Friends

by   August 5, 2023 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            I had lunch with a good friend this week. He doesn’t live nearby but we try to catch up twice a year. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to get together much through the pandemic. It was nice to slow down and catch up with my friend. The conversation flowed back and forth with ease. We are close in age and we grew up with similar values.

We both were involved in Boy Scouts. Our experiences were positive and the memories run deep. The Boy Scouts help many boys become good young men. It can help boys develop strong character…something we could use in our society today. We were talking about a number of things we learned in the Boy Scouts and one of the keys was: Be Prepared!

            We have both lived through some challenging things, his much more than mine, and have developed strong faith tested by the fire. When you walk through something and make it out the other side your faith becomes genuine and attractive to others. It is encouraging to spend time with people whose faith burns bright.

            I had lunch with another friend and former colleague a few weeks ago. Our conversation flowed like water and the time evaporated quickly. He caught me up on what was happening at my former job. He asked me if I missed teaching. I told him that I still teach at the community college and that I love being a teacher. I admitted that I missed my colleagues and the comradery, but I didn’t miss working full-time.  

            This friend also has a strong faith, which shines through him light a lighthouse. He coaches at school and his students are lucky to have someone with his dedication and commitment as their coach. He leads with integrity and always has great stories. We like to encourage each other in our faith and spur each other on to a deeper walk with God.

            Both of these men, in different ways, challenge me to live out my faith in a greater way. They love God and have been there for me as a friend. I hope and believe that I have been there for them when they were walking through difficult times. Christianity is about being there for each other as we walk through the ups and downs of life. It’s about being able to ask and answer the tough questions without judgement. It’s about demonstrating the love of Christ to the imperfect parts in each other.

            Whenever I read stories about Jesus interacting with people I always see love and compassion. He never leaves a person in a broken place. He was always about the business of helping them restore their relationship with God the Father. He didn’t excuse their sin but encouraged and challenged them to live up to God’s standards. He poured out His unconditional love and lifted people out of the circumstances that seemed to have them trapped.

            Jesus reserved His harshest words for those who kept people from reaching out to God. Jesus made God accessible to all who would come. There was no one who was too far gone. When religious leaders communicated any other message to the discouraged, downtrodden, or broken people, they were met with Jesus’ rebuke. Jesus made it clear that God cares about each and every person and wants a personal relationship with them.

            When we demonstrate that to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ, God is pleased. When we show His love and compassion to the lost, God is deeply pleased. That is the whole purpose for the church, to be a hospital for those who have been beaten up by life. We are all broken, whether we know Him or are lost, and we need each other to find the healing and restoration that God wants to impart to us all. The purpose of the church is to restore the disconnected and to strengthen and encourage those who already know Him.

            I want to encourage you to do your part in helping the church fulfill its purpose in this day and time. God needs us to reach out to those who don’t know Him and help bring the prodigals home. He also needs us to help those inside the church to find the strength and courage to continue their individual walks of faith. It’s not easy to follow and live like Jesus, but we can do it if we stand together with each other. None of us is perfect, so let’s share God’s grace, mercy, and compassion with all that we meet, thereby being the light and hope that we all need.

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

Day 3

by   August 4, 2023 with No Comments

By David Freeze

 A challenging day, it got hot here too!


 I spent a wonderful night at the Water’s Edge Motel in Stoddard, Wisconsin. The Mississippi River was out front and the railroad track was behind. Trains ran regular through the night, and I love that too. I got my first ever sunset photos over the Mississippi. On my way out this morning, a guy in his pickup waited for me and wanted to know where I was going. My ultimate goal is a quick visit into Canada before I return home, and I told him so. He said the fires might be a problem for that trip, and he was most surprised that we get a smoky haze all the way into NC.


   As I write this, I have already eaten my ice cream, Nature’s Touch Premium Vanilla. And I am working on a Mega Buddy, the largest iced drink that Kwik Trip has. A train is rumbling by and a small air conditioner is struggling to cool a very nice room, again facing the Mississippi from the Hillcrest Motel, in business since 1957. I am finally cool for the first time this afternoon.


    After Stoddard this morning, I pedaled to La Crosse, Wisconsin, a town of about 51,000. The main road through town is undergoing major construction, so mostly I rode among the workers. Traffic had to bypass it, but no one mentioned a thing to me. I rode across the Mississippi on Route 14, where I climbed a beautiful old bridge. Just on the other side, ever alert for nails, screws and glass that cause flats, I found a damp $5 bill. I have found coins often while running, but never a $5 bill.


