The Months

 
January brings the snow,

Makes our feet and fingers glow.

February brings the rain*,

Thaws the frozen lake again.

March brings breezes large and shrill,

Stirs the dancing daffodil.

April brings the primrose sweet,

Scatters daisies at our feet.

May brings flocks of pretty lambs,

Skipping by their fleecy damns.

June brings tulips, lilies, roses,

Fills the children's hands with posies.

Hot July brings cooling showers,

Apricots and gillyflowers**.

August brings the sheaves of corn***,

Then the harvest home is borne.

Warm September brings the fruit,

Sportsmen then begin to shoot.

Fresh October brings the pheasants,

Then to gather nuts is pleasant.

Dull November brings the blast,

Then the leaves are whirling fast.

Chill December brings the sleet*,

Blazing fire and Christmas treat. 

     ---Sara Coleridge (1802-1852)

     English writer Sara Coleridge is most known as the only daughter of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and an editor of his work, particularly after her father and her husband died.  However, she was an author and translator in her own right.

     In the 21st century, a discovery of over 100 of her unpublished poems was made.  A lecturer at University College, London, Dr. Swaab, discovered them in the Coleridge manuscripts and published them in 2007.

*Many places in the northern hemisphere will still snow in December & February. The British Isles, being smallish and surrounded by water, do not always have the conditions for snow.

**Gillyflowers:  most often, another term for "carnations", though the term may be applied to other flowers,

***Corn: old-school, Old World, meant "wheat" (whereas New World "corn" was called some variant of "maize.")

****Though this poem is not overtly religious, Sara was.  She opposed the Oxford Movement (Tractarian Movement), in the 1840s.  The movement led to an Anglican Church that was more "high church" or more similar to Roman Catholicism, as opposed to other protestant ideas present in England.  [Gerard Manly Hopkins, whose work is featured elsewhere in this blog, did approve of the Tractarian Movement.  Eventually he went so far as to formally become Roman Catholic.]

Old Glory at Another National Park

 

Old Glory at Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

Take this link to discover past postings of the US flag in scenic places.  Happy 4th of July!

Flag in s.e.Arizona

And this:

Natural Wonders of America

Flag Day

 
  In honor of the U.S Commemoration of Flag Day on June 14th, here are some pictures of the U.S. flag taken in beautiful, mountainous Northern Arizona.  (Yes, Arizona).   

  Although the pictures were taken in the fall, they are excellent to ponder this Flag Day and any other patriotic day.

 

#nature

Glorious Old Glory

 
Here are some fairly recent photos of the US Flag flying around the Big Lake area in eastern Arizona:

Here's an older 4th of July posting, showing the flag in various scenic places across the United States:   Natural Wonders of America

Ending 2021

As another year was drawing to a close, we spent some time in Northern Arizona.  It snowed almost the entire time.  If you look close in some of the photos, you will see the mountains.  You can see the snowflakes as they fall, too.

The gazebo at night

Trees in Autumn

 As mentioned in other postings from this date, we recently took a trip to the White Mountains, in the far eastern part of Arizona, near New Mexico.  A different look for AZ, for those of you not familiar with the state, right?  Here is some fall foliage on the trees, some with evergreen mixed in. The colorful trees are quaking aspens, so named because their leaves shimmer at the slightest gust of breeze. They are a poplar, related to cottonwoods and Eurasian poplars.  Regarding evergreens, the elevation was high enough in spots to see Douglas-fir and true fir trees. I think there was some spruce around, but we didn't get photographs.

One of the travel loops took us to through National Forest and on to Big Lake, near Greer.  (see the other postings of this date) 

There is related Biblical poetry woven throughout.  Enjoy your fall, assuming you're in the Northern Hemisphere.  If not, enjoy your spring!  😉

In a high meadow, near some mountain tops in the White Mountains.  If you look closely, you see fire damage, which allowed aspens to grow.  Fire, though destructive and scary, is also "purifying."  It clears out the brush, which allows aspens to grow.  Aspens will not grow in the shade and requires these periodic clear-outs.  Then the aspens' root system anchors things so that erosion in minimized and other plant life can return.  

 

How long, O Yahweh? 

Will You hide Yourself forever?

How long will Your wrath burn like fire?  Psalm 89:46

 

[After the Flood, Yahweh said to Noah]:

"Through all the days of the earth,

Seedtime and Harvest,

Cold and Heat,

Summer and Winter,

Day and night

Will not 'take a sabbatical.' "  Genesis 8:22

Notice the rare red foliage on these aspens, near Big Lake, as above, on the way into the lake.  Typically, the foliage only turns a bright, golden yellow.  Some soils in isolated micro-environments allow the leaves to turn somewhat reddish.

[Yahweh says]:

"[The unfaithful] do not say in their heart:

'Let  us fear Yahweh our God,

Who gives rain in its season,

Both the autumn rain and the spring rain,

Who keeps for us 

The weeks appointed for harvest.' "  Jeremiah 5:24

 

  Be patient, then, brothers [and sisters], until the Lord's coming.  See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early [spring] and the late [autumnal] rains.  James 5:7 

 

He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He  has also put eternity into [humanity's] heart, yet so that [a person] cannot figure out what God has done from the beginning to the end.  Ecclesiastes 3:11

 

Perspectives

"Rain" means something other
If you're not from Arizona:
"Into every life..."*
(Twist you here the knife)
"A little rain must fall..."*
(Unmitigated gall).

