Deep Calls Unto Deep

Weeks Falls, Olallie State Park

“Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me.  The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me– A prayer to the God of my life.”  Psalms 42:7-8

Oftentimes when grief strikes in our lives, it seems to come in repeated episodes.  The personal challenges and afflictions we face may be a result of God’s anger and disappointment with us…or maybe we reach a point of fear because we know of His disapproval of our choices.  When David wrote this Psalm, he was likely feeling overwhelmed and powerless in the face of grief and dejection.  After struggling with this himself, he casts his grief at the feet of God in prayer.  We all face struggles on a regular basis, and there are times when we have some control or ability to alter course and find relief.  Struggles of spirit tend to be very difficult for us to overcome, but there is One who can renew our spirit.

Awkward Moments

Lacking the colorful plumage of her mate, this Red-winged Blackbird made an emergency landing after a mid-air battle with another female, all to the tune of the male warbling his courtship song.  With the wind blowing and the other female poised to pounce, this bird was swaying wildly, but seemed reluctant to seek better footing elsewhere.  The other bird was in a similar predicament, also precariously perched on a bending tule, but with a slightly better vantage point.

A couple thousand years ago, two other females also found themselves in an odd situation.  Mary Magdalene and another Mary arrived at the tomb of Jesus Christ to anoint the body.  Upon their arrival, instead of a corpse, they encountered an angel who said, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here; for He is risen, as He said” (Matthew 28:5-6).  We are told that they quickly left with “fear and great joy” to share the news with His disciples.  Along the way, the risen Christ met them, telling them to “Rejoice!”  Since that very first Easter morning, Christians have been rejoicing over the good news that Jesus Christ lives!

The resurrection provides believers firm footing on the solid rock that is the living Christ.  So what does this actually mean?  I found the following quote which sums it up pretty well…

“The Christian’s faith must be always upon the resurrection of Christ; and in that glorious resurrection he shall not only see continual joy and consolation, but also victory and triumph over all persecution, sin, death, hell, the devil, and all other tyrants and persecutors of Christ and of Christ’s people; the tears and weeping of the faithful dried up; their wounds healed; their bodies made immortal in joy; their souls forever praising the Lord, in conjunction and society everlasting with the blessed company of God’s elect, in perpetual joy.” (Excerpted from Bible Illustrations, author unknown)

Our Light for His Glory

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His Face I Seek

Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong; You hid Your face, and I was troubled.  Psalms 30:7

The Grand Tetons, Jackson, Wyoming

The Lord, in his favor, has fixed the believer’s safety firm as the deep-rooted mountains, but he must expect to meet with temptations and afflictions. When we grow careless, we fall into sin, the Lord hides his face, our comforts droop, and troubles assail us. —Matthew Henry Concise

A Thanksgiving Day Thought…

When turkey’s on the table laid,

And good things I may scan,

I am thankful that I wasn’t made,

A vegetarian! (Edgar A. Guest)

So my soul longeth after Thee

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What Kind of Bear Have You?

This past week was spent in Washington state, but my camera time while there was extremely limited.  On the day of my arrival I was welcomed by an uncommonly clear, blue sky and wonderful views of the landscape dominated by Mt Baker.  Unfortunately dusk was setting in before I had a opportunity to take out the camera, so I only got one mediocre shot of the dormant volcano.

Mt Baker, east of Bellingham, WA

I had high hopes for some additional photography time along the route home, but between the demands of work and my eagerness to get home, I didn’t make any scenic detours for that purpose.  Nevertheless, with the help of Providence, I netted a couple opportunities that redeemed the effort of packing my gear on the trip.  About halfway through the Idaho panhandle I often stop to stretch my legs at the Old Mission State Park, and yesterday I was greeted by young bull moose foraging through the flood plain of the Coeur d’Alene River as I meandered along the park road.

