Posted below are a series of facebook post made over a period of time in the early morning hours of any beginning day. Many times the postings took special meanings to some of the readers and they commented how much they enjoyed reading them either in person or in accompanying comments. I thought I would collect most of them over a period of time and see if you might enjoy them too. I still enjoyed this season of time in my life when my mind was free and encouraged to engage my early morning friends. Enjoy!
k facebook friends, Here is your song challenge this morning... This one is not as easy. No googling...
"she was gonna be an actress
And I was gonna learn to fly.
She took off to find the footlights,
And I took off for the sky."
March 23 at 7:27am
I have been awake since 4:45 am, when our stupid cat broke into the house via a left open back door and awakened us playing with a dang cup on the kitchen floor. What the Heck is this racket!!! The thought of getting my 9mm browning hi-power with 13 rounds of protection NEVER crossed my mind!! I simply '
"followed" my wife to the noises!! It dawned on me when I tried to go back to sleep just how brave I really am. *deep sigh* So, I continued. Good Morning my facebook friends… Face your unknown world with bravery like I do! From behind your wife’s night gown… Worked for me… Stupid cat…
March 25 at 5:57am
Standing outside of church service listening to the beautiful song of a mockingbird as I post this. How clear and precise each note sounds from the woods he is hiding in. Accented by one lone dogwood tree it is enough to flood back memories.
March 27 at 11:55am via iPhone
Getting back in step with the real world this morning. Doesn't matter if your gone 6 days or 6 weeks, still need to adjust and catch up. I am so thankful I am able to adjust and catch back up... Hope all of my facebook friends make necessary adjustments to the minor aches and pains of life and reflect your positive aura on those around you if you need to catch up with something!
April 5 at 6:53am
Good morning facebook friends. In just a week, I have noticed the daylight is catching up to my schedule. It was dark when I would leave for work, but now the Gates of Dawn again greets me with the sounds of the waking world. Do you ever stop and take the time to listen? Identify as many sounds as you can, close your eyes and smile, and feel what else is in your heart!?!
April 6 at 7:11am
Quiet Sunday morning... Everyone sleeping in from late night parties or getting ready for Church... I would rather go back to sleep and wake up sometimes into next week but my Grandson is watching Phineas and Ferb and wants me to take him to Sunday School... Good morning to those of you that like me and love me!!! Have a good day whatever you chose to engage.
April 10 at 8:53am
Walked quietly out of my home through the carport and stepped into the beginning of the rest of the day. No mockingbird was close to greet me and even my sparrow glee club seemed far away? As I looked into the evolving light of the eastern sky, I could see dark black patchy clouds that made me pause and wonder. Why did I feel so humbly alone? My how our mind(s) can race...
April 11 at 7:19am
Let me go see how many of my friends actually dropped me from their friend list. Strange how people are inspired to be your friend, but NEVER speak to you?? Am I the only one that thinks these kinds of things? Had a couple that have been on my friend list since I've been on facebook. Not one word from them.. not a peep... With friends like that, who needs enemies???
April 12 at 3:29pm
As I stepped from the quiet solitude of my home into the carport, the first thing I felt was the temperature. At 6am this morning it was actually warmer outside than inside? Then I heard the residual sounds the wind was stirring up for me... The whisper the wind brings to life as it pushes through the needles of the Long Leaf Pines as it sings harmony with the silenced rustle of the tender new Red Oak leaves, both saying good morning in their own language.
April 15 at 6:42am
The people are quiet, but my Mockingbird is happy now. He yielded to the winds of the morning and is encouraging me to come on out, it is very nice. I desire to respond to his call... Hope my friends and family are having a good day.
April 15 at 10:43am
Lazy Saturday... I'm torn between vegging out or engaging my blog... Pandora is in my head this morning and I think I am content... My mind is simply drifting peacefully as I listen for a direction. Through my ear buds I hear my mockingbird call from the Ligustrum bushes around my pool... "yes, I respond. I know it is still green. Leave me alone."
April 16 at 9:24am
At 10:00pm of the same day, I find out I have lost a life friend...
DIANE V. FLETCHER (Diane Young) Or Diane Free as we knew her at Ouachita Parish High School surrendered her life to Eternal Rest today in Houston, TX. It was just three short weeks ago she posted me and said this, "let this new journey begin!" I see dignity, pride, and grace in a fine woman and will miss her. I pray I will have the courage to face my final days with the courage and faith she had...
April 16 at 10:30pm
I leaned against the fender of my code enforcement vehicle this morning under the gray overcast Sky as light began filtering through the pine boughs in my yard. Lots of mockingbirds this morning. Three maybe four?? I think of my friends Diane and go back three weeks or so and collect my thoughts of Connie... Hold those you care for tight! We just never know...
April 18 at 7:34am
Moon cycle must be right and the low pressure front is dominating... For those of us that have noticed, we feared or at least I feared Sandi was going to speak to all 304 of her friends this morning with her wonderful optimistic love for everyone... You know, that carry over hippy stuff that is part of her DNA from the 60's? Still works though, doesn't it? Even our Becky is waiving a flag across the River!
April 19 at 7:39am
And which of the people(s) we encounter and interact with this day is by mere coincidence or divine intervention? How will they read our book? Will they see who we really are, then it will be a coincidence... Will they see something in us they really desire? Divine intervention... Aren't all of the 'encounters' we have during our waking hours Divine interventions?
April 20 at 8:34am
Quiet on the facebook front! Everyone must be riding motorcycles, planting flowers, or watching kids hunt Easter Eggs... I have a house full of grand kids coloring Easter Eggs for tomorrow! Yup, almost stroked out last year when I walked in my kitchen and found real dye in 5 different bowls with grand kids 4 to 9 arguing over it. We use crayons now... Why are they NOT at their house doing this?
Welcome to the Thursday morning before the Friday we acknowledge and embrace as Good Friday... Why the word Good?? We know scripturally what this Friday was the beginning of and that was not good for our Christ. But what about mankind? I listened to the soft coo of a mourning dove this morning. Maybe she is still in mourning for that chain of events set in motion so long ago that we today call Good.
April 21 at 7:28am
To what is it we awaken to this morning? Did not we just celebrate the reason of our rise and the continuance of our song? Monday should be the day we place the flag of our faith for all to see and move through the remainder of our week as an example for others to emulate. And don't worry if you stumble... There is someone to catch you.
April 25 at 7:47am
Crisp garden shower accented with lightning and close by thunder awakened me from my all to familiar slumber... I briefly watched the light show play through my covered doors and fell silently back into the place I was pulled from... This morning as I walked out side everything felt clean... Kinda like your soul when you lay everything on the line in prayer..
