Echoes from the Hills

Back to the workshop

2012-01-11T17:41:00.000-08:00

Friday, I went to cut up a rather large tree on a local golf course and ended up having a rather frustrating afternoon. The truck and trailer were loaded so I went slower than normal causing a car lineup behind me. I pulled over at a gas station to let them by and as I pulled out, the truck bumped a pothole. At this moment, I heard a pop just behind the cab. I didn't think anything of it at the time until I looked in the mirror and noticed that the trailer was lower to the ground than normal. I feared the worst. Upon arriving home, my fears came to reality. The frame of the truck was bent just behind the cab. When I had repaired the frame before, I noticed it was rusting from the inside out, which Toyotas are notorious for. The continued rusting caused a weak spot, which broke at the bottom of the frame tube. After realizing that I must unhook the trailer before I could get a proper assessment, I pulled out the trusty Hi-Lift jack and began to raise the bumper of the truck while it was still loaded. As the back of the truck inched up, I noticed that the frame was straightening back out. I decided to use this to my advantage and once the trailer was unhooked, I used a highly sophisticated technique to re-align the rear part of the frame tube. I await the time to work on the frame, but for now the results will hold.

More will be sure to come.

2011-12-11T18:47:00.000-08:00

Owning a home of our own has been a rewarding, but somewhat expensive endeavor. My wife and I have done everything from paint to dig around the footer to install a perimeter drain to fix a septic problem. Our newest addition, though, is a wood burning stove. We decided to install this as a backup heat in case we have the rough winter that the old timers have been saying we are do and also to help offset the cost of heating with electric. Being that our 5.5 acres is mostly wooded combined with friends giving us firewood, the fuel cost will be low...aside from the labor of splitting the wood...which will provide an opportunity to "get in shape". We've had our first fire, which provided a pleasant atmosphere for an evening...aside from the need to "cure" the new paint, which produced a noxious odor and smoke. Thankfully, we had fired the stove for the first time earlier in the day so it wasn't so bad by evening when we ate steaks and drank a Guinness in the flickering light of the burning fire.

Hopefully we are now prepared for the winter months and will have many opportunities to have family and friends sitting around the hearth sharing in the warmth of good companionship.

2011-10-16T16:43:00.000-07:00

This weekend, June 15th, 2011, twenty of the Deacon Candidates were installed as Acolytes at the Cathedral. This is the last rite before ordination to the Diaconate. It is very humbling to take such a yoke yet we know that Christ gives strength for the tasks he calls us to!

2011-07-31T16:37:00.000-07:00

Saturday, we spent the day with some friends canoeing a river north of us and returned home late later in the night. The next morning, while we were getting ready for Church, I heard a knock on the door. It was our neighbor who asked me if I wanted to see a picture of our visitor from Saturday. She handed me a print out and I saw the black "shadow" at the corner of our house. We had a black bear walk through the yard and up next to our house around noon the day we were gone. Others had seen one in the area and we now know it has ventured onto our property.
Now I guess we can say we are in the wild.

2011-05-21T18:02:00.000-07:00

My wife and I are now homeowners. After several years of searching we found a little place out in the country with a little over 5 wooded acres. It is somewhat frightening yet exciting as we plan our dreams. However, we must wait a little less than a month before we can move in and then the fun begins.

Will the fittest survive?

2011-05-04T17:05:00.000-07:00

I have been watching the economic and world events while listening to some talk radio show hosts. Needless to say, throw the last ingredient in and I get hopelessly depressed. However, sometimes things make just too much sense. As I ponder on what I see and hear, I prepare myself mentally for the possibility of different scenarios. One such scenario is a social meltdown where modern conveniences such as grocery stores, electricity, and running water is scarce to non-existent. Sure, there are those that laugh and ridicule, but personally I don't like the idea of being caught unprepared not only for my own well being, but for those around me.

Since moving to Kentucky, my love of the "great outdoors" has been given opportunities to grow and flourish. With the available acreage of forests around the places that I have lived, I have been able to pursue the development of the basics of several different wilderness skills, some of which my father had begun to teach me when I would listen. These range from hunting and tracking to identifying edible plants to basic building skills. Regretfully, far too often I have been distracted from the wilds of the forest and the wisdom that is held within the walls of the trees and rocks.

For some time I have been wondering if I should share by small knowledge with others who would listen. I have even spoken with my spiritual directer on occasion to determine how to be most responsible with this knowledge. With the advent of a recent situation of having the privilege of teaching two volunteers I work with about some edible plants, I decided that it would be beneficial to share a little with the broader world.

There are several disclaimers that I must state before proceeding, however.

First, it must be said to ALWAYS respect the natural world and its resources. When harvesting, never horde the resources by taking too much for oneself. To do so will not only cause others to not have their needs met, but will eventually diminish and terminate all sources. Realize that to gorge one's self today means to die tomorrow.

Secondly, be cautious of amounts of anything consumed. Some things within the forest are safe to be eaten in moderation, but in abundance would have disastrous effects. With this, some things may be toxic if eaten green, but will be safe if the state is altered by boiling and/or cooking. I will be listing a few common "weeds" that are fairly safe and abundant. However, BEFORE undertaking this knowledge DO YOUR RESEARCH! The plants and techniques I will list have been researched and proven, but play it safe.

Thirdly, While species preservation is a goal, the most useful knowledge is how to keep a "level head". While one may have sufficient "textbook" knowledge, once the pressures of hunger begin to arise the mind can begin to cause much fear. Fear is the forerunner of death. Often times a factor that produces fear is the desire for conveniences and comfort that one knew before being in a "survival" situation. Fasting is a productive way of preparation. If the body and mind are used to being deprived of comforts on a regular basis, then it would not be overloaded when a "real" situation arises. With fasting must come prayer because it is inseparable from humility and humility is an acknowledgement of dependance upon the One with whom is the interaction in prayer.

Fourthly and not in the least, even though people may survive and come to know better times, we all die eventually. Some do not like to face it nor even talk about it, but it is a fact that cannot be avoided. Desperation for survival can lead one to hysteria and will bring the end even quicker. Having peace with the thought of death sets the proper disposition, however, to face death, one must have no fear of what is beyond. This absence of fear comes from knowing when one is released from the bounds of the flesh, the spirit will travel toward its source with no hindrance or shame. Preparation for that should come in times where one is able to do so: as in now. "Today is the day of salvation".

Now for the basics:
Know that there is nothing in the forest that tastes like pizza, or vanilla ice cream, or mom's spaghetti. Some raw greens at best are less bitter. The best options as far as taste are the fruits such as blackberries, but they are not as abundant and more often than not one would have to contend with the birds that also like them.
Also, avoid gathering plants from roadways and other areas where there is potential for pollution. Hunger may become the least of the worries if this is not avoided.
The plants I am listing are abundant in wastes such as excavated land and yards. Most regrow fairly quickly.

Plantain: high in vitamins. Can also be made into a poultice to put on minor wounds.

Narrow Leaf Plantain:

Clover: Both red and white are edible and nutritious.

Creeping sorrel: taste of green apples. Careful with this one as it is known to inhibit calcium absorption. Also known as Sweet Clover.

Polk: MUST be cooked first. Raw greens are toxic. I wouldn't eat the berries.

Wild onion: not as large as its domestic counterpart

Mullien: Another plant that is controversial over toxicity. Small doses made into a tea is good for colds.

Gathering water:
FIRST! Water is precious to all life. Keeping this in mind, it is possible to draw water from plants, but REMEMBER that the plant life needs it as well. In order to extract water from plant life, it will kill the plant. Kill too many and not only will the plants become extinct, so will all else that needs the water!
To extract the water, place plants in a clear plastic bag and leave out in the sun. Be very careful of which plants used. Poison Ivy is a good example of one that should be left alone.

These only scratch the surface of the basics. There are many other essentials such as sanitation and shelter that is readily available on the web and in books.

Some will call me paranoid. I prefer to call myself prepared. It is important to remember not to just do this for self preservation for what good is it if the community does not survive? Weaker members of the community such as the elderly and the sick may be reliant upon such knowledge.

Remember that hope is to never be forsaken.

Every man's castle

2011-04-17T06:01:00.000-07:00

say

There have been several events going on in the past few weeks. The housing crew has been working with the Child Development Center to build an adventure room for the after school program. This began when one of my co-workers came to me with an idea of building a "cave" in the corner of one of the rooms for the children to be able to sit in and on and read. He showed me his design on paper and we spoke about it in length. After realizing that there would not be a very good chance of it coming out looking much like a cave we let our minds wander elsewhere. The change went from a cave to a castle. The idea was to build a square form, but then we got the bright idea to make it round. I must admit, I was ready for the challenge.

I have found that in my carpentry vocation, I enjoy building for the joy of shapes.

We had a few very hefty pallets donated to us that I decided to reclaim the lumber from for the main structure. These were constructed of 2x10's and 4x4 posts which made for a very stout castle structure. The 4x4's were used for the floor joists on the upper level and the 2x10's became the flooring. Quarter inch luan was used to bend around the structure to accomplish the quarter circle shape.

After researching castle tower windows, we came up with the idea to cut cross shaped arrow slots into the walls to add character to it. Eventually, the after school program staff will paint the castle.

Of all the things we have built, I must say that this was the most fun!

But alas, some dream castles have dungeons once one looks into them....
My wife and I have been pursuing a little house out in the country. It started with having to wait to see if an offer that was submitted first would fall through giving us an opportunity at it, which it did. This was great news to us. We began getting a move on securing the financing and proper inspections. I went out Friday with a home inspector to get an official report. As we went around the house we eventually came across what I had already seen before, but put us on the dark stairway down to the depths of the prisons. The homeowners had run there showers and washing machine on separate lines from the rest of the home, which emptied into the septic system. The showers emptied over the side of the hill, which could be fixed by installing a greywater bed. Not extremely easy or cheap, but fixable none the less. The problem that we encountered was not the greywater lines, but a spot about midways down one of them. There was black "sludge" on the surface of the ground that had a sewage smell. I and the inspector were not certain if it was because one of the greywater lines had a break in it or if it was sewer problems. After running the shower it was connected to and seeing no increase of water on the ground, we concluded that it was blackwater from the septic tank. After going out the next day with a septic tank installer our dreams began to stink like what we smelled around the yard. We ran a probe, a piece of rebar with a handle welded to it, down into the ground and found that a few feet below the spot where the sewage was surfacing there was bedrock less than a foot down. Bad news when there has to be around four feet of earth for the septic system leach lines to work properly and very bad news for the possibility of fixing it.

Now what? The septic installer recommended calling the health inspector, which I was trying to do, but they have just a few hours in the office in the morning. We will have to go back to the sellers with a change in the offer if the health inspector's new confirm or make it worse.

However, this whole experience, outside of the physical condition of what we found about the house, has been a learning and positive experience. We have met some very quality people along the way that hopefully will not fade into the masses.

We have also been learning a further lesson about trusting God and making sure the castles of our lives are built solidly on our faith in Christ Jesus. It must have proper footing and a solid structure to withstand the years of weathering for sure, but as we keep Lent in mind we must also keep all of the "unclean things", attitudes and actions, in out lives properly under control so they do not leach out on the surface and further cause unhealthy situation for us and others. There must be frequent examination of our daily life accompanied with the study of God's Word to know the standards by which we are to live. Regular confession keeps the sludge from building up, which eventually will overflow in forms such as bad attitudes and careless words.

