The ponds are drying up and it’s been weeks since the Sandhill Cranes (not red headed cranes, or sand cranes, but Sandhill Cranes!) have been out back.  The Moorhen family is growing up and just now heading to the safety of the brush at the big lake for the evening.  There is ONE big white bird (no idea what it is) and 6-7 of the smaller white birds with the really long and curved orange bills.  I saw a garden snake outside my window a few days ago, it was “diving” into the grass apparently looking for food and it was interesting to watch it weave in and out of the blades of grass, it’s head disappearing and then reappearing in another spot.  The squirrel was on the screen again today, with another bunch of dry mowed grass in it’s mouth…scampering over to the palm tree and up into the top where there must be a nest.   There have been violent storms in Florida the past couple of days, but nothing here, except the evidence of violent storms elsewhere…we can see and hear the lightning and thunder.  The billowing clouds surround us and then pass on, but the nightly news tells of the downpours and tornadic activity elsewhere.

I wonder about the fish that arrived by unknown means into the ponds…will they die when the water evaporates.  Today when I swept the front porch there were dried carcasses of frogs and a lizard who couldn’t get outside to the water and the grass, what it must have been like for them.  Yesterday I “freed” a wasp trapped in the garage.  While I stepped over the dead roaches, the ones who must have come into contact with the bug spray I fired at one two nights ago.  I’ll free a wasp, but nearly every time I see a roach I get out the toxic chemicals to cause harm to the both of us…it’s not that I want to kill anything.  But, roaches?

Yesterday I took some time to go and play.  Went to see “Harry Potter” and said the words Harry Potter with a fake English accent as I raced to the theatre from the house I was cleaning.  Harie Pottah.  Over and Over.  While I drove the golf cart!   Then I went dancing at the Squares, went to both and even hit Katie Belle’s.  So now it’s time to pay the piper.   Work needs to be completed by the time I go to bed!

Applications to fill out, Forms to fill out, Lists to be made.  It’s the beginning of another week.

I’ve been going to Village View Community Church the last 3 Sundays…it’s nice to be reminded of God’s blessings, the kind you see every day and take for granted.    There is a link there if you want to listen to any of the sermons.

An Atheist Professor of Philosophy was speaking to his Class on the problem Science has with GOD, the ALMIGHTY.  He asked one of his New Christian Students to stand and . . .

Professor :   You are a Christian, aren’t you, son ?
Student    :   Yes, sir.
Professor :    So, you Believe in GOD ?
Student    :   Absolutely, sir.
Professor :    Is GOD Good ?
Student    :    Sure.
Professor :    Is GOD ALL - POWERFUL ?
Student    :    Yes.
Professor :    My Brother died of Cancer even though he Prayed to  GOD  to Heal him.  Most of us would attempt to help others who are
ill.   But GOD didn’t. How is this GOD good then? Hmm?

(Student was silent )

Professor :   You can’t answer, can you ?  Let’s start again, Young Fella. Is GOD Good?
Student    :   Yes.
Professor :   Is Satan good ?
Student    :   No.
Professor :   Where does Satan come from ?
Student    :   From . . . GOD . . .
Professor :   That’s right.  Tell me son, is there evil in this World?
Student    :   Yes.
Professor :    Evil is everywhere, isn’t it ? And GOD did make
everything. Correct?
Student    :   Yes.
Professor :   So who created evil ?

(Student did not answer)

Professor :   Is there Sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness?  All these terrible things exist in the World, don’t
they?
Student    :  Yes, sir.
Professor :   So, who Created them ?

(Student had no answer)

Professor :  Science says you have 5 Senses you use to Identify and Observe the World around you.  Tell me, son . . . Have you ever Seen GOD?
Student    :  No, sir.
Professor   :  Tell us if you have ever Heard your GOD?
Student    :  No , sir.
Professor :   Have you ever Felt your GOD, Tasted your GOD, Smelled your GOD?   Have you ever had any Sensory Perception of GOD for that
matter?
Student    :   No, sir. I’m afraid I haven’t.
Professor :   Yet you still Believe in HIM?
Student    :  Yes.
Professor :   According to Empirical, Testable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says your GOD doesn’t exist.  What do you say to that, son?
Student    :  Nothing.  I only have my Faith.
Professor :  Yes,Faith.  And that is the problem Science has.

Student    :   Professor, is there such a thing as Heat?
Professor :   Yes.
Student    :   And is there such a thing as Cold?
Professor :   Yes.
Student   :   No, sir. There isn’t.

