Turkey Season is Over

So all you turkey's can come out of hiding now. It's been said by many hunters in one way or another - The wild game can read and they subscribe to the Tennessee Hunter magazine. Therefore they know all the starting dates and ending dates of legal hunts. When you go scouting a few days before the hunt begins you will see plenty of available game. But from day one they take vacation and don't come back until the day after the season closes! It's a joke, I know - but I'm almost a believer now.

On the other hand, it may be that I'm more interested in the scenery than I am in the hunt itself. Just being out here gives me an indescribable sense of pleasure. I went up Thursday and spent the night after hunting for a couple of hours. I moved to the back porch of the cabin - and since I remembered I had a new pair of anvil loppers - I decided to cut back a few pieces of brush that were blocking my view into the forest behind the cabin. So - here was some of the results of my work.

I picked up a book I had bought a couple of years back called "Trees of the Carolinas". From it I decided that this is a wild cucumber tree. It has a beautiful bloom on it.

The above two shots show a wild cucumber tree. The blooms are beautiful white, similar to a magnolia tree. Both pictures are of the same tree.


This is a picture of a young plant just coming up out of the ground. These are very near to the back porch. There was a huge one just off the front porch but, alas, this year's rains have washed it down stream.

I also decided that we have several varieties of beech trees around the cabin. One is called the "Blue Beech" or locally called "Musclewood" or "Ironwood". We have beautiful flowering mountain laurel as well. The are just ready to burst into full bloom. Sorry but no pictures of the "Musclewood". Next time.



It was a lovely day in the mountains, so I pulled up an old rough table, pulled out my laptop and the "Truck Bible" for a good two hours study session. Each morning I always spend time reading the Bible and praying. For several years I read 12 chapters each day and 20 on Sunday. Following that discipline I was able to read the Bible through four times in a year. Nowadays, I'm back to reading 3 chapters per day - and 5 on Sunday. At this rate I will read the Bible through in one year. How long does it take? I'm an average reader and it takes me fifteen minutes to read three chapters. Of course some are longer than others - but we're talking averages here. If you have never read the Bible through, I highly recommend it. If you have the self-discipline that it takes, it will be an exciting adventure. I'm still learning something each time I go through.

May I give you a couple of hints? One thing, don't worry about pronouncing every word correctly. Most people have that problem. Secondly, when you are reading along and suddenly realize that you are not understanding what you are reading, do not fall to the temptation to go back and try to get the sense of your reading. Just focus on where you are at that moment and go forward. A good slogan that works in my mind is: Ever forward; Never backward! Thirdly, you will need to keep a record of where you are. There are many printed froms available for checking each chapter as you read them. You can start your own record. I keep my "Bible Reading record now on my laptop. I simply type in the passage I've read today - and insert the date beside it.


This is the view from the woods, looking at the back porch. Since my friends Jack and Sherry Darnell were here I have opened up more of the woods behind the cabin.



This is the view looking away from the cabin. After an hour of reading and studying I got up and walked this trail around the perimeter of the property. What a wonderful place God has given me to rest. Thanks for letting me share it with you.

Friends - Jack and Sherry Darnell

Yesterday I had the privilege of having two very special friends with me for a day here at the Cabin. Jack and Sherry Darnell. What a wonderful thing friends are. The Bible says, in Proverbs 27:17, "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." This visit certainly brightened our faces as we reminisced about "the good old days" of our times together. This picture was taken as we were leaving our home in Cleveland for the trip out here to the woods.

In 1959, I was a lonely Church of God pastor's kid who had joined the US Coast Guard and had been sent to Point Cadet Loran Station in Biloxi, Mississippi. I was only 19 years old and was just learning to live so far away from home. I still did not own a car, but had a bicycle which I rode to work. First thing I did was to find the Church of God and met the pastors, Charles and Eloise Matthews. In those days the COG was just extended family. Very soon Brother Matthews (we called everybody at church Brother and Sister) suggested he would go to Tennessee and pull my 8X35 house trailer down so that my wife and 3 month old daughter could also be with us. In just a few days after we got settled in, here came Jack and Sherry with a trailer and their spot was next door to ours - maybe 8 feet away from trailer to trailer. Imagine our delight when we learned that Jack and Sherry were Church of God and that his Dad was also a Church of God Pastor. That made us brothers and sisters. They were/are "true blue" friends.

