Dying Echoes

Sounds kind of scary doesn’t it?  Well, it’s not so scary…more mildly melancholy.  The sign that summer is really pretty much over is our fair .  This year it was really nice because we received free entry thanks to my Dad’s work place giving tickets away…it was a festive thing.  It was so nice having a little extra money in the fair.  Things are always expensive but this gave us some extra for rides and food.  Not having to wonder how we’d cough up tickets for rides was nice.  Stuff toys beckon…rides beg to be ridden and here Mike and Gabby oblige.  So much to doand so much to see.  Gabby was far more adventurous this year and joined her older brother and sister on Moby Dick.  Still the kid’s roller coaster remains one of her favorite.  She’s growing up now…I know, so I cherish these moments.  I don’t usually join the kids on these rides…though in Disneyland and world and Universal I sure did.  I like being thrilled by a ride…not getting sick.  How about a gunny sack and a big slide?  How about a catapult?  I like the vivid colors and tentseven if I don’t play the games myself.  Gabby loves the stuffed toys.  The petting zoo was fun too.  These miniature goats were hilarious!  Next we watched a  dog and pig race.  These seemed like such good old fashioned ways to enjoy our time.  We also got into the rodeo free which was a lot of fun.  We felt like these were our kind of people…down home down to earth people.  The clown was good but didn’t have to work too hard fortunately.  Plenty of other acts like these trained dogs who were all rescues.  This is classic rodeo stuff.  I’m glad for the kids to experience it.  They even had some amazing trained bulls.  Night was coming on nowand soon the rodeo finished upand we headed back to our carbut not before glancing back while eating our funnel cakes wondering if we’ll get to enjoy the fair next year.

Season of Harvest.

Some relish the crisp air, the change of colors on the leaves and are happy but me?  Well, I often look ahead to bitter cold, often enough snow to make going anywhere miserable…and cold, did I say cold?  I’m a solar powered person I don’t like short days either.  Judging my options here makes things clear:  enjoy the day or be depressed…I chose to enjoy the season…there’s fruit for each one really…spiritually for sure.  Our peppers are showing real progress again.  They don’t seem depressed at winter’s distant approach…these produce their own heat even if the days are cooling down.  There’s a lesson to be learned here.  Attitude from within can make what’s going on without a lot more tolerable.  The flowers aren’t any less bright today.  No, they are blessed for today…openly showing their joy.  The pods behind our fence insist on living day by day.  Thistles take it a step further…protecting their blooms with an ‘I dare you’ attitude.  I like what there is to learn out there.  The still small voice is speaking to anyone willing to listen.  Bloom today for tomorrow will take care of itself.

When the Storms Come

Here in Montana extremes in weather are the norm.  They roll in and out frequently with some being quite severe…even tornadic while others simply look amazing and do very little.  Usually our severe weather season is from the 2nd week of June through July.  This year we had some surprisingly strong storms in September.  They came and very quickly hit us hard then past off to the east.  The evening light made them particularly spectacular to witness.  The lightning was intense as was the wind, rain and hail.  Some places were hit quite hard but for us it was just an intense show.  Seeing the paper the next day cover what some endured let me know just how blessed we were.  Some really suffered while for us it was merely a passing thing.  Leaving in its sullen way off to the east to trouble someone else.  I stand humbled by God’s protection and faithfulness to us.  Remember the storms of life that pass you byare often the destruction of other people.  Thank God for grace!