Well into western Montana, near the ranching community of Ovando, I spotted a Black Bear in the timber adjacent to the highway.  A young couple in a pickup had stopped to shoot a few pictures, but they left shortly after I stopped.  The bear did not seem to mind my presence, yet he was frequently spooked by passing vehicles as he made several failed attempts to cross the highway.  Eventually he relented and wandered back in the deeper timber.  Before doing so, he availed himself to about a half-hour private photo session, as no other passersby were sufficiently interested to stop and watch him.  I can’t guess the age of this bear, but he was so large that I assume it to be mature.  In terms of overall body and coat condition, this is certainly the best looking wild bear I’ve seen in my travels, which is likely a result of the mild winter and early spring forage this year.

There are a few Scriptural references to bears, but I am going to reference a different kind of bear that is mentioned in numerous chapters of the Bible.  These “bears” come from a short illustration composed by M.R. DeHaan, the founder of RBC Ministries.  RBC produces a variety of Christian educational resources, including Radio Bible Class and Our Daily Bread.  These are a few members of the Bible family of bears:

The Yoke Bear (Lament. 3:27-28)  It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone and keep silent, Because God has laid it on him;
The Fruit Bear (John 15:8) By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
The Cross Bear (Luke 14:27) And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
The Witness Bear (John 15:27) And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
The Weak Bear (Romans 15:1) We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
The Burden Bear (Galatians 6:2) Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
The Image Bear (1 Cor. 15:49) And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
The Love Bear (1 Cor. 13:7) [Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Down by the Riverside

Over the past couple weeks, while passing through Roundup, I made a few quick excursions to the Musselshell River. I wasn’t able to do this a year ago because the lower part of town was flooded as the melting snow and heavy rains forced the river out of it’s banks. What a difference a year makes! My short trips yielded several exciting finds in the way of birds I’ve never seen before. One, in particular, I’ve been seeking for two years and finally got to see him up-close and personal!  At the 20-Acre Wood in 2009, I heard a very unique bird song, but only got brief glimpses of him. It was a Black-headed Grosbeak, and of the few pictures I got, they were either blurry or his head was obstructed by pine needles. Another returned last year, and sang his lively song for a few days before moving on – I wasn’t able to see him at all. However this week I was fortunate to see several of these unique birds at close range along the banks of the Musselshell.

Apparently these large birds are a type of finch, and are one of few birds that are able to eat poisonous Monarch butterflies. On my second visit, I played a recording of their call and quickly had three of these guys responding in song!  To me, they came across as very animated birds, especially as they were singing.  One was fairly close and showed a lot of curiosity about me and the source of my recording.  I captured an embarrassing number of images of him, so I decided to share a dozen faces of this dear fellow.

There was a lot of activity down by the riverside, and I will be sharing some of my other photos in upcoming posts.  Right now it is actually a pleasant place to spend an hour and just enjoy a small piece of the majesty of God’s creation.  However, in two or three more weeks, when the mosquito population builds, I will really be wondering why He created some things!

The title of this post, Down by the Riverside, is also the name of a gospel song that has reportedly been around for about a hundred and fifty years.  The lyrics talk about exchanging the burdens and battles of this world for the garments and fellowship of righteousness in God’s kingdom, and the setting for this to take place is “Down by the Riverside.”  It is thought that the song was commonly sung by slaves on plantations in the south, as they reflected on their condition, as well as the hope they had in through salvation.  The significance of the water in the river is likely tied to both water of baptism and Living Water, as referenced by Jesus in John 4:10.  Living Water is a metaphor for the Spirit of the Lord, which offers grace and comfort to satisfy the thirsty soul.  That same Living Water is available to us today, and Christ invites us to partake in it; ”…whoever drinks of this [well] water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:13-14).

A Timeless Memorial Day Message

The quote was penned 30 years ago, but is as relevant today as it was then, and has been since our country’s independence.