At last God sent us rain
To ease this climate's pain
Elsewhere they have floods--

Nature's twisted torsades.**

I pray You come again,
Far moreso than the rain;
I want to see Your Face:
Lord, Jesus, come with haste.

---c.m.b.  (c), 2020

(a summer of record breaking 110+ days in Phoenix; no rain; high ozone)

*A paraphrase from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, "The Rainy Day"  (see link below)

**Torsades:  an irregular heart rhythm

"The Rainy Day", by Longfellow

More Sledding... More on Seasons

December 2019 just south of Pine, AZ  (north of Payson)

Yes, Arizona!!!

 

After the flood, God told Noah:

"Through all the days of the earth,
Seedtime and Harvest,
Cold and Heat,
Summer and Winter.
Day and Night
Will not take rest 
[cease, pause, have a 'Sabbath'.] "
  
  ---Genesis 8:22; original translation

This is but one of our seasons as we move through time.

Past Sledding Post 

Light Shining Out of Darkness

God moves in a mysterious way,   

 His wonders to perform;

He plants His footsteps in the sea,    

And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines    

 Of never-failing skill,

He treasures up His bright designs,     

And works His sov’reign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,  

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy, and shall break    

In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense
But trust Him for His grace.
Behind a frowning providence*
He hides a smiling face. 

His purposes will ripen fast,    

Unfolding every hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,     

But sweet will be the flow’r.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,     

And scan His work in vain;

God is His own interpreter,   

And He will make it plain.

William Cowper (pronounced "Cooper"); English, 1779

*Lutherans would likely not express themselves in terms of a "frowning providence."  God is merciful, even when we cannot see it. The problem is we cannot see it.  Part of it is the sorrows and troubles of living in a broken world.  God does not automatically intervene at every turn. In addition, there are the blinders we have, such as Cowper's tendency towards depression (see below).  
     Gerard Manley Hopkins, also a poet of faith, also featured on this blog, once spoke of a heaven made of bronze, off of which his prayers bounced.  He was in circumstances that drained him and had that same sensation, though at some level, he always knew God loved him.

     A slightly altered version of this hymn/poem has appeared on this blog before.  I have recently had reason to look more closely at the life of Cowper.

     Cowper, though a man of faith, was plagued by periods of deep depression. At his time, there were no effective medications or psychotherapy.  Friends did the best they could to intervene, and he had to be institutionalized occasionally.

     Cowper was probably born with a somewhat sensitive temperament.  His mother died when he was six, giving birth to his youngest brother.  William and this brother, John, were the only two of his siblings to survive to adulthood.  Compounding this, his mother's maids lied, saying his mother had just gone away for awhile. Though William first disbelieved this, the maids persisted, falsely raising his hopes. When the truth sank in, he crashed further.  On top of this, he changed schools frequently as a child and was bullied somewhat.

     In adulthood, Cowper counted John Newton as a friend.  Newton had been a reprehensible slave trader.  He had a true conversion and wrote the hymn "Amazing Grace."

     Other public figures counted Cowper as a favorite poet. One was the authoress Jane Austen, who mentions him in some of her works. Another was William Wilberforce, who spearheaded British efforts to make slavery illegal.

      Here are some links/resources for further guidance:

       

Ella, George.  William Cowper: Poet Of Paradise by George Ella, published by Evangelical Press 1993

Wikipedia: William Cowper

Austen Connection "Faith, Science, Joy, … and Jane Austen!" (Cox, Brenda S.)
The Olney Hymns (Blair, Bob)

Refreshing Rivers

These pictures are from the White River, a tributary to the Salt River in Arizona. The Salt River and another tributary, the Black River, form the boundary between two Apache Indian tribes in Arizona.

Scarlet Petnstemmon

Sledding

2006, Northern Arizona

2012, East of Albuquerque

2017, Yellowstone

Snowcoaching

Jan, 2019 near Grand Canyon

Feb, 2019 N. AZ

Sledding in summer clothes?  Fooled you.

2009, White Sands, NM

St. Patrick's Day

There’s an Isle, a green Isle, set in the sea,

     Here’s to the Saint that blessed it!

And here’s to the billows wild and free

     That for centuries have caressed it!

Here’s to the day when the men that roam

     Send longing eyes o’er the water!

Here’s to the land that still spells home

     To each loyal son and daughter!

Here’s to old Ireland—fair, I ween,

     With the blue skies stretched above her!

Here’s to her shamrock warm and green,

     And here’s to the hearts that love her!

---Jean Blewett, Canadian; 1872-1934

Now Winter Nights Enlarge

[for winter, nature & Valentine's Day]

Now winter nights enlarge

The number of their hours;

And clouds their storms discharge

Upon the airy towers.

Let now the chimneys blaze

And cups o’erflow with wine,

Let well-turned words amaze

With harmony divine.

Now yellow waxen lights

Shall wait on honey love

While youthful revels, masques, and courtly sights

Sleep’s leaden spells remove.

This time doth well dispense

With lovers’ long discourse;

Much speech hath some defense,

Though beauty no remorse.

All do not all things well;

Some measures comely tread,

Some knotted riddles tell,

Some poems smoothly read.

The summer hath his joys,

And winter his delights;

Though love and all his pleasures are but toys,

They shorten tedious nights.

--By Thomas Campion; ~1601

b.12 February 1567, d. 1 March 1620