Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 28:52

"Take time to relax and rest on your day in the intimate comfort of Jesus' unchanging love."

That happy thought graces the front of one of my birthday cards from last month. I still have it propped up on my desk to remind me to take the time, if not physically, at least mentally, to rest in His love throughout the day.

It fits nicely with my goal of learning to pray without ceasing this year. Another big shift for me has been my sleeping habits. I'm in bed a lot earlier these days and subsequently up earlier. I've never been a morning person, I like to start my days slowly.... but getting up earlier has truly been a blessing. The extra time to sit and reflect on Him and observe nature has been a balm to my soul.

Who can resist rising early to experience seeing this guy bathed in the gold of the morning light?

And this sweet little white-winged dove who has been greeting me each morning for the last few days. 

I finally have a couple of halfway decent shots of the black-chinned hummingbirds to share with you this week. These are for you, Floyd!

Warning! If you spot one of these near your hummingbird feeders, get a stick and safely relocate them to another area of your yard. Adult praying mantis can kill a hummingbird. This guy was on my butterfly weed and nearly snagged a pipevine swallowtail earlier in the week.

The Black-crested titmice are another bird that can be difficult to capture. I was happy to get this picture. He looks like a youngster since his crest isn't fully black yet. Always on the move!

We have two families of cardinals that come to feed and bathe. I never get tired of them. It's fun to watch them feed their babies and their mates.

My Dreamer says I only get excited about the colorful, exotic birds and never post about the sparrows. This isn't true of course, I love all the birds.

But who doesn't get excited about seeing a Vermillion at the water trough?

A-hem, lest you think I don't love the sparrows . . . Here's a sweet lark sparrow inspecting the branch for his next meal.

And the sprinkler brought out a host of field sparrows the other day.

It was so fun to watch their little puffed up bodies playing in the pools. They are so sweet.

Once again, the cardinal made the final splash.

What are you seeing through your lens this week?

Stay cool, peeps!

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Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 8:52

The pear tree is in bloom, and I am like a bee caught in it's intoxicating web.

It always blooms early, usually to it's own detriment. However, this year has been warm and the pollinators are out in droves! So I have a hope of pears for the first time!

Eastern Phoebe

I visit her every day. Drinking in the weight of her nectar. Her garments are dipped in honey and laced with sugar.

Variegated Fritillary

American Lady

Red Admiral

The bees and butterflies dance a cadence that woos me deeper into her sacred speech. Whispered blessings that only my heart understands.

Cucumber Beetle

 "If an [pear] blossom or a ripe [pear] could tell its own story, it would be, still more than its own, the story of the sunshine that smiled upon it, of the winds that whispered to it, of the birds that sang around it, of the storms that visited it, and of the motherly tree that held it and fed it until its petals were unfolded and its form developed." Lucy Larcom

What are you seeing

through your lens

this week?

Have a wonder-filled day!

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Inspired by . . . ten minutes of breathless

I had just finished saying goodbye to my sweet man, when I turned back toward the cottage and there he was . . .

. . . dancing from bud to blossom. A bit of sunshine, laced with night. His tail dipped in sky and scarlet.

My camera might as well have been on the moon for all the good it was doing inside the cottage.

I knew this fairy-like creature to be fickle. Any movement in his direction would likely mean loss.

I stood for a moment, mesmerized and thankful, before deciding I had to try!

It was still there when I reached the door and slipped inside. Camera now in hand, I peaked outside, disappointment at the ready.

Delight!

Planting that butterfly weed was one of the best decisions I’ve made all year!

I spent the next ten minutes standing on my porch, motionless except for my trigger finger, in a state of pure JOY, as he danced with the hummingbirds {he is bigger than a hummingbird!!} and drank from my flowers.

 

Giant Swallowtail

 

 

 

 

Have you ever watched a butterfly dance with a hummingbird?

 

What are you seeing through your lens this week?

 

Have a wonder-filled day,

 

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Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 34:52

Looking back I was surprised to see that it’s been nearly a month since I’ve shared on any nature/bird memes.  August has been a busy month for us. We took a short trip to cooler climes and, as sometimes happens with time away, the before and after was a bit hectic.