At The Watering Hole

I’ve been keeping the “natural” birdbath (aka, pothole in the driveway) filled with water for the past few weeks, and have found it to be a pretty good bird-magnet for evening photo-opportunities. Admittedly, the backdrop isn’t very scenic, but the late-day sun hits it perfectly.  Here are a few of the visitors to drop by recently.

Northern Flicker (red-shafted)

Pair of Mourning Doves

Chipping Sparrow

Lark Sparrow

Mountain Bluebird

Red Crossbill

Muley Doe

Okay, so the last one wasn’t a bird. Normally we have a lot of Mule Deer hanging around our place, but with all the spring grass and the does getting close to giving birth, they will be a less common sight for a couple months. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, during our early years here I thought that the only wildlife we had here were the deer, and sure didn’t think we had much of a variety of birds. Sorting through my image files last weekend, I tallied up 61 different birds that I’ve photographed in the Bull Mountains, 28 of which were taken in the immediate vicinity of the 20-Acre Wood.

I continue to be amazed at all the birds I never saw, until I started looking for them. There is no question that they were here; I never noticed them until I sought them. We tend to have that happen to us in many aspects of our lives. We may take certain things or people for granted, knowing they are there, but not really thinking about how important and impactful they are to our lives. Similarly, we may simply be oblivious to things around us due to ignorance or indifference. Oftentimes we are guilty of taking God, the Creator of this amazing planet, for granted or we don’t know or care about Him at all. This is really a shame, because God and salvation through His son, Jesus Christ, is easy to find, but we have to seek Him.  He makes His presence known and He wants a relationship with each of us, but if we don’t seek Him out, we may never find Him. A couple Scriptures bear this out in very simple language; “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6) and  ”Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matt 7:7).

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• Wednesday at the Watering Hole (wildbirdsunlimited.typepad.com)

What happened to Decoration Day?

When I was very young, I remember families making an annual trek to the local cemetery to decorate the graves of relatives and friends who passed away while in the service of their country.  It was always a solemn occasion, accompanied by heartfelt emotion, remembrance and prayer.  This event dates back to the years following the Civil War, when women’s groups from the south began decorating the graves of fallen Confederate soldiers.  By proclamation of General John Logan,commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, the first Memorial Day was observed at Arlington National Cemetery on May 30, 1868, to honor both Union and Confederate soldiers who died during the war.  The annual observance was to occur on May 30th of each year.

In their infinite wisdom, the US Congress passed the National Holiday Act of 1971, which changed the date of observance to the “last Monday of May,” thus creating a three-day weekend.  Since the passage of that congressional act, celebrations, parades, and the graveside traditions of the day have all but disappeared.  Although the entire day is considered a holiday, officially this has been reduced to a National Moment of Remembrance, per resolution passed in 2000.  The resolution basically asks all Americans “to voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment [defined in the resolution as one minute] of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to Taps.”  In its 2002 Memorial Day Address, the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) stated, “Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day.  No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public’s nonchalant observance of Memorial Day.”  And I agree.

So, here we are one week away from this national holiday.  I challenge you to find a meaningful way to honor and respect those who have fallen in service to our country.  These men and women sacrificed everything for us, can’t we give back a little time to remember them and what they did?

^“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

The Catbird Seat

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “sitting in the catbird seat.”  Some readers may know what it means, but I would suspect that many don’t quite understand it, and even more don’t know how it originated.  As with many sayings that have been around for many years, the precise origin is subject to debate.  Author James Thurber is probably most responsible for making the phrase popular in the American lexicon, following his short humorous story, The Catbird Seat, published in The New Yorker in 1942.  A character in the story explains, ”sitting in the catbird seat” means sitting pretty, like a batter with three balls and no strikes on him.  Because of my level of interest in it’s origin, I’ve invested a diminutive amount of time researching the topic, and have determined that it is highly likely that both Thurber and baseball broadcaster, Red Barber popularized the phrase, while it was probably coined in the 19th century.  In any event, you now know as much as I do about this topic.

Why a catbird was chosen as the seat descriptor, I am not sure.  But I did find a pair Gray Catbirds last week at Riverside Park, along the Yellowstone River in Billings, MT.   These birds are a type of Mockingbird that is commonly found in all but five or six states in the continental U.S.  Unlike many other birds, the Gray Catbird is able to recognize it’s own eggs, making them less likely to care for the eggs of brood parasites, like the Brown-headed Cowbird.  One commonality with the Thurber phrase is that a group of catbirds is collectively referred to as a “seat” of catbirds.  How that is an enviable position, I don’t understand!

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It sounds to me like the catbird seat is akin to being in a place of comfort, peace and joy.  While there is no Biblical reference to this phrase, I think Jesus Christ invites us into the catbird seat, as written in the Gospel of Matthew, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matt 11:28-30).

Biblical commentator, Matthew Henry (1662-1714), expanded upon these Scriptures:

Christ invites all to come to Him for rest to their souls. He alone gives this invitation; men come to Him, when, feeling their guilt and misery, and believing His love and power to help, they seek Him in fervent prayer. Thus it is the duty and interest of weary and heavy-laden sinners, to come to Jesus Christ. This is the gospel call; Whoever will, let him come. All who thus come will receive rest as Christ’s gift, and obtain peace and comfort in their hearts. But in coming to Him they must take His yoke, and submit to His authority. They must learn of Him all things, as to their comfort and obedience. He accepts the willing servant, however imperfect the services. Here we may find rest for our souls, and here only. Nor need we fear his yoke. His commandments are holy, just, and good. It requires self-denial, and exposes to difficulties, but this is abundantly repaid, even in this world, by inward peace and joy. It is a yoke that is lined with love.

Are you in the ultimate catbird seat?

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Colors of Spring

Over the past couple weeks, the Arrowleaf Balsamroot bloomed across the hills on the 20-Acre Wood.  This is generally one of the first wildflowers to blossom here, and it always brightens up the scene through the woods.  Evidently the Cheyenne Indians boiled the plant and drank the resulting “tea” to help alleviate stomach pains and headaches.  They also made flour from the seeds and ate the root of this plant.  We haven’t yet put this plant on our menu, but it might be interesting to try it to cure a headache sometime.

Backlit Arrowleaf Balsamroot (spring 2011 photo)

As we were getting ready for church last Sunday morning, I spotted a Glover’s Silkmoth perched on the tire of our car.  This is only the second time I’ve seen one in the last eight years, so I put him in a temporary detention cell to photograph later in the day.  The adult only lives for a short time, as it is not able to eat, so I took a few pictures and then turned it loose to complete it’s life-work.  The images don’t do a very good job of communicating the size of this moth, but they are typically very large.  This fellow/lady was about 4 inches across, from wingtip to wingtip, although it wasn’t very cooperative when I asked for it to display full plumage!

Glover’s Silkmoth 1

Glover’s Silkmoth 2

Glover’s Silkmoth 3

The entire purpose and goal in life for the adult Glover’s Silkmoth is both simple and focused – to mate and lay eggs.  A single job to accomplish, in a very narrow sliver of time.  And to help keep on the task, the moth doesn’t need to waste time eating or anything else.  With purpose and direction, the duty is diligently executed.  For people, it isn’t quite that simple.  We have a lot of distractions in our lives, and often struggle to find purpose and direction.  Let me share a short anecdote along this line of thought:

When he was 88 years old, the late Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes once found himself on a train.

When the conductor came by, Justice Holmes couldn’t find his ticket, and he seemed terribly upset. He searched all his pockets and fumbled through his wallet without success.

The conductor was sympathetic. He said, “Don’t worry, Mr. Holmes, the Pennsylvania Railroad will be happy to trust you. After you reach your destination you’ll probably find the ticket and you can just mail it to us.”