April 26 at 7:04am
Hope all my friends along that I-20 corridor are OK this morning starting with Eugene in Shreveport across to Sandi and many others in Monroe. I know you got hit pretty hard last night... Move on over to Vicksburg to Mariglen and Becky in Clinton?? Hope you ladies are OK... Martha Durham in Alabama! If It ain't there its coming and Steve you and Kay get ready!! Keep in touch!!!
April 27 at 8:33am
Central Louisiana was spared from the storms that raked the I-20 corridor yesterday morning. The fingerprints of mother nature's wrath are obvious across the south land as we dig ourselves and those we love and loved out of the destruction. But yet a new day dawns and our resolve is not yet met! My bullfrog croaks as if he is under a blanket! Breath deep and step out!
April 28 at 7:19am
They re-enter your world as a familiar name from the last century or even the last Millennium. With some, your friendship never wavered, you just laugh at the caresses of time on your faces, the color of your hair or lack there of and embrace the undefined time remaining. They touch your very soul with happiness and they are gone again. By choice? Or Divine intervention? They are still gone.
April 29 at 7:42pm
Some days will live in your heart forever where other will kiss you gently on the cheek when you open the door and step into her! This morning follows that pattern as I stepped into her cool welcome embrace... Something not heard in years that was common in my youth... The distinct call of the "Bob White" Quail... Never expected that sound. Every thing else was actually mute? I am still processing that...
May 4 at 7:17am·
As I stepped into the coolness of morning a shiver went through me and I smiled... My heart is heavy for some lonesome reason as I lifted my eyes to the soft vacuum sound of a passenger jet passing high overhead as it pushed eastbound into the rising sun. I leaned against my car and gave thanks to my Creator as my feathered glee club preformed a beautiful concerto as if to encourage my resolve.
May 6 at 8:12am
When I examine Mother's Day as defined by social norms, I find it acceptable to set aside a day for countless numbers of women that have given birth to a child. Looking at the infinite definition God himself placed on woman, to come along side and be a "helper?" Every woman loved by our creator is designed for that compassion and should be embraced as a heavenly gift with or without child. Just thinking ....
Posted: May 8 at 13:20pm
As the clouds clear away in the morning's sky, we gaze upward and fix onto finite things we can claim as real, like fading stars, planets, and maybe even the moon itself. What we can't understand is what is beyond our comprehension, the infinite... We can define that in our educated minds, but simply stated, I think that is God's alone to possess... And will only be revealed to us in time.
Posted: Date Unknown
The cool crisp feel of an unusual spring morning. The mockingbird is at distance from the nearness of my back yard yet still audible, however, as other sounds stirred my memory. The distinct guttural sound of a siren brought me to consciousness as the rising sunlight bathed my back yard in her morning colors. Concerns for those I love are on my mind as I watched a full moon slip below the western horizon.
Posted: May 18 at 07:28am
As the moonlight appears to instruct the dew to fall upon the tender growth of spring, so our minds slow to a crawl as sleep beckons us to prepare for another promised day. Every feeling and memory we have of this fading day will slip into unconsciousness only to awaken with us tomorrow. They will join us where they left us. How will we accept those feelings into our morning? How will they affect our day?
May 18 at 10:09pm
Yes. Feelings and memories of yesterday are with me this morning as I process the beginning of Dawn. I hear the sounds of morning that make me smile and I look and see my mockingbird looking back at me. A deep breath of morning air as the temperature caresses my entire existence. This morning for some reason "Intelligent Design" crossed my mind. He was there all of the time.
Posting sometime in May
This morning I found myself outside beating the morning by 15 minutes or so. Quietly listening, the only sounds I could identify was the singing of automobile tires on the asphalt of Highway 28. The honest people were stirring before daylight dawned. The soft hum mm of an air pump on my neighbors sewer system?? Really?!? And on the other side of the world, what does my son hear? My heart misses him desperately.
Posting toward the end of May when my son Stewart was in Afghanistan
Because the Summer Equinox looms close, I find my mornings more alive and bright as my schedule remains the same. I arose an hour early to again witness the gates of dawn... The sounds of my bird ensemble introduced a new soloist across the field in the tree line. The Whip-poor-will has a beautifully distinct sound. Peaceful when you allow it.
June 2 at 6:58am
Good Morning fb friends and family! As the summer solstice gets closer I find the morning well progressed as I entered her presence this morning. My mockingbird sat perched high on a wire above my car and looked at me... I stood in silence watching and listening... He spread his wings and flew displaying the distinct white spots under the wings. All is well in my world...
Posted: sometimes in mid to late June
As I walked out side this morning it was dark except for what the remaining moon had painted with her fading light. I was consumed with the humidity as it quickly sat upon my senses. I thought of my senses and wondered about each. I have always known there were six, but could only identify five in my mind? What is the sixth sense? Help me here friends...
Posted: sometimes in mid to late June
Walked outside this morning to a gray sky. As I entered the prism of limited visibility the second thing recorded by my senses was the kiss of drizzle on my shaved head. A shiver went through me... Thoughts seemed to scattered into a million directions... I had a choice that I could make. Then the Third sense registered. The sound(s) of morning. The mockingbird reminded me again of the smaller sounds of the moment... Other birds were also lifting their praises to the Triad of our Faith! Oh yes, they too, were celebrating LIFE despite the prism of gray that greeted me this morning... And so too, should we. Let us who love, share life today! My heart is content... It is a very good morning!
Posted: sometimes in late June or early July
Yesterday morning as I greeted the Gates of Dawn, I stopped short of walking out of the carport because of light rain. I heard my mockingbird greeting me and the bark of a dog. Beside me in the darkness of the flower bed the soft chirp of a cricket. I listened and wondered if that is how God listens to our prayers? Of all the sounds of the morning from the dropping rain to the vacuum of a passing jet high above, my mind was filled with a lot of first thoughts. Still, as if God allowed me into his world, he magnified the voice of this tiny insect. I momentarily had the desire to stoop down into this damp, dark flower bed and search for the source of this “chirp” or was it possibly a prayer? Something comforted me inside and I felt my mockingbird had prepared me for something special as he paused me in the very spot I stood. God simply spoke to me and said, "I too, hear the smallest prayer of those that call upon My Name and I will bow down and find you and comfort you."
Posted: July 15 at 07:20am
Six weeks past summer's solstice, I noticed the Gates of Dawn are catching up with my morning habits and routine. I paused and listened this morning as I often do and heard two distinct sounds from my Mockingbirds. The pleasant greeting of song that so moves my heart in the early dawn and in the low area where the trees surround a small pond...
