I find it interesting that sometimes a thought will be running round and round in my head and then a friend or family member will bring up the exact same thing. Happens with Sue and I a lot – probably because we live together, happens with Mom a great deal too, and often with my admin at work. Now, I find the connection is still there with friends back home. Case in point: when I was growing up, we had a retired Navy Chaplain in our church, Rev. Ted Herman, who never needed a microphone when he took the pulpit. I guess all those years preaching on the deck of ships at sea just gave his voice resonance. At the end of his services, as his pastoral blessing, he would intone a special prayer, the tenor of which had been rattling round in my head a great deal lately, but I could only recall a few specific words, “this troublous life…” and then vague ideas surrounding that sentiment. I think it had been in my mind so much lately because of – you guessed it – the horrendous winds we’ve been struck with. THEN, today I had a message from our friend Tracy, back home, asking about this exact same prayer. She was trying to remember it, but could only think of “grant us safe lodging… and peace at last”. So I just gave in and finally googled the few words I remembered with the addition of “Prayer” and found it. It’s called the “Prayer of Blessed John Henry Newman”. I’ve put a photo of it above. It also came to mind today because of some lodging issues we have of our own right now. Well, chicken lodging anyway. Continue reading
safe lodging
14 Thursday Mar 2019
Yes, yes, yes. I know we talk about the wind here a great deal. I supposed that’s because it is a big deal. Today we actually had wind warnings through 8 p.m. Our top speed in the last hour was 50 mph. The thing is, with that type of wind – it gets really difficult to do anything outside. Sue was hoping to get a head start on the weed whacking today, but the winds were blowing her over! The chickens have gotten somewhat used to the winds, and go outside to eat and drink, but they are also content to stay indoors. Did you hear about the warnings going out a few weeks ago back east? The Meteorologists were 
It’s hard to believe that a mere 7 days ago we were experiencing inches of snow! I know that they say the weather changes quickly, but we’re at a high of 78° right now! Can you possibly believe that? I saw this on a friend’s Facebook timeline today and had to laugh (thanks, Holly!) – this is truth, people! 
I have family in Alaska. Mostly they live on the Kenai Peninsula – in or around Soldotna area. Each Christmas, I look forward to receiving an Alaska themed calendar from my cousin Michael and his wife Alison. I don’t know why I love it so much, I think it’s all the photos of the Aurora Borealis; they truly fascinate me. I’ve never seen them the couple of times I’ve been in the northern regions, but it’s one of my bucket list things. Anyway – this year’s calendar also includes the names of the months in different First Nations’ languages. January is Irallull’er, it translates to ‘the bad month’ in Yup’ik but only in the Bristol Bay region. I find it interesting that tribes in different areas can use the 
same name, with the same meaning, for differing months. It is completely dependent upon the weather; some months could come before others. I suppose, as we look at our weather this month – compared to others – this could be our Irallull’er. Or perhaps our month is more Kanruyauciq, meaning “frost”, like those of the Canineq area (lower coastal). No matter what its correct name is, we’ve been calling it “cold.” 
This morning, my folks walked into the house at the same time I walked out of my bedroom- that doesn’t generally happen when they visit; it was the morning they were planning to leave. Unfortunately, we woke up to another 3 inches of snow. Dad was a bit nervous about hitting the road during a pretty good snow storm, but we cleaned off my car and his truck and they followed me into town – at 25 mph. The roads were so icy. Mom and Dad had already elected to leave the 5th wheel with us and come back in the spring to tow it home. So glad they made that decision! Have you had enough of snow photos from us??? Too bad, we’re gonna show you some more. 
She has dropped her blanket of white over the hills and left her fleece behind in the draws where the sun never quite shows his face. Spent pomegranates hang from the trees like so many forgotten Christmas ornaments. The little dinos leave their tracks behind in the snow where only perspective can show how large or small the threat may be. Winter has come. 
It’s Wednesday, so we’re doing a quick post again. I tried to come up with some theme to bring everything together as a whole, but I couldn’t find something overarching – so we’re just going to do some bits and pieces. Well, if that’s the theme, i guess it brings everything together in some semblance of a whole. Hmmm. 
You know how your grandpa used to say he could feel the weather change in his bones? I always believed that, because I usually felt weather change in my head – but lately, my whole body gets in the act! We do have a storm coming in from the south and we can see it in the sky, hear it on the wind, and – yes – feel it in our bones. We’re just really hoping that the rain doesn’t pass us by. Supposedly heavy by Friday. We’ll let you know! 