SMALL and compact bird with a relatively short. dark tail. This male was seen at Sandwich Bay Kent and was the only bird of note seen today, and a bit distant, hope you enjoy it!

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Trust you are staying safe and well, thanks for your visit, please leave a comment, it is always appreciated, and find it encouraging . God bless.........................Tomx

QUICK MARCH !!!

TALL robust plovers with long yellow legs, usually in pairs or small parties of up to ten birds. Favors a variety of fresh and saline aquatic habitats. Difficult to get close to, and very entertaining in their behavior. Seen at Kotu, Banjul, Gambia.

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THANK YOU for your visit, friendship, and comments.

Another very wet day in Kent, hope you remembered to put the clocks forward an hour, stay safe and well........ God bless............................. Tomx

Recapping 2013 images of the Gambia, when I did only have very few followers, hope you enjoy, as this is my Favourite bird from this region.

THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND, please leave a comment, and I will look forward to doing the same on your latest posting. Keep a smile on your face, love in your heart for everybody, Stay safe, God bless

............Tomx

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COURTSHIP DISPLAY VERY RARELY SEEN.

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My jaw hit the ground, when two of these beauties started a courtship display, have many images of the entire ferormance, something I will never forget.

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MY LAST GAMBIAN IMAGE. have over 1100 keeper images have posted only 33. Such a joy for me to show them.

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THANK YOU, for your visit, friendship, and comments, enjoy the LORDS day, stay safe and well, God bless you....Tomx

A BEAUTY that is common and widespread in Britain, their song is a familiar sound now that spring is upon us., during the breeding season, its diet is one that includes a significant proportion of insects and in winter almost strictly seed-eating regime. The male above was captured in my garden, was not sure whether to post this one or not, so do hope you enjoy it.

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THANK YOU for your visit, it means a lot in these crazy lock downtimes. Enjoy the weekend the best you can, stay safe, God bless.........................................Tomx.

VERY SMALL KINGFISHER

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Have so many images of these beauties, as they grew in confidence, getting closer and closer, typically perches low and in the shade. The fight is extremely rapid and straight. Miss these beauties very much, so entertaining. (one of nine kingfisher species found in the Gambia.)

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THANK YOU for your visit and friendship to my Gambia trip images. Hope you have a very enjoyable weekend, God bless you............Tomx

REMARKABLY bold and inquisitive, and walks with a acteristic swagger, a opportunistic feeder, and comes in mob handed at Briar Cottage, A real villian seeing off the smaller birds!!! This one is saying "Do I look like a villan ?"

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THANK YOU for your friendship and visit and comments will do my best to return the visit, if not now then in a few days, my life is a bit hectic still. Keep safe and well, God bless you all..........................Tomx

A GREETING CARD star, one of the nations favourites. Often bold and inquisitive in garden settings, strongly and conspicuously territorial, so how can you not take its picture, I love them, seen at Stodmarsh, Kent, UK.

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP in these difficult times, please leave a comment, and I will look forward to doing the same on your latest posting.

Enjoy the rest of the week, stay safe, God bless..............Tomx

FAMILIAR little finch, a delightful little bird of wayside habitats. In Summer the male as above is colourful and distinctive. Seen at the Reastharrow Scrape lead in path, at Sandwich Bay Kent.

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THANK YOU for your visit and friendship, Keep safe and well,enjoy the weekend my friends, God bless you........ Tomx

DAZZLINGLY ATTRACTIVE bird, not often seen in our corner of Kent UK, and was not expecting to see it in the Grove Ferry Feast Hide, but what a joy when it landed, he caught a couple of tiddlers and was off, leaving me with the biggest grin ever.

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THANK YOU for your visit and friendship, please leave a comment, it is always appreciated, and find it very encouraging

.The weekend is coming on strong, stay safe, may God bless you.............................Tomx

WORKING the shoreline near Herne Bay Kent, using its powerful bill to feed on mollusks and other invertebrates. A very distinctive and noisy wader.