But the conductor’s kindness failed to put Mr. Holmes at ease. Still very much upset, he said, “My dear man, my problem is not ‘Where is my ticket?’ The problem is, ‘Where am I going?’ ”

This story may evoke some empathy for the state of an elderly man, and it probably elicits a bit of a chuckle at his response to the conductor.  But at the end of the day, the predicament Mr. Holmes was in is a question that we often ask ourselves.  Where are you going?  By that, I mean to ask if you know what your purpose here on earth is.  If you think you know what your life goal is, and how you are going to get there, what is the basis and value of that plan?  Are the benefits of attaining your stated purpose temporal and/or for personal gain, or is it a lasting investment with an eternal context?

From a Biblical context, our purpose seems nearly as narrowly focused as the silkmoth’s; we are to honor God.  Granted, honoring God is a simple statement that can be defined in a number of ways, but specifically we are to love and obey Him.  One of the key ways we show our love for Him is to love those He created.  Numerous times, and in numerous ways, He tells us to “love your neighbor as yourself.”  This is something I thought I was doing (most of the time), until I dug into the topic a little more.  In the recesses of my mind I probably already knew this, but simply tolerating or humoring people is not the same as showing God’s love to them!  To share His love, we need to serve the needs of our neighbors.  At times this may require offering something material or tangible, but it may also require time, attention, listening or comforting.  Jesus Christ showed us how this looks in application, as there were times He fed people who were hungry, healed those who were sick, taught people yearning to learn, and comforted the lonely and outcast.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:19-21).

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The Right Perspective

This post marks the end of our southwest US journey, and I felt a lively, colorful finale was in order.  All the images in this post were taken at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix; a wonderful, peaceful spot in the midst of a behemothic metropolis.  Alesia and I enjoyed the better part of a day exploring the various desert habitats throughout the garden, and taking an extraordinary number of photographs along the way.  Many of the cactus begin blooming in April, and we were there on the early side of this annual cycle.  Admittedly, I was concentrating more on shooting birds and critters, but I did capture a few flowers and some other colorful subjects to share.

The bloom of the Argentine Giant cactus. This flower was about 7 inches across.

A couple Zebra Longwing seemingly mid-conversation

One of these is not like the others!

Spicebush Swallowtail just showing off

Do you feel cross-eyed when you look at this Julia butterfly?

I was concentrating on the still Zebra Longwing, but thought the intrusion looked good!

A macro view of the activity inside this cactus blossom

Two in bloom, and two more in waiting

If you want to see more photos from this region, my April 2011 trip was featured in the Rejoicing Desert gallery and  The Desert Shall Rejoice and Blossom.  I have come to truly appreciate the desert southwest, an area that I had always thought to be hot, dry and barren – but now I have a different perspective.  This year’s trip was much more enjoyable, because I was accompanied by my sweetheart of 25-plus years.  Seeing exciting and amazing things is so much more fulfilling when you have someone to share it with, and I am thankful that Alesia has come along with me all these years to share so many sights and events.  And I pray that she will be along for the ride for at least as many more.  We don’t get away together very often, largely because we enjoy and appreciate the 20-Acre Wood, where we live.  But it was nice to have four days alone-together with no critters to feed, no work to do, and no agenda to meet.  I found a short story that does a nice job of summing up what I think this trip did for me…

A landscape artist does not always stand at an arm’s length from his canvas. He must not limit his attention to the isolated details of what he is doing. Occasionally he steps back to view his work from a distance. He needs to see how his thousands of small brushstrokes fit together to produce an overall result.

Likewise, our perspective on life is much improved if sometime we can step back and see it whole. We can become so occupied with its daily brushstrokes that we have no real perception of the whole scene we are painting on the canvas of the ongoing years. Our attentions can be so consumed by the requirements of daily living that we have little awareness of the dimensions and directions of life itself.

Step back from the canvas a little, and try to see the picture whole. Look beyond the varied episodes of our daily doings and see the glory of it all. Look beyond the brushstrokes to see the art which the brushstrokes have made—and are making.

“But we all . . . beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18).

