Sunday, February 26, 2012

A Sheep Looks At Psalm 23


© Donna L. Watkins - Sheep in Pasture
It’s no secret that sheep are not the most intelligent of the animal kingdom. They need a shepherd!

In the early ‘80's I bought a book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, written by Dr. W. Phillip Keller.

Dr W Phillip Keller, born in East Africa was always an outdoors boy. Trained in agriculture, he spent many years on ranches in British Columbia. Living among the sheep and their shepherds made him a keen observer of the sheep and their relationship to the shepherd. Hear the first chapter on audio.

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Canine Facial Cues - Video

Video by Dr. Sarah

Much of the perceptiveness of dogs comes from their ability to observe and understand facial cues, both that of other dogs and humans. But what do we really know about this unusual talent? Dr. Sarah devotes this episode of Pet Talk to reveal the latest information, as well as showing how you can use facial cues to improve your interspecies communication.

As a pet parent, you owe it to yourself – and your companion animals – to watch this special episode of Pet Talk.Read the entire article.

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Animal With The Longest Lifespan

From eNature.com

The longest life of any tortoise of which there is an authenticated record is that of Marion’s Tortoise, a Testudo gigantea. This giant tortoise, along with four of its companions, was taken as an adult from its native island in the Seychelles to Mauritius, where no tortoises occur, by the French explorer Marion de Fresne in 1766.

It lived there for 152 years, until it died in 1918. Since it was a full-grown adult at the time of its capture in 1766, its actual age may be estimated at not less than 180 years and perhaps as much as 200 years.

Even the smaller members of the turtle order are known to be long-lived. One Box Turtle, passed down as a family pet, is said to have died at the ripe old age of 123.

© Donna L. Watkins - Box Turtle on Front Walkway
It was just one year older than the person many consider the oldest human on record, a French woman named Jeanne Louise Calment (1875 to 1997). Read the entire article.

Editor's Note:
We have this Box Turtle that lives in our habitat and I never realized that it will be outliving both of us. That's quite amazing! Their roaming range is only about 600 feet so I guess he'll be around for quite some time. Kinda nice to think about that.

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Monday, February 20, 2012

Decisions Determine Destiny

You make decisions every day that move you closer to your God-ordained destiny—or away from it.

There is no such thing as just sitting still or putting God’s plan for your life on hold. That’s a deception. God’s will for you is intertwined with His will for others, and that is a constantly moving and changing dynamic. It’s like catching a flight. You can miss it.

It’s true that the Lord can get you to your destiny another way. He’s certainly smarter than a GPS device that “recalculates” when you miss a turn. There is always a later flight with God. But who wants the hassle, disappointment, and delay that comes with missing a connection? I want God’s best. Don’t you? Read the entire article.

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Poop Will Solve Our Energy Problem

From Sierra Club Magazine, Jan/Feb. 2012

Since pandas and elephants get the bulk of their nutrients from woody plants, their excrement could provide the key to cheap and effective biofuel. The feces of the two species contain the same gut bacteria that efficiently convert lignocellulose--the woody stuff in plants--to sugars.

Researchers at Mississippi State University (working with pandas) and at the Dutch technology company DSM (working with elephants) say that such bacteria could be key to producing cellulosic ethanol from biomass like wood chips, switchgrass, and corn stover. Read the entire article.

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Laughter for Depression & Insomnia

A Korean study compared the effects of a four-week laughter therapy program with a control group (no laughter therapy) on measures of depression, insomnia, sleep quality, thinking (cognitive) function, and health-related quality of life in 109 senior citizens (average age 75 years).

At the end of the four weeks, depressive symptoms improved significantly among the people in the laughter group, but not in the control group. People in the laughter group had significant improvements in some measures of health-related quality of life, including vitality, general health, and mental health.

Sleep quality and insomnia also improved significantly after laughter therapy. No changes in cognitive function were noted in either group. Read the entire article.

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Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Newsletter - 2/15/12


Hello Dear Friends!

© Donna L. Watkins - Wood Hyacinths in Early Bloom
On February 1st I noticed that the wood hyacinths on our cat's grave were blooming.  We buried Skipper in a spot out from the screened porch so we could always be thinking of him.  I was amazed to see that they were already in bloom.

My neighbor has regular hyacinths and has full sun in front of her porch.  Her hyacinths are in full bloom also, so we really are looking a lot like Spring around here.

