Free Ride Down the River

My Friend the Goose

I was taking a lunch break along the Missouri river. I had brought a book along to read and my camera. As I was reading my book I saw this goose out of the corner of my eye. He was swimming along the edge of the river against the stream When I got my camera out to take a picture, he quit paddling and drifted down river to get away.

I went back to my reading. Again the goose proceeded to swim along the edge of the river up stream. I was sitting about 5 feet away from the edge of the river. I saw the goose coming close to me again and I decided not to move till it got right in front of me. By the time I turned the camera on the goose had stopped swimming up stream and floated away from me.

I didn't realize it until I looked at the photos that night, to see a cave swallow flying into the picture. I have in vain tried to take pictures of these birds as they scoot along the edge of the river scooping up bugs. They move too fast for me to get a decent photo. But today by chance I got one.

But I don't believe in chance. It was a gift from God to catch this Cliff swallow along with my friend the goose. Thank you Jesus for giving what I can't achieve on my own.

God is like that. We try in vain to do things to please Him. We are not able to. God gives us the ability, as we cry out to Him. Pray to God for help.

As I left to go back to work my friend the goose was waiting down river from me at the river's edge. I told him, "he was free to swim up the river because I was leaving." And sure enough he did.

Why was the goose acting like that? Was he injured, or was he looking for a lost mate?

Devotion Site

I was riding back from Weston Bend State Park on my bicycle and took an access road from the highway to this field. I stoped and read the Bible and prayed. To the left of the trees is a railroad track and highway.

This farm field is on the Missouri river bottoms. The hills in the background are loess hills.

Mocking Bird

May Apple Patch

Crab Apple Flower

Pawpaw new Leaf and Flower

 

White Rock Chicken

My daughter caught one of our chickens hopping out of the coop.

Cardinal

Robin

Overgrown Pasture

This land was a pasture 20 years ago. I have been hiking in this area for that long. Now rough leaf and Gray dogwood dominate the land.

First to Leaf out

Buck brush is the first to leaf out. And one of the last to drop its leaves. 24-Mar-07

I noticed that Red bud was in bloom Monday 25_Mar-07

May Apples

Here are some photos of may apples popping up out of the ground.

They grow in clusters. I would tell my kids and the neighbour kids that these were leprechaun villages.

They are deadly if eaten.

Trees as Landmarks

I am finding what I enjoy, is watching trees and areas and returning to find them again. I hiked down an old trail I had been down countless times but cut off the trail to follow a gully in the loess soils to where the main gully ran north south. I looked across that gully and saw 2 trees that I wanted to find at a future date.

My plan was to come down the west side of the gully and find those trees and establish where I saw them from. I took a compass reading and described two trees in my notes. Many times the forest does not look the same when you come at it from a different direction. But with enough notes and photos I hope to establish where I had been and be able to find it at a later date.

Why am I doing this? I enjoy it and I like to take photos of the forest from the same location at different times of the year.



The photo above is the view I saw across the steep gully. The arrow on the left is the largest tree down the slope which seems to be a white oak in the 30" dia. range. The arrow on the right is Northeast of the white oak and is located along the opposite edge of the gully that I was looking across. There is a broken top with branches growing off the north side of the stem and continuing to grow up.

My plan is for these 2 trees to point the way to where I am standing when I took the photo.

I will see how well I can remember from my notes the next time I go back into the woods.

With a network of landmark trees, I plan to use them as a reference to explore different parts of the woods.

Buds Enlarge with Spring Rains

Here is a photo of buds breaking through their seed coat as the rains of spring start a new years growth.

Just as rain starts the new years growth. So a fresh word from God will cause us to respond with new energy. Look for God's word throughout the day. God will revive.



Hosea 6:3
"So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD His going forth is as certain as the dawn;And He will come to us like the rain,Like the spring rain watering the earth."

Nothern Red Oak 233 points

I found a large Northern Red oak tree after I climbed up a steep gully.



It measured:
123" in circumference
93' tall
and had an average canopy of 69 feet.

This totalled 233 points

1 Corinthians 1:18
"For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

Loess Gullies

As my dog and I entered the woods we were greeted by a Cardinal. This type of greeting has happened many times.

Making our way further in we encountered steep gullies. These loess soils are susceptible to erosion because of build up of soil and there are no rocks below. I hiked through this area but at times it presents a problem of how to cross a gully.

I made it up the steep bank by grabbing exposed roots and pulling myself up. I would kick my feet in the soil and make it to the next exposed root. My dog Molly had trouble getting up but the third attempt she made it. At another time I had to reach over the edge and grab her legs and pull her up.

The gullies were not so bad once I attacked them with an attitude getting to the top.

What is it that keeps us from gaining the victory in Jesus. Is it the obstacles that are before us or the attitude that we can't do it? I think we can do what God is asking us to do if we will put our trust in Jesus. Trusting in Jesus is not based on a lack of obstacles. It is realizing the goodness and greatness of God to conquer any problem. God will make a way where there is no way.

Compass Course

Recording my compass course through the wood. I can't envision many steps ahead, because I can't see that far. And this is before spring growth. I know the general direction I am going because I've got to get back to the car. But the specifics I don't know.

It is the same with the Lord directing us. We know we are to make disciples of Jesus. But how.

Forest Density Contrast

Here are a couple of photos in the same Missouri river bottom land area. The first one is just off the Missouri river. It shows the common tangle of woods.



The second one shows the cottonwood trees growing up from an abandoned park area just 200 feet away from the river.



Insect invasions are cyclical and are influence by various elements, such as weather.

A forest that is growing in a healthy manner will usually have less problems with insect pests. A forest that is stagnant because of over stalking or mature trees that have reached their growth potential will be more susceptibility to insect invasion.

Forests susceptibility to insect invasion reminds me of my need for strength from Jesus. I look to Jesus to fill me with His Spirit on a daily basis. I know that I am nothing without Him. My growth and vitality are only sustained as I remain close to Jesus. Thank you Jesus for your strength.

Persimmon

When I think of Common Persimmon Diospyros virginiana (Another name for it is possomwood) I think of blocky bark. No other bark resembles this in northern Missouri. I usually find the tree alone not with no other persimmons nearby. When I am walking in the woods it is a surprise to come upon one.

The fruit is edible if you catch it just at the right time in the Autumn. Otherwise its sour. 1 to 1 1/2” in dia. And is turns orange and wrinkled when ripe. (photo of the fruit)

Desoto mentioned it in 1539 and Jan de Laet in 1558. Captain John Smith near Jamestown said that it was awful if you don't catch the fruit at the right time.

Buds are black with 2 scales. Leaves egg shaped with a stem of about 1 inch. But the bark is the IDer on this one.

It grows up to 60' tall in the open or 30' with a shorter trunk and broad crown is a more normal size.

Osage Indians of Missouri made a bread that tasted similar to ginger bread. Taking the pulp of the fruit and mixing it with cornmeal.

The wood of the tree is similar to ebony. It is from the ebony family. The wood is hard and heavy.

Sapwood is creamy white. Commercial use of this wood comes from the sap wood. When the wood has been warn it polishes to a smooth surface. Crafters don't have much access to the wood because the lumber is scarce.

Where I have been finding it is in the Missouri river bottom lands where it grows tall and straight. It will invade pastures and abandoned fields.

Treenotes had a good article on this tree.

I knew where another Persimmon tree was and was hiking there at lunch. I saw I wasn't going to have enough time to get back to it so I was following a gully and came across this one.

Though life may be bitter at times,
The Lord brings sweetness to my soul.

The wind may be cold,
and the driving rain bitter,
But Oh how sweet it is to rest in the Lord.