Birds don't "stay at home"

We may all be having to "stay-at-home" by order of the governor of our state, but the birds have no reason to pay any mind to it.

I saw a hawk sitting on my purple martin house one day!

Fly away, Mr. Hawk!  Leave my birdies alone!

"He's gone, Mildred!  We are safe!"

The next day, another hawk was in the birch tree.  But luckily, he had to fly elsewhere for his dinner.

A "hawk" cloud

 Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are at the pond and just recently decided to make a nest at the little creek behind our home.  They have discovered the seeds that  drop from the bird feeder and so I have left some purposely on the ground for them.

I love Mrs. Mallard's blue markings!     There they go, waddling back to the creek.



As I was walking around our pond with my walking partner, we saw a great blue heron looking for dinner.

  As we walked by, he decided we were too close so he flew to the other side of the pond.

The sidewalk came to the other side too, so we were interrupting his fishing.  Sorry, Mr. Heron!

When walking along the river downtown, we saw this Greater Yellowlegs sandpiper.  Migrating up north to Canada.  Yup, paying no attention to any order to stay at home!

Early one morning, out of my dining room window I saw 3 white egrets at the pond.  I was still in pajamas, or I'd have gone out to get closer.  Last year, they came to the creek behind our house.  Maybe they will yet.

They are working on a new pond to the south of our house that has been added to our development and that pond overflows under the street to this creek that then flows into the pond in our back yard.  I like to call it a creek, although I suppose it could be called a "ditch".  But that doesn't sound as nice as "creek".  There are lots of frogs in this creek we can hear croaking in the evening.  I LOVE that sound!

This was last year.

 The pussy willows were taken out, but hopefully they will grow back?  I can only hope.

Hi, Mr. Robin!  The male has a brighter marking on its breast and the female's feathers look more washed out is what I have read.  So I think this is a male.

Wait a minute, Mr. Squirrel.  Do you think you are a bird?  (He could NOT figure out how to get the bird food.)

Mr. Chickadee knows how to slip right into that bird feeder.  It keeps the bigger birds out, like blackbirds and grackles....and squirrels!  (I say Mr. Chickadee, but it is hard to tell the difference between a male and female.  The male has a bigger black bib, but they flit about so fast and there weren't a pair here.)

Mr. Goldfinch enjoys thistle seed and Mr. Oriole enjoys his grape jelly, orange half and sugar water!

I have safflower for the doves.

This male has a bum leg.  He hobbles around.  We call him "Long John Silver".

 Kissing.   Well, it IS that time of year! 

 All the birds have been showing off for their mates!

I grew up with this sweet little prayer that reminds me of this picture above:

God is great,

God is good,

Let us thank Him for our food.

By His hand we are all fed,

Give us Lord our daily bread.

            

Before sheltering down.

Do you remember before we had the order to "stay-at-home"?  When we got back from Wisconsin at the beginning of March, we had several activities that we would not be able to do now.  COVID19 seemed far away.  We had heard about some cases in Washington.  But so far, we had no idea that the world would come to a sudden halt.

My friend Debbie from Colorado came to Kansas for her mother's funeral.

 It was a beautiful service.  Debbie played the piano and her brother-in-law was the song leader.

"Great is Thy Faithfulness"
    "It is Well With My Soul"
         "Because He Lives"
               "We Shall  Behold Him" - Debbie played this beautiful solo on the piano.
Songs of the faith that we could sing with conviction because He IS faithful and He DOES live!

Here is a quilt Debbie's mother made.

Had this happened just a few weeks later, this funeral would have had to wait.  

Hugs would have had to wait. 

My Dad's 2nd cousin, Jim Goering spoke at the library about his life and the book he wrote.

(This book has been good reading while "sheltering down".)

Reading this book I found out that although Jim is 20 years older than us, he and Al shared 3 of the same grade school teachers!  These teachers were just starting their teaching careers when Jim was there and by the time Al was in gradeschool, they were older or almost ready to retire.  I also shared 1 teacher, Melvin Flickinger, when I came to the States for my 8th grade year.  He was my most favorite teacher in all my school years!

Jim and Shirley are one of the most amazing couples I know!!  What a life they have led!  Shirley has  been with me during some dark days and been such a comfort to me!

They have lived much of their life overseas and know some very important people.  They came to Japan a couple of times and visited my parents.  On one visit, my parents took them to the public bath in our town.  Men and women's areas were separated by a curtain.  While in the hot bath, their son looked at my dad and said "Uncle Pete, what would happen if the curtain fell down?"  "We'd just stay under the water" he replied. In the picture below, you see a wall separating men and women.

Here is a sample of a public bath.  When I was in high school, we kids who stayed in the dorms over the weekends would go to the one in Higashikurume (in the metropolis of Tokyo).  You wash yourself clean, then soak in the hot tubs.  The three tubs had 3 different temperatures.  I think that is where I learned to take VERY HOT baths.  Allen cannot handle the heat I do.  I find it so relaxing!

That was a little side trip.  Back to our March pre-quarantine - Our son and his family and in-laws drove through on their way back to Arkansas from their ski trip in Colorado.  Enough for bathroom break and big hugs.  Those hugs may have to last for awhile.

We have a Japanese college student living with us this year and the college had an instrumental program with the chamber orchestra and wind ensemble.

There were 2 special guests.  Dr. Thea Groth, Instructor of Bassoon from Luther College and Dr. Derek Shapiro, Director of Bands at Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ.  I loved this number.

On the 7th, I went on the bird walk at the college.  It is held most months on the 1st Saturday.  They send out an email or announce in the paper the time the walk begins.  It all depends on what time the birds are active in the morning.  

