Over the weekend, I was driving around doing errands in the lousy weather, when I noticed a beautiful photo just waiting for me to capture it. When I returned, I discovered that it lacked one feature that is very important to a photographer: Vantage point. The nearest parking place was a considerable distance away, and I was not interested in walking in the rain to get there.

So I returned the following day, when the sun was out and I could park and walk to my spot. And I was amply rewarded with a sidewalk vantage point where I could get the shots I wanted. Here are the results.

The little body of water is an overflow pond that I had never seen so full. We had a big rainstorm over the weekend, so that pond did its duty well. Mother Nature also left enough leaves on the trees, which I was afraid would all be stripped away by now, so I could capture their splendid colors.

Speaking of color, Mother Nature had another nice surprise for me when I got home. I went outside to take some photos for a project, when I was startled by the appearance of a rare bird that I had never seen before.

Wow!! Right in my own yard, and I even had my camera (phone) in my hand so I could get his picture before he flew away! I thanked God for blessing me twice in one day.