Sunday's Song--I Sing the Mighty Power of God

I Sing the Mighty Power of God

1. I sing the mighty pow’r of God, that made the mountains rise,
   That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.
   I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day;
   The moon shines full at His command, and all the stars obey.
2. I sing the goodness of the Lord, who filled the earth with food,
   Who formed the creatures through the Word, and then pronounced them good.
   Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed, where’er I turn my eye,
   If I survey the ground I tread, or gaze upon the sky.
3. There’s not a plant or flow’r below, but makes Thy glories known,
   And clouds arise, and tempests blow, by order from Thy throne;
   While all that borrows life from Thee is ever in Thy care;
   And everywhere that we can be, Thou, God, art present there.
4. --Isaac Watts 1715

Solar FREAKIN' Roadways!

Several years ago, when I was looking into solar energy, I heard about solar panels used on roads and thought it was brilliant. I'm so glad they've put this video together! It has soooooooo much awesome potential and would solve soooooooo many problems. This really needs to be promoted!!!  --LKR

Annular Eclipse Today!

We in the United States haven't had an annular eclipse in 18 years. "Annular" refers to the fiery ring shape formed when the moon passes in front of the sun. This is different than a total solar eclipse where the moon fully covers the sun.

This afternoon, the western United States, along with China and Japan, should be able to see it to some degree. We are hoping to get a glimpse of it here in Wisconsin starting at around 7:20pm, even though thunderstorms are being predicted. Hopefully the clouds will part long enough for this solar show! --LKR

A Wonderfully Warm Day

Wow, what a difference from last Friday! Today has been wonderfully warm--in the 50's--with the sun peaking in and out all afternoon. It's been very windy, though, with gusts up to 28mph! A perfect day for wrapping up yard work before we get any more snow, and enjoying being out in the warm, fresh air without a jacket! --LKR

It Had To Be Snakes

On a walk with my neighbor, we counted over a dozen baby snakes all over the road. Dead. Talk about depressing! The sight was reminiscent of a warm spring day after a shower where you'd expect to see earth worms all over the pavement. They all had come out to bask in the sun and move about in the warm 60 degrees before the cold weather sets in. We saw two live babies in the woods on trails, and I gently scooted them off to safety. Unfortunately, a beautiful smooth green snake we found was half dead. Thankfully, this little hognose snake did not get run over when earlier, I pulled our van into the driveway! --LKR

Early Mornings, Once Again!

It's that time of the year, once again. Back to (very early) mornings! I'm not a morning person, so this can be quite an ordeal. Fortunately, the sun is up by the time the bus arrives at the beginning (and end) of the school year. Not true for the rest of the year!

The bus was early, today, which was expected since they are only picking up middle schoolers. Tomorrow, high schoolers will be joining them on their early morning journey.

One nice thing about getting up before dawn is the chance to witness beauty in early morning light.

Dew, mist, and fog are awesome, too!

There's something really cool about dew that can't quite compare with rain. If the kids didn't have to get up so early, this is something I would have missed! --LKR

...The Saga Continues

If this morning was a bit chaotic and on the 'Oops!" side of things, the rest of the day went quite well:

1) Vet gave a thumbs up on kitty's healing injured eye;
2) Van was fixed and looking wonderful thanks to Nelson's Auto Body;
3) Only paid about $22 to fill up the van--hurray!!!;
4) Poochie finally dropped a load in front of me so a sample could be taken to the vet (yes, my second trip there, today!!!);
5) The sun came out and I needed my sunglasses!!! Yesssss!!! :-)
6) Flock of wild turkeys on both sides of the road as I was driving by :-)

Much more good stuff happened that I'll be remembering tonight as I count my blessings one by one! --LKR

A Sunny Outlook

One thing for sure, I am grateful to be a soccer mom. Soccer mom's are "forced" to sit out in the sun, breathe in fresh air, and watch their kids play and have fun. We get to meet new people, so we get to socialize. Our children also get to hear us yell positive, encouraging words to them, their teammates, and even for the opposing team members that we have come to know over the years.

Sure, there are those days when it is raining, or cold and damp, but thank goodness for the vehicles we drive in over to the fields. They are relatively warm and dry, and in most cases, we can still watch our children's game, depending how close we parked to their field. And, when we can't, we can read a book, talk on our cell phones, or take an uninterrupted, well-deserved nap.

This afternoon, I was thrilled to be outdoors on such a sunny, warm fall day. We had frost, this morning, which annihilated my gardens, once full of cheerfully attired flowers. To say I needed a pick-me-up was an understatement. But basking in the sun under a beautifully blue sky while watching my son's game was just the thing to perk me up. Who cares if they lost? They had fun, and so did I! --LKR