raccoon woods

mark was busy on sunday getting our new barn site ready for the concrete. the kids and i brought some sandwiches out to him for a picnic. the weather was much warmer than i expected, so shedding our sweatshirts, we set off to explore the autumn woods.

hmmmm, a hole in this old tree....

and look who S found looking back at him! sorry to have disturbed your sleep!

photo by S, nice job!

these are interesting fungi,

little puff balls that send spores into the air when you give them a poke.

beautiful lichen on decaying branches

my two hikers

everyday gift: surprises along the nature trail

harvest

our farmer neighbors are bringing in the corn harvest. we have had a summer with an abundance of rain and the corn grew well. it is now dried out and ready for the harvest.

sun rising on a harvest day

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we are surrounded by fields and they mark off the seasons in such a profound way. watching the seasons pass on those farm fields is one of the things i love about living in the country. through out the winter the fields will be desolate and barren, with cold snowy winds making drifts across the open space. spring will bring a flurry of activity with plowing and planting. and then summertime we wait and watch the black tilled dirt sprout green, first just a tinge of color, and then seemingly overnight, the fields are overtaken with growth. now it is fall and the cold nights have brought the growth to a halt. the plants have done their job and their fruit is ready to be brought in. each season follows the other in perfect order.
*
and so do our lives have seasons. seasons of cold and loneliness, of new hope and budding faith, of growth and flourishing activity, and of fruitfulness. which season am i in? what lessons or work does God have for me in this particular season of my life? i pray that i would be sensitive to those seasons

"For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will complete." Deuteronomy 16:15b

ancient fence line of petrified posts and rusty barbed wire,
marks off country borders



"A man reaps what he sows.
The one who sows to please his sinful nature,
from that nature will reap destruction;
the one who sows to please the Spirit,
from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
Let us not become weary in doing good,
for at the proper time we will reap

a harvest if we do not give up.
Therefore, as we have opportunity,

let us do good to all people,
especially to those who belong to the family of believers."
Galatians 6:7b-10

everyday gift: the season of harvest

B's garter snake

after a few very chilly days and nights we had a beautiful few days this week! the sun shone and the temperatures were in the low 70's. that brought an unexpected visitor to our driveway, sunning himself on the warm cement. i walked right past him, but B spotted him! that sort of changed the direction of our school day, but i know it is probably the last critter we will catch until spring, so spelling, latin, and handwriting can wait!

we just love anna botsford comstock's Handbook of Nature Study. it is full of information and great ideas to help children learn the fine art of observation. B drew a very nice sketch of her snake after studying him closely.

i would also like to mention that a nice short biography of anna botsford comstock is found in the book Girls Who Looked Under Rocks. if you enjoy her nature handbook you will enjoy learning more about the author!

"During the warm days of Indian Summer, these winter hermits crawl out in the middle of the day and sun themselves, retiring again to their hermitages when the air grows chilly toward night; and when the cold weather arrives, they go to sleep and do not awaken until the first warm days of spring" ~Handbook of Nature Study

critter observation tank

everyday gift: unexpected visitors

at the foot of the cross

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

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In his great mercy he has given us new birth

into a living hope

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

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and into an inheritance

that can never perish, spoil or fade -

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kept in heaven for you,

who through faith are shielded by God's power

until the coming of the salvation

that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

*

In this you greatly rejoice,

though now for a little while

you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trial.

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These have come so that your faith-

of greater worth than gold,

which perishes even though refined by fire-

may be proved genuine and may result in

praise, glory and honor

when Jesus Christ is revealed.

*

Though you have not seen him,

you love him;

and even though you do not see him now,

you believe in him

and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

for you are receiving the goal of your faith,

the salvation of your souls.

*

I Peter 1:3-9*

*Scripture reading from anita's funeral service.

everyday gift: living hope

anita

about 2 1/2 years ago, a sweet friend from church was out with her 6 month old baby and 2 year old. the weather was cold and wet and she slipped, it seemed, and fell onto the wet floor of the gas station. she couldn't get up and help was called. what the tests and scans revealed was a fractured vertebrae, not from the fall, rather the fracture caused the fall. further more, the fracture was caused by a tumor. thus began the battle of her life that showed the world the heart of a true saint.

