Detour to Bluff Road

Such a fabulous stretch of warm and sunny weather we are having near Portland, Oregon, USA, it is tarnishing our reputation for being perpetually wet and cool :-) [I am not complaining!]

On the way home from church yesterday, Mt. Hood seemed to beg me to take the scenic route home.  I headed toward it, aiming to get on Bluff Road from which there are some lovely views of Mt. Hood, but I was soon detoured up and down and around many local farms and nurseries due to road construction.  I was giving up hope of making it to Bluff Road or seeing Mt. Hood when I came to a stop sign and was able to sit there long enough to take the first picture.  In spite of the power lines, I loved being surprised by a unique view of the mountain just as I was able to turn onto Bluff Road past my usual spots I like to stop to take photos.

When I got home I spotted a cluster of yellow wild iris on the edge of the front pond.  Then later the little grand girls got to play in the sprinkler for the first time in 2013!  I decided to tromp down around the ponds again and see if I could snap some photos of the Trillium I tried to snap several days ago, and this time I succeeded.  I also made a little audio/video recording of the brook behind the pond I wanted to share with you because it sounds and looks so lovely, but Blogger says there is some sort of error in downloading it...sigh.  Sorry!

On the way back to the house I spotted some feathers and took a picture of a pretty blue one [thinking of you Meredith as I did so.]

Last night I planned to start sewing the three bunnies I cut out from one of Helen Philipp's patterns from her book, Pretty Patchwork Gifts, when our lights went out for an extended period [not sure why].  Today all our technological gismos have been out of sorts and requiring resetting and my youngest daughter had many adventures getting to and from her work as a nurse at the VA Hospital because the public transit system was fouled up as well.  But I hope to do some stitching as soon as I press "Publish" on this post :-)

Are the lights on around you?
xx,
Gracie

Do You See What I See?

Thank you for visiting me!  I appreciate you so much, and love when you comment
and we get to have a bit of a conversation!  Today my oldest son sent
me an email from NY and reported he has been reading some
of the blog.  He said "some of Dad's techiness rubbed off on you":)
"Dad would be proud."
He went on to type that he misses Dad and the guidance he offered.
Precious words.
This Tuesday it will be three years since Louis died.
I have been wondering lately if all my mourning tears have been invested,
but during the last few days I know they have not been.
WOW!
on Pandora the lyrics being sung as I type

"God be with you till we meet again;
By His counsels guide, uphold you,
With His sheep securely fold you;
God be with you till we meet again...
Till we meet, till we meet,
Till we meet at Jesus' feet...
God be with you till we meet again;
Neath His wings protecting hide you;
Daily manna still provide you;
God be with you till we meet again.....

I just Googled to find the lyrics so that I could
type them accurately
www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/g/gbewiyou.htm
Words by Jeremiah E. Rankin
based on the etymology of "good-bye,"
which is "God be with you."

***AWESOME***

This last few days a blogging friend and I have been typing
 back and forth about the significance of feathers in our lives.
She has been finding feathers on her recent walks which has made her
feel reassured that an important "good-bye" in her life was going to be ok.
I told her that her posts reminded me of  two passages that liken the Love of God
to a mother hen hugging her chicks with her feathery wings.

Hearing the above lyrics now is so comforting for me...
a heavenly, holy, hug...

Do you feel it?
***LOVE***





This was our front manmade pond created to prevent flooding
during  major winter storms like we had this past winter.

Now during our dry days this is our front pond.
The back shadow is hiding a bit of water with some
stalwart lilly pads.

In this dry season in the tangle of weeds
there are some thorns.

But if you are careful you can find something good.

 Wild blackberries are ripening!
Mmmmmmm good!

Following are some more reasons I found to feel cheerful
this week, and that I recorded in my journal,
thanks to Kate's Challenge :)

This actually was based on what I read Saturday morning, but I had neglected
to record anything cheering on Wednesday :( and so went back and put it in for
the 15th.
During that quiet time on the 18th I was listening to Pandora again and the lyrics
of a song "with everything we will shout for Your glory."  Then I read, "The moving wings of
the cherubim sounded like the voice of God."
Again I thought of the mother hen image and then was so excited
because outside I saw a huge bird take off from the front pond.
***GLORY***

Wondering how you are, and sending you hugs,
Gracie xxx

This Granny's First Granny Square :)

The pattern calls for the square to have a row of black all around.
[  I have to order the black yarn.]

In rereading the directions I realize I skipped over

 typing a special decrease instruction which is one excuse for the square being wonkier than it should be :(
But I am excited that I have figured out most of what I need to do.
Progress :)

The following photos are of my Reasons to be Cheerful Journal pages for the week.
Do you have any reasons you want to share for why you felt cheerful this last week?

<3 <3 <3

I hope you have lots of reasons to be cheerful this week!!!

*****************  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *****************

There Be Ducklings...safely hiding

On the pond just a few steps east of our front door

Mama Duck is hiding while tending her five darling ducklings

While we slowly, softly, step as near as we can to take photos of a fine feathery family we admire and want to share with you across the miles although I could only capture their shadows behind the blades of grass in the middle of this photo

and here in the lower right section of this photo.  Mama duck is keeping her family safe from hawks and the zoom lens of my iPhone4S. (:
Happy Springtime !

Are you enjoying sighting
lambs and calves and chicks and colts and ducklings around you?

The Flood...

Remember yesterday I introduced you to our snow friend in the front yard?

Well today he is leaving us...

And in his wake our driveway seems to be becoming a moat...

and the front pond is getting fuller than we

have ever seen it before!!!

I think we are safe...but will keep alert to possible

actions we need to take while I crochet some more hearts.

<3 <3 <3

How are you in your neck of the woods?



Celebrating Camelot Snow

Illusion...can be so delightful...

Shelby Dog, who belongs to my oldest daughter's family,

is convinced that the electric * fire * in the fireplace is cozy and warm

 even if I do not have the heat turned on.

Sunday morning  I met my grand girls [ages 2 and 4] in the family room.

They were sitting in the recliner waiting patiently for adults in the household to wake up.

I asked them if they had looked outside, then I whisked open the drapes.

Age 2 grand girl joyously announced, "The snowflakes are here! The snowflakes are here!"

Age 4 grand girl happily agreed, "It's snowing!  It's snowing!"

But it was a Camelot snow barely deep enough to record our footsteps,

or rest upon the film of ice on the pond beyond these trees.

Beautiful...Exciting...Mysterious...

An illusion of a snowstorm,

but worthy of celebration

in front of the hearth

at home.

From Cards to Ducks

At least once a year I try to communicate with family and friends through the mail across the miles, to remind them that I think of them often and with love, and desire that they will know much joy!





But I took a break this afternoon to try to get pictures of ducks on the front pond that is formed from the creek that flows under the road through this concrete tunnel.

See the ducks?   Not so much, huh....

A different angle helps a little...but not much, huh....  Well until I can get a better picture, will you believe me when I type that you are viewing beautiful mallards?