Bucolic Morning on Vallette Street

Yesterday morning this was the scene out my kitchen window.  Actually I was only about 5' away when I took this photo.  You can see how threatened they are by my presence.  Hydrangea was on the menu.  I don't mind sharing my bushes with them, but it is difficult to grow any kind of vegetable garden with the herds of deer that roam our neighborhood, often walking calming down the middle of the street.

I'm not complaining.  One of the desires of my heart was/is to live in a rural setting frequented by a variety of wildlife.  And the Lord has given me that desire within city limits.  In addition to deer we have a raccoon family that rears their young in a giant tree in our neighbor's backyard, so I see cute little babies wandering thru our yard on a regular basis every spring.  There are coyotes that live in the park behind us, I don't see them often, but occasionally, if I'm out early enough in the morning, I'll see them wandering the borders of the park.  There are a pair of Cooper's Hawks that rear their young in the park as well and in the winter, there are a pair of Barred Owls that frequent the park.  I love to lie in bed and listen to them call to each other. 

These aren't the only desires of my heart that He has fulfilled.  I would love to have a herd of animals of my own, but lifestyle realities have made that difficult.  We don't have a fully fenced yard, so a dog is not an option.  But....my neighbors have a wonderful dog, a beautiful Springer Spaniel Llewellin Setter mix,  and cat and we have all adopted each other.  When they are out of town or late getting home I get to go feed and play with them and snuggle and pretend they are mine.  

I've always wanted a big flower garden for cut bouquets.  I don't own this home, digging up the yard is not an option.  But....my neighbor next door is a master gardener who grows flowers of her own and also helps design bouquets for one of the county farms that sells gorgeous bouquets every summer.  And on an almost weekly basis in the summer, she brings me huge bouquets.  In return, I bake goodies for her.  

How gracious is the Lord to give us the desires of our heart, even if they are not in the manner we thought they would be!