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

Morning Gold

There's something magical about a summer morning

just after the whip-poor-will has silenced its strident song

and before the glowing sun has appeared over the hill. 

It's then that we see some of the more reclusive creatures that inhabit our forest,
 like the bobcat that appeared recently.  

Yesterday, at first light, a family of raccoons scrambled down one tree 

and up another, four small masked fluff balls following a larger one, 

their striped tails broadcasting their identity.

It's only early in the morning that we see the big bucks; 

they visit occasionally,
and long before the sun comes up they melt back into the woods.

The Italians have a phrase, "Il mattino ha l'oro in bocca" 

which corresponds loosely to our adage "the early bird gets the worm".  

Literally, it translates, "the morning has gold in its mouth".

I like that thought, and I think it's true.

There's another thing that's golden about the morning.

The ancient Jewish prophet Jeremiah wrote,

"The faithful love of the Lord never ends!

His mercies never cease.

Great is His faithfulness;

His mercies begin afresh each morning."

As long ago as those words were written,
they are just as true today,
just as they always will be.




Linking with Camera Critters
and Weekly Top Shot

Sent With a Kiss

Click on any photo for a larger view.

My husband, Don, is a real estate broker, and one of the perks of being married to someone in his profession, is that we often go together to photograph his listings, and I get to see some beautiful places.

It was a cool morning when we went to shoot an acreage he has listed for sale, eleven some acres near the lake, mostly wooded, with a good-sized field in the front.

We met the owners there, a retired couple who like to do a lot of trail riding with their three beautiful Missouri Fox Trotters.  We followed the owner lady to the field where the horses were grazing in the shade.  She made a kissing sound and pointed, and the horses started running away, their legs barely touching the ground.  And then they flew, or so it seemed, their manes and tails giving form to the wind.  They went in a wide sweep around the long field, and when they returned, another kiss sent them around again.

When they returned the second time, I almost missed what the owner said; it was spoken in such a soft voice.  It was only when I saw the horses react to her that I understood she had been talking to them.  "Ok," the owner had told them, "now you can settle down and graze". And that's exactly what they did.

When I asked about the training, the owner mentioned that they follow the training principles of Clinton Anderson from Australia, which, from where we were standing, appeared to be highly effective.  She said that the horses listen to her and watch her body language.  When she kissed and pointed, it was the "sending exercise", which told the horses to go away, and then turn back toward her. Such a signal might be used to send the horses through a gate, or to a trailer. When she told them to graze, her dropped arm and relaxed posture reinforced her words. 

I haven't been around horses much, but it was quite amazing to see these powerful animals controlled by the body language and quiet voice of a woman who is a fraction of their size.  

I might be remiss if I didn't mention that if you'd like to see more about this property, you can check out the details on my husband's website by clicking here, and scrolling down to the forth property.

The first photo was taken by Don.

Linking with Camera Critters

Peaceable Kingdom

It was hot yesterday morning, and as I hurried to fill the bird bath and feeder before work, there was a surprise waiting for me. From just behind the bird feeder, a bobcat sprinted a short distance away and laid down.

We watched each other warily at first.  I was ready to run for the house at one false move. These creatures are extremely fast, and a rabid one should not be taken lightly.  Then the bobcat settled down to his business, and I to mine.  He stayed when I went in the house, came back with my camera, and took some shots.  

After a small yawn, he thumped his short tail on the ground several times, then settled in for a good cleaning up.

I got out the hose, scrubbed the bird bath, filled the feeder, and watered the raspberries while he was cleaning up, then turned back to wrap up the hose.  When I looked again, he was gone.

My first guess, of course, was that he was sick, though he appeared to be well fed; bobcats are very nocturnal and have a natural fear of humans.  We're not excluding the possibility, however, that, since we were gone much of last week, he got used to this place when we weren't around and considers it part of his hunting grounds.  I can only speculate how often he may have watched us from the shadows.

We impact our surroundings, sometimes in ways we don't intend.  We feed the small creatures, who congregate, and at times, by this, become more available to predators.  And though we always root for the smaller ones, we have no illusions that we have any control over the outcome.

A wild hen turkey has been coming around lately with one darling poult, a far cry from the average hatch of twelve.  This bobcat may have warmed his belly with some of the eggs, or the small poults.

Such is life on our beautiful planet, and things like this remind us that there's something broken about this world, that, as hard as we try, we can't fix.  As Christians, we anticipate the day when Jesus will reign as king and all of nature will be at peace.  

The wolf will live with the lamb,

the leopard will lie down with the goat, 

the calf and the lion and the yearling together;

and a little child will lead them.

The cow will feed with the bear,

their young will lie down together,

 and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

The infant will play near the cobra's den, 

and the young child will put its hand into the viper's nest.

They will neither harm nor destroy 

on all my holy mountain,

for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord

as the waters cover the sea.

Isaiah 11:6-9

Linking with Tuesday Muse
and Camera Critters

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