Category: Amazing Creations

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Memories, Nature

Surprise!

I was headed downstairs the other day. I saw something on the carpet at the base of the stairs. I figured it was a piece of glitter or a shiny piece off my jeans pocket. When I got to the landing I bent to pick it up. Was very startled to wind up picking up a lightning bug. It was no longer moving, but still glowing. Must have come in on the bottom of a shoe, I mused, and then floods of memories.

I have fond memories from childhood of hunting and catching lightning bugs. First we would pound holes into the lid of a jar. (Lids were metal then before plastics took over manufacturing and metal became rare.) We would capture the bugs in our hand and then put them in a mayonnaise jar. Yep, a glass jar we were allowed to run around with! The more you caught the harder it was to get it in the jar without releasing the others or squashing it in an effort to close the lid quickly. If I was particularly lucky, I was allowed to keep the jar in my bedroom over night. Nothing quite like the magic of falling asleep to blinking fireflies!

Only God could think up something this amazing!

This year in mid-spring when I saw one in the daytime on the window screen I couldn’t wait to tell Bob. He said he had seen one, too. The first brood was in early May, but they never last long. Now in Mid-June we are in the type that live about 2 months.

Amusing that we see these in the middle of the night. (No, I have not ‘stayed out late’ and tried to catch any in years.) Bob and I both wear Fitbit step counters. They also monitor our sleep. He says that sometimes when I roll over in the night mine lights up. Or if he gets up and returns to bed his lights up. Says it is like having giant fireflies in the bedroom.

As a real child, growing up allowed to explore the natural world as far as our yard and one or two others, some kid (probably one of the boys from down the street that we played “War” with), taught me that if you step on a lightning bug on the sidewalk and smear it, it will glow. Turns out we were triggering the chemical reaction that the bugs produced in life to create their bio-luminescence. If you want more information click on this link: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/group/fireflies/

So thank you little beetle for bringing me such joy for my entire lifetime. I was amazed when nephews and nieces visited from California and they had never seen fireflies.

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Covid 19, Memories, Special Event

Grandgirl #1

Our first grandchild, Lizzie, graduates today. The child was born September 2001, on our wedding anniversary and a few weeks after the terrorist bombings of New York City, attempt at Washington and crash into the Pentagon. School was closed and began on-line classes in March this year. Her Senior prom was cancelled due to Covid-19. She had already purchased her dress.

Now it is time for graduation and it too will be peculiar. The school decided to have each graduate walk across the stage to get their diploma. BUT there will only be one family in the auditorium at a time. The staff will be there from 8:30 to 9:30PM, or some such. Long day for them. Lizzie’s time is scheduled for 10:30 AM. At first they were limiting attendance to four people per student. That meant Bob and I would have to decide which one of us was attending. Then they changed it to seven people per student. Whew! now we both get to attend.

This child has always been shy and does NOT like to have her photo taken. Recently, she did like her new shirt and let me get this photo.

Skidamarink and her cousin
Her baptism with Camp Counselors (Pop in the blue shirt in background!)

This sweet girl won three academic awards her senior year. The program was on YouTube with teachers and administrators making the announcements, before no in house audience. Two years in a row she won an award in American Sign Language. She will enroll in the local branch of University of Cincinnati this autumn. The world is in store for a great young lady!!

As a volleyball player she is ALWAYS in motion!

Go 32!

Please pray for her future! I often sang this to her when she was very young. If I am not mistaken the “I love you” at the end is done in American Sign Language!

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Nature

Out My Office Window

Bachelor Buttons reseeded themselves again and have been gigantic this year of mild weather. In the yard recently I captured a shot of this guy.

As I type this I can hear his honeybee cousin out the open window on the same group of flowers!

I think the heat and rain have about finished the poppies. And then, they keep blooming! I may try to thin them and move them about when they go dormant. Then again, I hesitate for fear I will damage or kill one!

