Things seen while "just passing by"

I was out by Presque Isle one evening this week, giving my grandparents' and parents' graves a little clean up here at the end of summer. On my way home I cut down to the Bayfront Highway to scoot along the bay (why would I go any other way?!) and, unknown to me, it was sunset (7:30-ish around here right now.) I pulled in and caught this shot.

The next day Anne and I took a walk after dinner down to the lake and as we were walking along we caught sight of what we first thought was a white plastic bag. Then we said, "Is that a volleyball?" and then as we got closer: "What in the world is that big white thing?" We never see garbage or trash along the drive or paths. The walk-in fishermen and women are factitious in their fishing decorum! We finally got right up to it, felt it and declared that it was a huge mushroom! Easily the size of a volleyball!

These two events cause me to muse, once again, on the blessings of the natural world that surround us. Erie has some tough realities right now, there is no denying that. But we have had a beautiful summer here, the grape harvest is going to be tremendous this year and the great majority of grasses, trees and flowers have been consistently green and full and lush. Yes, I know, we also have to take the 100" average of the "S" word every year, too....but, spoken as only a native would, the other three seasons more than make up for winter (and we only had 72" last year, BTW). I hope that others throughout our area have been able to enjoy the beauty of nature all around us...and have some solace from the heaviness of life's realities.

I hope that you, too, have some of the glories of God's creation near you.