The sky this morning was beautiful, the clear azure blue of September. Nothing but a half moon and a huge white cloud shaped like a feather marred the sky. I stood and looked at the feather cloud in amazement. I was too dumbfounded to run and get my camera to take a photo. It looked just like a bird feather floating to the ground. The details were perfectly drawn from bottom of the shaft with the tiny down feathers to the top where the feathers were tightly woven. I spent an hour on the internet, when I came back in the house, looking at cloud photos shaped like feathers but none of the photos came close to the exquisiteness of the one I saw. I’ve decided it was an angel wing feather. Can’t explain it another way and I’ll always remember how beautiful it was with great regret for not capturing it on film. I know I’ll never see something like this again.

Bird feathers are symbols of flight and freedom, a connection to our spiritual realms. Bird feathers are considered gifts from the sky. Psalms 91:4 says, “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” This beautiful feather, or we can call it a feather cloud, has really moved me today. I’ve sat on the porch pondering what the significance of it could be. Is it a sign from heaven from Chief, is it a sign from an angel, or just a gift for me drawn by Father Sky on his blue sky canvas? I don’t know but it’s intriguing. I’m so sorry I didn’t get a photo to document it. I’ve heard a phrase before that says, “Feathers appear when angels are near.” There had to be one close by today.

My yard is deathly quiet after the lawn mowing crew left the street. The wind chimes are softly pinging and the occasional bird song breaks the silence. The wood thrushes always visit when the yard is freshly cut so I’m waiting for them. I sat in the swing for a long time watching a yellow butterfly on my wheelbarrow of million bells. I’m trying to learn the names of all the Alabama butterflies. This little creature was pirouetting and flirting with the colorful blooms, dancing a ballet of butterfly happiness, daintily drinking the flowers’ nectar. I finally captured his photo. He’s a Sleepy Orange butterfly. Got its name from the tiny dark spot on its upper wings that look like a pair of closed or sleeping eyes. So captivating to watch him pirouette all over the yard.

I had two large blue jays come and visit in the oak tree today. Blue jays almost never come in my yard space preferring the trees across the street. I hear them loudly squawking their “jeer, jeer” everyday but today they were sitting in my yard talking. They make great watch dogs for other birds, too. Their alarm is loud enough to be heard all over the street. They are wondrously colored in their feathered soldier coats of blue and gray and white. They have black beaks and black legs and a black line of feathers around their necks that resemble a necklace. A pert crest of blue feathers rests on top of their heads. Truly a beautiful creature.

Went back outside to the porch after the sun left the swings and the blue jays were still in my big oak tree. I could see them disturbing the branches, pulling acorns off the small limbs. I watched one of them fly away with an acorn in his mouth. I didn’t even know they ate acorns. I did a little research and found out blue jays can carry up to five acorns at a time in their mouth. The blue jays travel a mile or so away from the oak tree then pile the acorns up to bury. A blue jay will hide 3,000 to 5,000 acorns in a single season. They are great foresters. Squirrels just bury their acorns around the trees where they find them but blue jays travel away with their acorns.

Many people think blue jays are a sign from heaven, a harbinger of good luck. Blue jays are persistent with their calling, advising us to be persistent in our difficult situations. Research reads blue jays symbolize protection and divinity, selflessness and honesty, and kindness in Christianity.

We need to be like the blue jay. Just imagine having the work ethic of the blue jay. They don’t give up, working diligently to bury their acorns. I don’t think my work ethic is on a comparable level. Anything worthwhile, though, requires patience and dedication. When you fall down you get right back up. There is no substitute for hard work. I’m sitting here trying to think of a time in my life that hard work and persistence paid off and the first thing that popped in my mind was learning to ride a unicycle. I never gave up and once I finally got brave enough to let go of the chestnut tree limbs, off I went, peddling happily down the street.

Never thought much about persistence till today. Persistence is so important as we travel through life because anything worth having has to be achieved through persistence and hard work. Being persistent will give you opportunities to achieve the things you set your heart on. Perseverance helps you make progress even when the going gets rough. Being persistent in our faith helps us to trust God to fulfill his promises. Despite the difficulties or delays we face, we can trust God understands our situations and through faithful prayer we can realize our rewards.

Well, I missed the sunset. Mother Nature was putting the golden yellow rayed sun to bed on a turquoise clouded horizon. The clouds were just beginning to get their pink hues when I looked up on the bannister and a raccoon was sitting there looking back at me. Can’t believe Penelope didn’t sound the alarm. Thought all of the raccoons had gone with the wind. Came in the house and sat back down at my desk. Here we go again…

“Like the Blue Jay, we must find strength in our loudest moments and our quietest whispers.” — Unknown

— from my blog archives on this day in 2023