We were only together for one year there - but what a bond was created in that short time. I was there the first time Jack got up to preach his first sermon. I remember saying (out loud) "Amen!" when he had made a good point. I was trying to be helpful. Really I was. But upon hearing my loud "Amen", Jack lost his place in his notes!!! :D Later, after I was fresh out of the CG Jack and Sherry came to Tellico Plains, TN (my first church) and he preached for us. How great it was to have them as friends. And by now he had learned to ignore my outbursts of attempted encouragement. It doesn't really surprise me that he has turned out to be a prolific writer.

Above is a picture of a buck deer which I snapped as we were on our way out of the mountains. There were three deer - and every one of my pictures were made in a rush, so turned out too fuzzy to post. I decided to post this one though, because, as you can see, it is a BIG buck! I think he was an eight-pointer!

Hustle and

Here at the cabin it is so restful. There are times when I want to "get away" from the hustle and bustle of the fast-paced life of the city. For ten years of my life I lived in a city of two million plus population. For the next ten years I was in and out of metropolitan airports all over Europe and Africa and America. I do NOT miss it. Here, I'm watching bumble-bees hang suspended in the air. I'm watching the birds catch insects. I'm watching honey-bees suck nectar from spring buds and butter-cups splashed over a greening lawn. I feel a cool breeze on my cheek and listen to the quietude of the mountains as the music of the wind-chime plays rich tones on the corner of the front porch. There are those who would not like this simple life-style but God knew that I loved it, therefore he gave me a choice spot here in the Cherokee Forest that I have named Pumzika (You Rest) Acres.

I was thinking ... Over the past fifty years I have gained some skills which could be useful - especially in small country churches. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to offer yourself to small churches and them not have to feel any burden to give you an offering? Just go to a church, maybe park nearby, pull out the multi-media equipment, bless that pastor and church for a service or two - or a week if they wanted it. Take the Pastor and wife out to eat (and pay for their meal). Pull out the hammer and saw if needed...the paintbrush...help with cleaning the church and making it ready for worship on Sunday. All at no charge to the pastor and church. No obligation. Sure - there would be times when a pastor would not want your help. Others might fear "the strangers". However I'm convinced it would be a blessing to many. I know what something like that would have meant to me when I pastored small churches and could not afford a guest speaker. I have a great friend (Jack Darnell) who, with his wife, Sherry, does this. He also does "chalk talks" and draws pictures for churches, youth groups, and for seniors in retirement centers.

However -- Another part of the plan though would be to teach the people the Holy Bible. In the Bible we are taught that we must learn to give if we are to receive. Scripture teaches in Luke 6:38, "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." This applies to everyone, regardless of the ability of the individual. I love giving. I have been embarrassed a few times when the offering plate came by because of the small amount I was able to give. I've never believed that God expected that I should give more than I could reasonably expect to receive. I certainly don't promise to give more for a car that I can reasonably expect to receive. I don't promise to pay more for a house than I can reasonably expect to receive. Could it be that the violation of the principles expressed in those last sentences is why we in America are having the current financial crisis? People, businesses, and the government have over-extended! Just as I believe that the government and big corporations should proceed with sound financial planning, so I believe that giving to the Lord's work is to be well thought out, planned, and consistent with sound financial principles.

For us (Frances and me) we placed a priority on tithing when we first married. From whatever amount we made we "paid" our tithes to the church where we were members. We have never suffered because of that practice. In fact, we believe God's Word is true when it says in Malachi 3:10, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." We never expected an immediate return on our investment in God's work. There were times when we had troubles financially. What I did was take an extra job. At other times (like when I first started in ministry) Frances worked as a school-teacher so that we would be able to have adequate food on our table.

A Day Out In The Sun

This is the road to the cabin near the spot which I call "Cell-phone Hill" because this is the area where you can usually get good cell phone connection. Snow must have been very deep here and the shade of the trees prevented the sun from melting it. I'm glad I was not trying to negotiate the hills while that snow was falling for this is a one lane road with steep drop-offs of 100 to 200 feet in places!


The view from the front porch showing the recently built new bridge. This is three miles from the last utility pole, so there is not much traffic.






This is Loss Creek. It runs by the front porch. Three years ago there was a footlog we had fun crossing and trying to maintain balance on. A couple months back the rain swept that log out of sight - has now broken two more trees and this tangled mess of branches is the result.




A view of the cabin from the road. When I was trying to sell the idea of our buying this cabin, this is the view I showed Frances which won her over. When she saw it I saw the look on her face change and I knew we were going to own this lovely get-away! She is not near as fond of it as I am but does enjoy going out there and taking family or friends for a day-trip.