The daffodils are coming up, as are the irises.  The hellebores are in bloom too.  They are such fascinating plants with such an unusual bloom.

© Donna L. Watkins - American Robin in Holly Tree
Another flock of American Robins came through one day when that night's low was going to be 28.  I'm hoping we won't have any horrible freezes that affect all this early migration that seems to be going on.

Get more info on robins and their migration.

It's amazing how fast they can eat the holly berries, gulping them down like we might eat popcorn.

We're certainly having a bit more winter than we've been having.  I guess it's to be expected with so many lovely days to enjoy.

The low temps are below freezing but daytime is still in 50's.  On our south-facing deck, it's a warm place to enjoy some outdoor time.  The temps are coming back up though, with nothing below freezing for the next week.  Today will be a high of 62 and I will spend some time sitting on the screened porch.

The country's food supply can really get affected by this weird weather. We're getting delicious strawberries at the store from Florida because they've had an early bumper crop with the taste of more mature fruit later in the season. It's definitely strange eating 'real' tasting strawberries in early February.

© Donna L. Watkins - Common Grackle
We also saw one Common Grackle. Pretty odd. I wonder if he got off-course since they usually travel in flocks and actually don't arrive here until March.  I've not seen any more since then.  He sat for a long time under a pine tree.  I wondered if he felt lost and alone.

Or maybe he was the grackle that I rescued five years ago after it hit our deck door.  The grackle can live up to 13 years so it's definitely possible.  It's amazing the things that birds remember.  I wouldn't consider it an insult to be called bird-brained these days.

Before the cold weather hit, I spent some time on the hammock. It was a gorgeous day with a bluer than blue sky and the sunshine made the trees look like works of art.  Of course they really are God's works of art.  It's amazing that everything He created reproduces itself so we have a continual feast of His masterpieces of Creation.

© Donna L. Watkins - View From The Hammock
There's something about being suspended above the earth that just feels right. Although I wouldn't want to sleep in hammocks like the folks on Gilligan's Island. We're very fond of our pillowtop mattress.

I was so busy getting Squeek through another crisis after her dental surgery that it took me a week after she was well to realize that she is deaf. It's been quite a shock to me and it certainly explains some of her unusual behavior.

I can't imagine what's it's like to suddenly lose your hearing. That stress was probably a factor in her getting sick after the surgery. She has such a weak immune system with the FIV.

© Donna L. Watkins - Squeek aka Kitty Girl
The first thought that came to mind was that the anesthesia may have caused it. When I searched for info online that was definitely the situation, although they said it wasn't common. The factors that seemed to create the problem were when a cat was having dental or ear work, and also if the cat was elderly. Of course, Squeek fit on both counts. She'll be 16 in July.

The veterinary research I read online said it was permanent hearing loss, but that's only their report. I believe in better things! She's a real trooper.

We have been praying over her and she's beginning to hear some higher pitched sounds.  I'm working on my own unbelief about God's healing for me and seeing God heal my cat shows me how much He loves me.  We need to see Truth rather than just the facts.  It's hard to look beyond the physical realm, but we must.  With each stripe on Jesus' back, He bore our diseases and sicknesses so we wouldn't have to.  The revelation lies in us seeing through our spirit where all these things have already been done, and getting our soul to line up with the spiritual reality instead of focusing on the physical reality which is just smoke and mirrors from the devil.

© Donna L. Watkins - Squirrel Eating Holly Berries
Our squirrels are such great performers. They delight us daily with their antics and dedicated time to tank up on any food they can find.

The holly berries are a real treat for them also. They begin eating them when they are still green and enjoy them throughout winter. View video of squirrel eating holly berries.

I'm still dreaming of a trip to the Everglades, but right now we're dedicated to the task of learning more about healing.  There's something we just don't understand, but it's us, not God.  His promises are ever true, so we shall seek revelation for eyes of our heart to be enlightened, as Paul prayed for us to have (Ephesians 1:18).

I would appreciate your prayers as Paul prayed.  That we might know the rich inheritance we have as Christians.  I am convinced we miss out on so much, thinking that salvation is simply the pass to Heaven, when God wants so much more for us down here.  We just don't understand the grace that allows us to simply receive all that Christ died to give us.

