Easter! A Time of Wonder and Amazement!

Life can be difficult at best. It can throw us a lot of punches and pull us in many directions. It often leads us to make choices, some of them good and some of them not so good.

But if we slow down long enough and search to find Jesus, then we can start to see that there is a better way. He is there for us, to walk with us in times of trials and trouble, in times of sadness and grief and He gives us hope that something better awaits those who follow and believe in Him.

And when we humble ourselves to Him, His love and mercy and grace pour out to us and is better than any earthly prize or pleasure.

 And our life can be filled with wonder and amazement, with joy and happiness, with hope and understanding that an eternal life in heaven awaits us if we follow and believe in Him.

On this very special Easter Day, may you know and feel the love of our Lord Jesus Christ and the joy that a relationship with Him brings. May you take pause and understand what He has done for all of us. May His Grace and Mercy flow upon you like a spring breeze and may you look upon His life with wonder and amazement and give Him the praise, honor and glory He so richly deserves.  Happy Easter and my God bless you in all you do!

"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die". 

                   Holy Bible  John 11:25-26

Trust!

This pair of Canada Geese have been nesting around my office and they brought out their newest edition to the bird family this past Tuesday. Little geese or goslings as they are known are just the cutest things in the world when they are first born. But they soon grow to awkward and somewhat ugly looking teenagers before they develop their adult plumage. Mom and dad brought these four( one is out of the picture) out for a foraging expedition right by my office window. When I moved to grab the camera and their picture, the parents quickly led them back to the lake for safety. The goslings rely and trust their parents fully until they are grown and able to take care of themselves.

"Relationships of trust depend on our willingness to look not only to our own interests, but also the interest of others."
                         Peter Farquharson

Killdeer!

I arrived at work last Tuesday morning to find my parking space occupied by a Killdeer! Now you may not think much about this but as I pulled up to my normal parking spot I knew by her actions that nesting time was here.

This very protective mother began to try to draw me away from her nest on the ground by acting injured. Since these birds are ground nesters they have developed the defense of distracting would be predators away from the nest by acting like they have a broken wing or some other bodily injury. What predator in their right mind would not go chasing after an injured prey for a quick easy snack. Ah! but as she lures you further away from her nest she gets a litter more healthy and she stays just out of reach of any would be enemy.  Most of the time the predator chases the bird and forgets about the nest or never even knew it was there.

 Below, open nest on the ground with one egg. They usually lay four eggs and they blend into the rocky ground very well.

Mother sitting back on the nest after coast is clear. 

I was really exicted for the opportunity to be able to watch the whole nesting, hatching, rearing event take place right outside my office but I am sad to report that the nest was raided by some predator, be it crows, dogs, raccoons, or some other critter. After she laid the second egg on Wednesday the nest was empty of all eggs on Thursday morning. No doubt she will try to nest again, hopefully this time in a safer place. Good luck little mom! Oh Yea! That is not my camera causing the red eye! She really does have a red ring around her eyes.    Ha Ha!          How amazing and beautiful!  

"Birds are indicators of the enviornment. If they are in trouble, we know we'll soon be in trouble."
   Roger Tory Peterson(1908-1996): American Naturalist, Ornithologist, Artist, Educator

Getting Attention!

We all need a certain amount of attention, some of us more than others. But sometimes it doesn't pay to draw attention to ones self unless you can handle the consequences! When this Cougar looked directly at me, I wasn't sure I wanted the attention! For some reason, I suddenly felt like dinner. Ha Ha!

I took this shot at the wildlife habitat at Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina.

"To get the attention of a large animal, be it an elephant or a bureaucracy, it helps to know what part of it feels pain. Be very sure, though, that you want its full attention."

Kelvin Throop-Fictional charactor and pseudonym for R.A.J. Phillips(1922-2003): Canadian Author

Dandelion

"If dandelions were hard to grow, they would be most welcome on any lawn."
       Andrew V. Mason. M.D.

Albino Cowbird!

