A Saturday morning walk

What a welcome treat to have company on my walk today, a new walk on a trail I'd never done before.  I had often gone to their neighborhood park, with my grandsons, but today was special, a challenge as their Daddy said.

...Jared and Daniel leading the way down Bateman Park road...

...to Stoney Creek salmon habitat...

...beautiful bubbling brook this Stoney Creek...

 Today was special because the challenge to the boys was to ride their bikes along this trail.   So we wound our way around and over this creek...

 ...and through an amazing stand of old-growth trees...

...two diverging cedars from one root source it seems...

...a lovely shady glen...

...one tree within another...

...and even a mothering tree...here we can see four new cedars birthed from the decaying
mother tree...nature doesn't waste anything...

The boys sometimes led, sometimes followed, sometimes rode their bikes, sometimes pushed them when the climb got steep.  But such good troopers they were even when the feet involuntarily slipped into the water.

...such fun adventure for Daniel...

and Jared...

...a beautiful day for a beautiful walk in a beautiful park with two beautiful boys!

And today...

... as I stop at the park what do I see through my windshield...

 

...a wedding just starting to happen...

...children enjoying the play structure...

...in the distance, the lake...

...now as I'm walking up a hill I see the same view from the opposite side of the lake and this not through my windshield...

...a few anglers...

...a nervous red-winged blackbird trilling a beautiful song...

...bulrushes along the shore...

...today only one lone waterfowl on that whole expanse of water, a single black cormorant...

...now I've gone right around the lake and... "Here comes the Bride" and her entourage for pictures on the bridge...

...and now as evening falls, another stunning sunset taken from my balcony...

 

 

 

 

"Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice."  Phil. 4:4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But...

What a marvelous little word the tiny conjunction "but" can be.  In the Scripture I referenced on my last post, I put the period where it belongs - at the end of the sentence.  However, that's not the whole story...there is that redemptive little word "But" beginning the next verse...
"But the mercy of the Lord
is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him,
and his righteousness unto children's children..."  Psalm 103:17
...which takes the sting out of the preceding verse and brings hope and encouragement.
There's so much comfort too in the beauty all around me as I  saw again on my walk today:

Fish Trap Creek

A beautiful, natural park right in my neighbourhood.

Fish Trap Creek is in Ellwood Park and they're both part of the wonderful Discovery Trails.

Even the skunk cabbage is a beautiful addition to the flora in its rich green foliage and yellow flowers.

Split Rail fences are plentiful along the path.

Cultured Rhododendron on one of the front lawns nearby as I wend my way back home.

As I write this I see another amazing sunset from my balcony tonight.  I thank God for the beauty all around me.

...and just another great "but" ...
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: 
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." 
Romans 5:8

Come With Me...

We don't always know what we'll see on life's path.  It's a good thing, a very good thing.   But on my path today I knew I would see some wonderful things since I'd walked this path before.  Come with me and you can see what I saw...

...pretty pink blossoms...

...a grand magnolia tree...

...pure and welcome dandelion in its setting...

...a welcoming path...

... to the left...

... straight ahead...

...I choose to the right...

...and everywhere Canada Geese...

...a picnic shelter...

...a memorial right on the grounds of my condo...what does it say?

... sobering, yet solacing...

...and the flowers, the beautiful encircling flowers....

...delightful tulips...

...and blue grape-hyacinths bordering it all.

"As for man, his days are like grass, 

he flourishes like a flower of the field; 

the wind blows over it and it is gone,

 and its place remembers it no more." 

 Psalm 103:15-16