A Northern Flicker dropped by this morning to get a quick drink of water from our bird bath. This isn’t a bird that I normally see in our backyard, so it was a treat to get a glimpse of him.
… to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter; to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring – these are some of the rewards of the simple life. ~John Burroughs
Some of the flora and fauna living around the duckweed at Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge
“It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.” ~David Attenborough
… every now and then,
this world sits just right,
as a gentle breath of heaven
fills my soul with delight,
and I smile…
~Hazelmarie Elliott, A Breath of Heaven
“So curiosity, I think, is a really important aspect of staying young and youthful.” ~Goldie Hawn
There are prickles in life, and hard places to climb, but when you overcome these the view is simply breathtaking. ~Jennifer Gayle
“Happiness resides not in possessions and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul.” ~Democritus
“We are by nature observers, and thereby learners. That is our permanent state.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
This tiny frog was sitting on a blade of grass in our backyard. I believe it is an Upland Chorus Frog. Tennessee’s Watchable Wildlife describes it’s call as “short, raspy and rises in pitch; sounds like someone dragging their thumbnail over the teeth of a comb.” Not a terribly flattering description of this little frog’s singing voice, but I sure do enjoy sitting on the screen porch at night and listening to its chorus.
“Every life composes a song of its own.” ~Jeff Veach
A mother cardinal built her nest right up against one of the windows of our back porch. One morning, I was able to get a few pictures of the hungry baby birds waiting for the Mom to return with breakfast. The quality of the last picture isn’t good, but I really like the expression on the baby bird’s faces as they wait for her to return (and keep an eye on me).
“I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.” ~J. B. Priestley
walking on a country road 
