The Maine Woods, Simply Beautiful

I'm just back from a walk in the woods. 

Everything is so beautiful out there right now... 

From the lush green of the moss carpeting the path...to the rain drops sparkling on the ferns...to the dappling sunshine on the birch trees... 

~overwhelming beauty given to us from God.

I don't need to travel the world to see great examples of art and beauty. 

They are literally out my back door.

~~~~~~~~

Thankful Thursday

God provides even the small desires of our hearts

My story first begins about 45 days ago, when I first began visiting greenhouses for the year. I had been wanting to buy some portulaca to put in my flower bed along my driveway. Sadly, I have been unable to find any in my area to purchase. I was at a bit of a loss of what to put in this flower bed. It really needed something along with the perennials and the few petunias I had purchased. Working out in it a few days ago, I was a bit discouraged. In my mind, portulaca would be the only plant that would achieve the look I wanted.

Once again I must go back a few weeks in time.... deciding to try something new with my pumpkins this year, I decided to put them in pots. I found several old pots in my shed I could use for this. One of the pots, I hadn't used in a few years and it still had old soil in it. For no particular reason, I didn't plant any pumpkins in it. Instead I set this pot beside my front door and began watering the soil in prep for whatever plant(s) I would put in it eventually.

A few weeks went bye and I still watered the pot and thought about what to put in it. This is unusual for me. I usually like to have something "cute" by my front door to display flowers in this time of the year. This plain plastic pot with nothing but old dirt in it is not cute. However, each day I felt the need to water it and just leave it alone.

A few days ago, as I was going outside, I noticed something had begun to grow in this pot. Initially I assumed it was just weeds, whose seeds would have blown in this spring as the pot sat there. It had been so long since I had planted anything in this pot, it did not occur to me that there could actually be any viable seeds laying dormant in it from plants that were once planted in it. Taking a closer look, I was both surprised and thrilled to realize it was portulaca growing in this pot! The very plant I had been looking for and was unable to find!

Isn't that exciting? God has given me these small little desires of my heart... I am rejoicing today in this tiny little blessing that God has given to me. They look so small but to me they mean so MUCH. I can not help but think how much my God loves me each time I walk out my front door!

The Joys of Spring

Mmmm... Springtime. 

A time of new life...and firsts...

The first pussy willows in bloom,

  The first peepers calling out to their ladies, trying desperately to impress them,

The first robins on your lawn, looking so proud as they search out worms,

The first bloom of the crocuses,

I love the look of the leaves and sticks surrounding the flowers.  Copyright Penni Hill

Spring is filled with excitement.

Even the tiniest little plant pushing it's fresh, green stem up through the soil is a miracle.

What a joy to have spring! Somehow I do not think I would enjoy spring half so much if our Maine winters were not so long...

~~~~~~~~

And just because I love my hens so, I have to post a picture I just snapped of one of my lovely ladies. Can't you tell she is contemplating the weightier matters of life? ~smile

Photo copyright Penni Hill, April 13, 2011

Spring is here. Can you HEAR it?

There is nothing quite so amazing as the way creation begins to waken in the spring. With everything coming back to life again, it is invigorating just to take a walk outside. 

If you listen closely, you can actually HEAR spring coming.

The birds are singing more now and some have returned from their trips down south but that isn't what I am referring to. 

What I am referring to is the sound of the ground warming up and absorbing the water in - a soft, satisfied sort of sound. It is as though the earth itself is praising God and thanking Him that winter is over.

Don't take my word for it - go outside and listen. 

Oh, and Happy Spring!!

All That Glitters..

I went for a lovely little snowshoe this morning and once again I am struck with the beauty that surrounds me. 

It is a beautiful, sparklely (is that a word?), sunshiney day. 

The sun shining through the trees and reflecting off the snow is so very beautiful. 

Even that lovely glitter that Martha Stewart sells can't compare to the sparkle of the snow today. ~smile

The Beauty of a Snowstorm

Snow. I love it.

