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Archive for April, 2017

Three Box Turtles

Posted in 2017 Spring Gobbler Season, Wildlife on April 29, 2017| Leave a Comment »

This morning was the first morning for the 2017 Spring Gobbler Season in Pennsylvania. Of course I was to be in the  woods!

Immediately as I trekked diagonally along the hill’s side the aroma of honeysuckle permeated my nostrils. The sky was darkened due to the time (5:10 A.M.) and cloudy cover. Lightening was happening south of my position. I would hear a little thunder off and on during the day, as well.      

My plan for this first day was to station myself on the flat and listen and call sporadically. At 5:30, the crows began to caw immediately behind me. Their raucous grew in intensity over the next half hour. A little after 6:00 A.M. I did hear a gobble way across a hollow. He gobbled occasionally for a time. I had hoped the big bird might venture to my side of the hill. I elected to not go after him because it was the first morning and I realized others may hear him and move in first. I told myself to stay put and wait to see what may happen.

Prior to dawn several deer came to me close and snorted. I could barely see them in the morning  gloom.                                      

   Eventually, I heard two gobbles in the opposite direction. This bird was even farther. I would circle the area after ten, but I couldn’t stir up his lust. While waiting I spent some time sketching for some possible paintings.

Now, as I walked along I came across a Box Turtle. I always look forwards to see one and I seldom hunt a spring without finding a turtle. I moved on and discovered another Box turtle. This feller was very orange and very colorful indeed. A little farther along I found a third Box Turtle. I thought what are the odds for finding three Box Turtles in about an hour of time. If I would walked fifteen feet in any direction all three of these turtles could easily be missed. I felt blessed to find them.

I would eventually circle around, but I failed to hear anymore gobbling birds. I was at the jeep prior to noon and by the time I returned home the rains came.  

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Push And Shove

Posted in My Art on April 24, 2017| 2 Comments »

A few months ago I found a couple of sketches featuring Wild Turkeys.  I almost pitched them out, but hesitated. I decided I should paint the one sketch. I began to redraw and plan the discovered sketch and the 18 X 24 acrylic painting called, “PUSH AND SHOVE’ became the result.

PUSH AND SHOVE

 Drawing on prepared Masonite.

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Scouting For Turkeys!

Posted in Misc. Nature, Uncategorized, Wildflowers, Wildlife on April 24, 2017| Leave a Comment »

  I was out for a couple of mornings over the last few days. The purpose was to complete several things. One was to listen for   gobblers. Another was to take photos of spring and various things of spring. One more item was to search for the elusive Morel Mushroom.                                       

I really enjoy this time of the year. The rejuvenation of the woodlands always inspires me. I have hope when I see the greens and yellows explode with new leaves and vegetation. Of course, those who know me understand how I appreciate the numerous and varied wildflowers. they have been emerging with rapid growth.

  A recent morning was foggy, but the turkeys were already down. I walked up on two and later walked into about eight birds. I

Non-native: Mustard Garlic

crossed a very steep and deep ravine because the White Trilliums are thick enough to almost resemble snow. I wanted to observe.  Wild Leek is common in places. Other flowers were the rue Anemones; Spring Beauties and Purple Trilliums.                                                                    

As I reached the opposite hillside I could hear a hen yelping behind where I had come down over the hollow. I called some when I heard a distant gobble in a field behind me. I would ease to the field’s edge and see what I could find. I saw three toms and one hen way out in the field. Occasional gobbles came from these birds.                                                                                          

I would find eight Morels but I only picked four since some were small. I failed to find any others as I traveled about. 

This morning was at another locale and was saddened at first when I failed to hear any gobbling. A dark cloud bank was coming in from the south and I believed that darkness may be interfering with the turks.  However, two Canada geese flew through honking away and their noise caused a distant gobbler to explode twice.

