Only Since July Fifth

The title of this writing is how long it has been since I posted anything here.  School has gotten back in session in every location that I am aware of and is certainly true for Cassville School District for which I drive a bus.

Here we are just six days away from Thanksgiving Day and only 38 days until Christmas.  Wow!  How time flies by.

Back in October around the 23rd of the month our daughter, and oldest child had a stroke, and was hospitalized for about 5 days plus.  She is home doing well, and is recovering.  Please pray for Charity and continued recovery.  She is gradually recovering strength, still needs the prayers of the warriors of Christ to intercede for her.

My oh my how the world needs to know the God of the Bible, the Father of Jesus Christ; He who sent His only Son to die in our place, to redeem us unto Himself.

It has certainly been a beautiful Fall season.  Temperatures have been a little colder than normal, but hey, I live in Missouri.  You never know what the weather will be like.  There is a saying that has been said around our parts, “If you don’t like the weather; stick around for a bit, it’ll change.”

If I do not get back to this site to leave a message of Thanksgiving blessing or Merry Christmas; let me give it to you now.  HAVE BLESSED THANKSGIVING DAY,   a very MERRY CHRISTMAS.  I will always keep Christ in the season.  He is the reason for the season.

From the banks of Flat Creek,

~tim

Almost Unbelievable

I never wrote about it previously.  We had frost on October 04, 2014 here in our valley.   Have not had any since, but warmer weather. Last year the first frost in our valley was October 18.  It seems very unseasonal for late October to have mid 80 temps. Maybe not.

Must say that I do enjoy it though.  Yet I would prefer to have a Fall season, with cooler temps, preparing us for the cold weather that may be coming in Winter.

~tim

Summer Heat Has Arrived

Summer time has always been my favorite time of year.  When I was a kid I looked forward to it because I would be out of school, and there would be hay to rake, bale, and haul to the barn.  At that time we used what we called square bales, thought they were really rectangular.  That is right I, as a kid, enjoyed preparing the hay and hauling it to the barn.  It was hot, and hard  work.  It was better than school :).

Up to this point we have had a really mild Summer.  The temps have been cool for Summer.  One morning in July; at least here in our valley; the temp was 48 degrees.  In the past few days the morning temp at my viewing has been upper sixties, even in the seventies.

Three days ago the high temp here in our valley was 100 degrees, the day following was 101 degrees, and yesterday’s high was 102 degrees.  There is something about this valley that makes it hotter in the Summer and colder in the Winter than surrounding areas.  I love it here.  Enjoying the Summer.  I guess I always have and I always will.

We do need some rain.  So thankful to the Creator for the rainfall we have received this year.  Every drop is a blessing of heaven.

The Summer Heat has arrived in along the banks of Flat Creek.

-tim

Just Thinkin’

That is somethin’ some folks need to do a little more of.  Maybe even myself.  We need to get away from those electronic gadgets… and I laugh as I sit here typin’ on this computer… but I do some thinkin’ quite often.

I was thinkin’ as I was sittin’ here that it sure is nice to have this really cool weather here in the middle of July; which is usually the hottest month of Summer;  well at least it and August are the hottest, but so far, not this year.

Just to let the two or three who might read this know; I have been walkin’ every mornin’ ‘cept Sunday.  This mornin’ I walked nigh onto a couple miles.  Yep! I walked up to my Ma’s and Pa’s, visited with ’em for a while, then walked back home.

This mornin’ the temp was 47 degrees when I got up at 4:30.  It is a wonderful thing and because of that I am thankin’ th’ the good Lord for it.  I must say it was refreshin’ to have the cool air on my face, and when I got back  to the house I waden even sweatin’.

I mowed the back yard yesterdy.  It looks better now.  Flat Creek is stilling rolling right along.

-tim

Feeling the Heat?

There have been record setting temps, or near record breaking temps for the past 15 days or so; and it does not look like it is going to cool down for at least another week at least.  I told my wife, Madge, yesterday, “I thought we left the desert in California when we moved back here twelve years ago.”

The way our grass looks is dead, not dormant like it gets in the Winter months, but dead.  I am working on getting us an irrigation system of sorts, so we can use the Creek, and get some things growing and green again.  I found a shallow well pump on Craig’s List last week, drove to Springfield, and bought it fairly reasonable; at least I think so.  Now I need the pipe for the syphon end of the pump, then electric wire to reach, and water line to get to the sprinklers.