The fussing of another "momma bird," as her clack and drawn out squawk tells me another group of fledglings are on the ground. My heart is with a man I have deep respect for this morning. I pray he can hear the beauty of Your song, so I ask that his critics draw ignorance to themselves only as You heal and comfort his heart as well as all involved...
Those of you who know, lift up your voices for him as well. I know the burden is great.
Posted: Aug 2, 2011 at 09:42am
So very quiet as I walked into the humid embrace of dawn. I wondered if it was my hearing or if everything was distant to my home? Took my time getting to my car so I could listen but yet there was nothing except one bird. Seems she rushed to invite me into a day full of promise. I must open my mind to see.
Many times my friends are often far too kind and generous with their words. Like sitting under a large shade tree on a hot day as a breeze rustles the leaves and cools you at the same time. Not only do you hear them but you feel them as well and desire their company.
Posted Aug 8 at 07:56am
As the solstice gives way to the fall equinox I find the sun hidden below the horizon as I join the morning. My birds were relatively quiet this morning but a contrail appeared highlighted across the eastern sky by the rays of the sun. I just stared. As if God had made this mark on the dark blue heavens with a magic marker. Would He write on my heart today?
Posted: Aug 22 at 08:48
As if the overcast dawn 'allowed' my presence into her, the only sound audible was the singing of 18 wheels on Hwy 28E just a mile of so from my home. I caught the rustle of pine needles and noticed several sparrows moving as to investigate my intrusion into their world. I did not hear the sound of happy rapport from any of my birds? The distant bark of a dog. Everything around me should be at peace with my presence for a predators heart is no longer part of my existence. Or is it???
Posted: Aug 25 at 06:51am
Morning in Arlington has broken with the promise of triple digit temperatures. The sound of the urban landscape located in the heart of this metroplex silences the voice of my favorite bird. I sit and enjoy memories of my past with my oldest friend and smile too of those memories promised but yet defined.
Posted: Sep 3 at 10:04am
Got in trouble this morning! Kissed Linda on the cheek and said good bye to her as I started to leave for work and she opened her eyes just long enough causing her to sit straight up in bed and scream! "Put your clothes on and DO NOT walk out of this house NAKED!!" She just has no idea how long I have waited for a cool morning like this! Ruined everything... Oh well. At least I didn't go to jail... There is this one neighbor.
Posted: Sep 6 at 06:39am
There are two places I desire to visit before my time on earth expires. Actually there are three places. The first one is the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. The memories of those entombed there identifies the greatest gift their generation offered to our world. The second, of course, is the footprints of the World Trade Centers. There again, my generation experienced the resolve of our great nation despite the politics that seek to destroy us from within... I so desire to spend time with the memories of those souls that died there. How could I be remiss and not desire to sit in silent respect as I watch America's finest pace 21 steps in honor of the Unknown Soldiers laying at rest within the granite memorial at Arlington? No, I did not forget this day. It was on my mind all day long.
Posted: September 11 at 3:35pm
The baying of hounds? Goodness what a racket to disturb your inner sanctum in the early mornings. Here I sit over an hour later still disturbed and searching for equilibrium as real time and insecurities join hands against me? Sometimes the old fox trembles from the sound of the dogs when he should just put his nose into the wind and do what has made him survive all of these years.
Posted: Sep 13 at 06:56am
Darkness as clouds and heavy mist tainted the arrival of sunlight. The bite of summer's humidity was absent as was the voice of my mockingbirds. Only the compressor of a distance sewer treatment plant was audible. My drive into work was symmetrically highlighted as the reflectors on the highway glowing brightly from the dark wet asphalt as my pre morning headlights played against their reflection of white and amber! As I exited the occasional street lights and entered into the urban lights of the city, their brightness highlighted the low lying clouds of the heavy overcast in puffs of white. It was a beautiful beginning as the gates of dawn had yet awakened our day, yet the promise of its beauty was still revealed as is a beautifully wrapped gift sitting undisturbed on a table with your name on it...
Posted: Sep 19 at 07:19am
It is getting close to the time my daughter, Ashley Paige Renbarger is to give birth to her daughter, Gabriella Kai... We are well into the 3rd trimester and every gas pain to her is a labor pain. I mean, hell, I go into labor every time I look at her so I do understand. Anyway, bear with me on these next few posts as we prepare to welcome this child.
The following seven (7) posts is a continuation of notes I posted when my very pregnant Daughter Paige called and woke us at 1:30 in the morning “thinking” her water had broken and the series of events I found worthy of posting on facebook that morning. It concludes with me giving her specific instructions about the “next time!”
Water broke. On the way to get kids. I think. I'm in the van going somewhere at 1:25 in the morning. Yes! I feel 60!
September 21 at 1:26am
OK, now at 2 am and I'm sitting in the Pediatric ER with Ashton and Katie promising them a tattoo if they both go back to sleep. I'm not personally "smelling" a baby for some reason. I'll keep yaw posted.
September 21 at 2:04am
2:22 and I'm going back home with the kids where I'm being dropped off too. Paige is hooked up to the monitor to see what is going on.
September 21 at 2:24am
Michael, Paige's husband gets off work at 3:30. Think I may have talked Linda into sleeping in her clothes until the monitoring might "indicate" yielding child or false alarm???
September 21 at 2:30am
What am I doing up anyway? Oh yeah, I'm the coach. I've told her what to do and how to do it with the other two she gave birth to, so Paige doesn't think she can do this without me. •grin•. Should I show her what 'natural' really means? Lol. Nah. I'll just go on to sleep and see what happens. Still don't think this is the day.
September 21 at 2:35am
2:51 and I'm back in bed but this Time I have two grand kids piled in with me. Wonder if the alarm will wake me at 6am or the telephone? Betting on the alarm. Talk soon.
September 21 at 2:54am
Alarm won and body slammed me into the shower where I discovered bruised ribs from nightmare kicking grandkids. Loss of sleep made it difficult to get dressed and leave but the matriarch assured me Paige was resting fine and my coaching duties may remain on hold. Somebody just kill me!
September 21 at 6:51am
OK. Gonna have to rewind and play this scene over again as the doctor is sending her home undelivered! Go figure. I knew this all along so I gave my daughter these specific instructions before she calls me again at 1 am in the morning.
1) Blood in urine. Don't call me. The cervix is thinning. After two kids you should know and expect that!
2) Water breaking. Don't call me. If it is not a boiler full of obvious “OMG, what just happened to me,” it ain’t the water breaking.
3) Baby grabbing your upper thigh with her hands. TIME TO CALL. You and I need to start breathing right and start heading to the hospital. Good chance it will be worth me getting out of bed and under that condition, I will not mind!