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THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND, it's one thing that is helping me from going stir crazy. In our household, you can tell when things are beginning to take their toll when the Jigsaws puzzles come out. Hope your all well and staying safe .........................God bless.............................Tomx.

DUMPY and short-tailed woodland bird, the Nuthatch has the habit of descending tree trunks head-downwards in a jerky mannor. The chisel-like bill is used to prise insects from tree bark, and to hammer open acorns wedged into bark crevices. It is also a frequent visitor to garden bird feeders in rural areas, sadly not mine.

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THANK YOU for your visit and comments, will look forward to returning to your photostream, and commenting on your lastest image.

OFFLINE for three days, enjoy the weekend, stay safe, God bless...............................Tomx

A adorable, rather dumpy short tailed woodland bird , which has the habit of descending tree trunks head-downwards in a jerky manner, its chisel-like bill is used to prise insects from tree bark and to hammer open acorns wedged into bark crevices. Love working with these birds.

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THANK YOU, for your visit and kind comments, enjoy the new week dear friends, Stay safe and well, God bless.......................... ......................................Tomx.

We've done it, we moved into our new home on Sat 24th, still lots to do but we've settled in, so I will try and get back to commenting more now, still rather busy to get out with the camera, so it will have to archive stuff for a bit longer. I don't want to move house ever again, ha ha

CHARMING little reedbed specialist has a rather compact, rounded body and a proportionately very long tail. The distinctive call has earned the species the affectionate nickname of "pinger" which utters a diagnostic, high-pitched ping call.. Was overjoyed to get this chance encounter at Oare Marshes in Kent of a male, as I normally only see the female or juveniles, a bit of a nemesis bird for me.

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP, its a joy seeing your images and being transported around the world without leaving my armchair. Beautiful sunshine in the U.K at last, enjoy but stay safe............God bless......................Tomx

SUMMER VISITOR, this bird was busy feeding up close to the coast , to make the hop across the Channel and work its way south to warmer climates. I know that I am still fairly new to birding, but it seems like a lot of birds think its Autumn already, and indeed the weather has been a bit autumnal, at times. have you seen any signs ?

Bit of a heavy crop on this, but not a lot to show you.

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP, Enjoy the Lords day, keep safe, God bless...................Tomx.

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"Dear GOD, help us to focus on the greatest gift of the whole year through. THANK YOU for sending your one and only Son, that we might be saved through Him.

A FAMILIAR SPECIES, in part because of its affinity for human habitation. Widespread in Britain, and still the most numerous bird , despite its falling numbers. We have 30-40 visiting our feeders, a constant delight to see.

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THANK YOU, for all your support, amazing comments , it is appreciated very much. Please do stay safe, God bless you.

.................Tomx.

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For GOD loved the world so much that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. ( Ask him into your life today, so simple !)

FAMILIAR black, grey and white bird. The Pied Wagtail has a bounding flight and distinctive habit of pumping its tail up and down. They love locations such as playing fields and supermarket car parks, where this one was captured, but I was willing it to go into a little grass area to get a better image.

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THANK YOU for being a friend, please leave a comment and I will look forward to returning the visit.

We have the road map out of lockdown, just hope the nature reserves and hides will soon open.

Stay safe and well, God bless..........................Tomx.

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JESUS LOVES YOU and died for you, let him into your life today as your savior!

A SMALL and compact bird with a relatively short, dark tail. Often perches on the highest part of a plant, and flicks its tail while uttering a harsh alarm call. Mostly found on heaths, commons and gorse-slopes near the coast. Resident all year round !

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THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND, and leaving a comment, which is very appreciated, will look forward to seeing and commenting on your latest image.

Enjoy your new week, May God bless you........................Tomx

afternoon sighting in Shaba Nature Reserve, Kenya, in 2010.

Gerenuk are also called Giraffe Gazelle or Giraffe-necked Gazelle.