Listen to the Clouds; Bryce Canyon

It is about time to bring our southwest trip to a close. Beginning in Phoenix (Arizona Birding), we made our way to the Grand Canyon (Who Stole the Grand Canyon), then Zion National Park (Shroud over Zion), and finally arrived at Bryce Canyon National Park. Except for gale-force winds, we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day to welcome us to this geological wonderland! Some fresh snow from the previous night lingered, while the clouds were working their way in an easterly direction. The biting wind-chill kept many of the tourists at bay, so those of us that braved the day were rewarded with a peaceful visit. As astounding as the hoodoos, cliffs and weathered mountainsides were, the cloud formations were amazing, and really enhanced the breathtaking landscapes. Unfortunately the images posted below don’t do justice to the scenes, but if you haven’t yet visited Bryce Canyon, they might at least give you some encouragement to make it a destination on your bucket list. All of the images will open to a larger format if you click on them.

The first four images are the result of High Dynamic Range (HDR) composites, which I often utilize for scenes with a lot of contrast. In many ways, HDR helps photos look more like what our eyes see, which a single photographic exposure cannot create. However, this same technique can also be used to add some artistic flair, which you may particularly notice in the second image.

It’s All About The Clouds; looking east from the northern edge of Bryce Canyon National Park

Stylized HDR Rendition of Bryce Canyon National Park

2-shot HDR Rendering of Bryce Canyon National Park

3-shot HDR Rendering of Bryce Canyon National Park

Bristlecone Loop at Bryce Canyon National Park

Windowsill at Bryce Canyon National Park

Weathering Cliffs of Bryce Canyon National Park

A Fortress on the Cliff at Bryce Canyon National Park

Reflecting Sun on the Hoodoos at Bryce Canyon National Park

8-frame Panorama of Bryce Canyon National Park

As mentioned previously, the clouds from the departing storm system really made this an awesome time to visit Bryce Canyon. Because we see clouds so often, we may take them for granted most of the time. If we do actually think about them, oftentimes our thoughts will relate to impending weather. I’d like to propose that clouds can, and should, take on a more profound meaning, serving as a call to action and a reminder of a promise made. Clouds are mentioned numerous times throughout the Bible, sometimes literally and other-times metaphorically. Three of these instances I’d like to briefly call to mind.

In the Gospel of Mark, after ministering to the multitude for several days, Jesus spends a little quiet time high on a mountain with Peter, James and John. For a short while Jesus is joined by Moses and Elijah, prompting some intrepidation on the part of the disciples, when; And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” (Mark 9:7). God used a cloud as a vehicle to get the attention of the believers, so they would focus, listen and hear the words of Christ.

Let’s jump ahead a little to the Book of Acts. Just to set the stage, Christ had already been crucified, risen from the dead, and was wrapping up forty days of ministering about things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Jesus shares some important final words with the Apostles, “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight” (Acts 1:9). Again, a cloud was used as an apparent door through which Christ entered as He ascended to Heaven to join the Father.

Finally, consider what we should expect upon Christ’s return to earth, as He promised to do. “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thes 4:16-17). This isn’t going to be a quiet affair! Indeed, I think it is going to be a grand reunion, of sorts, where all those who have trusted in Christ Jesus will be joined together with Him. And where is the reception hall? It is in the clouds! And from that point on, we will be with the Lord always!

Putting these three sets of Scripture together, we can see the clouds as 1) a reminder to focus on Him and abide by His instruction for our lives, 2) a doorway to Heaven which Christ used when He departed, and 3) that same door is where we will enter into eternal communion with Him upon Christ’s final return. So, the next time you see some clouds and think it might rain, perhaps you’ll consider some other things that those clouds might portend!

