Surprises in our own Back Yard

Things have been busy on our hill, lately. Lots of medical appointments but the restless leg nights are responding to some medication, for a thankful change!!! Sometimes, in the middle of the busy dailyness of living, nature's wonder raises its hand. I am blessed to have noticed and stopped to witness God's hand moving--right here in our own back yard.

One event inspired worshipful quiet.
          The other evoked a first reaction of fear.
                 With both, WONDER followed immediately.
                          The wonder of each was so great, I must share.


       Saturday, June 1 had been one of the good days. When unexpected energy graced me, I made a trip to the grocery store and among other things even got the laundry done. The weather news had not been good, especially for our neighbors to the north in Oklahoma. Devestating, destructive, killer tornados had ravaged life and property for days. As I worked that Saturday, I prayed for Oklahoma. Just before sunset, I went out to bring in my laundry from my "clothes line" on the back porch.

 

Hey, this is a great solution and it works for us !!!

 

 

As I puttered around in the kitchen getting a late and light supper ready, listing to reports of possible bad weather in our area, I noticed clouds building in the west and north. Of course, I HAD to go out for an up-close and personal look.

WOW and OH MY !!!

 

         Absolutely took my breath away. Fortunately, I did not dilly-dally and jerked my handy-dandy phone from the pocket of my capri pants. Aimed and snapped. Probably the most beautiful photograph I have ever taken. The quiet and worshipful thing is that I stood in the presence of the Creator of EVERYTHING, witnessing His art work. The blessing for me is that I pressed "camera."
        Just for comparision. At about the same time the next evening, I got this shot... from about the same location, pointing in the same direction as the picture above. The sun DOES set in that place and most nights our sunset is a plain, uneventful (but still beautiful) scene.





 

Then came Event # Two.

Fast forward to this morning at our breakfast table.

Bees. How nice, they've come for the sugar water in our hummingbird feeders.

More bees.

MANY, MANY BEES. Lay-down-the-paper and LOOK !!!!!!!! BEES.....

 

 

I give you my word of honor. Those are BEES.

 

      They kept coming and increased with alarming speed. They were small and I assume "just honey bees," but they came with such speed and in such numbers we began to panick. I went online and found a bee keeper who does "swarm removal" in our county. He was very kind and did not laugh out loud at me. No, we did not have a "swarm." He explained that a swarm is the size of a vollyball. He said let the bees do their work, keep the dogs and cats indoors and the doors shut, and stay calm.

CALM????????   ME ??????

 

 

This is just one feeder. All four feeders had at least this many; there were more bees

coveing flower pots under the feeders where sweet water had dripped; even more

bees covered two square feet on the patio table slurping up sugar water I had

spilled last night.

 

Oh.  That's what he said. We don't have a swarm. We just have A LOT OF BEES !!!!  But, okay. Yes, Sir. Deep breath.

 

     Of course, Dear Heart can NOT just sit INDOORS. It is a physical impossibility for him. Fortunately, the hummingbird feeders on the front porch had not collected the horde of bees as on the back porch, so he got on his scooter that is parked two feet from the feeders and off he went, out and about for his country gentleman morning rounds. Son stopped by shortly and brought in the feeders from the front porch.

     In a couple of hours, the back porch feeders were empty. !!!! Most of the bees were gone.

 

     Hummmm. My daddy used to say, "If you stop by for coffee, it's okay to stay for an hour. If you stop by at lunch, you got to stay and visit at least two hours."  Our bees had lunch today and left. We put back some feeders to test whether they will return in the heat of the afternoon or wait until the cool of tomorrow morning. ????

 

     At any rate, the scene was breath-taking. Watching bees "swarm" is fascinating and puts a mere human in its human-place.

 

My prayer is that you notice each little wonder in your path.

 

Love and blessings.

 

Liz