A Cheerio Within A Cheerio!

Ladies and gentlemen boys and girls step right up and see the most amazing sight your optic nerves have ever transmitted to your ever loving brain. Never before in the history of dry goods has this singularly strange and wonderful oddity been displayed for the world to see. Remember when you tell your friends and family of this amazing sight to give Billy credit for making this thrill available to anyone with the courage to view it.

It all started at tonight's children's church on Davis Islands. Everyone was seated around the table in their child sized chairs, when curly haired Emory extended what looked like an ordinary Cheerio toward Mr. Billy's mouth. Mr. Billy took a closer look as he always does when one of the little people offers him what appears to be a food item. It looked at first blush to be two Cheerios stuck together but upon further examination turned out to be so much more. In fact it was a Cheerio within a Cheerio. Some time during the production of hundreds of thousands of Cheerios two renegade Cheerios had come together, one having squeezed itself into the center or the other. This had to have occurred while one or both of said Cheerios were still pliable presumably before the baking process. This is just beyond comprehension. Not since man's fateful trip to the moon has something so improbable taken place.

Wasp Nest

The wasps are working feverishly and this is the smallest of three nests around the house.

Hurricane Jeanne

Currently enjoying the bluster and the precip of Hurricane Jeanne. This is a play in the rain day and that is a good thing! The only down side is the cancellation of morning services at DIBC so no fun with the little people. Holding out hope that we will be able to have services this evening at South Tampa Fellowship.

Potato Salad Supreme

I like potato salad if it is lovingly prepared by my very own mother. She does make the very best I have ever tasted. I like it light and fresh not to dry yet just moist enough. It has to have potatoes boiled to just the right texture and it should be more sweet than it is sour. Today I had a large helping and it was excellent! Thank you yet again Mother Duress. It almost made all of the day's furniture hauling worth the trouble. Almost.

What is your favorite Mother Meal?

Honey I'm Home

Captured some images of bees returning to the owl house they have claimed as the very own.I am continually amazed by the colony’s ability to work so smoothly together. The closer you risk getting to them the greater the amazement. There are thousands of tiny little insect bodies working to multiply at any cost. The entrance to the makeshift hive can become an incredibly busy place. I will try to get some more crowded images of their comings and goings in the near future!

Friends In High Places.

Let me introduce you to "Mama Squirrel". Every so often an animal appears in our lives and brings with it laughter and delight. This family has had any number of creatures about the place over the years. Dogs, cats, turtles, fish, snakes, rats, guinea pigs, mice, ferrets, ducks, chickens, finches, sparrows, canaries, iguanas, a goat, and yes squirrels have all served as pets in this household.

Mama squirrel adopted us a couple of years back and you never know when she will appear at the front door to receive a peanut from the tame humans living around her trees.Her trust is a fact that stirs up good feeling at every encounter. She is a expert in all things squirrel and has brought countless little squirrels into the world. She is fruitful and she multiplies. I count it a great honor to have a squirrel as a friend of mine.

Animals are great and when God looked at His creation He said it was good. We must remember that we have been given dominion over the animals and are to treat them with care and respect. We must also remember that animals are just that and we should never prefer them over even the most troublesome people. God values every person as irreplaceable and unique. You are to Him the only one of your kind and he desires to be loved by you. It is a mystery. He desires that we see ourselves as he sees us and are motivated to excellence. The greatest motivation is His unconditional Love. Only true Love can be rejected without turning away, and it is true Love that waits unfailingly with arms stretched wide in anticipation of our return.

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.
Matthew 10:28-32

What R U Doing Here?

Sometimes you have to just pick a direction of travel and go. I captured this image on just such an occasion. Cranes are unusually bold birds in most cases and this fellow was one of a pair foraging in a field very close to the road. As I sit and type I ponder my life's experiences concerning cranes. I have seen cranes on several occasions throughout my life. On each occasion they have appeared in my field of vision, they always seem to be in the most unexpected places. In fact, I always think to myself what are they doing here. I have to chuckle now when I think about it. Why shouldn't they be wherever they are? It is only because I am out of place that I am able to see them. They have wings and can fly to just about any location on the face of the earth and yet I always react the same way. Wow, look over there, do you see those cranes? I can hardly believe my eyes!

All Things New

Was with the little people at church this morning when Annie, the wonder woman, breaks out a butterfly in chrysalis craft (toilet paper roll with construction paper butterfly stuffed inside). It reminded me that I had some good Monarch Butterfly Chrysalis images.

The first time I witnessed one of the beauties I was awestruck. The caterpillar attaches itself upside down with webbing and over the course of several hours is completely transformed into what looks like a piece of Jade. This Jade has black and gold accents. The gold is actually metallic in appearance. Just amazing!