A medium-sized antelope with a long thin neck and a small head; it often feeds while standing on the hind legs and

lives in arid areas, mainly in Northern Kenya

Litocranius walleri

gerenoek of girafgazelle

gazelle de Waller ou antilope-girafe

Giraffengazellen oder Gerenuk

IUCN RED LIST STATUS: Near Threathened

Many thanks for your views, favorites and supportive comments.

All rights reserved. ButsFons©2021

My photos may not be used on websites, blogs or in any other media without my written and explicit permission.

URBAN and RURAL bird, extremely vocal, and a proficient mimic , it forms sizable flocks out-side breeding season, The starling walks with a characteristic swagger, and a joy to see .

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THANK YOU, for your visit and kind comment, will return to see and comment on your latest images. please stay safe, God bless. ........................................Tomx.

A BULKY, broad -winged raptor , medium sized bird of prey, and still not that many in the south-east area of Kent. A pure joy to see coming of the fields at Elmley Nature Reserve, the brown and black blobs on the ground are cows!!

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THANK YOU for your visit, please leave a comment, and I will look forward to doing the same on your lastest posting.

Please stay safe , God bless....Tomx

OFF LINE FOR FIVE DAYS

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THREE FULL DAYS STAYING ON SKOMER ISLAND, with my brother Bob, the forcast looks not very good, but it will be great fun, and you know what to expect with my images, in the next coulpe of weeks, puffins ans more puffins.

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THANK YOU for your visit and kind comments, will return to your images to comment as soon as possable.

Look after yourself, stay well and safe, God bless...................Tomx.

FORAGING in low scrub, rather warbler like, picking and hovering from the underside of leaves, Was told of this uncommon bird to the Kotu area, and have to admit to spending more time looking or waiting for an appearance, than any other bird on the trip, but it did put an appearance just for a few seconds, would have loved to have got a side image, to show its full beauty.

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THANK YOU, for your visit to my Gambian images, hope you are still enjoying them, I love reading your kind comments and doing the same to your latest posting. Enjoy the Lord's day, God bless and keep you safe and well..............Tomx.

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UNITE IN PRAYER FOR UKRAINE

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SMALLEST GOOSE in the region and the largest numbers in the Winter months in Kent, which is a joy to see, but very hard to approach without sending them into an extremely vocal flight. Found almost exclusively at coastal distribution.

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THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND, please leave a comment and I will enjoy doing the same on your latest posting.

Hope your all keeping well, Covid is running out of control in Kent, and they have identified it as a new strain, lets hope the vaccine works on this one as well.

God bless.........................Tomx.

Gambia tour 2020.

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JOY OF JOYS, my brother spotted and called HOOPOE, no way I thought !!! But yes it was, our first sighting in the Gambia. Bless its heart, it let us very near, and I have over 100 keeper images, it was completely relaxed, and never stopped grooming itself, a experience I will never forget . Seen in the Kotu area.

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THANK YOU for being a friend and leaving a comment. Will look forward to visiting your photo stream and and doing the same on your latest posting. The weekend is coming on fast, enjoy, say safe, and may God bless you in all you do.

...................................................Tomx

A forest dwelling butterfly with black-brown wings marked with white spots, streaks and bands. The underwing patterns are repeated but against a pale orange back ground colour.

MY WALK WITH BIRDING PHOTOGRAPHY STARTED AS ABOVE

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IN 2003, from our Spanish villa, it overlooked a large area of scrub land and orchards, was amazing. I found a area where BEE-EATERS where nesting in earthly holes in a bank near to water, just a short walk away, and set up a hide. The hide was in dense bushes , put in a chair, and other home comforts, was so well concealed that sometimes one would land on a branch only inches away from my face. I had the birds, but no experience and only a Canon 40D and a stigma 300m lens. Looking back on the images now, they are real rubbish. We had six amazing years in Spain, but Chris never settled, and the arrival of grandchildren, the pull was to great for her, so we returned.

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP, am going through my Archives starting at the beginning. Please stay safe, some restrictions lifted, but the virus is still there!