Anyway to the topic I started.  For the past two days it has been 114 degrees at our house.  That is right: 114 degrees.  That is pretty near desert temps.  Last year we had one day that reached that temp, but this is twice that.  Though I like the heat of Summer much better than the cold of Winter; I think I could stand a bit of a cool down; and much rain.

It will rain one of these days, and we will get so much many will be asking, “When is it going to stop?”  Looking forward to the rain coming.

Hope everyone stays cool, safe and healthy.

-tim

The Fifth Month

The month of May is in full swing.  I mean we cannot go back now, can we.  Who would want to?  Right?  The weather is beautiful.  Morning temps around here are in the low sixties.   This morning it was 62 degrees at 3 a.m.

The previous two mornings it was 61 degrees when I got up.  I can live with those kind of early morning temps.  Not only were the temperatures great, but we received early morning showers; yesterday morning’s being with thunderstorms; loud and windy with lightening and thunder.

It would be idea for rain to fall during the night hours, however, we just cannot make those kind of plans.  At least I cannot.  There are probably some scientist who are working on doing such things as controlling the weather, but…

I will leave that thought with you.

We only have twelve more days of school left, then we are out for Summer break.  Looking forward to it.

-Tim

Winter Twenty Eleven and Twelve

According to those who know at 12:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Thursday December 22 the sun ceased its trek to the Southern hemisphere, and has began its trek back to the Northern hemisphere.  The word and description are mine not those who are in the know about these things.

We have now officially been into Winter for almost thirty hours as of 6:00 a.m. Central Standard time.

What purpose does knowing this serve us except to show that we live in an intricately created world; that could not have just happened as the “scientist” try to tell us.  It definitely had a Designer/Builder; and this Creator still cares for this universe which He has made.

I did not intend to get into faith or religion or theology with this; but sometimes when I begin writing it just comes out.  That too has a designer and builder.  Like the seasons – Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter they are a part of the created order of things.

I am not particularly fond of Winter.  Cold, ice, snow, slick roads, heating bills, the wear and tear on the cars and trucks, not to even mention the aches and pains in the bones and joints of the bodies of men and women.  It too, though, has its beauty and purpose and I am thankful for Winter.

Why am I thankful for Winter?  It causes me to long for Spring and Summer and those warming, warmer, and greening up days; even mowing the yard.  It even helps me appreciate those extremely hot 114 degree days.  I think I wrote about it a few months ago, but the temp of one day in the Winter of early 2011 got down to around -30 degrees (30 degrees below zero) in at least one place around here where I live.  Then, one day in the Summer did get up to 114 here at my house.  That is a 144 degree difference; if my math is correct.

The daylight hours will begin getting  longer now.  To me that is a great thing.  What a wonderful work our Lord has wrought.  Especially in the birth, life and death, and resurrection of the Son of God.  Yes God does have a Son, and anyone who says that He does not; does not know my God.

Have a very wonderful, Christ filled Christmas.

From the banks of Flat Creek; and it is rolling quite powerfully right now.

-Tim

What a Difference

It must be that we live in a low valley, and next to the Creek.  It must be what makes the temp here cooler than say, like in Cassville.  According to AccuWeather the temp in Cassville was 51 when I got online this morning; our thermometer right now at 4:47 a.m. reads 38 degrees.  BRRRRRRRR.

My that is going to feel brisk and cool this morning after just a few days go temps at 100 and above.  It will be nice for a change.  We do, however, still need some rain.  Especially since we moved our dirt mound yesterday.  As the wind was blowing we could see little dirt devils taking the dirt away.

We filled holes and low spots in the yard; what used to be a pasture, now our yard is beginning to look like a yard, but now has dirt spots which need some seed and grass growing.  It will not grow, though without water.

I thank my friend Dennis for bringing his skid steer and taking all his Labor Day to labor in moving all that dirt.

I thank GOD my Lord and Master for every good and righteous and perfect gift.

Cool on the banks of Flat Creek.

-Tim

I am Blown Away

I looked at the temp this morning and had 51 degrees on it.  WOW!  That is a change compared to three day ago.

