we shall soar on wings like egrets...

...but those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles...

Yes, I am aware this is not an eagle. It is, instead, a great white egret. But, for some reason, this photograph keeps bringing to my mind the "soar on wings like eagles" verse. I think it's the beauty and majesty of the flight. Really... look at that great big gangly body, and yet, the bird lifts it gracefully and majestically from the earth and takes to the sky!

One would think it would require great effort (and, not being a big bird, I cannot be sure what effort is required to lift it from the ground!). Yet, the bird is doing what it was created to do. And in the verse above, God tells us that when we do what WE are created to do --to hope in and wait for the Lord -- we will have the strength of a bird in flight. We will have the sustaining power of the Wind (the Holy Spirit) beneath our wings to cause us to soar -- to lift us and carry us at great heights --like an eagle!

For He gives strength to the weary and power to the weak... that we may soar...

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

~Isaiah 40:28-31

(photograph taken at Bolsa Chica wetlands, Bolsa Chica, CA)

a lizard's big heart...

Yesterday, a friend found me on Facebook, and we became "friends" once again. She had recently taken a little photo journey to a botanical gardens in Quail Canyon near Encinitas, CA and had posted some of her photos on her profile.

As I looked through her beautiful floral photos, I came across the one below and just had to share it with you...

That's one big-hearted lizard!!!

(Isn't this the BEST photo?!?!)

**big thanks to Diane for letting me use her photo!!

curiosity...

I don't know about you, but I am the curious type. I like to know things... to investigate... to explore... to discover! I love to use my macro lens to see into the micro world. I love to look under rocks and logs and behind trees and into the center of flowers. I pick things up and put them in my pockets. I've always been that way. My mom said I was always curious as a child. I guess it's the way I was designed... with an extra measure of curiosity.

So... what does one do when one is created with a huge amount of curiosity and one finds a hole in the ground?? Questions fly faster than Mercury.... what made the hole? what lives in there? I must know!! I must investigate! I must find out!!

My nephews found this hole while I was visiting them in Georgia, and they were as curious as I. They patiently stone-still and waited by the hole... and waited ... and waited...

...and waited...

and then...

there it was....

...the inhabitant of the hole!
...so fuzzy...

...so leggy...

...so many eyes!!

...and curiosity satisfied...

{sigh of contentment}

God made the wild animals according to their kinds,

the livestock according to their kinds,

and all the creatures that move along the ground

according to their kinds.

And God saw that it was good.

~Genesis 1:25

beautifully flighty creatures of Georgia...

When I was in Georgia, I was treated to seeing some of the little creatures that live in that country. Some of them even were kind enough to sit still long enough for me to photograph them! Like, this fuzzy little baby butterfly: (well, it IS, you know!)

I have no idea what he will look like in his adulthood, but I thought he was quite lovely in his "worm" state! Look at the patterns...and that wonderfully red head!!

And, here are several butterflies I was able to capture...

This little guy below sporting the black and white and yellow was especially calm and cooperative!

He was hanging out on a stick, and he let us hold him up close for examination...I think he may creatively pose as a bee to ward off predators. God gave some of his creatures the best camoflage tricks!

I especially love the shot below...

it looks like this one is ready for take-off!

...and here is one that has just come in for a landing...

My absolute favorite little butterflies, however, were very small and very fast-flying blue ones we saw in one of the villages in the south part of Georgia. It was a small village out in the country, and we saw the blue butterflies flitting all over the place. I tried and tried to get a close-up shot of them, but they would NOT hold still! (I think they were a bit overly-caffeinated or hyped up on some sort of super-nectar!) They weren't very remarkable-looking on the outside of their wings--sort of a pale brown with just a hint of powder blue.

And then,

finally,

one landed

and sat still

for just a few seconds....

just long enough

to capture these...

Isn't it beautiful??

(and especially against the dusty brown backdrop)

...lovely, lovely blue...

...the fuzzy white body...

and look at that adorable face!!

Ah, isn't traveling delightful?

before and behind...

