Feathered Fun

After a frustrating few days trying to figure out what technical problems I encountered on my blog, finally enlisted help from Kevin, the computer guru of our local Oregon Telephone Company.  Thank you Kevin for getting The Turn-Up Patch up and running again.  Ahh!  Life is good!!   The following is my April 27th post - a few days late but I am delighted to report that the glitches are gone and we can move on to the more important things in life, like ducks.....

I am amazed at the variety of species that exist on earth. What a God we have as He fashioned the planet we live on as well as bringing forth humanity to co-exist with the diversity of life forms around us.  And as our eyes gaze heavenward, the countless stars and galaxies that await discovery.  "Thou great Thou art" indeed!

One such feathered life form is the duck, part of the waterfowl family including swans and geese.  Lucky for me I had my camera when I came across a group of ducks that were having quite a time playing in the water.  They seemed to be enjoying the moment of a good splash and doing what ducks do.  I was able to capture their fun and frolic from a distance using the reliable camera zoom without disturbing their safe place.  You can click on the photos for enlargement.

In the photo below, you can catch the determined eye of one of the ducks swimming towards an intended purpose, whether to catch and eat an unsuspecting insect or heading for shore.  They were entertaining to watch and seemed oblivious to my presence and the clicking noise of my camera.

I was curious as to what a duck symbolizes and I found out several things:
-  It is generally thought that a duck represents freedom and resourcefulness.  They can walk on the earth, swim in water and have the ability to fly.
-  Some cultures see a duck as a symbol of eternal life; the link between heaven and earth.

On the lighter side, I can't resist ending this post without using some duck humor.  Here goes...

Q:  What says, "Quick, Quick"?   a:  A duck with hiccups.
Q:  What's another name for a clever duck?   a:  A wise quacker.
Q:  What do you get if you cross a duck with fireworks?   a:  A firequacker.
Q:  What do you call two ducks and a cow?   a:  Quackers and milk.


Let's meet again at The Turn-Up Patch on Monday, May 11.  Until then, may all your days be bright.

Tulips + Bleeding Hearts = Love

I begin this post with a little background on two lovely flowers that I came across this week, the tulip and the bleeding heart.   These two perennial plants inspired me in writing today's message.  In looking up the symbolism of the tulip and bleeding heart, they both represent love.  

-    I discovered that the tulip is one of the world's most popular flowers and associated with the spring season.  A tulip symbolizes eternal life as well as signaling 'perfect love'.  Enchanting in its beauty and simplicity, the tulip originates from Persia and in the Netherlands.
-   The bleeding heart flower is a symbol of undying love. The flower also represents grace and fidelity.  Bleeding Hearts are symbolic of Christ's heart bleeding at the time of His death, when He was pierced with the lance.  The bleeding heart plant is native to regions of North America and eastern Asia.

I stopped by to visit friends recently and noticed their lovely garden already displaying signs of spring with these two particular flowers.  Carefully placed in the ground in separate garden spots, they showed off  their beauty and gave a welcoming atmosphere to those who wandered by.   These little miracles of life propelled me to write about these flowers and their gardeners, who are expressions of what the tulip and bleeding heart symbolize.

My two friends are an active extension of these flowers - they exude a welcoming spirit of love, grace and acceptance.  Just as they cultivate the ground and nurture the growth process in their garden, I find myself encouraged and supported to personally blossom in the camaraderie of their friendship.  They do not belong to any particular church and simply call themselves "vessels of the Lord".  In the company of these two vessels, there is an internal connection with Eternal Love and you somehow walk away feeling better by being in their presence.

"Then it was as if I suddenly saw the secret beauty of their hearts, the depth of their hearts where neither sin nor knowledge could reach, the core of reality, the person that each one is in the eyes of the divine.  If only they could see themselves as they really are, if only we could see each other that way all the time, there would be no more need for war; for hatred, for greed, for cruelty.  I suppose the big problem would be that we would fall down and worship each other." - Father Thomas Merton

I recently came across the above writing by Father Thomas Merton, who was a Trappist monk, author, poet and mystic.   As beautiful as this concept is that he puts forth, it is difficult to apply as a whole when you consider the acts of terrorism and evil exhibited in flawed humanity.  But what if, just if, it could be so.....


I hope you will join me next time for another visit at The Turn-Up Patch on Monday, April 27.  

March Moments

The month of March has passed quickly, bringing its expectations and its surprises.  I'd like to share a few photos of some of the moments of this month before we begin new days coming up shortly in April...

