Monday Shot

I was afraid people wouldn't believe how many Gold Finches we have had and even now at the end of June we still have them. Pictures prove you are telling the truth. I have twice seen a Red Shouldered Hawk on top of our bird feeder. When he comes there are no other birds in sight the squirrels disappear and he sits majestically surveying the area. As soon as he senses movement from me he is gone so I haven't been able to photograph him.

This past week while nursing my strained back in my back chair and heating pad my wife who was home sick with a sore throat and fever, came in and said, "Your hawk is here!" Once again he saw us and was gone before we could confirm with a photo. But I now have confirmation of his presence.

Monday Shot

Dena bragged so much on these flowers that I was requested to post them that all she had crowed to could see them. I also intermixed some gold ones but they have not bloomed yet and show no signs of doing so soon.

Friday Wisdom

The fruits of LOVE are Health, Home and Happiness.

Wednesday Words

Some may not find the following story pleasant or funny but it illustrates how the mind works when you are in a place where the daily activities and contacts one has are not present. It takes place while I was stationed at Quang Tri Airbase just south of the DMZ in VietNam. It is one of the ways we entertained ourselves when there wasn't much to entertain you.

When we were lucky enough to receive a new replacement in our squadron we would immediately invite them to the club to get to know every one. We would sit at a table three or four with the new guy and introduce ourselves and learn to know about the new friend. On this occasion I was the one to the right of the subject (a position I always tried to get) as you became the initiator of the initiation. After a few moments of conversation I would go to the bar and buy one of those beef jerky sticks. Returning to the table I put the whole thing in my mouth and began to chew.

After about a minute of chewing in which those at the table began to talk about the importance of sharing and caring for our comrades in arms. At which time I would take the jerky from my mouth and pass it to my right. This was continued till we reached the new guy, usually he had already left but if he had not and accepted the now tasteless mass he was greeted with whoops and hand shakes of approval. Sadly the chew many times was returned to its original owner.

Monday's Shot

Snake Fall on the island of Maui in the Rain Forest.

Friday Words

John 16:1-4

I have told you all this

so that your faith may not be shaken.

They will expel you from the synagogues

and indeed the hour is coming

when anyone who kills you will think he is doing a holy duty for God.

They will do these things

because they have never known either the Father or myself.

But I have told you all this

so that when the time for it comes

you will remember that I told you.

Wednesday Words

A beautiful sight on the island of Hawaii. This magnificent work of God has existed for centuries and God will sustain it for as long as He wills.

I wonder what our president and congress can do to assure that God does not allow it to fail. Can we protect ourselves from the Will of the Creator God? I humbly don't think so, no more than we can protect ourselves from those who have lost or never had a trust in Him.

Like most who have been in the presence of death and its possibilities I hve been assured by the presence of God and have been assured that His Will is what will be done. He has told me in His Word "He knew me since I was in my mothers womb" and "He knows the number of hairs on my head" for those who know me the latter may not seem to be that great an accomplishment, but I believe He didn't count them He put them there!

To those who came before us and forged our history the words "In God we trust" were not catch a phrase but a way of life. They can rewrite our history and make it politically correct but they cannot change the truth, that God's Will not man's molded history and holds the future.

Monday,s Shot

San Diego skyline from the balcony of our cabin on the Osterdam,

always been one of my favorite cities even if I did get a fourteen week education at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot. HOO-YAH!

A Growing Violet: Best Shot Monday

A Growing Violet: Best Shot Monday

We have one who is still making daily visits, a little late for him to stay in the area but I hope he decides to stay with us.
Dad

46 Years and Counting

Sunday, June 7 will mark Dena and my forty-sixth Wedding Anniversary. What a life we have had together and the memories are to many to recall but let me share a couple that came to mind over coffee this morning.

Shortly after we had met working at the HEB Grocery in Bay City, Texas. I was the Night Manager and she was a new girl from Flour Bluff who was a part time checker. While walking into the store for work one day unknown to me she was driving away in her old Dodge. She was so wrapped up in watching the love of her life walk by she ran her car into a light pole in the parking lot. Of course I didn't learn of this until after we were married.

Now let me tell one on me. We were stationed in Hawaii and were attending the Marine Corps Ball. While eating the Prime Rib Dinner I busied myself dressing up my baked potato. I like to put everything available on my spud; salt, pepper, lots of butter, green onions, bacon bits and lots of sour cream (its a virtual spud sundae). After taking my first bite I could hardly swallow it. I leaned over a told Dena my potato was spoiled. She asked what I had put on it and I recounted the above. She informed me there was no sour cream that I had loaded my potato with horseradish.

Thanks Dena for all the years and memories I will Cherish them and you for the rest of my days.