Shiloh and Manoah

Last week we were privileged to be able to take care of two darling children while their parents were at a conference. I had loads of fun with them, playing outside and in, and snapping pictures in between.

Please meet Manoah, and Shiloh! Shiloh is a little princess, and loves playing dress up, so I found a pretty pink dress for her and she was twirling around all day long.

Manoah, on the other hand was not so keen on dressing up, but I did get him to wear a newsy hat for two minutes. He is the cutest little stinker, and over the week I fell in love with all his little ways. He thinks he can talk and in a good mood will just chatter away at you in a language which you can't quite understand.


Shiloh's favorite activity was swinging. She could swing and swing and swing all afternoon if I let her. And though I got tired of it, she never did.

Grace had bought these adorable flowers from Michael's and one day I was able to make Shiloh stay off the swing long enough to take a photo shoot. Isn't her smile just adorable!!=)

Manoah had just woken up from a nap at this point and would not let go of the bright pink flower he had picked up, nor would he smile. Oh well, I think he is just as cute frowning.

It was a great experience and I would love to do it again when the opportunity arises!

~Chs

Random Nature Pictures, and a Quick Story

Last week our family was blessed with a couple opportunities to observe Gods marvelous creation. As usual I had my camera with me and I thought you might enjoy perusing some of the memories that I captured. One of our adventures only included Josiah and I, as we were on one of the bike rides that we enjoy so much. Actually this was supposed to be a fishing trip, but the fish did not show themselves so we abandoned the idea and gave ourselves up to the beauty of the landscape awakening in spring.

Streams were full and bubbling, merrily rushing along to only the water knew where. This particular stream actually comes from (in a round about way) our pond, but at this spot it was just a vivacious creek winding itself through woods and meadows in seemingly meaningless meanderings.

Our bike ride brought us to yet another location where the stream crossed another road and here we scrambled down the embankment and explored the surrounding brush around the stream.

We espied this little nest in one of the many bushes, but whether it was from last year or a new residence formed this spring we could not quite make out.

Another find, (and in my opinion the highlight) was a large pussy willow bush eking out it's existence in a marshy spot along the creek bed. It was so content looking and elegant, and I borrowed Josiah's knife and took a few sprigs home for observation.
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On Saturday we (Faith, Josiah, Dad, and I) ventured out again, this time with Mr. Reiche as our guide, to Beaver Lake trails. On this occasion we entered by a new and to us, unknown trail. To explain the reason for this exploit, I must become a storyteller and recount to you a tale of bravery, tragedy and discovery.


It was early in the afternoon on Friday March 8th, 1957. Lt. William L. Durkee (22) was on his second cross-country flight, flying from the Selfridge Air Force Base. It was a beautiful day for flying and everything was going well, until Durkee noticed something was wrong with his jet. " I figured something was on fire because it was getting darned hot in there. I knew she was going to go sooner or later." Durkee knew he should evacuate and do it soon. " I didn't wait to remember all the instructions. I just hit the button, and my arms and legs went in all directions." He had jumped out at about 12,000 feet, his parachute dropping him into a tree. Amazingly enough, Durkee only sustained minor scratches received when jumping down from the tree. His jet on the other hand didn't fair so well. 2:30 P.M Ellis Moore's housekeeper Mrs. Ranney was doing her house work, when she was startled by an object that shot passed outside. "I was looking out the kitchen window when the plane went by...away across the field really low. Then I heard it crash." Ellis Moore was the first man on the scene but he could not get near because of the flames. This is from The Flint Journal, "Going down in a long dive, Durkee's ship barely skimmed several heavily wooded ridges before plowing into a State conservation tract in the Hadley Hills." The plane exploded throwing fire and metal everywhere. The engine lay like a burned out stump, catapulted 150 feet from the wreck.


54 years later Mr. Reiche heard about this event, and was determined to find any remains that had survived the years. Surprisingly, once he had located the spot, he didn't have to search far to find random pieces of metal scattered about. As soon as we found time, we went along with Mr. Reiche to discover some of our own artifacts.


Josiah found one piece embedded at the base of the tree, which he pulled out, examined, and then pushed back into the ground for the next group of adventurers.


We decided that on our following trip, we will bring along a metal detector, for there is sure to be bushels full of fragments under the decomposition of 54 years! I must admit though, that some of my favorite discoveries of the hike, was not the jet pieces but rather the miscellaneous pieces of God's beauty depicted in nature. Following are a few of my favorite photographs.




This tree was so hungry that it ingested an ancient barbwire fence line that marked out a road that used to traverse the ridge.


Moss is a beautiful things if you look at it close enough.


Another piece of nature that we sometimes ignore or even think of as gross, is fungus. But take a look at this and the next picture, and be amazed at the intricate design and multiple colors that God has imbedded into these fungi.


How marvelous are your works Oh LORD!

~Chs

Old McDonald had a farm...

EE-I-EE-I-O. And on his farm he had some chicks EE-I-EE-I-O.