Planted this cheery yellow perennial a couple years ago. It is flourishing this spring. Would have to go out to the garden and get the tag to know it’s name. I keep forgetting it. I can use it in cut flower arrangements as long as it keeps access to the sun.

Purple Salvia and Lemondrop Oenothera – no wonder I can’t remember it!

PREVIEW OF COMING ATTRACTIONS: Bob has hidden some sunflower plants just next to the poppies. Perhaps we will have groups of birds at the window in those sunflowers if the deer do not eat off the flower heads before they bloom!

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Nature

New to Us!

The Nature Conservancy has a preserve called Edge of Appalachia. It is co-owned and operated with Cincinnati Museum Center. The property is in Adams county and is one of the most biodiverse natural areas in the region. We had never been there until recently.

We hiked the Lynx Prairie Preserve Trails. (We actually missed a tiny portion as the rain began to threaten us.) I was delighted to find some flowers I had not seen before and one I see rarely.

As we entered the trail this beauty greeted us. At first I thought it might be an Indian Paint Brush. Turns out it is also known as Scarlet Painted-Cup.

Wildflowers in color by Arthur Stupka says, “The true flowers are greenish-yellow and practically concealed by vermilion or scarlet tinged upper leaves.”

WHAAAT? I am not even looking at the flower? These are the first ones we saw on this walk and I thought perhaps someone had long ago dropped a few seeds in this areas. Nope. They are wild and we proceeded to see scads of them as we walked further! They do not remind me of the same flower we saw in the Southwestern States.

This beauty got a crummy name: “Common Lousewort.” It is also known by a much nicer name, “wood-betony.” So peculiar! I think it is lovely. The flowers can be yellow, white or the red ones we saw.

The trail was 1.3 miles (three interconnecting loop trails.) Described as easy. I want to return there. Wondering if the partial loop we skipped had Lady Slipper’s? Pink, yellow or white? I’m game!

Tomorrow I will show my two FAVORITES from this hike!

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Nature, Social Distancing, Traveling

Any Idea What This Is?

So my husband has been stir crazy and when I walk into a room now and he has something to tell me he say, “oh! ooh! Call on me!” sort of like this guy

The first photo is a wild geranium. I love the little bee in the center with pollen on it’s abdomen! Here he is close up in case you missed him.

We kept seeing this and telling each other that cannot be May Apple. They are smooth and these are heavily veined. I did not get a photo, but they are called umbrella leaf and a found a photo on the web.

The first time I saw Bluets we were in the Smoky Mountains. They were lovely, tiny and so baby blue. Now I know they also grow as Narrow-leaved Bluets and can have white-to-pink or lavender flowers!

Keep your eyes open! Never know when you will see a treasure in plain sight!

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Nature, Social Distancing, Traveling

Wildflowers

Mywildflowers.com says I was looking at: Golden Ragwort! Goodness that website is MUCH faster than looking through my flower books 🙂

Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower) Height: 1 to 2 ft.Blooms: April to July Leaf Type: toothed Bloom Size:  0.75 in. (typical)Flower Description: Flat or rounded clusters, Regular blooms, 10 or more parts

I want Canada Violets in my yard to grow with my purple Wild Violets which I DO NOT consider to be a broad leaf weed, thank you very much!

Yep, that flower is overexposed. Still learning!!

I must admit I did not know to look under the petals to see if there was green there. I believe this is called Star of Bethlehem. I like the One the star pointed to!

I think this was a tree swallow, though there was a barn nearby! (Giggle, do barn swallows need to live near or within a barn?!?)

I love the watch swallows fly! They seem so carefree.
Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Nature

So Let’s Step Away

from all the virus worries. I will share some of the treasures in plain sight from one recent hike.

I only saw one piece of leaf being carried!

Proverbs 6:6-11 (NIV2011)  “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!  It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,  yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.  How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?  A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—  and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.”

So I guess I better keep walking and staying motivated during this time in my life. Look what we saw on the same walk at Long Branch Farm in Goshen, Ohio, part of the Cincinnati Nature Center. If you know me you know I love purple!

