To Touch a Shipwreck & More

There aren't too many places where one can reach out and touch a shipwreck or even walk inside of it (depending on the tides)--but you can find such a place at Ft Stevens, on the beach south of the jetty.

I still have memories of seeing the Peter Iredale when I was young and our family visited here. Seems like there was a lot more to the wreck then--and perhaps there was as a lot of years have passed.

In this photo you can see what remains of the ship--from bow to stern;

fortunately, there was no loss of life.

A peaceful scene--looks like we have this piece of paradise all to ourselves;

little do you know that the beach was full of happy people, including our family:)

Ft Stevens is a very popular place to visit!

Coffenbury Lake--what you can't see is the fishermen, kids in canoes and people just enjoying the beautiful view!

After we left the park we encountered three deer--a mom (not shown) and two of her babies! I was on my cell phone at the time and yelled at my friend to hold on so I could photograph them (she, knowing that I love ALL Bambi-types, was happy to oblige)...it had been a perfect day thus far and seeing this little deer family was a great ending to that day!

Hope you enjoyed our trip to the NW coast of Oregon...

-

Blessings,

Aimee

For more info on the Peter Iredale see this link to wikipedia

Next:

wildflowers, heron and good food!

logging history, bird-lover paradise and --- good food!

Oregon's North Coast: South Jetty & Columbia River

While my daughter was here we traveled to the most northwesterly section of Oregon--
to the Clatsop spit, part of Ft Stevens.
This area is one of my favorites--
it seems so wild - so windswept - so beautiful!
And, yes, I should have used my zoom lens but since I have yet to do so--
I was concerned that I might not attach it correctly and then be without a camera for the remainder of our trip.
Oh well--
we go here once a year or so...
and I suspect I'll have lots of practice changing lenses by the next time we return :)

This is where the Columbia River, a major river of the northwest, meets the Pacific Ocean.
It is a very dangerous place as sand bars, formed by the river, and wild waves make passage from the ocean to the Columbia River very tricky.
.
In the photo above, you can see the SW shore of Washington state.
If you want to continue following the Pacific Ocean, the fastest way is to travel a little east-- over the Young's Bay bridge to Astoria and then take the long bridge that crosses over the Columbia River to Washington state. Before the bridge was built there were ferries. Now the only one that crosses the lower Columbia runs from Westport, OR to Puget Island near Cathlamet, WA.

Here is the south jetty. And why you ask is it called that?
Well because there is a north jetty in Washington.
This one makes a kind of semi-circle and you can get a great view of it
from the observation tower located next to it.

The jetty is quite tall and it's a wierd but neat experience walking along side of it knowing the ocean is just on the other side. Did I say this area was very windy and colder then the other parts of the park? It was--at least on the day we went.

Here is the view looking southward from that same observation tower.

The boulders used in the jetty are HUGE and it can be very dangerous to walk on it.
Since I am not part billy goat, like my DH, I stayed happily and safely off of it:)

Part of the area on Clatsop Spit--so pretty!

Traveling -- just a little way by foot -- to the river side.
While there we visited a wildlife blind.
I had never been in one before and will definitely use them this winter when I visit some PNW wildlife refuges now that I see what they are like.

This peaceful view was from near the blind.
So quiet.

Another view of the Columbia.
Next:
a shipwreck you can reach out and touch--if you dare:)
a lake to canoe, kayak, fish in or just enjoy the beauty of
and
MY first deer sighting of the summer!
Blessings,
Aimee
-
Note: the links above will take you to two of my previous posts of the
Ft Stevens area and Astoria.

The Word on Wednesday

"As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love."
John 15:9 KJV

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When faced with a very difficult circumstance, such as the deep suffering or death of a loved one (or yourself) you have two choices. You can either choose to believe what the Bible says about God--that He loves us and that He is always good, or you can turn your back on Him and reject His unchanging love for you.

-

May you who are facing difficult circumstances choose to continue in His love.

Blessings,

Aimee

-

Photo: lilies in large pond near Ft Stevens State Park, north coast of Oregon

Time of Blessing

Even with our current life's storms, blessings in our life have been abundant.