Anybody want to try to convince me that this happens by complete chance, without any design and with no meaningful purpose, go right ahead. For now I will continue living my life as though everything was created with me in mind, for my delight and with the purpose of surrounding me with God my Father’s lavish, unconditional Love! Maybe, just maybe you are clever enough to convince me to abandon this faith and get down to living a reality in which my only pursuit in life is the relentless hunt for the next selfish and unsatisfying pleasure followed by the void of oblivion.

Thanks Phil for the link.
Truth is always better than fiction!

Metal Fly

Texas Long leg fly.

Woke Up This Morning And...

A flat tire is a show stopper. You could just drive on but you know in your heart that this course of action has expensive consequences. So here is whatcha do. Go to auto zone and get one of these tire plug kits. I have used these little darlings to plug holes on at least five occasions sometimes right by the side of the road. They work like a charm for any round hole less that a quarter of an inch which in the case of all my flat tires save one was exactly what I encountered. It typically is a stray screw or nail and if the leak is slow, which is also typical, you simply whip out the plug punch, thread the sticky rubber soaked string and plunge it into the hole you have just revealed by yanking out the offending screw or nail. If you caught it in time you have plenty of air to get you to a gas station and an air compressor. After that just drive on with no further worry. I had one tire with two separate plugs in two separate holes and it lasted the remaining life of the tire with no ill effects! I love an outrageously cheap solution. Sometimes the simplest low tech solutions are the very best.

Nathan & Joseph Explain Hurricanes

If you doubt the accuracy of this account just remember they did know the exact number of people of the planet!

Just Arrived On The Planet!

I was out and about this evening on a newborn baby photo shoot.There is nothing more delightful that a brand new human. Need I mention that wonderful new human smell, or the way a new human is the perfect size for scooping up and holding close. God decides when and who he sends His little treasures to and no matter what the circumstance whether terrific or terrible their arrival is never a mistake!

Truth in Advertising.

Only $50.00
In conjunction with a common sense lifestyle that includes diet, excercise, and stress managment.

Wow, I cannot remember the last time a snake oil was marketed to the masses with such frequency. It is enough to drive you out of your mind. Every time you watch or listen to your favorite shows you get hit up. It is tragic the amount of money that is stocked piled in the bank accounts of hucksters every year to fuel their extravagant and bloated lifestyles. Empty pledges pitched to hurting people design to relieve them of hard earned dollars. The fact is these individuals have dedicated their lives to profiting by use of deception. You are born onto the planet surrounded by an amazing variety of worthwhile paths to pursue and you cook up a scheme to profit using a useless a powder, pill, or paste.

If it needs a money back guarantee it is not worth buying.

If it is a pill for weight loss it will not work without making you sick.

If it marketed beyond all reason it is a sham product that will soon disappear from the market to be replaced by the next useless product.

Ingredients (collection of bark, leaves, peels, and other compost)
Vitamin C,
calcium,
chromium,
Cortiplex Blend (magnolia bark extract, beta-sitosterol, theanine),
Leptiplex Blend (green tea extract, bitter orange peel extract),
Insutrol Blend (banaba leaf extract, vanadium).

If you want to be healthy you must simply change your entire way of life to include: Understanding that your existence is not a cosmic accident; Take responsibility for everything you do; eat food that is grown not manufactured or touted as a diet food and eat less of it; get out and move; enjoy the world that was created for you to spend your life time inhabiting.

Remember it is as simple as changing just about everything,
like being born again.
Most importantly spend your money on things you will enjoy not on anything that is advertised as a quick solution to your perceived problems.

Secrets Revealed

After checking the tiny clay pots recently it was observed that the first of the two pots had a brand new exit hole. It was in the side just below the neck which debunked my assumption that the young wasp would emerge through the sealed hole at the top. The second pot lacked the same clay seal and appeared to have a spider web just inside the hole. I carefully cracked it in half and found a developing wasp curled up inside.

Related Posts:
Tiny Clay Pots
She's At It Again

Phil's View

Our window on the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Phil goes to the same church I attend and is a adventuresome type of guy. It just so happens that in this tumultuous time of wild weather that he has taken up blogging!
Think of Phil as your own personal connection to all things oceanic and atmospheric. He is currently with a group of mad scientist trying to position themselves directly in the path of hurricane Ivan. Click in and get updates form the man himself!
Click Here

Resurrected

Great turn out for the first service as South Tampa Fellowship!

A little barbecue dinner to get the masses gathered! Food is a powerful motivator which we at DIBC are not above exploiting for our purposes!

Into the church they go. It appears to me that there are quite a lot of new faces in the crowd. What a blessing to make new friends and begin a new ministry to our neighbors!

Planet Agape is well attended to. There was lots of singing, dancing, and all that high energy young people stuff happening. The most fun for me was watching the grown ups trying to get their act together!

