Sky Watch Friday ~ A Setting Thunderhead! *7-17-09*

... Good bye Thunderheads ~ For Now ...
...A cumulonimbus split through the cirrus clouds......then...
...sank into the eastern sky...

Leaving us with a bright sunrise ...that stayed in a blue sky all day!
Grateful for the stretch of fabulous weather! But...
Wait! What was I thinking? ... They're Baaack!
On the way home today (Friday 7/16) from grocery shopping.
Building thunderheads and nasssty storm clouds...
Auntie Em ... Auntie Em!
Back to sun again! Thank you God!

At the Potter's House

We are the clay.
The last weekend in June, Chris and I went to L. I. to visit with family. We visited Joe's Pottery Workshop and I found a metaphor within. And of course, as things are always very interesting when we open our eyes to God's presence, another little heavenly greeting came to me...

While at the potter's, I couldn't stop thinking of the passage in Jeremiah about
God as the Potter.

Jeremiah 18

¹ This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD : ² "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." ³ So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. ⁴ But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. ⁵ Then the word of the LORD came to me: ⁶ "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

He molds us in His hands.

He forms us.He shapes us.

He tests us with fire.

He teaches us patience as we wait on the Lord .

He writes on our Hearts

Underneath the glaze are His designs

...and the fire refines and reveals His imprint.
Another heavenly calendar greeting awaited me upon our return from L.I.

As I sat back to enjoy the photographs I took of our L.I. visit, posts ideas were popping like popcorn: definitely some flower posts, ocean views for SWFriday and a post of our visit to the potter's.
Then, I caught up with my little perpetual calendar and flipped through to June 30.
Once again, I was wide-eyed as I read about the Potter and the clay.
Humbly Grateful,

Read about my heavenly greeting earlier in June.

Complaining won't stop the Raining

A lil' maple tree that was rescued from our compost heap
finds refreshment.
~It's another rainy evening~
Thinking of this struggling little tree makes me a little grateful for the rain.

Sky Watch Friday *7-10-09* Osprey Nest With an Ocean View

This osprey nest is inhabited year after year near the shore on Long Island.
Photo taken when we visited Gerry (Chris's father) & Ann two weekends ago.
Just over the tall grass is the ocean.
To see osprey upclose...click on photoThe photo below is their view.

Another ocean view from our trip to Long Island.
You will not find our boat among these.

The boat below is ours...and we love it
In photo it's on shore of a remote island ~ Indian Lake ~ Adirondacks

My son, Jason and my daughter's fiance are sending me sky watch photos from their cell phones! It's spreading throughout the family :) So here's Chris's (my husband) Jason & Juan's new blog for Sky Watching CumuloNimbucile. Have fun! My boys are funny :)

My Front Porch Lesson ~ The Robins' Nest Part II

Over the weekend, Chris and I were given the privilege to sit on our front porch rockers and be The Robins' guests. Saturday and Sunday, the young robins were stretching out their wings ...
Early yesterday morning, I opened my front door to the second of the chicks poised on the edge of the nest...looking around...gaining courage to take that first flight.
I sat ever so quietly, with camera in hand... waiting...
I took in the first flight then rose from the rocker to capture its second flight from the window sill (still with yarn dangling for another robin mother who was desperately trying to go through my picture window for a piece of my curtains... I left her lace and yarn ~ she liked the lace ;o)
I was tickled to tears when the young robin lept into my flower box, answered the calls of its parents and flew into the crabapple tree!
A movie of stills and video.


My gratitude to the Creator's timing and to Mother & Father Robin
for letting me look on in humble silence.
Front Porch Lesson ~ The Robin's Nest Part I

The Robin's Nest ~ A Front Porch Lesson

I've been thinking about what FarmGirlCyn wrote recently...
...To enjoy a morning devotional on the front porch...
I wanted to wait for school to be over
~ to give this special time all I have ~

My devotional has taken on its own special perspective.This smart robin built her nest on top of the front porch brick post.

It is so well protected... considering the storms of the last few weeks (see skywatch below)... They have the envied location of all their friends!

Every time I go near the front door, mother or father robin flies away.
With the their chicks growing fast, they're been busy feeding them.
The rain has made this job easy; the wormies are an easy catch.
I haven't been able to sit on my porch, with Bible & journal,
but God is teaching me just the same. Parenting goes deep into the heart of who I am.
It takes love, work, patience and presence.

I've never been the :early bird: though.
I think that's what my lesson is this week.
Humble Gratitude for God's timing.

Thank you Cyn, for the great post...
I'll be up early & on my front porch soon...
The weather is clearing and the chickies are growing...

Sky Watch Friday *7-3-09* DELUGE!

The Week Started Like This!
...Then...

A Deluge of Rain!

It poured, and poured and poured!
Click to see the pouring rain!

Sheets of rain, constant down-pouring, thunder & lightening.

Flooded yards, trees

...and plants...

Can we be done now?
Nope... as of 4:00pm Thurs... still raining!
Visit others who watch the sky!