White River Bottoms

Last Thursday I got to do something I've never done before--go to the deer woods--oh my, and are they glorious. It helped me understand something I've never understood before--the call of the wild to many men.  And I don't want to leave out the ladies.  We have some ladies who accompany their husbands and especially lots of daughters who go with their fathers.

My brother has a cabin and some land down in the middle of all this bottom land and he was having a "work day."  He hosts a lot of his friends there at various times during the year so he was making use of them to help him do some of the work that has to be done to keep duck and deer season going.

This is one of the stands that needed mending.

There was lots of wood to be chopped for warm, winter fires.  I couldn't believe Bob looked so preppy chopping wood--just look at those starched jeans.  And man look how he split that log with one whack.  I was impressed.

This is my husband helping with the chopping.  Only he would wear shorts to the middle of the woods.  He is so tough!!

Just the start of the big pile of wood they chopped!

My brother drove me and several other of the gals from Pig Trot Boulevard to Riverside Drive and back again several times.  It is amazing how these men can find their way around in these deep woods with little unmarked ruts going off in all directions.

He told us a story that someone else told him about these huge, old cypress trees.  Evidently they have been around for at least seventy-five years from the tales we heard.

A little bit of color starting to show through.  The woods were under fifteen feet of water a few months ago.  You could see the water marks on the trees. 

Also, if you are one who has trouble with hunting animals, in Arkansas the deer population would become unmanageable, endangering the lives of many humans, if it weren't for deer hunting.  We have many accidents on our roads and highways from deer crossing in the paths of vehicles as it is.

I wanted someone to climb one of the deer stands so I could get a picture.  My sister-in-law volunteered and this is my brother "thinking" he is helping her up.

She gave several hand pumps in the air when she got to the top.  No easy feat for people our age!!

I wish I could remember the names of all these trails.  Some are funny such as Pig Trot Boulevard.  Some will rip your heart out--named after a son of a friend who used to hunt here, whose life was cut short.

My brother, who is a clown at heart, and could have been another Johnny Carson, got serious when he told me about this scenario:  He said, "Imagine the middle of winter when it's about twenty-two degrees and the snow is lightly drifting down-- you've sat here alone in the stand for hours on end, you've prayed every prayer you know to pray, you've watched the possums come along with their little families trailing behind, every kind of animal you can think of, bobcats and their young--this is my favorite time to be here."

He had to laugh when I said, "And then cell phones were invented."

Although I have to tell you, something very interesting happened.  They had a surveillance camera set up on a tree and were going to plug a computer up to it with a USB cable and watch the animals that had come in the camera's path in the last few weeks.  

My sister-in-law forgot her cable and, because of that, left the laptop back at the cabin-- SO my brother called a friend of his and you will never believe this--a guy who was NOT in the woods working with us-- and within five minutes this guy was down there in the middle of the woods with us.  

He must have been driving by on the highway right by the deer woods road.  Anyway, he had a USB cable and a computer with him so there we were, in the middle of the big woods, watching the animals that had crossed the camera's path.  Weird!  That felt weird!  It did NOT feel like something Laura Ingalls Wilder would have done.

The light coming through the trees was really beautiful.  I took one picture with my favorite camera and it said, "You need to change your battery pack."  I was so disappointed but glad that I had taken two cameras with me.

This is beautiful Lib.  Crazy thing.  I met her once almost fifty years ago.  My brother used to date her sister and I met her when  I was in college and she was in high school.  She was a star basketball player and led her team to two back-to-back state championships here in Arkansas.  She was "dead eye" from the outside.  Most of her shots would be three pointers today. 

Speaking of beautiful--there is just no way to describe the sunlight filtering through these deep woods.

Are you starting to get the picture of why they love it out here in the middle of nowhere?  They feel so close to God and the amazing array of creation he fashioned.

When the girls headed back to the cabin, we started making preparations for supper.  It's called supper when you are down in the middle of the White River bottoms.  This is a bath towel folded in half so you can tell that we gals peeled and cut up a mound of potatoes.

The best part of all this was the men doing the cooking!!  Yea!

