Fishin' On Michigan

On short notice I contacted my dear friend Courtney to see if she'd be busy this past Monday night... to which she replied that she was free so I decided to go visit her! I milked cows Monday morning, prepared my things and left town around 1p.m. and so began my 24-hour adventure (for after coffee with Courtney on Tuesday morning I was back on the road and home by 1p.m.)!

Courtney's dad, Kevin, was going fishing with his friend Dan and invited us to join them. They told me that the lake was on the rough side. We sped out over the water about 11-13 miles from the shore. The ride out was like something you'd experience at an amusement park. We had to hold on tight! Once we slowed down to fish the boat still rocked and the guys were contemplating which direction to steer so that there would be less movement aboard. It seemed perfectly normal to me to feel the boat rocking constantly due to the irregular upheaval of water, for I had no other experience to compare with, and luckily I didn't get sea-sick. 

 Courtney holding on tight during the ride!

We had Dan try to take a picture of us while we were jolting across the water. We ended up in stitches, laughing hysterically, for every time he'd count to 3 and was about to snap a shot we'd fly over a wave and crash back down causing Dan to have to juggle the phone and start all over again!

Once we were out over about 150-250 feet of water it was time to fish. It was quite a science really and I enjoyed watching the calculated decisions of the What, Where, When and How that catching a fish required. For the most part Dan was in charge of setting up and casting lines while Kevin steered the boat, making sure the lines didn't get tangled. I believe they had six lines out. It reminded me of how farmers have to steer their tractor while looking out the back window constantly to make sure everything is in order.

There were handy-dandy pole holders all over the boat so we simply had to watch and wait. It was a good thing too, since the poles where pretty heavy. When a fish was caught the pole would start wiggling back and forth. Since the boat was being tossed more than usual it made the poles wiggle more than usual though there were no fish on the lines. Courtney was got the guys riled up a few times at with false alarm!

Courtney got to steer the boat for a few minutes but I was distracting her, she ended up going South instead of South East and for fear of the lines tangling her dad went back to his post of manning the wheel.

So Courtney and I took more pictures!!! =D

We had gone 'out to sea' in the evening we'd spent a good 3 or 4 hours on the water and hadn't caughta single fish when 8 o'clock rolled around. 

In spite of the lack of fish we enjoyed watching an orange ball of sun set over the land and I wish I had brought my own camera or maybe some pencils, pastels and paper as it was incredibly inspiring to behold the beauties of the water. It was great to watch the shore line change from buildings and city to a teal/blue line of horizon hardly visible from our position on the lake.

We watched the scape change from a line of land protruding from the water to meet the sky, a few distinct sculptures to confirm the presence of a city to the eye, to a casual stretch of yellow dots casting their glow in the darkness of night signifying the existence of civilization in the distance. We had the pleasure of watching a moon rise out over the water. Judging by a slight lack of distinct edge on the left side of the moon it was almost full. It was to be a blue moon. It cast a streak of warm hue across the great lake, just as bright as the one the sun had left on the water a little while before.

Finally at about 8:10 we caught a fish! They let me reel it in! The poles were pretty heavy and with the water and a fish in tow there was enough resistance to require quite an effort.  Boy it's a lot more work than I had imagined it would be, and very rewarding!!!

Courtney caught the next one... but the boat was moving in such a volatile manner and the light was fading the picture was a bit hard to catch. In all we caught six fish. I'm pretty sure they were all Chinook salmon. 

Here are short clips of Courtney and I throwing our fish back into the lake!!! =D It was pretty epic!!! ;)

 Here's a picture of Courtney's dad reeling one in. Blurry, but picturesque. =)

Needless to say, it was a really fun time! Big lake fishing is not quite like anything you're gonna do on a normal fishing trip. It's some serious stuff!!! I was glad for the new experience and look forward to doing it again!

Pastel Pictures

Brittany has been around for the past few days and we were in the mood for art, so I opened up my boxes of pastels and we had at it! 
I drew a landscape... and I copied a picture of a little girl I know named Natalia. Her mom took the picture one day when I was leaving and she watched me go through the window. You can't beat those cute cheeks and priceless curls!

All About August

It's nearing the hour in which I am to head out of doors to milk the cows and I am quite looking forward to it. The sun is casting long rays of warm light across the green foliage and fields of corn. August has been full of perfect weather. Not too hot, not too cold. The excitements have been many and disappointments few...

It was a great pleasure to see my Virginia relatives. They stayed for about a week.

 My cousin Joe! He's a fun kid! =)

We had a family reunion during that time so I was also able to see a number of extended family members. It was splendid!

Relatives milling at the reunion.

Matt and Channing. They look like twins! ;) 

Some of us kids ventured over to the farm during the 

family reunion to see the animals ...especially the kittens! 

Relaxing and visiting!

Fun photographs with the cousin!!!

 Cousin Violet is awesome..... Climbing a lilac bush in a dress!

Just like I was when I was her age! Always looking for adventure!

Uncle Patrick took the kids on a trip to Moe's Diner for shakes!!!

 ...I don't know how but Isaac and I got to go too!!! 

It was great fun and a delicious treat!

 Uncle Patrick also took us swimming!!!

As for my episode with the bee... I did recover and get back to work in time to get stung again. Only this time I picked up a bale on which a hive of wasps was residing and about seven of them stung me. Of course I'd forgotten my EpiPen at home so it was quite a circus as my mom and a number of other friends had to rush Benadryl and my EpiPen to me! ...and therefore, thankful, I did not experience anaphylaxis this time around. Needless to say, I am rather wary of any sort of buzzing creature.