I do not necessarily enjoy driving in it, but I do love the fluffy, white, cold stuff.

I love snowshoeing - although I go at the pace of toddler (no kidding). I love to go sledding down a really good hill. ---If someone is there with a snow sled to take us back up, that makes it all the better. (~wink) 

I love to make snow-forts - well, I have in the past enjoyed watching my sons make snow-forts. (~smile)  

And honestly, who doesn't enjoy a good snow ball fight?

However, my favorite activity in the snow is just going for a walk. For now, I just head out in my rubber boots, but when the snow gets deeper I strap on my snowshoes and head for the woods. I don't go far, that isn't the point, I just go out and ENJOY it. There is something MAGICAL about walking during a snowstorm. The world is hushed and lovely snowflakes are falling all around me, like it is a wonderland made just for me. The beauty of it takes my breath away at times.

It is so peaceful out there in the snow.  Somehow it dissolves away all my troubles for the few moments I am out there. I come back in with new resolve and new energy to continue on.

That beautiful falling snow that God sends to us helps to make our world a softer, gentler place. He could have just left our world stark, gray, and cold during winter but He chose to send us this beautiful snow. I'm glad He did.  

And it makes our lives a bit more fun as well. Don't you agree?

 

 

I'm molting.... I'm molting.....

My lovely little hens are molting. They sure look pitiful right now, with so many feathers missing. In a couple of months they'll have all their new feathers and will be beautiful once again. For now, they must go through this shedding process-  in a sense they are losing all that they had that made them who they were or who we perceived them to be.

Honestly, it is as though I have 8 entirely different birds. Formerly, they were beautiful. Their feathers were shiny, full, and fluffy. They were good egg producers, averaging 5 or 6 a day from the 8 of them. They were always busy scratching and pecking at the ground and running here and there looking for something to eat.

Contrast that to their present day appearance and behavior. They have lost a lot of their feathers and have several sticking out at odd angles. Two of my hens have lost most of the feathers off their heads and just have these funny little white, spiky, pinfeathers on their heads. My, my, my, they sure are homely! I would post pictures of what my girls look like now but I will spare them the embarrassment. (Wink!)

Whereas they used to be so busy, now, it would appear they have gotten to be downright lazy. They can be found lounging around most anytime. They still scratch and peck and look for food, but not nearly as much. You see, their bodies are using their energies for growing those new beautiful feathers and it takes a lot of energy. So, if you drive by and see my girls laying around out there, don't think the worst of them - they are still working hard on the inside!

In many ways I feel a bit like my hens. Oh I'm not losing feathers and I'm certainly not laying around lounging all day, but I'm changing a bit too. My new feathers are growing in everyday as I learn new things. I've written before that this is an exciting time for me, one of change, of growth. I am learning who I am, what I am, what I need, what I must do. I am excited to learn what God has planned for me. 

And...... if you do happen to pass by and see my hens..... I would ask you to remember the famous quote by Aesop.  "It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds." 

~Penni

What a Wonderful World

I see trees of green, red roses too.
I see them bloom for me and you.
And I think to myself... what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue, and clouds of white,
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night.
And I think to myself... what a wonderful world.

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by.
I see friends shaking hands saying, "how do you do?"
They're really saying... "I love you."

I hear babies crying, I watch them grow.
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know.
And I think to myself... what a wonderful world
  

Yeah... I think to myself... what a wonderful world.

~Louis Armstrong

How do you do?

Golden Days of Autumn

There is just something wonderful about the way the sun shines on an autumn day. Everything looks so golden. It makes me feel happy and nostalgic. I love the reflection of it on my dining room table and my buffet, the sun adds such a richness of color to them. Somehow it always gives me the desire to study about and do old fashioned type things from the colonial period... I know it romanticizes the period but it is fun to stir my apples for pie with a wooden spoon, wear a long apron over my skirt, make soap, and make candles.... and feel a wee little bit like I am living in the past.

When smoke gets in my eyes...