God bless..............................Tomx

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"GODs BEAUTY is SIMPLY AMAZING !"

ENJOYING the wet weather, as it brings up the worms, not so good for photographers, it was the best image to a bad day.

Seen Ancient highway Sandwich bay Kent.

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THANKING YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP, hope your all well and making the most out of life, in these crazy days....God bless you.................................Tomx

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"GODs BEAUTY is SIMPLY AMAZING !"

THE FIG AND PLUM TREE, in our garden , only feed the birds, rarely do we get to eat of the fruits.. This was taken in the darkest possible spot, and therefore of poor quality, but a bit different. My wife Chris and I have been feeding two families of Blackbirds, and they have become very tame, and even enter the cottage, and has given us so much joy and entertainment during these difficult times of near isolation.

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP, please leave a comment, I love doing the same to your lastest postings.

Enjoy the Lords day, stay well and safe, God bless..... ......................................Tomx.

GAMBIA TOUR feb. 2020

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U.K WADERS SEEN IN THE GAMBIA

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4th In the series, a real beauty, you can approach these birds much more than in the U.K, but you may not want to with this one, because that sludge is sewage, found at the local treatment plant, as do many other birds.

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP, it means such a lot. Am hoping the Government will allow nature reserves and parks to open soon, as I think this would still be safe, maybe keep the hides and information buildings locked up.

Stay strong and safe my friends, you are in my prayers.............

God bless...................................Tomx

Swallow taken from the out the window of our guesthouse room

I was asked to come over by one of my sons and by surprise we went with my granddaughter to Avifauna and I just had only my Nikon D7000 with me and the Nikon 18-55mm G2,...,perfect lens!

DELIGHTFUL PLUMP-BODIED WADER, not often seen, and taken in very dark conditions, the best of a bad bunch, but just enjoy catching up with this pair every-year at the sea side defense wall, from Jan to about April. Seen a Hampton near Herne Bay, Kent, U.K.

Taken at Bempton Cliffs last summer.

As always, thank you so much for stopping by and for leaving any comments or faves, they are very much appreciated.

AN ELEGANT and unmistakable pure white, heron-like bird with a black, dagger-like bill and a long neck. Was very well hidden, when this bird dropped in, it then started working its way towards me, until I could not fit it in the frame, then past me, but who wants a back side view ! What a experience. Classed as a rarity in Britain a while back, but now fairly easy to find.

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THANK YOU for your visit and kind comments, it is always appreciated. Enjoy the weekend dear friends, Stay safe, God bless...................Tomx.

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HELP PLEASE !

Have always cropped my images by 6x4inches, and have tried to get them published, but cannot find anybody that will do this size, for a pictorial type book, any help or advice would be very appreciated. Thank you.

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SORRY once again my posting of this image lost the first couple of comments, very strange !!!

I'm on holiday in Scarborough until Sunday, so my uploads will be hit and miss

MISSION ALMOST IMPOSIBBLE, please image this situation, about 300 hundred of these Geese feeding on the wide-open sea shore mud flats, but too far to achieve a decent photograph , as I approach them in the wide-open, they walk away at the same speed, If I move to quick, they will all take flight. Walking along the water edge, I could see one on its own, and it was walking towards me, and was completely fearless, so I filled up a complete camera card, and went away smiling like a Cheshire |Cat., and thanking God I believe this must be a Juvenile,

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THANKING YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP, please leave a comment, as I will enjoy doing the same to your lastest image.

Keep a smile on your face and love in your hearts for everyone, keep safe and well, God bless............................Tomx.

GAMBIA FEB 2019

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LARGEST Senegambian barbet, thickset black, red and white bird with enormous yellow-horn bill, which is both grooved and double-toothed, love the bare eye-patches.Close up views show a thick tuft of bristles on each side of bill base. Favors well wooded areas, this was taken from my apartment balcony about 25yds away,, and it was the only place we saw them.

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THANK YOU for your visit and kind comments, will always return the visit to your photo-stream. Stay safe God bless.. ......................................Tom.

