Grumpy the Gator

In Grumpy the Gator, a group of children playing encounter a grumpy alligator. The story teaches children to always keep a safe distance from animals in the wild, and to find an adult if they see an alligator.

Grumpy the Gator

Its Always A Story With The Hendersons

Lizards Learning to Share

What a beautiful day! The sun is shining. The sky is blue. Temperature is in the 70’s. A very nice South Carolina day!

The hummingbird feeder is filled with sugar-water. Alan and I have purchased hanging pots filled with bright red impatiens, red geraniums and one contain of purple and pink petunias. Perfect flowers and feeder to attract hummingbirds.

Each morning, I open the blinds and look outside at the feeder. When the hummingbirds approach, I squeal with excitement. No matter how many times I see the little birds, I still am giddy with joy. Their fast-moving wings make a whirring sound. The little bodies are more powerful than their size would indicate. I first learned to love hummingbirds and almost all birds years ago. My parents enjoyed bird watching and they shared that hobby with me.

Throughout the day, I find myself going back and forth to the window to look for the hummers. Morning and evening are the times of day when I notice the ruby throated hummingbird visiting the flowers and the feeder. What a life! Flying from flower to flower and feeder to feeder to drink sweet nectar.

I am so happy we have placed the feeder where we can enjoy watching the hummers.

YIKES!!!! What’s that on the feeder? A lizard!!!! How can that be? Lizards are not supposed to drink that juice. Sure hope they don’t scare away the precious little birds.

Worrying about the lizards taking over, I wondered what could be done to prevent the lizards from enjoying something that wasn’t meant for them.

No problem. The solution has been revealed. The lizards have learned to share. Hummingbirds and lizards both drink out of the feeder, just at different times.

Quite a sight to watch the lizards climb and jump from the gutter to the pole and then, to the feeder. The hummers visit flowers and then, head for the feeder. Then, the lizard leaves. They have learned to share with each other.

This whole situation makes me think about how we share with each other. Are we willing to share? Are we hoarding things that might be needed by other people? Is there an item you can share with a local food bank, nursing home, homeless shelter or other place?

Even the lizards are learning to share.

Have a blessed day and check your hummingbird feeders. You might find a new visitor.
Melissa



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42 Comments
  • Bettie G
    Posted at 01:47h, 29 April Reply

    Oh, I love this Melissa! Such a sweet object lesson that God set right in front of you. May I remember that gift of blessing that comes from sharing. And how fun to see your beautiful flowers there too. We are still several weeks away from the hummingbirds coming up here, but it’s getting closer! Blessings to you!

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 11:43h, 29 April Reply

      Thank you Bettie. I enjoy watching those hummingbirds and I even enjoy watching those lizards. I may have to write another story about Licky the Lizard. Have a blessed day! πŸ™‚

  • Karen Jurgens Harrison
    Posted at 05:03h, 29 April Reply

    What a great lesson about sharing! I had no idea lizards would drink hummingbird nectar. Like you, I love birds. Always have. Observing God’s creatures can certainly teach us valuable life lessons. Stay safe, dear Mimi. Love and blessings ❀️xoxo

    • Melissa Henderson
      Posted at 11:53h, 29 April Reply

      This is the first year I have seen hummingbirds drinking from the feeder. Very unusual sight. πŸ™‚ I love watching the birds. This morning, I am watching black capped chickadees playing in the trees. Beautiful sights and sounds from God. Have a blessed day. Love and blessings to you, too. πŸ™‚

  • Vickie@Vickie's Kitchen and Garden
    Posted at 08:00h, 29 April Reply

    I love humming birds too! Watching nature share is beautiful..
    They are showing us the way.

    • Melissa Henderson
      Posted at 11:48h, 29 April Reply

      Hummingbirds are fascinating. I stood on the back porch until dark last night watching the hummingbirds and the deer playing. God gives us many beautiful creations to enjoy. Have a blessed day! πŸ™‚

  • melonieabenjamins
    Posted at 09:36h, 29 April Reply

    Sounds like a good sequel to your lizard children’s books, lol.

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 11:44h, 29 April Reply

      I agree. Right now, I am working on a children’s story about alligators. πŸ™‚ Have a blessed day!

