Enjoyment in the Swing

Recently I had a friend put up a yard swing for me. A little gift for me from my tax return. Yesterday and today were gorgeous days so I got a lot done in my yard, for tomorrow we are expecting rain. Thought I would share my views from my swing.

You can’t really see the flowers much from these pics, so I will include a few.

My lilacs are in full bloom and the yard smells amazing. The bees and butterflies are hanging close to them but would not be still enough for pictures. Guess they are a bit camera shy.

This is a new flower for me – Lavender Stream Lobularia. A small light-scented cluster flower with 4 tiny petals on each tiny flower.

I have always been fond of Verbena and this rich purple is really nice. Evidently the squirrels like it too. I had to move it to a place where they could not climb in to it to nap. The cool colors of spring are still the favorite. Once summer gets here, we will change to bright yellows and reds.

The downy woodpeckers have been fun to watch, hanging precariously before learning how to stand on the thin wire stand.

The beauty and enjoyment of spring I can now enjoy as I slowly swing and relax. Have a wonderful week and remember to always be kind.

Morning by the Feeder

I did finally get a reprieve from the sparrow swarm at my feeders. I put the platform feeder, their choice type of feeder, on the opposite side of the house out of my view from the couch. While they still visit the hanging-style feeders some, the other birds now have a better chance to enjoy treats. But I do miss the Mourning Doves. They also prefer the platform feeders.

The Downy woodpeckers have returned and are such a cute small bird.

The house finches were having fun this morning.

The Nuthatch is always fun bird to watch and really loves the whole peanuts.

Hopefully, by the end of summer, I will have my new windows which will allow me to birdwatch easier, and maybe I will get clearer pictures. But for now I will enjoy them the best I can.

Remember to enjoy nature that surrounds you. You might be surprised at the little things that may you smile. And as always, remember to be kind.

Silly Moon Poem

Last night before the sun was fully gone, the moon was rising in a clear sky and was beautiful as it shone through the tree. I took its picture and thought I would try to write a little poem about it as I work on my writings for book 2 of Smiles from Heaven. See what you think.

The sun loses the last of its light against the tall tree,

You, dear moon, shine your light for all of us to see.

It comes through the branches which softens your glow

Bringing a smile of hope and peace to us below

But you, dear moon, don’t show a face of cheer

Do you sing a sad lament while your eyes shed a tear?

Come now, our dear precious moon above

God has created us all to feel His precious love.

G. A. Neal

FOTD, Purple

We had a decent day today and when I got home from work I was able to spend some time in my swing. As I surveyed my spring flowers, I noticed I sure do have lots of purple. No that that is a bad thing, it just shows I like purple. So I thought I would share some of my pictures with you. Its getting that time of year where my phone is more of a camera than a phone. 😊

I did not realize that all the tulips were purple. I could have sworn they were a mixed bag of bulbs, guess the purple won out. But they are varieties of flowers – some are single with green stripes and some are doubled that look more like a rose than a tulip.

One section near the house is now filled in with periwinkle that dropped from a potted plant over 5 years ago.

A new plant for me this year is Nemesia, they come in pink, white, and purple. Of course, I bought all three.

The Wind Flowers has always been a favorite but I had not see this color before.

Well, I guess that is all the Flowers of the Day for today. Cee, I hope the pollen lets up soon for you. It would be a shame to miss Spring’s beauty. I found that the face mask helps with the pollen as well.

Enjoy the colors of spring or fall wherever you may be and try to always be kind.

Fun at the Feeder

Our spring here in Iowa is taking another nap allowing winter to re-dip his cold fingers back into our season. With an expected hard freeze, I took the liberty to move what plants I could into the sunroom. This room is not heated but it will not be as cold as outside or allow the chance for frost. The remaining plants I have covered with towels or sheets. While this will not protect them much from the cold, it will protect them from potential frost.

So I restocked the feeders and let the birds entertain me. We saw the familiar family of mourning doves with their feathers fluffed up against the old.

Another frequent visitor, especially with fresh peanuts available, is the Blue Jay.

The Red Breasted Woodpecker is always a fun bird to watch but they stay more to the feeder with the nuts already in pieces.