Now I have witnessed albinos in several animal species but I have never seen and albino cowbird, until now! This one paid a visit to my feeders along with all of its cousins, aunts and uncles. It doesn't take them long to clean out a feeder full of seed.

"You just never know what you are going to see in nature."
            Randy J. Schultz

"The hardest struggle of all is to be something different from what the average man is."
            Charles M. Schwab (1862-1939): American Steel Magnate

A Cup of Blessing!

 Well I had a little fog on my lens when I snapped this shot but I thought it was still worthy of sharing just because it looked so lovely.

But when I looked away and turned back to the flower a few seconds later, look who paid a visit! A Sulphur Butterfly decided to adorn an already beautiful flower and make it even more worthy of sharing. How awesome to witness first hand a relationship in God's natural world as it was meant to be. The butterfly seeks the flower for its nectar; we seek it for its beauty. I think God must smile when two of His own come together at the same time and recognize our seperate need for His wonderful creation!

"Never lose and opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful; for beauty is God's handwriting-a wayside sacrament. Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky, in every fair flower, and thank God for it as a cup of blessing."
     Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882): American Philosopher, Essayist and Poet

Dumpster Diving Squirrel ?

Well I pulled up to the park the other day just in time to see this Grey Squirrel go dumpster diving for lunch. Now I know this sounds weird but look at the pics above and see for yourself. I guess this squirrel has just gotten tired of eating acorns everyday or maybe the acorns have all been eaten since there is a rather large population of squirrels in this park. Either way, I was amazed to watch this squirrel  come out with a chicken wing of all things. I was even more amazed as it climbed the nearest tree and gnawed off the rather sauced up meat. It just goes to show what I always say, "That you just never know what you may see in nature!" Sorry the shots are not the best but I pushed the limit of my lens to just get these. While not the best photos, they do represent the rare opportunity to see nature uncensored.

"The peace of nature and of the innocent creatures of God seems to be secure and deep, only so long  as the presence of man and his restless and unquiet spirit are not there to trouble its sanctity."
      Tomas De Quincey (1821-1856): English Author and Intellectual

A Ray of Beauty!

"Flowers... are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world."

        Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882): Philosopher, Poet, Author, Essayist

BlueJay

"Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still."
Dorothea Lange (1895-1965) : American Documentary Photographer, Photojournalist

Well I usually don't get many BlueJays to my feeders. I guess they don't care much for the small stuff! But when I put a handfull of dog food on this bench, it didn't take them long to clean it up, starting with the biggest pieces first. I guess because they are so plentiful here in the south we often take BlueJays for granted, but they really are a beautiful bird when you take a closer look.

Armadillo

Well these are not one of my favorite critters but they are one of God's creation. I just don't see why God made some things and this is sure one of those. Ha Ha! So I guess we just have to put up with their digging in our yards and making a passel of doodles and mini potholes all over the place in their search for grubs, worms and other insects.

"If God has created the world, his primary worry was certainly not to make its understanding easy for us."
          Albert Einstein (1879-1955):German born Theoretical Physicists and Nobel Prize Winner



And Spring Arose!

Beautiful spring blossoms at Bay Springs Lake in North Mississippi.

"And Spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast
rose from the dreams of it's wintery rest."
   Percy Bysshe Shelley(1792-1822): English Poet

Bad Moon Rising!

I hope everyone noticed the rather large moon over the weekend. Wow! Was it impressive or what? They say the moon was the closest point to the earth in 18 years and from the looks of it at Moon Rise, I believe they must have been right. I couldn't help but remember the song written by John Fogerty with Creedence Clearwater Revival titled "Bad Moon Rising".

"When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in worship of the Creator."
        Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948): Indian Philosopher

American Robin!

Well the American Robin is one of the first birds that move northward in late February to early March after spending the winter mostly along the warmer climes close to and around the Gulf of Mexico. They begin showing up a few at a time and then they just seem to be everywhere. If there was ever a saying that applied to a bird, the following definitely applies to the Robin. I have watched as many a Robin pulled a juicy earth worm from the grass in my yard in February and March.