    Jon advised me last night to cross to the Minnesota side to get better views of the river and he was right again. As I began looking for a place to stay tonight, I found one that caused me to cross over again to the Wisconsin side. Much of the road was blacktop, the worst for a very hot day. I went through Winona and crossed the bridge there, and then visited Fountain City and arrived in Alma where I am spending the night. Both Fountain City and Alma are very historic, with quite a few buildings that look like Marshall Dillon and Miss Kitty would have liked them.


   Alma became a village in 1868, immigrants started gathering here 20 years before. Originally called 12 Mile Bluff because of the prominent rocky point that can be seen for 12 miles away on the river. Riverboat pilots used it for navigation. This is a major bald eagle habitat too. I think I saw one today.


   I had 74 miles today, but more than a mile was to go back into town for food. Thankful for a good tailwind, it was hot with the Alma bank thermometer at 101. Radio reports called it 95 and 96. Tomorrow is supposed to be cooler with rain, maybe starting tonight. That is fine with me, but I will try to get close to Minneapolis either way.


   Thanks for following along on this adventure! My goal for this trip was to through the little towns along the upper river, and it has been a blast so far. Join me here again tomorrow!

Grounded by the Tufted Titmouse

by   August 4, 2023 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

Today’s forecast called for rain, so I got out early for my stationary bike ride. Usually my ride offers many walkers on our road and lots of bird calls in the pine trees that dominate Isle of Pines Road. Today it was eerily quiet as I began my ride. No wind; not even a slight breeze moved the pines. No bird calls. Just the hum of my front tire against the resisting wheel of the stationary machine. Then, off across the road it called. Then an answer somewhere in one of  the 39 pine trees in our front yard. The two birds called to each other or answered the other or protected their turf as I warmed up during my ride.

Some months ago a neighbor asked me what the bird call was that we heard emitting from the pine trees. I listened and told her I thought it was the chickadees. However, later that week as I was going to a neighbors, I heard the same sound and then saw the bird sitting on a power line: A tufted titmouse was going hard at it—making some important announcement for all to hear. I marveled at such a strong note coming from such a small bird. Later when in the house, I checked our bird book and the recordings of the tufted titmouse to be certain. It was correct, and I sent the recording to my neighbor: “peter-peter-peter”.

If you are of a certain age, you will remember those gosh-awful, historically mistaken television shows and movies of the western frontier that we dutifully watched and believed. If you recall, many times the attacking tribes would use  bird notes (or other animal sounds) to communicate with each other before attacking the settlers. I remember the sound being a powerful, soft message of pending doom. The call of the tufted titmouse sounds like that powerful whisper from one hidden foe to another. Fortunately, as far as I know, the tufted titmouse does not attack humans, but the floating call and returned answer bring back those memories of television long ago.

In the forest of pines that I ride under, and the ones in neighboring yards, the small, tufted titmouse is impossible to see, but easily heard. The soft, powerful, fast repeated call of peter- peter-peter – seems to bounce from one pine to another then one farther down the road. It is mysterious, yet known and understood, and relaxing in a manner of sorts. This morning with the uncanny calm before the rain, and the walker empty road, the tufted titmouse calls to each other grounded me in the knowledge that no matter what is happening, nature and her ways are here as a salve for rips and tears of the world.

Kinston to Smithfield

by   August 3, 2023 with No Comments

By David Freeze

I visited Kinston early on Sunday morning, June 25. Kinston is a totally flat town with two high-rise apartment buildings used for affordable housing and lots of empty store fronts. The county seat of Lenoir County, Kinston was created by the North Carolina General Assembly in December 1762 as “Kingston,” in honor of King George III in England. Richard Caswell, who made his home locally and served as the first governor of the state of North Carolina from 1776 to 1780, was later honored when the name changed to Caswell in 1833. It was renamed Kinston the following year.

During the Civil War, Kinston was prominent in several ways. Factories made shoes and a bakery made hardtack for the Confederate armies, while two training camps were established locally. Most notably, the Battle of Wyse Creek was held close by in March 1865. As part of the battle, the Confederates destroyed their own gunboat, the CSS Neuse, in the river. For about 100 years, the ship remained in the river, until the remaining parts were removed and placed in a new museum. A fantastic replica ship is now on display. I found the gate open and got some great pictures.

