Get Out the Slide Projector

We have a slide projector. And several cartridges of slides. But we cannot actually view the slides, because the slide projector doesn’t really work any more. And anyway, I’m a photograph girl myself. It’s just so much easier to get out an album or an envelope of photos than to wait until dark and set up the projector and take things off the wall to make a place to project the slides. And these days, you just swipe through the pictures on your phone, anyway.

But, I’m not with you, so I’ll put my vacation pictures here for you to see.

First, I went to North Carolina, which is so beautiful I weep when I arrive and weep when I leave. Not particularly amusing. But really pretty.

Now, at David’s moms. She has, and has had for several spring and summers, some avian guests who spend lots of time on her deck. No one seems to know where they come from, or where they go in the fall and winter. Yes, indeed, you can believe your eyes. She’s got herself a peahen and peacock.

Usually we don’t see much of the peahen, who is, we assume, usually sitting on some pea eggs. But this year, says David, the cold weather has delayed many birds’ mating and nesting schedules, so the peahen was on the deck, along with the peacock, eating the seed David’s mom puts out each day. The peacock, one afternoon, was desperately trying to get hen’s attention, putting on a wonderful display of his attractive feathers, preening and turning for her. She was completely uninterested, turning her back so she didn’t have to look at him, that show off.

David’s sister loves bargain shopping and regularly visits a nearby flea market where she buys cute things for her granddaughters for a couple of bucks each. I thought this booth was interesting. I’ve never before thought of Socks and Ammo as complementary items. Looks like I was wrong.

At the local Food Club, we found this. I didn’t know it came in cans. I thought you had to mix it up yourself. And there are (at least) two different kinds!

We went to Harper’s Ferry (WV), to visit my cousin Nancy. Harper’s Ferry is made of history. We learned  a lot from a very knowledgeable volunteer at the Visitor’s Center. Then we went to Antietam Battlefield.

On the way from David’s mom’s, in Sevierville (TN) to the Bush’s cannery (to their cafe and gift shop) in Dandridge (also TN), I saw this amazing, huge tree that had fallen over. BTW, at the Bush’s cafe, instead of chips and dip on the tables for you to whet your appetite on while you’re waiting for your food, there are little cups of baked beans.

On Friday, more relatives began to arrive for Saturday’s wedding. Another of David’s sisters came over with some of her family. David is a birder who has a Life List, as is this sister. He looked out the window at the bird feeder on the deck and said, “Look, Denise, there’s a (something or other)!” (I myself am not a birder with a Life List. If it’s not a robin, blue jay, cardinal, or a peacock, I’m no help.) “No,” she said. “That’s a smaller bird. It was probably a (different something or other).” So there was a bird fight. They argued back and forth (in a very respectful, informed way), about beak colors and head colors and went and got the bird books out. And turns out, Denise was correct. Probably.

It happened just as God said. God called the dry land “earth” and the waters congregated below “seas.” And God saw that His new creation was beautiful and good.

It happened just as God said.The earth produced vegetation—seed-bearing plants of all varieties and fruit-bearing trees of all sorts. And God saw that His new creation was beautiful and good.

So God created huge sea creatures, all the swarm of life in the waters, and every kind and species of flying birds—each able to reproduce its own kind. And God saw that His new creation was beautiful and good. And God spoke this blessing over them: