Great Blue Heron

When we were leaving the house, we were surprised to see this standing in the yard.
Great Blue Herons stand very tall at 3.2-4.5 feet tall.  But they can also hunch up and make themselves seem short and fat, like this one did when i got closer.  They have wingspan of up to 6 and 1/2 feet and are impressive to see on land or in the air.
Not sure why it was in our yard, which is in St Louis city, with no water nearby, except Forest Park.  It seemed like it was hiding out from bill collectors.  It hung around all day, but was gone this morning.

First Aid Kit

My favorite gals from Sweden.  In winter.  

And summer too.  

Meramec State Park

Prehistoric Indian Rock Shelter

 Hamilton Iron Works

Back in October, the kids and I went to Meremac for the day.
There are over 40 caves, numerous springs and several hiking trails, 4 of which we hiked.

We also searched out the Hamilton Iron Works, which operated in Hamilton Valley in the 1880's.
"Hamilton Valley is in a remote section of the park."  I'll say.
Mining started here in 1796, and this operation smelted iron ore to create pig iron, a brittle and impure form of iron that is usually refined before use.
John Hartford, the famous Ozark fiddler and riverboat captain, named his last album Hamilton Ironworks after this location.
When we finally found it, the sun had almost set and a trio of teens came running out of the woods screaming, while each holding 2 fists of empty tallboys.  They grabbed refills and sprinted back with shrieks, settling into the first ruin on the trail.  So i took a picture of it, and told the kids we'd come back and explore with Papa.
I am adventurous, but...

I Think We Need To Hire New Help

Someone has been stealing the firewood Justin split last winter.  Calling it a "woodpile" is kind of cutesy, since it is really 2 giant trees worth.
I am not that happy with the job Judy has been doing.  And this picture tells you a little more.  She really is sleeping on the job.  I won't give anymore examples, just know she is.

At least she is creative though.  The ball was in her way on her favorite rug, why not use it as a headrest?

Update:  The culprit has been apprehended. It is a friend that asked to take a little.  When Justin checked to see if he got some, he said he took enough wood that we should think someone was thieving it.  Oh, did we have a riotous laugh on this!  Case closed.

Little Yellow House

Once upon a time, there was a little yellow house.
Along came a surgeon, a therapist, and their child.  They decided they wanted to live in the yellow house.
So they did and the house welcomed them.  It was glad to have a family again.

Not long after, the family happened upon another house, and they fell in love!  It was the house of their dreams!!  They had to have it.
And so they did.

While they waited for their luxurious Grand Dame, they lived in the cute yellow house. They preferred not to pay for so many houses, so they didn't.  After all, $434,000 is a lot of money.
They didn't pay the little house and she was nearly lost.

And while they were waiting, they decided they wanted a puppy.  The yellow house didn't allow pets, but they really wanted a dog to call their own.  They must have one!!
So they did, deciding on two adorable puppies.

While the puppies chewed the little yellow house, it became tired and worn.  While the family readied themselves for the move, the house was sick with the smell.
And it was more than just the puppy poop and pee.

The family is finally gone and the little yellow house is relieved.

The exquisite manse is beautiful, belying the stench inside.

Memories

Happier Now

Jolly Junco

2 Birds On A Wire

With 12 inches of snow, frozen pipes, -35 wind chill, and livestock indoors, it feels a lot like growing up in an old Iowa farmhouse.
The kids and I have had fun making forts and lying in the snow.  Everything is quieter in the snowy cold except the birds, who are appreciative of the new bird feeder i received for Christmas.
Some birds we saw today:
Dark-Eyed Juncos
Cardinals
American Tree Sparrow or Song Sparrow
White-Throated Sparrow
White-Crowned Sparrow
The chickens seemed fine in the cold, but last night Chip was unresponsive, so I thought it would be best to put them in Judy's kennel.  She seemed to perk right up.  They are in tight quarters, but laying their eggs in the bucket like good girls.

