Waiting for Bilbo

The Road goes ever on and on,
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

I first read The Hobbit in 1972 or 1973 - and have read it at least a dozen times since. I loved it so much that I included the above poem in my high school yearbook personal profile in 1974. The Peter Jackson movies have been incredibly faithful to the books, and live up to the world I conjured while reading them. I went to the three movie premieres on the first showing, but I don't think I can handle a midnight show and go to work the next day again...!
I am in Summerville, South Carolina as I write this, on a long weekend visiting my Dad. The weather is gentle for December (68 today) but the chill sets in as soon as the sun goes below the trees. The camellias are in bloom. I have to say I don't want to go back to chilly New England. I heard there was snow today. brrrrrrr. No sir, I am wearing my flipflops here!

Blackberry Ridge

Aptly named, the blackberries bushes are thick and heavy with berries. I am in Calais, Vermont spending the weekend with my lifelong best friend. Jo-ann lives on top of a hill down a long dirt road. There is a sweeping vista of rolling green hills and farmland from the deck, and the peace and quiet is almost palpable. It's evening now, and a thunderstorm just passed by to the west. The mist is rising from the valley below, and it is beautiful. Like a visual tranquilizer. Nothing seems very urgent here. Work seems very far away... in fact, it's a four-hour drive away tomorrow. I'm out of cell range here, so my isolation is complete. I am sure I'll be at my desk tomorrow afternoon staring blankly at the screen, thinking about picking blackberries.

Knee Deep

It's an overcast day but when the skies lightened up I seized the moment to take a walk. The hay is high, and it smells good. The grass and clover is thick under the apple trees. Caught an occasional whiff of honeysuckle... and saw the abundant wildflowers. A walk like this is refreshing, soothing, and helps to re-focus.

A Word in Season

Psalm 4:5  "Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord."
That one jumped off the page at me, just at the time I needed it. Trusting in the Lord is my daily challenge, and it seems I get ample opportunity to do it... whether I like it or not!

Looking forward to what's next.

Heard a word today from a Christian musician who said God doesn't play it safe, and he has a wild imagination. I like that. Good reminder to me to expect the unexpected from Him, and to not play it so safe when it comes to sharing Hope.

Transitions

Big changes in the orchard. I took the corner into the orchard and was shocked to see that many ancient, gnarled trees have been cut down. The friendly farm worker told me that the venerable old trees had ceased producing new growth, and were too difficult and dangerous for workers to harvest. I understand. He was genuinely sad to have to cut them down, which was some solace. I guess the selective removal provides room for the younger trees. I can't help but draw parallels to our society - just because something is old and is not productive is it without value? Sometimes just its presence is all the value it needs.