Red Wing Blackbird and Echinacea Flowers...

A red-winged blackbird was at the park and I was finally able to get some photos of one of these colorful winged birds.

He seemed rather comfortable on the dock area, like he was accustomed to visiting each day.

He kept moving, staying busy, yet was only about 3 feet from me.

What a treat to see one of these birds up close, that I usually only see briefly as they flit through a roadside ditch or field.

Echinacea flowers are colorful, beautiful and perennial. I had many of them at the old house, but since we moved, I have lost many of my wonderful plants and echinacea is one of the lost ones. I have started some from seed that are still not blooming and I'm hoping that maybe next year, I will have them.

Another plant I lost and hope to add to my country garden, is the passionflower. We had the purple one, called Maypop, I think. It doesn't smell too pleasant, but it is beautiful and exotic-looking. We would really like to have them here for our bees as we have a hive, but have had trouble finding a plant. I have planted seeds twice now, but they have not done well, so we will try again next year. I think fondly of the volunteer plants that are still growing at our old house. When I finally get passionflower going again, I will sure appreciate it. 

Moving to a new place can add new plants and I do enjoy that, but it can mean missing some old favorites. If you move, it is a good idea to take some starter plants with you. We did that, but lost them in the bitter cold of our first winter here. Still, the herb garden is increasing little by little and our small farm keeps growing. 

It was nice to see them at the park as I do enjoy their beauty.

Echinacea is a good plant for the herb garden, lending color and usefulness.

Soft beauty.

Another thing I love about these beautiful flowers is that when the petals fall and the seed pods stay,  a beautiful shape is present in  the winter garden, though I would rather not think about that yet. :)  

So much beauty in the natural world that God created and I sure enjoy it.

Thank you for visiting.

~Gentle Joy

Ducklings and Their Mama

Ducklings are fun to watch. They are inquisitive... and sometimes are very fast. Ducklings are a lot of work, but they are also so very cute!

Ducklings are soft, fuzzy and so cute! 

Mama Duck tends to be a bit grumpy as she watches over her young, but she is a good mom.

Mama Duck took a quick bath while watching her little ones as they waited beside the pool. 

  The one little guy stayed alert so often, and had already learned to watch for danger.

The ducklings stayed close to mama when they were little.

Frost and her babies. 

Ducks in a row!

It's fun to see the babies stay so close to their mama, no matter where she goes.

Frost even looks like she is smiling a little.  

The ducklings grow and change so quickly.

The ducklings finally enjoy a swim, but stay close to mom.

Thank you for visiting. I hope you are enjoying the fun little birds and animals God has made. 

Links to other posts you may enjoy:

Our Duck Adventure - The Beginning

WHERE Are My Ducks??????

Fall and Snow Pictures

 A collection of Fall and Snow Pictures

Duckie likes being up on things like this pile of dirt.

I love the detail of fall leaves... God is such a creative God. 

Duckie was our first duck and he belongs to my youngest daughter. He is certainly a pet.

It has been a different kind of year to have snow on top of fall leaves.

What a joy to see the beauty of the earth especially in times of difficulties.

A layer of snow added to the already colorful scene. 

We appreciated being there to hear this woman practicing bagpipes on a cold day.

Weeds, barbed wire fence and fall...

We have had several bonfires so far this year... nice to have the heat on cold evenings while enjoying chili and hot dogs by the outdoor fire while watching the stars. .

 Did you see a picture that interested you more than others? I'd love to hear about it. I love taking photos of the beauty God surrounds us with in our lives. Thank you for visiting.

Scenes From the Garden...

The garden is a place of changing scenes...

A garden visitor who has just snacked in the garden and seemed to consider going back for more.

A place of quiet in the early morning stillness and light fog. 

The fog wraps around the fruit trees and highlights their beautiful shapes.

The view from a distance seems peaceful in the light of the rising sun.

                  Thank you for visiting today.  I would love to hear from you in the comments.
   

Migrating Geese

 The lake is pretty at many times of the year, but seeing (and hearing) the huge flocks of geese on the lake was a new experience.

 There were many huge flocks of snow geese and also Canadian geese.





 Sometimes they looked a bit awkward as they flew.

 What a variety... and as always, I am amazed by what our creative God has made.

 So much beauty to enjoy in the nature around us. I hope you notice and enjoy such also.




The geese in the field below with the lines in the field drew my attention.




Thank you for visiting my blog.