Wilma Irene Stam

Memorial for Wilma Irene

My Grandma passed away.  She was a good strong woman.

Paper Whites

This morning, the buds were still closed, and by afternoon 3 had opened.  A beautiful example of how quickly things can change.
Thank you April!

Jasper Says,

"When I grow up, I will be a hippie and call Eric to smoke the peace pipe."

We went sledding today, and Jasper got a bloody snow burn.

Alabama Public Television

The kids and I are "in" this documentary about Shape Note Singing.  Which means that you can see small parts of us throughout.
Alabama Public Television

Bye Bye Trampoline

We have a leaky roof and had the insurance adjuster come to check for storm damage.  He was very friendly and asked many personal questions.  He told me what he took pictures of and how they determine

storm damage.  The next day, we received notice that our backyard trampoline was a violation of our homeowner's policy.  At some point, it would have been helpful to hear, "i took a picture of your trampoline as well, you receive notice of the violation tomorrow."

So today is the last day of operation.  It was fun while it lasted!

Oh, and there wasn't any storm damage.  

Brief Shape Note History

The kids and i had to give a family presentation last week for Classical Conversations.  So we told our classmates a bit about shape note singing.

Shape note singing, also known as Sacred Harp, is an early American music that has roots in 16^th century Europe.

The English used a four-note system centuries ago, but did not use different shapes.

When colonists came to America, they brought their traditions with them.

And soon, Shape Note Singing evolved and was being used to teach church congregations how to sing. Nearly everyone in early America, learned to read music using a system of shaped notes. Many well known hymns, were written as Shape Note Songs.

In the early 1800's, soon after our nation won its independence, Shape Note Singing was slowly driven from its first home in New England by people who considered it too raw and coarse, preferring refined European music.

But shape-note singing took root in the rural South and the lower Midwest, where it continued to flourish.

Many changes took place after the Civil War, and Shape Note Singing declined to the point of being considered extinct. But in 1935, it was revealed that thousands of traditional singers were still flourishing in the southern mountains.

In recent years, Shape Note Singing has enjoyed a revival in its old territories, including New England and Europe.

Sacred Harp music is divided into 4 parts: treble, alto, tenor, and bass. Singers sit in a hollow square with each part taking a side and facing the center.

The song leader stands in the center and beats time while facing the tenor section. The hand and arm motions are a traditional way of keeping time.

Everyone leads a song, and before singing the words to the song, we “sing the notes' by singing the syllables of the shapes.

Fa

Sol

La

Mi

And then we led 209 Evening Shade.  

But instead, i leave you with my outhouse video. During the Labor Day Sing, i came out of the outhouse and the sound seemed so beautiful wafting from the old windows.  So although the quality of camera and filming is poor, it adds to the "raw and coarse" sound that people either love or hate.  

Windridge and the 2 Henry's

What i should be doing is laundry.  Last week's laundry is still sitting in the chair, and this week's laundry is about to join it there.
But, instead i need to encourage myself by revisiting the silent retreat i took over the weekend. Being in a quiet, stress-free, beautiful place makes everything seem possible.  And then, it is back to the difficult and mundane cycle of life.
I read a book by Henri Nouwen, called Reaching Out: The Three Movements Of The Spiritual Life.
He starts out by talking about loneliness and keep in mind that this book was written in 1975.  That makes it ever more delightful.

"Loneliness is one the most universal human experiences, but our contemporary Western society has heightened the awareness of our loneliness to an unusual degree...
The contemporary society in which we find ourselves makes us acutely aware of our loneliness.  We become increasingly aware that we are living in a world where even the most intimate relationships have become part of competition and rivalry..."

He goes on to talk about the difference between loneliness and solitude and why solitude is important.

