keeps blessing me with new discoveries. I never know what I am going to see each day. I never go out each day thinking that I have seen it all. There is too many wonders to find. Even if I live to be 100, I will never get to see it all.

So as I get older each day, I will keep looking for those great find, like these pollywog catfishes.

Dragonfly Love

I am always on the look out for evidences of how God's creatures multiply. You know, make babies. When I came across this pair of dragonflies, I had to take several pictures.

I notice the one on the right looks like she was producing eggs. Or maybe it was the one on the left. It was really hard to tell. Anyway, it was interesting to see. I wished I could have stayed to see what they would do with the eggs.

I want so bad to get the whole cycle of anything. Butterflies, dragonflies and birds. Tomorrow I do have permission to go each day to Harford Glen to keep an eye out on one of the cocoons. I just praying that it has not hatched these past two days.

I feel like there is so much to see and learn about God creatures. Each day I can not wait to see what I might discover.

Baltimore Butterfly

They are here. Today I spotted two Baltimore Checker-spotted Butterflies. I have been waiting for a month for them to emerge from their cocoons. There is still one that I have kept my eye on that is still intact. I had hope to catch them as they made their way out. But I would have to camp out at Harford Glen to get to see that.

These butterflies has captured my interest only because of the work that it is taking to build up the populations. While they are not on the endanger list, they are few in numbers and are on the watch list.

It is good to see the effort here is helping to change the tide of the butterfly. For such a tiny thing, they demand a lot of care and attention.

I think I will get in touch with the office of Harford Glen and see if they will let me come everyday until the last cocoon opens. Right now they are open to the public only on the weekends. Until than I will stop by every weekends and get what pictures I can get.