Faith, Folklore, and Friends

Ah, the joys of autumn! My world is full of various hues of yellow and orange. It is not the leaves. They are starting to turn but won't reach their peak for a week or so. It's pumpkins! There must have been a bumper crop this year! There have been pumpkins everywhere I've been this weekend....beautiful, bright pumpkins! They must have known I was coming and got all dressed up for me. This fellow refused to show his happy face! With just a little imagination, these pumpkins can be seen as dozens of pumpkin pies, all topped with fresh whipped cream and an extra sprinkle of cinnamon on top. Two came home with me. They will be used to decorate for a few days until I decide what goodies to make from them.

Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; Coneys (badgers) are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; Locusts have no king, yet they advance together in in ranks; A lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces. Proverbs 30:24-29 NIV . . . and on your quest today, kind friend, remember that all wisdom comes from our Father. . . I thank you and praise you, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and power, You have made known to me what we asked of you . . Daniel 2:23 NIV

Hedge apples have always seemed a bit mysterious to me, like they didn't really belong here. Their bumpy skin reminds me of maps of the surface of distant planets or bad pictures of human brains. Other names for hedge apples are Osage orange, horse apple, or bodark (from the French meaning bow wood). The fruit is not poisonous, but the sticky, sappy pulp is not desired by men or animals. Just handling the fruit left a sticky residue on my hands. After asking around, the only use I found for hedge apples was putting them in basements and around the foundation of houses to deter insects. Some say no spiders could be found in their house as long as the hedge apples were good. They stay good for two or three months before they decay. The wood of the hedge apple tree produces a hot fire, but no one wants to cut the sticky wood because it gums up the saw. I read that the hedge apples will burn when dried, producing lots of sparks. I plan to try this after they start to decay. Hedge apple...

My first blogging contest is over. All the entries were put in a box..... then, after much shuffling, a name was drawn. The winner is....LYNN WILLIAMS! Lynn, message or email me and your new little buddy will be on the way! Thanks to everyone who participated. Remember, my blog on Labor Day talked about rain on my turnip seed? We all know that you reap what you sow! This is going in the crockpot before I go to work! Can anyone identify the object in this picture? Come back tomorrow and check it out! And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~Phil 4:7

And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything. ~William Shakespeare Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Proverbs 34:8

Yesterday was a perfect autumn day. After church, we went for a ride to Rock Spring, a nature trail off the Natchez Trace. Rock Spring has an abundance of jewelweed, loved by bees and hummingbirds and me. When the hummingbirds head south for the winter, they stop to eat and rest at Rock Spring. Sometimes, you can see hundreds of them sipping nectar from the jewelweed. We saw just a few. We were about two weeks late; most of them are already gone. Some may be flying over the Gulf of Mexico right now. It was a good walk, even though we missed most of the hummingbirds. Crossing the creek was easy. The beavers have been working hard. The water behind the beaver dam is about a foot deeper than the water in front of it. We saw berries and blossoms and lots of other people out to enjoy the day. Grab on to the autumn while it is here. Please don't miss opportunities to see the beauty around us! Don't forget to leave a comment here or on my Facebook link to be in the drawing for this...