Other birds were available like Wrens, House Finches, and Sparrows but I was not quick enough with my little camera that is on my phone to capture their fun.

Hopefully by Wednesday, we will revert back to normal springtime temperatures. I hope it settles soon as its time to start thinking “All Things Garden”. In the mean time, let us think warm thoughts and be kind to all things.

Or Do They Own You?

We in the US have a thing for our pets, not sure if its everywhere but definitely here. For example…

***If you go to the bathroom in the middle of the night you lose your spot.***

Or is there really any question as to who is in charge…

And Heaven forbid you don’t take the squirrel in the yard seriously…

The mumbling and back-talking that goes on is worse than any teenager. And of course, the guard post is a favorite place where we can survey the premises as needed and no one else is allowed there.

So with the fact they sleep where they want, in the most interesting positions, and only allow certain “beings” to get near the house…who really owns who? And I guess we are grateful that they do as they show their love and devotion by snuggling close.

So I guess it all goes without saying but feeling the love and devotion that our pets want to share with us. So, let’s follow suit and be kind in return and spread it to others.

Always Be Kind!!

In the Midst of a Storm

Yesterday for the Midwest, it was a turbulent day of rain, hail, wind, and tornadoes. Fortunately, we survived the madness but others did not fare as well. I don’t think anyone was injured but trees, powerlines and some buildings did get damaged. I got some interesting pictures I thought I would share of the ominous clouds as they passed over my house.

There were two lines of the storm and I thought (foolishly) that I could zip between them to the McDonald’s down the street for a quick burger. As I drove into the parking lot, the sun looked like a glowing ball in dark gray sky, making the area look like a black and white photo.

Then while in the drive-through line, the deluge started. Fortunately, it was a short-lived line. As I was leaving the glowing ball made the sky look it was on fire surrounded by eerie luminous clouds.

Mother nature doing her thing. Even in the wrath of a storm, there is beauty that she creates if you look hard enough. May we also show beauty in all that we do. I think if we are always kind, then beauty will always be seen, therefore…we should always be kind.

FOTD, April 8, Emergence

While I loved the bright orange azaleas in Cee’s pictures, I have to be realistic…we got two inches of snow last week…after Easter. So I give you the emergence of the bulbs in my yard because, NOW…spring is finally here.

In the front yard, we have a daffodil trio of the large trumpet daffodils and then the double daffodils in yellow and white.

The first two shots are flowers the birds planted, a pink and a purple hydrangea, and a red tulip. The last one is the reemergence of a Dianthus. I planted four last year and this is the only one that seemed to have survived our sub-zero winter this year.

And to show you I wasn’t kidding about the snow last week. Snow in April… ridiculous.

The daffodils in the back yard are smaller blooms with bright orange centers.

I love the happiness of a daffodil, plus they are supposed to help deter moles…they are not doing that but they are still pretty.

As spring brings smiles to a lot of us, share those smiles with others and echo those smiles with kindness.

CFFC: Things That Are Cold

Since March is one of those months that can’t make up its mind about being warm or cold, I feel this is a perfect time to share a few cold pics. A couple of them are from winter but even today that white stuff is around.

After a warm December, January dropped 2 feet of the white stuff.

I really like the tree in the picture above. Nature has a way of making cold look beautiful.

Even the birds were cold and saying “Whose bright idea is this?”

My dog Daisy is not a fan of cold. She will burrow down or get completely under the covers. I gave up making the bed.

If we look through a creative lens of almost all things God creates, we can see the beauty in it. One of the things we don’t realize the beauty of it is kindness. Kindness has a beauty that can touch our heart for a lifetime.

I Know Its Still March but…

Old Man Winter is refusing to turn loose his grip. While I am thankful for only the inch we got, as Cedar Rapids got 5 inches…I am still done. Thank you very much for coming but leave…

The sunset the other day was so much prettier but we knew he wasn’t fully done.

As we take a deep breath for being teased that spring would be early…we know soon the sweet lady of spring will be here. And until then we patiently wait and remember to be kind. Kindness can warm our hearts until spring is FINALLY here to stay.