The devil will kill, steal and destroy, but Jesus won the battle so that we would have power over him.  We are all given faith, but it's the unbelief that we have stored up from living in the realm of 5 senses that keeps us from experiencing what faith can get us.  We have to tune into that 6th sense, the spiritual realm, so we can walk by faith and not by sight.

© Donna L. Watkins - Rainforest Butterflies Puzzle
We're still puzzling.  My friend, Robin, sent me a beautiful Rainforest Butterflies puzzle.  I thought it would be really hard without a straight border, but it just meant you couldn't do the border first.  So I did as much as I could get together and then worked on it in pieces based on the colors, etc.  It turned out really cool and is certainly now one of my favorite puzzles.

Love and Hugs,
Donna

P.S.  If you enjoy this newsletter ... share the website with somebody else.  Maybe you know of somebody who needs something in this issue.  There's a "Share This" option on the right side.  Thanks!


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written by Donna

Posts Since Last Newsletter

Whose Righteousness Do You Trust In?

Great Backyard Bird Count

Protect Pets from Pet Kidnappers 

Find Out What Animals and Plants Are in Your Area

Pet Massage Video

What Animals Hibernate?

Godly Purpose for Anger

The Theater of God’s Glory

Town Grows ALL It's Own Vegetables

A Way Out of Plastic Bottle Addiction

About Groundhogs

Newsletter - 2/1/12

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Get Brainy Family Time with Puzzles

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Bacteria Have Personalities

Tips for Introducing a New Cat

Chickadees Are Cold Weather Machines

The Positive Ministry Of The Holy Spirit

Backyard Birds Safety Tips

Believe in Christ Rather Than Religion

Emergency Situations and Pets

Video: Pollinators - Time Lapse

Protein Source: To Fish or Not

Plants Consume CO 25% Faster 

Pet Force Urine & Stain Remover

Knowing More About God

God's Perspective on the Recession

Get Rid of Junk Mail

Effortless Change

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The photo(s) and article are copyrighted. You may use either of them if you include the following credit and active link back to this website: © 2012 Donna L. Watkins - This article was reprinted with permission from TheNatureInUs.com. The link to use is: www.TheNatureInUs.com.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Whose Righteousness Do You Trust In?

Whose Righteousness?
By Andrew Wommack


The word "righteousness" has become a religious cliché that has lost its meaning to many people. Even Christians are confused about what righteousness is and how to receive it. This has left our society without a clear understanding of what it takes to have a relationship with God. This is reflected in our nation's moral collapse. It's imperative that we get back to the basics of righteousness.

"Righteousness" and its counterpart, "righteous," appear 540 times in 520 verses of the Bible. In contrast, "faith," "faithfulness," and "faithful" are only used 348 times in 328 verses. This means that there are 1.5 times as many scriptures about righteousness as there are about faith. Righteousness is important.

A layman's definition of righteousness is simply, "right standing with God." Righteousness is the condition of being in right relationship with the Lord. This can only happen through TOTAL faith and dependence upon Christ. There is no other way, and there is nothing we can add to our faith to obtain right relationship with the Lord (Rom. 11:6).

One of the things that blinds people to a true understanding of righteousness is confusion about how we become right in the sight of God. It is commonly thought that our actions are the determining factor in God's judgment of our righteousness. That's not true. There is a relationship between our actions and our right standing with God, but right relationship with God produces actions, not the other way around. That is to say, we are not made righteous by what we do.

Righteousness is a gift that comes from the Lord to those who accept what Jesus has done for them by faith (Rom. 5:17-18). The gift of salvation produces a changed heart that, in turn, changes our actions. Actions cannot change our hearts. It's the heart of man that God looks upon (1 Sam. 16:7), and we must be righteous in our hearts to truly worship God (John 4:24).

The mistake of thinking that doing right makes us right is the same error the Pharisees made. Religion has always preached that if we clean up our actions, our hearts will become clean too. Jesus taught just the opposite (Matt. 23:25-26). It's through a changed heart that our actions change. The heart is the issue. Actions are only an indication of what is in our hearts. Actions are the fruit the heart produces.

Modern-day Christianity often puts the emphasis on actions instead of issues of the heart. This is reflected in Christians' excessive efforts to legislate change in people's actions instead of changing their hearts by the preaching of the Gospel. It's the Gospel that contains the power of God, not political action groups (Rom. 1:16). Laws only affect actions. The Gospel changes hearts. Once hearts are changed, actions change.

