A Weekend's Worth of Wonders

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A world of wonders opened up for me this weekend!  Here are the highlights.


While visiting a meadow, this deer approached me at a steady trot.  The sound of a truck coming toward us alerted it, and the deer quickly changed direction, jumped over a wall, and sought safety from the confines of the woods.

The sun was not quite fully up when I first arrived, but I got there just in time to see this heron take off and meet up with it's mate who also took flight.

But even before that......  

I left the house a little later than I wanted to; thus began a race with the sun--"Who would arrive at the meadow first?"  Whenever that happens--when I want to already be at a specific place before the sun rises, I joke with myself that I should drive with blinders on so I don't get distracted and sidetracked and become late, because sure enough--that's when I always see 'something'!  And wouldn't you know....  shortly after leaving the house I spotted this fox alongside the road.  I drove passed, thinking about coming in 'second place' in the race with the sun, but I couldn't resist.  I made a U-ee, wondering if the fox would still be there, but it was!  I took a few shots from the car.

Now I know there are ways to photoshop the bright white glare of it's eye from my flash, and some of you are probably cringing as you look at this, but nothing within my capability could duplicate the glass-like 'other' eye and do it justice, so I decided to leave it as is.  I know it was the right decision, because just a couple hours later, it was confirmed, believe it or not, when another bright-white eye was shown (shone) to me in a completely different situation!  Coincidence?  Hardly.

After the fox darted away, I put the blinders back on, smiling, so I could go on with the race, but another sight again pulled me in!    The sunny meadow will now have to wait 'cause I simply had to park the car and get out to take this picture:

I eventually made it to the meadow 'where the deer and the herons play'.....  as seen (scene) at the start of this post.



...Back on our own property....

This turtle--like several others this week (I counted five) trekked from the swamp across the road from the bottom of our driveway....  up our rocky, steep hill....  across the front yard.....  to a sunny slope in the backyard...  just as they do every year this time....   to lay eggs.

Also on our property, these pretty flowers.....

                                                                   And this little guy...

The following images were taken at a watershed preserve I spent time at Sunday morning.  Little things caught my eye like this foamy stuff that this spider was also interested in.

...and more of the same on another plant...

Wild Irises grew alongside the edge of the pond, attracting bees as well as me.

One of the reasons I love spending time here is because I almost always see a heron.  And today, just like the day before at the meadow, there was a pair.

Another part of the weekend was spent at our friends' house, where natural beauty was a-plenty!

                                                    ...and in keeping with the bright-red theme....

...and the weekend ain't over yet!