  • Jill Weatherholt
    Posted at 09:48h, 29 April Reply

    That sweet nectar is an attraction to many critters, isn’t it? Poor little hummies, no wonder they’re so combative. I agree with Melonie…a great premise for another children’s book. <3

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 11:44h, 29 April Reply

      I was so surprised to see the lizards drinking from the hummingbird feeder. Nature is full of surprises. Yes, I may have to write a sequel to Licky the Lizard. πŸ™‚ Have a blessed day!

  • michellekaderlywelsh
    Posted at 15:13h, 29 April Reply

    I had to laugh at your descriptions today because where I live it would be a squirrel stealing up to get a taste instead of a lizard. It was just a surprise to me to learn this. Very interesting and fun to learn. πŸ™‚

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 15:44h, 29 April Reply

      We’ve had squirrels at bird feeders at other places we’ve lived. This is a first for the lizards. Crazy. Also, last night, the deer ate the beautiful petunias. Silly deer. Silly lizards. πŸ™‚ Have a blessed day!

  • Eliza
    Posted at 18:13h, 29 April Reply

    Good to see you posting!
    It’s awesome that they share… we definitely should learn from them…
    Love, light and glitter

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 18:16h, 29 April Reply

      Thank you Eliza. I’ve been concentrating on writing more stories. I need to write more blog posts, too. Thank you for reading and commenting. Have a blessed day! πŸ™‚

  • Lori Hatcher
    Posted at 19:45h, 29 April Reply

    Between the photo and your hilarious description, I enjoyed a delightful laugh today. Thanks for sharing the smile, friend.

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 19:48h, 29 April Reply

      Thank you for reading and commenting Lori. There’s always something funny happening here. Have a blessed day dear friend. πŸ™‚

  • Stephen
    Posted at 20:19h, 29 April Reply

    Love it, perfect way to bring things to light for us while we are in this current state. God Bless you Sister!!

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 20:20h, 29 April Reply

      Thank you for reading and commenting. We can learn a lot from the lizards and hummingbirds. Have a blessed day! πŸ™‚

  • Karen Ruhl
    Posted at 21:51h, 29 April Reply

    Melissa, such a sweet story. Our squirrels do the same as your lizard but they don’t share very well. I still need to get my hummingbird feeder and get flowers. Blessings to you.

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 22:17h, 29 April Reply

      Thank you sweet Karen. I love hummingbirds! Today we planted some marigolds in hopes of keeping the deer away. The deer ate our petunias last night. Silly deer. Have a blessed day dear friend! πŸ™‚

  • June Foster
    Posted at 23:18h, 29 April Reply

    I thought you liked lizards since you wrote a book about one. (Ha, just kidding.) I’m like you. I love to see the birds come to the feeders, especially the hummingbirds, back from the long trek to Mexico. Love the spring time. PS, I noticed you had the emblem for CBN on your home page. My oldest daughter got her masters in photo journalism there. We’ve visited several times and love the area.

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 23:35h, 29 April Reply

      Hello June. Yes, I like the lizards when they stay away from the hummingbird feeder. haha! I didn’t know about your daughter getting her masters in photo journalism at CBN. That’s awesome! Have a blessed week dear friend! Hugs. πŸ™‚

  • karenringalls
    Posted at 12:47h, 30 April Reply

    There are so many lessons from nature. A wonderful post, Melissa.

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 14:02h, 30 April Reply

      Thank you Karen. Yes, nature is amazing. God gives us such wonderful things to enjoy. Have a blessed day! πŸ™‚

  • Yvonne Morgan
    Posted at 14:08h, 30 April Reply

    Great story to remind us to share during these difficult times. And as I sit here reading this, I hear a dove coeing outside. Nature teaches us so many truths about life.

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 14:10h, 30 April Reply

      I love the sounds that doves make. Very peaceful. We had a storm during the night. This morning, the tree frogs are singing. I love nature. Well, I love everything except snakes. haha! Have a blessed day! πŸ™‚

  • Nancy E. Head
    Posted at 15:22h, 30 April Reply

    Folklore tells us that hummingbirds represent resurrection. I’ve tried to get a feeder started, but all I got were bees. Hoping to have better luck on a different side of the house. I love this post. It’s amazing how God can remind us of how we are to behave–and sometimes how not to behave–through animal life. Nice!