When I was in Michigan last month, we were driving past a pond, and I was treated to the sight of a family of Canada geese. There was a mom and a dad and about 8 or 9 babies as well as a few other adults here and there around the pond. I enjoyed watching the way the parents were caring for their young--leading, following, watching out for them. The parents led them into the water to cross the pond--one parent in front leading the way and the other at times behind them all or in the middle of them.
Then when they reached the far side of the pond and waddled out of the water, one parent took the front position and one the back. They were always aware of where the babies were and were continually on the look-out for any signs of danger. One parent led them through the tall grass and one followed behind to be sure none fell behind.

Once they reached the grassy meadow area where they were going to feed, the parents (and another solitary goose) took up guard positions. They watched the various directions for any danger while their goslings were deep in the grass intently looking for food. The babies didn't have to worry, as the parents were on the look-out for them, protecting them and watching over them.

Watching them, I was reminded of how God, our Father, is with us. He goes before us to show us the best path to follow. He walks alongside us on the journey. He takes up the "rear guard" and watches behind us --He is always on the lookout for the enemy and stands guard over us.

"...for the LORD will go before you,

the God of Israel will be your rear guard."

~Isaiah 52:12

And, just like these geese parents with their goslings, He cares for us with attentiveness and concern for our best. With the geese, it may be God-given instinct which causes them to care for their young in such a way. With us, it is God's intent to guide and to protect and to care for us as we waddle through these lives of ours. "As a hen gathers her chicks" and as these geese guide and protect their young, so our Father cares for us... what a beautiful example.

Before me,
even as behind,
God is
and all is well.

~Whittier

kissing toads...

I've been told that a girl has to kiss a lot of frogs to find her Handsome Prince...

Is that a volunteer I see?

Ummm...yeah. It looks like a toad to me...

...a toad with a purpose...

...and determination...

Hmmmm. I just don't know if I'm ready for this kind of a commitment...?

Pucker up??

look who's chive talkin', too...

And, I think she's lovin' the chives, too!

(I wonder how many steps it takes a lady bug to travel down the length of one long blade of grass or one chive stem??)

who's that buggin' the garden?

...and here we have another garden creature...

A lovely little "lady"...

We love seeing these in the garden...
they're one of those wonderful "good" bugs!

Quite a little beauty, isn't she...

munchin'....

Ok... Blogger made this post a bit strange, but it rotated my photos sideways. You'll have to look to the left side at the bottom of the photo to see the little muncher in the flower garden...
This was the only flower of this type in the garden, and it seems to have been the tasty treat of someone... ah.... the culprit below...

I think he was quite pleased with his lunch and with himself!! : )

Sunday brunch...

My last Sunday in Michigan, I went with my sister to her little country church. It was a small congregation but everyone was very warm and welcoming. It was a great message, and I enjoyed the service.

I loved that this was the view when we came out of the church after service: Just some happy country cows eating their Sunday brunch...

"Hey! Where's the champagne??!"

a rainbow of birds...

While I was in Michigan, I saw and heard so many different birds! I awoke every morning to the sound of the Canada geese flying over, heard the cooing of mourning doves, the cry of the red-winged blackbirds, the rat-a-tat-tat of the woodpeckers, and in the evening the sounds of the whippoorwill. Blue jays shriek as they fight all the other birds for the best food, and hummingbirds, like little F16 fighter jets, zoom back and forth to their nectar feeders.

Though I wasn't successful at capturing all the birds I wanted to--some are just too quick for my shutter finger--I did shoot almost a full rainbow of birds! (I never did find a purple bird. Grackles have a purple iridescent shine in their black wings, but I couldn't quite snap it when the light was shining right on one.)

Representing the reds...

a male cardinal!

I love the shot above of him in the grass--so very bright and visible!

And my favorite shot...

with the sunset glow on his breast and face...
I know the robin is technically called "Robin Red-breast"
but this robin gets to represent orange...
Yellow is displayed by the Goldfinches...
hungrily eating their favorite--thistle seeds.

And wearing shimmering green is

a ruby-throated hummingbird!

Proudly sporting blue are these mallards.

And, last but not least, I'll let the Blue Jay,

though he is bossy and pushy and rather mean to the other birds,

end the post with his lovely display of blue, too.

(They're also very fast, and this was the only shot I could get though I saw many of them during my stay!)