I am a big fan of my bird feeders. It has been fun watching them feed, fuss, fight and rest. The majority of the birds I currently see are Goldfinch. But the House finch and Purple finch are also constants at the feeders. Its interesting as the Goldfinch like the Niger(thistle seeds) better where the House and Purple like the mix with the safflower seed and black oil sun flowers. The cardinals and woodpeckers prefer the cakes of sunflower seed with the peanuts…as do the squirrels.
The Goldfinch and the Woodpecker watch each other but will guardedly share.
When the squirrel arrives, he has split second time to grab and run before Mimi goes into action. She does not approve of the squirrel in the feeder, nor does the female House finch. Then in the feeder goes empty, we have the neighborhood watch bird pecking at the window to make sure I am aware.
I know that some of these pictures I have posted in the past but it all fit for Fan of… presented by Jez Braithwaite.
And for BOTD by Granny Shot It, , we have the Mourning Dove. All my life, I thought these were Morning Doves until I got a bird book and saw they are Mourning Doves, maybe for the sad sound they make. We have two pairs around and supposedly that is supposed to be good luck for the home. All I know is I am enjoying my birds.
Mourning Dove
Hopefully we will not be mourning this day but joyous and happy sharing kindness when we can.
The fun of playing with fellow bloggers and their challenges or prompts really gives you a chance to be creative. Linda G. Hill has a Saturday prompt with a weekly theme to get you creative. This week’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt is Weigh/Way/Whey used in any manner as you desire – one word or all words, your choice.
I chose to go way out on a limb and include a photo I really liked from Irene of Heaven’s Sunshine and include silly poetry with it. Hope it brings a smile, as those who read me regularly know how I feel about smiles = happiness = kindness.
Which Way Now?
I stand here and ponder where this bridge and path leads,
Is it the correct way or will it lead me to more weeds.
I know I must go soon as my hunger begins to grow,
My thoughts now ridiculous, ‘curds and whey the way to go’.
But which way is right will weigh heavy on my mind
For if I choose the wrong way my peace I will not find.
Anita Neal
In finding your peace, I hope it comes with joy and with the joy you feel I hope you are able to share kindness. Remember Kindness is a choice so I hope you chose to be kind.
Cee has challenged us with a fun topic this time of ROOFS. Its a part of our homes we sometimes don’t think about until weather is bad, then we are oh so grateful. I have a small leak around my vent so I have someone coming to look at it Thursday. But when I think of interesting roof lines, I think of the old beautifully architecture you usually find on castles or cathedrals. Since we don’t have either of those in the midwest, here are some wonderful old church roofs, with a few others mixed in.
And then next one is not mine but proof of the hail damage we can get here.
hail damage
The last one is a fun one down at the river…where the musician play during festival times.
And as I always close with a reminder of wherever you are you can always find an opportunity to be kind.
I find the leaves of plants almost as interesting as the flowers themselves. They are varying shades of green sometimes with other colors mixed in, some are thick, some are thin, pointed or rounded, fuzzy and slick. It shows the artistry of God in creation.
But my violets, which are always consistent, have a leaf of inconsistency and I though it interesting as its had the same amount of sunlight it always gets.
Se the guy in the back?
Even the leaf with its back facing us is correctly colored.
Bi-color?
Its like it didn’t receive an even amount of chlorophyll.
Come join on on Cee’sFlower of the Day and share the beauty or curiosity that you find. And as you share here with beauty, remember the smiles they bring and share that in kindness as all things should be treated kindly. It makes life sweeter.
Cee has wonderful fun challenges for us to play with and today I am going a little off path with the Flower of the Day.
Between working part time, playing with the children at Party in the Park events, blogging and trying to write a book, several days in a row of heavy rain…who has time to cut the grass.
FOTD is supposed to be flower of the Day, well flowers are growing beauties, so I reached in and pulled out my clowning silliness and I give you….’shrooms.
Yesterday’s view
Boy, the difference a day makes….
This morning’s view
They are kind of cool and I was going to wait and share the one below for Sunshine’s Monday Micro but its going to be tomorrow before I have a chance to mow so we will see what they look like tomorrow.
Beauty all its own
Each creation has a beauty all its own and as poisonous as some ‘shrooms are, they can really be beautiful.
Remember the beauty of your creation as God made you special to do what you do. Allow your beauty to shine and reflect God’s love on others.
Dutch Goes the Photo has given us a fun challenge of a word of “key” that could go in MANY directions. I have chosen four angles on the word key and looking forward to seeing others ideas. Come join in on the fun of Tuesday Photo Challenge.
First we have my grandmother’s china cabinet with a key my children loved to play with when young.
