Dark and stormy night,

Ghosts, princesses, and Snoopys -

       Did you get treated?

 

Or......... 

Morning: light showers;

Afternoon: steady showers -

      Go out for a walk? 

Fine Arts Museum,

one hour pictures, 1 hour lunch,

      one hour pictures - nice.

 

And the view from the window - 

 

The red curtain in

our window is falling down,

       carpeting our lawn.

 

Big maple tree - turns bright red! 

White van at The Pete (1),

"Friendly Manitoba" plates - 

         The Combat School (2) - Huh? 

 

(1) parked in the lot at the library - Peter White Public Library, affectionately known as "The Pete"!

(2) actually, by the time I got home I'm  ot sure if it was "school" or "store" or "club" or ??????? 

Gracious God,

The harvest has come,

the early rain and the late rain have been sufficient,

And there has been no early frost!

The meadows have clothed themselves with flocks;

the valleys have decked themselves with grain;

we join in as they shout and sing together

for joy with thanksgiving.

  We pray for the soybean farmers

  and others who may be struggling one way or another.

  And we confess that

  we have not always stayed to fight the good fight,

  we have loved to wander;

  we have not restrained our feet.

But even the sparrow finds a home

and the swallow a nest for herself

where she may lay her young, in your presence.

  We long for your day to come, the time of your peace,

  when young and old, men and women will be washed with your Spirit,

  and will see visions and dream dreams.

Do not be like a stranger in the land,

like a traveler turning aside for the night.

You are in the midst of us – do not forsake us.

Come Lord, and save us.

 

Carrots, more carrots!

What to do with 7 pounds?

      Carrot bran muffins!

 

Some place between 5 and 10 pounds. A dozen muffins takes 2 or maybe 3 - carrots, not pounds! But they are good, with grated apple and chopped dates. Should have added walnuts.

Down into dark trees,

in a soft orange evening glow -

        a crescent moon sets.

 

Really lovely, we had to pull off the road to watch. Wish I had a picture to show you.

 Look south - clear blue sky;

Look north - gray sky and darker. 

      Where's the day headed? 

 Sun shining through rain,

Now a gray disk, now bright ray -

   Good day to read books. 

 Avocados, cheese,

chick sausage, bratwurst, coffee -

     ??????

 

        Meijers 5 for 5!

ie, buy five qualified items - save $5 

 Red splotch drifts right, left,

 rising, falling, comes to rest -

     last leaf of autumn?

 

ok -  we were at camp; most of the leaves are down there. 

 

God,

Thank you for being our God

and for writing your word on our hearts.

Thank you for keeping watch over us

by day and by night.

Our hearts are troubled tonight

and our teeth are on edge,

because of the violence and destruction in our world.

Some more than others perhaps,

but we all have eaten sour grapes.

May the rough taste in our mouths

lead us to follow your way more closely tomorrow.

Bless us tonight.

 

And on Monday - 

And one lingering thought on this whole "sour grapes" thing - how does that resonate with today's report that the people who are suffering the most from climate change have done the least to contribute to it?

"Press on regardless"(1),

No Kings, Art Walk, Fresh Coast Films -

     a day in the life...... (2)

(1) traditional name for a road rally

(2) Oct 18 in Marquette - along with Farmers Market, Archeology Day at History Center, NCT hike, and more. 

 Forecast is for rain,

sky showing partly sunny -

     which one to go with? 

 Cloudy afternoon,

catch the news, wait for dinner -

        cider or coffee? 

 Grind beans, (or spoon grounds),

brew hot/cold, favorite cup -

       Northern Nighthawk - ahhh!

One of Dead River Coffee's stronger blends.  We used to grind our own - now for several reasons we buy it ground.

Flame red maple leaves

at the base of tall, dark pine -

       a small autumn fire?  

Blue sky and sunshine
and seventy-one degrees -
    this is October?

 Ok, God, I'll be honest -

I'm having some trouble with seeking the welfare

of the administration that is leading us into exile

in our own country.  (IMHO!)

And I am calling to you from the roadside -

"Lord, have mercy on us."

And I do trust that you will 

"bring us out to a spacious place."

And then I and the foreigner beside me 

will turn and say "Praise you! Thank you!" 

And that would be at least 2 out of 10.

 

 

 Autumn leaves - falling;

Autumn temperatures - falling;

       Tomatoes - fallen.

 

They were ripe last week, but I was not here to pick them. Now they are lying on the ground rotting. Time and the tide and the tomatoes.... 

 I'm so glad to be

an Oscar Meyer wiener -

      every one loves me!

 

On the occasion of the OM Wienermobile visiting Marquette! 

 

Or -

Ten, ten, twenty-five,

a great day to be alive -

    and eat a wiener! 

Well, we're having lake trout instead. 

 Doe, fawn, fawn, walking

through the lawn, across the street -

          "Careful - look both ways!" 

 Ore boat on pink sky,

walking to lighthouse and back -

       clouds - 2, moon - 2, tie. 

 Blue sky and water,

red leaves, afternoon sunshine =

    walking home for soup.

 

Potato soup, that is.  We seem to have a plethora of potatoes right now. 

It's six fifty-eight

once again nothing to see -

      clouds - 2, moon - 0.

 Ok - so we have been on a cruise, 26 days along Alaska, across the North Pacific, and down to three days in Japan.  So the days and dates have not always matched up - we went through 10 time zones and crossed the international date line, which all confused the phone and the computer.  And there was no Sept 24.  (We had made reservations for one of the specialty restaurants for the 23rd, and then for the 25th, thinking we would have an "ordinary" day on the 24th.  Surprise!)

Some explanations -

+the "large pond, old pine trees, and the carp and koi" - we were at a landscape garden (   ) and as we walked around here were 2-3 couples getting wedding pictures taken - the guy in a black robe and the bride in a bright flowered/figured kimono.  They were really striking among all the locals and the tourists.  Then in the pond here was a bunch of carp (dark gray) and 2 or 3 bright orange koi.  (Actually I'm not sure if there is a difference between carp and koi.)"

+then "buffet of life" - they had set out this "taste of Japan buffet on the pool deck, and it was more food and people milling around than we even wanted to think about.   We ate in the restaurant, but it did get me thinking about all the different experiences of life that we wander through.

 

Wanted to do a "taxi ride from the airport" one to balance Sept 9, but that turned into the moon last night.  We'll see.

 

And an evening prayer for today - 

 

Dear Lord -

As evening comes, my heart is troubled.

How lonely lie so many cities that once were grand.

The thought of my afflictions and homelessness,

is wormwood and gall,

  (and even more so the afflictions and homelessness of others,

   I mean I am pretty healthy and I have a place to stay tonight and food to eat).

But as the full moon of October rises over all,

this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases,

his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

I will remember this and sleep in your care tonight,

ready to greet the morning with hope and joy.

 

The moon filters through

 scattered clouds, gently lighting

       an October earth. 

 Large pond, old pine trees 

Young couple walks together -

      koi among the carp.

 

Ok - explanation tomorrow  

 Waves splash bow to stern,
mountains approach and recede,
       sun-bathed, we sail on.

 Pink sky at sunset,

waves and water, lazy clouds -

      half moon over all.