Tenants, Drifters and Freeloaders

I was able to stay close to home most of the last week, and the nice weather and longer days allowed me to get in a little evening photography just for fun and practice.  I’ve been honing my bird deception tricks (see Hide ‘n Seek), using a small, portable set of speakers for my iPad to play bird calls.  I took them out for a test drive on Wednesday, and was really tickled by how well it worked.  If you’ve ever seen the Hitchcock movie, The Birds, you will have an idea of how well it worked with the Chickadees and Nuthatches!  For awhile they were truly swarming around me, and landing within inches of my position.  The Ravens and Flickers responded, but still kept a fair amount of distance from me.  Until Thursday night, the temperature had been getting into the low-80′s during the days, and the ground was drying up.  In order to keep the birds from scattering too far, I artificially maintained a mud puddle in our driveway-this also proved successful!  Since Thursday, we’ve had steady rain with some intermittent snow, so I won’t be adding water to the potholes in the lane again for awhile!  So, here are some of the visitors and residents at  The 20-Acre Wood during the past week: [As usual, clicking on the images will display larger images, which you can then scroll through.]

The Grounds-keeping crew: The Mule Deer know we hate mowing the lawn, so we had 13 of them contracted to do the job!

White-breasted Nuthatches are tree creepers, and are rarely seen on the ground. Evidently the mud puddle was too enticing for this guy to resist!

A more traditional pose and habitat for the White-breasted Nuthatch.

A typical pose from this Red-breasted Nuthatch.

A Red-breasted Nuthatch trying to figure out where my bird call originates.

Even the Mountain Bluebirds took a turn at the mud puddle.

Meet Tobi, the caprine matriarch of The 20-Acre Wood

The “kids” enjoying some playtime during the nice weather.

Thus says the Lord of hosts…’I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are on the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and have given it to whom it seemed proper to Me.’ Jeremiah 27:5

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• Nuthatches in the woods – where else!! (sherstonwildlife.wordpress.com)

Shroud over Zion

After being snowed-out at the Grand Canyon earlier this month (Who Stole the Grand Canyon), Alesia and I worked our way northward to Zion National Park.  To some degree, the weather was improved, but low clouds lingered, limiting our view of the higher elevation peaks and rock formations.  Still, we spent a few hours at the park, taking in what scenery was not obscured, and enjoying a day when the weather kept visitation minimal.  (Mouse-over the slideshow below to access controls.)

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My daughter and I had a brief visit at Zion National Park in February, which was documented in Zion: Stone for a Foundation.  You may want to visit that post to see some images from the western side of the park.

When first seen, the massive and spectacular rock formations at Zion National Park appear impregnable, but they are constantly weathering away by the forces of wind, water and temperature.  The image of Checkerboard Mesa shows obvious horizontal fissures caused by scouring wind, and vertical grooves etched by water flowing down the mountain.  A similar metaphor in the Book of Job is used to describe God’s rebuking power against our sinful lives.  When we live our lives apart from His will, in His anger He can wear us down.  It is because of His love for us that He does these things.  His purpose is to get us to a point of submission and obedience, that we may learn to walk in His righteousness, not that of our own.  And when we finally get to that point, then we can look forward to sharing in the other Zion, the kingdom of God.

But as a mountain falls and crumbles away,
And as a rock is moved from its place;
As water wears away stones,
And as torrents wash away the soil of the earth;
So You destroy the hope of man.  (Job 14:18-19)

Related articles

• Zion! (gospelapprentice.com)
• Farewell Sand; Hello Snow! (bigskyken.wordpress.com)
• Some things just don’t fit! (bigskyken.wordpress.com)

Me? A Nominee?

It seems that His Creation has been nominated for the Reader Appreciation Award.  This nomination came from Karen at  Wyoming Life, a spot where she discusses the botany and culture of one of the wildest states in the U.S.A.  I encourage you to check out her blog, and appreciate the subtle beauty of nature she presents.

Two rules that nominees of this award need to follow are; 1) link the award image back to the nominator site, and 2) nominate six other blogs for this award.  With the image linked back to Karen, I have the privilege of making the following nominations (in random order):

lilies, sparrows and grass:  The messages and prose that Dee offers are often poignant, compelling and timeless, and always worth reading!