Mmmm... can you feel it? That toasty warm feeling of a fire crackling in the wood stove. Don't you just love the feeling of coming in from the cold, frosty air to a warm home? It is so comforting. I have had the opportunity of benefiting from three different types of fires over the past couple of months.

While at camp in August we cooked quite a bit over a campfire. I love the SMELL of a campfire. Usually I am not big on the smell of smoke but a campfire is different. There is something so soothing about sitting around a campfire in the dark and yet somehow it is exciting too, like something good is about to happen. It causes me to think about my life and dream.

When we returned to camp in September, we used the wood cook stove instead. I love cooking on a wood stove. Just the thought of it got me out of bed bright and early each morning. I just couldn't wait to hear the crackle of the kindling and feel the camp warm up. It was so satisfying to use it, like somehow I was communing with some of my ancestors who may have had to cook this way each day.


And now it is October, a chill is in the air and I am sitting in my living room being warmed by my wood stove here. This stove and I have a love/hate relationship. Actually, I hate it and I'm pretty sure it hates me. It is suppose to be smokeless and it is not. Cough, cough! It is also a bit stubborn to start most days.To start a fire in it you must leave the stove doors open, be sure none of the tiny little holes in the back of it have any ash in them, and recite the alphabet backwards while hopping on one foot. Okay, okay, the alphabet and hopping part aren't true but you get the idea. Still, after all this, many times I must open a window in my living room so it will "draw". Goodness, I'd buy it a pack of the finest Crayolas if it would only draw well enough so I could keep my window closed!! ~smile~ Yet, this frustrating thing does eventually get a really good fire going and it warms my house very nicely. THEN, of course, I love it. I am so fickle. Right now, I am sitting in my warm and cozy living room enjoying it's generous heat. And once again, I am in love.

Wishing you a warm and cozy evening,
~Penni

A beautiful, rainy autumn day

Today is a beautiful, rainy, autumn day. The overcast skies make the greens so rich and deep. The rain on my lawn gives it a lovely sheen. Combine that green with the yellow, orange, red, and rust of  the leaves of many of the surrounding trees and it is amazing picture. I love to watch those leaves drop on my lawn. The beauty astounds me. God has given us such beauty. What a wonderful God that He cares enough to give this to us.

My blog's look... naturally....

I think I finally figured out what I wanted for the look of my blog. A design that is a wee bit more "me". The header is a picture of  Little Machias stream in northern Maine and the background is aptly called "Nature Walk". The header I actually made myself - quite easy once I figured out how. The background is from Shabby Blogs. For me, this is most definitely a treasure!
Another delight today is the cool breeze and drier air. 73 and breezy. My kind of day. I am so very thankful.
~Penni

He hopped to it when I asked

Today seems as though it is right full of treasures! The sun is shining, it is 79 degrees, there is a wonderful breeze, and the air is dry. I could easily find a hundred or more treasures to share. Two treasures, however, stand out to me this morning. One is very tiny and the other very tall.

The first is a tiny little frog I saw as I was walking out to my garden this morning. His body was approximately one inch in length. He didn't want to be picked up and held but that, of course, did not stop me. He was a cute little guy, small and quick - he hopped away when I tried to show him to my husband. I enjoy frogs, toads, bugs, snakes, etc. I have never been able to understand why everyone doesn't. (I must note here that I do not enjoy all of them ON me. Spiders are interesting to LOOK at but I really don't want one crawling around in my hair!) Most have interesting color patterns and even cute little faces - have you ever looked at the face of an inch worm for instance? I challenge you to find one and look at it's face. They have tiny red lips that form an "O" and then they appear to smile. -- Seriously cute. -- Back to my frog friend, it really amazed me to watch him. Without hardly any effort he was able to hop a good foot in length, and when scared of me (oh, dear!) he hopped nearly twice as far. In my rough estimation, this would be like me jumping about 10 - 20 feet! Frogs are amazing.

My second treasure is a tall one. It stands about 6 foot three or so. It is my son, Ken. I needed some muscle power in the garden this morning and he was there with a cheerful attitude to help me. - Thank you, Ken!! (My oldest son, Alex, is indeed a treasure, too!- I'm a blessed Momma!)

