What Technology Can Teach Us, TPC

The spring rains are upon us and while in some instances that is a good thing, for the flood born areas of Iowa it is more disaster. The chairs at the park along the rivers edge were beginning to show their heads before Saturday’s rain and now they are again gone with the waters rising higher that the original snow melt flood that started in March. We are currently experiencing the most consecutive weeks at major flood stage.

The above picture was taken at the highest point of the snow melt at the end of March. Today these sidewalks are under water. The waters did not get the chance to recede more than 15 feet of flood stage before the rains started and we are to have rain through Thursday. And some next week. Currently I believe we are at 20 feet flood stage and in 1993, which was considered a historic flood, it reached well over 23 feet. We may see it again. I find it interesting that the Woodman Park baseball field brought in technology to help keep the ball field from the yearly floods since it is located at the rivers edge.

They installed walls to protect the main building, stadium and ball field.

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I think maybe the city needs to think more on doing something to protect the business that are located near the river or even those located one street up. The city on the opposite side of the river currently has no issues as they installed higher walls to protect it’s city along the river.

This picture I thought was funny as we are pulling water from somewhere below and dumping it back in to the river…which is now in the back yard.

While we are all waiting on the sun to shine, I remind you to always be kind. The brightness of a smiling face can light the darkness of a shadowed moment and help bring new life. Let your kindness shine.

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Jansen Photo challenges us with using a photo from technology so come along and join in on the fun.

Love is…

What an open ended statement. Love is many things to many people. I have been away from my computer for a few days as I have been busy with one of my loves…gardening. We have finally been blessed with spring weather, temps anywhere form low 60’s to mid 70’s. Awesome. And this is what I did. You can buy the plants and put them in hangers or buy plants already in hangers. I did some of both. Plus added some to the ground. But in reality, I am just getting started.

I was trying to get it all done before the rain started last night. Thank goodness I didn’t as what we call where I come from, Blackberry winter, has come upon us. Good grief, wasn’t the real winter long enough. Apparently not. Therefore…the hangers are now decorating my living room as temps are expected to drop below 30 with an inch of that dreaded white stuff. Sorry guys that are already in the ground, hang on.

So since there was no loving to do outside I sat down with another love and read. I finished the next to the last book of a 14 book series by Jan Karon called the Mitford Series. It is a wonderful series set in the North Carolina mountains about everyday life, its tragedy’s and triumph’s. Since I am from the south, I was very familiar with the areas she she spoke of and how very true the conditions she wrote starting in the early 2000’s are even today. I strongly suggest reading this series. You will laugh at the absurdity of its richness and cry with the truth of the pain.

Reading this series really brought home to me God’s love for us as people, human beings and how we as humans are just so…lost sometimes. It is astounding how we as a creation of love can cast off another human or animal as discarded trash or a conquest as we strive to what we believe is a higher purpose leaving destruction in our path. I looked through my study bible to see how many time the word love was used – didn’t want to count them as it was a full page and a half. Scripture tells us to love our neighbor as we love our self. Do we not love our self? And who exactly is our neighbor. My opinion is we are all neighbors, all brothers and sisters, all family. Do I fail at loving my neighbor …daily. But if we as humans who can reason with some form of clarity about how we are supposed to be, we should be getting closer to our created purpose, yet at times we are in far left field.

So as I write my blog, I always try to remind all of us about the beauty of life that has been handed to us. Yes our circumstances may be in the bottom of the barrel but we can always CHOSE to have joy. There is a vast difference between joy and happiness. Happiness is a feeling we get due to circumstances around but joy is having inner peace. This peace comes from Christ. Jesus says “My peace I give you.” Its a peace beyond all understanding to our human minds but it is a free gift. A gift we often do not use.

As you go through your week next week, remember the inner joy and let the light of it shine through you to others around you so that to may enjoy the light and the joy it brings and always be kind.

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The Mighty “Mississip”, Snow Melt Begins

The river is still rising. Currently at 20.4 feet expected to crest at well over 21 feet. Depending on where you are along this section of the Mississippi, it leaves it banks anywhere from 16′ to 18′. Therein lies the problem when you are over 20′ of flood stage.