Above all, we must remember that castles and houses are made of wood and stone that is not respected by time or the natural mechanisms of Creation. And we, too, are only temporary...fading into the past as our flesh ages and weakens. We must put our hope in the Eternal and submit our will to how we were meant to be, thus becoming children of a loving and eternal Father God.

...and as St. Thomas Aquinas, the great theologian once said, "All I have written is all straw!" meaning that even our greatest accomplishments pale in comparison to how God will reveal himself in eternity.

3rd Sunday of Lent

2011-03-26T17:31:00.000-07:00

1st reading: Exodus 17:3-7
2nd reading: Romans 5:1-2, 5-8
Gospel: John 4: 5-42

In the first reading, we hear of one account of the Israelites as they are on the journey from Egypt, where they were slaves, to the Promised Land in which God was delivering them. The Israelites were thirsting so they grumbled against Moses asking "Why did you ever make us leave Egypt? Was it just to have us die here of thirst with our children and our livestock?" Moses then went to God with this complaint and God said to strike the rock with his staff and water will flow from it. Thus God provided for the people.

The second reading we hear of the great promise of God to those who have faith in Christ Jesus: "Now that we have been justified by faith, we are at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have gained access by faith to the grace in which we now stand, and we boast of our hope in the glory of God" The Apostle Paul proclaims that through Jesus, we have been given the gift of the love of God and we must have faith. This love of God is so great "that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!" We were not cast off because of our sins, but rather God saw in us something of value worth saving.

The Gospel gives us the account of Jesus meeting the woman at the well and how he begins by asking her for water. Little did she realize that this request would change her life. She has appeared at the well at a time of day that historically most people would not go to draw water. Jesus tells her that he gives living water to those that seek him. Misunderstanding, she thinks that he is referring to the water that she was accustomed to that keeps her coming back to the well time and again" "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I give him will never be thirsty: no the water I give shall become a fountain within him, leaping up to provide eternal life." After the woman's request for this water, he confronts her to "go, call your husband", but we find that she is living with a man who is not her husband after having five previous ones. Seeing that she is now cornered, she realizes he is a prophet so she brings up the division between where she and her people worship and where the Jews say to worship. Jesus tells her that "an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem...yet an hour is coming, and is already here, when authentic worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth." The woman then says she knows there is a Messiah who will come and "tell us everything". Jesus replied to her, "I who speak to you am he." She leaves her water jar, goes into the town, and proclaims Jesus to the residents. After an exchange about food, Jesus exclaims "Open your eyes and see! The fields are shining for harvest! The reaper already collects his wages and gathers a yield for eternal life, that the sower and the reaper may rejoice together." After coming out and seeing him, the townspeople come to believe also.

The first reading tells us of the grumbling and lack of faith of the Israelites. God has delivered them from slavery and possibly worse. However, they accused Moses of taking them out to die of thirst in the wilderness. Moses then takes the complaint to God who in return declares "I will be standing there in front of you on the rock of Horeb" and commands Moses to strike the rock. God was with the people, but they allowed their lack of faith to hide this from themselves. There was no gratitude and amazement for the wonders that God had done beforehand to bring them out of slavery. In a sense, they were still in slavery.
The Apostle Paul tells us of the grace that has come through Christ "while we were still sinners"...while we were grumbling in the desert because of the slavery of our hearts. Through this, God shows his love for us in that he still provides our needs even though we do not acknowledge it. This provision is Jesus! The woman at the well found that it is he who will set her free from the heartless "religion" that produced no change in her life. Her trips to the well at noon were to hide her sinful state from others, which in turn allowed her to continue in it, but enter the Prophet, the Savior. Jesus confronts her and his words convict her so she turns to the heart of the problem: how she worships. So far, she had not worshiped knowing the fullness of God's love, but Jesus now comes to her and reveals to her that he is what she has thirsted for all along. She leaves her old way of pointless worship, her bucket, after finding Jesus and proclaims him to the rest of her people.
Jesus is the water that we thirst for. He is always with us and we can trust in his faithfulness. He gives life to the way we are to worship and through this we can experience the the signs of grace of God that come through Christ.

"It is precisely in this that God proves his love for us: that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!"

2011-02-13T14:32:00.000-08:00

This weekend, the twenty men who have been journeying together in Deacon Formation have come to a stepping stone in our journey. We were installed as "Stable Readers" by the Bishop. This is the second of three steps before ordination. The first being acceptance into Candidacy to be ordained, then installation as Reader (or Lector), then installation as Acolyte...and if God so wills, Ordination. At first, this may not seem a great deal. However, now part of our identity is one who proclaims the Scripture readings and reads the prayers at Mass. Generally, the Lector, or Reader, is an extra-ordinary minister. With no disrespect intended, this means that they are filling this position unless one who has been assigned this responsibility by the Church is present to fulfill this part of the Liturgy.

This is a very humbling mark as we are to submit ourselves to the study of the Scriptures and to the Faith more deeply to instruct others in the good news of Salvation.

In a few months, if so deemed, we will be installed as Acolytes to serve more fully at the Altar to assist in the consecration and distribution of Holy Communion. Finally, if God wills, those in the Deacon Formation will be ordained in late Spring of 2012.

2010-12-04T10:10:00.000-08:00

It's a week late, but I just thought I'd post some tempting photos from Thanksgiving in the South with my family.

2010-11-11T02:29:00.000-08:00

My urge for travels lead me to return to South Carolina for the weekend on a solo journey. As I made my plan for the route, I planned to continue my "detours" through the Smoky Mountains and intersect the Blue Ridge Parkway at Cherokee, NC which I will then take east to the interstate to head south.

I was uncertain if the mountain pass would even be open, but took a chance as coursed through Knoxville and set my face to Townsend where I would intersect the road leading across the north side of the Smokies. Delightfully, I found the gate open so I turned the little car toward my desired goal. The road was not as traveled this time of year as earlier and I would guess that the colder temperatures and the few trees having yet to shed their remaining red, yellow, and brown leaves are not enough to draw the typical crowds...but my heart found a solace in the lonely road.

The sound of the hum of the engine and the crackle of the leaves as they passed under the care lulled me into a state of semi-enchantment where my mind would wonder with my eyes through the forest exploring every nook and and hollow they they could acquire from within a moving vehicle.

The road leads along the Little River as it passes through Tennessee towards the adjoining stretch that heads south toward Cherokee, NC. This river is pleasant to view no matter what the water level as I daydream of the fun it would be to paddle it punching through wave trains and boofing over ledges. On one spot along the river the forest service has developed an overlook to view what is known as "the sinks". I have read the writeup on a whitewater paddling page that I often visit about this rapid and it matches the danger sign posted at the overlook. Even this, though, peaks my interest.

After resting for a time, I continued on the way stopping in Gatlinburg at the NOC Outpost for my usual break and to see if any gear was on an absolutely irresistible sale...which it wasn't and I expected it...so I continued back onto the woodland road.

I passed a lighted highway sign stating that the road to Clingman's Dome was closed due to snow and this brought some great excitement. As I ascended the mountain, the tree line changed from the trees with the dangling colored leaves to a heavier concentration of evergreens. As I neared the peak and came into a clearing it caught my eye: the white topped trees. They were only dusted, but it was a pleasant site to see none the less. After another stop to exit the car and intake the chilled air, I continued on down the curvy mountain pass.

The Blue Ridge Parkway was not by any means heavily traveled on this day and it was very much to my liking. It's not that I did not want other people around, but the solitude provides a respite from interruptions of others and a time to reflect on the condition of the soul. Needless to say, there were many places to stop and view the beauty around me. About thirty miles outside of Asheville, the Parkway was closed so I took a detour through Brevard and Hendersonville to get back onto the interstate heading into South Carolina. This took me past a site that I had longed to return to again. My parents had taken us to Sliding Rock and Looking Glass Falls as children, but those days were nearly faded. The Sliding Rock area was closed for the season, but I was given the opportunity to stop at the Falls just before a couple of vans filled with people pulled up.

Until I arrived in the small town in which lie my destination, the road was all high speed interstate traffic. Once inside the town, I made a stop to visit the cemetery where my father's body is buried. As usual, it was very still and peaceful, which provided a very ample place to meditate on life and how one is to assimilate into the Divine plan now and beyond "the grave". The Autumn leaves and the slight chill in the air called me to meditate on the coming winter and the dieing of all things. I had arrived there late in the evening so the setting sun spoke a reminder that night is approaching when all things that we are able to see will fade and all that will stand is faith in the God who is beyond the darkness and brings the morning. Before leaving, I walked around the familiar family grave-sites to take in the signs of the ages that have passed and to let my curious imagination wonder who the people were and who gathered to mourn the loss of their loved ones as a body was laid into the ground to return to the earth from whence it came and the soul lived on to come before its Source.

The time with my family was very fulfilling and left me longing to stay longer. I enjoyed the opportunity to share several meals with my mother, which of course included fried fish and the tasty sweets of cookies & cream ice cream and homemade pound cake. It was good to be around the house, to wander in the yard with my mother picking up pecans, and seeing my brother and sister and most of their families. Leaving there only left me with a want to return.

The travel back to the hills of Kentucky was nearly as pleasant as the time going down. As night fell over I-40, it even had somewhat of a "lonely road" feeling even amidst the other travelers. This allowed for reflection over what I had experienced the few previous days and to feel the longing for all my loved ones.

2010-10-24T14:16:00.000-07:00

Today, my wife and I decided to wander down to a place called Bee Rock to immerse
ourselves into the forest for a while.
She decided to sit on a rock by the river and read while I took the mountain bike on a trail that I have been growing fond of.
I had been on the main section of this trail several times either hiking or mountain biking, but Friday, I decided to try another section on foot. It was a delight as I looked forward to barreling down this new found section on the bike. As I walked it for the first time, I descended into a ravine with rock walls standing high to my left. As I walked, I came across a rock formation that made me scratch my head. It was a large boulder topped with trees sitting on top of a smaller rock formation. How did this happen? The road ran beside it, but I could not see how someone would have cut rock out and left this. Either way, it was very pleasing to my eyes to see.

So the day came for me to "test" the new section out. After attending Mass in which we were honored to have our Bishop preside over, we ate a little at a reception, loaded the bike in the truck and headed west.

I was a mess, to say the least. I had eaten a piece of cake after Mass and that was wreaking havoc on my energy levels and decision making. Within the first 100 yards of the trail I had fallen several times on small spots that I easily rolled over in the past. About half way around the loop I was riding my course veered left and went up a gravel road...entirely up. However, this worked the sugar out of my system and I began to function "normally". Then came what I was looking forward to: the downhill. It started gradually and I turned onto the new found #529. At first, I was raked by pines and holly branches with the occasional brier, but that's all part of the fun. The trail snaked left and right as it presented water diversions, an occasional log, and a small rock bridge before coming to a small wooden bridge that emptied onto a wider forest road and making a hard left to continue downhill.

As I proceeded to maneuver the trail, I came upon two other mountain bikers climbing the hill so I pulled off to the side as they apologized for being in the way. I said "no problem" but was thinking that I was the one zipping down the hill while they were struggling up it. They have no reason to apologize! After they passed, I continued my zip until about 200 yards past that spot I ran into an eroded trench, but was traveling too quickly to pull out before seeing my bike seem to reverse direction and finding myself airborne as I watched the earth grow larger and larger before me. The earth was hard and cold upon my impact and I felt the bike behind me falling down upon my back. After I gained my senses I got up and felt a dull ache in the right side of my chest. Apparently, I collided with something protruding from the ground. But again, it's all part of the fun...right?