September 21 at 10:22am
The Fall Equinox greeted me this morning with a brisk wind and over cast morning. As I paused in my predawn drive way the wind chilled my shaved head and sharpened my awareness of surrounding sounds I sought to define. Quiet except for the rustling of the mature Red Oak leaves. As their abscission joints prepare each leaf for its release the sound of the wind through the mature leaves is much different than what I heard in the spring when they were tender. Same melody, but played by a different instrument.
Posted September 23 at 7:36am
Absolutely beautiful morning! The chill of early dawn was bathed in the bright morning light of a magnificent full moon! For some reason the combination of feel and sight surpassed the audio which only reminded me I was not alone. The sound of a Harley Davidson running through it's gears to merge with morning traffic on Hwy 28 E Taunted me that maybe I was not far enough from urban life? But then again, no. An inner warmth embraced me which made me smile so I slide into my city vehicle and became part of the sounds of another soul's early morning senses.
Posted: October 12, at 06:35am
Welcome Gabrielle Kai Renbarger also know to her Poppy as Gabby Gazielle Gazoo!
Posted: October 27, 2011
I was between 5 and 7 years of age and I was walking on Florida Street going back to my house on Georgia Street after a great haul in the hood on this Halloween evening. I remember three really big guys ran past me and grabbed my candy bag and lit out running even faster away from me down the street. I remember screaming "hey you" or something like that because little kids didn't know ugly words in the 50's. Couldn't chase 'em cause what would a little poodle like me do with three full grown Dobermans had I caught 'em? Anyway at the height of this "strong armed robbery," one of them tripped in the middle of the road and busted his tail really good! I remember him getting up, hobbling back to me, offering back my bag of loot and saying "I'm sorry". I said "that's OK" and went home. Crime in the 50's. Not the same now is it?
Posted: November 1, 2011
I sit in the shadow of my old barn as I think of those days past. The greenhouses are gone now and the constant chatter of water sprinklers are silent. Fall leaves are steadily falling on the tin roof that badly needs repair and I recall the seasons past when I labored in this place. A fox squirrel barks at me as I intrude on her privacy as I struggle for peace in my mind. Gone are the days but permanent the memories. As with the peace that death offers, I pray time will bless my mind with the contentment of pleasant times.
Posted: November 2, 2011
Acts of kindness always seems to attract my attention. Sitting here at my river spot and a John boat operated by a lone commercial fisherman stops his northern journey and pulls to the eastern bank of the river where an elderly couple are pole fishing. He throws two very large fish up on the bank for them and they wave warmly as they gather their bounty. The fisherman acknowledges their appreciation and continues around the bend of the river as the elderly couple gathers their belongings and move to their car to leave. My mockingbird seems to have lost the desire for song as I listen but do not hear. She was fussing at a fox squirrel this morning, about what I have no idea. I am OK.
Published November 8, 2011 in Pineville, LA
In a maze of people at Tangier's Outlet Mall in Branson, Mo., I sit and gather my thoughts. It is veterans day and all around me are reminders of those who served this country. Just last night at a restaurant I made my way across a crowded room to shake the hand of a veteran of WWII. I slowly extended my hand and as his tired eyes found my smile I pulled him into a warm embrace and said to him "thank you for the gift of freedom you gave me!". I also thanked his wife as a tear formed in her eye. When I pass a license tag that I recognize as a Purple Heart medal recipient, I will salute the driver of that automobile. I well know what the red and white stripes mean as well as the stars in the blue field of honor of our nations flag! I am honored to be one of my nations veterans and proudly take a back seat to those who have experienced far more on foreign fields than I. Never doubt that at my age I am still willing to stand and defend this country today as would any veteran of any branch who has served. And to the spouses of all veterans, we know that you have supported us and understand that in your heart the pledge of allegiance is emblazoned in your heart as well as ours. I personally salute you as you make us stronger and we know our sacrifice was not in vain.
Posted: November 11 at 11:31am near Branson, MO
Strange awakening this morning as I walked into a clouded high pressure Tuesday! The sunlight seemed to be filtered in a yellowish tint similar to shooting glasses and the remaining Fall leaves of the Gum tree, Bradford pear, Red Oaks and other colors danced vibrantly into my collection of thoughts! Absolutely stunningly beautiful every where I looked! I know the early season cold frost froze the pigments in the leaves before they detach themselves and this years colors simply reflect a somewhat cooler seasonal change, but how beautiful our Creator simply prepares for us the beauty of his creation. All He wants for us is to take the time and notice.
Being a horticulturist, I felt it necessary to explain why I felt these colors were more vibrant this fall/winter season than that of other years by posting what I called a brief lesson in horticulture when I added this to the original post:
Rod Ferguson: Here is a question we always ask down here in the South. What causes the trees to be more colorful this year as opposed to others? The best place in the world for viewing Fall colors is probably the Eastern United States. This is because of the climate there, and the wide variety of deciduous trees. The brightest colors are seen when late summer is dry, and Autumn has bright sunny days and cool nights. This allows trees to make a lot of anthocyanin pigments which causes the different colors. This is the kind of Fall we have had here in the south this particular season. We actually had a dry summer, sunny days and below normal cool nights as our 2011 Fall season progressed! Usually here in our zones of the South we encounter Fall seasons with cloudy days and warm nights which generally brings on rather drab and not so bright colors. A quick horticultural lesson for those who might wonder why???
And hours later as one of my friends read this post, this is her response:
Mariglen Baxter Ledger: Rod, this is just amazing. I kid you not, but just this morning, as I was passing a lake in my neighborhood, I took special notice of the gorgeous tree colors surrounding the lake and reflecting in the still water. I was wondering to myself if it's more beautiful than usual for this time of year or am I just noticing it more for some reason. Now I know... it really IS more beautiful.
Posted: December 20, 2011
Welcome winter solstice. The northern hemisphere's shortest day and longest night! Occurs tonight at 11:30pm. Actually 05:30am UTC (universal time) which is 22 December. Remember in our hemisphere it is the light. Each day will become increasingly longer as we move toward the spring equinox and our world starts coming alive with life. Those things that occur in numbers of threes. Our ancestors without the aid of medical advancements discovered the completion of the first of three trimesters was really not wives tale as the longest night actually revealed the secrets of those long winter nights! And of course just how many days was He actually entombed? Not to mention the Triad of our Christian faith. Enough of this babble. Let me just say this day, short as it is, finds comfort in my soul. May our Almighty Creator comfort us all with His peace.
Posted: December 21, 2011
k facebook friends, Here is your song challenge this morning... This one is not as easy. No googling...