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 15:30h, 30 April Reply

      I love that hummingbirds represent resurrection. Thank you for reading and commenting Nancy. Have a blessed day! πŸ™‚

  • Barb Ready
    Posted at 16:28h, 30 April Reply

    That is fascinating and such a good lesson! I never want to hoard, but I know I do. Not out of fear or unwillingness to share, probably more out of laziness to get the things to where they need to be. Thanks for the reminder of the importance of sharing, even if it’s uncomfortable!

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 16:32h, 30 April Reply

      Thank you Barb. I’ve been looking through my closets and cabinets to see if I am “hoarding” or “having just what I need”. πŸ™‚ That lizard was trying to hoard the sweet nectar in the hummingbird feeder. haha!
      Have a blessed day! πŸ™‚

  • karentfriday
    Posted at 18:55h, 30 April Reply

    Wow, who would have thought lizards would have this behavior. Crazy! We have several friends who make gourds every year for Purple Martins, high on poles away a little from the house. So the trouble they have is when another kind of bird, a less desirable one, threatens to take over one of the gourds.

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 20:48h, 30 April Reply

      I love watching the birds. So fun to see different types of birds. The Purple Martins can be bossy when their home is invaded. πŸ™‚ Have a blessed day! πŸ™‚

  • Lisa Q
    Posted at 21:18h, 30 April Reply

    Ha! That is a funny image. Here in Wisconsin, we don’t have lizards to worry about on bird feeders. But we do have squirrels who somehow manage to find the bird feeders and get their fill. I think they learn to share, too.

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 21:24h, 30 April Reply

      Squirrels are definitely great at getting into bird feeders. We’ve dealt with lots of squirrels over the years. So far, at this new place, the squirrels are not bothering the hummingbird feeder. πŸ™‚ Have a blessed day! πŸ™‚

  • myconcretedove
    Posted at 19:58h, 01 May Reply

    Cute post and pictures. We are doing the same thing, squealing with excitement at the birds. It’s finches for us. Yellow and red. I love it. We just tried a finch feeder for the first time and WOW! they showed up. How perfect a lizard found your feeder.

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 21:47h, 01 May Reply

      Thank you. I love watching the finches, too! Today has been very windy and the hummingbirds are not visiting the feeder as much. The lizards have stayed away, too. Tomorrow will be a different story. haha! Have a blessed weekend! πŸ™‚

  • Jeanne Takenaka
    Posted at 21:46h, 05 May Reply

    Melissa, what a great reminder! I love that the hummers and lizard learned to share. My son would be thrilled to see lizards drinking from a hummer feeder. πŸ™‚ And you’re right. May we be as conscientious as the animals are. . .

    I enjoy watching birds too, as long as they’re not building nests above our deck. πŸ˜‰ Every now and then we even get an owl in our backyard. The bunnies hide in the big pine tree when the big fella stops for a visit.

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 00:02h, 06 May Reply

      Wow, an owl! How exciting! I hear them in the woods but haven’t seen one here yet. I watched the lizards and the hummingbirds share the feeder again today. πŸ™‚ Have a blessed week!

  • Lynn J Simpson
    Posted at 02:53h, 06 May Reply

    Well that is a very lucky lizard, I say, to be sharing a feeder with the hummingbirds! In my little yard I have chickadees, sparrows and finches. I’d love an owl but too far away from the forest I think to get one. Yes, so important to share and not hoard during this time. God’s abundance is everywhere and to be shared!

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 12:09h, 06 May Reply

      I enjoy watching the birds. I am fascinated by their strength and determination. Have a blessed day! πŸ™‚

  • Melissa McLaughlin
    Posted at 16:38h, 16 May Reply

    What a sweet story, Melissa! I am always refreshed by the wonder and glory of God’s creation and creatures. I love how you see God’s lessons in the everyday blessings. Yes, we can learn from the animals!

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 18:00h, 16 May Reply

      Thank you Melissa. I love how God gives us such glorious creations to enjoy. Have a blessed weekend! πŸ™‚

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