The good part about my fall is that it reminded me to take a picture of the boulder "mushroom" as it happened just a little ways from it. After a couple of quick snapshots, I was off again. Mounds, rocks, logs, and steps all found me using them for an opportunity to become detached form the earth and defy gravity if only for a matter of seconds.

Upon returning to the parking lot where I was supposed to meet my wife, I noticed I still had 4s minutes to meet her and that was about the time it took me to ride the trail. So after venturing a little ways down the trail to unsuccessfully search for my wife on her rock I decided to make the loop again...but this time I had processed the debilitating sugar, had been charged by the rush of a downhill, and was being "hopped up" by the adrenaline pumping into my body as a result of the increasing pain of my impact...I just couldn't stop now! And with every brier slap on my arms the adrenaline increased. Needless to say the ride went much faster, especially the 20+ MPH downhill that had previously left me sprawled on the ground realizing I should not have taken that path.

Once I returned to the parking lot for the second time, I realized my wife was still not there even though I had arrived almost on the minute that we agreed upon...but that was ok. She was near the river in the order of Creation and that was what mattered. My only qualm was that I didn't know if I had the time for a third round.

Adrenaline...what is it that makes it so addicting? It seems that the closer I and so many others come in contact with danger or being hurt or even dying, the more the rush makes us long for more. The irony is that even though there is not the factor of speed or danger, stillness at times produces the same effect. To be in a shrub or against a tree while an animal or person wanders close by unaware of any other presence leaves the same longing for more. And to go even further, to sit in the darkness of night after a long fast with a small fire listening for the Still, Small voice whispering the will that brings about order in our lives creates a longing that leaves one almost frantically seeking more. What is it? Why does intensity produce such feelings?

I'll write that one down with the rest of my questions I want to ask the Creator.

2010-10-01T23:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday started deer hunting season for me. I had been looking forward to this day for quite some time now and it finally arrived. I arose from sleep at my usual time and after morning prayer, a small breakfast, and gathering my gear I was off before sunrise.

The morning air was refreshing and the silence of the surrounding forest was calming. The moon was bright enough for me to see with little use of my flashlight so I walked down the old forest road fairly easily. I had failed to scout the area beforehand due to time constraints so I was "going blind". However, I had been to this area before and was familiar with where to go.

The area had been logged some years back so there was thick undergrowth on both sides of the road. After a few hundred yards, I turned off the old road and walked down a steep decent to get down to the bottom to a creek. At this point the flashlight was necessary as being raked with briers is not all that tantalizing.

As I walked slowly along, I could hear the forest gradually waking up. I came to the bottom and chose my path which lead me off of the old road and down a small embankment. I was now between the creek and the road in a stretch with little underbrush which made the passage easier to walk and avoid the "alarms" of the forest.

Once the sun was shining enough to see fairly well I stopped to examine one of the many fungi growing in this area. As in earlier posts, these are little delights for me to feed my visual senses. As I knelt beside the little creation I stood the crossbow I was carrying with the stock on the ground and the rails pointing straight up, which allowed me to fold my arms across the limbs and lean on it. At this point I realized that it was the perfect height for a prayer kneeler so I decided to spend a few moments there before moving on.

When I decided to resume my course, I leveled my gaze on the forest in front of me and sighted something that made my heart increase its rhythm: the sought after scrapings from a buck. There were two small trees about three feet apart that had both had their bark stripped off about a foot up and the leaves had been stirred up at the base of them. By the color of the disturbed soil, I saw that this had been done only hours before I arrived there, but was most likely before sundown the evening before. I was too late to spy this one. However, I continued my course through the wood and noticed that this was a young buck who was accompanied by a doe. Even though I would greatly appreciate coming upon the two, I knew that unless I wanted to spend the rest of the day and night pursuing them, this would not happen.

Further into the forest, I had the opportunity to walk along a trail that I has seen before which paralleled a larger creek than what I had been following before. I paused for a while on a rock in the creek at a crossing to eat a snack and regroup and read a little from a book I had brought. If it hasn't been apparent before now, one can rest assured that a large part of the motivation for me being out in the forest this day wasn't totally about hunting. The noise of trains, auto traffic, and barking dogs began to take its toll on my nerves so this was a much needed retreat from the city.

My stop was about mid-morning and as I sat there with book in hand I noticed the words I read begin to sound like the were being read in a cave in my consciousness and my vision began to blur and dim. At this point I realized I was falling asleep, which prompted me to get moving again. This time, though, it was the direction back. I knew that unless I could catch the mid-day movement of the deer my day would be halted by a nap nestled against a tree somewhere...which would not have been a disappointment.

I retraced my steps now more content with examining the plant life and the various boulders on the hillside. I stopped once again to eat lunch and to read from the Gospel of John concerning the trial and crucifixion of our Lord. After being fed I sat in the stillness for a while until I found my head nodding again. I paused in one other place and was delighted to see the bright red comb of a pileated woodpecker zig-zagging back and forth on a tree as it searched for its afternoon meal. I supposed he had more success than I did for the day.

On the way home, I noticed my ankles beginning to itch increasingly. At one point it crossed my mind that I had picked up some chiggers along the way as the walk out was warm in the sun and I had passed though some grass on the old logging road. However, to my displeasure upon arriving home and examining my skin, I saw scores of little black dots. Deer ticks! Immediately I stripped down to remove the chance of any more that was on my clothing getting to my skin. I quickly found myself at this point realizing I had to get the clothes out of the house. For a brief moment I found myself standing on the back porch in my undies hanging the pants and shirt out on the clothesline. I guess if someone wanted a good laugh that would have been the time.

I think it safe to assume that I removed at least a hundred deer ticks from my body over the next few hours with most of these parasites being barely large enough to see. Also, this blog entry has come after another examination in which I found two more crawling on me. MAke that at least 102...at 3 a.m.

Jesus didn't know himself?

2010-08-07T09:54:00.000-07:00

Various teachers and preachers have been making a comment that has made me shiver all the way up my spine. This comment is that Jesus did not know his divinity until later in life. The Scripture that is primarily used is the account of the Canaanite woman who begs him to cast out a demon from her daughter. The account goes as such:

Matthew 15
22 And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came
and called out, "Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My
daughter is tormented by a demon."
23 But he did not say a word in answer to her. His
disciples came and asked him, "Send her away, for she keeps
calling out after us."
24 He said in reply, "I was sent only to the lost
sheep of the house of Israel
25 But the woman came and did him homage, saying,
"Lord, help me."26 He said in reply, "It is not right to take the foodof the children and throw it to the dogs."
27 She said, "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the
scraps that fall from the table of their masters."
28 Then Jesus said to her in reply, "O woman, great is
your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her
daughter was healed from that hour.

In this passage, what is used is that it seems that Jesus is calling the woman a dog, thus acting totally on his human nature. While this is somewhat understandable from a point of view that isolates this passage from the rest of Scripture and also wants to make Jesus more "approachable", I beg to differ.

All throughout the Scriptures we are constantly told to seek the kingdom of God. We are told of parables where a man finds a treasure in a field, sells everything and buys the field just to get the treasure (Matt 13:44); and a man who finds a great pearl and does the same (Matt 13:45-46); we are told of forsaking our very own life to seek God's kingdom (Mark 8:34); and seek the narrow gate (Matt7:13). What would these Scriptures have to do with the account of the Canaanite woman? Jesus is continuing his teaching of going beyond what we think we are capable of believing to establish an utter dependence on God.

The account of the Canaanite woman is a test for her to "prove" her faith. Jesus first said nothing to her and a "natural" human response may be to go away if the person we are talking to seems to ignore us, but she didn't. She then approached him and "did him homage" taking her faith a step further and putting it into action. Jesus then replies that "it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs." A second test. In other words he is searching to see how far she would go. Again, human nature would think that first if we were being ignored and now being called a dog, we should have nothing to do with this man...but she perseveres. She responds "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters." She continues to seek even though it would seem that she is being put off. Jesus then responds "O woman, great is your faith."

"Great is your faith"! This woman new that she had no other to turn to and that without Jesus there would be no hope and this was the attitude that Jesus was looking for.

Another account is similar to such a situation, but did not turn out as pleasant. This is an exchange between Jesus an a "rich official"

Luke 18
18 An official asked him this question, "Good teacher,
what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
19 Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? No one
is good but God alone.
20 You know the commandments, 'You shall not commit
adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall
not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother.'"
21 And he replied, "All of these I have observed from my
youth."
22 When Jesus heard this he said to him, "There is still
one thing left for you: sell all that you have and distribute
it to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven. Then
come, follow me."
23 But when he heard this he became quite sad, for he was
very rich.
24 Jesus looked at him (now sad) and said, "How hard it
is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!
For it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye
of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of
God."
26 Those who heard this said, "Then who can be saved?"
27 And he said, "What is impossible for human beings is
possible for God."

First, the man approaches Jesus with an apparent desire to have eternal life. Jesus responds "why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone." This is the first test where it would seem that he is rebuking the man, but he is asking the ruler if he believes what he is saying about Jesus. He then quotes the commandments to which the ruler states that he had observed them from his youth. The final test is Jesus telling the ruler to sell all he has, give to the poor, and follow him, but the ruler became disheartened. as far as we can tell, his attitude failed the test because he enjoyed possessions more so than his desire for eternal life through Christ Jesus.

In regards to these accounts, it is not clear that Jesus did not know his divine nature, but rather kept with the consistency of his teaching by pressing those coming to him further in their desire for him.

This is the same way he tests us and presses us to grow. We state we need him, but he wants us to act on it. After acting on it, he wants us to realize whether we love and need him more than our possessions, our reputation, more than our very selves.

So the question remains: is it that Jesus did not know himself or is it that Jesus wants us to know ourselves?

2010-07-27T16:50:00.000-07:00

Footage I took hanging the camera out of the door. I was just experimenting to see how the video turns out.

2010-07-26T19:26:00.000-07:00

My wife had gone away on a trip to see family in other states leaving me home to meander through every path I would choose. My decision for the final full weekend in July was to take a trip to South Carolina to visit my mother for a few days. As I prepared for my trip, I decided to take an alternate route which would lead me back through the northern edge of the Smoky Mountains Park. This was out of the way, but my heart was drawing me there. I planned on skirting the border of it and return to my usual route on the interstate system. But as I let these plans to lay before my hunger, I chose to make a further detour and, after nearing Gatlinburg...and stopping at the N.O.C. store, go south through the Smokeys to Cherokee, NC then proceed to the interstate by way of Waynesville.

The journey was pleasant even though there were many thoughts waging war in my mind to come to the surface and be heard. As I paralleled the Little River during the first half of the trip through the mountains, the molecular bonds of the waster molecules seemed to try to pull those thoughts from my mind with the oncoming rush of water and the towering cliffs stood high above me as if commanding rigidly that distractions that would lead me away from the grandeur of the creation were forbidden. As I motored along the road in my old truck, I finally let those parasites that drew the lifeblood from my sanity be purged and succumbed to the beckoning of the wild.

The road across the mountains was busy with tourists seeking to retreat from the heat and the hustle and bustle of what was "out there" beyond the stately walls of this blessed sanctuary. Many pull-offs were occupied with families picnicking and taking in the beauty around them. I stopped at a look-out at the top of the mountain before descending into the Cherokee valley to take some pictures, but it was was fairly crowded and at that moment in time I preferred to find the solitude of the environment around me...so I kept going.

