Fiddler on the Roof - Alaskan style?

For personal reasons, "Sunrise, Sunset" is my favorite song from the musical "Fiddler on the Roof."  I wonder however, what sort of sunrises and sunsets  the fiddler Tevvya saw while sitting on his roof in the Kiev area of Russia.  Could his views have possibly compared to the glorious ones we saw on our cruise through the Inside Passage in Alaska?

Alaska once belonged to Russia and the culture of the Czarist period is still evident in many parts of the state.  But  Tevvya's view of the morning and evening displays of the sun were limited to the western side of Russia.  

There is something comforting and instructive in knowing the he had a different view of the events, but he was looking at the same sun we see.  The life lesson is obvious:  different view points yield different points of view -- but if we are looking at the same sun, we can see what is real and beautiful.


"Praise Him , sun and moon: praise Him, all stars of light. Praise Him, heavens of heavens, and you waters that are above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the LORD: for He commanded, and they were created." (Psalm 148:4-5)

". . . the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass."

(Revelation 21:21)

"Wow, this is unbelievable, beautiful, fantastic -- it's like being on a different planet!" These thoughts filled my mind as I stepped out of the helicopter onto an Alaskan glacier. The flight out over dark forests, snow-capped mountains, and glacier-filled valleys had been gorgeous, but not unfamiliar. I had seen similar stunning panoramas on previous flights over the Pacific northwest and Alaska, and had viewed glaciers at distances from land and boats. But this was the first time I had actually been on one. I was shocked not only by the unexpected degree of its beauty but also by my reaction.

Having lived in northern Wisconsin, I was familiar with walking on crusted snow-packs and had often relished the spun-glass look of ice crystals gleaming in the sun. Yet, what I was viewing on that glacier seemed worlds away from anything I had experience before. Sunlight glistened on the crystallized snow -- I felt I was walking on wavy fields of crush diamonds. Frozen waves of snow were outlined with fine gravel picked up when the glacier slowly slid down the mountains. Bright blue patches gleamed in newly exposed crevasses and pools of freshly melted ice. I was walking a pavement of "diamonds and turquoise."

The glacier -- devoid of trees, flowers, animals, or birds -- was just an open expanse of waves of sparkling ice crystals interspersed with shallow pools of blue. But it was not monotonous or lacking. Though drastically different from the landscapes and fauna I know and love, I was overwhelmed by its beauty. To my own surprise, I felt as though I would be content if this were the only view I could ever see.

The biblical imagery of heavenly "streets of gold" popped into my mind. As a lover of the outdoors, I had often wondered whether I would fully enjoy a place with streets rather than trails, with pavement more than soil, or gold instead of wildflowers. But on that morning on the glacier I realized the limitations of my preconceived ideas of what is ultimate scenic beauty, or what is needed to enthrall my aesthetic nature. The Lord's creative brush can paint beauty and pleasure far beyond anything I can anticipate and more diverse than I can imagine.

Back to my Blog.

It's been a while since I've posted anything on my blog -- busy life! I think it was Thoreau who wrote about the "tyranny of the urgent." That's become one of my life-phrases -- how often what we must do keeps us from doing what we like to do.

I need to remember however, that what I consider urgent may not always be what God considers urgent. I think getting the car worked on is urgent, but the Lord may think a leisurely conversation with a neighbor is more important. I assume doing volunteer work is a high priority, but He may want me to "be still and know I am God."

I hope to get back to my blog more more often. As much as I love photography, there are times that I find words the only way to express inner thoughts. Time will tell . . .

So What's So Special About Spring?

Yea! It's here -- the first touches of Spring!

Last week, I took a hike around a small lake in a wooded area. The sunshine made me forget that I was wearing a winter coat, hat, scarf, and gloves to ward off the cold temps. I, along with other people on the trail, smiled as the sunshine hit our faces -- our noses reddish from the cool temps. We "ooh-ed" and "aah-ed" with each sighting of impending Spring -- a bird, a plant, a sound.

I began to wonder why we were to enthralled. What's so special about early spring? Let's be honest -- if these temperatures occur a few months from now, we would be mumbling and grumbling about the "freezing weather" as we pull fleece-lined sweatsuits over our shorts.

Except for a single pair of migrating Mute Swans and a small group of Bufflehead Ducks off in the distance, most of the birds there are visible all year long. The trees and shrubs were still dormant and bare. The only plant that signaled the seasonal change was a half-opened Skunk Cabbage reaching out of the swampy water like a mysterious pink claw.

The grass, though no longer snow covered, was brown and dormant, with barely a tint of green here and there.

I wondered that if Spring came came after Summer, rather than before, would we even be excited about it. Perhaps God designed the intense, brilliant golds and reds of Autumn as a treat to ease us through the waning days of Summer so that we would not too quickly dread the impending cold and challenges of winter. If Autumn came before Summer, and Spring with its pastels came after Summer, would we be as enthralled with Spring's return?