Contrary to popular belief, Christianity does not promote receiving justice from the Lord. Praise God for that! The Lord has a much better plan. We get what we believe.

I once developed pictures in a photography studio for a living. People would come into the studio to look at their proofs and say things like, "This picture doesn't do me justice." I never had the nerve to say this, but I often thought, Lady, you don't need justice, you need mercy.

That's the way it is with God. We sometimes call for justice but that's not what we need. As the Scriptures say, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Is. 53:6). Again, in Romans 3:23 the Scriptures say, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." "There is none righteous, no, not one" (Rom. 3:10).

The wonderful plan of salvation is that those who put their faith in Jesus and what He did for us get what He deserves. On the other hand, those who do not put their total faith in Christ will ultimately get what they deserve. Believe me, that is not what they want. Religion has subtly instructed people to trust in their own goodness instead of God's. This will never work. "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23).

The Biblical story of the handwriting on the wall illustrates this point (Dan. 5:1-31). Belshazzar was the king of Babylon. His father, Nebuchadnezzar, had conquered the nation of Israel and brought all the wealth of the temple, along with most of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, back to Babylon. During an extravagant feast, with 1,000 of his lords in attendance, Belshazzar chose to toast his gods using the golden vessels from the temple in Jerusalem, which was in open defiance of the God of Israel.

The Lord moved swiftly and dramatically by creating an image of a man's hand, with fingers that wrote on the wall in front of Belshazzar and all his guests. Belshazzar called on all his magicians and wise men to decipher the writing, but none could. Then the queen reminded Belshazzar about Daniel who had interpreted the dreams and visions of Nebuchadnezzar when no one else could. Daniel was summoned and the writing explained.

The message from God revealed that Belshazzar had been weighed in the balances and was found wanting. Therefore, his kingdom was divided and given to the Medes and Persians. This came to pass that very night. Belshazzar was overthrown, and Darius, the Mede (Persian), took control.

If we were weighed in the balances against God's righteousness as Belshazzar was, we too would come up short. God's righteousness is always more in quantity and quality than ours will ever be. Our righteousness is as filthy rags compared to God's righteousness (Is. 64:6).

Someone might say, "That's not fair. No one can compete with God's righteousness." That's exactly right! However, God's righteousness is the standard by which everyone must be measured. So then, how can anyone be saved? The answer is that no one can be saved, if they are trusting in their own righteousness. We all must have a righteousness that exceeds anything we could ever produce through our own effort. That's where Jesus enters.

Jesus was in right relationship with God as no one else can be. He is the Son of God. He is God manifest in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16). He is holy and pure and without sin, yet He became sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21), through no wrongdoing on His part. He took our sin in His own body on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24). "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" (Is. 53:4-5).

In return for Jesus taking our sin, those who put their faith in Him get His righteousness instead of their own. It's not our actions that make us acceptable to the Father. It's our trust in Jesus that imparts the righteousness of Jesus into our born-again spirits that makes us in right standing with God.

Those who don't understand this righteousness, which comes from God as a gift, become frustrated trying to establish their own righteousness through good works (Rom. 10:3). It won't work. It's an all or nothing situation (Rom. 11:6). We must trust completely in what Jesus did for us to obtain right relationship with God. Any trust in our own goodness will void the atonement Christ made for us (Gal. 5:4).

This is precisely the condition of millions of people in the body of Christ today. They receive salvation by putting total faith in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins, but then they return to believing that the Lord still relates to them on the basis of their works, even after their salvation. That's not true.

Colossians 2:6 says, "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him." That means if you were saved by putting faith in God's grace alone, then you maintain that relationship in the same way. Some people sing "Just As I Am Without One Plea" when they are born again. They need to sing this song all the way through their Christian lives.

Failure to understand this truth is at the root of all guilt and condemnation. Satan's only inroad into our lives is sin. If we understand our right standing with God on the basis of what Jesus did for us, and not by our own actions, then Satan's power to condemn is gone. Those who live with a feeling of unworthiness are not trusting in God's righteousness but are looking to their own actions to obtain right standing with God. That will never work.

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Great Backyard Bird Count

© 2011 Donna L. Watkins - Bald Eagle

This is an exciting event each year. It certainly breaks up the winter dreariness. Last year in my bird count I was super thrilled to be able to submit a Bald Eagle. The first ever on our property and within the hour that I was doing the count. How magnificent! It's a fun event! Schedule it! You'll get hooked and look forward to it each year.