As I neared the bottom, I decided to turn off into the Smokemont campground and eat lunch and to reminisce a little of a week not so long ago. As I sat by the creek, I remembered hiking with my wife up the trail that was cut beside it back to a back-country campsite and having lunch next to the very same creek that I was now sitting by, but just as the waters were not the same because of its flow time had moved on also. The stop was pleasant and much needed none the less.

As I resumed my southward journey I entered Cherokee, but changed my mind about the route so i turned the truck around and entered the Blue Ridge Parkway. The road climbed the mountains for about fifty miles before descending into Asheville. The journey was slow, but I did not mind as it posed a new experience of solitude. Even though there were others intermittently on this road, it was lonely. There was, however, something soothing about being on this lonely road in an old truck with the windows down and no need to rush anywhere.

Once in Asheville, there isn't much more to say about the trip except the temperature changed drastically at least three times from the time I left the Parkway to the time I arrived at my mother's house and each time it got hotter. Driving a truck with no air conditioning suddenly lost its allure.

Before finishing my travels at my mother's house, I stopped by the cemetery to visit the grave site where my father's remains lie. The grave yard was hot, but peaceful at the end of a little traveled road. The sun was nearing the time to set so the angle to the Earth was sharp. As I walked around the cemetery, I would notice the care taken in the family grave sites and how well it was manicured. At this place, there were several markers denoting confederate soldiers, which added to the sweetness of the history. After spending some time there, I departed to finish my trip.

Most of the weekend was spent inside due to the heat of the south, which I had long lost my tolerance for. My brother and his family came for a visit Saturday evening, which was very pleasant. We ate and enjoyed each others company.

Sunday, I began the day by attending Mass at the nearest Parish that I usually attend. On the grounds of this Parish, there is a small prayer garden dedicated to the deceased and the unborn. Within this garden are several statues with one of which I have always been very fond of. It is of the Blessed Virgin holding the Christ child with children of different nationalities around her. Time and weather has aged this statue, but it is still very appealing. It was nice to stand in meditation before this blessed image before Mass...which was in Spanish... I chose this Mass because it allowed me to attend and yet be able to worship with my mother where she attends.

One of the greatest blessing about the Roman Catholic Church is the consistent liturgy. Even though everything was in Spanish, with the exception of the homily which was translated into Spanish, I could still follow along and know what was going on because it is still the Mass with the same prayers. I have to confess, the music is a little tough as it changes from parish to parish. However, there is unity in worship from culture to culture and even from country to country..."be of like mind, having the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing"....Philippians 2:2

After spending the weekend with my mother, I returned home by nearly the same route. There was a stillness as I traveled back and pondered on the blessing of those whom I love and who love me. But I must confess, as I neared Kentucky, I fund it difficult to resist setting the heavy weight of the concerns of home on my shoulders...an event that through much prayer a remedy will come from the Lord. But until that is perfected, I shall look forward to returning to the forest.

2010-07-13T18:33:00.000-07:00

My wife and I spent Independence Day weekend and the following week at one of our favorite places: the Great Smokey Mountains. We returned to the Cherokee, NC area for a little relaxation, which included seeing family, hiking, and fueling my addiction to kayaking.

Friday we traveled down to North Carolina via a road that passes along the northern edge of the Park. This way travels alongside the Little River where we enjoyed the beauty of the valley, which included the different rock formations that broke up the river current. Our destination lay south as the road turns just below Gatlinburg, but I felt the necessity to stop at the new Nantahala Outdoor Center outpost in Gatlinburg and pick up a trail map so we would know the abundance of trails that we could choose from to fill our being with the delights of creation. The problem with this type of store is even though it may not have a very large selection, I could still spend a couple of hours just looking. And there also is the kayak section. Every time I have been there, I have to run my hand over the smooth bottom of a new kayak; a feeling that I had never known until stopping there for the first time. My boats have been used when I purchased them and I seem to insist on using rocks as ramps in the river so needless to say, the bottom of mine is far from smooth.

After I had my fix while my wife so patiently waited, we decided to move on to our first destination. This brought us to a few small cabins nestled on a hillside near Cherokee in which my sister and her family were staying for the week. The evening was filled with delightful company and the morning came quickly to lighten the way for us to the campground where we would set up our temporary residence. We had reserved a site at the earliest moment in the year. My wife would jest with me as I counted the days from our trip last year to the time I could reserve the site for this year.

After setting up camp, we visually took in our surroundings before preparing to attend Mass at the little parish in town. The majority of those who gather to worship there are tourists and this evening the crowd was small. The Sundays that we have been there revealed a larger attendance, which is most likely the proffered day and time for most people.

After returning to camp refreshed and our hearts fed, we were prepared to enjoy the week.

On Independence Day, we ventured into the wild of a trail that traveled upstream along a creek that flowed through the campground. Last year, the water level was high enough for me to "paddle" down it for a little ways...which included many moments of rubbing the bottom because of the shallowness of the creek. As we ventured up, my mind and heart wandered from the creek that I was scoping out to see whether I could paddle it after sufficient rainfall, to the beauty of the forest around me, to this day in U.S. history that we celebrate our independence, to those who have fought so bravely for our physical and spiritual freedom, to my family who I love so dearly, to the memories of my father whom I miss greatly, to a growing solemness in my heart that approached like the winds and shadows of an approaching rain. With every step my thoughts traveled further than I could do physically. I would stop and ponder the intricacies of my fungal favorites and I would feel the increase of the soft wind of this approaching storm that began to darken the sky of my heart. After a mile or so, there was a place on the creek that caught my attention so I added it to my wanderings. I stepped out on a rock that I realized was part of a much larger formation that extended downstream about twenty feet and upstream about the same as far as I could tell, but the biggest detail about this formation that captured my attention was that it was laying on its side. My mind tried to reconstruct what it was like thousands and possibly millions of years ago when it stood erect with the water flowing out of it in a brilliant cascade. But now, it lay on its side and the water had cut smooth channels into its gray composition. I was spellbound and the vision I was seeing partnered with the realization in my heart to hold me still at this place as the gentle rains of my emotional and spiritual storm began to fall and the meanderings of my heart saturated my mental pathways...

"When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and stars that you set in place--
What is man that you are mindful of him,
a mere mortal that you care for him?

Yet because we bear the image of our Creator, we are sustained by the gift of His Spirit in which we are given. This gift allows us to live up to the image in which we were made: the image of Love. The Theory of Natural Selection teaches the model that man is on the top of the evolutionary chain, but in reality it seems that physically, man is on the bottom. What places him above the animals is his ability to resemble the characteristics of the Supreme Orderer of the cosmos: to forgive and to have compassion.

Yet you have made him a little less than a god,
crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
put all things at his feet:
All sheep and oxen, even the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fish of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
O LORD, our Lord, how awesome is your name through all the earth!
- Psalm 8

After being drawn out of my meditations, we ventured further up the trail to take in the delights of the order around us.

Monday, found us on the Tuckasegee: a river that we have grown quite fond of. On this trip down the river, I took the opportunity to try to teach my wife to "surf" here kayak on the waves in the river. At one point, it was confirmed to her that water was truly wet as her boat overturned due to the situation that placed her sideways in the current. We returned to this river two other times in the week and once again, she had the opportunity to actualize the assumption that water was still wet as a rock tilted her boat causing her to overturn. We will be writing an explanation of our findings regarding the revelation of the wetness of water to be published in mass production later.

Twice in the week, I took a solo trip down a river that was recommended to me by numerous people: the Nantahala. It was cold, to say the least. The dam, which controls the release into this river is not far upstream, which makes the temperature around 50 degrees. The first trip prompted me to wear a wetsuit jacket on the second.

The day of our return to Kentucky finally arrived and we ventured home somewhat saddened, but refreshed.

Tips from cowboys

2010-06-29T19:04:00.000-07:00

A friend sent this practical advice to me in an email. I particularly like the last one.

~ Never squat with your spurs on!

~ Never kick a fresh cow chip on a hot day.

~ There's two theories to arguin' with a woman.... Neither one works.

~ Don't worry about bitin' off more than you can chew. Your mouth is probably a whole lot bigger than you think.

~ If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.

~ After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.

~ If you find yourself in a hole the first thing to do is stop diggin'.

~ Never smack a man who's chewin' tobacco.

~ It don't take a genius to spot a goat in a flock of sheep.

~ Never ask a barber if he thinks you need a haircut.

~ Good judgement comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgement.

~ Always drink upstream from the herd.

~ Never drop your gun to hug a grizzly.

~ If you're ridin' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there.

~ When you give a lesson in meanness to a critter or a person, don't be surprised if they learn their lesson.

~ When you're throwin' your weight around, be ready to have it thrown around by somebody else.

~ Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back.

~ Always take a good look at what you're about to eat.
It's not so important to know what it is, but it's critical to know what it was.

~ The quickest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it back in your pocket.

~ Never miss a good chance to shut up.

2010-06-25T15:31:00.000-07:00

My wife and I spent some time today at the lake near us so I decided beforehand to take the little camera we have that has a waterproof case to mess around with. My intent was for my wife to record me rolling my kayak for future instructional use, but the water was not clear enough to see clearly beyond about five feet or so at best. However, I took this opportunity to try to capture the images of some fish. It was difficult because not only was I unable to look at the viewing screen, I was unable to see the picture on it due to the water and light.

I did get a few fair pictures and a video of some little bluegill that were staying around our feet to eat things stirred up by our feet.

Tennessee

2010-06-20T14:51:00.000-07:00

This weekend we took another trip back to the Great Smoky Mountains and camped at one of our favorite sites in Tennessee. Friday, we arrived and set up a simple camp after which we took a small jaunt around the campground to take in the sights.

The campground has a self guided nature trail that allows one to explore the forest without the need of a ranger. We did not realize it was a self guided trail until we came across the numbers. Fortunately for us, we found out way out without the ranger.

Along the trail we came upon many of my all-time favorites: the fungi. There soft structures would stand out among the fauna of the forest.

The trail meandered through the forest and passed through what was once an old farm. The base of the old stone fireplace and rock walls that once surrounded the gardens were all that was left of the livelihood of those who settled there. I took a few moments to take in this scene and allow the mind and emotions to run free. These types of places have always been "sacred ground" to me, but in the last decade the sense of solemness has increased.
So many questions would reverberate within my mind..and heart: what were the people like who built such things? How did the family unit interact? Did they have neighbors and how much did they rely on each other? Were they God-fearing?

As I looked at the stones so meticulously stacked upon one another, I could almost see the rough hands placing them in position willing them to accomplish the task necessary for the survival of those that lived there. It began to produce a sort of longing and reverence. This was not only for the present moment and the information that may or may not be available to explain my questions, but a longing to know the people on a intimate level...to watch them go about their daily business and to talk with them about their joys and fears...to know who they are. This in turn produced a reverence not only for their life and hard work, but for their death and what in now left. Going deeper into this meditation produced a sorrow and a sense of futility that would totally consume me were it not for the Light shining through the shadows at that moment. This Light is Life of mankind: the Christ Jesus! In Him, we have not only the hope of the life beyond this, but hope in this life also. This life is not just a waste of a random compiling of time, space, and matter, but at the very least, a preparation for the next if not also an opportunity to see in the good glimpses of what is beyond the threshold of passing.