Horse-drawn carriages, tobacco, cotton and lumber have been major economic drivers. The Neuse River flooded portions of the city in 1996 and 1999 from Hurricanes Fran and Floyd. The Lenoir County Courthouse was built in 1939. Kinston’s combination Fire Station No. 1 and City Hall was built in 1895, now housing a museum. A historical marker commemorates the Birth of Funk with James Brown’s band in the 1960s.

Duplin County’s seat is Kenansville, first settled in 1735 by Northern Ireland immigrants and called “Golden Grove.” Incorporated in 1852, it was renamed Kenansville after James Kenan, an early planter, soldier and N.C. Senate member, whose home is now a museum called Liberty Hall Plantation.

Kenansville is very small but includes a hospital, several beautiful older homes and a Civil War era church, Kenansville Baptist Church, built in 1858. The huge and well-kept Duplin County Courthouse was built in 1911.

The next county seat was Clinton of Sampson County. First settlers came to Clinton, called Clinton Courthouse then but changed to Clinton after another town of the same name folded. Sampson is the largest county by land mass in North Carolina. Clinton was named after Richard Clinton, an early resident who became a Revolutionary War hero and then later had extensive governmental service. Another famous early resident was Micajah Autry, who fought and died with Davy Crockett at the Alamo in Texas. Clinton was incorporated in 1822. The Sampson County Courthouse was built in 1939. Clinton has an old depot still used as a restaurant and the old movie theater is now the Sampson Community Theatre.

My next stop was at Goldsboro, home of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and county seat of Wayne County. Nearly every store in a revitalized and interesting downtown was open and most of the parking spaces were taken.

First named “Goldsborough’s Junction” after Major Matthew T. Goldsborough, an engineer with the railroad line, before the name was shortened simply to Goldsborough. In 1847, the town was incorporated and became the new Wayne County seat following a vote of the citizens. Local legend has it that Goldsborough supporters put moonshine in the town’s well to encourage people to vote for Goldsborough.

Due to its importance as a railroad hub, several major Civil War battles were fought in this area. General Sherman’s Union force of 100,000 soldiers targeted Goldsboro as the main N.C. conquest on its way north in 1865. His force spent about three weeks in the area.

Seymore Johnson Army Air Force base opened in 1942 and was then renamed in 1947 when the Air Force became a separate service. Andy Griffith taught high school classes here in English and drama. A pharmacy exists in what was Goldsboro’s first hospital in 1896, and the Wayne County Courthouse was built in 1914. Two high rise hotels remain, one of them now luxury apartments in “The View, at Wayne National,” a former bank building.

Smithfield, the county seat of Johnston County, was the next stop. Founded near Smith’s Ferry on the Neuse River, Smithfield was Johnston County’s first town and second county seat. The county courthouse was moved from Hinton’s Quarter to Smithfield in 1771. The settlement was first known as Johnston County Court House, then incorporated as Smithfield in 1777. The third North Carolina state legislature met in Smithfield in 1779 and 1780.

Ava Gardner was the most famous resident, although she was actually from Grabtown, an unincorporated community next door. Gardner was a major film actress from 1941 until the mid-1980s. The Ava Gardner Museum is a popular attraction in the downtown area. The Johnston County Courthouse was built in 1920-21. U.S. Marine Dan Bullock is honored as the youngest soldier killed in Vietnam, at age 15.

I stopped briefly at the Neuse Little Theatre and talked with Patsy Castellano and Gregory Hill who were about to begin their last performance of Frozen. Greg asked me if I wanted to see the inside of the rustic theatre. The temperature in the theatre more resembled the play’s title. The Buffalo Creek Greenway is just behind the theatre.

Also on the greenway was the 1854 William Hastings house, which served as the pre-battle command office for Confederate Generals Joseph E. Johnston and Braxton Bragg. Together in these rooms, they planned to engage General Sherman near Bentonville in March 1865. Johnston’s troops were outnumbered 4 to 1. After defeat, his troops retreated on March 21, 1865. This would be the last major Confederate offensive of the Civil War, which ended three weeks later with Lee’s surrender in Appomattox on April 9. The Hastings house was moved twice before reaching its current location.