The biggest concern now is tomorrow – rain storm possible with flash flooding – really. There is no where for the flash flood to go, it will just add to the flood already in progress. Lets put this into scientific facts for you. The Mississippi’s current water flow on an average(no flood) day is 2 million cubic feet per second…per second! Okay, lets try to bring that better into perspective. There are 7.489 gallons per cubic foot which weigh 62.4 lbs. A 48′ long semi truck trailer holds 3,600 cubic feet. To boil it all down – its a lot of water. Some of the smaller communities along the river in this area that rely on their wells for water can not longer use their wells due to the flooding. So they basically have no water. I am reminded of a phrase – Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink.

I am still amazed that currently, the trains are still running but I hear that is going to change soon if the water keeps rising. And it looks like it probably will.

I went onto the walkway of the bridge to get these shots. Yes – I walked, yea me. For those who are new to my postings, I am recovering from foot surgery.

IMG_20190406_161402 — There is a walkway where you can walk across the bridge. Some amazing shots from there. Check out the current around the piling of the bridge.

Below is the one shot I really wanted to get. I just have my phone camera so I can’t do long distances but that concrete building beyond the ball field is the back of a bandstand and there are outdoor chairs bolted down to a concrete pad to watch the band with a dance pad between the chairs and the band stand. The chairs are totally under water.

IMG_20190406_162253 — A winding sidewalk with lamppost is between those big trees and the river bank. The retaining wall for that sidewalk is underwater.

So always be aware of what water can do. Even the tiniest leak can be a real headache. But I learned when young and living in Florida that water can be a beast to reckon with. Please keep these communities along this river in your prayers. This is a LONG river and the further south it goes the wider it gets. They are telling us this amount of flood stage will be with us for awhile.

And I close with good thoughts of sharing kindness, even when life gets tough. There is always room for sharing God’s light in kindness. It may be the one spark of love that person may see that day.

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Roll With the Punches, TPC

When I first saw the challenge for Tuesday Photo Challenge of Roll by Jansenphoto, my brain went straight to a song from my college days – “Rolling, rolling, rolling down the river” but nobody wants to here me sing so I will display my recent “Punch of Life”, and I will added a bit of poor man’s poetry. Come along and join in on the fun.

The Lack of Cold

Ole Fridge, Ole Fridge

How could you leave me so warm?

The ice cream now puddle on the floor

For bees to come swarm.

Ole Fridge, Ole Fridge

With my life visible on display

Of pictures and magnets in sad disarray

IMG_20190401_165936 — Does you life reflect on your fridge

Ole Fridge, Ole Fridge

Repairman could not be repaired

Stripping you clean of life really seems unfair

IMG_20190401_170641 — The hideous wallpaper looks even worse now, that’s the next project

Ole Fridge, Ole Fridge

As the punch slams you to the floor

We roll for new cold we can find in the store

New Fridge, New Fridge

Which one shall we choose

I think the silver will be better, with it we can’t lose.

As with all of life, there are times where you just have to Roll with the Punches. So in remembrance of how life can hit us square in the face, know that it hits others just as hard, so try to give extra effort in being kind. That may be the only time that day an individual may receive any form of kindness. Always be kind.

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A Special Rock? Probably Not.

Tuesday’s Photo Challenge by jansenphoto today is an interesting one. I have been looking at this rock on my shelf for over a year now and can’t decide to toss it in the yard or leave it on the shelf. It was given to me by a friend named Lynn. She loved rocks and she said this was a rock she found while rock hunting and that it was a ___ rock, which means I don’t remember what she said and myself, I have no clue. It does have some interesting colors on it. It sat on my desk for several years but when I retired, I didn’t have the guts to throw it back outside because it meant so much to her. Now I am getting ready to spring clean and faced with again…what do I do with the rock. I will probably just put it in the rock bed out front but thought in tribute to Lynn I would post the pictures of it. If indeed it looks like a special type of rock to you, shoot me a line and tell me what I am looking at.

One side looks like maybe a fossil was embedded in it at some time, kind of a snail type shape.