A man from our church is coming today with a skid steer to work on moving our dirt mound on the East side of our house; and placing it big holes in the yard and around the house.  It has been there since it was dug out for the placement of our home.

The cooler weather will make it nice for laboring on this Labor Day.

Laboring on the banks of Flat Creek.

-Tim

Maybe the heat is gone

It has been over 100 degrees at my house for the past three or four days.  One day, Wednesday I think it was 109, and miserable.  Now though according to forecast maybe the heat is starting to go South for a while.  I like the heat of Summer, but the body and the earth can only endure so much of it you know.

Yesterday I did almost nothing.  We had Men’s Breakfast at church, and only four of us were there.  We had great fellowship and enjoyed the time and good food.  In the late afternoon we attended a surprise Birthday party for a niece (Sarah Kay), and celebrated her 30 years of living in this world.  She and her husband David have become a lovely Christian couple and have a wonderful family of 5 children.  My sister Judy invited us all to come, and we were served hamburgers cooked on the grill, along with hot dogs, and even had turkey burgers; though I did not even try any of that.

We had a great time.  It was a little warm outside.  James told us that when they arrived there the temp was about 98 degrees.  I am glad we had plenty of shade to be under.

I really hope and pray that all the heat will not be gone.  Without it we would all die in short order.

From the banks of Flat Creek, I am praying that all who read this blog will be right with the Lord and attend worship services in your local church today.

-Tim

Needing Rain Again

Listening to and watching the news lately one would think the whole country was saturated with flood waters from hurricane Irene.  She was sure a wet one.  However there are many spots who have not gotten any rain for most of the Summer.  Summer is almost over.  That is hard to imagine with temps at my house yesterday at 105.

We are needing rain again.  Oklahoma needs rain and some relief from the heat; along with much of Texas.  Those folks are being hit hard, and as fickle as the news people are have practically forgotten all about those them.  Our Nation is mostly in dire need of repentance and turning back to God.  I am not preaching, just stating a truth.  There is only one God, and He is accessible only one way and that is through the cross of His Son Jesus Christ.

The only hope of a bankrupt nation or individual is turning to God.

Yes!  We need rain again.  It will come again.  Then before long we will need rain again; and the circle will continue for all time; until Jesus makes all things right.

Pray for rain in Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and where ever else it is needed.  Pray also for those folks in Virginia, Vermont, and other places where Irene made havoc with the people, their lives and their property.  Pray that people will turn back to the God of all Creation.  His name is Jesus.

From along the banks of Flat Creek.

-Tim

How Hot is It?

Well!  At our house yesterday it got up to 112.  At my parents house just up the road it was 114.  At some of our church members homes it was 109, 107, 103.  Is it too hot?  I like the heat, but a person can only take so much before she/he begins to perish.

When I got up this morning around 4:30 the outdoor temp was 83.  Now that is not much of a promise for a cooler day.  Right now as I am writing the wind is blowing; maybe it’s blowing in some cooler air – I just looked at the outdoor temp and it has dropped to a dramatic 82 degrees.

It does appear that a front is moving in; and we are on the edge of it right now at 5:38 a.m.  I just stepped outside for a bit, and the wind felt so refreshing, looked up and saw the clouds through the darkness.  It could get cooler with some rain coming in – when it comes in.

Looking forward to some good rain.  Still thankful for the heat along the banks of Flat Creek.  Come Winter many of those complaining about the heat will be complaining about the cold

-Tim

 

The Heat of the Week

Yesterday August 02, 2011 is about as hot as it has been.  Really there is no doubt about it.  It was the hottest it has been all Summer anyway.

Records were set in 1954 and in 1980 for heat, but it appears that those records are being tied or bettered by the current heat wave.  I still don’t believe in “global warming”, because, right now in the Southern himisphere it is Winter, and I would almost guarantee that there is snow, ice and cold down there; and they are wondering where the heat is.

We just as well set back, and enjoy what the LORD of the Universe and all that is has given us.  We are warm, not freezing.  Many of us live in air conditioned homes.  Still for those who don’t go get wet somewhere, get in the shade.

By the way; the temp here yesterday reached a high of 111 degrees.  Things burn up when the temps get that high, including weeds.

Things are hot, dry and brown on the banks of Flat Creek.

-Tim