A New Year

 It has been over two years since I have blogged. I just could not think of anything to write about. I felt like I was hitting a brick wall. Kind of like this car hitting a fake deer. The words just was not anywhere to be found.

Now, that it is a new year. I find myself reflecting the past two year. I have reached the age of retirement. Medicare, Social Security and free time on my hands has me trying figure out where my life is going now.

One thing I know for sure, The new year gives me the opportunity to grieve my failures, losses and pain. Yet, at the same time, I look forward to the plans that God has for me.

I love taking pictures. I love to write. So, with God guidance, I will use both of these to encourage those who read my blogs.

No more hitting fake deer or brick walls. One day at a time and one blog at a time, I will go forward and not look back.

Got This Hawk

Today, I set off to get away from all the negative news. My heart is hurting for our nation. I wanted to do something to cheer me up. With camera in hand, I headed to Eden Mill in hopes of getting a picture of a painted bunting. I have been seeing pictures of them on Facebook and wanted to try before they were gone.

On the way there, I kept seeing hawks. By the marsh, there was a juvenile red-shoulder hawk on the wire. I drove by thinking that I will see it again. The  bunting was calling. As I made my way through Forest Hill, there was a Northern Harrier. I wanted to stop. But, the bunting was waiting for me.

I finally got to Eden Mill. The first bird I see is a red-tailed hawk flying over head. I tried to gets a picture, but the trees were in the way. I was alright with that. Because, I was ready to see that bunting.

You guest it. No bunting. I looked and looked. I heard and saw several other birds. But, that bunting just would not appear.

On my way out of Eden Mill, I saw a kestrel on the wire. I tried to get a picture of this one. But he was facing the wrong way and I had cars behind me. So, I had to get moving.

I started thinking about all the hawks picutres I could have gotten today if I had just taking the time to stop and take the shot. Than there is was, standing proud and tall on the wire. As I drove past it, I knew I had to turn around and pull over. This red-shoulder hawk was my last chance to get a picture of anything today.

There are so many opportunties in life I have left pass me by, because I was focus on something else I was chasing. I know I need to be more tuned in to what God wants to show me. Hawks were everywhere. I got this one.

Up Or Down

In this picture you can see that the woodpecker likes to eat his food heads up. The nuthatch prefer to eat upside down. So who is doing it wrong?  Of course, the answer is neither.

I like to use spoons, forks and knives. Sometimes I like to use just my fingers. They make a handy tool for eating. But, I can not use chop stick. Does that make me wrong in the way I eat? No.

When I go to an all you can eat restaurant, I like to see how different people go for certain foods. Not everyone choices the same things. I fill my plates with all kinds of vegetables. My husband loves mixing it up and go for many differents foods.

God created these birds just the way He wanted. I know that God created me and you just the way He wanted. Each one of us are special. If we eat our food heads up or upside down, we are doing it just the way we are supposed to eat them. Of course, I prefer to eat it heads up.

House Keeping

Every Spring the birds get busy collecting  folliage. It is time for house keeping. It might be the start of a new home or sprucing up an old one. 

As we start a new year, it is time for house keeping. It time to start fresh and rearrange our lives. What we have known as normal in our lives seemed to change over night. The "new normal" is a term we hear everyday.

Everyone has had to change the way we keep house. Instead of folliage, we are collecting items from the local grocery stores to spruce up our homes.

As we take stock of the past year and look forward to the new year, we need to take inventory of what is needed to keep up our own lives. There has been so many changes, that we can get overwhelmed.by our house keeping.

I know that I need to start each day folliaging from God the materials I need to make it through each day. Like this sparrow, I need to take only what is needed to keep my house ready for tomorrow.

What Now?

This squirrel seems to be asking, "What now?" Now that the year 2020 is gone, what does the year 2021 hold for us? That is a question that I am sure is on the minds of many. 

I have spent many years watching the squirrels gather nuts, leaves and any other things that they think is needed to get ready for the future. They do not think about or worry about tomorrow. They just do what comes natural.

We do not have this nature. I watched people as they stocked up on toilet papers, paper towels and whatever else they felt they needed to get through this past year of uncertainty. It is our nature to worry about the future.

The uncetainty of tomorrow has me asking, "What now?" Buying all the toilet paper, paper towels and cleaning supplies will not calm the fear that controls me. So, where do I turn to for answers?

The answers I seek comes from only one source. God has been the source of my future. I do not have to worry about tomorrow. So, when I ask, "What now?" I turn to God and let Him be in control of the answer.

Moth Chase

 Many times when I open my front door, I come across birds in the yard. I like to watch them as they c search for food in the grass. This one time, a small moth flew up from the ground and two of the birds proceeded to chase it around the third bird. 

This went on for about five minutes. With each attempt, the moth was just a little to fast for the two birds. As the third bird watched, he began to chirp at the others. With one quick swoop, the moth flew right into his mouth. 

I was blown away by this action. This was not what I was expecting to see. It got me to thinking. How often do I chase after things, just to have it escape my grasp? Time after time it just a little too fast for me and I miss out. It is only when I wait on the Lord, that the thing I am after swoops into my life.

Today, I will wait on the Lord. It is when I allow Him to be in control, that the moth I am chasing takes a quick swoop into my life. 

JJ

Today, I made my rounds at Mariner Point Park. I have not been going there like I use to do. So, I did not know what to expect to find. At the last pier, I came across this young couple getting ready to annouce the sex of the baby that they were expecting.

As Jeremy and Julia get on the phone, they pull the answer out of the envelope. They reveil to all their family and friends that they are having a girl. They could not be more happier about the news. 

It was nice to hear some good news in this world. There is so much negitive news, that it can bring you down. I congratulated them and they left to take in the news and to begin a new chapter in their lives.

I told them that I would be blogging their news and title it JJ. So, JJs, I pray that when you daugther arrives in February, that she is healthy and strong. I pray also, that God sends you many years of blessings,