This week we have been spending time with one of our biggest blessings.

And of course, just like her mom, this blessing likes to travel.

So for those of you who'd like to join us...

it's road trip time!

When times are rough,

I've learned to look high and low for the blessings that surround all of us-

even in the difficult times-

in this case I had to look high!

I've also learned that

blessings come in a lot of different sizes and shapes;

some of my favorites have feathers.

Blessings are found in all sorts of place too.

We found ours this week at the beach,

along rivers and bays

in the mountains

and

at home.

Well I could go on--and I will--but since later today we are meeting with more of the blessings in our life...

and since I am FINALLY getting tired,

it's time to say good night and join my Farmer Boy blessing:)

May you find blessings in your life

today and every day!

Aimee

~

Photos taken at various locations on the central Oregon coast and in the coast range.

More road trip photos later:)

The Word on Wednesday

Before I answered our ringing phone I knew who it was.

Over the next few moments my sibling explained what mom's tests had revealed in terms of diagnosis and prognosis.

It was not good news, but many of the questions we had all been asking over the last few months now had answers. There would not be much time left and some things had already slipped away--soon our prayer warrior would be gone and life would never be the same again. Honestly, it already felt different.

-
Phone call ended, headache birthed, I told my DH I was going outside and stepped out onto our deck. As of late my thoughts had been “It’s TOO soon, God!” and “I’m NOT ready“ - the latter meaning more then just the obvious.

I was filled with emotion and yet at the same time felt empty.

-

But as I left our home and stepped out, over the threshold, into the world God had created, His grace came down. It reached out to me as I stood there, in pain, and touched me with

His Words-eternal words.

It said-"Be still and know that I am God”.

-

Above me the sky, His sky was blue. A Stargazer Lily and our fragrant vine, both part of His handiwork, cast their fragrance and beauty across the upper pond from me.

To tell the truth, I had forgotten about the lily even being there; it had been so long since I had seen its bloom and its beautiful pink now caught my eyes and so I walked closer.
Further from my world and deeper into His.

-

And in the distance stood my mountains--

His mountains--

against the blue of the summer sky.

-

The Creator had spoken--not audibly--

but nevertheless His message of comfort for me was clear.

The One who made all of the nature as far as I could see--

the One who had brought me and my mom into being

was still there; at that moment and at my location.

There would be sorrow, yes, much of it;

tears have already been shed and more will come.

But there will also be certainty for mom and us--

for when the time arrives for us to say our final goodbyes on this side of heaven--

the One my mother has known intimately for most of her life

will be waiting on the other side to bid His daughter, my mom, welcome.

-
"Be still and know that I am God"

-

Yes, Lord, by Your grace I will.

-　
Know
“…to have information firmly in the mind“.
“be certain about something: to believe firmly in the truth or certainty of something”
“…to be…familiar with somebody”
“…identify somebody or something by a characteristic: to recognize somebody or something by a distinguishing characteristic or attribute”

-

May you know His grace & blessings this morning,

Aimee　

-

Note: definitions for the word 'know' excerpted from Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Bible verse: Psalms 46:10 KJV

Temporary Blogging Break

Am taking a short blogging break to finish some important tasks around here:)

TY for your understanding...

Wishing you peace, hope and love till we meet again.

Blessings always,

Aimee

-

Photos: miniature rose, simplicity rose, dianthus

The WORD on Wednesday

This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.

The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him.
The LORD is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him.
Lamentations 3:21-25 KJV

-

Have a blessed day,

Aimee

-

Photos: Garden of the Gods and Pike's Peak-summer sunrise.

