frog

November Blessings

/ Rebecca / 20 Comments

Sometimes it is the simple, unexpected things that we encounter which fill our hearts with joy and make us thankful.

“True wisdom lies in gathering the precious things out of each day as it goes by.” ~E. S. Bouton

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The poem below holds significance as Thanksgiving approaches and November comes to an end.

November

November comes
And November goes,
With the last red berries
And the first white snows.

With night coming early,
And dawn coming late.
And ice in the bucket
And frost by the gate.

The fires burn
And the kettles sing.
And earth sinks to rest
Until next spring.

~Clyde Watson

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Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good.
    His faithful love continues forever.
~Psalm 107:1 (NIrV)

Spatterdock (Yellow Pond Lily)

/ Rebecca / 15 Comments

Spatterdock can be found growing around parts of the lake, providing a habitat for a variety of creatures and serving as nourishment for others.

Below is a dragonfly laying eggs on one of the leaves.

“The most beautiful gift of nature is that it gives one pleasure to look around and try to comprehend what we see.” ~Albert Einstein

Soaking Up the Sun

/ Rebecca / 11 Comments

While driving down the road at the refuge, we spotted this frog resting on a branch and soaking up the late afternoon sun.

“Get off the track of doubt and gloom, get on the sunshine track, there’s room.” ~ Unknown

Summer Scenery

/ Rebecca / 15 Comments

Hiking on the boardwalk around the edge of Reelfoot Lake is a good way to see native plant and animal life, with each season offering up its own variety of treasures.

“I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery … I thought ‘this is what it is to be happy.'” ~Sylvia Plath

A Pleasant Surprise

/ Rebecca / 10 Comments

Part of the fun of taking a nature walk is that you never know what you’re going to see. Encounters with nature, no matter how small, are blessings to be enjoyed and appreciated.

A bluebird sitting on the branch of a tree.
A meadowlark rummaging on a hillside for insects.
Numerous vultures huddled together in a tree top.
A Green frog sunning itself on a muddy embankment.
Deer grazing at the edge of the woods.
A Carolina wren flitting from tree to tree in the woods.
A flock of snow geese foraging in a local farm field.
A muskrat nibbling greenery beside a lake road.

“Unexpected and pleasant surprises occur every day … We will notice if we look. We will see good sprinkled liberally over every day if we are open.” ~Steve Goodier

Green Frog

/ Rebecca / 9 Comments

A Green Frog sits on the stem of an aquatic plant, waiting patiently for his next meal to come along.

“Time’s fun when you’re havin’ flies.”  ~Kermit the Frog

Gray Treefrog

/ Rebecca / 6 Comments

I was sitting outside watching the hummingbird activity around the feeders, when suddenly a little gray treefrog seemed to come sailing out of nowhere into view.  It landed on the stem of one of my rose bushes, where it sat very still, hoping to blend in with its surroundings.

“Sometimes the best place to be is nowhere to be found.”  ~Unknown

Wearing camouflage

/ Rebecca / 2 Comments

“Depth must be hidden.  Where?  On the surface.”  ~Hugo von Hofmannsthal