To stop at this point would be an injustice to that moment and especially this day...Father's day. To say my mind and heart did not then go to the memories of my father would be a total untruth. What spurred it was that my father would on occasion say that if he could choose any point in time that he wished, he would live when the settlers were moving westward across what is now the United States. He seemed to lean more toward the the "old west" lifestyle, but I can not help but think that he may would have liked to travel across the areas of Tennessee and Kentucky and settled in a place such as the one I was immersing in the waters of my contemplation. In those moments in the forest, I longed to be able to plan to call him on the telephone when I got back home and share with him the "discoveries" of that place or to try to take him there to experience it himself...but as my mind would quickly run to those hopes, there would be the blinding flash of reality. This reality not only contains the fact that it's not possible to plan such a thing, but also to want him there would be to have him in a place far more pale than what he experiences now. However...the longing to have just a few more moments in this life never seems to go away.

After leaving the shadows of the forest behind, we wandered around the campground top look for the best sites for future reference. As we walked along, we spied something in the road up ahead: a rattler was crossing very slowly. It had a wound on the underside in the middle and was inching slowly across the pavement. Its movement made me wonder if it had been run over by an automobile, but the driver did not stop to see it.

The next day found us back at Ramsey Cascades. The Forest Service had not reduced the accent of the trail not installed a bus service
in the year that had passed. I was disappointed, but kept a good attitude about it anyway even though I found it more appealing to whine about being tired and out of shape. If it weren't for my wife, I think I would have turned around all together within the first mile. But our perseverance was once again rewarded with the pleasantries of our hike.

On the way back down, we rounded a turn and was met by another hiker about to blow a whistle at the approaching bears...us. He relayed to us that he had seen a bear in the vicinity and was a little cautious...unlike myself who was taking every opportunity to bound back down the mountainside and use every log and boulder as a ramp. Later that night, we heard a ranger speak about bear safety and I broke all the rules except the ones concerning confrontation and that was only because I wasn't given the chance.

This morning began with Mass, which was then followed by the dreaded packing and departure. It always feels like we are leaving home. But instead of coming straight back to Kentucky, we took a detour through Gatlinburg and traveled over to Elkmont campground to see if there is a possibility of a future camping event there. To return home, we chose the route along the Little River to add to the scenery. A few times, I had difficulty staying on the road as I daydreamed about paddling the rapids of that river. Someday there may be an entry for that...

Alas, the weekend is ending and the thoughts of work at the necessary wight to bring me back down to the oncoming realities of the approaching days.

However, these realities include the plans to return to the wonders of the Great Smoky Mountains.

You're not a kid anymore when....

2010-06-16T18:34:00.000-07:00

1. You're asleep but others worry that you're dead.

2. Your back goes out more than you do.

3. You no longer laugh at Preparation H commercials.

4. The only reason you're awake at 4 a.m. is indigestion.

5. The pharmacy gives you a volume discount.

6. You are proud of your lawnmower.

7. 8 a.m. is your idea of "sleeping in."

8. People call you at 8 p.m. and ask: "Did I wake you?"

9. Your highschool diploma is the color of buttermilk.

10. Digestion is a consideration when reading a menu.

11. Nobody ever tells you to slow down.

12. You make everyone be quiet during weather bulletins.

13. You have a party and the neighbors don't even realize it.

14. You have to get a fire permit to light your birthday candles.

15. Someone breaks wind and you don't laugh.

16. You're always asked to say the blessing.

17. Soaking your feet in Epsom Salts is a heavenly experience.

18. Your ears are hairier than your head.

19. You've seen Halley's Comet...twice.

20. Your idea of the perfect nightcap is Metamucil.

2010-05-22T08:34:00.001-07:00

Two elderly gentlemen from a retirement center were sitting on a bench under a tree when one turns to the other and says: 'Slim, I'm 83 years old now and I'm just full of aches and pains. I know you're about my age. How do you feel?'

Slim says, 'I feel just like a newborn baby.'

'Really!? Like a newborn baby!?'

'Yep. No hair, no teeth, and I think I just wet my pants.'

2010-05-17T20:29:00.000-07:00

The "finished" bumper.

The Irony

2010-05-07T04:42:00.000-07:00

Two days ago, I experienced another lesson on practical application of irony on one's life.

In previous posts I have been recalling the accounts of my excursions in hunting turkey and both times I attested that I came back empty handed. I was getting a little disappointed, but deer hunting is more enjoyable to me so not harvesting a turkey was somewhat expected.

Two days ago, I was leaving work to come home. I was calm and enjoying the Spring drive through the roads of rural Kentucky and my disposition even lead me to drive at a pace that ranged from 35-45 mph so that I may enjoy the scenery a little more. About nine miles from the office my tranquility was interrupted by none other than a turkey bursting forth from the underbrush of the forest along the road, passing over the left-hand lane, and running in front of the truck I was driving. This was the second time that I realized that anti-lock brakes do not match the name in the fullest sense of the word. I tried my best to miss it, but the corner of the bumper on the passenger side collided with it causing a littering of feathers to pass over the truck. I pulled over and went back to see the turkey laying in the leaves in a flight position.

A combined investment over time of about $450 in hunting equipment, camo, and licensing fees and, this season, two enjoyable Saturdays out in the forest to no avail and I hit one with a truck on the way home from work! Oh, the irony!

2010-05-02T15:01:00.000-07:00

My wife and I took a trip back down to one of our favorite creeks. It has been raining for the past couple of days so I was interested in seeing Bark Camp Creek at higher water. Although it was not as high as I have seen it, it still was a sight to see. We parked on top of the hill overlooking the creek and upon exiting the truck we could hear the rumble of the waters.

This excursion had a two-fold mission: it first was to see the beauty of the creek area, but the secondary purpose was to install a little more sense of mortality into my mindset. I had been feeling the longing for the rush of whitewater lately so I decided to take in the class V of the creek to temper me a little before beginning my onslaught. The roar of the waters and the force it displayed in the tight channels within the walls of the creek spoke danger to me. The warning wasn't quite as extreme as before, but rather there was a certain attractiveness about the creek at this level.

As I was taking pictures of the turbulence of the waters and various life on the banks, my wife let out an explanation that informed me that there was a reptilian presence within her comfort zone. Of course, this just provided another photo opportunity for me.

As of right now, I'm not interested in plunging into the waters of Bark Camp. It did however, provide the satisfaction of witnessing the order which produces the beauty of the area.

Perhaps one day a detail of one of the pictures will have a lime green kayak containing a paddler that has lost a sense of mortality...unless age takes its toll first.

2010-05-01T17:49:00.000-07:00

It's been raining pretty much all day today, which means the gardens will be growing pretty well.

My wife was looking out the front door and spied this little guy sitting on a rod we have holding the fence up around our garden spot. He sat on the pole and sang despite being wet.

The lesson I take from this is to persevere in whatever we are designed and destined to do...even if it is to sit on a pole and sing in the rain.

Round 2

2010-04-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

The morning started out with a slight drizzle dotting the windshield of the truck as it rumbled down the highway with its heading back to the same area where I went to hunt last weekend. I was uncertain as to whether of not I would even attempt to get out of the truck once I got there as the rain increased slightly. It was a pleasant turn of weather once I arrived and got my gear together.

The last time, I hiked along a "horse-shoe" shaped trail starting on the west side. I planned to start west this time, but changed my mind...much to my defeat. I started out with an amount of tension in my frame and consciousness, which made me awkward and inattentive; both of which are detrimental to a successful hunting experience. By the time I rounded to where I had seen the turkey the last time I realized why. I should have gone with my plan as there were scratchings and droppings along the west end of the trail that looked a few hours old. These would have been the same few hours it took me to get from the truck and round the trail. If I had started there, I may have had fresh meat in the freezer.

But none-the-less, Spring dazzled my senses with the brilliance and color of the "laughter" of the forest. Even though I did not return with a bird, I did return with pictures of treasures that are still n the forest for others to enjoy: Ladyslippers were scattered throughout the forest floor peaking out from behind trees and rocks. Even those that were out in the open seemed to blend in even with their puffy pink flower. Whenever I saw one of these, my heart seemed to be lighter. It may be because they, like fungi, have somewhat of an shape that is a little "out of place".

Along the path in a small grassy section dotted with the light blue, white, and yellow of the soft petals of the Iris.

In two places, I came across a couple of painted box turtles. These little creatures appear to have the shapes of letters and words painted on there shells as if to convey a message to the order of Creation. Along with this, there red eyes stand out among the brown and yellow.

Toward the end of the trail, there were a few orange fungi growing from a branch. When I snapped the picture, it seemed as though the branch and fungi formed a face that was sticking it's toungue out at me.

First Day of Turkey season.

2010-04-17T10:44:00.001-07:00

Today was the opening day for Turkey season here in Kentucky. After morning prayer and breakfast, I gathered the bow and packs and headed to the forest for some solitude and quiet.

I had failed to scout the area before going so I was essentially "tracking" blind. However, as I headed down the trail, I saw other signs of life that is and was.

My mind was flooded with memories with every step as I retraced the paths I had once followed in this area. I remembered being a volunteer and siting up on a rock outcropping listening to whippoorwills in the late evenings and sharing how God had put a song into the hearts of all present. I remembered living in community and the responsibilities we had to one another and the opportunities to share and grow in faith.

As I walked along, I saw the new traces of Spring budding into life. The wildflower plants were just emerging and will soon speckle the forest floor with their color. For a while, I had a company of Bluejays flying overhead. I was not sure if they were alerting the forest of my presence or just communing together.

Thinking that the Jays were being the "intruder alarm" reminded me of characteristic in species survival and continuation that a biologist friend once told me about. The characteristic of altruism. I had been in the forest many times and gotten frustrated at the chipmunk of squirrel that began chirping or barking constantly when I place my foot in the wrong spot and snapped a twig or made a move too quickly and gave my position away. I knew that these little animals were letting my presence be known to any other animal within earshot. However, I never considered this in regards to altruism. The more I thought about it, I did realize that these little animals, in order to save others, were putting themselves in danger by letting their position be known. They were showing somewhat of a selflessness. However, I do not see that this is an intention of their will but rather a "mechanical" survival instinct. But never the less, it impressed me to think that in this case, even though imperfect, animals often act as we humans are to act. We are to sacrifice for the betterment of the community here with us now and in the future. With this in mind, I found the Jays to be somewhat inspirational rather than overly frustrating.

As I walked further, I heard it! It felt like a dream as I hear the faint "gobble" in the valley below the ridge I was on. At first, I thought it was a dog barking off in the distance, but it came again. I knew it would be to no avail, but I squawked my turkey call a few times hoping that they were close enough to be lured in. They were in a field that was probably more satisfying than climbing up a steep hillside after what possibly sounded like one lone female dieing of some ailment. Sure enough, they never came...well, at least while I was there. If they did, I could imagine how I would feel if I climbed that hill and what I thought I was going for was no longer there.

As I moved on, I came across on old cemetery that was established in the 1880's. (There was a sign posted with the date.) A few of the headstones were "modern" shaped out of granite or marble, but most were flat stones gathered from a creekbed or somewhere near the grave yard. The graves that I could see had formed an indention in the ground as time and the order of transformation worked. As I stood on the edge of the area, I realized that my feet were on top of an old fence that once stood to set aside this plot of ground to be respected. But it seemed, like the graves, time took its toll on this, too. Seeing the graves, my mind went back home to the loss of my father. I was about 400 miles from where the shell of his body lay in the ground so this place, like many places I have visited recently, became a "replacement" for what I could not be near. One would think that time would "deteriorate" the ache of the loss of a loved one, but I think it increases it in a manner of speaking. This, however, makes me appreciate the time I have with those that are still here.

