Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 22:52

Lord, I need the clear shinings of

Your love, the beams of Your grace,

the light of Your countenance - these

are as summer suns to me.

C.H. Spurgeon

Mournful Duskywing

I love you, June but you came too soon!

Winter dug in its heels, then Summer rudely pushed its sister, Spring to the side; taking center stage with sunny face, steaming breath and orb of light.

The corn is popping in the deer feeders and the fields are quickly turning to shades of brown. Still, I'm a child of summer. Unashamed, and unafraid.

This year, I'm choosing to focus on the Light.

Cotton Candy Lantana and daddy long-leg spider

The sun is in command, forcing me to squint even behind my sunglasses. Rising in the east, her thick rays cloak the earth, painting each blade of grass with a yellow stroke. 

Our limestone rich roads reflect the light back as an offering and we are caught from above and below in a web of white.

Cotton Candy Lantana and bee

Summer is the season of light, so it seems fitting that it was likely this time of year that the true Light came to dwell among us.

Pow-pow coneflower

The true Light Who enlightens all humankind. By His creating power, He enlightens every person with the light of reason; that life which is the light of men is from Him; all the discoveries and directions of reason, all the comfort it gives us, and all the beauty it puts upon us, are from Christ.

Mournful Duskywing on pow-pow coneflower

My garden is one of those beauties that is constantly enlightening me to His presence. Everything from the smallest aphid to the fox squirrel that comes to drink from the fountain speaks of His intelligent design.

The light of His presence, the warmth of His grace, these are as summer suns to me. [click to tweet]

What beauty are you seeing through your lens this week?

Have a wonder-filled week, friends!

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#TellHisStory

Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 16:52

Hello, friends!

It's been a busy week but I did manage to capture a few delights to share with you! I know many of you are still under snow and ice. Perhaps a bit of spring gardening will encourage you!

The knockout roses are doing wonderful this year. All my lantana came back and most of my milkweed has sprouted. The Mexican Bush Sage which bloomed through the snow we had in December hasn't shown any signs of green yet and I'm afraid I might have lost it.

     

Ready to plant is more Mexican Bush Sage, butterfly weed and two "pow-pow" coneflower plants - excited for these to bloom! I also planted a few pentas for instant color.

The creeping jenny I planted a couple of weeks ago is doing well despite the high winds we've been having. With gusts up to 30mph here lately, you've got to wonder if the experience inside the birdhouse is a bit wilder than being out on a limb!

Carolina Wren

This Woodhouse's Scrub Jay posed nicely for me the other day.  

I haven't spotted any ruby-throated hummingbirds yet. I wonder if they got a memo about the weather y'all have been having up north?  I'll close with this week's shots of the current Yard Boss.

It's easy to see why they call them black-chinned hummingbirds. One of these days I'll catch him with the sun on his chin and you'll see his pretty purple throat. 

What are you seeing through your lens this week?

Blessings,

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Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 35:52

It's been quite a week. Being in the Texas Hill Country, the only thing Harvey gave us was a much needed, soaking rain. But thank you for all your continuing prayers for Texas!  It is so encouraging to this weary heart to see all the good shining forth through the darkness of this tragedy. 

The storm brought with it cooler temperatures and a nod to the changing season. I love fall but I admit, I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to summer. 

I've been on the lookout for early migratory birds and/or any unusual sightings from the storm. So far the only one making an appearance has been the ruby-throated hummingbird. The male makes a hasty exit whenever I pick up my camera, but the female is more than happy to flaunt her stuff! The first shot isn't the best but I like it because you can see the pollen on her beak.

The shot below was taken from a distance in an area of the garden that was untouched by the sun. I thought it produced a rather fun effect.

My garden has finally gotten over the deer devastation from earlier in the summer and I'm not the only one enjoying the blooms!

Mournful Duskywing

Cotton Candy Lantana

The mealy sage is going crazy, flaunting its purple finery for all to see.

How often do you see a roadrunner up a tree? Not very often! This is only the second time I've captured one among the branches. They make the most interesting clucking sound!