The next variation I chose is key ingredients in making yummy oatmeal cookies.
Making some on Saturday…yum
The third variations deals more with a Christian truth we hang onto as a key of hope.
Revelation 1:17, 18
The fourth is a lot more illusive with more variations than the word “key”. The KEY to Happiness. To me happiness is not a fleeting feeling but an inner joy of hope we have in Jesus Christ and staying in tune with his words. Will things blow up, yes. Does life get hard, yes. Do I fail at it daily, yes. Do others not believe as I do, yes. But for me, I have that Key hope that He will always be by my side, guiding, comforting, loving and I always try to pass on the key of hope He gives us by being kind as a key way of life.
The creator of the universe created all things and said they were good. I look at the animal kingdom now through the eyes of the TV with Animal Planet’s fabulous shows and realize (in my mind) that I was right! Animals are just another marvelous extension of our loving God who also reflect his beauty and his love. Animals have the ability the be loving and nurturing, possessive and sharing, teaching and scolding…and angry.
When you bring those values down to our domesticated pets, you add in another layer of amazement and laughter because we get to share it on a closer more intimate level. Many of you have know me to speak of Mimi…half coon hound and half black lab… the ruler of the home…
So much for the protective sheet staying in place, part of her nest
She is also the mighty protector…and gives me this disgusted unapproving look if I ignore her warnings.
But last night was extra funny for me. She is rather spiteful if I don’t do as she wishes and will do something to get my attention to show her displeasure. She usually finds a piece piece of paper or a paper towel I have dropped into her access, then shreds it to pieces and leaves it where I can see her displeasure. Or if there is no paper around and a sock is grabbable, then she is off to her favorite hiding place, under the table, after showing me she has it. She knows it is extra effort for me to climb under the table to get said sock.
Check out the “not looking at you” disgusted pose. This is her favorite expression for “not happy” or “not begging”. Animals do have expressions.
So what prompted today’s funny happened last night as I worked until 3, came home for 30 minutes and then left again to go face paint…the very idea I left and didn’t take her and she got no food to boot(it was too early). So now she is in a state of disgust. But I got home around 8, gave her extra supper treats so all is forgiven, right??? No, because I had not had a chance to be on the computer all day and I had a few things to do, therefore not playing with her. The least I could do was come to the couch to be on the computer for snuggle time. First I get the “not looking at you” disgusted look combined with appropriate sighs. Since that didn’t work, then fine “I will just go to bed” and she did. But not before a display of total unhappiness.
Water bowl
This is her secondary water bowl, one day I will have to explain WHY we have two, there were 3 at one time but that is a story for another day. Most of the water was gone but enough was there to show spite. She of course was on the bed in the guest room. Again don’t tell me they are not emotionally charged.
So I went and got a treat and her ball and we played for a while until bedtime. Then all was well, lesson for mommy I guess.
Remember we all want to be loved, respected, to belong to, so share that love and kindness where ever you can and make everything smile, even animals.
Last grouping of pictures from google. What a great resource to pull from to show the beauty of the world.
I can hear it coming, the deep thundering in the distant
I dare not move for fear of losing this peace in a instant
The sun seeps through the canopy above
A quiet calling of a dove
I ponder the quiet around me
Embracing the beauty I see
I raise my heart to heaven in hopes that God will hear
With shadows of forest surrounding, a reminder of Eden so dear
Forgive us our dear Father for your beauty we do not see
Help us always to remember the beauty of the tree.
Anita Neal
Today, Irene of Heavens Sunshine posted this beautiful picture trees and it reminded me of the Garden of Eden and how magnificent it must have been. An untouched creation of God. It gives me hope of the beauty of heaven.
Check out other picture from Irene’s blog as well as all the many photographers in this blogging world that continually remind us of the beauty of this world.
And as always remember to be kind in all you do to help regain some of the beauty of all of creation.
As you do the things that bring fun and laughter in your life, remember to share them with others to help the spread of laughter, fun and kindness wherever you go.
Today is August 3rd, a beautiful Saturday, and a new feeder has been added to the yard. CitySonnet’s challenge for today is the letter F so I have a House Finch be the first visitor to the new feeder.
House Finch
I had heard that saffron seeds were a favorite of some birds and not a favorite of squirrels, so we are giving a new food a try.
Come join in all month to see the wide variety of pictures that come from our camera’s eye.
I also tie in with Granny Shot It and her prompt of Bird of the Day. I enjoy the several types of Finches that graze at my feeders.
It has been great to tie in with Cee’s Challenge list so that you can add in other people’s fun with prompts and photography.
As you enjoy everyone’s view on natures beauty, remember to share that beauty with a smile and the kindness of its beauty.
For the Love of 