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But my knowledge of rocks or anything of the fossil type would not fill a mother of pearl inlaid thimble or brass thimble with a petit point band or even a tiny much need of polishing silver thimble all of which belong to my mother’s thimble collection. Rocks need humor to go along with them.

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But regardless of my poor knowledge of that information, I am well acquainted with the need for kindness in this world. So always remember to be kind.

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Winter Ramblings

I don’t know about any of you but I am DONE with winter this year. I haven’t felt much like writing, am tired of being cold and am so tired of snow and ice EVERYWHERE. Yesterday, the 4th of March was the coldest March 4th on record for this area…ever.Ugh! And it has really taken a toll on our roads. Coming from the south where you don’t have these -34 degree days, it is so much easier to maintain the roads. Of course when it does snow there, everyone looks at each other and says “What do we do now? Oh yea, empty the stores of bread and milk.” But they do them same if a hurricane is coming. Guess its the go to norm.

A lot of the roads here are concrete, which in these bitter temps get brittle, then we throw salt on them that eats the concrete as well as your car, then we run a snow plow on them scrapping up anything that dare be loose. And don’t get me started on the parking lots.

The older roads are cobblestone which in my book is a fancy word for brick. The road in front of my house is cobblestone. One of the oldest roads in town and one of the few not paved over. There is not a single pot hole. You have a few ‘waves’ but if you don’t drive like a typical teenager, they are fine. But saying that, it does amaze me how fast even adults drive on this road. 1 – its a neighborhood, 2- its cobblestone. I can hear you coming 2 blocks away with your tires running across those bricks.

I also find it interesting that to pave over the brick they use asphalt. Don’t know if that is an economical option or the only option for cobblestone. But as the asphalt break up, the cobblestone shows through in seeming good condition. So it make me wonder and ramble on through my frozen winter thoughts.

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Today it warmed up to 18 degrees but a wind of 24 mph gives you feel a very cold wind chill. The formula for figuring wind chill is a little beyond my desire to really know what it is. Take my word for it, its cold. But I wanted out so out I went. I stopped at the bridge park and it is still a sheet of ice but the geese were there nibbling at what little grass they could find. Then a beautiful bald eagle flew by and settled in one of the oak trees near the water’s edge of the park. I wanted to get closer to get a better picture but it was too icy.

IMG_20190305_131713 — Eagle is the dark spot, middle outer limb on middle tree. The white ground is ice.

When it gets warm I will get some good shots of the eagles as they live all along the rivers in this area. Meantime, enjoy the geese. They were so interesting to watch as they would be up on only one leg while keeping the other leg warm then switch legs or just sit down to keep the wind off their kegs.

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According to the current forecast, this past Monday should be the last negative temperature day for the season. Tomorrow it is supposed to be in the mid 20s. That will feel like a heat wave compared to what the last 7 weeks have been like. And hopefully by the weekend, the polar vortex will have moved on and give us more seasonal temps.

So as we dream of warmer days that may be coming within a couple weeks, let’s remember to share our warm thoughts with others and to be kind.

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Undying Love

Again I have been inspired by a photograph from Heaven’s Sunshine. Irene Tron takes wonderful pictures of nature which I have used several times to write about. Her photo called Holding On amazed me as the petals of one flower seem to wrap themselves around a fellow flower as it died. It spoke of the fellowship we should all have in taking care of each other as we go through the trials of life. If you have not visited Irene’s blog, I suggest it. It is a good read and has wonderful photography.

MY DEAREST, MY DARLING

My dearest, my darling, I will always love thee

When remembering the beauty we both loved to see.

The swaying of the wind as it moved through our lives

Through good times and bad, we managed to survive.

I wrap my fingers tightly around your growing limp hand

In hopes to keep you from falling down to cold hard sand.

I reach back in memory of all that we had and share

Thinking those who don’t know us may not even care.

Remember this my darling as you are taken away from me

You are my dearest my darling, I will always love thee.

-Anita Neal-

And as always I close in reminders to always show your kind side. The kindness you share may be the only kindness felt by the one recipient.