Have a wonderful day, enjoy the treasures God has in store for you.
~Penni

A VERY happy camper

My husband and I had the great JOY of spending five days at a camp in the northern Maine woods.



It was just he and me for 5 whole days (excepting the time we went out to the store to buy mouse traps!).

We walked in the woods.


We went canoeing! I finally got my husband out in a canoe with me after 21 long years of trying to do so! And don't tell anyone....but I think he really enjoyed himself as well. As for me, I was thrilled!!

We cooked over an open fire, hunted mice, read books aloud, etc. It really was a time of vacation - a period of time devoted to pleasure, rest, or relaxation (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/vacation). There was still the everyday type chores to be done, i.e. cooking 3 meals a day, washing dishes, sweeping floors, etc. but somehow at camp it is so pleasurable to do these things. Each morning I would scrub down the counters because Herman the vermin had visited in the night -- got some interesting tales to tell about that! - and yet somehow it was kind of fun, and almost relaxing. Ohhh and how I LOVED being away from the phone!! I love my family and friends dearly but it was so nice to not hear a phone ring for a whole five days!!!

While there, we had several visitors that made our time away even more enjoyable. I will share about more of them in the future, but first I want you to meet a visitor we had everyday while at camp. He came every morning and left each evening. I assume to return home to his family.

He liked to "sit" on the middle step of the stairs leading up into the camp. Believe me, many times he nearly met his demise, but we watched out for him because he was so darn cute.



Every time we came near him, he would curl up like that. I guess you had to be there, but honestly, take my word for it, he was cute! So much so, that when it was time to leave I wanted to bring him home with us, but he was nowhere to be found! All that time on the step showing off and suddenly he turned shy. I think that he dreaded that long sappy goodbye and was conveniently busy elsewhere. ~smile~ (So you can have a relative idea of how big he was, that is a nail head to the left of him.)

My perspective on life (if you care, and if you are reading this blog you just might) is that it is the little things in life that make our lives enjoyable. Enjoy the fun of watching a caterpillar, enjoy the pleasure of watching the cream swirl around in your coffee cup- what lovely colors this makes, enjoy a chat with a good friend, enjoy the feeling of warm water on your hands while washing dishes, etc. These simple little things add up to a much greater whole= a rich life full of what really matters.

Also, I must add that too often I hear weary, heart broken people lamenting the fact their house, car, spouse, kids, friends, etc. aren't want they want or need. They want/need/deserve better. Sorry folks, but we will never be happy in this world without acknowledging/knowing/serving the One who created it. Without Christ, this whole life is all for nothing. It is just empty pleasure or one heartache after the other as we continue to seek out more pleasure, whether it is pleasure of the flesh or pleasure of a more intellectual side. For myself, I can't imagine how I would ever make it through the tough times in life (and I mean that literally) without Christ. And I am sure that the things in this life that make it pleasurable, whether large or small, wouldn't bring nearly as much joy to me if I didn't know Him.

The Beauty of the Maine Woods

My favorite lines from a popular movie:


"What you got?"
"Wood."
"What you got?"
"Wood."
"Wanna trade?"


I love those lines from Open Season, as the beavers share their lunch up on the dam.

That is just what I have got here. Wood. Now, I'm not eating it for my lunch, but I sure do love the Maine woods. I love the variations of the color green in the woods and I love the SMELL of the woods. It smells so fresh and almost sweet out in the woods. And nothing compares to the cool dampness of the deep woods on a hot summer day.

