Unusual Night Sky

Tonight, we have some interesting things in the sky as the sun goes down.

Over in the southeast, the almost-full moon coming up amongst some high clouds.

Meanwhile, Jupiter and Venus are in the west, EXTREMELY close together in a "conjunction," appearing like a "double star."

Genesis 1:16, "And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also."

Psalm 19:1-3, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard."

Country "Medicine" Does a Cowgirl Good

Like anyone, I have my share of struggles, challenges and STRESS. Right now, I feel constantly on the edge of nervous exhaustion, but try to just calm down, and let God help me through each day. He IS faithful in that. So I take each day and do the best I can.

There are several things that help relieve the pressures of living. One of them is a country drive with Hubby. It is literally like "medicine" for me. Seeing the fields, pastures, rural scenery, the horizon, the wide open sky (whether it's clear and blue or full of clouds) .... it all helps me out and refreshes me. Seeing God's beautiful creation is a reminder that He is faithful and He is in control.

After church and lunch today, Hubby and I rode around a bit, both here in town and in the surrounding countryside. It's a warm late-June day, with mostly blue sky. "Slight" chance of rain tonight, but that hasn't shown up yet. So it was just good to get out and see something besides these "four walls" and nothing but neighboring houses. (I MUST SEE HORIZONS.) Plus, while I love my job and the people there (and that gives me a tiny bit of a drive), it's nice to do and see something besides that as well.

Here are a few photos:

Some wheat stubble, harvest is pretty much wound up for the year around here.

Hay bales stacked in a row against the blue Oklahoma sky.

Huge pasture with one "lone cow." ha ha

I love seeing the buttes. They always change according to the weather, the light, the time of day .... in old days, they were a landmark for travelers.

Big, Bright, Beautiful, Full Double Rainbow

Early last week, I had gotten up before sunrise to see Older Son off to work, as usual. Then I was doing this-and-that, getting in gear to go to work myself. It was Monday, and something kind of had me feeling in the dumps. It was still pretty early, and I was sitting at the desk. I got up and looked out at the sun trying to come up, and there were some pretty clouds. Well, you know me and clouds, I had to go out and take a picture.

So out I went with phone in hand, glancing over at the eastern sky, and heading to the back yard where there weren't any electric wires or poles in the way. Then, I glanced to the west, and gasped in awe ... there in a showery sky was a BIG, BRIGHT, BEAUTIFUL, FULL DOUBLE RAINBOW. It just pretty much took my breath away, totally caught me off guard! And I really felt like it was an encouragement from God. Seeing a rainbow makes me think of His promise to not destroy the whole earth with a flood again, which also makes me think of other promises in His Word, such as, "I will never leave you or forsake you." So .... it was certainly wonderful and amazing to look at, and encouraging at the same time. It sure gave me a lift.

The sunrise part:

Part of the rainbow with some brightness in the clouds:

I caught a part of our very yellow house, so it kind of looks like a "pot (or house) of gold at the end of the rainbow." ha ha

I also figured out and tried the "panorama" feature on the phone camera, and finally got it to work fairly good. That was different! But it was fun to get the WHOLE RAINBOW in one picture.

"Still Life with Rocks"

Tropical Clouds

Earlier last week, ahead of that tropical storm "Bill," we had a lot of moisture and clouds in the atmosphere, with a "tropical" hint.

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all the dads in my life - Dad, Granddad C, Grandpa W, and Hubby (who is dad of our two boys). I never knew Granddad C personally, I barely remember Grandpa W. Loved Dad dearly and miss him, love him still. Thankful for Hubby and our two sons, that we can be a family together.

Dad and my older brother as a baby - "play time." I wonder who was having more fun!

Dad and I when I was a kid.

Dad and an early push mower.

Dad in our front yard.

Dad fixing something at the head house (TV tower) at the neighboring tiny town.

While fixing said problem at said head house (TV tower was in a pasture), Dad had to deal with a friendly but NOSEY horse who just had to stick his nose in things .....

Dad and I in Colorado.

Dad and I at our hometown's lake.

Earlier years - Dad filling Grandpa W's John Deere during harvest.

Dad enjoying a shady tractor during harvest with Grandpa W in earlier years, with my uncle (Mom's brother) helping out behind him.

