A butterfly lights beside us, like a sunbeam …
and for a brief moment it’s glory
and beauty belong to our world …
But then it flies on again, and although
we wish it could have stayed,
we are so thankful to have seen it at all.
~Unknown
An eagle perched in a tree along the Mississippi River
“You can observe a lot just by watching.” ~Yogi Berra
This downy woodpecker and some of his friends have been busy lately drilling holes in our pine trees. I even heard one tapping on the house early this morning. They are pretty birds and interesting to watch, but you have to keep an eye on them to make sure they aren’t doing real damage.
“Parents need to fill a child’s bucket of self-esteem so high that the rest of the world can’t poke enough holes to drain it dry.” ~Alvin Price
“Seeing a spider isn’t a problem. It becomes a problem when it disappears.” ~Unknown
“Each season has its own wonder, it’s own special place, and purpose in the pattern of creation.” ~Unknown
One afternoon while I was out walking, I saw a small group of bluebirds foraging for insects. They sat in bushes and low limbs of trees waiting, and then dropped to the ground to capture their prey. Their beautiful blue color really made them stand out against the neutral colors of the landscape.
The bluebird, famous for the scrap of sky
Borne on his back – an indigo so bright
That just a glimpse of his distinctive flight,
All swoop and flurry, captivates the eyes
and makes us smile …
~George Bradley
“It’s easier to go down a hill than up it but the view is much better at the top.” ~Henry Ward Beecher
This Question Mark butterfly blended in well with the fallen autumn leaves lying beside our country road.
“… [Summer’s] spirit lives on in the flittering Autumn butterfly, the warmth of the waning sunlight and in the last lingering flower on the vine.” ~Linda Poindexter
Though I sometimes hear distant group howls late at night — a sound that makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck and sparks instant fear in the eyes of the family dogs — it is rare that I see one out in the open during the daytime. This coyote crossed the road in front of our car and quickly made its way to the back of an open farm field.
“Good reputation is the first requirement for a trickster.” ~Unknown
The Blue Jays started quite a loud squabble in my neighbor’s back yard. This robin, wanting no part of the falling-out, quickly cleared out of the way. She came flying across our back yard and found a branch up high in one of our pine trees to listen and wait out the commotion.
“Pick your battles. You don’t have to show up to every argument you’re invited to.” ~Mandy Hale
walking on a country road 