After my experience there I moved on. Within about 50 yards there was a movement within, but I was still dwelling on the distraction of the cemetery so I did not heed it...regretfully because a moment later I saw the focal point of my excursion. There it was, a turkey scratching in the leaves beside the trail. The arrows were still in the quiver and the bow was not even drawn when I had to face the fact the bird was now flying away. The sight of a turkey always makes me happy for some reason, but this time there was disappointment intertwined with it. "Well, now what?" I asked myself. So I "nocked" an arrow and sat in that place a while hoping that what it was scratching for was alluring enough to draw it back. That is, until I heard the sound of a four wheeler coming up the trail. It became louder and louder so I decided to move on down the trail and disappear.

I moved down the trail out of sight to stop and listen. The riders stopped the motorcycle and shut it off. I sat in the stillness of the forest a few minutes when I heard the sound of a turkey call. I didn't understand the scenario: they came up the trail on a noisy four wheeler. Stopped for just a few minutes and began trying to call in a gobbler. Granted, I don't know much about turkeys, but I would think that the roar of the engine would have scared anything off...at least it scared me off. The call went on for a few minutes as I wished I had something to make the sound of a gobbler. I could have had fun as I ran up and down the ridge gobbling as they attempted to call in the elusive "turkey". Then again, I wouldn't want that done to me.

It did make me think, though. Too often I come into God's order on my terms. Like the Israelites of old God will set a plan of freedom, but low and behold magically a "golden calf" will jump out of the fire and take my attention so that I come into God's plans intending to enact my own. When God speaks softly and orderly, it is best to enter into that exchange of communication in the same manner and in submission to it.

The trek ended shortly thereafter with lunch and wondering into a few more areas. The sun had risen to noon by now so the leaves were getting brittle and made me feel as though I was walking on corn flakes (TM). Moving around while pursuing turkey is awkward enough, I didn't need to add another means of announcing my presence.

The season runs for another few weeks so the intent is to return to this activity to reflect in the solitude of Creation...and possibly bring home some meat in the process.

Wisdom from the saints

2010-04-14T17:59:00.000-07:00

"We must remember God more often than we draw breath." - St. Gregory of Nazianus

"I love you, O my God, and my only desire is to love you until the last breath of my life. I love you, O my infinitely lovable God, and I would rather die loving you, than live without loving you. I love you, Lord, and the only grace I ask is to love you eternally. . . . My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love you, I want my heart to repeat it to you as often as I draw breath." - St. John Vianney

2010-04-06T18:51:00.000-07:00

The truck frame is now complete! After much re-cutting, wrenching, and twisting, the two rails are within about 1/4" of each other, which is not noticeable. Next comes the rebuilding of the bumper, which would have been finished today, but there was a law passed that on some warm spring days I must go to the lake and paddle around some.

I have undertaken another project that will be posted as I complete it. My wife had requested that I make a warmer for her to place her cast iron teapot on when she has tea parties...the non-political kind.

2010-04-02T06:54:00.000-07:00

Oh blessed tree whose Fruit brings life to those who faithfully partake, Whose purpose is to abolish the fruit that once brought death!

AARRRRRGGGHHHHH!!!

2010-03-30T15:59:00.000-07:00

Well, after re-assembling the truck I realized that the bed was slanted compared to the cab. After further examination, I realized that I had failed to keep the left and right rails parallel. The passenger side rail is about an inch and a half lower than the driver side. This causes the bed to slant and will cause the bumper to slant with it. Aside from cosmetics, it will affect the alignment. So the question is now: leave it and live with it or start over. Starting over means taking it all back apart and cutting out the double plates of steel I welded in place. A waste of time and steel.

I had in mind before I started to keep an eye on the positioning of the rail, but forgot to do it.

Now for the decision...

FeO2 and Fe2O4

2010-03-24T16:03:00.001-07:00

The sanding has begun. It took a while to complete the passenger side because my drill was acting a little strange and wasn't turning the steel brush fast enough.

My parents had given it to me years ago and it just has undergone some abuse. It is moments like this that I miss my father the most because his skills is much of how I knew him. When I would run into a problem or just simply want to share what I was working on I would call him up and get some pointers. He was always willing to listen and try to figure things out and I especially saw this when he exercised his faith. He and mom always taught us to use our gifts for the furthering of God's kingdom and to help ease the sufferings of others. Part of the lessons would be not to focus so much on the tangible accomplishments, but to always make the effort to touch people's lives.

"Store up treasures in heaven where rust and moth do not destroy." - Mat. 6:20

Truck Repair - part 1

2010-03-21T16:45:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago, I was washing the underside of the old truck trying to rinse the salt off. Upon reaching the rear tire on the passenger side, I saw a horror that words just would not suffice: a rust through. Not on my truck! Twenty-nine years old, 200K+ miles, four-wheeled, rolled over, road hard, and put away wet and still kicking. But the doom began to set in as a dark cloud that hung over my pride.

"Remember, O man, thou art dust and to dust thou shall return!" Eventually, even the mightiest constructions of man will follow in his path. This time, however, it wasn't that big of a deal. Yet, I'm afraid it will happen again in the future.

The frame had rusted through around the spring hanger causing it to be pushed up into the frame of the truck from the weight. Personally, I took this more as a challenge from the rust so I prepared to arm myself with sidegrinder, welder, and steel plating.

First was the task of removing the bed after which I found skin rust on the frame. Out will come the wire brush to vanquish the rust and seal with paint. During the process of removing the bed I only wrung off 3.5 bolts, which can be replaced at the local handy-dandy handyman store.

After assessing the damage, I commenced in cutting the steel back to where I felt confident that it was solid. With a sidegrinder, this task was quick and simple although nerve racking. I was cautious not to cut out too much, but yet questioned whether or not I cut out enough.

After cutting out the rust, I traced a pattern for the shape and used the steel plate to form new pieces. Once fitted, the pieces were welded into place.

I'm not certain if I trust my welds totally. My concern is whether or not I got the old and new steel too hot. In hindsight, I would weld an inch or so and then let it cool before proceeding rather than welding complete sections.

The second phase is to sand the skin rust off of the exposed frame and repaint before re-installing the bed.

Also, in the imagination is to install a removable rack to carry the kayaks.

Stand by for episode II

Politics again.

2010-03-10T07:16:00.000-08:00

Nancy Pelosi gave a speech concerning the "healthcare" bill which contained a confession whether she knew it or not. Here's the statement:

"But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy. "

Um, I think I'd like to know what's in it to see if it should be passed.

These statements are proof that these politicians to do not see themselves as employed by the taxpayers.

http://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/pressreleases?id=1576

Names or Hunger?

2010-03-06T14:07:00.000-08:00

I've been noticing for the past few years that many vehicle names do not match how they are designed with this being particularly rampant in the "SUV" and truck classes. Being a repentant off road enthusiast, the sights and sounds of burning fuel, grinding gears, twelve inches of lift, and the cantilever flex of over sized leaf springs at one time would capture my attention in the cold steel jaws of the trap of addiction quicker than lickity split and would leave me longing for more. So I would look in puzzlement at many of the titles given to stock vehicles and this, however, has continued.

Take for example the Chevy Trailblazer. Fresh off the assembly line, one would cringe at the thought of even taking it on a drive down a short gravel road. Not to mention, this particular vehicle comes in a two wheel drive version...yet, it is a "Trail Blazer"?
There are many others that just do not suit the names such as the Subaru Outback, Ford Expedition, Cadillac Escalade, or the Toyota Sequoia. Try taking an Escalade literally or the Subaru into the wilds of the Outback. Pristine paint jobs, low ground clearance, and in many cases not even four wheel drive? Ok.

Are these names what the manufactures desire them to be? Or is it that the names of what a "Nature" starved society longs to be immersed in, but this is as close as our technologically-dependent civilization will allow?

Ok, so it's a vent to relieve the tensions of late.

Here's the Smart Car again:

I'll stalk back into the wild of the forest now.

Temporary Farewells

2010-02-10T17:10:00.000-08:00

On February 7, 2010 a great servant passed away: my father. After a long battle with a pre-cancerous condition that developed into acute leukemia, his imprisonment and suffering ended on a Sunday at approximately 10pm. Sunday...this is the day of the week we celebrate as the first day and the eighth day...the beginning and the end...the day of Creation and the day of Rest...it is the day we celebrate as the Lord's resurrection day. My dad had great faith in the Lord and believed that this faith should be transmitted into action which materialized into service to his fellow man...this is the Lord's call: holiness. His favorite Scripture verse is Philippians 2:4...the verse of selflessness. Sure, he had his faults as we all, but it is certain that when face to face with the Ultimate Love, Christ Jesus, these are "burned away" and all those qualities that were part of us that resulted from the faith and obedience to Grace will be what remains. Many people attest to my father's faith and obedience in their gratitude to his presence in their lives.

Wednesday held the funeral when his remains were laid to rest. It was a cold day with a stinging wind and our hearts felt the chill of loosing our loved one, but yet felt the warmth of the love he shared with us and we share with one another. Up to this point the house has been bustling with visitors and the phone has been ringing with those wishing to console the family. But the true test comes now that the visitors have gone and the telephone does not ring as often. All is quiet...all is still...and the emptiness that is left is now realized. Only the Lord's grace and time will heal what is missing as we wait for the day that we will be reunited with this great man...and many others who are like him who heeded the call to faith in the One God and One Savior.

Until we step across that same threshold into the next room where you wait with all the others who loved the Lord...Farewell, my father...for now...

The Bishops speak.

2010-01-29T13:48:00.000-08:00

An article concerning the bishops statements regarding Catholic politicians supporting abortion. Our bishop is quoted in this article. This article specifically addresses Nancy Pelosi, who makes the comment that the Church's teachings are opinions and insinuates that it's acceptable to have an opinion contrary to the Faith that one professes to be in communion with.

However, this is the nature of sin: the exaltation of one's self over the command of God and even over the very commitments that we make. It takes many forms from pro-abortion politicians to grumbling at the driver that cut us off. But in this case the consequences and effects are much more grave. We are called to rise above such with the strength of the Holy Spirit through the sacrifice of Christ, which conquers the disorder of sin.

We must pray for the bishops who lead the Church and for the repentance of all who sin, but especially for those who have within their power to defend all life and glorify God in their representation of the Faith.

2010-01-23T17:48:00.001-08:00

My wife and I hiked a local favorite today and completed the last section of a trail loop I had been wanting to experience. The trail started on a ridge and meandered down through pines, into hemlocks and finally into a gorge thick with hemlock and rhododendron. Once near the bottom, the trail traveled a cliff line along Punder Branch before descending to Cane Creek. There were numerous waterfalls that fed Pounder Branch that were a delight to the eyes and ears. The recent rains contributed to the flow of the water putting it at a nice level.

After the descent into the gorge, we crossed Cane Creek and ascended back up toward the parallel ridge passing by Vanhook Falls, which still has a mound of ice and snow accrued at its base.

The trail ran along the ridge along Cane Creek until it finally dropped to where we could see the water. The thick undergrowth made it difficult ot see all of the creek, but we took several jaunts down to the banks to scout the rapids when possible. Possibly in the future, there will be an entry regarding this creek; either from me attempting to translate the adrenaline rush into words or my wife writing an obituary....preferably not the latter.

Along the way, there were many tantalizing expressions including my all time favorite: fungi. These little treasures continue to amaze me in that they are so different from the environment in which they are part of. The trees, shrubs, and even flowers all have somewhat of a "woody" structure, but these creations of the Artist are so much unlike the rest with their "soft" bodies and "cosmic" designs.