So what is it about early Spring that makes us so excited. It's HOPE! Late Spring, when the bulbs and flowering trees are finally full and the grass vibrantly green, is treasure for itself. But for early Spring, the joy is in what it represents -- survival of the difficulties of winter, and hope for the warmth and yields to come.

The Bible says, "God will strengthen your heart, all people who hope in the LORD" (Psalm 31:24).

Spring, with its message of hope, reminds us that however drab and dread the winters of life, that the person who trust in the Lord has hope for the future.

Yes, early Spring is a glorious time!

Visit to Mount Vernon

George Washington slept here -- really!

Of course he did; it was his home -- Mount Vernon in Virginia.

Mount Vernon is more than the regal plantation manor sitting on a bluff overlooking the Potomac River. It also is acres of fields that Washington farmed, the barns and out-buildings -- and from modern times -- museum and learning center.

But Mount Vernon is more than a place -- it is a symbol. A symbol of a time when people were willing to sacrifice all for a county yet-to-be, of men and women setting aside personal welfare and wealth for the well-being of the whole.

Washington's home would be a beautiful place to see even if it's past owner had not been so famous and important, but the history of the man who owned it is just as inspiring. Touring the property and reviewing events of his life is a humbling experience. Here was a man who thought of himself primarily as a landed farmer, not a statesman. He was a humble man and refused to be made king of the victorious American colonies. He preferred his title of General rather than President, and yet, chose to not retain power over the army once its goal had been achieved.

I visited Mount Vernon on President's Day weekend. As I stood in front of his burial vault in front of his opened tomb, I wondered how many present-day politicians and leaders will be remembered for their examples of humility and self-sacrifice.

MOUNT VERNON video

Of Eagles and Sparrows

Soaring majesty -- adult Eagles flying overhead, teaching their young to catch the wind. I relished the sight one day last week as I walked along bluffs above the Lake Erie shoreline a few miles from my home. Although not as rare as they use to be, I am thrilled every time I see an Eagle in my area.

Quickly, I shot pictures of them gliding and diving. The two youngsters, almost as large as their parents but still in their juvenile plumage, dutifully practiced directly above me.

I saw other birds that morning -- Red Tailed and Cooper's hawks, warblers, a Cormorant, and more -- but it was the Eagles and the chance to photograph them that "made my day!"

The following day, as I went to feed the fish in my water-garden, I discovered an immature house sparrow floundering in the water. He splashed furiously, desperately trying to get out of the little pool, but his water-logged feathers kept him from escaping. Apparently a heavy gust of wind had pushed him off a nearby feeder. I grabbed a small net, scooped him out, and placed him on the ground under a bush.

He was just a little sparrow. There are so many that some people consider House Sparrows a nuisance. They build nests in eves and gutters, leave white splots of droppings on our cars and decks, but I could not let the little guy suffer.

When I checked on him about ten minutes later, he had not moved. His eyes were glazed and it was evident that he was cold in the late afternoon chill. Without more intervention, he would not survive. I lined a shoebox with a towel. He fought me as I lifted him into the makeshift nest -- a good sign.

If took about 45 minutes, but finally the blotting action of the towel and the warmth of my kitchen restored him. He hopped to the edge of the box which I took out to the porch. It only took a moment for him to sense his freedom and fly away.

I didn't think to take his picture -- he was just a sparrow. Yet now, a week or so later, I know that after a while I probably will not think about the Eagles unless I look at the snapshots I took of them. But the little sparrow, with no recorded image, will frequently be pictured in my mind for he reminded my of a valuable lesson. The Bible says that even an insignificant sparrow "shall not fall on the ground" without God being with Him (see Matthew 10:29). The same passage reminds me to "fear not because you are more valuable than many sparrows" (verse 31).

I find great comfort in knowing that -- especially when I am floundering in the pool of life.

North Coast

Ohio?? Yawnnnn. I'm afraid that's reaction of many who are unfamiliar with the state.

Ohio?? Isn't that just the east end of the Midwest's farm prairies? A state flanked near its corners with struggling industrial cities -- Toledo in the northwest, Cleveland in the northeast, Youngstown near the southeast, and Cincinnati in the southwest -- and the state capital Columbus in the center, surrounded by that noted, flat farmland?

Yes, while that description is true, it is incomplete. Many places are scenic and wooded. Water falls frequently spill over rock ledges as creeks and rivers make their ultimate way toward the Ohio River or Lake Erie.

Ahh, Lake Erie. One of my favorite places. I love to drive along or hike it's miles of beaches that trace the north coast of the United States border in Ohio's northeast. Often the beaches yield to high, rocky bluffs, or woods of mixed hardwoods and evergreens. Marinas, industrial ports, and lighthouses surround the harbors of major rivers flowing into the Lake.

On a beautiful autumn day last week, I drove the north coast from east of Cleveland to the Pennsylvania border. Stops along the way gave great views of turquoise-blue waters fringed by beaches of golden sand. Marine birds competed with anglers for their daily quota of fish. Pleasure boats rigged in white sails captured the wind, while freighters emitting plumes of steam reminded me that this is a workers lake, too.

Ohio North Coast pictures