 

My archnemesis.

 

One excitement occurred at about 3am  a week or so ago. I was roused from my slumber by the sound of cows running through the lawn!!! After waking every member in the household an entire hours was spent out of doors running all over the farm catching our herd of milking cows. ....the stars happened to be extraordinarily beautiful but it was also extraordinarily cold that night and I could see my breath in the chilly air. ....oh yes, Fall is eagerly waiting it's turn.

I got to take pictures of Isaac & Brittany. I will post more picture but I should probably get their permission first. I am using photographer's license for this one! Enjoy! ;)

 Some pretty little flowers I came across in the woods.

During a crazy thunder storm we heard this crazy cracking sound that we initially thought was very close thunder... which turned out to be one of our very tall pine trees. It would have fallen on our house had it not been for another tree that got in it's way!!! Who knows when we'll get around to removing it. For now.... may it rest in peace. Haha!

 Unfortunately my little garden behind the house is having an 

incredibley hard time getting established. 

If it isn't a dog digging it up or a drought then it's the freak event of a tree fall!

 Oh, and Mr. Dexter turned 3 years old. He's such a big boy!!

Lovely sunflowers that our friends gave us! 

They looked so beautiful in the morning light!

Anyways, it's off to go milk the cows!!! I hope you all are enjoying your summer... and that you're having as much excitement as I am! ...until next time.

A Baby Shower

Last Sunday we had a baby shower for my sister Emily 

and her little baby girl, Alice.

 It was fun with friends and family from both sides attending 

and there was lots of merriment and amusements! 

Here are the cupcakes that I made the day before. 

I had a fun time discovering new ways to use my 

Wilton piping tips and practicing making roses.

As you can see, we had a pink theme... and rightly so. :)

Arianna was amazed that there was a flower on her cupcake! ;)

My sister Emily and I!

Here are some pictures of the lovely guests...

My Grandpa (my dad's dad) came to the party to meet the two new babies:

Here he is with Alice and with little Leela....

 Here's Brittany! The girls had fun 

creating a crown of clothes pins that we were using for a game!

 Brittany and I, adorned with quite a decent number of pins! ;)

Our friend, Sarah, made these adorable little slippers for Alice! 

They were so cute AND they matched her outfit to boot! 

The elegant Emily and the adorable (and very sleepy) Alice! :)

Mr. Hummer

This pretty, little fellow has become a frequent visitor on our red water pump. Perched on top he sits calmly for up to 15 minutes sometimes. I wonder if maybe he is guarding the food supply. What a beautiful creature.

Jaunt

Examining the trees in hues of green, warm from the magnanimous rays of morning sun, their glow melding with the stark contrast of blue sky in the 10 o'clock haze. 
August beginning in continuation of Summer and I my day with the usual routine of milking cows. My eyes dilate as I turn my focus from the out-of-doors to the pulsating milking units. The darkness blinds my eyes for a second, as I have left off the lights in the barn to keep away flies and encourage the cool temperature. 
I ponder the earth and it's place in the universe and I suddenly jaunt through the layers of firmament and sky below me right out into space, gravity not withholding my mind, I leave my body behind. 
I see the earth, a globe of blues, grays and murky greens. I am vaguely aware of the black intensity around me, the sun in the distance and other planets too... all that my imagination could afford. This heaven not being so important however, as the earth fixates my attention. A toy ball rolling on a floor, a top set in motion on a table, I behold the smooth sphere wobble and pivot as if dangling from a bedroom ceiling on invisible strings. I am frightened. I shutter through scenes of my home, then a busy city street, and at last the entirety of humanity going about living. A whole world of people. I fear for my own feet that are left supporting my flesh in the little barn there on that earth. Stunned by this sudden insecurity, would it all give way? 
And then I know that out there, beyond the sides of the sun, stars and space is God. Holding it all together. 
Peaceful. Safe. Solid. 
Insecurity vanishes. I fleet back to my body, awed by His greatness, back to the dim barn and the sweetness of Summer. Who are we, so tiny and decaying, to magnify ourselves? Our cities of skyscrapers, laboratories - plains of microscopic discovery, our highways of traffic by land or sea or sky or airwaves. We are small. So small. So finite. Surrounded by a vastness of universe and even this is diminutive, unpretentious. 
In this I see the true, immense greatness of God in heaven, who does not need anything we have to offer, who is Lord of all. I humble that He should make a way for even insignificant me to be a part of Him and His creation.

Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said,  

Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.  

For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, 

I found an altar with this inscription,  

To The Unknown God. 

Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.  

God that made the world and all things therein, 

seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, 

dwelleth not in temples made with hands;  

Neither is worshipped with men's hands, 

as though he needed any thing, 

seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;  

And hath made of one blood all nations of men 

for to dwell on all the face of the earth, 

and hath determined the times before appointed, 

and the bounds of their habitation;  

That they should seek the Lord, 

if haply they might feel after him, and find him, 

though he be not far from every one of us:  

For in him we live, and move, and have our being; 

as certain also of your own poets have said, 

For we are also his offspring.  

Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, 

we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto 

gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. 

And the times of this ignorance God winked at; 

but now commandeth all men every where to repent:  

Because he hath appointed a day, 

in the which he will judge the world in righteousness 

by that man whom he hath ordained; 

whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, 

in that he hath raised him from the dead.  

And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, 

some mocked: and others said, 

We will hear thee again of this matter.

Acts 17:22-32