Spring Larkspur

Where will your journey take you?

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Nature, Traveling

A Song of Creation

Our walk at the Edge of Appalachia took us to Creek’s Bend Overlook where I recorded this short 31 second video. With all the pandemic stress and arguing about re-opening and death spikes, I found this SO refreshing. The wind makes it a bit difficult to hear the water, but it was makes sound, too. Maybe turn up your volume as we glorify the Lord together.

Canticle 12 

Glorify the Lord, all you works of the Lord,
Praise Him and highly exalt Him for ever.
In the firmament of His power, glorify the Lord,
Praise Him and highly exalt Him for ever.
 
Let the earth glorify the Lord,
Praise Him and highly exalt Him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O mountains and hills,
And all that grows upon the earth,
Praise Him and highly exalt Him for ever.
 
Glorify the Lord, O springs of water, seas and streams,
O whales and all that move in the waters.
All birds of the air, glorify the Lord
Praise Him and highly exalt Him for ever.
 
Glorify the Lord, O beasts of the wild,
And all you flocks and herds.
O men and women everywhere, glorify the Lord,
Praise Him and highly exalt Him for ever.
 
Posted on in Aging, Amazing Creations, Nature

Took Off a Few Days

Well last week was a tiring week. Wednesday (20/5/6)I began having pain between my shoulder blades and noticed some shortness of breath. Thursday both continued.  Friday (20/5/8) morning coming up the stairs from sewing I was really short of breath. Also had a cough that was unusual. Finally called doctor in the afternoon. After long phone interview with nurse was told to go to ER. That was about 5 PM. Not Covid, no fever and was not even tested as I did not meet the criteria.

Blood work, chest x-ray, etc. kept coming back with good results. And then, “Oh by the way, we need to admit you.” WHAT!?!?!? Evidently there is a coronary score and I scored 4. If it had been 3 I could have gone home. Waited hour upon hour in the ER to be moved to the floor. Evidently they had to call in more nurses. Many had been furloughed due to lower hospital population because Covid criteria had cancelled elective surgeries, etc.

So by the time testing in ER was done, cafeteria was closed. I had missed dinner. They brought me a turkey sandwich, applesauce, cottage cheese and pudding. When you are hungry, it all tastes okay.


Finally got to bed at 2 AM on the floor. Scheduled  Saturday morning for nuclear stress test. And yep, you got it! NPO – nothing by mouth because of testing. At nuclear medicine they had me drink a Sierra Mist sugar free and I got 4 peanut butter crackers. Tasty! Evidently that helps the nuclear medication move through your heart. Back up to my room and nope. Nothing to eat. Missed breakfast. When floor doctor came in she said, “Feed her!” While waiting for cafeteria to deliver lunch I was given strawberry yogurt. Yummy! Lunch was chicken pot pie (albeit, salt free because I was on cardiac floor) peach cobbler, iced tea. Mom would be proud. I was a member of the Clean Plate Club!!

The Nuclear Stress Test results were negative (I DO have a heart!!) and I was released at 1:30 PM Saturday.  Bronchitis, steroids, inhaler. No antibiotic as no fever. Cough is better after steroids. Just. So. Tired. Now. after that lousy night with little sleep and short of breath. So all is well! And I will be also!

Am writing this Monday morning (20/5/11) and still short of breath. But so much better than Friday! And SO grateful to be home in our house, our own bed, my own shower and the glory in our garden and yard!!

One of the biggest fears during hospital stay was lousy weather forecast with below freezing temperatures for many hours into Saturday morning. I insisted we cover most blooms with sheets before going to the ER. We have white iris with 30 some blooms and orange poppies in bloom. Not counting purple iris, columbine, bachelor buttons, etc. around the yard. The good news is we only lost one poppy bloom. That was all. Bad forecast tonight too as far as frost. Hoping for the best!