Last week we had storms that brought in rain accompanied with thunder and lightning. Great to have the rain but not so great for lightning. It is a harsh reminder of the wildfires that were experienced in the John Day Valley in 2015. Our beloved Canyon Mountain shows the effect of burned timber that scars the landscape. Many homes were destroyed by fire forcing owners to either rebuild or relocate in the aftermath. Lightning in its beauty and power can devastate by a random strike. It still makes a community feel nervous as a reminder of what was and what can be if dry weather conditions exist in our forests and terrain towards fall.
For the time being, we are enjoying the advent of summer and all the pleasures that it brings after the winter freeze and commencement of spring. People are busy with gardens, summer projects and vacations, enjoying the sun and outdoor activities. Once in awhile, we are privileged to experience a delight in nature, if we take time out from our busyness to stop and become aware of what is before us. I don't know how anyone could have missed this piece of art from the hand of God...
A beautiful sunset graced our skies between the storms of the early evening hour. I grabbed my camera to capture such a stunning view as it quickly changed color and cloud formation. The golden hues changed to orange and pink as the sun dipped behind the hills. In the third photo, if you look close enough, you can see the sun's fractured rays breaking through the clouds in resemblance of golden geese.
The thought came to me that as we experience personal storms in life, God gives us breakthroughs in His sunset colors of hope, encouragement, strength and perseverance to experience calm in the midst of storms. Psalm 4:8 says, "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety".
I hope you will join me at The Turn-Up Patch for another visit on Monday, July 3 .... I leave you with a beautiful quote that is so true... "PEACE is seeing a sunset, and knowing who to thank."
We began our journey from the high desert country of eastern Oregon into the redwoods of northern California. As usual, this particular drive inspires renewed appreciation for the diverse country that exists in each place. From sagebrush, pine and juniper trees in the Blue Mountain Range of eastern Oregon to the majestic redwoods and countryside scenes of fern, wild poppies and rugged hills that hug the coastline of the Pacific.
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| Steamboat Rock |
We traveled through Crescent City, the Redwood Highway and into Eureka in Humboldt County. From there, we made our way to the town of Ferndale and into the hamlet of Petrolia, a short 30 miles away. However this 30 miles takes an hour to drive because of a windy road with many twists and turns, often one lane to maneuver. This is a familiar drive for my husband, who was raised in this country and ranched in his later years. It is a photographer's dream if you can find room enough to pull over to take a picture or two. If that is not possible, I take a camera shot from a moving truck window hoping that my hand is steady enough not to cause a blurred picture. Sometimes there is success...
At the home of our Petrolia friends, word must be out among the hummingbirds to enjoy a good nectar meal provided by several feeders set out on their porch. Before I noticed the birds, I heard their sound - much like buzzing bees. I was startled to see so many of these tiny birds darting from one feeder to the next creating this humming noise with their wings. I read that they flap their wings about 80 times per second. This is how and why they were named, the hummingbird...
Other facts about the hummingbird are:
- they can fly right, left, up, down, backwards and upside down
- hover - it looks like the bird is stationary but their little wings are moving so fast, you
cannot see them
- their bill is long and tapered to obtain nectar from the center of a long, tubular flower
- their feet used for perching only
- symbolic of love and joy
I mentioned just a few facts about the hummingbird. I hope you will watch this video that actually shows a hummingbird in slow motion in flight and gives you more information about this fascinating bird. It makes a person realize how amazing this little creature of God is. Click on this link at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPRswRWZ23Q
My next post will be in two weeks on Monday, June 19th. Come! Visit me at The Turn-Up Patch....
