I have Karl to thank for the opportunity to see these clouds and the chance to get photos…
On the alert – a herd of deer ran through the woods and Karl was barking so I went out to see – otherwise would have missed this…. Happy Birthday to ME!
Usually there is some sadness here in Northwestern Montana as summer comes to an end – this year, though, we are all not only ready for it to be over but praying for that first heavy snow – at the very least some good rain and a hard frost! Between record heat, record fires and wasps/hornets/yellow jackets it has been a summer to remember although hardly with fondness.
On the good news front, the fire near Glacier (Skyland) and west of Whitefish (Brush Creek) have calmed a bit – or at least they seem to have a handle on the fronts nearest homes, ranches and structure. Seeley Lake (Jocko Lakes) allowed some evac’d residents home. Tomorrow will be pivotal as a cold front – a REAL cold front is due to whoosh through with wind at the start and possibly strong to severe thunderstorms following. The storms are supposed to be “wet” and next week’s forecast is for a fall-type scenario with much cooler temps and real RAIN.
The bad news and a bit ironic – I returned from Missoula on Monday 8/14. Yesterday at approximately 2:15 a fire (Black Cat) started just a few miles from Jim n Mary’s RV park and additionally closed route 93 for some time. Homeowner’s were evacuated with less than an hour’s notice. Scary stuff and that kind of thing is a possibilty throughout Montana and probably a lot of the west until we get significant moisture.
So – VERY glad to be home – but glad to have gone… the little trip broke the anxiety, even given the continued high fire danger. Local fire departments have been given funds to keep manpower and equipment staged and ready to quickly knock down any new starts. My own volunteer district is now “manned” (and PAID!) 24/7 with 2 of 7 engines out of the halls and at strategic points of the district.
Karl and Bob are glad to be home and back in their routine – off leash and in their own space. Always funny – the first night back they are both very snuggly – Karl, who on rare occasions will come on the bed ALWAYS joins Bob and I when we return home. My boys – they are excellent company at home or on the road….
Karl and Mocha met yesterday on our late afternoon walk and it was love at first sight. They played and played – mostly Karl on the ground and Mocha all over him. Mocha is a nine month old Shih-tsu (I’ll have to check that spelling) – she spent a lot of her puppy-hood with 3 Akitas so 1 Karelian Bear dog is hardly a challenge. So funny such a little dog and such a big dog having such fun together. I had to drag Karl away.
Today we stopped, but Mocha had been to the vet and they had had to pull some of her puppy teeth so she was pretty groggy, but when she saw Karl she perked up a bit – at least enough for the photos and a couple of kisses. She and her family leave today which is a bit sad …. Karl once again “stuck” with just Bob…
I read a daily entry from Oswald Chambers’ “My Utmost for His Hightest” every morning with my first cup of coffee and most usually from my wingback chair….these days it is in the corner of my sunroom. When I’m travelling, I read from the recliner in the motorhome. It has been part of the start of my day for nearly 12 years now and is that time of quiet – of settling my mind and thoughts at the start of the day. I use the reading to quiet my head to “Be Still” (Psalm 46:10) and know that God is present and with me. It is a time of thanksgiving, of worship, of peace and reflection. I have been through all of the entries 12 times and still there are many days when I read something as if I’ve never read it before. It is astonishing to me in it’s revelation and wisdom! And the timing – it is sometimes SO timely as to feel like an angelic hand has rewritten an entry specifically to me to correspond with what is happening at that precise moment in my life. Last week, these words were in the reading:
God is not working towards a particular finish; His end is the process – that I see Him walking on the waves, no shore in sight, no success, no goal, just the absolute certainty that it is all right because I see Him walking on the sea. It is the process, not the end which is glorifying to God.
God’s end is to enable me to see that He can walk on the chaos of my life just now. If we have a further end in view, we do not pay sufficient attention to the immediate present: if we realize that obedience is the end, then each moment as it comes is precious.
The journey – not the destination… The time of NOW not the future or the past. NOW is the blessed time whether it is a joyous time or in the most difficult and painful of circumstances.
A beloved cat, Sam, who belongs to my folks has been very ill. Sam is special to me as well as to them. He was the inspiration for me adopting my first cat, Gus. Gus was my “angel cat” – a fierce and dedicated hunter but also a neck hugger and lover – with me for 9 years. When Gus was a year old we visited my mother and Sam – Sam, who never liked another cat, took Gus under wing and taught him to hunt. It was an incredible bonding between 2 male cats. I lost Gus nearly 2 years ago – as far as I know to another predator. It is still an incredibly painful loss and to this day I would gladly sell everything but my soul to have him back.
Sam is approximately 15 years old – senior for a cat, but still an active hunter – also an affectionate cat who loves to nap on my step-Dad’s lap and have his whiskers rubbed. Now, some mysterious infection – but as of yesterday he was eating and regaining strength – hopefully on the mend. And it is not just concern for Sam, but also for my folks who love him dearly and have shared his life. They and I are all well aware of the life span of dogs and cats and of the greater cycle of life that we are all part of. That knowledge does not make a loss or the endurance of pain any more endurable – it is always just hard and exhausting. And for me, a reminder that loss is part of life and there will be more loss in my own life – times of despair and sadness. What brings hope is the sure knowledge that “He can walk on the chaos of my life”…
Job 12: 7-10
But ask the animals and they will teach you or the birds of the air and they will tell you
Or speak to the earth and it will teach you or let the fish of the sea inform you.
Which of all these does not know that the hand of God has done this.
In His Hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.
***Bob IS down to 19 pounds from 22!
