Backyard Discovery

Molly came breathless, running into the mudroom, door slamming behind her "Mommy! There's a fox in the backyard!" In about four seconds, I'd grabbed my camera and ran barefoot in my pyjamas onto the deck. It was wet and cold and I shoved the camera at Meghan, who had followed her siblings and me. 

"Here! Try and get a photo if I miss him!" I scooted back inside for some boots and a coat. Who knew if I'd be tracking the little guy far from the yard. Oliver, Molly and cousin Sadie were crouched and pointing behind our thirty-foot spruce.

"He's just lying there all curled up!" 

"Aw, Mommy, he's so cute."

"Should we go up to him?" 

I turned my lens to zoom in and took a few steps toward the evergreen. The fox didn't move. In fact, he didn't seem to mind me coming closer and squatting near him at all. That concerned me a little but I really wanted a good photo :) I told the kids to stay back. The fox yawned and scratched himself. He was completely disinterested in us. I shot several more photos. It was as though he was posing, turning his head this way and that. Then he curled up a little tighter. 

The kids chattered behind me and I stood and told them to run and get Sadie's mom, who was working down at the nursery. As we all dispersed, I looked back and the fox was gone. "Nevermind," I called, "he left." I carefully and quickly strode in the only direction he could've gone and I spotted him sitting beside the horse paddock by the fence. He strolled along the pasture, perfect gait, no evident injuries. He didn't seem sick. He just seemed calm and quite used to city-life. Urban-sprawl having much to do with that, no doubt. Our woods across the road had been dwindling for years. 

I was taken with this sweet fox's beauty and am always amazed and grateful when God points out less common parts of His creation to us. He trotted off toward a small shed at our nursery and I headed back to the house. The kids mentioned later that they saw him again. Perhaps he'll hang around for a while. I'm glad my kiddos find just as much joy in wild creatures as I do. But, discovering them in your backyard while playing? Even more exciting!

As The Deer

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God." (Psalm 42:1)  There was nowhere more fitting for that realization than our vacation high in the Laurentian mountains. Clouds hung low like smoke spiraling up from rich-green mountain forests. An early morning chill made me shiver as I read the Word, sipped my earl grey and gazed at this new scenery. We hadn't ever stayed at such an elevation and it brought me to worship over and over throughout the week. A regal buck or a gentle doe might be spotted grazing near our walking path or on the way to the pool--us, immersed in creation like we'd never experienced before. And that sweet, thin, little one who visited a couple of times... my soul giving praise for her beauty and the gift I was given to be so close. 

Promise-Breaker

I'm a promise-breaker. I told the Lord last week that was it, I was going to quit being impatient, that I was going to make a real effort to practice self-control over that sugar addiction and rise early regularly to read my Bible. I failed in each of those areas, almost immediately. Thankfully, God is not a promise-breaker. He said that His Holy Spirit would complete the work that He started in us. He said we wouldn't have to do it on our own. In fact, going it alone often results in the exact opposite of what we're trying to accomplish. God desires that we depend on Him and recognize our weakness and need for Him. What a contrast to what the world tells us--that we are only successful when we are fully independent and strong. God, the Promise-Keeper, made a covenant with us specifically so we would rely on him and then we would know His great love and care for us. True success would derive from that powerful relationship.

 

 

When it comes to promises, I'm so thankful I don't have to be dependent on my own efforts. I would always get only so far before I would slide back into my previous habits. I see progress though. Slowly, but surely, He's moving me toward growth and change... because He's not finished with me yet!

 

(photos taken a few nights ago of a full-arched, double rainbow that blew us away for about half an hour)

Everybody Does Their Own Thing

It's a small window of time till those birds can no longer be spotted as easily and so we lay down the books and take advantage of the weather and the barely budding trees. As long as we bring along scooters, a bike, and snacks, everyone is happy. Everybody does their own thing and it makes for an enjoyable adventure!

 

Point Pelee is the birds' first landing place after a long and tiresome flight and so, my friends, Annie, Cathy and I cottaged there, hoping to catch them before they dispersed north. Two days of staring through binoculars brought me a little closer to the Creator as I stood many times, marveling over the intricate details of colours, lines and feathers. Breathing in the fresh air, walking for eighteen hours between the two days left us tired, peaceful and hopeful for what we'd soon be capturing in our binoculars at home.

This one likes to have her photo taken :)

Somehow, every little thing becomes a gun.

We received a sweet welcome from this Common Yellowthroat the other day.

Identifying the subtle differences between each Thrush keeps things interesting.

Aw, how cute is this Bay-breasted Warbler?

This Mourning Warbler flitted down beside me while the "professional birdwatchers" were looking for him at Pt. Pelee.

Sweet Redstart

Funny, how my friends were searching for this Wood Thrush and when we got home, we realized I had a photo of him on my camera :)

Tiny Yellow Warblers at Pt. Pelee were as plentiful as Robins are here.

Trying to view a flycatcher. We call this the "neck-breaker".

Friendly Chestnut-sided Warbler. He followed us around.

The little Loft Cottage we stayed in at Pt. Pelee. It overlooked Lake Erie.

I had never seen a Scarlet Tanager before!

This Northern Goshawk landed on my neighbour's roof the other day.

Picking flowers makes life lovely.

Loved hanging with this knowledgeable lady.

Funny Green Heron, oh, how you make me laugh!

Beautiful Bird-Nerd (Annie)

Married outdoors-ys :)

Mama-walks

I call this Cedar Wax-Wing, the Captain of the Guard.

My little birder. Oliver puts a sticker in his bird book on every bird he's spotted. He's my most interested kiddo.

Three of these Elegant Indigo Buntings in two days? My surprise from God.

Togetherness is the most important ingredient in all this nature-hiking we've been doing lately. I'm so thankful we can each enjoy our own thing while remaining within close proximity to each other and to the living, breathing creation. If you're not a nature-seeker, I encourage you to get a magnifying glass and binoculars and get out there! You'd be surprised what you're missing in your area!

 

 

Gratitude In The Search

When you're in another geographical zone, you don't have to look very far to see the extraordinary. At every turn there's beauty, wonder and much scope for the imagination. I photographed my children's curiosity and also, my own spectacular sights but now that we're home, I'm in search of that which would make a Floridian stand in awe over our sweet spot in Canada. After much loving of God's creation in that warm, tropical place we pulled into our snow-laden, icy driveway. His handiwork is here too and for that, I'm grateful, but for now, a journey through vacation nature photos :)

 

Gratitude:

1563. how they searched for salamanders after every swim

1564. spotting the alligator that lives at our vacation place

1565. spotting birds we don't have at home

 

1566. how they worked together to find tiny creatures

1567. some birds similar to home but they're singing here (come, Spring, come!)

 

1568. how I can get really close to some of them

 

1569. how the Great Blue Heron is predictably at our pond

 

1570. how Terry spotted the turtle (my favourite)

1571. warm sunset on a mockingbird

 

1572. spotting a shrike, which I've never seen, only heard about

 

1573. how a female can be more beautiful than the male bird

1574. spotting this guy over and over (not as frequent at home)

 

1575. evening light on my search team

 

1576. how she almost had him in her hand :)

 

1577. evening light behind a heron's wings

 

1578. how this anhinga nestled into the flowers

 

1579. palm warbler's sweet sounds

 

1580. how I have to go back and look up some of these ducks

1581. how these little ones scuttle along the beach