Swiftly

 This evening we went up on the hill. There wasn't a spectacular sunset, but we did get to watch the Chimeny Swifts twirling and flying down the chimney at twilight.

The white cat watched them, too. But they were way too fast and high for her.

      Chimney swifts have been in a long-term decline for the last 50 years. Since the mid-1960s, their population has dropped by 65 percent. Since chimney swifts are protected by federal law.

·        Chimney swifts spend nearly all their time in flight! Because of their spindly legs they can’t perch, so they feed and drink on the wing. When they’re not flying they hang out in chimneys – if you’re lucky, not yours.

O Lord, when will my span of years come to an end?

Will I be strong in fervor as I come round that bend?

Will I be faithful to all You've asked me to do?

Will I lay all my selfishness aside

And run swiftly as the wind to You?

Carmela Patterson

First Signs Of Fall?

 In our yard this week...first signs of Fall?

Nah!

But even though summer still has a way to go, it brings these beautiful skies ahead of storms.

Yours is the day, Yours also is the night;
You have prepared the light and the sun.
You have established all the boundaries of the earth;
You have created summer and winter.

Psalm 74

Afton Mountain Rockslide

 We live in the Shenandoah Valley, at the foot of  Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway. So we are down in a valley. To get to the nearest big city, Charlottesville, we must go over Afton Mountain.

The roads are winding and were cut into the mountain.

At times, you will pass the shale of the bare mountain.

Here is a fence they attached to help with rockfalls. There are signs to beware of fallng rocks.

There was a major rockslide a couple months ago. No one was hurt. But the road was closed while they cleaned up and figured out how to secure it. They put this mesh over it and drilled posts into the mountain to attach it. I still love living here and wouldn't trade it for anything! 

Coming back home, here is our valley laid out at the foot of the mountain.

“A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn’t to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn’t in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn’t in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper.”

1 Kings 19

Lidl's Not So Little

 Have you ever herd of Lidl, or do you have one nearby? They are a German owned supermarket that is in most of Europe and the U.S.A. They are sililar to Aldi, but bigger. And have great prices. A new one just opened in a nearby city, so we went today and checked it out. Come shopping with me!

These shelves of Sunflowers were just inside the front door.

I was surprised by how large they are.

They have a well lit wrap-around bakery.

And this entire row is their seafood dept.

They have a nice produce department, which I was unable to snap because it was too crowded. They also sold power tools,clothes, ironing board covers, and many other things.

Their paper bags are very thick and nice, but they cost 8 cents each. And you must bag yourself. A preview of next week's sales is at the door out.

And on the way out, we saw a row of tiny shopping carts for the little kids.

“Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping.”  ~Bo Derek


“When women are depressed, they eat or go shopping.  Men invade another country.  It's a whole different way of thinking.”

  ~Elayne Boosler

The Cormorant

 We spotted him behind a fenced-in industrial pool. Looking at his profile, I pretty much knew right away what he was. 

Still, I could hardly believe my eyes. Cormorants are never very far from the ocean, and we are about three hours away from any shore. So this was a really rare sighting for our area. He was alone, as well, with no mate or flock.

The Haze

 We have been getting a lot of haze from the wildfires up north and west. This has made the setting sun all fifferent kinds of beautiful colors! Here it is from last night on the hill, in order.

Notice the bird flying over the sun?

We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

1 Corinthians 13

Bicycles & Flowers

 We passed by this house last week, and I was enchanted! They used flowers and matching bicycles as their outdoor decor! I have never seen anything quite like it! 

They even had a toy dump truck planted with succulents.

“Life is like riding a bicycle; we can keep from falling if we keep moving. Only a few trick-riders can stand still and not tumble.”

 ~Author Unknown

An Elephant's Eye

 Right now the corn is just about as high as an elephant's eye. There is a lot around here, and it is finally doing well.

Would you believe that many neighbors are growing it in their yards in this residental area? Take a look.

And it is always so pretty in a field with the mountains behind,

Corn can add inches in a single day; if you listened, you could hear it grow.

Laura Ruby