A New Year

As I sit here pondering about the new year, I can not help but think about the past year. 2025 has held it share of ups and downs. There has been many loses, health issues, and disappointments. Yet, there has been many blessings as well.

I hope to get to share my hopes and dreams this year. As each day passes, I want to give some piece of hope to my readers.

Today, I want to just leave a note to say Happy New Year. May each and everyone receive some blessings as the sun sets.
 

A Winter Perdiction

So far this year, we have been spared a heavy winter. It is Groundhog Day and I am sitting here watching the Weather Channel. Why? I want to see if we are having a early spring. Punxsutawny Phil comes out each year and gives us his perdiction.

My hope is that we will have a early spring. But, the perdiction was six more weeks of winter. Now, here is the question. How accurate is his perdictions. The good news. Only about 40%.

If we get six more weeks of winter, I hope it is a mild. I don't mind the snow or the cold. I just don't want to spend everyday digging out.

My winter perdiction is that spring is just around the corner. I am hoping that Phil is 100% wrong.

 

Bury Treasures

 

I wonder what kind of bury treasures this squirrel was hoping to find? Maybe he was hidding his treasures. What ever the case, bury treasures has value to the person who seeks it.

So what are my treasures? I treasure my family and friends. Without them, I would not be the person that has values. I know where my worth comes from. Through out the years, they have helped me to learn, grow and put to practice the good that is in me.

To bury all the things that I have learned, would be a waste of their time and energy that they have put into me. I value my family and friends. So, I give the best of myself each day and share the treasures with others.

Bury treasures are meant to be shared. Unlike the squirrel who buries his treasure and forgets where he buries it, I dig my treasures out and give it away. 

Surprise Surprise

 

Surprise! Sirprise!  You never know who will come around the corner or a tree. The holidays is a time to get together with family and friends. Some of these friends can be a little crazy to be around. But, it is the craziness that gets you through.                                                                                                       

We need to laugh sometimes. Yet, there are people in our lives that seems to drain us and we find it hard to laugh. In fact, we just want to crawl into a corner and cry.                                                                     

I am blessed enough to have plenty of friends who makes me laugh. The blessings of my family keeps me grounded as well. I look forward to spending time with them. When I find myself feeling like crawling to a corner, I turn to those that will see me through my trials.   

Surprise? Yes. Am I happy for the surprises in my life? Yes. I thank God everyday for the surprises.

Try, Try, Again

This afternoon, I made went to my favorite place. As I made my way to one of the pier, there stood a great blue heron. So, I got my camera ready in hope of getting a picture of the heron catching a fish.

I did not have to wait long. He went to work. But, try as he could, he could not catch one. He would try and try, again and again. But, to no avail. The fishes would not let him get his meal. Yet, He did not give up.

This lasted for quite a while. Splash after spash, he would fail. I was starting to wonder if he would grow tire and give up. He did not. He started to catch small fishes, time after time. I was proud of this heron.

It made me wonder what I would be willing to do to get to my goal.  Would I try and try again? Could I spend hours or maybe days to years to achieve it? One thing I do know. I know I can only do this with God help. Only through God will I recieve the rewards of not giving up.

Time To Rise

Time to rise. This morning I was on a mission. The past seveeral weeks, I have been viewing pictures of sandhill cranes that others have posting. I recognized the area, and it ws not far away. While it was still dark, I got to the location and waited.                                                                                                        

 Another car pulled in and the man set up a tripod with camera with a telescope lens. So, I knew I was in the right place. We talked for a while while we waited and waited and waited. With my camera in my hand, I got back in my car. It was then I notice the sun was starting to rise. 

With the rising of the sun, I could not help but see how pretty the colors were. So, I got back out of my car and started to snap away. For a while there, I thought that it was a waste of my time to come. But than I realized that it was worth it as I watched the miracle of a new day arrive.

Time to rise. Things don't alway work out the way you hope. But God showed me this morning that He is in control and the world is a beautiful place.

Passing Through

There are many birds that migrate each year through out the world. What I like about walking around the Mariner, is that many birds make their way to this park. They are just passing through. But, I look forward to the short time I get to spend with them, like this sand-piper.                                                

Through out my life, I find this to be true about my many friends and family members. There are some that I get to spend time with often. Yet, there are many who are just passing through for a period of time. I so much enjoy there company. Yet, I know they must move on to their next destination.                                                

It is hard to let them go. I want all my friends and family to stay nearby. I want to enjoy their company. But, this is unrealistic. I can not hold onto them. When it is time to let go, I must do this knowing that it is God plans, not mine.                                                                                                                                

As my life goes on, I will cherish all the time I get to spend with both the birds and people passing through. I will not take for granted each minute. It is a blessing from God and I thank Him everyday.