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Fog Symbolizes Life

Last week Debbie Smyth of Traveling with Intent posted a picture called Trees in black and white that inspired me so I borrowed it and wrote this poem comparing the scariness of fog to the scary uncertain things of life. We can’t always see where we are going but we can always be assured that God is with us so be encouraged. In the old testament, Moses remind the people that God is always with you. Deuteronomy 31:6 says “Be strong and courageous. Do not afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you.” In the new testament, Paul also reminds us of God always be there for us. Hebrews 13:5b says “because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'” So rest assured knowing His love for you.

trees, Deb Smyth — Trees Shrouded in Fog

Eerie Quiet Fog

What is it about the eerie fog that mystifies us so

Moving quietly through the trees in the valley far below.

It snakes stealthy through forest engulfing each tree

Overtaking the land which once was thought free.

The coldness of winter brings a new kind of fog

Surrounding each limb and crossing each log.

Mystery overtakes them as we can no longer see

The coming together as one – quiet fog and tree.

In walking through fog, the light whisper you will hear

Is the trees reassurance, you there is nothing to fear.

If deep winter chill turns the clinging fog to ice

The crystal on limbs can make the tinkling sound nice.

But if the winds pick up shaking limbs all around,

The tinkling becomes cracking as limbs fall to the ground.

But a saving sun at last shows through, melting away the fog

Leaving only a dampness to linger around the trees and log.

The longer days of sunshine bring a warmth of hope to stay

As trees remember to wake and take in this bright new day.

The lessons we can learn when watching the fog and the tree

Remind us of God’s loving hand as he forever guides you and me.

Anita Neal

As you remember His great love for you, be a reminder to others of His love love for them. Always Be Kind.

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Fun with Poetry

As I play with my blog, I enjoy what others say, write and photograph. Today I saw a photograph that so inspired me that I thought again I would write about it. I have done this in the past and it is relaxing to me. After the wonderful day of 48 degrees (before it plummets back to single digits) I was able to get out and enjoy the sun so I think more fun is good thing to do. Irene of Heaven’s Sunshine takes lovely and fun pictures of nature and things around nature and today she posted a Leafy Heart. Do drop by her blog and enjoy her photographs. So below are my words to go with Irene’s Leafy Heart.

The Autumn Leaf

The audible sigh of the leaf in fall as it begins to die

Drops slowly from trees above like tears when you cry

We wait for them all winter as they quietly rest and sleep

Popping out at spring and stretching to soak up warmth so deep

As summer comes in to brighten their worth, they create abundant shade

For we sit and rest under them and block the heat that is made.

As changing season turns again once more to cooler fall

The leaves display their dying hues that are admired by one and all

The leaf hangs tight to its dear life as long as it possibly can

But winds of fall will toss them down to be crushed by steps of man

As other lives rush over them when preparing their own winter deeds

A spider crawls around them to see if there is anything he needs

But alas he leaves as nothing was found for him of the leaf to give

And he heads towards home and other things in hopes of his life to live.

-Anita Neal-

And always in closing I remind all of the extraordinary value of kindness and how if we can share that kindness with others, even when we don’t feel like it, that may be the only kindness shared with that one person on that day.

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Frozen Beauty

BEAUTY IN COLD

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We huddle close to fight the fierce and raging wind

Hoping to not face it as we round the next bend.

As we reach the building edge and peek around to see

We gets blasted in the face as the wind howls “look at me”.

Winter’s demanding blast this year, a force to reckon with

As snow joins low temps to break some record making myths.

But misery moves aside to reflect the beauty God can make

As we look around at mounds of white and tree crystals we pray don’t break.

We’d rather have warm temperatures with flowers all around

But will accept this fate for now until comforting times are found.

anita neal

When I got to the church this morning the trees were really beautiful but the parking lot was still to icy for much walking about for pictures. But as I was leaving this afternoon, the ice was still hanging in the trees and looked like crystal chandeliers so I was able to get a few pictures. Hope you enjoy them and are safe and warm.

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I also remind you of indisputable power of kindness. When we are all under stress due to this oppressive cold, remember the spark of kindness could warm a hurtful soul.

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