Thoughts from the Porch:  I feel like I’ve known April for years, but I’ve only been following her blog for a few months.  She has a unique way of weaving everyday life with antidotes for Spiritual well-being.

Bay Photos by Donna:  Donna has a backyard that would make any photographer jealous!  While she focuses on following the local osprey, she also shares with us a variety of other wildlife from the Chesapeake Bay area.

Walk Good:  Josh is a Christian minister and counselor who talks with you, not at or over you!  I find his messages pertinent and applicable to enhancing a daily walk with Christ.

5 G’s and a Cup of Joe:  God, Guns, Grub, Ground and Gold, pretty much sums up what Vernon (aka Regular Joe) tends to discuss.  Some might consider Regular Joe to be right-leaning, but as a fellow Montanan, I’d say he’s centrist!

Going Dutch:  What does a girl from the Philippines do when she marries a man from Holland and then lives there?  Well, Malou takes in all the sights of the countryside, sharing images of vast fields of brilliant flowers, castles, cultural snapshots and some cuisine.  Touring through her blog is almost like taking a European vacation!

Congratulations to the new nominees!

Arizona Birding

If you’ve been following this blog, you already know that we encountered some wintry conditions on our trip through the southwest.  However, we did have some nice weather in the Phoenix area for a couple days before heading into the weather.  I spent a few hours at the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch in Gilbert, and the following day Alesia joined me for a day at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix.  As was the case last year, both locations were teeming with wildlife, particularly of the avian variety.  I had a couple birds on my wishlist, wanting to get better images than I made the previous year; Northern Cardinals and Phainopepla were at the top of my list.

Click on the thumbnails below for larger images:

Green Heron at the Riparian Preserve

Northern Mockingbird at the Riparian Preserve

Female Phainopepla at the Desert Botanical Garden

Pair of Curve-billed Thrashers

Abert’s Towhee at the Riparian Preserve

Black-necked Stilt at the Riparian Preserve

Gila Woodpecker at the Riparian Preserve

Northern Cardinal at the Desert Botanical Garden

Inca Dove at the Riparian Preserve

Greater Roadrunner at the Desert Botanical Garden

Gambel’s Quail at the Desert Botanical Garden

Lesser Goldfinch at the Desert Botanical Garden

I hope you enjoy the awesome beauty of these wonderful works of the Lord’s creative power.  You can see some of last years pictures in The Rejoicing Desert gallery or at The Desert Shall Rejoice and Blossom, from May 2011.

Related articles

• Arizona Wildflower Update 4/11/12 (naturalhistorywanderings.com)
• Serenaded by a Northern Cardinal (maggiephotgraphy.wordpress.com)

Just Kiddin’

It is that time of year again here at the 20-Acre Wood.  Kidding season is always accompanied by a lot of activity, as we welcome the new crop of goat kids to the world.  Only six does to kid this year, and we are halfway done.  [Edit: Actually we are kidding 8 does and have 5 yet to go!]  I say “we,” but it is actually Alesia and Leah doing the work…I get to take pictures!  Thought I’d share a few shots from the past couple days.

Leah with Duchess and her kids at 1 week of age

Duchess' kids a few days later, after dehorning

Happy Birthday Annie!

Only minutes old, and Annabelle is getting her first licking!

Just in case you’re wondering why we have goats, I thought I’d answer that question.  The base breed we have is Toggenburg, which is a dairy breed.  So Alesia milks them and she and Lauren drink the milk, but they also do a lot of cooking and baking with it and make cheese.  Alesia also makes goat milk soap, which she markets on her website, Hearts Toward Him.  But really, they just provide a whole bunch of entertainment!

“Know well the condition of your flocks, And pay attention to your herds,…And there will be goat’s milk enough for your food, And for the food of your household, And sustenance for your maidens.” Proverbs 27:23, 27