"she was gonna be an actress
And I was gonna learn to fly.
She took off to find the footlights,
And I took off for the sky."
March 23 at 7:27am
I have been awake since 4:45 am, when our stupid cat broke into the house via a left open back door and awakened us playing with a dang cup on the kitchen floor. What the Heck is this racket!!! The thought of getting my 9mm browning hi-power with 13 rounds of protection NEVER crossed my mind!! I simply '
"followed" my wife to the noises!! It dawned on me when I tried to go back to sleep just how brave I really am. *deep sigh* So, I continued. Good Morning my facebook friends… Face your unknown world with bravery like I do! From behind your wife’s night gown… Worked for me… Stupid cat…
March 25 at 5:57am
Standing outside of church service listening to the beautiful song of a mockingbird as I post this. How clear and precise each note sounds from the woods he is hiding in. Accented by one lone dogwood tree it is enough to flood back memories.
March 27 at 11:55am via iPhone
Getting back in step with the real world this morning. Doesn't matter if your gone 6 days or 6 weeks, still need to adjust and catch up. I am so thankful I am able to adjust and catch back up... Hope all of my facebook friends make necessary adjustments to the minor aches and pains of life and reflect your positive aura on those around you if you need to catch up with something!
April 5 at 6:53am
Good morning facebook friends. In just a week, I have noticed the daylight is catching up to my schedule. It was dark when I would leave for work, but now the Gates of Dawn again greets me with the sounds of the waking world. Do you ever stop and take the time to listen? Identify as many sounds as you can, close your eyes and smile, and feel what else is in your heart!?!
April 6 at 7:11am
Quiet Sunday morning... Everyone sleeping in from late night parties or getting ready for Church... I would rather go back to sleep and wake up sometimes into next week but my Grandson is watching Phineas and Ferb and wants me to take him to Sunday School... Good morning to those of you that like me and love me!!! Have a good day whatever you chose to engage.
April 10 at 8:53am
Walked quietly out of my home through the carport and stepped into the beginning of the rest of the day. No mockingbird was close to greet me and even my sparrow glee club seemed far away? As I looked into the evolving light of the eastern sky, I could see dark black patchy clouds that made me pause and wonder. Why did I feel so humbly alone? My how our mind(s) can race...
April 11 at 7:19am
Let me go see how many of my friends actually dropped me from their friend list. Strange how people are inspired to be your friend, but NEVER speak to you?? Am I the only one that thinks these kinds of things? Had a couple that have been on my friend list since I've been on facebook. Not one word from them.. not a peep... With friends like that, who needs enemies???
April 12 at 3:29pm
As I stepped from the quiet solitude of my home into the carport, the first thing I felt was the temperature. At 6am this morning it was actually warmer outside than inside? Then I heard the residual sounds the wind was stirring up for me... The whisper the wind brings to life as it pushes through the needles of the Long Leaf Pines as it sings harmony with the silenced rustle of the tender new Red Oak leaves, both saying good morning in their own language.
April 15 at 6:42am
The people are quiet, but my Mockingbird is happy now. He yielded to the winds of the morning and is encouraging me to come on out, it is very nice. I desire to respond to his call... Hope my friends and family are having a good day.
April 15 at 10:43am
Lazy Saturday... I'm torn between vegging out or engaging my blog... Pandora is in my head this morning and I think I am content... My mind is simply drifting peacefully as I listen for a direction. Through my ear buds I hear my mockingbird call from the Ligustrum bushes around my pool... "yes, I respond. I know it is still green. Leave me alone."
April 16 at 9:24am
At 10:00pm of the same day, I find out I have lost a life friend...
DIANE V. FLETCHER (Diane Young) Or Diane Free as we knew her at Ouachita Parish High School surrendered her life to Eternal Rest today in Houston, TX. It was just three short weeks ago she posted me and said this, "let this new journey begin!" I see dignity, pride, and grace in a fine woman and will miss her. I pray I will have the courage to face my final days with the courage and faith she had...
April 16 at 10:30pm
I leaned against the fender of my code enforcement vehicle this morning under the gray overcast Sky as light began filtering through the pine boughs in my yard. Lots of mockingbirds this morning. Three maybe four?? I think of my friends Diane and go back three weeks or so and collect my thoughts of Connie... Hold those you care for tight! We just never know...
April 18 at 7:34am
Moon cycle must be right and the low pressure front is dominating... For those of us that have noticed, we feared or at least I feared Sandi was going to speak to all 304 of her friends this morning with her wonderful optimistic love for everyone... You know, that carry over hippy stuff that is part of her DNA from the 60's? Still works though, doesn't it? Even our Becky is waiving a flag across the River!
April 19 at 7:39am
And which of the people(s) we encounter and interact with this day is by mere coincidence or divine intervention? How will they read our book? Will they see who we really are, then it will be a coincidence... Will they see something in us they really desire? Divine intervention... Aren't all of the 'encounters' we have during our waking hours Divine interventions?
April 20 at 8:34am
Quiet on the facebook front! Everyone must be riding motorcycles, planting flowers, or watching kids hunt Easter Eggs... I have a house full of grand kids coloring Easter Eggs for tomorrow! Yup, almost stroked out last year when I walked in my kitchen and found real dye in 5 different bowls with grand kids 4 to 9 arguing over it. We use crayons now... Why are they NOT at their house doing this?
Welcome to the Thursday morning before the Friday we acknowledge and embrace as Good Friday... Why the word Good?? We know scripturally what this Friday was the beginning of and that was not good for our Christ. But what about mankind? I listened to the soft coo of a mourning dove this morning. Maybe she is still in mourning for that chain of events set in motion so long ago that we today call Good.
April 21 at 7:28am
To what is it we awaken to this morning? Did not we just celebrate the reason of our rise and the continuance of our song? Monday should be the day we place the flag of our faith for all to see and move through the remainder of our week as an example for others to emulate. And don't worry if you stumble... There is someone to catch you.
April 25 at 7:47am
Crisp garden shower accented with lightning and close by thunder awakened me from my all to familiar slumber... I briefly watched the light show play through my covered doors and fell silently back into the place I was pulled from... This morning as I walked out side everything felt clean... Kinda like your soul when you lay everything on the line in prayer..
April 26 at 7:04am
Hope all my friends along that I-20 corridor are OK this morning starting with Eugene in Shreveport across to Sandi and many others in Monroe. I know you got hit pretty hard last night... Move on over to Vicksburg to Mariglen and Becky in Clinton?? Hope you ladies are OK... Martha Durham in Alabama! If It ain't there its coming and Steve you and Kay get ready!! Keep in touch!!!
