Herp Glory

"And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:24-5

Yesterday we went herping (hm, yes, I guess Jordan was right, that does sound pretty weird. Yet it is a real verb). Herpetology is the study of Reptiles and Amphibians, and I'm taking this elective from Dr. Gordon Wilson, our resident scientist. Kenny headed up the expedition, and with Kellen, Lindsey, Stephen, Noai, Dr. Wilson and his nephew Rory, I went a-herping in the hills around Moscow for the entire afternoon. Here are a few finds.

Western Skink (Eumeces skiltonianus)

This is the second skink we found (#1 had lost his tail, and wasn't as pretty). Fiery little fellows, quick as snakes and quite frightened of us, but would settle down as soon as they'd scurried up onto the black shirt of Kenny or Kellen. Then they'd wait, completely still, as if successfully hiding from us there in the dark. Their golden-brown-black striping, fine cycloid scales and stunning blue tails make them quite handsome.

Rough-Skinned Newt (Taricha granulosa)

Reading Wodehouse for years before meeting newts, I've been tempted to think they were his brainchild - like Finknottles or Black Shorts. But they're completely real. This fairly calm fellow lived under an old stump. His underside was brilliant orange, his costal grooves obvious, his nubbly back almost purplish brown, hands pudgy and childish, and his throat would move up and down quite a bit as he breathed.

Long-Toed Salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum)
Catch #2 (the first was badly enough injured that Dr. Wilson thought it better to not let him loose to suffer in the wild). This one was dark, his green dorsal stripe not as easy to see. His tail was flattened, almost like a newt. It was easy to identify him as a Long-Toed rather than a Coeur d'Alene, simply because of his long 4th toes on his rear feet. I love how salamanders walk, and the way their little elbows stick up above their splayed front feet.

Columbia Spotted Frog (Rana luteiventris)
Mr Frog (the only specimen we found) was small. The field guide tells me they are avg of 1 3/4 to 4 inches long, and I would guess he was at the very smallest end of that range. His belly was pale yellow, his ear drums small, his back covered with small spots and insignificant warts. Frogs are always a bit difficult to convince to stay on your open hand, but we did get him to hang around long enough for a few pictures before we let him go again.

(Northern?) Alligator Lizard (Elgaria coerulea)
Can you tell why he has this name? Look at his head, short legs, general configuration, scale pattern, ect. This one didn't try to bite (unlike one last year), but he really wanted to go back home rather than be a celebrity in the midst of our admiring circle and cameras. You might be able to see the fold of skin along his side, between belly and back scales, which expanded and folded thin again with every breath he took.

Wandering Garter Snake (Thamnophis elegans vagrans)
The only snake we found, this fellow was pretty tiny. He was content to wind slowly around our fingers as we talked and took photographs. The wandering is a lot plainer looking than the common garter, lacking its nice red-orange spots, but is still pretty captivating. He has keeled scales (running your finger down his back, you feel more texture than a smooth-scaled skink). His tongue flicks in and out, darting dark and sinister looking.

The way of a serpent upon a rock was one of three things too wonderful for the wisest man of all, King Solomon. And we have this glory, to seek out in the world those things which God has hidden for us.

"It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter." Prov 25:2

Boise is not that far from Moscow

And Alison Krauss is gonna be there!

http://www.songkick.com/concerts/8695321-alison-krauss-and-union-station-at-idaho-botanical-garden

This Keeps Happening

Do people purposefully go to a public place and discuss private problems, as if being in public will keep things quiet, calm, from exploding? Or are they not meaning to tiff, but happen to bring their troubles wherever they go, and just happen to be where I am - I, unfortunately noticing the tenseness in their demeanors as I walk by from the counter to my table, as I wait for my coffee, as I sit and read in the corner half a room away from them?

(A rather poorly-written poem without a title, which should be revised before long)

You can see from across the coffee shop

there is link between these two people,

but broken, or at least rusting, grating,

people so beautiful, so once-right,

so pretending to be right still.

-

Your headphones fill your ears but your eyes

see the words unspoken as her glance

flits to his and back away, so quickly,

her mouth shaping phrases short, hesitant.

-

You’re not eavesdropping. You wouldn’t want to

hear the sounds of those sharper hand motions,

his eyebrows lowering, her attention

on her food for a long five minutes.

-

You see them turn and twist their cups,

their voices, on either side of the table, unsure

if their link will hold, or if it, too, will crack,

and spill something all over their world

in a mess that won’t be easy to wipe up.

Someday: London

I maintain that The Pond is too big. It's gonna be a while before I can get there.

I love this poster - fog, fantastic phone booths, the little coffee spot, Big Ben. This would look nice with the black and white Paris poster I already want.

And apparently it's easy to look smashing in London, even in a downpour. Note to self: Be demure. Wear heels. Buy an umbrella.

someday, over the rainbow: Paris

Someday, I shall travel.

But someday a little closer, I shall buy posters.

...sigh...

Relational (with pictures)

[Post-posting note: I have no idea where the underlining came from. It's some technological prank played on me because I have no underline option in my text and this just happened when I added pictures.]

Last week, I had the privilege of being surrounded by my people.

Being at my parents' house means being continually with some other person, and usually at least a dozen others. It means lots of planning ahead to do anything. It means relaxing moments by the stove being constantly interrupted, waiting to sleep until 8 sisters are also ready to quit talking for the night, not being able to just take a shower when you wake up (you're likely to reach the bathroom just after someone else finished off the hot water).

Being in relation with people means living in love, a love that isn't one-dimensional or one-directional. Being in relation means having the opportunity both to be completely drained in doing for others and to be filled with a kind of new energy in return. It means seeing others as integral parts of our individual lives; seeing ourselves in those surrounding us, and doing unto others; seeing God in ourselves and bestowing grace in imitation of Him, and seeing Him in others when they are in need of a glass of cold water; seeing God as the author of life's story and loving His plan as it unfolds, and the other characters on these pages.

Part of my break, I was more dead than alive. I went home sick, worn out from the previous weeks. I didn't live as well in my community as I should have, and was rather like a dead battery needing to be jumped, which sucks away the life of other helping batteries.

But my family was faithful. These people, this God, gave. Life, love, beer, rest, sunshine, snow, pancakes, ice cream, good night hugs, words, gentle correction, long laughter, slobbery kisses, joy.

My days were well spent. And toward the end of the week I was more aware of the grace that has been given, that is to be lived, in every interaction:

shopping with big sister, eating lunch with sis-in-law and watching her discipline her son as I held her baby, meeting a newborn cousin, sharing a bed with a sister, explaining my classes to Dad, taking a 2-yr-old niece to the bathroom countless times, finding socks for little brothers in the laundry room, cooking new things with Becki and Laura, coffee in the morning with Mom, reading stories, wrapping presents, giving a baby a bottle, getting a backrub, singing before supper, helping host a party.

We are made to be relational. Our God is Trinitarian, and we are made in His image. This means that we are most honoring to Him, most ourselves, most alive, when we are giving and receiving in community with God and man.

"Not one human being ought, even were it possible, to be enough for himself. Each of us needs God and every human soul He has made." (George MacDonald)