I walked a field and heard nothing as I watched the sun sneak from the east. I walked back the same way planning to turn into an area with vines to   search for morels when one tom gobbled close. I entered the tree line to observe the field. Another gobbler, and yet another began gobbling to my left. The bird up front crossed the field to the other two gobblers. I watched them exit the field. Back to morel hunting. I found only one!

  In another area from where the other turkeys were I could a gobbler. Soon, A couple of more gobblers joined in.                                                                              

I set down and enjoyed their singing. Some of us consider gobbling to be musical!

I continued circling around and watched two Great-Horned Owls flying about. I managed one photo albeit the quality isn’t the best.

Virginia Bluebells

As promised I needed to go my cousin’s place to help with his fish pond. I brought to my creek about seven frogs.

  While traveling I saw three longbeards and a hen and. later six turkeys far off in a field. I would see four deer today and a couplemof squirrels.                                                                                      

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Beautiful Morning

Posted in Hikes, Misc. Nature, Wildflowers on April 18, 2017| Leave a Comment »

  I need to ask how one can be so stupid! I filled up my hands and began walking down the slope to fish. I

Dutchman’s Breeches

stooped to pick up a worm that was on the dry trail and realized I had forgotten my fishing license. How stupid is that?

 

 

Immediately I turned to plan B. I was going to fish a few hours before hiking along with taking photos. I drove to the site I had planned to walk and it was still only about 6:30 A.M. The sun was up and the atmospheric conditions were perfect. My bad luck of forgetting my fishing license allowed  for

Spring Beauty

some great photos.

  The route I took to hike was covered with early spring wildflowers. Spring Beauties; Dutchman’s Breeches; Rue Anemones; Violets and others could be found in plentiful numbers. Trilliums were soon to bloom. The Skunk Cabbage was growing quickly.

Rue Anemone

I searched for morels at times, but failed to see any of those morsels.

  I saw some Gray Squirrels and one Fox squirrel. I saw Great Blue herons and Belted Kingfishers. I sat down on a log to enjoy the beauty when I noticed  movement in the air. A mature bald eagle landed about seventy-five yards from me and began to make shrill calls. I took a couple of photos even though I knew the photos wouldn’t be the best quality. I saw an immature eagle flying. I heard gobblers off in the distance occasionally.

Wild Leek

I saw some Canada Geese at times and some unidentifiable waterfowl, too.

The four hour hike ended as the sun was making much heat. I elected to stop and visit my friend J Kip Feroce at his camp. he was there and surprised to see me. We planned some spring gobbler hunts.

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Thoughts on the Crucifixion and Resurrection Time Frame

Posted in Spiritual on April 14, 2017| Leave a Comment »

THOUGHTS ON THE CRUCIFIXION AND RESURRECTION TIME FRAME

by Larry A. Smail

As early as my late teens, I began to question how anyone may add up the time from a Friday crucifixion and late day burial to a Sunday morning resurrection as three days, and three nights. Of course, I elected to remain quiet on these thoughts for fear of being stupid, and uninformed. After all, the world honors Christ’s death on Good Friday with Easter on Sunday morning. I must not be understanding something!

These thoughts would surface from time to time usually around the Easter season. However, I began studying for answers. One argument I heard was that the Jews counted even a small amount of time on any given day as a “day”. I didn’t buy it! This, to me, sounded like someone trying to make the traditional Easter time frames fit into their traditional beliefs. I needed to study scripture.

Let’s look at some scripture to discuss this most important event for true Christianity.

Matthew 12: 38-40 Some of the scribes, and Pharisees said to Jesus, “Teacher we wish to see a sign from you.” Jesus answered them, “An evil, and adulterous generation seeks a sign; BUT no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days, and three nights in the belly of the fish, so will the Son of Man be three days, and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

There you have Christ’s own words concerning the only sign needed to prove who he was, and is! This language occurs several other places in the Bible. The only sign to be given was to be Jesus in the tomb for three days, and three nights. So, who am I, to say any other words other than Christ’s own words as to the importance of this sign!!!