April 27 at 8:33am
Central Louisiana was spared from the storms that raked the I-20 corridor yesterday morning. The fingerprints of mother nature's wrath are obvious across the south land as we dig ourselves and those we love and loved out of the destruction. But yet a new day dawns and our resolve is not yet met! My bullfrog croaks as if he is under a blanket! Breath deep and step out!
April 28 at 7:19am
They re-enter your world as a familiar name from the last century or even the last Millennium. With some, your friendship never wavered, you just laugh at the caresses of time on your faces, the color of your hair or lack there of and embrace the undefined time remaining. They touch your very soul with happiness and they are gone again. By choice? Or Divine intervention? They are still gone.
April 29 at 7:42pm
Some days will live in your heart forever where other will kiss you gently on the cheek when you open the door and step into her! This morning follows that pattern as I stepped into her cool welcome embrace... Something not heard in years that was common in my youth... The distinct call of the "Bob White" Quail... Never expected that sound. Every thing else was actually mute? I am still processing that...
May 4 at 7:17am·
As I stepped into the coolness of morning a shiver went through me and I smiled... My heart is heavy for some lonesome reason as I lifted my eyes to the soft vacuum sound of a passenger jet passing high overhead as it pushed eastbound into the rising sun. I leaned against my car and gave thanks to my Creator as my feathered glee club preformed a beautiful concerto as if to encourage my resolve.
May 6 at 8:12am
When I examine Mother's Day as defined by social norms, I find it acceptable to set aside a day for countless numbers of women that have given birth to a child. Looking at the infinite definition God himself placed on woman, to come along side and be a "helper?" Every woman loved by our creator is designed for that compassion and should be embraced as a heavenly gift with or without child. Just thinking ....
Posted: May 8 at 13:20pm
As the clouds clear away in the morning's sky, we gaze upward and fix onto finite things we can claim as real, like fading stars, planets, and maybe even the moon itself. What we can't understand is what is beyond our comprehension, the infinite... We can define that in our educated minds, but simply stated, I think that is God's alone to possess... And will only be revealed to us in time.
Posted: Date Unknown
The cool crisp feel of an unusual spring morning. The mockingbird is at distance from the nearness of my back yard yet still audible, however, as other sounds stirred my memory. The distinct guttural sound of a siren brought me to consciousness as the rising sunlight bathed my back yard in her morning colors. Concerns for those I love are on my mind as I watched a full moon slip below the western horizon.
Posted: May 18 at 07:28am
As the moonlight appears to instruct the dew to fall upon the tender growth of spring, so our minds slow to a crawl as sleep beckons us to prepare for another promised day. Every feeling and memory we have of this fading day will slip into unconsciousness only to awaken with us tomorrow. They will join us where they left us. How will we accept those feelings into our morning? How will they affect our day?
May 18 at 10:09pm
Yes. Feelings and memories of yesterday are with me this morning as I process the beginning of Dawn. I hear the sounds of morning that make me smile and I look and see my mockingbird looking back at me. A deep breath of morning air as the temperature caresses my entire existence. This morning for some reason "Intelligent Design" crossed my mind. He was there all of the time.
Posting sometime in May
This morning I found myself outside beating the morning by 15 minutes or so. Quietly listening, the only sounds I could identify was the singing of automobile tires on the asphalt of Highway 28. The honest people were stirring before daylight dawned. The soft hum mm of an air pump on my neighbors sewer system?? Really?!? And on the other side of the world, what does my son hear? My heart misses him desperately.
Posting toward the end of May when my son Stewart was in Afghanistan
Because the Summer Equinox looms close, I find my mornings more alive and bright as my schedule remains the same. I arose an hour early to again witness the gates of dawn... The sounds of my bird ensemble introduced a new soloist across the field in the tree line. The Whip-poor-will has a beautifully distinct sound. Peaceful when you allow it.
June 2 at 6:58am
Good Morning fb friends and family! As the summer solstice gets closer I find the morning well progressed as I entered her presence this morning. My mockingbird sat perched high on a wire above my car and looked at me... I stood in silence watching and listening... He spread his wings and flew displaying the distinct white spots under the wings. All is well in my world...
Posted: sometimes in mid to late June
As I walked out side this morning it was dark except for what the remaining moon had painted with her fading light. I was consumed with the humidity as it quickly sat upon my senses. I thought of my senses and wondered about each. I have always known there were six, but could only identify five in my mind? What is the sixth sense? Help me here friends...
Posted: sometimes in mid to late June
Walked outside this morning to a gray sky. As I entered the prism of limited visibility the second thing recorded by my senses was the kiss of drizzle on my shaved head. A shiver went through me... Thoughts seemed to scattered into a million directions... I had a choice that I could make. Then the Third sense registered. The sound(s) of morning. The mockingbird reminded me again of the smaller sounds of the moment... Other birds were also lifting their praises to the Triad of our Faith! Oh yes, they too, were celebrating LIFE despite the prism of gray that greeted me this morning... And so too, should we. Let us who love, share life today! My heart is content... It is a very good morning!
Posted: sometimes in late June or early July
Yesterday morning as I greeted the Gates of Dawn, I stopped short of walking out of the carport because of light rain. I heard my mockingbird greeting me and the bark of a dog. Beside me in the darkness of the flower bed the soft chirp of a cricket. I listened and wondered if that is how God listens to our prayers? Of all the sounds of the morning from the dropping rain to the vacuum of a passing jet high above, my mind was filled with a lot of first thoughts. Still, as if God allowed me into his world, he magnified the voice of this tiny insect. I momentarily had the desire to stoop down into this damp, dark flower bed and search for the source of this “chirp” or was it possibly a prayer? Something comforted me inside and I felt my mockingbird had prepared me for something special as he paused me in the very spot I stood. God simply spoke to me and said, "I too, hear the smallest prayer of those that call upon My Name and I will bow down and find you and comfort you."
Posted: July 15 at 07:20am
Six weeks past summer's solstice, I noticed the Gates of Dawn are catching up with my morning habits and routine. I paused and listened this morning as I often do and heard two distinct sounds from my Mockingbirds. The pleasant greeting of song that so moves my heart in the early dawn and in the low area where the trees surround a small pond...
The fussing of another "momma bird," as her clack and drawn out squawk tells me another group of fledglings are on the ground. My heart is with a man I have deep respect for this morning. I pray he can hear the beauty of Your song, so I ask that his critics draw ignorance to themselves only as You heal and comfort his heart as well as all involved...
Those of you who know, lift up your voices for him as well. I know the burden is great.
