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Wayside_Wisdom Heard Along the Way
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TUESDAY, JUNE 7 - We arrived at Woodland Altars, the Southern Ohio District Church of the Brethren camp. Bruce will be very busy orienting his successor as Director of Outdoor Ministries. Mary Sue will run errands and help out where needed but will try to stay out of the heat and humidity as much as needed by sticking close to the rig and its air conditioning! With time on her hands, she planted some petunias near the "Welcome to Woodland Altars" sign and volunteered to lead worship and preach at Strait Creek Church of the Brethren for the next 2 Sundays while we are here. We are both noticing how much more beautiful Woodland Altars is, now that we don’t have responsibility for property management! As the new manager was out with his shovel helping the hired backhoe man find the source of a water leak, we watched, sympathized a little, and then walked on, thankful that it is no longer our responsibility! On Sunday, June 12, we had a delightful time of worship at Strait Creek Church of the Brethren, about a mile up the road from Woodland Altars. The three faithful regulars – Clinton and Patricia Fields and Steve Wolfe – were joined by the two of us and two other guests from Woodland Altars. What a joy to visit again with our friends here. I think our presence encourages them as well. There must have been unseen angels singing along on the hymns. The sound from that little group filled the small building, spilled out the open door and wafted up and down Strait Creek Road! I’m sure that if, as the scriptures say, the Lord is in the midst of 2 or 3 who gather in His name, He delights in a congregation of seven! MONDAY, JUNE 20 - Our time at Woodland Altars will soon come to an end. But we are being richly rewarded for our gift of time here! Last evening, as I sat reading on the couch, out of the corner of my eye I saw the flutter of wings quite near the kitchen window. I could see something large and brown sitting on a branch of a tree just 4 or 5 feet beyond our rig. Quietly and slowly I crept closer to the window and discovered large, sleepy dark eyes staring back in at me. A great barred owl - about a foot and a half tall! - was quietly enjoying the classical music that wafted out the window from our radio! Now and then I would hear a gentle, low-pitched hollow sound. There was her mate, perched on the branch just above her, boldly and steadily looking right into my kitchen! As I watched, they both stretched their wings and took flight, but only briefly. They settled again onto the branches of an even closer tree where they could hear the music better! When Bruce came home a half hour later, they were still there, dozing, stretching, and surveying their realm below, including us! This morning, Bruce saw a family of wild turkeys, two grown hens and perhaps 20 chicks, ambling across the driveway as he came over the hill. Last week, at nearly the same place, I watched a young doe daintily dance across the road in front of me. The local raccoons create nightly havoc with over-filled trash cans! Our resident blue heron swoops gracefully in and out of the cattails at the edge of the lake at unexpected times and several brightly colored little box turtles are finding comfortable homes on the prairie. The grandparents and grandchildren who were camping here last week caught fish by the dozens from the lake, ranging in size from 2 inch blue gill to a 10 inch bass! The hills, the woods, the prairie and the lake are all alive and well – and they refresh our souls! TUESDAY, JUNE 21 - This afternoon Bruce watched a little doe amble across the hillside just about 30 feet above where our rig is parked. This evening, as I sat reading, she came back and brought her spring fawn, still sporting his yearling spots. He was less cautious than his mother and came down the hill to within 10 feet of our back door to explore the forest floor for an evening snack! We enjoy getting acquainted with our wild woodland neighbors and hearing the happy laughter of the campers. But every afternoon, as our tired bodies long for a nap, we are reminded that it’s time for us let go and move on to a new phase of our lives – full retirement for both of us! |