Dad using an unusual method to roast a marshmallow at the lake one day.

Dad always enjoyed his coffee breaks.

Dad in the living room there at home.

Granddad and Grandma C - earlier picture with family.

(Dad - front row, far right)

Granddad and Grandma C - later picture with family (Pretty sure this was taken on June 25, 1950 - their 50th anniversary).

(Dad - back row, far right)

Huge family photo on Granddad and Grandma C's 50th anniversary - June 25, 1950.

(Mom on far right in "plaid" dress, Dad kneeling in front of her)

Granddad C - two of him, that he took using a double exposure on a glass plate negative. I think one of the characters had a little help from some stuffing! Granddad had a camera and took pictures occasionally. He also had a sense of humor.

Grandpa W with his cattle.

Grandpa W on an early tractor.

Grandpa W shoveling wheat.

Dad and Grandpa W rigging an umbrella on a tractor for shade. (I think Dad was the one who came up with the idea.)

Hubby with Younger Son on Veteran's Day 2014 - which was also Younger Son's birthday. (At school program.)

Hubby and a friend's horse, "Hollywood."

Hubby checking out pasture from pens while caring for a friend's cows.

Hubby (and I) beating a storm back to town.

Thankful for Hubby, who is dad to these two boys:

(pre-4th fireworks, 2014)

(pizza place in my hometown)

Got'cha!

Once in awhile, Hubby and I go with a friend of ours over to the truck stop where our friend's daughter works, to take her something to eat and sit with her on her break. Hubby likes to fiddle around with his phone while we sit. The other evening, he caught me day dreaming.

At least in the above photo I'm not QUITE as dorky as in this one below from a few weeks ago:

So anyway, since "turnabout is fair play," I snuck THIS photo:

This is the second photo I took, because he stuck his tongue out in the first one. ha ha

June 19, 1943

Today would've been my parents' 72nd wedding anniversary. They actually were married well-over the 50 year mark, I think 56 to be exact. They eloped, and were married at the courthouse in the neighboring county. Mom's folks had been married at the courthouse in another nearby county back in their day. My husband and I eloped and were married in the courthouse in a neighboring state (one we live in now), and just celebrated 24 years. Do you see a pattern here? ha ha

The town where my folks were married (not their hometown, but a neighboring town) was hit by a huge tornado in 2007, which wiped out around 95 per cent of the town. It has slowly been rebuilding, and coming along fairly well. But one thing that stayed, was the courthouse. Here are a few photos of it back in mid-July of 2011, four years after the tornado. I think that gazebo area is new. The building to the south is the sheriff's office, it's been there a long time.

Looking southwest:

Looking east:

Looking northeast:

Except for a few months in the bigger city during the war (Dad worked in an airplane plant), they set up housekeeping two houses away from where Dad was born, and lived there their whole married lives.

Mom and Dad's house early on - Granddad (Dad's dad) built that part. Dad's folks' house is in the background.

Home later on.

Mom and Dad in their younger days.

Church directory picture from later years.

Dad was an electrician, radio and TV repairman, ran two TV cable systems (owned one), and had his own shop. Mom worked in offices, mainly at the courthouse. They were faithful members of the Christian Church there in our hometown, and I have tons of memories there. They supported my brother and I in our various endeavors, from my brother moving to Colorado for school, to me being obsessed with wanting a horse and eventually getting one, and everything in between. They were both musical, and I have great memories of that as well. I'm thankful to no end that they were my parents. Of course, as a family, we had our ups and downs, and normal things to deal with. A few UN-normal things, such as when we lost my brother in 1979. But we stuck together, and kept on living. Many things helped bring joy to their lives, including my husband's and my sons - they were overjoyed with their two grandsons. They sure waited long enough for them! So in memory of my dear folks, "Happy Anniversary," I love you still, always will.

My folks on Father's Day of 1993, appropriate since this weekend is Father's Day. So this would be somewhere around their anniversary that year (50!).

My folks there at home, in front of the fireplace. Dad built on to that house through the years, and that big south room was wonderful. It had a fireplace and a huge picture window on the south. That framed picture in the background is one I did as a kid during summer school one year (grade school years, 2nd grade?). It's of the local golf course. (Dad was a golfer for years and years and years, so we spent a good bit of time out there at the golf course!)