(The Lecture Theatre became very quiet with this turn of events )

Student    :   Sir, you can have Lots of Heat, even More Heat, Superheat, Mega Heat, White Heat, a Little Heat or No Heat.   But we don’t have anything called Cold.  We can hit 458 Degrees below Zero which is No Heat, but we can’t go any further after that.  There is no such thing as Cold.  Cold is only a Word we use to describe the Absence of Heat.   We cannot Measure Cold. Heat is Energy. Cold is Not the Opposite of Heat, sir, just the Absence of it.

(There was Pin-Drop Silence in the Lecture Theatre )

Student    :  What about Darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as Darkness?
Professor :  Yes. What is Night if there isn’t Darkness? You can have Low Light,  Normal Light, Bright Light, Flashing Light . . . But if you have No Light constantly, you have nothing and its called Darkness, isn’t it?  In reality, Darkness isn’t. If it is, were you would be able to make Darkness Darker, wouldn’t you?
Professor :   So what is the point you are making, Young Man ?
Student   :  Sir, my point is your Philosophical Premise is flawed.
Professor :   Flawed ? Can you explain how?
Student    :   Sir, you are working on the Premise of Duality.   You argue there is Life and then there is Death, a Good GOD and a Bad GOD.  You are viewing the Concept of GOD as something finite, something we can measure.  Sir, Science can’t even explain a Thought.   It uses Electricity and Magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one.  To view Death as the Opposite of Life is to be ignorant of the fact that Death cannot exist as a Substantive Thing.   Death is Not the Opposite of Life: just the Absence of it. Now tell me, Professor, do you teach your Students that they evolved from a Monkey?
Professor :   If you are referring to the Natural Evolutionary Process, yes, of course, I do.
Student    :   Have you ever observed Evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shook his head with a Smile, beginning to realize where the Argument was going )

Student    :   Since no one has ever observed the Process of Evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on going  endeavor, Are you not teaching your Opinion, sir? Are you not a Scientist but a Preacher?

(The Class was in Uproar )

Student    :  Is there anyone in the Class who has ever seen the Professor’s Brain?

(The Class broke out into Laughter )

Student    :  Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor’s Brain, Felt it, touched or Smelled it? . . . No one appears to have done so.   So, according to the Established Rules of Empirical, Stable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says that You have No Brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then Trust your Lectures, sir?

(The Room was Silent. The Professor stared at the Student, his face unfathomable)

Professor :   I guess you’ll have to take them on Faith, son.
Student    :  That is it sir . . .  Exactly! The Link between Man & GOD is FAITH. That is all that Keeps Things Alive and Moving.

Knowledge . . . or FAITH.
The student was Albert Einstein.

Yesterday I met an interesting man who lived in Hawaii for a good deal of his life, is a US Navy retired pilot, has written a book about his life and who is a delightful person.  He’s even made a dress for his daughter, years ago.

I’m actively seeking employment and attended a local Job Fair this month.  My new friend, Chuck, is associated with the business offering jobs and he’s going to do what he can to make sure the people who are hiring know about me.

The Villages is a wonderful place.  People here are, for the most part, friendly and definitely care about others.

Chuck, if you are reading this post, HI!!!!

She’s waiting just beyond the middle pond, having come from the bigger lake behind all three ponds…

This place is magical.

That’s all I can say…

Magical

I just watched for the past 13 minutes…the big gator (maybe not the mom, but a sibling? this one is only as big as my leg and about as round as my thigh, not the monster I’ve seen in the past) swam from the end of the retention pond, under the barrier (not sure what to call it), nearly 3/4’s of the way and then submerged.  I watched in vain for the grass to move, but except for some bubbles and one tiny movement of grass, I “lost” sight of the animal and I think it’s gone into the culvert and is on it’s way under the street to the other side of the preserve.

The two, maybe three gators are still on the side of the bank, and one has moved over to another pond…and the one on the culvert got into the water, probably when the big one went into the culvert??

No matter, still magical.

And now, a huge storm is forming to the northwest…it’s clouds about to cover the sun as it sets.  The back porch is covered with a tin roof…hopefully I’ll get to hear the raindrops again…reminds me of the choir thunderstorm (click here) which is amazing if you haven’t heard or seen it before, check it out….

I don’t know if it’s the matted grass from the mowers today, but I can CLEARLY see three baby gators…and what appears to be 2 even smaller baby gators all in the area of center pond…

Stand by for details!!

I’m going out…cover me.

just kidding.