. . .only God can make a tree.

I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest against the earth's sweet flowing breast:

A tree that looks at God all day, and lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear a nest of robin's in her hair;

. . .Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree.

This poem by Joyce Kilmer came to mind when I was looking at the photos Martin & I took on a recent road trip through New York state.  We came upon the Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion, a state historic park in Canandaigua, NY, and decided to take the tour.  The mansion, the former summer house of Frederick and Mary Thompson, was elaborate and interesting, but the trees on the estate were awe inspiring!
"Great are the works of the Lord"  Psalms 111:2  

Seasonal Contrasts

We were eager for spring to come after our long cold winter.  Instead we got more snow and cold in April.  But we learn patience when we see that the season's are not always like the clock, but they do eventually arrive.  Today it is warm and we enjoy our tulips and watch the leaves unfurl on all the trees and shrubs in our neighbourhood.  To everything there is a season.

Spring, Brrrr!  April 4, 2014

Spring, one month later, May 11, 2014

Snowed In

Here are a few more photos of our recent drive over to Lake Erie for a Winter picnic.  This is only about a twenty minute drive from our home in Chatham, but being near the lake, they storms hit them a bit harder.  I haven't seen snow like this since the 1950's when I was growing up in Minnesota.

This is what I call 'snowed in'!

Contrast

There's nothing quite like a nice thermos of hot tea, some sandwiches, and a drive in a warm truck to the lakeshore in the middle of winter!  The only thing that could make it better would be a nice CD with a good story to listen to on the way, which we happened to have.  I only wish we could have had our sweet granddaughters with us for this outing--they would have loved it.  The CD was a dramatization of 'The Horse & His Boy' by C. S. Lewis, produced by Focus on the Family and narrated by Douglas Greshem, Lewis's stepson who has

Claire, Nanna Pennie, and Jen on the shore of Lake Erie.

Papa Martin at the same location on Lake Erie.  Br-r-r!

a delightful English accent.  Claire & Em would appreciate such things. Martin had just read in this morning's Chatham Daily News that Lake Erie was frozen over, so that's what prompted our outing.  I'm posting a photo of the lakeshore when the Hudsons were visiting in the summer in August, 2012 for contrast.  I like to see the stark differences in the seasonal changes that God has created; it makes me appreciate the seasons our lives go through as well.

Evidence

There is some evidence around our house that there have been visitors of a young sort here recently.  There is a pink fuzzy bracelet with a heart-shaped button attached that is setting on the buffet in the dining room.  Emily, age five, made it for me last Sunday.  There is a drawing by Claire, age seven, on the front of the refrigerator, and a painting in a frame by Claire on the table by the T.V.  Emily's cross bookmark marks the place in my Willa Cather novel.  The photo album on the coffee table, filled with snapshots of their family, that daughter-in-law Jen put together for us.  Another bit of evidence that the dear granddaughters from California were here recently is the doll house and the roll away bed in the basement.  But the biggest bit of evidence is the happy smiles that we have when we say to each other, "remember" this or that fun time we had with the girls.  These two pictures portray some of our happy moments.  Can you see what is different in each picture?

A Few of My Favourite Things

Kathryn brought her 'Sound of Music' DVD to watch with us while she visited over the Christmas holidays.  I love the song, 'My Favourite Things', so today I'm sharing a couple of mine:

Doing a 1,000-piece puzzel on a winter's day (thanks, Peetra!)

Sitting by a cozy fire with a good book & a cup of hot tea with Martin.

Seasons of Life

A hot day for a hike on the trail in August, 2013

We have a landmark that we keep an eye when walking through Paxton Bush. We like to photograph the same spot in the Bush to show how the woods change over the seasons; this is one of our favourite spots because it's easy to recognize.

A chilly afternoon in April by the old tree

Brrrr! December on the trail

Storms decapitated the old tree by Aug.

No more green, just lots of white (like our hair)