The following pictures are of a little stud colt that was born on the ranch in the early morning hours on March 25.  I took these photos in the late afternoon when he was all cleaned off and found balance on all four legs. The foal appears to be a lineback dun in color and already is exhibiting signs of being a classy fellow.  Even though he is was barely a day old when these photos were taken,  he is ready to take the world on (as long as his mommy is close by).

Scenery along Highway 26 in Eastern Oregon can be beautiful.  You never know what will present itself for a camera opportunity.  The first photo was taken in the early morning hours as the sun was cresting its rays over the hillsides on a recent trip to Bend.  The golden hue was a delight to behold that dramatized the average display of color.  The second picture is a typical scene that you see in Grant County of the Blue Mountain Range.  This shot shows the mountains in veiled clouds that appeared with the morning rain as a backdrop to cattle grazing in fields next to the highway.

And here are a few fun animal photos to share with you.  The first was taken at a parking lot in the local town of John Day.  I spotted this wonderful St. Bernard dog who was sitting quite calmly in the driver's seat of his owners truck.  He looked quite content and with his size, filled up the whole seat and window space.  He looked at me to say... " Well, haven't you seen a dog drive before??"

And last, but not least is the below photo of "King Charlie" - or at least he thinks he is king as he surveys his surroundings from a high point on the post.  Charlie is our dog-cat who can easily fit in with the dogs as one of the boys, yet also be aloof on a post in typical cat independence.

As the moments of March have quickly passed by, it also gives reflection on this Lenten season.  Yesterday, being Palm Sunday, begins Holy Week in the Christian tradition and climaxes in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  I wrote a post on March 24, 2013 entitled 'The Omni of God'.  It shares a truth about the power of the Cross as it stretches from this present age and reaches into the abyss of space and time when creation began in the Omni of God.
I encourage you to read this post at http://www.turn-uppatch.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-omni-of-god.html

My next post at The Turn-Up Patch will be on Monday, April 13.  The celebration of Easter will be over with but the Resurrection remembrance of so great a Love lives forever in our hearts.  I wish you all a  BLESSED AND HAPPY EASTER  in the experience of new life!

Ireland - Enya, Love & Time

Today's post takes us back to Ireland and highlighting a favorite artist of mine, Enya.  Many of you know her music and voice but may not be aware of some of her background.  Enya was born in the northwest of Ireland in Gweedore, County of Donegal in 1961.  The fourth child with eight siblings, she was raised in a musical family.  Enya was part of the family band, Clannad, before she branched out on her own.

Developing a style of music that can be described as ethereal, she was influenced by Irish, church and classical music.  Her albums are also performed in ten different languages.  Despite her international fame, she still finds time to sing in her mother's choir every Christmas at Midnight Mass at St. Mary's Church in Gweedore.  This is rather a condensed version of Enya - you can find out much more about her life and her success as a solo artist in research on the internet, today's information highway.
 

My focus is primarily on one of her poignant songs entitled "Only Time".  You can watch a beautiful time-lapse video by Robert Breton, which is presented by 'Eugena & Robert' at the below link featuring this particular song.    
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqtFqz0VEqs

The lyrics are simple and speak of love and time.  Part of it says....

Who can say if your love grows

As your heart chose

Only time

And who can say where the road goes

Where the day flows, only time

Who knows?  Only time  

A tree tunnel near Cahir, Ireland

I took the above photo on my memorable trip to Ireland.  I chose this particular picture to illustrate the concept as to 'who can say where the road goes'.  Time tells the story regarding the path of love - the cause and effect of its strengths and weaknesses and how it plays in the picture of our lives about what endures and what disappears.  People come and go in our lives; some walk around the edges of our heart and some walk inside, leaving an indelible footprint.  The footprints in our heart can be many or they can be few belonging to those who become part of us.  Only time reveals the depth of love in that footprint as it sinks ever deeper into our heart or if it leaves a shallow imprint where love did not grow.

See you next time  at the Turn-Up Patch on Monday, March 30....

Sands of Time and Doris

Old age in all its blessings and curses is catching up with a loved one in my life - Doris, my mother-in-law, who has become more like my mother in affection.  I wrote about Doris in a prior post entitled "Rosie the Riveter and Doris', link is listed below.  She just turned 93 years of age a few days ago and we celebrated her with balloons and birthday cake with fellow residents and caregivers who have become her family at the care facility where she lives. 

I write this today to honor her while she is still with us and would like to share a few photographs that Doris took 'back in the day'.  Some of these pictures are at least seventy years old that were found in a cedar chest in a house that was her home and sanctuary.  She was quite a photographer and over 600 negatives were stored away in this treasure box of memories.  These photos were taken during the time of 35mm cameras; a Brownie camera specifically that she used.  It was a simple camera with no elaborate accessories but she produced some outstanding shots because of her ability to frame a scene for a photograph.  The negatives were transferred into digital prints to be shared with family.    

The following pictures are just a few of the many that she took of her beloved Petrolia, a small ranching hamlet in Northern California.  The country where Petrolia is located is rugged and pristine. It is part of what is known as the 'Lost Coast' in Humboldt County.  This was the country that Doris was raised in and spent a good thirty years of her life before making a change. (Click on photos to enlarge)   

Petrolia suited Doris for she was a country gal who liked to ride a horse, hunt deer and herd sheep.  She did an occasional stint working at the local country store but her love was the outdoors.  As a single mom, she raised two sons during their early years in this unspoiled country. 

The photos below were taken of Doris as a young woman who enjoyed all that country life could offer.  Skilled with a rifle - a deer, coyote, fox or cougar did not have a chance if they were in her line of fire.  Despite her outdoor preference, Doris was still a lady.  If you look closely enough in the below photo, you can see the polish on her fingernails as she holds her fresh critter kill, which I gather had a menacing side.  Doris would shoot for meat or if wildlife were a threat to the immediate surroundings.  She did not kill for sport.  The other picture is of a young Doris with her horse.  Horses were her passion and she loved to ride the surrounding hills, which could be a challenge in itself.   

Doris eventually remarried and left the area, living in Canada and Alaska and raised a third son.  She returned to Petrolia in retirement years and pursued her enjoyment of horses. When she found it physically difficult to ride as she grew older, she'd keep a pet horse in her back yard to hand-feed and groom to her liking. After her husband passed away, the time came when Doris could no longer live by herself in her Petrolia home.  Decisions were made and she relocated to Oregon to be close to family who could see to her needs and oversee her care. 

It is usually tough for an elderly to leave their familiar place to live elsewhere.  Doris was no exception but in her resilience, knew this was something that had to be done, whether she liked it or not, to ensure her health care.  She has been with us for ten years now at an Assisted Living facility a short distance away.  Seeing Doris on a regular basis, we have come to know the staff and caregivers who have been wonderful with her throughout the days, weeks, months and years.  We have all witnessed her decline from walking to wheelchair confinement and the progression of dementia.  Throughout it all, she still manages to let people know 'who is in charge' with that last little piece of independence that she can still muster - through her tongue!  In other words, she'll still have the last say if she can.

Happy 93 years of age, Doris.  You have survived good and bad times, happiness and heartache, poverty and security.   You have been a scrapper - ready to take on injustice, particularly in a day that didn't have women's rights as they do today.  You have been a woman of strong will and determination.  You have been known to speak your mind in saying exactly what you think or feel that was born out of the independence gained from survival.  And yes, you still like to have your nails freshly painted and polished.

We have watched Doris decline during the past year and particularly, the last three months - it is as if she is giving up the fight and is getting weary of the experience of living.  As Doris would aptly say as only she can eloquently state, "I'm getting tired of this shit!"

Link to Rosie the Riveter and Doris.... http://www.turn-uppatch.blogspot.com/2013/09/rosie-riveter-and-doris.html


We'll meet again at The Turn-Up Patch on Monday, March 16....

When Hope Springs Eternal

In my last post at 'The Turn-Up Patch', I ended with several photos of a beautiful sunset.  I begin today's post with several photos of a beautiful sunrise  that I was delighted to photograph this past week.  I happened to wake up early enough to notice the red and orange hued sky visible from the window.  Since colors can change dramatically fast, I grabbed my camera and headed outdoors to catch the scene.  It is times as these, I am grateful for the surrounding beauty that country life affords unencumbered by tall buildings and power lines.  

Such scenery can inspire and bring one to reflect on the magnificence of an Almighty God.  We live in a world full of color and splendor in all of its display in creation and yet, it is besieged in distress due to perverted beliefs and infesting corruption.  The world becomes a visible paradox - a contradiction of beauty in the ugliness of overt human suffering.  The axis of good and evil, light and dark rotate in a spiritual dimension manifesting opposite natures.  The media reports anguishing news of the plight of our fellow humanity in the witness of atrocities of what one human being can do to another in the name of their twisted justification.  Pockets of nobility, courage, empathy and compassion are scattered across the globe to counter cruelty but are reported comparatively little to the amount of inhumane news that we hear and read about.