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Yellow Black or White, all are precious in Gods Sight !!

MY GAMBIAN holiday has gone quickly, without leaving my cottage and not a hint of a suntan. Am very concerned over all our friends out there, who are now not getting any income whatsoever. hope we will see them next Jan when we have rebooked. Back to UK Garden and Local birds tomorrow..

SQUACCO HERON, favors freshwater fringes, flooded fields ponds, and mangrove swamps. Generally solitary stands motionless at the water's edge or tall grassy vegetation where it is difficult to detect. Hope you have enjoyed them.

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP, it means so much, in these lockdowns that seem to go on forever. We have snow today, uncommon for Kent, so keep them birds fed, and do look after yourselves.....................God bless............. Tomx.

.G

SMALL dumpy wader that is associated with coastal habitats. Feeds by running along sand, gravel or estuarine mud as if powered by clockwork and then standing still for a second, to pick up food from the ground. Seen from the sea wall Reculvers, where their was a flock of about 20.

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THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND, and leaving a comment, will look forward to doing the same on your latest posting!

Keep a smile on your face and love in your heart for everyone

May God bless and keep you...........................................Tomx.

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COUNT your blessings, name them one by one, and you will be surprised what the good LORDs done.!

The meadow pipit is a common nesting bird of moorland, heathland and rough grassland. In the autumn and winter, it moves out of upland areas to lowlands where it gathers in small flocks and can be found on farmland and saltmarshes. In the spring, it performs a fluttering, 'parachute' display flight. There are 2 million breeding territories in the UK.

On moorlands, meadow pipits are the most common 'foster parents' of young cuckoos. The adult cuckoo will lay a single egg in a meadow pipit's nest. After hatching, the cuckoo chick will push the other eggs or young birds out of the nest, giving its foster parents more time to concentrate on feeding their new, oversized chick.

Thank you for your lovely comments and invites they are all appreciated. Taken in March last year (2022).

NO FAVOURING WITHOUT LEAVING A COMMENT

*YOU WILL BE BLOCKED!!*

© All rights reserved. To use my photos for any reason

without my written permission is prohibited. Copyright © ~Muriel~

DELIGHTFUL and often confiding little bird with a proportionately very long tail and seemingly an almost spherical body. The long-tailed Tit is often seen in rather animated flocks; it moves in a rather jerky fashion and has acrobatic feeding habits, which is so entertaining to watch, one of my favorite birds, captured through the kitchen window on a very wet day, hence the 1/30 shutter speed on a I.S.O of 1250.

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THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND, please leave a comment, and I will look forward to returning the visit.

Stay safe and well, God loves you, keep a smile on your face and love in your heart for everyone..............................Tomx

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"GODs BEAUTY is SIMPLY AMAZING !"

Well folks soon after he posed and danced and we said out good-bye's he left, literally left and missed the shot only to have the wings clipped and for that I apologize, but I tried.

Thanks to all for everything.

A FAMILIAR species, in part of its affinity for human habitation. Stiil is Britians most numerus bird just, but you cannot hide the fact it also is in fast decline. I think they are beautiful, and wish more people would post them. Seen from home today (Tues)

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THANK YOU, for you valued visit and comment, will return the visit very soon. Stay well and safe, God bless.............Tomx.

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GOD has over 7,000 promises made for you, written in the Bible, promises of success, confidence, health, prosperity, strenth , wisdom and more. Ask him into your life today, is all you have to do.

Say this prayer with me !

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LORD JESUS CHRIST, I am sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life, please forgive me. I now turn from everything that I know is wrong. THANK YOU that you died on that cross for me so that I could be forgiven and set free. Please come into my life today, to be with me forever.

THANK YOU , Lord Jesus. Amen.

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This guy was strolling the berm in the very early morning, so who could pass him up, I know I couldn't.

Thanks for stopping by, and thank you all for everything.

The closer I got folks, the louder he got.

Thanz to all for everything.