Posted: Aug 2, 2011 at 09:42am
So very quiet as I walked into the humid embrace of dawn. I wondered if it was my hearing or if everything was distant to my home? Took my time getting to my car so I could listen but yet there was nothing except one bird. Seems she rushed to invite me into a day full of promise. I must open my mind to see.
Many times my friends are often far too kind and generous with their words. Like sitting under a large shade tree on a hot day as a breeze rustles the leaves and cools you at the same time. Not only do you hear them but you feel them as well and desire their company.
Posted Aug 8 at 07:56am
As the solstice gives way to the fall equinox I find the sun hidden below the horizon as I join the morning. My birds were relatively quiet this morning but a contrail appeared highlighted across the eastern sky by the rays of the sun. I just stared. As if God had made this mark on the dark blue heavens with a magic marker. Would He write on my heart today?
Posted: Aug 22 at 08:48
As if the overcast dawn 'allowed' my presence into her, the only sound audible was the singing of 18 wheels on Hwy 28E just a mile of so from my home. I caught the rustle of pine needles and noticed several sparrows moving as to investigate my intrusion into their world. I did not hear the sound of happy rapport from any of my birds? The distant bark of a dog. Everything around me should be at peace with my presence for a predators heart is no longer part of my existence. Or is it???
Posted: Aug 25 at 06:51am
Morning in Arlington has broken with the promise of triple digit temperatures. The sound of the urban landscape located in the heart of this metroplex silences the voice of my favorite bird. I sit and enjoy memories of my past with my oldest friend and smile too of those memories promised but yet defined.
Posted: Sep 3 at 10:04am
Got in trouble this morning! Kissed Linda on the cheek and said good bye to her as I started to leave for work and she opened her eyes just long enough causing her to sit straight up in bed and scream! "Put your clothes on and DO NOT walk out of this house NAKED!!" She just has no idea how long I have waited for a cool morning like this! Ruined everything... Oh well. At least I didn't go to jail... There is this one neighbor.
Posted: Sep 6 at 06:39am
There are two places I desire to visit before my time on earth expires. Actually there are three places. The first one is the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. The memories of those entombed there identifies the greatest gift their generation offered to our world. The second, of course, is the footprints of the World Trade Centers. There again, my generation experienced the resolve of our great nation despite the politics that seek to destroy us from within... I so desire to spend time with the memories of those souls that died there. How could I be remiss and not desire to sit in silent respect as I watch America's finest pace 21 steps in honor of the Unknown Soldiers laying at rest within the granite memorial at Arlington? No, I did not forget this day. It was on my mind all day long.
Posted: September 11 at 3:35pm
The baying of hounds? Goodness what a racket to disturb your inner sanctum in the early mornings. Here I sit over an hour later still disturbed and searching for equilibrium as real time and insecurities join hands against me? Sometimes the old fox trembles from the sound of the dogs when he should just put his nose into the wind and do what has made him survive all of these years.
Posted: Sep 13 at 06:56am
Darkness as clouds and heavy mist tainted the arrival of sunlight. The bite of summer's humidity was absent as was the voice of my mockingbirds. Only the compressor of a distance sewer treatment plant was audible. My drive into work was symmetrically highlighted as the reflectors on the highway glowing brightly from the dark wet asphalt as my pre morning headlights played against their reflection of white and amber! As I exited the occasional street lights and entered into the urban lights of the city, their brightness highlighted the low lying clouds of the heavy overcast in puffs of white. It was a beautiful beginning as the gates of dawn had yet awakened our day, yet the promise of its beauty was still revealed as is a beautifully wrapped gift sitting undisturbed on a table with your name on it...
Posted: Sep 19 at 07:19am
It is getting close to the time my daughter, Ashley Paige Renbarger is to give birth to her daughter, Gabriella Kai... We are well into the 3rd trimester and every gas pain to her is a labor pain. I mean, hell, I go into labor every time I look at her so I do understand. Anyway, bear with me on these next few posts as we prepare to welcome this child.
The following seven (7) posts is a continuation of notes I posted when my very pregnant Daughter Paige called and woke us at 1:30 in the morning “thinking” her water had broken and the series of events I found worthy of posting on facebook that morning. It concludes with me giving her specific instructions about the “next time!”
Water broke. On the way to get kids. I think. I'm in the van going somewhere at 1:25 in the morning. Yes! I feel 60!
September 21 at 1:26am
OK, now at 2 am and I'm sitting in the Pediatric ER with Ashton and Katie promising them a tattoo if they both go back to sleep. I'm not personally "smelling" a baby for some reason. I'll keep yaw posted.
September 21 at 2:04am
2:22 and I'm going back home with the kids where I'm being dropped off too. Paige is hooked up to the monitor to see what is going on.
September 21 at 2:24am
Michael, Paige's husband gets off work at 3:30. Think I may have talked Linda into sleeping in her clothes until the monitoring might "indicate" yielding child or false alarm???
September 21 at 2:30am
What am I doing up anyway? Oh yeah, I'm the coach. I've told her what to do and how to do it with the other two she gave birth to, so Paige doesn't think she can do this without me. •grin•. Should I show her what 'natural' really means? Lol. Nah. I'll just go on to sleep and see what happens. Still don't think this is the day.
September 21 at 2:35am
2:51 and I'm back in bed but this Time I have two grand kids piled in with me. Wonder if the alarm will wake me at 6am or the telephone? Betting on the alarm. Talk soon.
September 21 at 2:54am
Alarm won and body slammed me into the shower where I discovered bruised ribs from nightmare kicking grandkids. Loss of sleep made it difficult to get dressed and leave but the matriarch assured me Paige was resting fine and my coaching duties may remain on hold. Somebody just kill me!
September 21 at 6:51am
OK. Gonna have to rewind and play this scene over again as the doctor is sending her home undelivered! Go figure. I knew this all along so I gave my daughter these specific instructions before she calls me again at 1 am in the morning.
1) Blood in urine. Don't call me. The cervix is thinning. After two kids you should know and expect that!
2) Water breaking. Don't call me. If it is not a boiler full of obvious “OMG, what just happened to me,” it ain’t the water breaking.
3) Baby grabbing your upper thigh with her hands. TIME TO CALL. You and I need to start breathing right and start heading to the hospital. Good chance it will be worth me getting out of bed and under that condition, I will not mind!
September 21 at 10:22am
The Fall Equinox greeted me this morning with a brisk wind and over cast morning. As I paused in my predawn drive way the wind chilled my shaved head and sharpened my awareness of surrounding sounds I sought to define. Quiet except for the rustling of the mature Red Oak leaves. As their abscission joints prepare each leaf for its release the sound of the wind through the mature leaves is much different than what I heard in the spring when they were tender. Same melody, but played by a different instrument.
