How Can I Share…

what an incredible experience this was with only photographs…

Bear with me because this post is going to have lots of photos! We found out that Snow Geese like to congregate at Snowgoose Produce in Conway, Washington. We were in La Conner and Conway was on our way back home. We decided to try to find this spot. As we drove on Fir Island Road I spotted a sea of white to our right. Dear turned down the country lane and stopped in front of these Snow Geese grazing in this field.

I watched them hoping maybe some would get tired of sitting and would fly. I had been told it’s amazing to see large groups of them in flight.

A few of them got excited and started to fly…

Then I heard a loud indistinct noise coming from the distance. I looked to my right and exclaimed “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, Dear here they come, they’re coming” He jumped out of the car to stand with me as we observed this amazing sight!

Geese that at first appeared like locusts were swarming to this little spot where we were standing.

We started to hear the distinct honking fill the air. Very loud coming from the thousands of birds approaching.

Our excitement mounted as they got closer and closer.

They were flying over our heads and I was praising the Lord for this special birthday gift to me! Thank you Lord!

I wish I could share the audio of what this sounded like. It was so much more amazing in person.

 

This truly was one of the coolest outdoor experiences I’ve had!

Snow geese are harbingers of the changing seasons. They fly south for the winter in huge, honking flocks that may appear as a “U” formation or simply as a large “snowstorm” of white birds. They spend the colder seasons in southern coastal marshes, bays, wet grasslands, and fields. Their diet is entirely vegetarian, consisting of grasses and grains, grazed from damp soils or even shallow water

You can hear what we heard here http://vimeo.com/3856735

I’ll be linking up with Outdoor Wednesday. So visit Susan at A Southern Daydreamer on Wednesday to join in…

 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day ~ Got Green?

Cuisine Kathleen is having a sharing of the green party. If you’ve never visited her blog you should because she always has such yummy goodies to share and pretty tables to show. She knows what to put on a plate!

This little Belleek bowl is about the only thing I have that is Irish and worthy of St. Patrick’s Day. I found it at a thrift store for under $5.00 and thought it was a steal!

The Dear Little Shamrock

by Andrew Cherry

There’s a dear little plant that grows in Ireland.
‘Twas Saint Patrick himself sure that set it.
And the sun on his labor with pleasure did smile.
And a tear from his eyes oft-times wet it.
It grows thro’ the bog, thro’ the brake, and the mireland,
And it’s called the dear little Shamrock of Ireland.

That dear little plant still grows in our land,
Fresh and fair as the daughters of Erin,
Whose smiles can bewitch, and whose eyes can command,
In each climate they ever appear in:
For they shine thro’ the bog, thro’ the brake, and the mireland,
Just like their own dear little Shamrock of Ireland.

That dear little plant that springs from our soil,
When its three little leaves are extended,
Denotes from the stalk we together should toil,
And ourselves by ourselves be befriended.
And still thro’ the bog, thro’ the brake, and the mireland,
From one root should branch, like the Shamrock of Ireland.

 

 

Ruby Tuesday ~ Gobble Gobble!

Welcome to Ruby Tuesday now go visit  Mary at the Work of the Poet to check it out before a house falls on you!

Dear and I enjoyed an overnight in La Conner, Washington and we saw so many interesting things. Wail till I show you some of the yard art. For now enjoy this…

In 2005, a small flock of wild Turkeys made La Conner their home and have been declared the official town mascot. Dear and I were thrilled when we spotted them. The way this guy strutted about makes me think he’s the King of the Roost! Just a little ruby for you and if you look closely you’ll see ruby on the tree trunks besides the wattle and the snood on the turkey.

Thank you for stopping by. Hope you have a wonderful week.

 

Thy Word Is Like A Garden, Lord ~ Hymn

Thy Word Is Like a Garden, Lord

Thy Word is like a garden, Lord, with flowers bright and fair;
And every one who seeks may pluck a lovely cluster there.
Thy Word is like a deep, deep mine; and jewels rich and rare
Are hidden in its mighty depths for every searcher there.

Thy Word is like a starry host: a thousand rays of light
Are seen to guide the traveler and make his pathway bright.
Thy Word is like an armory, where soldiers may repair;
And find, for life’s long battle day, all needful weapons there.

O may I love Thy precious Word, may I explore the mine,
May I its fragrant flowers glean, may light upon me shine!
O may I find my armor there! Thy Word my trusty sword,
I’ll learn to fight with every foe the battle of the Lord.

