Thy bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;
It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.
~Robert Grant
Lately, I've been marveling at our Lord's provision for His creation. For those of you who follow this blog, you know that our family re-located from New England to the Midwest. Fairly recently, our family purchased a home in the country for the purpose of ministering to the Lord's people. The Lord has opened my eyes to so many wonders of His beautiful creation here. There is something about being out in the country that focuses one's eyes upon the Lord's handiwork in all that He has made. Truly, we serve a marvelous God and a Father who is abundant in His provision for all that He has made--as James Herriot would say, for "every living thing."
My Mom instilled in me a love for birds and for living creatures when I was a little girl--she taught me and my sisters that it was good for the soul to preserve and to take care of our Father's creation in the best way that we could. She taught me about "birding" and gardening and gave me a taste for joy in what the Lord has made.
One thing that my Mom always reminds me of is --leave that plant up! Don't cut it down yet--wait until the spring--the birds will eat the seeds in the cold winter months when they are struggling to survive.
I've seen juncos (snowbirds) eating the seeds of perennials in my Mom's garden when we lived in RI. The flower heads were sticking up out of the snow on their stalks and they were aiding in the junco's survival.
This has taught me to be a "messy" :-) gardener. I am trying to leave flowers up for as long as possible so the birds and animals can get the most out of them that they can.
I believe that part of our purpose here is to take care of the Lord's creation, and this is just one small way that I am able to. It brings me joy--and I love to see the little animals given a touch of God's mercy and provision in the coldest months.
The following are pictures and some descriptions of some of the Lord's bounty where we live--
The goldfinches love these seeds . . . they fall in our driveway and these little birds in particular enjoy them so much!
An apple from one of our trees . . . helpful for deer and chipmunks . . .
Hollyhock seeds . . . the ground squirrel loves them!
Hollyhock seeds--the flower heads become very dry around this time of year and the seeds are easy to access . . .
Some various seeds in the field . . .
Dandelion seeds are a favorite of the little chipping sparrows and finches . . .
An abundance of acorns for the squirrels, deer, and chipmunks . . .
More seeds . . .
Berries growing near the fence . . .
The hummingbirds love the nectar from these flowers that grow on a vine against our house . . .
The squirrels eat this huge nut--it is funny to watch them greedily trying to hold it . . .
I love pinecones . . . so many birds and animals benefit from their seeds--bluejays, squirrels, woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees . . .
More berries--it always fascinates me how different berries ripen at different times for the birds and animals and the Lord provides for them throughout the seasons . . .
A huge flock of Cedar Waxwings has been visiting us to enjoy these berries . . .
Animal/bird habitats in one of the pine trees . . .
Finches love the seeds from Echinacea (Coneflowers) once they dry . . .
More berries . . . it is true that some berries are poisonous, but most will feed some kind of animal or bird . . .
Hostas attract hummingbirds--I never realized this, but their fluted flowers draw the sweet little birds . . .
The butterflies and hummingbirds love the nectar from these blooms . . .
This picture is a little blurry, but I wanted to include a picture of our neighbor's sunflowers--because the birds love the seeds from these!
Milkweed pods-- monarch caterpillars and butterflies are drawn to these--
Something that I've also learned is that birds and animals love to live near a water source, so if you are trying to attract various kinds of songbirds into your yard, a birdbath (or two) is a very good idea. Just be sure to continually break the ice off the top in the winter or purchase a heater for your birdbath. And try to keep it full! :-)
And there you have it; I hope that you've enjoyed these pictures. Now, go and feed the creatures and take joy!
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