I topped off the lunch with this fresh "red grapefruit" from Florida, bought at our local foodstore. I had opened a can of rice and chicken and set it on the gas stove eye...then poured it into a bowl. I had some sliced bread, and and apple plus a whole pot of fresh coffee to drink with my peanut butter wafer cookies.




This picture is the view from the backporch! Here is where my son-in-law Rick Durham and I saw three turkeys scratching in the leaves on a visit this past fall. Turkey season opens April 1st and I had so looked forward to doing some hunting. Now - it seems - I will be having cataract surgery during that time and may not be allowed to shoot the shotgun.



This is the view OF the backporch. Well, actually the corner of the porch where I sat to eat lunch and to enjoy the warmth of the sun beaming down on me. I had a heavy corduroy coat with fleece lining that I had to use to cover my knees because the sun began to burn them through my clothes. I've got a rocking chair on the other end of the porch, but I chose these chairs because I worked on the Sunday School lesson using my laptop.



WhatFun! It was a gorgeous day in East Tennessee. The sun and blue sky overhead were wondrous to behold. I'm sure that the earth, trees, creeks and all the critters were also glad for this reprieve from the cold we've had in recent days. Yesterday was the first time I've been here for about two weeks and it felt so goooooood!

Turkeys

Ed Williams walked off the porch of the old cabin out of boredom. The sandwich, boiled egg and banana he had eaten had left him feeling strengthened and ready for adventure. The fellow he had ridden into the Cherokee Forest with was not very talkative anyway. His friend Fred had gone inside to tune up that old box guitar which had been laying here during the recent cold snap. It was noisy and disturbing. As he walked along the trail he thought, "I must get away from this noise..." Quiet began to envelop him and his eyes began to take in the wonder that is the Cherokee mountains of Eastern Tennessee. The creek looked placid now. A few days before it had been a raging torrent of water and rocks and broken limbs and trunks from trees near the bank. The ground was still wet with decayed leaves soaked and softened. Clouds still hung like a blanket overhead, so his footsteps hardly made a sound. Just as he passed the cane-break, he thought he saw a flicker of movement out the corner of his right eye. Suddenly, there they were! Three turkeys, scratching in the leaves, clucking and purring softly. "Oh My!" His heart suddenly began pumping rapidly. "Turkeys - and I don't have my shotgun!"

His face was glowing when he returned to the cabin porch. "Hey Fred! Turkeys!" He was out of breath. In just a minute I was following him to the area toward which he motioned. Alas, the Turkeys had disappeared. However, I have hopes that they will return. On the first day of turkey season, which is a day in the last week of March, I plan to be in that area with all my calls, camo, blind, and vest full of trinkets designed to make a turkey hunt profitable. Ed's excitement made it worth the cost of the annual lease fee which I paid in January for the 5 acres.

The picture above is one we snapped at the last minute as we were leaving. It shows the new porch which my son-in-law Curtis Crockett and I built onto the cabin last fall.

Happy New Year!

This is the correct way to start off a new year...or a new month...or a new week...or a new day. (Just in case you are wondering!)

By the way - I do know how to spell "helpers". It's only my fingers that seem to be dyslexic at times.

Christmas Is Past - New Year's Day Is Coming!

This is a picture befoe we started the new back porch.......Looks like I'll have to wait till later for you to get a good view of what it looks like now. I'll just tell you that it comes all the way to the end of the house now!

What a wonderful Christmas we have had this year at our house in town (Cleveland). Our children and grand-children were with us for a few hours of love and laughter. True Christmas joy filled the air as grand-children and great grandchildren played with toys - and the adults went back for one more helping of dessert! Since then I've filled up the water tank here at the cabin in anticipation of our New Year's Day men's outing. We are anticipating about 30 men. Don't know for sure - but look forward to the cooking and eating - then playing of musical instruments and singing. Look for a new post and pictures the first week of 2010.

Since the last blog I've added a porch to the back of the house. The under-pinning was sinking and so with the help of my two sons-in-law who live here - we strengthened that first. Then we took apart some of the boards that had been our bridge and used them to build the frame and support structure for the back porch. It's great to have it. Rick and I were sitting on the back porch one rainy day a few weeks ago and saw three wild turkeys come scratching along in the dirt about 50 yards away. Too bad the season was not open!

I just MUST spend more time up here in 2010. With Frances having the major heart surgery last March it was not possible to be here as much as I would have liked. I need to be here so I can keep the mice out...learn more about the nature of this creek...learn more about the drainage of the back yard...and observe more of nature in general. It's so therapeutic for me.

Until then ---