With 74 counties visited, I have 26 remaining. These five locations totaled 8.07 miles on foot. See you back here soon as I head east again!

Safety

by   August 2, 2023 with No Comments

By Ed Traut

Psalms 91:9-10 If you make the Most High your dwelling– even the LORD, who is my refuge– then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.

  • In this world there are many challenges and strange things happening, it is hard to ignore. 
  • But, we have this confidence, we look to the Lord and He is our shield and our dwelling. 
  • We know that we are safe, because of the fact that we are in Him. 

Prayer:  Thank You that You are my protector and my helper and refuge. I bless Your holy name.  Amen. 
 

Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

Believe it?

by   August 1, 2023 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

Once again, I had fallen into a pattern of not making prayer a priority in my life. Why in the world would I let that happen? I mean, I am not a “spring chicken” anymore and I should know better. God has brought me through obstacle after obstacle in my life, so it seems that I would spend more time with my Heavenly Father.

I may have gotten busy, but I know God knows my need. And God knows me. I know God will take care of me. So, I may have missed a few times of prayer, but that is OK, right? I have really had a lot going on.

I will pray now… Hmm? Where is my prayer book? Yes, the one I had been writing prayer requests in…

I am still looking for that prayer book. Hold on — give me a minute.

Found it.

I love my prayer book. It lists one name at a time, beginning with my family and moving on from there.

I have some time this morning and I am going to use it to pray.

I began the way I always do in my private prayers. I entered into His presence with thanksgiving for all God has done for me. I asked forgiveness for my sins.

I was ready to pray over that list because Jesus had stopped to listen. No matter how many others were praying in the world at the same time, I still had His full attention. Isn’t that amazing?

Lord, I am so sorry that I tried to go through life yesterday without taking time in my day to talk with You. I failed to keep You at the forefront of my mind and thoughts throughout the day. You know how busy I was, Lord.

Oops — I stopped right there.

I was actually making excuses for myself again — and telling them to Jesus.

What is wrong with us?

I am sorry. I meant to say, “What is wrong with me?”

I have access to God in heaven through His Son, Jesus Christ, but yet, I can be so “busy” going about my day, that I do not take time to pray.

Since, I may have potentially relapsed into a period of having a weaker prayer life, here are some reminders about the benefits of prayer:

• God hears us.

• God wants to hear from us.

• God answers when we pray.

• God works. God heals.

• God changes us as we pray.

• We win over sin.

• Things happen that may not have happened without prayer.

• We get to communicate with God.

• We feel the presence of the Holy Spirit.

• We do not have to worry about our future.

• The Holy Spirit abides in our hearts right now.

Do we believe it? Why wouldn’t we? So let’s receive it!

Ann Farabee is a teacher, writer and speaker. Contact her at annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com.

Joy Ahead

by   July 31, 2023 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

One of my favorite passages of all times, Nehemiah 8:10-12 says “Go and celebrate with a feast of choice foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength! And the Levites too, quieted the people telling them, ‘Hush! Don’t weep! For this is a sacred day.’ So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them.”

As Soloman says in Ecclesiastes 3, there is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven…. A time to tear down, a time to rebuild; A time to cry and a time to laugh; A time to grieve and a time to dance. Hard junk; Good junk; Sad stuff; Happy stuff; Days to hurt; Days to boogie… Joy is much sweeter AFTER the sorrow.

Some well-meaning Christians have the idea that we are to live in giddy oblivion, somehow mindlessly skipping through trials with a happy face. Could it be that God knows we are living in a real world, with real heartache? Do you imagine that He is aware of how hard life is?

Yesterday, when I was using the verse about calling Him Abba, Father, I went to BibleGateway.com to find the reference. It was interesting to see that Jesus, when praying in the garden, that the cross and all its shame would somehow disappear, called His Father “Abba.” He was as close to Him then as ever. Yet He knew our sin would be laid on His back on the cross. Did He go skipping up Golgotha? Scripture says that as He prayed in the garden, His sweat was like great drops of blood. What anguish of soul He experienced.

Look at Hebrews 12:2 KJV- Speaking of Jesus it says, “Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” He DESPISED the shame. However, for the joy to come, He endured the cross. What’s even more incredible is that saving ME is part of the joy to come. Amazing!