early in her illness, after back surgery to shore up and brace her vertebrae, she was unable to lift her baby in and out of her crib. help was rallied. i was one who had an assigned afternoon to come into their home and help with the baby and household chores. so i had the privilege of visiting with anita and loving on her girls for a time. she was so open about her fears of leaving her babies too soon. but her faith was a rock, believing that God had a plan and that he would provide for all of their needs. she knew God could and would heal her if that was His will. she must have sat down to write her 'thank you' notes the moment my car left their driveway because the very next day it would arrive in the mail, full of encouragement, gratitude, and blessing. and i found that although i was serving her, it turned out that i was the one who was blessed each time. and despite her own health challenges, she kept busy ministering to others every chance she got by helping in sunday school, serving in the nursery, organizing and speaking at our churches MOPS group, singing a sweet duet with her emily at a mother daughter banquet, bringing a covered dish to a funeral luncheon, and with anyone who would marvel at her attitude during her trials she would share her faith and the hope that only God can give.

from an earthly perspective we say that she "lost the battle with cancer" but from a spiritual perspective i'd say she has won. she has won hearts to the Lord; inspired and strengthened the faith of countless people who have brushed shoulders with her; she has challenged doctors and nurses and caregivers with her unwavering courage and faith; and amazed all with the miracles that indeed happened along the way during her treatment. she has won the crown of life that God has promised to those that love Him and have persevered under trial (james 1:12).

we fervently prayed that she would be healed on this earth, but God chose to heal her in heaven.

this afternoon i will go to anita's visitation and tomorrow the funeral. i will not say "good bye" but rather "see you later" to my friend. i am certain that i am better for having known her. will you join me in praying for brian, her husband and the rest of her grieving family?

everyday gift: the privilege of having known anita, a faithful servant of Jesus.

a book treasure

several weeks ago i found an old book about a raccoon called Masked Prowler at a library book sale. i stop in regularly looking for good books and sometimes i am rewarded by finding an out-of-print book or a hard cover edition of a favorite author. in this case, it was a vintage book with nice illustrations about nature. upon closer examination i noticed the authors: john and jean george. could that be the same jean george as in jean craighead george, the newbery award winner and author of such titles as My Side of the Mountain and Julie of the Wolves? i did some checking on line and found it was indeed the same author and this was one of her earlier books! i also found that there were actually more titles in the series American Woodland Tales. others in the series include a story about a fox and mink. oh, how i wished i had the book about the fox. we are studying canines in B's science book, and i would love to have this as a go-along book. i checked the online auctions and found only paperback editions. and of course, i wouldn't settle for that. (i know i'm quirky, but i like my book sets to match!)



so you can image my delight last week when i returned to that book sale and found this:

Vulpes: The Red Fox

it is an ex-library book, but it is in very good condition.

the illustrations are beautiful pen and ink drawings by jean george. the reader is taken along the trails of the red fox with such detailed and accurate descriptions of the woodland forest, its flora, fauna, and seasons. it was fun to see B recognize the wild flowers mentioned in the story as we were reminded of our own springtime hike. i love 'living books' that inspire beautiful imagery, curiosity, learning, and imagination!

.

"May came to the Maryland woods and opened the purple blossoms of the pawpaw. the May-apples bloomed under their green umbrellas, and the Jack-in-the-pulpits stood straight and tall in their green parishes. The floor of the woods was splashed with spring flowers and the warblers flew in from the South. Some stayed to nest, others paused briefly during the day, then resumed their flight northward with the setting of the sun."

i recommend this book with a small warning to those with sensitive children. it is very realistic in describing the food chain and the conflict between human hunters and the animals. it might be disturbing to some tender hearts. B was concerned, but commanded that i read on!

everyday gift: discovering an unexpected treasure on a dusty book sale shelf

applesauce

would ya look at those keeper girls?! they are the best! they sure worked hard making and canning applesauce on saturday. a big BIG 'thank you' goes to mr. and mrs. w and sarah who planned, organized, and executed this ambitious project. we learned a lot about the importance and history of safe food preservation and about the process of canning. we also got to take home some yummy applesauce, some to eat and some to share with a shut-in or neighbor.

mrs. w shared her favorite combination of apples for the best sauce: a large portion of jonathon with smaller portions of macintosh, banana, and golden delicious. it is indeed a yummy combination.

peeling the apples

mrs. w stirring the apples

oh, yum!

mr. w and daughter sarah helping the keepers with applesauce

putting our hot cooked apples through the food mill

ladling the applesauce into the hot jars

everyday gift: working together in the kitchen