We've got babies!

Meet my new neighbors, Mabel and Bill...

...a family of Mourning Doves who have taken up residence on my balcony!

Here's Mabel...

...the tireless mamma bird who sits on the nest the majority of the time. Poised and stoic, nothing ruffles Mabel's feathers. It doesn't bother her if I watch through the window, open the balcony doors, take pictures, or even come out on the balcony. Brownie doesn't bother her one bit either. She just watches with reserved interest and stays guard over her nest.

Here's Bill...

...the bumbling papa bird. Bill relieves Mabel from nest sitting duties in the mornings. He's not quite the pro like Mabel. Bill gets nervous if I watch him through the window. He raises his wings and tail as a scare tactic, but its all show. If I make any sudden moves or open the door, Bill is outta there! Brownie makes him quite nervous too; he keeps a cautious eye on Brownie at all times when she is out on the balcony. Here is Bill not appreciating having his picture taken:

Wanna see the eggs?

Can you see them?

How about a closer look...

Two little eggs! I took these pictures once when Bill flew the nest. The nest is hardly ever without either Bill or Mabel standing guard (except for when Bill gets scared).

I'm really excited about watching the babies when they hatch and as they grow!! Wikipedia says it takes about 2 weeks for the eggs to hatch; I'd say its been about 1 week so far, so stay tuned! Hopefully I can get it all on camera!!

(Amaryn's 1 mo pictures are on the way too...just a few more to edit!)

Why Did the Iguana Cross the Road??

One Sunday Morning

I was going through some pictures on my computer today and came across these. A few weeks ago I woke up a little early on a Sunday morning. The weather was absolutely beautiful so I decided to go for a quick walk before getting ready for church. The dew on the spider webs was breathtaking!

Psalm 145:3

I also had a little fun playing around with the camera!! =)

Hope you're having a good week!

Photography Challenge #7: "Octography" Mini-Challenge Day 19

Day 19: Down by the River

I originally walked down to the river to take pictures of the barges. I love watching them go up and down the river.

But it was such a beautiful day that I decided to keep walking. I feel very fortunate to live so close to the river!

Some signs of fall...

But summer is still hanging on...

Sat down on a bench and noticed this little friend

Look who I "ran" into =)

So thankful for these beautiful days we have been having!

(What is Octography?)

Favorite Photos: Monarch Butterfly

In our backyard at home in Florida we have a butterfly garden. It is always so neat to watch!

This is milkweed; it is the host plant for monarch caterpillars and nectar plant for monarch butterflies. It is called milkweed because if you break off a leaf, white sap comes out.

Here's an egg...see how tiny it is compared to my fingers? The butterflies lay them on the underside of the leaves.

How many caterpillars can you spot on this leaf?

When I zoomed in on this little guy you can see the way he starts to eat a hole in the leaf.

Isn't it so neat?? Almost a perfect circle!

He's getting bigger...

And bigger!!!

In the chrysalis. It is the brightest green color!

The gold "trim" on the chrysalis is shiny and actually looks like real gold...its beautiful!

If you look closely you can start to see the wings of the butterfly inside.

Almost ready!!

He's out!!!

Psalm 104:24

A flower is

a weed seen through joyful eyes

-Jonathan Lockwood Huie

This quote reminds me of the little kid who picks a "flower" (really just a weed) and brings it to you so proudly. Kids are really good at finding excitement and beauty in ordinary things.

When I was home over Christmas break my family took a walk. While looking for things to photograph, my dad and I noticed the weeds along the path and how pretty they actually were.


This year I hope to be more like the little kid with a joyful heart and joyful eyes who can see the beauty in ordinary things.