Facebook hacked my email!

2010-01-05T16:31:00.000-08:00

I just recently signed up on facebook..an event that I will soon decide was wise or foolish. It is good to reconnect with so many people from college and to be able to see a snippet of what is happening in their lives.
However, upon signing up, I discovered that facebook hacked my email. After the initial setup, I was directed to a page where facebook suggests friends. Among this list was a couple of people associated with the organization I work for, which I did not name on facebook, and a couple of people I had bought things from off of Ebay. The connection: I had emailed them from my Juno account. Facebook picked this up and connected these contacts with their accounts. The eerie thing is that the Ebay contacts were not saved in my address book.
It is true that if you don't want the world to know something, don't put it on the internet.

Few photos from Christmas 2009

2010-01-02T13:35:00.000-08:00

My wife and I spent Christmas with my family in South Carolina. We arrived at the home of my sister's family where we spent Christmas Eve through Holy Family Sunday, after which we went further south to my parents.

I find again and again the desire to be with family and friends even though there is the longing for solitude. It would seem that this comes from the desire to know and to be known...to re-connect with Life, especially that which is dearest to the heart.

Winter Solstice

2009-12-21T19:22:00.000-08:00

We have just completed the "shortest" day of the year and tomorrow begins an increase in the light. The Gospel reading for tomorrow is the "Magnificat". In a few days, the Light will shine forth from the dark of the womb, but with the reading it is shining forth through the Blessed Virgin. The Light will continually increase to bring in the spring and life...the Resurrection.

2009-12-20T06:46:00.000-08:00

Some photos taken around the house and on our hike yesterday at Bee Rock along the Rockcastle River.

Christmas

2009-12-20T06:31:00.000-08:00

Merry Christ-mass! And may His peace be upon all the faithful!

Pope John Paul II now declared venerable!

2009-12-19T12:32:00.000-08:00

From Catholic News Agency:

Vatican City, Dec 19, 2009 / 11:28 am (CNA).- Pope Benedict XVI has signed a decree recognizing the late Pope John Paul II's life of “heroic virtue.” With his signature, Benedict XVI throws the door wide open to the beatification of the much-loved Polish Pontiff and gives him the title "Venerable."...

The next step towards canonization of John Paul II is a second decree to be signed by the Pope that attributes a miracle to him. It is thought that this miracle will be one that has already taken place but has not yet been officially recognized. The miracle involves a French nun who was cured of Parkinson´s disease through John Paul II's intercession.

Following the approval of his first miracle, Venerable Karol Woytilya would be eligible for beatification, and pending a second miracle, he could be declared a saint.

Thanksgiving in Iowa ("Ee-Oh-Way" in Hawaiian)

2009-11-29T16:42:00.000-08:00

Our journey this time of Thanksgiving led us to the great corn state of Iowa to visit kin-folk. Being that the time off was so short we decided to fly instead of drive. Although the trip was several hours, it beat the typical 16+ hours of driving plus the wear on the vehicle and the bodies of the transient pilgrims.

As we flew, I wondered if man was meant to see the clouds from the top side. Regardless, it was beautiful. The clouds formed ripples and ridges much like a river or wind swept sand.

This was only the third time I had flown on an airline so to start, I was nervous. The irony I find is in that I seek the pleasure of being saddled atop a mountain bike at high speeds on rock laden downhill trails with little to no body armor and I hear the mighty Cumberland falls calling me to come play, but seat me in a flying sardine can and I'm almost a nervous wreck. However, I believe the difference comes down to control.

I found many sights and smells to feast my senses on while in the Northwest.
My parent-in-laws had decorated their farmhouse for Thanksgiving, which coincided with the harvest.

The trek into the the real Yahoo.

2009-11-22T05:58:00.000-08:00

Saturday afternoon came to another pleasureful hike into the wilds of Creation. This time, we went into McCreary County, KY to explore an area around a well known waterfall. At 133 feet, Yahoo falls is the highest in Kentucky. It plummets onto a pile of large rocks before streaming into a small, shallow pool which feeds into the Big South Fork of the Cumberland river.

Unfortunately, I was unable to capture it's full height as I did not place myself in a position to do so.

However, I was able to catch a view from the top of the falls looking down to the bottom. It's not clear in the picture, but keep in mind it is 133 feet and I was hanging on to a tree while holding the camera out for the view. For some reason, it was hard to keep the camera still.

The journey continued around the falls area admiring the beauty of the scenery on the trail. I was drawn to many of the small creatures, but did not take the opportunity to photograph them. However, this time textures seemed to appeal to me more; specifically the textures of the trees and rock formations. The artwork of Creation is amazing in its randomness.

The first texture was just a few feet from the second. The side of this rock was more "smooth" with concave designs in its surface.

This passage was just approximately twenty feet from the first rock I photographed. It had some smooth characteristics of the first that seem to have been caused by previous years of wear caused by water running over the surface. However, the texture changed drastically as one moved down the surface of the rock face. It began to look more like what man would construct out of concrete block stacked one upon another.

Further down toward the river, this boulder was showing its design in which grooves tapered from one side to the other.

Along the path we came across several trees that caught my attention. The openings into the trunks of trees have always been intriguing as the hollow appears as it to be an opening into another world...if looked at it with the proper imagination that is...

The path that was leading us eventually joined us to the Sheltowee Trace, which coursed along the river. Here, we stopped after a while and sat to enjoy the delights that came to our senses and to converse with our friends we embarked with to further know them better.

The river was cold, but provided a soothing environment with its playful streaming around and over the riverbed. Ever since discovering the joys of kayaking, flowing water is almost mesmerizing to my mind. Once seated within a suitable receptive distance I find it hard to part from that place.

The waters also brings to mind the cleansing power of the Creator and how he longs for his children that he created to let his love flow around us as gently and playfully as the river and sweep us off to a sacred place full of completeness of life....

Finally, my wife showing off her wings.

Overall, I am grateful for such a place as where I live and the people I am blessed to share it with, whether first hand in the completeness of the fresh environment or in an attempt to show a very minuscule glance of the experience digitally...which never does justice.

2009-11-16T18:39:00.000-08:00

A very informative video on the flu vaccine:

Another trip down Bark Camp creek

2009-11-09T17:09:00.000-08:00

This trail has become one of our favorites in the area because of the lush growth along the creek.

This time, right at first we were taunted by an elusive buck that seemed more content with snorting and grunting than showing itself. Being that this is deer season here in Kentucky and I have decided to forgo any form of indulging in it's activities, the buck was safe from me...for now.

I have also been drawn more to the small things of the earth. For years I have found a certain quietness about simply squatting down next to the ground and observing the life that so often goes unnoticed underfoot. Closer to the earth time seems to go...slower.

Along with this increased attention comes a fascination with the fungi and their "other worldliness". Compared to the rest of the vegetation, these delightful creations stand out with their curves and smooth surfaces.

Perhaps it's their mysteriousness in how they just suddenly "appear". Or their purpose of transforming "death" into "life" to continue the cycle instilled into creation.

Along the trail, there were many such pleasureful signs of the ongoing call for life set in motion from the beginning. One such was a natural "planter" in which a tree had been cut long ago and the slow decay of weather and time had carved out a hole in the center in which a small fern had found a place to grow.

The creek was not as full as the last time I saw it, which regretfully I had not taken the camera along. However, there was enough volume this time to add a different beauty to the area, which was quickly showing signs of the approaching winter with near barren tree limbs reaching to the sky as if to beg the Creator to cover the Earth once again with the warm clothing of Spring.

Despite the coolness and the rapidly approaching nightfall, the soft pool of water below my position as I took the picture seemed very inviting to enter in.

2009-10-27T19:19:00.000-07:00

Yes folks, there has been a very important global warming study going on. A couple of researchers at Victoria University have now issued a statement professing that dogs and cats contribute to global warming by their mere existence.

One of the researchers states that "If you have a German shepherd or similar-sized dog, for example, its impact every year is exactly the same as driving a large car around."

So we need to get rid of our vehicles and start riding our pets..or eating them.

Another adrenaline depraved mind wonders aimlessly...

2009-10-15T17:44:00.000-07:00

The kayaking forum is interesting tonight!

Here's a link to so fun going on in N.C. A church (used lightly) has decided to burn basically everything except the KJV (because it's authorized, ya' know). Writings of the Pope, Mother Theresa, and Billy Graham are included in this social gathering. Afterward, they are having a cookout. Quaint.

This is also talked about in the First Things Magazine online, which includes the announcement program.

Interestingly, Tim Lahaye's books are also amongst the list.

More Youtube surfing...

2009-10-15T17:26:00.000-07:00

Actually, I was on a kayaking forum and the link to this video was posted so I decided to explore it.

Yes, it was on a kayaking forum. This is what happens when the adrenaline starved have too much time on their hands

2009-10-11T13:36:00.000-07:00

I subscribe to Focus on the Family's email newsletter and they recently sent this. They are trying to get a certain number of "electronic signatures" on a petition to send to Washington opposing the attempt to include abortion in the so called "healthcare" bill. Please sign it and send to friends and family.

Under this administration this petition will probably do nothing. However, not taking an action is a sure way of doing nothing.

Here is a copy of the email I received:

As I shared with you a few days ago, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is expediting his own version of the health reform plan – that still includes taxpayer funding of abortion – to the Senate floor as soon as next week. Repeated efforts to ensure that our tax dollars are not used for abortions have been rejected and the latest version of the bill guarantees access to abortion coverage through the state health care exchanges that would be created through the current plan.

The news that Sen. Reid has accelerated his timetable for a Senate floor vote means that we too must accelerate our effort to rally and mobilize the critically needed grassroots support to reach our goal of 100,000 signatures before any floor vote in the Senate.

The good news is we’ve just crossed 62,000 signers, bringing our petition goal well within reach.

But with precious little time remaining to significantly impact this issue, I’m asking Focus Action team members like you to help me rally and mobilize the critically needed extra support to push our petition past the 100,000 mark.

Would you consider forwarding this update directly to 25-30 friends urging them to stand with you in support of our families and the preborn by signing our Focus Action petition? Petition link

It’s imperative that we send a strong message to the Senate that pro-life Americans are not going to support any version of health care reform that threatens the preborn, violates healthcare workers’ rights of conscience, or sets the stage to give government officials unprecedented influence over medical decisions that have always been the responsibility of families.

Another Anti-Family Obama Appointee

Our Focus Action team is also monitoring yet another decision by President Obama that is causing significant concern among pro-family Americans. I’m referring to the controversial Obama-administration appointee, Kevin Jennings, who is the director of the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools.

Jennings is the homosexual founder of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), an organization devoted entirely to promoting homosexuality among school kids, even as young as kindergarten age. Under the guise of “safe schools,” GLSEN uses its “safety” terminology to promote special protections for “sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.” Given his radical background and the nature of the policies he could implement in our public schools, we believe Jennings is too radical for the job.

This week’s Focus Action Update online video gives you a background briefing on Jennings. Go here to watch.

I know there is a lot to digest in this update, but Focus Action remains committed to providing you with the pro-family analysis of issues impacting our nation, as well ways you can make your voice heard!

Again, please forward this message today, and urge your family and friends to take immediate action with you by clicking here and signing our national petition.

Thank you in advance for forwarding this email, and for giving your attention to our video update.