This year my sweet husband is going to join me for the count.

The 2012 GBBC will take place Friday, February 17, through Monday, February 20.  This will be the 15th annual count!

The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds.

Watch the video to learn more about the Great Backyard Bird Count and how you can take part!

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Protect Pets from Pet-Kidnappers

by Dr. Jane Bicks

We have all read gripping accounts, or seen movies and television shows, about the kidnappings of children. In a chilling development, an increasing number of pet parents are dealing with a similar nightmare scenario … the abduction of their pet kids.

Learn more about how these crimes take place, and what you can do to protect your companion animals. This issue is near-and-dear to Dr. Jane’s heart, so don’t miss this month’s vitally important update on this emerging – and terrifying – form of criminal enterprise. Read the article.

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Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Find Out What Animals and Plants Are in Your Area

Would you like to know what animals and plants share your backyard?

Are you taking a trip and wondering what possibilities there will be to see in that area of the country?

Use eNature's ZipGuides to get a comprehensive local wildlife guide to the animals and native plants native in any area of the United States.

Yu can narrow your search to focus only on Endangered Species or Poisonous and Dangerous Species. There's even an option to discover what's in your backyard through animal tracks. Visit now.

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Pet Massage Video

Video by Dr. Sarah

The holidays can be both wonderful and stressful for many of us, including our canine companions. In this episode of Pet Talk, Dr. Sarah reveals the basic techniques of safe and soothing canine massage … just in time for the holidays. Watch this fun and instructional video now to learn how you can safely reduce your canine's stress! View video.

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What Animals Hibernate?

When most people think of hibernation they picture bears. Yet bears aren’t true hibernators; their long nap is more properly called winter lethargy. A true hibernator, like a chipmunk, can reduce its body temperature to nearly freezing during hibernation and change its heart rate from 350 beats per minute to as low as 4 beats per minute within hours of retiring to its den.

The heart rate of a bear also drops, though not as rapidly. During the early part of its winter dormancy, a bear’s heart rate averages 50 beats per minute. After several months of uninterrupted sleep, the rate may drop to as low as 8 beats per minute. But a bear’s body temperature remains nearly normal during this period. That’s the reason a bear ... Read the entire article.

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Sunday, February 5, 2012

Godly Purpose for Anger

Anger Management
by Andrew Wommack


Have you ever been mad at God? Certainly, everyone has had anger rise up against a person. And there are a lot of people who are angry with themselves. Anger is a problem all of us have to deal with.

Many people come from backgrounds where strife was just normal. Our culture is so full of envy and strife that it's become part of life. We don't realize how deadly it is. But realize it or not, strife will kill you. Listen to what James had to say about envy and strife:

"For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work." (James 3:16)

Think about what this verse is saying for a moment. Envy and strife bring EVERY evil work. That is quite a revelation! You could be giving tithes and offerings and trusting God in the area of your finances, but if you're living in strife, you are opening the door to poverty. You could be trying to take care of your body and meditating on healing scriptures, yet envy and strife will negate all of that and bring sickness and disease. No one who is trusting God for victory in any area of their life can ignore dealing with anger and expect to succeed. It's that important.

This doesn't mean we are supposed to be emotionless or totally passive people. There is a proper use of anger. If we don't understand this and try to completely do away with anger, we will not succeed, and we will become passive in a way that allows Satan to run over us. There is a godly purpose for anger ....

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Thursday, February 2, 2012

The Theater of God’s Glory

by Dean Ohlman

John Calvin called the natural world the “theater of God’s glory,” but it is even more than a theater; it’s a cathedral. And awareness of God’s holiness (His right alone to be worshiped) occurs only when we enter it with the right spirit.


The word “cathedral” comes from the Latin term for “chair”: cathedra. Traditionally a cathedral is the sacred place where a church bishop has his chair of authority—his throne. While human bishops are supposed to keep us mindful of our stewardship role in the created order, too often the trappings and traditions of man hinder our capacity to hear the “still, small voice” of God inside our church buildings.

For that reason, it’s important for us to preserve and treasure the cathedral of wilderness where we see that God, the ultimate authority, is clearly on the throne and where His wordless revelation can still be clearly seen and understood (Romans 1:20). Read the entire article.