Posted September 23 at 7:36am
Absolutely beautiful morning! The chill of early dawn was bathed in the bright morning light of a magnificent full moon! For some reason the combination of feel and sight surpassed the audio which only reminded me I was not alone. The sound of a Harley Davidson running through it's gears to merge with morning traffic on Hwy 28 E Taunted me that maybe I was not far enough from urban life? But then again, no. An inner warmth embraced me which made me smile so I slide into my city vehicle and became part of the sounds of another soul's early morning senses.
Posted: October 12, at 06:35am
Welcome Gabrielle Kai Renbarger also know to her Poppy as Gabby Gazielle Gazoo!
Posted: October 27, 2011
I was between 5 and 7 years of age and I was walking on Florida Street going back to my house on Georgia Street after a great haul in the hood on this Halloween evening. I remember three really big guys ran past me and grabbed my candy bag and lit out running even faster away from me down the street. I remember screaming "hey you" or something like that because little kids didn't know ugly words in the 50's. Couldn't chase 'em cause what would a little poodle like me do with three full grown Dobermans had I caught 'em? Anyway at the height of this "strong armed robbery," one of them tripped in the middle of the road and busted his tail really good! I remember him getting up, hobbling back to me, offering back my bag of loot and saying "I'm sorry". I said "that's OK" and went home. Crime in the 50's. Not the same now is it?
Posted: November 1, 2011
I sit in the shadow of my old barn as I think of those days past. The greenhouses are gone now and the constant chatter of water sprinklers are silent. Fall leaves are steadily falling on the tin roof that badly needs repair and I recall the seasons past when I labored in this place. A fox squirrel barks at me as I intrude on her privacy as I struggle for peace in my mind. Gone are the days but permanent the memories. As with the peace that death offers, I pray time will bless my mind with the contentment of pleasant times.
Posted: November 2, 2011
Acts of kindness always seems to attract my attention. Sitting here at my river spot and a John boat operated by a lone commercial fisherman stops his northern journey and pulls to the eastern bank of the river where an elderly couple are pole fishing. He throws two very large fish up on the bank for them and they wave warmly as they gather their bounty. The fisherman acknowledges their appreciation and continues around the bend of the river as the elderly couple gathers their belongings and move to their car to leave. My mockingbird seems to have lost the desire for song as I listen but do not hear. She was fussing at a fox squirrel this morning, about what I have no idea. I am OK.
Published November 8, 2011 in Pineville, LA
In a maze of people at Tangier's Outlet Mall in Branson, Mo., I sit and gather my thoughts. It is veterans day and all around me are reminders of those who served this country. Just last night at a restaurant I made my way across a crowded room to shake the hand of a veteran of WWII. I slowly extended my hand and as his tired eyes found my smile I pulled him into a warm embrace and said to him "thank you for the gift of freedom you gave me!". I also thanked his wife as a tear formed in her eye. When I pass a license tag that I recognize as a Purple Heart medal recipient, I will salute the driver of that automobile. I well know what the red and white stripes mean as well as the stars in the blue field of honor of our nations flag! I am honored to be one of my nations veterans and proudly take a back seat to those who have experienced far more on foreign fields than I. Never doubt that at my age I am still willing to stand and defend this country today as would any veteran of any branch who has served. And to the spouses of all veterans, we know that you have supported us and understand that in your heart the pledge of allegiance is emblazoned in your heart as well as ours. I personally salute you as you make us stronger and we know our sacrifice was not in vain.
Posted: November 11 at 11:31am near Branson, MO
Strange awakening this morning as I walked into a clouded high pressure Tuesday! The sunlight seemed to be filtered in a yellowish tint similar to shooting glasses and the remaining Fall leaves of the Gum tree, Bradford pear, Red Oaks and other colors danced vibrantly into my collection of thoughts! Absolutely stunningly beautiful every where I looked! I know the early season cold frost froze the pigments in the leaves before they detach themselves and this years colors simply reflect a somewhat cooler seasonal change, but how beautiful our Creator simply prepares for us the beauty of his creation. All He wants for us is to take the time and notice.
Being a horticulturist, I felt it necessary to explain why I felt these colors were more vibrant this fall/winter season than that of other years by posting what I called a brief lesson in horticulture when I added this to the original post:
Rod Ferguson: Here is a question we always ask down here in the South. What causes the trees to be more colorful this year as opposed to others? The best place in the world for viewing Fall colors is probably the Eastern United States. This is because of the climate there, and the wide variety of deciduous trees. The brightest colors are seen when late summer is dry, and Autumn has bright sunny days and cool nights. This allows trees to make a lot of anthocyanin pigments which causes the different colors. This is the kind of Fall we have had here in the south this particular season. We actually had a dry summer, sunny days and below normal cool nights as our 2011 Fall season progressed! Usually here in our zones of the South we encounter Fall seasons with cloudy days and warm nights which generally brings on rather drab and not so bright colors. A quick horticultural lesson for those who might wonder why???
And hours later as one of my friends read this post, this is her response:
Mariglen Baxter Ledger: Rod, this is just amazing. I kid you not, but just this morning, as I was passing a lake in my neighborhood, I took special notice of the gorgeous tree colors surrounding the lake and reflecting in the still water. I was wondering to myself if it's more beautiful than usual for this time of year or am I just noticing it more for some reason. Now I know... it really IS more beautiful.
Posted: December 20, 2011
Welcome winter solstice. The northern hemisphere's shortest day and longest night! Occurs tonight at 11:30pm. Actually 05:30am UTC (universal time) which is 22 December. Remember in our hemisphere it is the light. Each day will become increasingly longer as we move toward the spring equinox and our world starts coming alive with life. Those things that occur in numbers of threes. Our ancestors without the aid of medical advancements discovered the completion of the first of three trimesters was really not wives tale as the longest night actually revealed the secrets of those long winter nights! And of course just how many days was He actually entombed? Not to mention the Triad of our Christian faith. Enough of this babble. Let me just say this day, short as it is, finds comfort in my soul. May our Almighty Creator comfort us all with His peace.
Posted: December 21, 2011
Rodney, your blog was so enjoyable. Please continue to write. You have such a gift for conveying thoughts,emotions, humor, and word pictures. Certainly, I felt drawn into a somehow a part of the stories you have written. So much of life is common to all of us and much of this you shared in such a wonderful, personal way. Your humor has always been a delight and is a star in much of your writings. The emotion is often softened by the humor. Also, enjoy your posts. Please keep writing and giving out tidbits of who you are, in such a charming format. Take care.
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