"Too often we will do everything possible to avoid the confrontation with the experience of being alone...
Our culture has become most sophisticated in the avoidance of pain, not only our physical pain, but our emotional and mental pain as well.  We have become so used to this state of anesthesia that we panic when there is nothing or nobody left to distract us, when we have no project to finish, no friend to visit, no book to read, no TV to watch, no record to play...
And when we are left all alone by ourselves we are brought so close to the revelation of our basic human aloneness and are so afraid of experiencing an all-pervasive sense of loneliness that we will do anything to get busy again and continue the game which makes us believe that everything is fine after all.  John Lennon says, 'Feel your own pain,' but how hard that is!"

Even in the 1800's, Henry David Thoreau understood the importance of solitude.  Sometimes we idealize times past as simpler, and in many ways they were.  But in the quote, he shows us how similar we all are and always have been.
He writes,

"When our life ceases to be inward and private, conversation denigrates into mere gossip.  We rarely meet a man who can tell us any news which he has not read in a newspaper, or been told by his neighbor; and, for the most part, the only difference between us and our fellow is that he has seen the newspaper or been out to tea, and we have not.  In proportion, as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office.  You may depend on it, that the poor fellow who walks away with the greatest number of letters proud of his extensive correspondence has not heard from himself this long while."

Solitude is more than just being alone.

First Egg

It has been happening for a few weeks now, but each morning is the same.  The kids squabble over who gets to open the egg door, take the egg out and carry it inside.
I am sure this will not carry into winter.

Cabin Goodbyes

We went down to the cabin to say goodbye to an old friend.  He always has an impossible story to tell that is true but never seems like it should be.
While we were there, the kids caught monster fish and we found monster black widows.  All in all a good but sad day.  We will miss Eric and Shirley in Missouri!

Michigan 2013

I know i have many readers out there that expect Real Time Powell News. I am sorry that i cannot provide that to you.
Several months ago, we went to Michigan and had a lovely time.  Thanks Mom and Dad!

Shovels and Rope- Tiny Desk Concert

A Love That Forgives

In a city once known as "Bombingham", Birmingham is still subtly divided.
It has been 50 years since members of the KKK bombed the 16th street Baptist Church, killing Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley, and Addie Mae Collins.
The day after the bombing, a young white lawyer named Chuck Morgan was scheduled to address his peers.  In that speech, were these scathing words,
"Who threw that bomb?  The answer should be, we all did it...it's every little individual who talks about 'the niggers' and spreads the seeds of his hate to his neighbor and son. "
Threats ensued, and 2 weeks later, he fled with his family in the cover of night.  He did what too many whites did not do.  He did what too many people still do not do.
The pastor didn't have a chance to preach it, but the title of the sermon that morning was, "A Love That Forgives".  I think of the parents and siblings of these little girls and wonder if they forgave such evil hatred.
Impossible on your own.
Sarah Collins Rudolph, Addie Mae's younger sister, was injured in the blast.  She spent months in the hospital and lost her right eye.  She says she feels no bitterness, "Being bitter won't bring the girls back, won't bring my sight back. So i had to forgive because it was what God wanted me to do."

http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2013/09/15/221790880/50-years-later-birmingham-is-still-subtly-divided

Our Cultural Addiction To Phones

I know i am old fashioned, but this obsession looks ridiculous.  Maybe i feel left out and jealous?

http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2013/09/05/219266779/our-cultural-addiction-to-phones-in-one-disconcerting-video?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=share&utm_campaign=

Happy 6th Birthday Avery!!

Taum Sauk Mountain

Taum Sauk Mountain rises to the highest point in Missouri at 1,772 feet.  These are short yet, ancient mountains.

Mina Sauk Falls, which can be reached  halfway through a 3 mile loop trail, drops 132 feet down rocky ledges. The waterfall wasn't falling, due to dry conditions.  I look forward to going back when it is wet.

A portion of Mina Sauk Trail is also the Ozark Trail, which is more than 350 miles long.  Eventually it will run from St Louis area to Arkansas, connecting to the Ozark Highland Trail.
This trail was perfect for our family.  Even though it is rugged, i was surprised by how well the kids did.  On this particular day, we made an impromptu trip south because the weather said so.  This summer has been a beauty!