For faith and family,

Tom Minnery
Senior Vice President, Government & Public Policy

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© 2009, Focus on the Family Action™, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Focus on the Family Action
Colorado Springs, CO 80995
1-866-655-4545

Founded in 2004, Focus on the Family Action is an action organization dedicated to the preservation of the moral and cultural values upon which our nation was founded. Contributions or gifts to Focus on the Family Action are not deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes.

2009-10-06T15:52:00.000-07:00

I was surfing youtube viewing a few new videos from someone's channel I follow and ran across this one in the "related videos" column. How it is related to what I was viewing, I have no idea, but I like it none the less.

It is supposed to be an actual answering machine recording in Australia. Maybe our government school system could learn a little from it.

Topped my day of just right.

2009-09-13T15:21:00.000-07:00

"I would rather have thirty minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special." - from Steel Magnolias.

Another shot of adrenaline: (this is from 2007, the record has since been broken)

2009-09-13T13:48:00.000-07:00

"Those who would trade freedom for security deserve neither." - Benjamin Franklin

2009-07-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

"One day, I saw two roads. One was broad, covered with sand and flowers, full of joy, music and all sorts of pleasures. People walked along it, dancing, and enjoying themselves. They reached the end without realizing it. And at the end of the road there was a horrible precipice; that is, the abyss of hell. The souls fell blindly into it; as they walked, so they fell. And their number was so great that it ws impossible to count them. And I saw the other road, or rather, a path, for it was narrow and strewn with thorns and rocks; and the people who walked along it had tears in their eyes, and all kinds of suffering befell them. Some fell down upon the rocks, but stood up immediately and went on. At the end of the road there was a magnificent garden filled with all sorts of happiness, and all these souls entered there. At the very first instant they forgot all their sufferings." ~ Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska parapragph 153

2009-07-27T18:31:00.000-07:00

An article from Ben Stein regarding Obamacare and his urgency to cram it down our throats as quick as possible.

The odd thing is that even though his shenanigans are being exposed, there are still people who ardently support him. Is it that no one wants to admit they made a mistake? Or is it that the sources of his exposure are from conservatives and, in their opinion, the information is unreliable? Or are they simply Obamazombies believing he can do no wrong? Is it that people believe there is still hope?

I believe this president has great potential for good. His charisma could be a great asset to defending the fair treatment of the defenseless: the yet-to-be-born, the elderly, the humble of heart. Yet, he has prostituted himself to the likes of those who decimate the little ones. Now, his so called "health care" will seek to eliminate the aged once they are determined that they have outlived their usefulness....and all this in the first six months of his "presidency".

So I suppose I am a "hater" now.

We pray: "Father we offer you the body and blood, soul and divinity of your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world! For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and the whole world!" Guide us through the valley of the shadow of death!

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle!

2009-07-16T05:10:00.000-07:00

It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly...who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never known neither victory nor defeat. - Teddy Roosevelt

2009-07-14T00:56:00.000-07:00

The gov't run "healthcare" is on the move. The committee has met, but guess what, they included a provision for our hard earned dollars to kill pre-born children. However, I'm am not surprised at all being that this so-called "healthcare" is being set up run by liberals who promote the "rights" of certain groups over the larger community.

There is a movement, however, to try to reform the already broken system while it's still being planned. Please visit the link and sign the petition. Also, calling your representatives is always a good idea.

http://www.clearconsciencehealthcare.org/

2009-07-04T18:54:00.000-07:00

From Michael D. O'Brien's "Father Elijah: An Apocalypse"

"...Did not Mary's womb contain the impossible, the unthinkable? In that sacred little room of hers was nurtured the seed that would save the world from darkness. Encoded there, as if on a double helix, were the martyrs and mystics, the cathedrals and the statues, the Christian East and the West, the songs of the monks, the encyclicals, the poems, the millions of children who might not otherwise have been."

2009-07-01T18:41:00.000-07:00

Today my wife and I came to a new milestone in our lives. This is our three year anniversary of entering into the Holy Sacrament of Marriage. We pray that we and all couples will be a sign to an ever confused world of the love that man and wife are meant to be.

Peace!

2009-05-28T17:06:00.000-07:00

The past weekend, my wife and I found the pleasure of camping in the Smokey Mountains. I picked her up after work on Friday and we headed to the mist shrouded hills of eastern Tennessee to spend some quality time together in the wild of a campground.

We arrived to find that there were many sites available to our surprise. Even though this was the case, we did have a rough night because of some rowdy campers. However, Saturday brought many campers to fill those spots. We now had neighbors in the next sight over.

On Saturday we hiked back up one of our favorite trails to Ramsey cascades. Again, I was humbled by the sight of a few massive old growth trees along the trail. Even though they were not virgin growth, their size almost made me bow in respect. This time, we were armed with a camera and returned victorious with many beautiful scenes stored in that little bitty box. We returned to make "hobo dinners" for supper, which hit the spot. The evening was fairly quiet, which allowed for the entrance of a calm rain during the night.

Sunday morning we awoke to the soft pitter-patter of raindrops on the tent, which told us there would not be much outside leisure time before Mass. This really didn't matter because we were going to stop in at a campground down the road to shower off the camping odors. After Mass, we returned to camp and fixed a small lunch while we waited for the sun to show itself through the clouds. In this, we were not disappointed. As soon as it cleared some, we hit the trail again. This trail also displayed the wonders of creation and we were blessed to be able to capture images of some of the beauty. On the return trip, we were drenched by a quick moving storm, but its rains were energizing.
Our neighbors returned in the evening and shared that they were on the opposite side of the ridge that we were on hiking in sunshine while we were in a storm. Interesting how these things work. Upon their return, they had examined that their firwood had been drenched in the rain so they asked if we would share our fire to dry their wood out. Our fire was a result of bringing along scrap pieces of lumber left over from work, which works wonders in starting fires. Later that evening, the fun began...well for a little while at least.

Our neighbors were appreciative for us helping them to get their fire going so they shared a little bit of their Polish vodka with us in hospitality. I wasn't all that crazy about it, but I did find a bit of safety in the companionship that was now occuring. I had no trouble sleeping later that night. However, I woke up suring the night with the insistance to go down to the "comfort station" about 100 feet down the road. I didn't remember the road being so windy and narrow the times I walked it before. I decided that we should choose a different means of hospitality next time.

But alas, Monday came and we returned home to dream and plan the next trip.

A collection of our pictures:

The Truth of the Words we Speak

2009-05-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

“Death and Life are in the power of the tongue”
~ Proverbs 18:21a
(the wife’s comments)

Today, when a radio talk show host referred to "life today" in a negative manner, it struck me what those words really meant and how easily common phrases roll off our tongues without reflecting on their true meaning. Our life comes from God, so can we in truth say it is a bad life? Although God can work good out of the bad, the negative things in our world are really things of sin and death not life. Words that refer to death (the negative) are in opposition to life. (You can’t be dead and be alive). Funny, or maybe not so funny, how we often refer to someone having a bad life or life being bad right now due to politics, morals, or personal struggles. I think what we really mean is that the culture or "world" that we are experiencing right now is challenging or “bad”. I (along with my husband) have been noticing that sometimes the words we speak send a different message than we are aware of based on the true definition of the words spoken. For example, to say that “life is bad” would then indicate that abortion might be good at least when (the) life is “bad”, right? Remember the Lord and Giver of Life is All Good.

”words” to ponder.
By: the wife

2009-03-13T10:24:00.001-07:00

...I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament...There you will find romance, glory, honour, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves upon earth...

J.R.R. Tolkien

2009-03-09T19:26:00.001-07:00

I've been following a situation that I ran across on the Catholic.com forums that is extremely distressing. So far, the information that I have been able to verify states that a bill has been introduced into the Connecticut legislature that will essentially severe the control that a Priest of Bishop has over any given parish in the State. It will instead place the control into the hands of a parish elected board of directors. While many U.S. parishes have something similar called a Parish Pastoral Council, nothing has ever been ordered by the State. That is a violation of the first amendment to the U.S. constitution. Sure, the legislation may not pass, but it is a disgrace that this such of thing will even be allowed to be brought up by so called "governing officials" without any hint of punishment.
I will agree with the commentaries that are saying that this is in retaliation to the Church's stance on homosexual unions that want to think they can even slightly resemble "marriage". However, regardless of what it is over, the threat is the gov't continuing to try to rule the Church.
A brief summary and commentary is in the link below.
http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=32485

Jesus, have mercy on us!

Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, our hope. To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To you do we send up our sighs, mourning, and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, O most gracious Advocate, your eyes of mercy towards us and after this, our exile, show unto us the Blessed Fruit of your womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us, O holy mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ!

St. Michael, defend us in battle!

2009-02-28T07:00:00.000-08:00

For one who says that it is above his pay grade to determine when life begins, Obama sure is forcing the denial that it begins in the womb on citizens.

The Catholic League presents an article that states he is repealing the “conscience rule” of health care providers.

2009-02-16T15:59:00.000-08:00

I received this in an email. It is suggesting sending empty red envelopes to Obama to show that there are people that respect life and are telling him to also do so.

Here's a link to the hosting website:
http://www.redenvelopeproject.org/
--------------
This afternoon I was praying about a number of things, and my mind began to wander. I was deeply distressed at the symbolic actions that President Obama took as he began his presidency. Namely, that he signed executive orders releasing funds to pay for abortions, permission to fund human stem cell research, and federal funding for contraception. I have been involved in the pro-life movement for nearly 20 years, and it pained my heart to see a man and a political party committed to the shedding of innocent blood. This man, and this party lead our country, but they do not represent me or the 54% of Americans who believe that abortion is wrong and should no longer be legal.

As I was praying, I believe that God gave me an interesting idea. Out in the garage I have a box of red envelopes. Like the powerful image of the red LIFE tape, an empty red envelope will send a message to Barack Obama that there is moral outrage in this country over this issue. It will be quiet, but clear.

Here is what I would like you to do:

Get a red envelope. You can buy them at Kinkos, or at party supply stores. On the front, address it to

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington , D.C. 20500

On the back, write the following message.

This envelope represents one child who died in abortion.
It is empty because that life was unable to offer anything to the world.
Responsibility begins with conception.

Put it in the mail, and send it. I think it would be amazing if we could send 50 million red envelopes, one for every child who died before having a a chance to live. Maybe it will change the heart of the president.

2009-01-26T19:40:00.000-08:00

I received this from the Catholic League as a commentary by Bill Donohue on Nancy Pelosi's comments that providing contraception will help the economy.

Ghandi once said something in reference to contraception and I think he was right on mark. He stated that "Nature is relentless and will have full revenge for any such violations of her laws. Moral results can only be produced by moral restraints…" Man cannot continue to go without accepting the consequences for his actions and it seems that with many decisions being made lately by the U.S. sdministration, it will be sooner than later.

---------

January 26, 2009

PELOSI ON KIDS:

THEY’RE AN ECONOMIC DRAIN

Yesterday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that it was necessary to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on family planning services in order to stimulate the economy. Pelosi maintained that “contraception will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government.”

Catholic League president Bill Donohue commented as follows:

“Looks like the Democrats have abortion and contraception on the brain. Last week, President Barack Obama lifted restrictions on federal funds being used to promote and perform abortions overseas. Now we have Pelosi arguing that the way to balance the budget is not by cutting expenditures, but by cutting kids. Her comment matches up well with what Obama said during the presidential campaign about comprehensive sex education: speaking of his own daughters, he said that ‘if they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.’ (My emphasis.)

“We have reached a new low when high-ranking public office holders in the federal government cast children as the enemy. But at least it explains their enthusiasm for abortion-on-demand.”