Doe--a Deer

Occasionally we are blessed with a deer visit.
Today was one of those days!
Unfortunately, the deer-a doe-was on land adjoining ours and quite a distance away from us.
Fortunately, my best friend who was over here helping me in the garden, saw her and pointed her out to me right away.
Unfortunately, her vision is quite a bit better then mine, and I obviously need a new prescription for contacts.
Actually it is a fortunate thing her vision is so good, since she is the one who drives us on all our field trips...
and finally, fortunately, I know a great optometrist:)
-
I also learned a new gardening skill today.
My friend taught me how to collect columbine seeds for later planting.
Unfortunately, it was really, really hot outside and I kept feeling a little funny.
Fortunately, I was close to our house and could go inside for cold water and A/C breaks in between collecting the seed!
There is no more unfortunately...fortunately:)

Feeling blessed and fortunate,
Aimee

Photo: a deer sighting on our land--many years ago.

Emotion in Motion

Our little daughter dog is a woman of many emotions

sometimes she is most pleasant
even happy


and at other times...

Well you just want to stay out of her way
if you are her brother that is.

Oh, no!
-
Blessings,
Aimee

Rendezvous at the Ponds

Every day they meet me in the garden for our little rendezvous...

the dragonflies of red, orange, green and blue.

There they dance above the water lilies and parrot's feather--

landing, at times, on nearby branches of the plants that surround the ponds.