I’m looking forward to sharing some of our mini-adventure with you, but for now, here is what’s been happening around the cottage.

I’m not at all happy with the abundance of Bambis this year due to the havoc they are wreaking on my flower beds. They have a particular appetite for blossoms and tend to pull things up roots and all. . . but still, it is hard not to find them endearing.

 

 

 

I shared previously how much fun I’ve been having watching the juveniles at the bird feeders. Here is an immature male cardinal in the beautiful bird feeder our daughter gave us for Christmas last year.

 

 

I don’t see the {Western} scrub jays around often. But when they are in the yard, you definitely know about it! These two made such a commotion, I had to grab my camera and see what the fuss was about. Nothing out of the ordinary, but they look like juveniles to me, so I suppose they were just finding their voice.

 

 

 

It’s been a banner year for butterflies. I planted butterfly weed in my flower beds this year and it is growing like crazy! I’m planning to plant even more milkweed next year. The Pipevine Swallowtails seem to be partial to the red butterfly weed.

 

 

I’m not often up for the sunrise {in the summer months} but we put in some long days getting ready for our trip and I happened to catch this jewel in the morning light.

 

 

The twins paid us a visit this afternoon. They look so skinny, I can almost forgive them for eating all the blooms off my flowers.

Almost.

 

 

And, if you’re still with me, I finally got some decent shots of the elusive Carolina Chickadee. They are the energizer bunnies of the bird world! Constantly moving!

 

 

The lighting wasn’t the best, no sun today for a change, so the greens are a bit dull. But I’m pleased enough to share them with you.

 

 

I saw this quote by Charles Lingbergh recently and wondered what the context might have been. Quite a fascinating conversation, I would think!

 

I realized that if I had to choose,

I would rather have birds than airplanes. ~Charles Lindbergh

  ***

What are you seeing through your lens this week?

 

Have a wonder-filled day!

 

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Inspired by . . . ants, lions and doodlebugs, oh, my!

Imagine, if you would, the delightful scene of the two of us sitting down for tea. After stirring in a dot of cream and a lump of sugar, you might sit back and say, “So, what did you do last night?”

“Well,” I would say, eyes sparkling mischievously, “I was out hunting Antlions!”

“And I found one too,” I would continue, after helping you clean up your tea. “He spit some sand at me!”

Truth really is stranger than fiction! After all, Antlions are something you might expect to read about in a novel by C.S. Lewis or George MacDonald, not something you find on your front porch.

But there it was, in all it’s, slightly terrifying, glory.

 

 

Of course, I had to know more about this creature who was clinging so close to my front door. A quick check at insectidentification.org got me started. Thankfully, the adult antlions are harmless and consume mostly nectar and pollen. It’s their young that have earned them their ferocious name.

Antlion larva walk backwards, creating whimsical lines in the sand, earning them the name doodlebugs.

 

 

The catch? Once they find a suitable location, the antlion digs a burrow and then sits inside with it’s head slightly below the surface. When an unsuspecting ant falls in, the antlion grabs it with it’s huge jaws. I’ll spare you the rest of the gory details. Suffice it to say, the ant ends up with the same fate that you might if you walked into a lions den.

 

 

I was surprised at the wealth of information to be found online about antlions, they even have their own website: antlionpit.com, and I wonder if I might be one of only a few people that don’t know about these fascinating creatures?

 

 

Ever since I learned about the antlions, God has been whispering a warning to my heart, and I want to share it with you.

 

Be sober-minded; be watchful.

Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion,

seeking someone to devour. 1Pe 5:8

 

Much like the trail the doodlebug leaves, sin can entice and beguile us into following a different path. But just like the doodlebug’s trail, sin will always lead to a pit of death.

 

 

As believers, God will shut the lions mouth and protect us from losing our lives, but we may still get a nasty bite, or at the very least, sand spit into our eyes.

 

Then the king was exceedingly glad,

and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den.

So Daniel was taken up out of the den,

and no kind of harm was found on him,

because he had trusted in his God.  Dan 6:23

 

Nature has any number of lessons to teach us, if we will but listen.

 

Shalom,

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