Cherish is my favorite word, and I cherish the ability of turning the routine into a beautiful moment.
Nature creates in me, a spiritual and meditative time to bring peace, harmony and balance, into an otherwise ordinary day~
Mary Howell Cromer







Saturday, July 6, 2013

Great Blue Herons and Late Spring Purple~




For the record, I just wrote up my entire entry, saved it, closed it, came back and it was totally gone...really.
Our fellow blogger Eileen mentioned last week that Google Reader is retiring.
I have not had any notifications and I have no idea what that means, or how it may affect my blog.  
My blog is done by Google Blogger, but I am not at all sure what the Google Reader is, or has to do with it.
If anyone knows, could you please let me know?

This entry was placed in my drafts a few weeks ago and I am finally able to publish it...well maybe, if I do not lose it again.

It has been a rough week! 
My twin sister Haze. was accepted into the Hosparus Care Program after being evaluated a couple of weeks ago.  
Her lung disease may improve and that is what we pray for, but she has been on oxygen for nearly a decade and things seems to be going badly and causing even more bad issues with her frail health.  
Sometimes it is hard to realize that we are twins...
I feel so blessed to get out and about and live life, while she has been home bound most of the past 6 years...very sad. 

Then my 16 year old cat Spencer Ivy became ill and in fact, she is the reason that I am awake writing this, make that rewriting this at 3:00 AM in the morning! 
She is being tested for kidney and bladder failure issues and is in solitary area, until, and if we can get her feeling better.

 I adore Louisiana Irises and they were beautiful again this past Spring, and the Wisteria was as well.  
I have one that has not blossomed yet, but should by next year.  
I took the Wisteria images one morning on the Presbyterian Theological Seminary grounds.

We have quite a few Great Blue Herons in our area, and in fact one season, we actually had one land on the walk bridge of our creek.  
I wish that would happen again.

The images below were taken on two different visits to Fox Hollow Farms.  
That same pond is now covered over in Lily pads and I do not know if I will get to see that visiting Heron again now for a long while...we will see...


Remember to double click on the image, to view a larger slide show of the images shared ~


I am linking up with Mary for:

"Mosaic Monday"


at:
 
I am linking up with Stewart at:

Wild Bird Wednesday

(http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/)


 



 Below is Ribbon Grass and Bamboo water reflection images, taken at Cave Hill Cemetery one morning when I was photographing Great Horned Owls there~
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Some of the monuments in water reflections at Cave Hill~
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Oops, my husby thought the Great Blue Heron had caught a snake...wrong!
That is a whole lot of bird poop~


29 comments:

  1. Wow, eine fantastische Foto-Serie, mein Kompliment...

    Liebe Grüsse aus der Schweiz

    Hans-Peter

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  2. laughing at the last photo! the water reflections are just gorgeous, and i love wisteria.

    so sorry to hear of your aged cat and of your sis, too. i hope she can recover to some extent!

    as for google reader, if you never used it, you won't miss it. and it won't affect your blog. it was just a way to read your blog 'follows' and 'subscriptions' all from one place. if you use your blog side bar or blog dashboard or even saved favorites, you won't be affected.

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  3. Love all your collages! Sorry to hear about your sister and kitty troubles. Hopefully, they'll both be okay!

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  4. Your heron and wisteria photos are lovely. Beautiful mosaics! Sending my prayers for your sister and kitty. Wishing you a happy week ahead!

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  5. Love the reflections in the heron photos! Beautiful shots! The flowers, too!

    Sorry to hear about your sister. I hope she will receive good care. And I hope your cat starts to recover and feel better.

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  6. I am always amazed of this plant Wisteria I look forward to plant this plant someday.
    So sorry to hear about your twin sister hope she will recover soon and fast. Happy Monday!

    Mary, MI

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  7. So sorry to hear about your sister and her suffering. I'm sure as a twin you feel her pain more than otheres.
    I see someone has answered your google reader question.
    Your photos are beautiful...

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  8. Lovely mosaics all. The irises and herons are gorgeous and I enjoyed the reflections in the water. Saying a prayer for your family...the dear sister and your little fur baby.

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  9. First, I am sorry to hear about your twin sister, Haze I have written her name in my prayer journal and will pray for an improvement. All of this seems so trivial in the light of a loved one's illness, but I also want to say that you have lovely pictures. I am your newest follower and am visiting from Mosaic Monday. I hope your get a chance to visit me at Still Woods Farmhouse. I posted my first ever mosaic/collage today!
    Blessings for you and your family from Still Woods Farmhouse

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  10. That last photo made me laugh. For the others, it's hard to choose a favorite between the irises and the reflections. Glad I don't really have to choose but can enjoy them all.
    I'm sorry to hear about your sister and your kitty. Hard times.

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  11. The wisteria photos are so beautiful !
    Thank you very much to advise me about the word verification, I remove this.
    I didn't know that my blog have a word verification.

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  12. So sorry to hear of your twin sister's illness Mary. Let's hope she can feel much better soon. The heron shots are lovely, the way it merges into the colourful landscap, even those wonderful irises. Don't worry about Google Reader, it is just for reading blogs you follow through a single screen. Have a good week and I'll catch up with you later.

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  13. lovely pictures. I love the wild iris. The heron is a great shot too. Makes me want to get outside but then I open the door and yeuk.......hot, humid and mosquito's
    Janice

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  14. Best wishes to you and your family! Lovely purple flowers and I love the very green vegetation with the water birds.

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  15. I can feel and understand your sadness ... Illness is difficult to watch especially when it is someone you love. There is a feeling of helplessness, but your support and love will make more of a difference than you can imagine. It is good that you are well and strong so that you can be there for them. You have much to give to both of them and they will be thankful for whatever you do to help them cope. Bless you and bless them.

    Your pictures are peaceful and beautiful ... and natural as in the last shot of the Heron. Life does go on ... be strong and stay well.

    Andrea @ From The Sol

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  16. sorry to hear your bad news - it seems you have to be strong for many people around you.
    However I know that your love of photography will give you much needed time for yourself.
    Take care.

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  17. So sorry to hear about your sister, hope she's getting better.

    Love the heron pictures! And I miss them, because I haven't seen them for a long time here at my place!
    Hope your cat is getting better too!
    Thanks for your comment!
    Greetings Pia

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  18. nice series of shots. Love the heron in flight. and the reflection shots.

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  19. So sorry about your sister's health problems. I lost one of my cats, a beautiful Siamese, to kidney failure. He struggled on with injections for a month or so until I could not bear to see him suffering so much any more.

    That pond has huge lily leaves when you see them against the heron. Lovely irises as well.

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  20. Beautiful reflections! I have some trouble figuring out Blogger myself, being rather new to it. I have no knowledge about the Google Reader issue and hope it doesn't affect me. My thoughts are with your sister in hopes of her speedy recovery.

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  21. Well purple just happens to be my favorite color...those irises are outstanding and the wisteria, picture post card perfect. LOVE the blue herons

    Hope a recovery is in the near future for both!!

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  22. Beautiful images all Mary! My prayers go out to your loved ones, especially your sister.

    I love the Great Blue Heron shots. It looks like the pond plants in those last images are Lotus.

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  23. Great set of pictures - love the heron shots.

    Real live kookaburras are only a plane ride away!!

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

    PS: slow reply caused by being in central Australia last week.

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  24. I really like the flight shot of the Heron, it shows how powerful they are. From Findlay

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