Midwinter Freeze

On a recent morning before the freeze, 

a yellow-shafted flicker was hard at work punching holes in our yard, 

the red heart on the back of his neck pumping in rapid fire motion 

with every thrust of his beak.

If he was looking for a fat grub for breakfast,

he didn't come up with one while I was watching.  

It wasn't for lack of trying.

In this 10 second video, he strikes the ground about 30 times.

A couple of days later, the cold came, and the ground, hard as stone, locked up its treasures.

Deer, dressed in their winter coats, dug through the snow for food...

and made way when the Prince of the Forest appeared.

Birds fluffed out their down coats to obtain the highest possible insulation.

Steam rolled in from the lake at the Theodosia Marina...

turning every surface into a confectioner's masterpiece.




He supplies snow like wool, scattering frost like ashes.
Psalm 147:16





Linking with Wild Bird Wednesday
Saturday's Critters

Sky Dragons and a Million Dollar Bridge

When the Theodosia Bridge was completed in 1952, it was called "The Million Dollar Bridge". A few years ago, the government mandated that the old paint be removed and replaced with one that was more environmentally friendly, and the new paint job cost more than it did to build the bridge.  The material didn't hold up as well as the original, and it's slated to be painted again soon.  They're estimating four million this time.

Aside from all of that, it certainly looked like a Four Million Dollar bridge this morning,

enveloped in sun-lit fog.

The breeze was constantly changing the formation of the fog, 

swirling it to form hawks and dragons...

before the sun started to burn its way through, casting its gold on the water.

A window in the fog revealed distant hilltops.

Nearby, a fisherman had parked his boat and trailer, and was out on the chilly water, 

but in this particular spot, it was only God and me 

and a lone gull, soaring over the bridge.

It wasn't a bad way to start the day.

I headed home through the fog, and contrary to appearances, 

the other end of the bridge was still in place.

Priceless.

Linking with Weekly Top Shot
and Skywatch Friday

Front Row Seats

Late afternoon thundershowers washed over our part of the Ozarks recently. 

 Campers at the park at Theodosia on Bull Shoals Lake 

had front row seats to glimpse God's majesty

brushed over the sky.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

The skies display His craftsmanship.

Psalm 19:1

Linking with Skywatch Friday 

and Tuesday Muse

Light From Above

The sky was clear before dawn under a star-studded canopy,

Orion shining so bright overhead

you could almost touch the sword hanging from his belt.

As cool air settled in,

the lake, still warm from the sun, 

put on a new robe...

reflected sky and fog and grass...

soothed the memory of the harsh summer.

Trees vanished in the mist, 

then reappeared like the spare brush strokes of a Japanese ink painting.

On the hilltop, the early light streamed through the trees,

transforming the woods into a place of wonder...

and worship.

Linking with Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood
and
Weekly Top Shot

Sun, Fog, and a Soggy Dog

It's nice to live in a universe with so many wonders.

Fog rises from the lake this morning as if someone has taken the lid off the green beans. I'm armed with a camera and tripod, but Barley thinks this is a swimming expedition. And he's right, of course, when there's water nearby, it always is.  We find a stick, I throw it out, and he makes a leaping dash into the lake toward the rising sun.  Snatching it from the water, he swims back, a beam of golden light chasing him to the shore.

When he's finished, I compose some shots.  The sun rising through the fog registers in my mind only as a thing of beauty, not as a marker of time, so it's a surprise when I look at my watch and see that almost an hour has passed.  Come to think of it, does time really exist in the fog?

And these are but the outer fringe of His works;  

how faint the whisper we hear of Him! 

Who then, can understand the thunder of His power? 

Job 27:14

Linking with Skywatch Friday

Clouds of Fury

Don, besides being a good photographer himself, is often my spotter for photo ops.  This afternoon, he called from where he was driving back to his office, and said I needed to see the clouds over Theodosia.  I was at my computer, unaware of the sky, and I'm so grateful he called.  The clouds were full of fury, thunder and lightning, and so far, 3/4 inches of rain.

This is the Theodosia bridge, with the marina across the lake.

Who can understand how He spreads out the clouds,

how He thunders from His pavilion?

Job 36:29

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A Place to Swim

The water in the cove near us, where Barley often swims, is up in the trees now, and it's still covered with flotsam, so this morning before breakfast I took him across the lake where the water is clear.  I threw sticks for him, and he swam after them, shaking vigorously after each retrieve.  When he was tired, he trotted up to the car with his stick, still dripping like a loaded sponge.  The sun was just up, lighting the clouds to the south, and a small breeze made the morning most pleasant.  There was just enough time to take a few pictures before breakfast.  These were taken from near the Theodosia bridge, and to give a little perspective on the high water, the small tree out in the middle of the water belongs on the bank.

The lake at 37 feet above normal is beautiful, and strikingly different.  Barley seems blissfully unaware of all this.  He'll be content as long as there's still a place to swim after a stick.