We went up to Crane Mountain yesterday, and I was able to get some nice pictures. It’s so pretty up there this time of year.

Folks, say hello to my new friend, Arnold. Anna Takahashi named him, since we met at her vacation rental. As much as I loved him, I think he needed some counselling on his over-use of Dippity-Do. He was a bit shy around the camera, so the pictures are kind of crumby.

He was pretty fast, so the focus was an issue.

Every time I poked him, he curled up in a little ball and looked so cute!

I loved looking at the funny hair that grew on his head and tail. Quite fascinating.

Poor Arnold got tired of me poking him, so he crawled off my hand and fell between the boards on the porch. Wherever you are Arnold, I love you!

Any of you who have received Mother Earth News knows that through the years, it has gotten more and more liberal. I am delighted to report that, even though it is still definitely left-wing in it’s political viewpoints, the magazine is beginning to reincorporate useful information; a sweet relief from the poor-excuse-for-an-article-schmooze-fests about “why I love my Prius,” and other eco-junk. My latest issue has a wonderful piece on making cheese at home. Whether or not I am smart enough to utilize that good info is yet to be seen. I firmly believe that dirt-worshippers should not be the only ones concerned about our environment, and I appaud Mother Earth News for making their articles worthwhile again.

Don’t you just love chamomile? Isn’t it marvelous how it grows everywhere? And it smells so…heavenly. There is an older lady from our former church who taught me how to crochet, and she is an encyclopedia of gardening and nature knowledge. When we walk through her woods, she can name every moss, grass, bloom, and weed. Mrs. Coverdell has told us about how her German family left Russia to have freedom in America. She said that they brought with them chamomile seeds, or kamile (kah-mee-lay) in the German/Russian dialect. She grows descendants of those very same European chamomile plants, and she says she will give us seeds too! Chamomile makes the best tea, and it’s so good on chilly winter days. (or when I have the flu) These pretty and  useful herbs are a beautiful reminder of how God wants His children to be healthy, and to take joy in in His glorious creation!

Yesterday, I climbed up on our roof to get some pictures. Then I went around the property, and found some very interesting things. (then my batteries died) Mushrooms, flowers, grass, pinecones- wait- does this sound WAY too ordinary to you? Well, you must understand, the secret to finding the glory God put in a mushroom is to get down on your elbows and look. There are things learned in springtime that can never be found in textbooks. To lie in the grass and watch trees swaying in the breeze, or to crawl over moss-grown windfalls to look at a trillium is the best way to instruction in the little ways of our Creator. And yes, that is my horse’s nose. She is a naughty thing, constantly getting loose, but somehow the soft nose never fails to win back my heart. Do enjoy the pictures, and if the weather is favorable, I will be posting more.