This was the sign that was put up on the trail since our "stay-at-home" the governor issued.

Al mowed the grass after the long winter.  I had wintered geraniums and other flowers in our basement window well and we brought them out.  We still had a couple of nights of below freezing weather where we had to take them into the garage though.

I taught Sunday School

 And Awana Cubbies

Now, we are doing that on-line (another post)

My daughter and granddaughter celebrated their birthdays.

We went to Back Alley a couple of nights to talk with a couple of people who want to become a part of our church body.  As an elder, Al takes his turn interviewing.  It was so interesting to hear about their walk with the Lord!  Here is a picture of us at Back Alley with Jason and Mindy.  Their pizza is sooo good!

I had my Young Moms' Bible study (didn't get a picture) and also my Bible study with we older ladies.  Jan, our teacher asked us to share something we had made or done.  (It had to do with the lesson.)   I was so impressed with the talent the ladies have!  Sewing, writing books, biking long distance, baking, stain glass, embroidery, etc.  Wow!!

And then the middle of March, it seemed like things were coming to a halt.  

Our son's church and son-in-law's churches were going to go on-line.  March Madness was cancelled!!  WHAT!??  All college and high school games cancelled.  State competitions cancelled.  Our granddaughter who had gotten 1's in the singing competition and was to be able to compete at State would no longer be doing that.  Sadness.

Mindy called to say she could not find any spray and shelves were empty.  She took that picture in her San Francisco store.

I sent her a bottle of Lysol because I had an extra one.  

We had planned to host a couple of Japanese women from New York.  They decided to cancel due to this COVID-19.

"Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."  Proverbs 19:21

Easter weekend, Part 2

The picture above is from the garden tomb in Jerusalem, where we were able to celebrate a sunsrise service on Easter a few years ago.  What a privilege that was for us!

It was a different kind of Easter this year, wasn't it?  I decorated my house, although no one was able to see the decorations I set out since we are all having to "stay-at-home". Well, I enjoyed them!  A friend made this empty tomb scene.  She had looked in stores for something that shows the REAL meaning of Easter. Not finding what she had envisioned, she made several of these.  She has since passed away from cancer.  She has seen - is seeing - Christ, the Risen One!!




During the week, our church had been sending out daily readings to point us to Easter and prepare us for this day.  I loved it!

This Easter no one would be dressing up in their new spring outfits and going to church.
                                          Church would come to us!

We took in the sunrise service that our church had.  Thank you, Pastor Kyle!

Allen and I decided to go for a walk around the pond.  Rain was in the forecast so we thought it would be good to go before the front moved in.

 It was beginning to sprinkle, but luckily we both had raincoats.  As we finished our walk detouring around the neighborhood, we saw the "Easter bunny" taking protection under the Emergency Management vehicle!

 The rain had begun by the time we got home, so we dried off and then watched the Easter service from Wisconsin where our son-in-law is a pastor.  Our daughter happened to be on the piano that morning.

 Their church has been memorizing Psalm 46.  Such a good Psalm to know in these troubled times. I remember my Dad reading this to Allen's mother as she was dying in the hospital.  At that time, she was my age that I am now.  64.

God is our refuge and strength, 

        an ever-present help in trouble. 

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way 

          and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 

though its waters roar and foam 

     and the mountains quake with their surging. 

 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, 

              the holy place where the Most High dwells. 

 God is within her, she will not fall; 

        God will help her at break of day.

  Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; 

              He lifts his voice, the earth melts. 

   The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. 

   Come and see what the LORD has done, 

           the desolations he has brought on the earth. 

   He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth.

   He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; 

   He burns the shields with fire.  

           He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; 

              I will be exalted among the nations, 

                  I will be exalted in the earth.” 

 The LORD Almighty is with us; 

       the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Church members sent in video clips of them saying this Psalm that was learned with actions.  It was so neat to see all the families and individuals together saying this Psalm of comfort.

Adam gave a clear message about the resurrection of our Lord and a call to believe in the Risen One!  You never know when it will be your time!

Sometimes those of us who have heard this story for years forget the shock of someone coming to life again who had been dead!  If the doorbell rang and I opened the door and saw my mother-in-law, I would faint away!  The truth is, she IS alive!  As is my father-in-law and my own parents.  They are with Christ!!  No wonder the disciples were willing to unashamedly and boldly share their faith in the One Who they saw come back to life!  Most died as martyrs - these men who had cowered in fear when Christ was arrested.

 Adam and Jill and a few others made a little worship video collage.
"What a wonderful Name it is"

After listening to Community Church's Easter service, we cast our church's Easter service onto our tv.

Pastor Jack spoke on the Risen Shepherd.  Jesus went through His own valley of the shadow of death.  His darkest moment, all for you and for me!  And He walks with us in our valleys!  

Our church also had a video montage.  Was there even such a thing before the pandemic?

"Praise the Father, Praise the Son, Praise the Spirit, three in one...

          Praise forever to the King of Kings."

Thank you, Grace Community Church!  We miss you all!  It was good to see all your faces!

We ate some lunch and then watched our 4th service! 
Our son's church, New Heights, in Arkansas.

A Gaither song!  This is from our era!  The words really fit for today!

Because He lives I can face tomorrow

Because He lives all fear is gone

Because I know He holds the future

And life is worth the living just because He lives.

 The greatest sacrifice of love.
"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."       Romans 5:8

A baptism during COVID19

Because of Christ's death and resurrection, we are no longer slaves!

In the evening, I watched this.

Although we didn't get to do the normal Easter egg hunt and pot luck with family, my heart was just FULL, praising the Lord for His goodness, for His rescue! 

And for a sweet ending to this weekend, the kids sent pictures of their kids!