I've been blessed with a family of Woodhouse's Scrub Jays and a family of Northern Cardinals this year. It is so entertaining to watch them interact. I posted a picture of two of the young cardinals feeding each other on my IG account last week. You can find it here.

 The peanut suet is a favorite of all my yard birds.

It's hard to get a crisp shot with a swinging basket! 

The snow-on-the-mountain [also called snow-on-the-prairie] is in bloom. These plants can grow over 5ft tall! A friend on IG challenged me to post some black and white photos and this plant's delicate blooms translate beautifully!

What are you seeing through your lens this week?

Have a wonder-filled day, friends!

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Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 16:52

After culling my photos from this last week I realized I had far too many that I wanted to share with you for one post. So you'll have to come back next week to see the rest!

These first pictures are awful as far as quality goes. I took them through our side windows after the sun had set. My poor camera had no light to work with. But it was so exciting to see this Common Gray Fox! I just had to share them with you!

Despite his name, these foxes are anything but common. This is only the 2nd time in the five years I've lived here that we've seen one.  I think you can tell how beautiful he is even though the pictures are so poor. He usually only comes after dark but I hope I can get better pictures to share with you in the future.

I added a new bird to my life list this week. This lovely Eurasian Collared Dove.

Sadly, the white-winged doves were not welcoming, so I haven't seen her since.

Does this look like a likely place for a nest?

I didn't think so either, but those crazy wrens . . .

You can barely see the little pink babies inside. I'll post updates as they grow!

I've mentioned before that we have a variety of flycatchers in the area. I've seen the Great Crested Flycatcher in years past, but this year it seems he has decided to stay. He may have a mate and a nest - I'm still watching and investigating!

We finally got all the plants in the garden! I stick mostly with Lantana, Sage, and milkweed varieties. Partly to discourage the deer but they are also wonderful plants for butterflies! 

And we've already had visitors!

I've seen two monarchs already! So far, only the pipevine swallowtail [battus philenor] has lingered long enough for me to capture. Always a favorite!

“A garden to walk in and immensity to dream in--what more could he ask? A few flowers at his feet and above him the stars.” ― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

What are you seeing through your lens this week?

Blessings,

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Life-N-Reflection

Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 29:52

As you might imagine we are full on summer here in south Texas. It.Is.Hot!

Too hot to do much of anything, other than, well, maybe this:

Activity slows down to a crawl with most of it centered around water. Even the terracotta turtle gets a bath. 

Seriously, though, the birds seem to be eating less and bathing more.

Lesser Goldfinch

House Finch (female)

House Finch (Male)

The sweet little Inca doves are back. The range map shows them as year-round visitors but I only see them in the summer. It is likely a food source that brings them around.

Inca Dove blending into her surroundings.

Here's another summer visitor. Although I'm not 100% sure I'm ID-ing her correctly. The photo is cloudy because I was shooting through the window.

Summer Tanager (female)

The mockingbirds have been acting crazier than usual. I'm not sure if it's because they have another nest to defend or if it's because the persimmon fruit has ripened. 

Mockingbird eating persimmon fruit

We have a lot of dragonflies and damselflies this year. But I haven't seen as many butterflies since it's turned hot.

Not much is blooming in this heat, but you can always count on the crepe myrtle to put on a beautiful summer show!

It's not all birds and blooms, though. This baby lizard has been entertaining me for the past few days, and the deer come daily for water. I just have to remember to look before I open the door, so as not to scare them away!

Texas Spiny Lizard

White-tailed Deer

I don't know if the temperature has anything to do with it, but the sunsets have been red hot, too!

Last night I sat out on my porch and watched the night invade the day. The sun lit the moon with her rays even as she relinquished her place in our sky. The earth calmed and breathed a sigh of relief. The moonlight kept the darkest shadows hidden as the birds sang their postlude. Peace descended. Light and airy. Welcoming.

And then they came on silent feet. The does and the little spotted one. They came for water.

And my soul drank with them.

Under the light of the moon.

Blessings,

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