Warm Glow from the Past

Our weather took another weird twist.  If you’re my friend on Facebook you saw my videos.  The storm rose quickly with wind screaming like a banshee

.  I think I’ll never get used to how storms like this can rise out of the blue without any warning from our weather service at all.  This storm had it all:  wind, snow, sleet, hail, thunder and lightning

.  It makes me think all the more fondly of the weather when we viewed the elephants in Thailand.  Usually the weather there was not cold though in my travels to visit the refugee camps on the border with Burma it could be cool at night.  This is mean grinning and bearing it while I pose with some tribal shirt…I don’t think anyone would want to seem me dance anytime soon.  Going on elephant treks could be a real adventure.  My first 3 day trek took me and some other Europeans to a village where you could buy some things made locally.  I have ridden on the head of elephants trying to move them right or left by tickling their ear with either my right or left foot…I don’t think I’ll ever been even half as proficient as these local handlers.  Both Thailand and the Philippines have such wonderful flowers just growing right there…here are some bird of paradise in bloom.  Often times I have been asked to be involved with christening ceremonies…this is one such occasion in the Philippines.  I loved being involved with young people in youth groups.  This was an outing to visit the Philippine Eagle compound.  Some people stand out more than others from my travels.  Almost always our drivers are fondly remembered.  This young man in India was a very good friend to me…he had a very funny sense of humor.  This is a view from the road not far from where I lived in India in the then named city of Madras, note the local dialect on the wall there.  For a few Rupees I was able to get close to these animals then is probably safe…I actually touched this rhino…he felt like concrete!  This is mean (please excuse the outfit )in the city of either Bangalore or Mysore, India…the weather was really amazing after the heat of Madras.  Visiting the city of Cochin…now Cochi if I remember rightly, I was able to visit some of the most gorgeous beaches I’ve ever seen…sadly I was  very ill at the time.  I spent many days in this little church with Pastor Samuel that I stayed with…my Mom was there at this time along with some other missionaries.  This lighthouse was found off a beautiful beach in Cochin…the view still stirs me to this day.  These young men were friends to me…I poured everything I had into them during the days I stayed there…I miss them very much to this day.  Last is a picture that still gets to me.  Remember what I said about drivers?  This is Ado…when I first met him he had malaria so bad he could hardly get around but he spoke to me and we became friends…we all really loved him.  I always wanted to introduce my family to him but by the time I returned I learned he had died in a terrible accident.  Cherish what you’ve got, love it while you can because you never know if things will be the same tomorrow.