Is it God’s will that we always be happy? Sorry. Should we at least pretend? Nope. Here’s the scoop. Life is hard. But God is good. And no matter how heavy the crap storm we are caught in, there is a joy set before us. We may despise the circumstances, but Heaven is waiting. It is THAT joy that is our strength; the wonderful assurance that no matter what we go through here, it is temporary! Are your eyes fixed on Jesus, the One Who has been here and done this? There’s your joy and your strength. You can make it. He will carry you through the nights of weeping and deliver you to a joyous new morning!

Dear Lord today, we ask for joy. We ask for real understanding of what You’ve done for us. We ask that You remind us continually today that You are in charge and nothing enters our lives that You don’t allow. Make us strong for You. Make our church strong enough to share that joy with others. Thank You for Your great sacrifice at Calvary, because You love us that much!

More: Mark 14:36; Hebrews 12:1,2; Psalm 30:5

Why Christmas in July

by   July 30, 2023 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

Do you have a unique, odd, or profoundly personal family tradition? It seems strange to consider family traditions when resting in the heat of summer, taking a break from the usual routine. Or you may be smack in the middle of an annual summer vacation tradition. In either case, you may have noticed the resurgence of a winter holiday in the hottest part of our year – Christmas in July.

What is with that? Is it a made-up moment for the Hallmark Keepsake collector awaiting the release of an ornament in July? Has Hobby Lobby conspired in July to bombard the market with swags of artificial pine, glistening decorations, or the too-early scent of cinnamon emanating from candles? Is it a new marketing ploy to get money from your pocketbook in a summer sales slump? 

I want to offer another possibility. Five summers ago, I recognized we were in the midst of what my husband called a “fertilizer year.” You may have a less-than-polite term for that type of year. Due to personal trials in and outside the family dynamic and a recent terminal physical diagnosis of a loved one, we all felt a bit hopeless. It is easy for cynicism to creep in during those seasons. Usually, gratitude would be the antidote for such sadness. Still, at that moment, it was difficult to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). I realized we needed a balm to heal our despair. For that season, our cynicism required an encounter with wonder. We needed medicine for our spirit (“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” – Proverbs 17:22). Where would we find that in the middle of July?

Operation: Christmas in July began that year. I did not intend for it to become a tradition. We backed into it. We did summer versions of winter fun – a melted snowman cookie instead of a gingerbread house; swimming instead of ice skating; ice cream cones instead of snow cream; watching Christmas movies; even drawing names to shop at the thrift store for a surprise gift. What memories we made that year! We still had much to face. The year was not over, and more heartaches lay ahead, but we momentarily took the sting out of a painful season.

But why? Why did eating, playing, and watching television – things we would likely do in some form anyway – fill us with hope and wonder? It was more than a mere distraction. It is because the wonder and anticipation point to something even more extraordinary. It is akin to the Advent season of winter – the waiting for the Promise. It is a shadow cast by another promise that awaits the Christian believer. 

Even those not of the Christian faith have a sense of this built into their hearts and minds – a desire for hope. A longing for something to right the wrongs, to bring closure to struggle, or to give us a reason for continuing. 

How fitting that Christmas in July came for us at the midpoint of a brutal year. How fitting that during a severe heatwave covered in smothering haze, we can stop briefly to remind ourselves that this is not the end; something lovely is ahead. We are closer to it than we were a month ago. In our struggles, we can come up for air, look at the temporary reality of our situation, and realize we will make it through somehow. There is more ahead than our present earthly, temporary reality. Now that is worth celebrating!

Ashlie Miller accidentally begins many traditions in her family of seven in Concord, NC. She can be contacted at ashliemiller.com.

Life Interrupted

by   July 29, 2023 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            On Friday nights we like to get some takeout food and watch a movie. This began because of the pandemic. We have watched so many great movies and I really look forward to our time together. My wife likes some old black and white movies and I have come to really enjoy them, too. Actually, I enjoy most movies as long as I get to watch them with her.

            I was really looking forward to last Friday night because we had picked a movie I have really been wanting to see. We had just dished up our dinner and were sitting down when the power went out. I try to remain positive and hopeful in most situations. I said that we should just start eating and wait for the power to come back on. It had gone out earlier in the evening for about fifteen minutes and I figured we would get lucky again.