As I've mentioned before, I have a little path out in my woods. Around my path, there is one spot were the trees are very thick and low. I was walking there recently on a very hot, humid, and still day - you know the kind when you could just cry for a little whisper of a breeze to blow on your face? As I stepped off my main path to stroll down into the darkness of this little side path, immediately I was hit with the coolness of the spot. It felt damp in there, not the same humid dampness I had just felt, but a cool dampness. It seemed as though it was 10 degrees cooler in there. As I walked along I noticed a little rock about 6 inches by 3 inches in size on the side of the path. Now this rock could actually be huge for all I know, but all I see of it is the aforementioned part. As I saw this little rock, I noticed it was wet, very wet and very cool. Water was all over the surface of this rock, the moss nearby was cool but not wet. It was as though the moisture had come from deep inside the rock itself.

My wet little rock brought to my mind Luke 19:40 "And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out." Although, my situation that day in the woods was obviously very different from Christ's situation the day this statement was made, this is the scripture that came to my mind as I touched this little rock. You see, I love living in Maine, but I hate it when it gets very humid outside and couple that with 90+ degree weather and I REALLY hate it. Seeing this little rock, though, made me think that if I didn't praise the Lord for this day (in spite of the weather) that this little rock surely would praise Him and was doing just that, well, in my mind anyway. The Lord used a little rock to make a point with me that day. The point is... EVERYDAY has a blessing in it. It doesn't matter what your circumstances are, there is always a reason to praise Christ. It was a reminder I needed.

Look around you today and see what little reminder the Lord has of His Goodness for you and don't miss it, you never know, it might just be a plain, old, ordinary rock.

Powdered Sunshine

Today's treasure presented itself unexpectedly and I didn't take any pictures. Fact is, I seldom take pictures at all. But I digress....
I received a call from a very good friend this afternoon. She asked, "What are you doing right now?" Me: "Sitting at my computer desk." She: "What are you doing for the next little while?" Me: "No plans, what are you thinking?" She: "Meet me and we'll go for a ride and run an errand together."
So... off I went and off we went! It was a short little visit, only an hour or so, but a time of true refreshment. It was so nice to have time alone with my friend amongst busy schedules.
Too often we don't take the time for a spur of the moment visit. Too often we feel we have to plan. How nice it was to "squeeze" in a little visit with a good friend.
What opportunity is presenting itself to you today? Maybe a visit with a friend, a phone call to pray for someone, a chance to help someone in need, a last minute invite for a meal, --- whatever it may be let's not miss a chance to bless or be blessed just because we didn't "plan" on it. Let's enjoy life, every day, every moment, as opportunities arise, seize them.

Because I love to look at pictures on other blogs, I feel the need to post a couple of photos. ~smile

Here is a photo I took of one of my sunflowers a few days ago. It is amazing to me that this huge plant came from just one little seed.

My husband took this picture of a bee enjoying one of our sunflowers:
Doesn't he look delightfully happy? Look at his little legs all covered in pollen. Can you imagine being covered with powdered sunshine like that. It looks so very cheerful to me. Now, can you imagine while this little bee was on his way to do his daily chores he happened to fly by this sunflower but because he was so very busy (bees are you know) he couldn't possibly stop here for a little snack. He had much, much, too much to do! So.... instead he flies on his way and misses all that golden goodness that God put right in his path for him to enjoy.
Let's make a point to not let the little treasures God has planned for us slip away.....

A little touch of Lavender

Because I have this blog, I did something today that I almost never do. I went walking with my camera. Usually when I go for a walk it is a meditative time and some little "treasure" will present itself to me. Today I went looking for treasure. I was a treasure hunter and I believe I found gold!! I found this petite little flower in the middle of my path in the woods in a very wet spot. The flower is so small that if I had been in a rush or if I had even been looking up at the trees at that very moment, I would have missed it altogether.




Isn't it a darling little flower? Notice the different shades of lavender and the delicate lines on it's petals.

Note: this flower is only about 1/4 of an inch in diameter. Here is a photo with a leaf near it to give a bit more perspective:




See how very tiny it is? I am so very glad I took the time to go out in the woods today treasure hunting. If I hadn't, I might never have seen this little flower. Tomorrow it could be gone, an animal could step on it or I might be in a big rush to "get my exercise" and pass by it all together.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at today's little treasure. Be sure to take a little break, look around and see what treasure awaits you today.