I'm getting hungry all over again just looking at this mess of fish--yes, that's what it's called in the south--a "mess" of fish.

Getting to see the world of these animals up close and personal was a thrill I will never forget.

 Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
      your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
      your justice like the ocean depths.
   You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.
     How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
   All humanity finds shelter
      in the shadow of your wings.
 You feed them from the abundance of your own house,
      letting them drink from your river of delights.
 For you are the fountain of life,
      the light by which we see.

Love,

Dianne

2010-the Year of Longings

I long to find shelter in the shadow of your wings, Oh Lord!
Scripture: Portions of Psalm 36. NIV

Christimas Gift

See this little bag--last Christmas I put some money in the bag and hung it on the very front of the tree with some money in it. Do you know that not person out of my whole family peered into it?

Wonder what gifts God has just waiting for us that we have not explored?

Weekend Worship at Anthony Chapel

 Lord, you have been our dwelling place
       throughout all generations.

 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world,from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. 

You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you.

 The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth;
       you founded the world and all that is in it.

I will sing of the LORD's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.

 I will declare that your love stands firm forever, 

       that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself--

.

 May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us;
       establish the work of our hands for us—
       yes, establish the work of our hands.

2010-the Year of Longings
I long for the work of my hands to be established by Him.

Photographs: Anthony Chapel, Fall 2009
Scripture: Portions of Psalm 86, 89, 90-NIV

Joining others in worship at Spiritual Sundays--

River of Life, You Run Deep in Me

No offense to Wayland Holyfield or Anne Murray or to my incredible home state, Arkansas.  In fact, I don't think I know anyone who is more in love with or prouder of their home state than I am.  BUT my post yesterday left me feeling hollow inside and lacking, yes lacking.

 After going back and rereading the title, I knew what it was. Even though I had referred to God in my longings and had included a "dancing" scripture, I had not made the real connection between my post and my life. My life consisting of one thing: My God, my Savior,

the River of Life that runs deep in me.

So, Lord, I just want to thank you today for the river of life that runs deep in me--that channels its course where you would have it run--

Sometimes it runs through the fun side of me with laughing brooks and tripping streams bubbling up here and there;

In some of its meanderings it winds through the long, lost canyons of my nostalgic soul cutting new meaning into jagged memories of the past;

Other times it is like a gushing waterfall shouting joyful praise as it cascades across my dry and parched soul;

With gentle force it makes it way south for awhile heading into the very core of my being; when I place boulders of doubt, fear and disobedience in its path, it veers back to the north, all the while knowing it is going to eventually access the Source.......

the mouth, the ocean of love that harnesses every drop of God's goodness and power which is ready to be unleashed at any given moment by His Holy Spirit working in me.

I may hinder its flow at times but.......................

run deep in me it does and as it goes carves impressions of you into me.

Yes, I welcome you, gentle river of life, run deep in me............

River of Life, you run deep in me.

Loving you,
Dianne
2010-the Year of Longings

He longs to flow through us.
I long to carry His river of love to all of you.


Photo:  Harris Brake Lake
Music:  The Theme from A River Runs Through It


Most of the time I pause the music when I visit other blogs but this song really seems to add meaning to this post.  If you are reading the post after the posted date, I'm leaving the song on the playlist at the bottom of the page.  You may go there to change the music.

Arkansas You Run Deep In Me

About forty-five minutes ago I said to myself in a somewhat pity party voice, "You've written every thing there is to be written, you've used every scripture, you've shown them every picture they could possibly be interested in--you have nothing to write about--nothing to say."

But not to be shut down by a little negativity, I went rummaging in one of the bedroom closets looking for some old pictures of a trip to Europe with which to bore you. I didn't find those but I found this  small pamphlet that I have been looking for for several years. When and why I took it out of the main bookcase, I don't know.

I remembered that there were some poems and prose in it that I liked--it is from my high school days--actually, I was fifteen years old when I bought this little book. I think it cost a quarter. I probably did without lunch one day to buy it. I think I'm the only one in my senior class of one hundred sixty odd people who bought it or still has it.  We are gearing up for our 50th high school reunion next year and at the last committee meeting I asked if anyone had it or remembered it.

