Yard Adventures...

Hello Sweet friends!  I adore being outside all the time when the weather is nice as it has been here in SC.  I often just walk the yard or neighborhood with my camera at the ready, to catch something new that God has provided.

 First Wild Strawberry of the season...

 New Cardinal nest taken by hubby.

 Blurry but here is Mama Cardinal setting on the nest...

 My daughter's "pet" squirrel who climbs the trellis and begs for a treat!

The Spring sunset making an almost heart shape...

 and a lovely little hop toad that came just at dusk.  He let me pet his head.

 An ugly mushroom that grew, split its cap overnight!

Sunrise with the sun hitting the tops of the trees across the lake...
All of life is an adventure!!  I cannot wait to wake every morning to see what God is going to do with each new day! pls see http://kerrieshomejournal/ for an inspiring message today!!  Thank you!

HUGS TO YOU ALL,
♥KERRIE♥
My heart to yours...

Updates and Swan Babes

Good afternoon sweet bloggers!  Just a note to say I have not been keeping up with my posting as I injured my back a couple of weeks ago and have been recouping!  Hubby is having a terrible time with nausea and spent all of Easter Sunday in bed.  We had company and a nice meal but it was not the same without him at the table.  We did get to say Grace holding hands all together before he had to go to bed and I had my daughter take some pictures. 
 
   Also, the swan babies have arrived and have been gracing us with their presence on the lake in back of the house.  Thought you would enjoy seeing these most wonderful creatures!

This little one was very brave and came right up the bank to see us.

Here they are getting a "dunking" lesson bringing up underwater green growth and eating it.

All God's creatures are so beautiful!!  We are blessed!

Thank you for visiting and come back soon!

♥KERRIE♥

My heart to yours....

Pink Saturday and Cat Story

THE AZALEA'S ARE AMAZING, THEY JUST KEEP BLOOMING AND BLOOMING!  And of course I had to bring a bouquet inside....

Aren't they wonderful!  Bringing them inside is such a blessing!  It brightens my day hour after hour as I pass them going by the kitchen table!

The other day I saw a real adventure with the wild cat that lives across the lake.  I saw him carrying something in his mouth, he dropped it and then it jumped into the lake!!

From this distance even with zoom, I could not see what animal it was, maybe a rat?

The cat looked around and was puzzled as to what to do to retrieve his catch.

He contemplated going down the bank and getting the little critter.  But the critter stayed very still as if dead.  Then suddenly it swam across the lake!  It came up into our yard and I could see clearly that it was a very small bunny!  By the time I got my camera outside, I had to really search for the little bunny.  He had already made it to the front yard and crossed the road to a neighbor's house.  I followed him and finally was able to snap this picture of him.  He was still wet and seemed very tired but he ran off around the neighbor's house.  So I am hoping that he was not injured from his encounter with the cat.

Sometimes, there IS A HAPPY ENDING!!
  Thank you for visiting this beautiful Saturday morning!  Come again soon and please go to "How Sweet The Sound" to see all the Pink Saturday entries on Beverly's blog.  Make a new friend!

Azaleas and Spring Critters...

HOW could you ever not like Spring? A new beginning for everything!  Don't you wish we could renew our bodies in the Spring like Nature does? Ha!

 Red-Bellied Woodpecker on the Suet.  This is a male, so beautiful!

And here is our little friend, the squirrel.  We have never named her/him? And we really should as she is the only one that is extrememly friendly. She comes when my daughter calls to her and if my daughter is typing in the window, this one climbs the trellis and stares at her until she gets her peanut in the shell treat!  You will remember that she took over the birdhouse by chewing the opening until it was large enough to get inside.

She loves getting in here out of the rain and runs right for the shelter of the little house.  But this week she was very lazy enjoying the sun and hanging out in the door way becoming so drowsy, she finally laid down with droopy eyes and gave in to sleep-ha!

She has pine straw inside for a nice soft mattress to lie on.  Birds still take a peek inside when she is not in there but they do not take up house-keeping.  We hope you enjoy our backyard critters as much as we do!

This was taken a few years ago on one of our country road searches for Wisteria Vine.  It was in the Spring and this abandoned building was just covered with the beautiful lavender blooms.   A painting in the making....

Everywhere we look, there are pink blossoms now!  So beautiful!

Our side yard Azalea bushes are spilling over with blooms now as you can see.

I took these last 3 pictures just as the sun went down Thursday evening.  This is the back side yard looking towards the lake.  It really makes me want to paint seeing the graceful tree trunks and the vivid colors of Spring Greens and Pinks!

Thanks for visiting today and do visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for more Pink Saturday posts.

CAT REFLECTIONS

Hmmm!  I wonder what is down here under this pipe?

 I just can't seem to see what it is.  I think this is where the Raccoons were last night....

Awww  shucks, it was nothin'!  Guess I will go hunt for mice!

This is one of the stray/wild cats that we have been observing for a couple of years now.  The mother hangs out on the opposite bank of our little lake/pond and she gave birth to 2 beautiful kitten last spring that look just like her!!  So now there are 3 of them and we cannot tell one from the other.  Sometimes the two that we think are last years babes, are over there playing on the bank, running and chasing one another and climbing the trees.  Their favorite place to sit in the sun is on the house there on top of a small A/C unit on their Florida room side.  It is so much fun watching their antics and despite having no home they certainly look healthy.  Live and let live.  BUT, if you have a pet, please have it spayed or neutered so that unwanted animals will not be roaming like these are.  I am thinking someone moved and left the Mother cat behind and she became wild.  And if you are bird lovers like we are, you do not want stray/wild cats hunting your birds!  We only saw one of them once on our side of the lake and we chase it away pronto.  They even stalk the Mallards and geese but thankfully are not able to get them in the water.
  Thank you as always for visiting today and please visit our other sites for BlueBirds
Joyce Kilmer Tree, and Crafting.

♥KERRIE♥
My heart to yours....

Mr. Mallard is BACK!!!

MR MALLARD CAME BACK!!!  I'm so happy!

Right at dusk last eve as the darkness began to set in, I caught sight of the couple on the opposite bank.  I hoped it was MY couple so I slid open the den window and whistled.  They both turned to look and made a bee-line for our bank and then across the lawn--Hurray, hurray!  I could not stop smiling!  I grabbed my camera and was able to snap these pictures looking down at them under the window.

I hope the Mrs. scolded him soundly for causing her such distress!  Hubby was not willing to think Mr. had met with disaster as I was yesterday.  He theorized that maybe she had laid eggs and that Mr. was sitting on them while she had a break--ha! 

But now it is apparent they did not lay eggs yet or they would not be here together again.  BIG SIGH!  You know how we love our wild critters in the back yard and would be so sad if Our Couple met with disaster!

GOD IS GOOD,  OUR COUPLE IS BACK AND ALL'S RIGHT WITH THE WORLD!

Thanks for visiting today and do come back again soon!  We love company!

♥KERRIE♥

My heart to yours....