The Trip

Sept. 2011 Blog.

The Trip

The possibility of going to my favorite place
appeared the end of August. They were offering
a half-price availability for the cabins at Blackwater
Falls Park in West Virginia. My daughter Amanda
also loves this forest and offered to take me along.
There were obstacles. First I noticed an infection
in my knee. Since I caught it right away, with
medication it soon cleared up. Then my back broke
out in an odd burning rash. This was diagnosed as
shingles. Next my daughter's Web sites, which she
depends on for income, were sabotaged. This is not
the proper computer term and would take time to repair.
To top it off, there was a hurricane off the East Coast.
Thousands of people were told to evacuate.
To help you understand how much we love this forest
retreat, we went anyway.
Sixteen hours of driving and we were breathing cool
mountain air. Surprisingly there was very little traffic
on the three interstate highways. We did pass convoys
of power and tree trimming trucks headed north.
We stopped at the new River Gorge Bridge to take
pictures of this spectacular span. Next a stop at our
favorite mom and pop cafe near the covered bridge at
Philippe West Virginia. The home cooking is consistently
delicious. My great-grandfather carved his initials on
this bridge during the Civil War.
All of my senses come to life at Blackwater. The smell
of the forest, the sound of the falls and the gurgling of
the little streams. The forest is full of ferns and moss
covered logs. It had rained recently and all kinds of
mushrooms and fungi were popping out for us to
oow-and-aww over.
My twelve-year-old granddaughter Alexus built a fire
in the cabin fireplace and we roasted marshmallows. After
three months of oppressive heat and mosquitoes, it was
wonderful to be able to sit outside on the porch and
just relax. We set up a croquet set in the soft grass
and shade of the front yard. My brother David and niece
Rene drove up from our home town of Parkersburg. It was
reminiscent of good family times playing croquet together.
The four days at the cabin flew by. We soon faced the
sixteen hour drive home. This time the roads were crowded.
We ran into two sections of stop and go traffic. For me,
it was worth it all. I would get back in the car and do it all
again.
Most of the time I am content where I have been planted. Terry
and I celebrated our 41st wedding anniversary yesterday.
It was great to spend the day together. We went to a
favorite lunch spot of mine out on the Cocoa Beach Pier.
We enjoyed watching surfers ride exceptionally large
waves for this area. These were due to another hurricane which
is mercifully staying off shore.
Pleasure can be found at home or in travels. It is God's good
pleasure to be included in every detail of our lives.

I include some of my writings.

Light Bowls

The upper leaves
are bowls
for sunshine
stirred by the wind
then dumped
As day moves into
evening shade
Silver rimed
they dance
and drink in all
the goodness
that the light
does offer
No memory of the storms
of yesterday
no thought of how
the winter winds
may blow
They hold the light
in beauty
seen by only those
whose eyes are lifted
high
Whose thoughts
have spilled enough of
temporal mind
to let light in
To serve as carriers
to spread the light
of love
Given to
what would otherwise be
in this world
without God's love
a Son-less day.

Gathering

As water flows
birds sing
colors continue to display
The mind of man dwells
on smoke and shadows
Concentrate
on what is real
on solid
where beauty can be found
For life is swift
Its flow
when all is said and done
returns unto its maker
To hear well done
or woe is me
Find out
His peace
Let flow
Christ's revelation
Beauty to be recognized
in Glory
spreading throughout
the earth
Reflections of the age
to come
When this mystery
that we call life
joins for all time
to celebrate
God's height
and depth
of love
to dwell with.

Don't Stop

My small house at the base
of an enormous rock face
So smooth no mortal man
could scale its high
My desire
to know the one who dwells
on high
I call out to Him
He drops His words down
from above
I study to know Him better
If I am thirsty in this
barren place
He lowers wineskins
full to overflowing for my thirst
When I'm hungry
bread arrives on ravens wings
I grow to trust
the one who dwells above
A harness like yoke is lowered
Dare I strap it on
What if I should fall
Death or even worse
a painful injury
might be my fate
Time and study of the words
He sends
the more I know
The day arrives when
I think I can
and still a little trepidation
can be felt
I yoke myself into
what the One above provided
I'm raised to heights
I'd never known before
The view of fruit filled valleys
well watered fields of grain
just beyond my knowledge
can be seen
I cry
no more
lower me so I can run and play
and feast on what I now can see
Time goes by
I visit once again
the home before that smooth rock wall
Looking up
I wonder what would I have seen
had I let Him lift me higher still
To my surprise
the harness is still there in tact
I with so little will
of mine alone
strap on this yoke
This time I do not cry to stop
as the life I'd known
stretches out before me
Higher still He lifts me
until the dizzying height
is almost more then I can bear
The quiet still small voice I hear
casts out all fear
Through my veins surges
such a strong desire
I hardly hold my heart from leaping
He swings me round to look into
the face of love perfected
All at once both life and death
seem but innocence reflections
of what no grave on earth
could ever hold
Heaven's mountain top
the face of God
His breath
surrounding me
all that I possess
could not compete
with such delight as this.