I had been told a few years ago that Wayland Holyfield went to my high school. I did not know him in high school and have never met him.  If you've never heard of him, here is a link to Wikipedia. He is an award winning song writer. Among those who have recorded his songs are: George Strait, Reba McEntire, Barbara Mandrell, Kathy Mattea, Tammy Wynette, Conway Twitty, Charley Pride, Randy Travis, and The Judds.

Here in Arkansas, Holyfield is most famous for his song Arkansas You Run Deep In Me. He wrote it for the 1986 Arkansas Sesquicentennial celebration.  It was named one of Arkansas' official state songs in 1987.

Arkansas You Run Deep In Me

Written by Wayland Holyfield

October morning in the Ozark Mountains,

Hills ablazing like that sun in the sky.

I fell in love there and the fire's still burning

A flame that never will die.

Chorus

Oh, I may wander, but when I do

I will never be far from you.

You're in my blood and I know you'll always be.

Arkansas, you run deep in me.

Moonlight dancing on a delta levee,

To a band of frogs and whippoorwill

I lost my heart there one July evening

And it's still there, I can tell.

Repeat Chorus

Magnolia blooming, Mama smiling,

Mallards sailing on a December wind.

God bless the memories I keep recalling

Like an old familiar friend.

Repeat Chorus

And there's a river rambling through the fields and valleys,

Smooth and steady as she makes her way south,

A lot like the people whose name she carries.

She goes strong and she goes proud.

Chorus

Oh, I may wander, but when I do

I will never be far from you.

You're in my blood and I know you'll always be.

Arkansas, you run deep in me.

ANYWAY, imagine my surprise a few minutes ago when I came across this poem by Holyfield included in the little pamphlet I found.  The book is not copyrighted so I am going to take a chance on getting sued and post this poem for you.

Prison Walls

by Wayland Holyfield

Inside prison walls:

Deep shadows creeping along the ground;

A sinister mass reaching eagerly toward the sky;

Feel of moist, hard stone against cheek and hand;

Damp, musty smell of aging rock;

Haunting sound of wind pounding against an immovable object;

Dark, depressing gloom encircling the prison yard.

My favorite of his songs is this one:

Dianne
2010-the Year of Longings
He longs to dance with us for eternity.
I long to have Him only as my partner.



You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,  Psalm 30:11

A Day in the Life of a Friendship

Sometimes in a true friendship there will be dark days..........

Days when hope says to pain, "Come, sit with me and drink the blend of sharing."

We will walk this path together, hand in hand, arm in arm, soul in soul, heart in heart,

We will share good news and bad

in the spirit of One--

True friendship will help clear obstacles from your path........

so that you can continue on your journey--

It will even stop along the way with you when breath comes hard or souls wear out--

It is willing to venture down unfamiliar roads with you....

giving you courage and faith to navigate whatever lies beyond the next bend.......

assuring that you can bridge whatever comes into view-----

True friendship will gently guide you to stronger arms who will lift you up and bring you
to a spacious place,

It will point you to a brighter day, a bluer sky, a silver-lined cloud,

and remind you that in God's world, every star is numbered and called by name

and not even a single sparrow falls to the ground except God knows and cares.

True friendship sparkles like crystals on a dancing sea

 In the form of God's likeness, true friendship gives beauty for ashes, garments of praise and joy to replace a wardrobe of heaviness, sorrow, and defeat.

2010-the Year of Longings

This post is dedicated to my precious friend, Joyce. We spent the day together today. I took all the pictures except the very last one of the sunset. Her husband, Bob, took it last night. They live about an hour's drive from Little Rock. While they were experiencing this sunset, I was in a closet with tornado warning sirens going off. Yes, this beautiful sunset was the result of a tremendous line of storms that went through central Arkansas. Out of ashes, beauty. Yes, Lord, I see. I love you, Lord. I love you, Joyce.

And last but certainly not least--right before I started to leave, Joyce and I were working on some computer stuff and Bob said he was going down to the lake to make a few casts--he came back no more than five minutes later with this beautiful large-mouth bass. They both said it was rather small compared to what he usually catches.