With some laying chicks here...


And some Banty chicks here...


Meat chicks,


more chicks...


everywhere there are chicks.

Old McDonald has a farm EE-I-EE-I-O.

~Chs

Of Flowers and Sunshine

Here are some pictures of our gorgeous flowers for your enjoyment, because, of course, you can never look at too many crocuses.

The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.
Song of Solomon 2:12

This is our dear little Muscari. A Squirrel had dug up the bulb and left it sitting cold and exposed, so Faith took pity on it and brought it inside, setting it in a little vase with a little water.

To our boundless delight it rooted and grew and grew and flowered!!!! All the Muscari outside are just coming up, so I guess in a way the Squirrel did us a favor.=)

But as gorgeous and full of sunshine these delightful blossoms are, they remind me of this verse, and promise.
"The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.”
Isaiah 40:8

~Chs

The Finished Harp Case

Last Wednesday Mother completed the case for my harp!!!

It is made in a beautiful forest green quilted fabric, with the darlingest pink and green floral piping. Mumsie even made a sweet pocket on the side that fits my music books.

She also built in backpack straps so I can be a traveling minstrel=) I am very very thankfull to my dear Mumsie for all her hard work, it turned out beautiful, don't you think?
~Chs

The ducklings are growing up!

It has been about one month since I arrived home with four runner ducklings, and in that time they ate, slept, ran, ate slept, and grew.

So they went from looking like this....


To this, in four weeks!!! They are beginning to get their fawn vests that distinguishes the fawn and white runner ducks, and their voices are changing. Right now I am absolutely positive I have one girl, and hoping I have two.


One of their favorite things to do is go down to the pond with "Mommy". To get there they show why they are called "Runner" ducks. If any of you are in need of a laugh or smile, do come over. Nothing I have seen recently is more amusing than my ducklings tearing across the yard at break neck speed, looking like they are about to tumble over sideways any second! =)

Satisfaction is complete when they reach the stream and paddle around to their hearts content.

At first my three big ducks weren't so sure about the tiny intruders, but now they have decided to mainly ignore the little pipsqueaks, unless they get in the way.

In another four weeks or so, I will be selling my little duckies, but until then I am going to enjoy their queer little ways as fully as possible, and try my best to teach them how to eat bugs and be garden ducks.
~Chs

God's Marvelous Birds

This stunning Yellow Shafted Flicker visited our suet feeder the other day. We hadn't seen him for a while so Josiah snapped this lovely picture to show the rest of us who weren't there to see him in person.
~Chs

Happy Birthday, Christianna!

The sun shone brightly, the Crocuses poked their brave little heads through the crusty snow, Blackbirds called cheerfully from the rushes, and Christianna turned 19!



Her day was filled with special meals, a trip to The Funky Monkey, (ask her about it)

Fun polk-a-dot gifts from friends,

A new garden hat . . .



. . . that can be adjusted into funny shapes,


The beginnings of a beautiful harp case (from Mom),

And a Duck cake!

We are so thankful for you, and your gentleness, and talents, and love of all of God's creation.
We pray that you will be lead in paths of peace in the coming year.

Remembering Grandma

Yesterday was the first year anniversary of Grandma's passing. On Saturday we went to the cemetery to see the stone.

It was a cold snowy afternoon and the world was hushed and beautiful. We were very pleased with the stone. Africa with praying hands in the middle really sums up most of Grandma's life.

We are very grateful for the memories of Grandma's God glorifying life and for having Grandpa living with us this last year.
~Chs

Michigan weather- Michigan birds.

It was a couple of weeks ago when we spotted our first Robin, and since then it has been a happy sight; them hopping here and there all over the yard. The contrast of their red breast nearly made the grass look green again.


Even the papa goldfinches believed spring had come and began to put on their bright summer finery! Then one day (Tuesday to be exact) it happened.


Winter returned with surprising vengeance, making one more struggle to retain its hold on the spring longing world. The Robins were disgusted. So were the many other birds that had been fooled by the delicious weather.


This male red-winged blackbird was not inclined to admire the icy branches on which he was perched, and there will have to be some considerable warm weather before we spot any females.

You never know what the weather will hold in Michigan, especially in late March. But of course we know that God knows about it all, even my poor half frozen crocuses, because He of course created them, and the icy snow that is encrusting them! =)

~Chs

Crocuses

"The long warm rain had done strange things to the herbaceous beds which bordered the walk by the lower wall. There were things sprouting and pushing out from the roots of clumps of plants and there were actually here and there glimpses of royal purple an yellow unfurling among the stems of crocuses."

"See here!" Said Dickon. "see how these has pushed up, an' these an' these! An' Eh! look at these here!"
He threw himself down upon his knees and Mary went down beside him. They had come upon a whole clump of crocuses burst into purple and gold. Mary bent her face down and kissed and kissed them."

From The Secret Garden By Frances Hodgson Burnett