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Town Grows ALL It's Own Vegetables

Outside the police station in the small Victorian mill town of Todmorden, West Yorkshire, there are three large raised flower beds.

If you’d visited a few months ago, you’d have found them overflowing with curly kale, carrot plants, lettuces, spring onions — all manner of vegetables and salad leaves.

Today the beds are bare. Why? Because people have been wandering up to the police station forecourt in broad daylight and digging up the vegetables. And what are the cops doing about this brazen theft from right under their noses? Nothing.

Carrots in the car park. Radishes on the roundabout. The deliciously eccentric story of the town growing ALL its own vegetables. Read the entire article.

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A Way Out of Plastic Bottle Addiction

When many of us were kids, there was no such term as tap water; it was simply known as water. We drank it when we were thirsty, we drank it with meals, we used it to make ice, we cooked our food with it, we made other drinks (such as iced tea) with it, and much more, without a second thought.

Then things began to change. “The first bottled water came out in the late seventies,” Mason Gentry, founder of Faucet Face, told Organic Connections. “It was kind of a laughing stock back then, like why would you pay for water when it comes out of your faucet? But the early nineties came around and extreme sports became popular....”

Popular is an understatement. By observation, the two required accessories for venturing out nowadays are a cell phone and a plastic water bottle. We are simply addicted to disposable plastic containers. Fifteen hundred (1500) plastic water bottles are consumed in the US every second. Read the entire article.

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About Groundhogs

It’s Groundhog Day and the furry, kind-of-cute groundhog is in the news. Groundhogs clearly aren’t related to pigs or hogs—so what exactly are they?

© Donna L. Watkins - Groundhog
The groundhog (also known as a woodchuck or Eastern Marmot) is actually a large, ground-dwelling rodent and is part of family of ground squirrels known as marmots.

Groundhogs are lowland creatures and are common in the northeastern and central United States, found as far north as eastern Alaska and south as the northern half of Alabama. (see range map to right).

If you live in the western U.S., particularly in rocky and mountainous areas, you’re probably familiar with the the groundhog’s cousins such as the yellow-bellied and hoary marmots. Read the entire article.

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Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Newsletter - 2/1/12


Hello Dear Friends!

American Robin - Click for Larger Image
In mid-January we had a flock of Robins come through the front property.  They love our holly berries and were all over many of our bushes and trees.  They are such a beautiful bird, even though considered rather common.  I just think they're like an artist's painting with all the variations in color.

God has a bit of sunrise and sunset in them with those white markings to declare the brightness of day.

We were thrilled to see them, but we usually don't see Robins until mid-February, so this was a month early.

Red-winged Blackbirds
At the end of that same week, on our first icy morning of winter, we had a flock of Red-winged Blackbirds come in the back of the house at the feeders and under a bush where we place cracked corn for the doves.

My photos of previous years show them here early March. We didn't have a large flock of them - probably around 10 which is really miniscule. Many birds band together during winter, but none are as notorious for flocking behavior as a variety of species of blackbirds.

 Find out more about why blackbirds form large flocks in this eNature.com article. As you know I've been hoping for a very early Spring this year, so these visits were great things to ponder.

Our First Winter Wonderland with Bit of Ice - January 21
Click photo for more winter wonderland views.
As I mentioned we finally got some weather that looks like winter on the 21st of January.  It had rained a bit of ice during the night and left our woods looking like a winter wonderland.

 It wasn't a bad ice storm like we had a couple years before when we had to cut down many of our pine trees that were on the front of the property on the bank by the street.  Actually, there were too many there and I never could choose which ones to "thin out" so this was a blessing in disguise.

The ones remaining have done much better with the others gone. The last half of January was definitely colder, dreary and rainy.  Great weather for more puzzling as I'd mentioned in a previous post.

Rainforest Puzzle - Click for Larger Image
After doing several 1000-piece puzzles we've taken on smaller ones to get more gratification sooner.  As you might guess, I love puzzles with images of God's Creation, especially jungle and rainforest scenes. There are so many amazing animals in the rainforests.

A friend sent me a link to a video showing a troop of gorillas coming through a camp in the jungle.  One man was sitting on the ground and the young ones wanted to check him out.  The huge parent was nearby watching as they picked in his hair and ended the time with a kiss.  How awesome an experience that would be.  View the video.

Male Pileated Woodpecker - Click for Larger Image
I'm still enjoying the many views of our beautiful woodpeckers.  That's one blessing of winter ... we see so much of the woodpeckers since they love the suet feeders, not finding much in the way of "fat" bugs out there in the woods. 