The choir was out and force and really wound up. All the music people were doing their music thing and everything was quite well-organized.

Pastor Jeff introduced the 40 Days of Purpose series to all in attendance with his usual down to earth style.

Everyone left under cloudy skies amidst lots of happy chatter and smiling faces.

Lest you think that everything came up roses I happened to catch this young lady (who shall remain nameless so as not to bring disgrace upon her grandparents with this fractious behavior) in a moment of utter discontent. You cannot please all the people all the time.

2X7 BACK ONLINE

Transformer 2X7 supplies the power to 8 home on the North side of our street.Five days prior to this photo a loud bang was heard coming from its location. Later a dead Opossum was found on the ground below by the neighborhood kids. I would have an image of the deceased Marsupial had the afore mentioned kids not covered it with large stones. I think the unfortunate creature completed the circuit and plunged us into darkness.


Our hero in action
Two very kind gentlemen arrived to fix the problem and this fellow got right down to work.


Flip a switch and five days of primitive living come to an end! It took only five minute to remedy the problem. Kind of bitter sweet to think it was just a switch but such a relief to know there would be no delay to wait for a new transformer!


Our heros ride off into the surrounding neighborhoods to bring joy to the next powerless citizen! Thank you for all your hard work.

So Close

One street away today but still no power.

Hurricane Window Sticker

The latest rear window propaganda right on time.

Maximum Clatter

The Cicada is quite possibly the loudest bug of the bunch! This one was quite cooperative, and allowed me to take a few superb images.

Green & Moist

The comfort of small slimy creatures!

When I wander about the neighborhood and see the many small animals who thrive in the conditions brought on by the hurricane I am reminded that for everything there is a time and a purpose. This is a powerful comfort during challenging times.

150' Umbilical

Our neighbor has graciously allowed us use of an outlet. This has given us the luxury of sleeping with the cooling breezes of fans.

Power and the lack there of has transported our family to a simpler happier time. Cold showers are what we take and porch sitting is back in style. It is strange to begin communicating now that we have nothing of less significance to do. The greatest blessings come in the strangest of circumstances. These are the kind of circumstances that were common before we as a society presumed to establish control over every detail of our lives. In reality this pursuit has relegated most meaningful activities in daily life to distant memory. I am happy to have a little outage for it has brought back some reality!

Break Out the Hullabaloo

Frances did not disappoint. The little people are running wild in the streets!

Still Gotta Walk Those Dogs

Blustery night last night and a blustery morning. We can expect another 12 hours of wind and rain.

Talked to my neighbor of thirty years this morning. Odell was out in the winds walking his dog Genie.He was one of three dog walkers out and about.

He is quite a character. After chatting a while about the storm he said he was going to go put on "North to Alaska" staring John Wayne. I imagine he is hold up in his home watching it at this very moment.

South Tampa Fellowship

Interior of the main worship center.



Children's Church!
Fellowship Hall / Planet Agape


Interior of Planet Agape!





For more information visit
www.dibc.org

Frances.. Don't let us down!

They are ready for action. When you have a canoe you have a following. This becomes all to clear when there is an expectation that your neighborhood will soon be 3’ deep in water. The blighters pictured above arrived at the front door mere hours ago to proudly display the paddles they will put to use if we get rain from the blessed Frances. They did not stop at the front step but just waltz right in waving their paddles and waiting for affirmation. What a scurvy crew. Enthusiasm might just make up for ignorance but it is doubtful, never the less if it floods we will have some fun.

Neighborhood Kids

Every neighborhood has its kids, the neighborhood kids. These small individuals are always a mixed bag. You just never know from one generation to the next what you will end up with. I mention this fact because your neighborhood is ground zero for their social development. It is your windows they will break, your garden they will destroy, your car they will dent, and your front door they will arrive at with creatures of every kind. You are gonna need to exercise what the Bible calls love. Remember you were a neighborhood kid yourself. These little citizens can actually be a lot of fun, but approach with caution. If you prove to be a friend in their estimation and they accept you into their secretive little society there are surprising benefits. Every once in a while neighborhood kids can be very useful as affordable labor. Neighborhood kids are the most discrete source local gossip and are often eager to be sent out and about to gather interesting tidbits of information that can be very entertaining and even useful. Remember you do not want your local pack of little people as enemies. They can be scourge or, with a little patience, useful allies in the quest to be that thing we call, “good neighbor”. Your challenge is to be a positive influence molding these little people into the kind of citizen that would help the elderly in their time of need. It will not be long before this is exactly the state in which you will find yourself. This is not the time to ask yourself if you did enough to warrant tolerable treatment from the your neighborhood kids.

They're Always Smiling

Phone Service Restored

On Monday afternoon our phone service was interupted. On Wednesday afternoon it was restored. Back to the Blog stone.