"The early bird gets the worm."

        American Proverb

Brown and Bare!

The trees and shrubs are showing that first sign of life after a long, cold and snowy winter in the deep south. The buds are emerging from their winter hiding place and each day brings a little more to see.


Yesterday the twig was brown and bare;
To-day the glint of green is there;
Tomorrow will be leaflets spare;
I know no thing so wondrous fair
No miracle so strangely rare.
I wonder what will next be there!
     L.H.Bailey(1858-1954): American Horticulturists, Botnists

Cooper's Hawk

Well the birds have been wearing my feeders out with all the cold and snowy weather we have had this winter and I knew it was just a matter of time before the local predators noticed all the activity. Sorry this is not a very good shot but as with most things in nature, you just have to take what is offered. This Cooper's Hawk flew up in the oak tree above where I was refilling the feeders and stayed there long enough for me to go in the house and grab this quick shot through the window before it flew off again. Needless to say, the birds scattered for a while until the coast was clear again.

"The bird hunting a locust is unaware of the hawk hunting him."
               Proverb Quote

Radiance!

" and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory."

         Holy Bible, Ezekiel 43:2

First Sign of Spring!

Well after a winter that has brought us 4 measurable snows in north Mississippi, everyone is looking for that early spring. There are a lot of different signs folks use to indicate spring is on the way, but one sign that is universal in the south is watching for the first flowers to bloom. That usually without fail is the Daffodils of which there are many varieties. One such variety in the southern U.S. is the Jonquill or Johnny Quills as my grandma used to call them. When they burst out of their winter hybernation, you can rest assured that spring will not be far behind. It doesn't mean we may not have more cold weather and yes even a flurry or two has been know to fall after they bloom, but in general terms, "Spring has Sprung".

"Look at us, said the violets blooming at her feet, all last winter we slept in the seeming death but at the right time God awakened us, and here we are to comfort you."
    Edward Payson Rod
    

Abrams Falls!

Access to Abrams Falls is located at the back end of the Cades Cove Loop Road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is on Abrams Creek and you get to it by hiking Abrams Falls Trail which begins at a gravel parking area just off the Cades Cove Loop Road. It is a moderate trail of about 2.5 miles one way and follows the creek to this most beautiful waterfall. It is a perfect place to take the family and have a picnic lunch around the pool that surrounds the lower side of the falls. It is about a 31/2 to 4 hour roundtrip hike and you will want to spend some time just admiring the falls. This shot was taken on Feb 19th, 2011 and the flow was good due to the heavy snow melting in the high country.

              We Must Go

"Streams are the arteries of the earth; 
and waterfalls are the adrenaline 
that turns a slow and placid flow
into that incredible and beautiful rush
that awakens every sense 
God gave to man.

For what man or beast can,
upon hearing the first hint
of rushing water as it roars
over ageless rocks,
resist its temptation.

We must go,
and smell its' freshness,
lay eyes upon its' beauty, 
put hand and feet to its' cool
and warm embrace.

We must go,
and give ear to listen
to its' music made,
to taste its' sweetness,
to admire its' grandeur,
to refresh our soul." 
        Randy J. Schultz  

Would You Raise My Kids?

Now most of us don't care much for moochers and although I am somewhat partial to birds, I do find fault with a few species and the Brown Headed Cowbird is one such variety. I guess they are harmless and you may disagree but I find them to be greedy, bossy, nosey, intolerant of others, selfish, pushy, lazy and to top it all off come nesting time if they can't find a nest requiring little if any work, then they just lay their eggs in the nest of another specie. Then they let what ever unlucky couple it happens to be raise their young for them. Now who wouldn't like that kind of a deal, except for the poor birds having to raise the voracious eaters. Nature is an amazing thing! I have known a few of the attributes of the Cowbird to exist in some of our human friends, thus the following quote:

"Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you."

      H. Jackson Brown, Jr. - American Writer