            All my positive thinking came to nothing. The power did not come back on. What bothered both of us was that there wasn’t a storm or any logical reason why our power would go out. Being an Eagle Scout, I got out our lanterns so at least we weren’t sitting in the dark. Some friends heard we had no power and invited us over, but I kept thinking it would be back on any minute. It didn’t come back on until the middle of the night.

            While I was disappointed we didn’t get to see the movie, it will wait until next Friday night. I did get to enjoy a nice evening catching up with my wife. Sometimes life gets busy and you forget to tell each other about things that are going on. We all lead busy lives and slowing down is a good thing, even when your plans get interrupted.

            We have two Sunday school teachers who share the responsibility of teaching our class. One of them has been teaching us about divine interruptions. There are times that God intervenes in our lives. I firmly believe that God interacts with us every day. But I also believe that there are special moments when God moves in our lives. Sometimes His interaction is to save us, heal us, or set us free. Other times His interaction could be considered the testing of our faith. In those moments He wants to reveal Himself to us in a new way.

            We have all read the stories in the Bible of people being healed. The stories are in both the Old and New Testaments. Jesus performed many miracles, as did the disciples. I have seen people get healed, know people who were healed, and have heard stories of people who were healed. Those are divine interactions. God still moves in our world today.

            He isn’t limited to healings. Some people have been saved from perilous situations. Others have been divinely protected. Some people have interacted with angels. Some experience God through deliverance from a life of sin or drug addiction. They know the power of God because chains have been broken and prison doors opened.

            Many of us have experienced God as we have gone through various trials, temptations, and challenges that seemed bigger than life. I imagine Daniel spending the night in a lion’s den. I just read the story of Joseph, who spent 13 years in servitude and in a dungeon. Everyone knows the story of Job and how he lost everything. Experiencing God in these ways will challenge a person’s faith. But we have a God who helps to see us through and that makes all the difference.

            A divine interruption calls us to have faith in a great big God. His desire is to help see us through circumstances. Sometimes He will rescue us and other times He chooses to leave us in a situation and walk with us through that situation. He wants us to know Him as helper, sustainer, and friend. He wants us to know we can depend upon Him and draw strength from Him. He is a good, loving Father who is always there for us. He is a God who keeps His promises to us.

            I want to encourage you to welcome divine interruptions in your life. Whether it is good or challenging, God will be there for you. We can celebrate the good interruptions and pray together through the challenging ones. We can believe that God is going to be with us through the challenges and we will make it to the other side. God loves us more than we will ever understand so we can trust Him with everything that comes our way.  

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

Bird Grace

by   July 28, 2023 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

The vast darkness appeared in the eastern sky in early afternoon. The weather people had been forecasting for days the hurricane Isaias, and we watched for its outer bands of rain; in fact, we even eagerly wished for the much-needed rain. So this week when the darkness arrived, my wife and I gathered on the screened porch to watch its arrival. We were not disappointed, and the rain brought relief to the heat and humidity and dry plants. We listened to the rain hitting leaves and watched the worst of the storm move south around us.

When calm returned to our area, I continued to sit on the porch to watch our small, back  garden. All matter of animals came out after the rain, and I enjoyed the presence of cardinals, titmice, nuthatches, Carolina wrens, brown thrashers, and more. The cooled air gave comfort to the watching of all the activity. One of the dogwood trees in the garden has several dead branches that we keep because they provide food for the smaller birds like the chickadees. It was on one of those branches that I noticed a small nodule, and I wondered what it could be. I kept examining it and soon realized that it was a small, resting bird. Because it was such a minuscule shape against the still dusty sky, I could not identify it, but I did notice a sharp beak and body not larger than my thumb. I concluded it to be a young brown-headed nuthatch. I watched. It rested.

Out time together lasted for several minutes, and I enjoyed the odd experience of seeing a bird so still. Birds in our garden, like in all places, are always on the move, but at a few times I had seen them resting. I have watched doves lay on the ground with wings spread, their  way of cooling off. Brown thrashers have rested on the fence rail with their beaks open to gain some relief from the heat. I had seen birds resting on a limb or fence rail between splashes of flight. But seldom had I seen a bird at rest this long. Right there, the young nuthatch resting on the dead limb of our dogwood tree, until the well-rested hummingbird zoomed away.

I had been wrong about the bird’s identity, but that was okay because the storm moved on, the lower temperature it brought to our garden gave welcome relief, and I had received a small gift. That was enough I realized as I went into the house for supper.

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