There are hundreds of miles of old stone walls bordering farms and running through overgrown fields in New England. Glaciers buried field stones eons ago, only to have them resurface during deforestation and farming in Colonial days. As the fields were cleared for wood and farming, these frost-heaved stones were used to establish boundaries whichContinue reading “Boundaries”
Tag Archives: nature
Reflecting
Morning Reflections, Sorrento, Maine Joining nature’s music and rhythms can be soul releasing. Being drawn into flowing streams and rippling brooks, lulled by water gently lapping the lake shore, mesmerized by crashing surf, soothed with soft breezes whispering through pines, or touched by the hermit thrush’s evening song may become profoundly refreshing experiences during whichContinue reading “Reflecting”
Roaring Waters, Quiet Pools
Mariaville Falls, Mariaville, Maine (photo, Laura Mace Rand) Prior to and after these falls, peaceful streams flow into tranquil pools where heron fish and beavers build their houses. They are pleasant reminders of the 23rd Psalm’s assurances that God shepherds His people to green pastures and still waters where they are spiritualy safe, satisfied, andContinue reading “Roaring Waters, Quiet Pools”
Opportunity
 Raking Blueberries, Whitneyville, Maine Working late, taking advantage of seasonal blueberry harvesting, this fellow is laboring a “second job.” Whether to provide for his children’s school clothes, to have a financial cushion for the upcoming winter’s utility bills, or to buy something special he wants, he is “redeeming the time.” That is an oddContinue reading “Opportunity”
Mountains Tops
Although they lack the towering, ragged grandeur of the Rockies and the Alps, the mountains of Acadia National Park are impressive and beautiful in a more refined way. There is something satisfying, even elating, about achieving a mountain top after a strenuous climb. On the heights, one enjoys an otherwise unappreciated perspective of distant mountains,Continue reading “Mountains Tops”
Coexistence in a Swampy World
Coexistence Although definitely not a Maine photo this one is shared because it generated some shareable thoughts. This swampy microcosm was spotted on a South Carolinian plantation while we were visiting family. Drawn to the smug almost gleeful countenance of the alligator and the naive inquisitiveness of the turtles, I immediately thought of Lewis Carroll’sContinue reading “Coexistence in a Swampy World”
Beauty or Burnout?
If we do not believe in God or do not perceive Him as Someone who is interested in our lives, we miss His voice speaking to us through creation’s beauty. Also, at times, our psychic and physical energies have been so overwhelmed and dissipated with the busyness and preoccupations of hectic days that we experienceContinue reading “Beauty or Burnout?”
Unruined Grandeur
In 1877, Jesuit priest Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote the poem “God’s Grandeur,” the first line of which states, ” The world is charged with the grandeur of God.” Soon, colorful lupine will cover Maine fields and roadsides giving testimony to that fact. Nothing can match nature’s beauty. Centuries of prophets, poets, artists, writers, theologians, andContinue reading “Unruined Grandeur”
Every Spring!
As the song goes, “Everything is beautiful in its own way.” These lemon lilies hunker down each fall, endure chilling winter freezes, and faithfully grow back every spring with bright and fragrant beauty. That amazing cycle of transformation and resiliency occurs all around us in the plant kingdom. Although we humans are part of thisContinue reading “Every Spring!”
Wisdom from an Old Owl…
A wise old owl sat on an oak\ The more he heard\ The less he spoke. The less he spoke\ The more he heard\ Why not be like that wise old bird? That bit of proverbial wisdom became my first public “speech” in first grade. Although this particular saying is not attributed to him, KingContinue reading “Wisdom from an Old Owl…”
Sweet Words from Maine 