Beauty in Blessings

We had some unexpected visitors on Thanksgiving Day.  A beautiful family of swans stopped by to rest in our field.  I walked up to them as close as I could and was able to get a few shots using the zoom on my camera.  Since I didn't want to scare them off, I quietly retreated once they became alert to my presence.  I was hoping they would stay for several weeks as they did several years ago. However, frightened by the noise of shotguns by nearby duck hunters, they flew away.  Needless to say, I was upset with the duck hunters!

I did write a message on the swan that will give you some background information on this beautiful bird.  I encourage you to check it out for further knowledge on the swan.  Your will find this particular post entitled "Of Swans and Sunsets"....http://turn-uppatch.blogspot.com/2015/02/of-swans-and-sunsets.html
I wrote this in February 2015.  The swans did return the following year in 2016 but it wasn't until Thanksgiving Day of this year that this little family showed up to grace our property for a brief time.

We still have resident geese that stay throughout the winter in our area and you see them frequently in the fields scavenging for food and shelter.  They must like living in Grant County since they prefer being here than flying south for the winter.  The swans in the past would be mingling with the geese and it was quite a sight to see.  These birds made it a migratory stop before it was time to continue on with their journey.  Thankfully, there were no duck hunters close by to disturb the geese and swans, so we were able to enjoy them all for a short period of time.

I discovered this beautiful poster with a wonderful message to it.  It contains a quote worth reflecting on.  See you at the Turn-Up Patch next time on Monday, December 18th...  Until then, look for the unexpected blessings that our dear Lord sends your way to encourage and to say, "I AM here with you".  It is up to us to perceive and see.