Whether we falter in our daily living or that of present world disorder, where do we catch the glimmer of hope in this day and age of negativity and evil.   Just as the sunrise gives the first rays of light dispelling the darkness of night, so does hope shed a ray of light in the darkness of despair.  The words 'Hope Springs Eternal' come to mind and upon research, found that it is the title of  'An Essay on Man', written by Alexander Pope.....

Hope springs eternal in the human breast;

Man never is, but always to be blessed:

The soul, uneasy and confined from home,

Rests and expatiates in a life to come.

Hope is energy driven -  a springboard that leaps from faith to that which is hoped for - the substance of the unseen.  Hope is color instead of the gray in black and white.  Helen Keller  stated that 'hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible'.  As the mythical Phoenix rises from the ashes, renewed and reborn, so does hope give us courage to propel us on to live a new day.  Hope, however, is not mythical.  It is a force centered on God and gives us a glimpse of the eternal.  

Hope is essential even though there could be an ultimate outcome that things did not turn out as desired. What then?  Hope rescues us to meet another day - it transcends us over an unfulfilled outcome into the Divine presence of God where peace and comfort is found.  Hope is never lost in the eternal.

Lewis Smedes wrote, “Is there a hope when hope is taken away? Is there hope when the situation is hopeless? That question leads us to Christian hope, for in the Bible, hope is no longer a passion for the possible. It becomes a passion for the promise.”

Until next time on Monday, March 2 at The Turn-Up Patch.....

Of Swans and Sunsets

The month of January came with its surprises - beauty in swans, sunsets and warm weather!  It was a double surprise to have looked out across the field several weeks ago and see some huge white birds enjoying the day.  Upon closer inspection and to my delight, discovered they were swans.  I call it a surprise as in all the years of living in Eastern Oregon and particularly in the John Day Valley, I have not seen a swan in the area let alone on our ranch property.  I have always loved swans, they represent to me such beauty, grace and symbolism of love.  Of course, this led me to do a post about these beautiful birds.   The photos below were taken from a distance with the camera zoom maxed out.  I didn't want to move in too close and frighten them away.  Consequently, some photos may not be the sharpest but I was thrilled to have such a camera opportunity and to share some pictures with you.

The swans flew in with a flock of Canadian Geese and appear to come and go as they please.  They show up for several days and are absent for a day or two and surprise you again by returning.  There were four swans originally, two adults and two 'adolescents'.  When the birds last appeared, they brought friends and there were seven swans at last sighting.

After checking my photos and investigating what kind of swan these could be, they appear to be a 'Trumpeter Swan'.  I came to this determination because of the slope of its black bill and the slight red color that is on the lower mouth part of the bill (mandible) on the adult swans.  The plumage of adult trumpeter swans is completely white, though their heads and necks are often stained a rusty color from contact with iron compound minerals in the soils during feeding.   I noticed that the sound of this swan was different from the geese they were with.  The Trumpeter has a deep, loud trumpet-like call and has been compared to the sound of a French horn.  Their bills, legs and feet are black and can weigh between 21 - 30 pounds.  The Trumpeter Swan is the largest native waterfowl in North America.

Other facts about swans in general....    
-  They mate for life.  A male swan is called a cob and female is a pen.
-  A young swan in the first year of life is referred to a 'cygnet or juvenile'.
-  An adult swan has a wingspan of more than 7 feet and a height of about 4 feet.
-  They can fly as fast as 50 - 60 miles per hour and are known as the largest flying bird.
-  Life expectancy in a protected environment is 30 years.
-  They are not known to attack humans without cause, and actually can remember humans that have been kind to them.
-  The word swan is one of the oldest names in the English language, coming from the Anglo-Saxons.
-  There are nine varieties of swans.

Some symbolic meanings of swans:
-  Peace and tranquility
-  Native American peoples - connected to one of the most sacred mysteries of the Lakota/Dakota religion, in which the swan acts as a messenger of faith.
-  In England - symbol of loyalty and strength.
-  In ancient Greece - symbol of beauty and grace.
-  Because it has domain over water as well as air, the swan is considered to be the Bird of Light and is associated with the dawning of the Sun.
-  Swans also symbolize sensitivity and love.
-  A reminder of blessings in relationships. 
There are many symbols to be found but the ones listed are a few of the most note worthy.  We can say with assurance, that swans have inspired art, music, literature and dance.

In closing, I am posting the above photos of a beautiful January sunset in a heaven of clouds and color above Mt. Vernon.  God's blessings came in varied forms and surprises that just happened to 'turn up' at The Turn-Up Patch.

Now that we are in the month of February, I look forward to unexpected blessings that only our Creator can bring to uplift, affirm and a reminder that He is the "I AM".

Until Monday, February 16..........