Easter – 2023

Low in the grave Christ lay, Jesus my Savior,

waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!

Vainly they watch his bed, Jesus my Savior, 

vainly they seal the dead, Jesus my Lord!

Death cannot keep its prey, Jesus my Savior;

he tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord!

Up from the grave Christ arose;

with a mighty triumph o’er his foes; 

he arose a victor from the dark domain, 

and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.

He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

-Robert Lowry

My Morning Walk

Here’s what I saw on this morning’s walk…
Snow!
Lots and lots of snow!
And deer!
Lots and lots of deer!
Dressed in the morning snow
Melting away into a white trailside cathedral
And birds!
Lots and lots of birds!
… a flicker, hugging a tree trunk
… downy woodpeckers, flitting about
… chickadees, darting from snowy twig to snowy twig
… a pileated woodpecker, the avian prize
And tracks!
Lots and lots of tracks!
Dog-like, but not a dog’s
A coyote! A gray ghost, ahead, watching, then trotting away.
And me!
… alone on the snowy path, but not alone
If you know what I mean
This is my Father’s world… 
If you know what I mean…

Sometimes There are Clouds

Sometimes there are none.

Sunny days. No shade. Cold winter nights.

Sometimes they are quite ordinary.

Sheets of gray. Nondescript. Hiding what’s behind.

Sometimes they provide interesting backdrops.

To enhance the ordinary.

Sometimes they bring what we need.

To fill creeks. To quench thirst. To water the earth.

Sometimes they’re a gift.

… If we pay attention…

To dazzle. To delight. To make us smile.

Today’s unexpected delight… Today’s gift.

The Weather

There’s been a lot of talk about the weather these days. From the west coast to the east and everywhere in between it’s been weather! weather! weather!

Realizing there’s nothing I can do about it, today, I decided rather than talk about the weather it was time to explore some of the effects of the weather. 

So, on this very cold, sunny, cloudless day, with a nearby creek swollen by recent rains, I risked frozen fingers to try the ‘five shot’ challenge. Could I take five photos worthy of posting in the blog?

Here’s what I came up with…

Today’s gift.