I wonder if they know how happy they make me

and how much I look forward to our daily rendezvous'.

~~~

Until tomorrow pretty ones...

-

Blessings, Aimee

The Word on Wednesday

As some of you know, and others may have discerned, my mother is not doing well health-wise. In fact, life has changed quite dramatically for her in the last 2 months and they have been rough both physically and emotionally for my mom, and for all of the ones who love her. ---
Times like this really test your faith in God: is it based on getting the answers to prayer that we want (which would be a total healing for mom), or is it based on trust in the ONE who made her and has known her from her mother's womb, no matter how HE chooses to answer our prayers? Do I believe He loves her more then even we, her family, do? And finally do I believe that even in times like these, He is with her...and us too.

O Lord, Thou hast searched me, and known me.
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising,
Thou understandest my thought afar off.
Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, Thou knowest it altogether.
Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid Thine hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
Psalms 139:1-6 KJV

~
Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me.
If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
Yea, the darkness hideth not from Thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to Thee.
Psalms 139:7-12 KJV

~
For Thou hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
My substance was not hid from Thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in Thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
Psalms 139: 13-16 KJV

~
How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with Thee.
Psalms 139:17-18 KJV

~
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalms 139: 23-24 KJV

-
May the Lord who truly knows and loves His children bless you,

Aimee

-

Photo: mom as a babe (with her older sibling)

We Interrupt Today's Scheduled Post for Some Green Goodness:)

Last year we had a lot of these...

BUT then all of our wonderful home frozen fruit, including those shown above, went bad when the freezer was accidentally unplugged for many, many hours during the remodeling of our kitchen/dining room...it was not a happy time for me :(

But the new year would bring a chance for a new harvest...
and it soon became apparent that we would have a lot of little green delights.
Visions of gooseberry tarts again danced in my head and I was happy :)

BUT, again, 'fate' intervened just a bit before harvest time...
we had a heat wave here in the PNW.
Aimee and DH spent quality time in our air conditioned home;
alas--our gooseberries had no such luck and became soft and useless
My best friend and I saw our vision of homemade gooseberry desserts going...

But then we each found farms where we could procure some of these valued gems of the garden.
And all was well again in Aimee-Land

So now I bid you all adieu as I head to my refrigerator to --
gather my beautiful green round ones,
to sort and rinse them,
to tip and tail all of the little guys (such fun! NOT!!!)
and then bake me and the BELOVED Farmer Boy--
some gooseberry tarts.

And later I will try gooseberry fool
and maybe, just maybe---
if I feel really brave---
I might try some gooseberry sorbet.
Maybe.

Ahhhhhh! Gooseberries--round, green (and some red) 'yummies' for the tummies:)
Blessings from my green, but happy, world~
Aimee

Note: Here are some links to gooseberry recipes--if you are blessed enough to have found some! The Foody (of the UK & Ireland) gooseberry fool recipe. From Estonia and blogger Nami-Nami, a recipe for gooseberry sorbet (yes she uses red ones--which I am told are sweeter--but I'm going to experiment with the amount of sugar and see if it will work. If I get brave, that is!) From Healthy Eating Made Easy, gooseberry crisp/crumble, gooseberry information and other recipes.
Gotta go---my berries and pie crusts await me!

Weekend Happenings

It all began with him--

Well, actually, it all began with HIM, my DH--Farmer Boy!
Besides, this is our pesky daughter dog--

not a him at all--

but definitely part of our weekend.

Oh here HE is--part of him that is:)

Now that we have that straight--back to our weekend.
it involved a trip to the town where my grandfather attended college in the early 1900's-

and a very cool park there!

(So cool that, way before my time, they had a swimming hole--

and a little zoo, among other things, there)

Alas--no more:(

But they still have lots of these...

tall, tall trees and cool greenery

many paths--both paved and not; this one with leaf shadows.

a creek down at the bottom of the park

some really beautiful flowers

I haven't a clue what either of them are--but I loved them!

(BTW--if you know what they are pretty please leave me a note)

--

Oh, no!

It's sunrise!

I'm out of time because

soon DH will be wanting his laptop

and also wanting to know why I stayed up all night and the zillion gooseberries aren't packed away in freezer bags yet.

-

Only time for 1 more photo--

this is how our weekend ended

(well sort of)

I love this pesky, hormonal, wild dog child...

she reminds me of me:)

Blessings for a great Monday:)

Aimee

~

More later!

Peace in His Garden

The entire earth is the Lord's,

so our garden is His too,

and I love to stroll its many parts and sit in the shade of one of its trees.

There, in the garden, is one of the places I feel most at peace-

serenaded by the calls of birds,

fanned by gentle breezes

and under July's clear blue sky.

-

-

-

-

May you find peace in His gardens too.
-
"...the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof."
I Corinthians 10:26 KJV
Blessings,

Aimee

-

Photos:

lupine - after flowering

coreopsis - early sunrise

wildflower--shasta daisy

hardy waterlily - tucked in for the night

wallflower - pastel patchwork

The Word on Wednesday: Life's Storms

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,

to them who are the called according to HIS purpose."

Romans 8:28 KJV

--
"Now we see only a dim likeness of things. It is as if we were seeing them in a mirror. But someday we will see clearly. We will see face to face. What I know now is not complete. But someday I will know completely, just as God knows me completely."

I Corinthians 13: 12 NIrV®

-

'We see things from the bottom up,

but God sees things from the top down.'

The Heart of Texas

-

It is part of the human existence to know pain, suffering and what seem to be

insurmountable challenges

(painful events/circumstances/losses in our lives).

These times test our faith to the core and we, like Job in the Old Testament,

may scream out 'Why'?

Sometimes the answer to this age old question may come---

at a later date;

often an answer never comes.

-

-It is human to want to know the 'why';

it is faith to trust even when we may never know the answer to that question or when we do have an answer--but it is not one we'd like it to be.

I understand--been there.

-

What it comes down to for me is:

Do I really believe God's Word and His unfailing love for me?

Do I genuinely believe He WILL take ANY circumstance in my life

--tragic, unfair and difficult

though it may seem from my very limited human perspective--

and

use it for my good?

--

Sometimes I just have to say--
"Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief"

and trust that His grace is sufficient for even me.

-

May you see God in the midst of your storms and may you see from the 'top down',

Blessings, Aimee

-

Notes:

1) The Heart of Texas, 2008 documentary, Plaidshirt Productions. Wikipedia article here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Heart_of_Texas (links at bottom to movie site) Above may be a quote or paraphrase--can't find the original note I made. True story about a family who loses their young daughter in a hit and run accident. It is a story of faith and forgiveness when faced with a tragedy. It is a story of grace and love. I heartily recommend it.

2) NIrV® Verses
Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL READER’S VERSION® . Copyright © 1996, 1998 Biblica. All rights reserves throughout the world. Used by permission of Biblica.
NEW INTERNATIONAL READER’S VERSION® and NIrV® are registered trademarks of Biblica. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica

3) "…My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. ..” II Corinthians 12:9 KJV (part of)

4) "Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief." Mark 9:24b KJV

Photo: historic PNW church built 1858