The Pileated Woodpecker is always a fascinating bird.  They are the largest common woodpecker of North America.  They grow up to a length of 20 inches.  That's a big bird!  Especially when you see them hanging from a 6-inch suet feeder.

 If you'd like the recipe for what we made, I did a post on My Favorite Suet Recipe.

We've had an increase in the number of doves that are feeding on our property.  Don't know what that's about, but I love seeing them. The couples mate for life and look so cute following one another around.
Dog Chauffeur with Canine Passenger - Click for Larger Image

While we were out and about we came out of a store and there was a car facing the door.  Randal noticed instantly the couple in the front seats of the car.  I actually missed it looking at the sky.

The sun visors blocked the view a bit, but can you see the big guy at the wheel?  It must be nice to have a canine chauffeur drive you around while doing errands.  I know that our kitty, Squeek, has no interest in cars, so we wouldn't get her to even join us shopping, much less consider driving.

I'm ready for a trip to Florida.  Been wanting to go to the Everglades for many years.  We thought we might do it this year, but we've had a few interruptions in that thought.  But winter is not over.  I've been told I've got some serious heart problems, but I'm focusing on the fact that Jesus provided me with healing in His atonement, so I'm working on getting that appropriated and manifested from the spiritual realm to the physical.

Psalm 147:3:
He heals the brokenhearted. And binds up their wounds.

I take the Word of God as literal, so it's a matter of exchanging my unbelief for belief.  That's what Paul called renewing the mind.  Getting all the old religious untruth teaching out and the actual Word in, for only God's Word is alive and powerful.

Hebrews 4:12:
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit ...

Do you see that? Alive and active! It will divide between what is in your soul (mind, will and emotions) and what is in your spirit, which resonates with the absolute Truth of the Word. There is nothing else on earth that has that kind of power to change us. That's why the devil tries so hard to get us out of the Word. Even with other religious things such as books and devotionals and articles. Only the Word can change us.  There are more promises for reading the Word, so why do most Christians spend so little time in it?

Local Groundhog in Autumn - Click for Larger View
I wonder what Phil, the groundhog, will do when he comes out of his burrow tomorrow.  Having been born and raised in Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney Phil, is a sweet childhood memory.  It's a big event up there.  We've never been and have no interest.  Personally, I'd like to see them let Phil alone to live a normal groundhog life.  Besides, his accuracy is not good as you can see by the data in this article on his predictions.

I'm no groundhog, but I say Spring is going to come early!  I'm watching for the daffodils to begin sprouting any day now!  Only 5-1/2 weeks till Daylight Savings Time!

Saving the best for last!  We were blessed to have a flock of Cedar Waxwings come through our property.  They were gobbling up the holly berries.  Seemed to be intermixed with Robins and I read that they often migrate together.

© Donna L. Watkins - Cedar Waxwing with Holly Berry
Click For More Waxwing Photos
Again, these birds aren't supposed to be here until March, and they arrived on January 25.  I can hardly contain my excitement for an early Spring!

They were early birds and arrived while the sun was still coming up giving them a beautiful glow of sunrise on their breasts.  I've been taking photos of quite a few visiting birds.  It seems there's a lot of busyness lately.

If you'd like to see a video of the Cedar Waxwings, I was able to get one through the window.  They were only 10 feet away so it was a great event to get to see them.

We've had Yellow-rumped Warblers coming through also.  They are the prettiest of birds.  They always seem so fluffy and well-dressed.

Keep looking for those daffodils to be popping up in the yard!  It's going to be a glorious Springtime!  We went to Charlottesville a few days ago and saw forsythias blooming at one place.  Somebody else told me their tulips were beginning to come up.  It's like a dream ... such a mild winter.

Love and Hugs,
Donna

P.S.  If you enjoy this newsletter ... share the website with somebody else.  Maybe you know of somebody who needs something in this issue.  There's a "Share This" option on the right side.  Thanks!


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written by Donna


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Emergency Situations and Pets

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Protein Source: To Fish or Not

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The photo(s) and article are copyrighted. You may use either of them if you include the following credit and active link back to this website: © 2012 Donna L. Watkins - This article was reprinted with permission from TheNatureInUs.com. The link to use is: www.TheNatureInUs.com.

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