Words: Edwin Holder (1837-1904)

Round Robin Photo Challenge ~ Look Up/Look Down…

Time for an all new challenge! This time around it comes to us by way of our friend Steven. “Look Up/Look Down” is scheduled for Saturday March 13th, 2010. For this one, the perspective is up to you. Link up to the Round Robin Blog to see more of “Look Up” or  for the next Photo Challenge which will be in a couple of weeks…

My first two shots are from Pleasanton, California on our roadtrip from Cali to Washington. I looked up and saw this despicable image looking down at me…

 

but the fact that it’s not the fairest image in the world didn’t keep me from zooming in…

Now on a more serene note…while I was at the Japanese Gardens in Seattle last Saturday I took this shot looking down…

Happy Saturday to you Robins! I’ve seen Robins in my yard this week and I have a goal to capture one in a photo…

If I don’t get to you today it’s because Dear is taking me off for a massage and overnight to celebrate my birthday which is tomorrow! I’ll see you soon…

 

Celebrating the Beginning…

of my last year being 50 something. Next year on March 14th, Lord willing, I’ll be alive and in my sixties!

Dear has an overnight planned, out of town, with a 90 minute massage included and lots of good food! No computer is being packed. Boy am I looking forward to that massage. Today I organized our hall closet. I sorted all my tablecloths into lengths and rolled them together and safety pinned their size on the roll. I hope this makes getting to the right tablecloth for the right table size more efficient for me. Have I mentioned I have a lot of tablecloths?

Have a nice weekend everyone. I’m looking forward to my last year being in my fifties.

FFF ~ Home Sweet Home

Time for Friday’s Fave 5 hosted by Susanne at Living to Tell the Story. So what are your favorites from the past 7 days?

1. Being back in my home and going to sleep here and waking up here and walking in my yard have been great. I love the quiet of our house and not having someone living above me. The only things that makes noise above me are the rain or the crows on the roof. The street noise is different here. I love all the windows I have to look out of and seeing trees and greenery instead of cars parked. I’m a happy camper! That yellow bush is in my yard and the name escapes me but it is so bright!

2. Last Saturday Dear and I went to Mt. Vernon to see the daffodils. In a couple weeks I’ll try to go back to see the tulips. It was a fun morning trip with breakfast in town. We also saw trumpeter swans which I had never seen before.

3. Later in the day I went to the Japanese Gardens with my sister Lana G! We had a fun time. It’s great to be so close to each other when we are both in Washington. I’ll share more photos from the Gardens next week.

4. Yakima Fruit Market and Nursery! This market is closed in the winter so we always know Spring is around the corner when it opens. It opened the first week of March and I had to make a quick stop because I thought they’d have fresh brussel sprouts and they didn’t disappoint. Dear and I really enjoy them!

5. Thursday afternoon my son Josh picked me up and then we picked Dear up downtown to have a bite to eat together before the Sounders Soccer game against the Portland Timbers that evening. This was a friendly game and not a league game. Unfortunately we lost the game 1-0. Even though it was raining we managed to stay dry. I really enjoy Soccer and I have a season ticket for the Sounders.

So what were your favorites this week?

 

In the Wee Hours

I first published this on April 14, 2007. I’m cleaning up some of my early posts and getting rid of any photos that aren’t mine.  I thought this was a good reminder and prayer for me…

The original title of this post was Three A.M. Prayers ~ The Joys of Growing Older…

An interesting thing happens when you are over 50, you begin new sleep patterns. One of my frequent tendencies is to awake too early to get up so this has been a great opportunity for prayer in my life. Sometimes because my brain is not  filled with the cares of the day I can think more clearly.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Here’s one of my 3:00 A.M. prayers…

Lord help me today to recognize my own depravity, my resistance to your holiness. Help me to realize my need to repent every new day and turn my face from myself to you and to what you want me to do. Help me to know that my past is totally forgiven and I need to concentrate on today and what you are doing now in my life. Help me to recognize that the only reason I am loved and blessed is because of what Jesus did for me. I am no better than any other sinner on the earth except for what you have done for me. Help me not to ignore the fact that even though I am no better than any other sinner I still need to extend your Kingdom to them in any way I can. Help me to recognize that my fellow believers will fail just like me and that they are forgiven and redeemed just like me. Wipe out any self righteousness that remains in me. Help me to remember how important forgiveness and reconciliation are in your kingdom, first and foremost between You and me. I am amazed at your willingness to continually forgive and redeem. You are a great God.

I Thessalonians 5:23
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.”

Blessings on your heads today!
Ellen B.

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling…

This is a simple Spring tablescape I created for St. Patrick’s Day last year. I searched high and low here at the homestead and was shocked to find I do not have any St. Patrick Day decor. I did find some green so it will have to do.

When Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, ’tis like the morn in Spring.
In the lilt of Irish laughter
You can hear the angels sing.
When Irish hearts are happy,
All the world seems bright and gay.
And when Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, they steal your heart away.

An appetizer ottoman scape from the Condo last year, too.

An early Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you all!

For more Tablescapes visit Susan at Between Naps on the Porch.