Rain Falls

The rain falls
The leaves twinkle
The bird calls
The drops sprinkle.

The sun shines
My toes wiggle
The cat whines
The shells jiggle.

Our God reigns
My ears tingle
Hurricanes
I'm still single.

That last line just came to me, and I couldn't resist it. Haha!

Evening Sun Through Curtains

Torn

You were torn for me

I feel ashamed

I have complained

Profaned Your name

But You were torn for me

You rose for me

You bought me

Carried me, loved me

You were torn for me

I sought my own

I loved myself

I felt rejected

But You were torn for me

You washed me clean

Made me Yours

I'm broken and torn

Because You were torn for me

Lydia's Messy desk

A messy desk picture in the evening in late summer. Kind of feels homey. 

❤❤

A Cool Mountain Breeze

Lydia and I were up bright and early Sunday morning. We had something special planned: we were going to spend the day in the mountains.

We got in the car and drove through the dark woods at 6:30. It was fine morning with lovely golden sunlight pushing through hazy clouds. As we drove west, we sometimes ran through some fog, but that didn't worry me.



By 9 o'clock, we had reached South Mountain to meet


up with our friend. We began the trek up bunches of

stairs. It was tiring, but well worth the effort. Hot and

sweaty, we decided to get in the cool mountain creek. It

was so refreshing and peaceful. The sunlight sprinkled

down on the water, and a cool mountain breeze blew

softly through tall trees.












We walked up-stream in the creek

because we felt adventurous. All the

while, we teased each other and

laughed and hollered. The farther

we went up, the farther away from

people we got. It was nice: just us

and God.

Well, even we know there has to be an end to romping, so we eventually turned around somewhere up in the mountain, quite away from civilization. By this time we had become a little wet, but at this point we also didn't care too much anymore. 

A deeper part of the creek. I'm sure many people have enjoyed a good swim there. I wonder sometimes if God purposefully makes places like that just for the folks to enjoy. 

Anyway, we walked back down the mountain barefoot because our feet were wet and muddy by that point. We got our lunch stuff and started looking for a place to eat, for it was now past 1. Lydia jokingly suggested walking a steep hill into the woods, but we took the suggestion and began the precarious ascent. We found a nice log and ate our lunch among the remaining forest of a lot of fallen or burnt trees. It was calm and peaceful with that sure and steady cool mountain breeze. After some sword fights and more relaxation, we eventually said goodbye. 

Well, days come and go, but I'll always remember that day in the mountains with that cool breeze blowing soft on our cheeks. The longest church service I've ever been in.

The view from Paradise.

✌

A World Away

It seems like a world away

That blistery, cold winter day.

Far away in another land

Of fields and dreams so grand.

The wind blew hard and cold.

The schoolhouse worn and old

Stood all alone on a hilltop

Against the gray, chili backdrop.

Those friends so dear I hold

When the air was snowy and cold.

The night came much too quick

That day gone, the mem'ries stick.

Photo by Leuxie

The White Farmhouse

After the last post, I found this picture of mine. It's an old white farmhouse on a hill, but it's not at night, so it still doesn't quite work. Anyway, I do like it.

A Story

I started this sometime while I was in MN, but then didn't know how I wanted it to go. Today I finished it. It's simple but hopefully conjures up thoughts of your own home or your childhood or maybe a world you've only dreamed of.

I found this picture on Flickr because I unfortunately don't have anything of the kind.

An Ode to 201

By E. Leake

The headlights showed the way around the sharp curves and into the dark night. The sky was clear and
Kasey could see the outline of dark woods on the edges of fields. She tried to pay attention to what she
was doing, but it was all too easy to want to pear up into those millions of glimmering stars. For summer
it was an especially clear night, and Kasey wanted to see the sky, not the road. But, alas, keeping herself
alive would be a good thing if she ever wanted to see those stars again. So, with her eyes on the road, she
pressed the gas a little harder to get home a little faster so that she could more safely view the sparkling
heavens. 

Finally, up ahead, number 201 reflected off a beaten old mailbox post. Not that she needed a number,
for Kasey had driven this route hundreds of times before, but she still liked to see it. It seemed special for
some reason. Two O one. It meant home.

Kasey slowed the vehicle down and took the sharp right into worn gravel. She never slowed quite enough,
but there was something invigorating about gravel knocking into the underneath of her vehicle and the
wheels skidding onto a new surface. Up the steep hill and farther into the darkness, Kasey drove the little
old Volkswagen Rabbit closer and closer to the destination. The funny, boxy car had been her father’s first
car, and somehow it still worked. She wasn’t sure how. 

Finally, the woods cleared and there stood the old white farmhouse resolute against a clear night sky.
Kasey parked next to the 15-passenger van (big families like Kasey’s need those kinds of vehicles) and
hopped out into the night. With the sound of the Rabbit no longer clogging the noises of night, Kasey could
hear, unhindered, all the sounds around her. Mainly cicadas, millions of them it seemed, crackled and
buzzed in the darkness. An owl hooted once in a while in the woods. There were little stirrings in the barn.
A frog croaked down by the creek. But, in all those wonderful summer night noises, Kasey was looking up.
Up far into the sky and passed it into that vast universe. There the stars twinkled and sparkled. The longer
she looked, the more Kasey saw until the sky hardly seemed dark anymore. 

The brilliance of the Milky Way shot from heaven to heaven. Kasey couldn’t take her eyes away. She finally
laid down in the grass in complete awe. It seemed she had never seen the sky so shockingly alive at night.
Suddenly, a flash of white streaked across the canvas. The very galaxy seemed to move in front of Kasey’s eyes.
While the world was sleeping the sky was wild with excitement. 

As much as Kasey wanted to sleep out on the lawn, she finally left the beauty and quietly entered number 201.

About two times a week, she worked the night shift at the local restaurant, while the other days she worked
mornings or afternoons. Kasey didn’t mind these late nights. Driving home late at night in the stillness gave
her time to think and imagine and wonder and dream. This night was no exception. She creeped up the
squeaking stairs. She knew she would receive some complaints about the noise the following morning from
other family members. No matter how hard she tried, Kasey could not seem to keep the old farmhouse from
creaking under her feet at every step. She loved having her own little room up in the attic, but the distance
and the fact that it was above everyone else, only added to the struggle. 

Finally, alone up in the hot attic, after a cold shower below, Kasey was ready for bed. She turned off the old
lamp, and opened the two windows on either side of the room as far as they would budge. The cross-wind
always helped to cool things down up there on those hot summer nights, and the night noises helped her
sleep better. Exhausted and dreamy, Kasey dropped off into a world of flying horses, shooting stars, and
mischievous little boys, while somewhere in the distance a rooster crowed.

All Dat Green

A nice woman we know gave me this plant when I graduated high school. It has grown immensely since then and is practically taking over Lydia's desk.

One foggy morning, the sun was shining brightly through the trees. 

Moss shimmering in morning sunlight. 

This is a fun thing to do in the woods. 

Cats love the woods.

Poplar trunks

I think she was trying to act weird. 

Buttercup lost in the jungle.

So much greenery. 

🌳🌳🌳

✌

Hello, North Carolina...Again

Yep! I'm back. I flew on a plane to get home. It was great.

Home in the woods

Like a little paradise

Trees

Spiderwebs are absolutely fascinating.

The real reason I come home. 

View from the porch floor

Trees from the porch

Swimming equals sun burn

Free blueberries

Delish!

Peace in, Country!

✌