Why is this sign so important? That time frame would guarantee without question that Jesus was truly dead! Skeptics would jump at a lesser time. They would state Jesus wasn’t actually dead only unconscious, and other fallacies.

WHAT WE KNOW FROM SCRIPTURE

Matthew 27: 45: Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. The sixth hour would be noon, and the ninth hour would be 3:00 in the afternoon. The Jews began a “day” at 6:00 A.M. our time to 6:00 P.M. Night was 6:00 P.M. to 6:00 A.M. This is important to remember!)

Matthew 27: 50:  And Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit around the ninth hour. (3:00 P.M. our time)

John 19: 31:  Since it was the day of Preparation of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Passover events the Jews did not wish any of the bodies remaining on the cross over the Sabbath time. Joseph of Arimathea requested of Pilate to remove Jesus’ body before sunset. (This annual Sabbath was a high Sabbath, and can occur any day of the week. IMPORTANT! Preparation of this Sabbath had to occur prior to the evening sunset.)

Matthew 27: 57: When it was evening… Joseph of Arimathea requested permission for Jesus’ body… and placed him in a tomb, and the tomb was sealed. (This would take some time to accomplish to beat the quickly coming High Sabbath beginning at sunset.

John 20: 1: (all 4 gospels) Now on the 1st day of the week…  (Sunday is the 1st day of the week, and we know the women went to the tomb early on the 1st day of the week)

To allow for the 3 days, and 3 nights, as told by Jesus Himself the high Sabbath would need to be on a Thursday of that year.

Jesus, to fulfill His own promise, could have been resurrected anytime after Saturday’s (Weekly Sabbath) sunset. (The weekly Sabbath occurs Friday evening at sunset, and lasts until Saturday at sunset.)

The above mentioned facts are known from scripture, and Jewish culture, and law. The best way to determine that time frame is begin counting back from the early Sunday morning visit to the tomb. The tomb was already empty at that early time of the day.

2.

                    

 

CRUCIFIXTION & RESURRECTION

TIMELINE CHART

____________________________________________________

WEDNESDAY           THURSDAY              FRIDAY           SATURDAY

___________________________________________________

Cross, burial                   DAY 1                       DAY 2                 DAY 3

 

______________________________________________________________________________

NIGHT 1                       NIGHT 2                    NIGHT 3             Resurrection

 

______________________________________________________________________________

Jesus, to fulfill scripture would have been resurrected at sunset after the weekly Sabbath. Burial occurred just prior to sunset on Wednesday evening to beat the Annual High Sabbath. The Passover feast days, along with two Jewish Sabbaths would not allow the women to show up prior to Sunday morning. Jesus became the Passover Lamb at this time. The time frame insured Jesus would be in the tomb for three days, and three nights to fulfill prophecy.

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Walking With Sadness

Posted in Hikes, Misc. Nature, My Family on April 8, 2017| 2 Comments »

  The day was shaping up into a nice typical spring day. I headed east to go for a hike, but while traveling through Whitesburg, Pennsylvania, I felt an urge to pull into the Whitesburg United Methodist Church. I checked the mirror and quickly turned right into their drive.

I began a slow walk with memorial tombstones on all sides. I picked up a deer antler and placed the “horn” on top of Bob Hudson’s stone. Bob was married to my sister and was killed in a work-related accident in 1987. He was only 31.  The memories started to flow!  The slow gait witnessed my great-grandparent homemade stone. I had never met them. My very own grandparents were here, too. Great uncles and great aunts, cousins and friends all have found their last resting place within these hallowed grounds. Aunts and uncles are resting here.

Finally I arrived at a special memorial stone. The Stars and Stripes hangs beside the stone telling all the person buried at this site was a veteran. The    man name is Allen K. Smail. He was my father passing away on father’s day 1999. I cleaned up around the marker removing many blown leaves that had rested there with him.  Silent words were spoken and some mist in the eyes formed during our talk.  I miss him!

Bloodroot

To my right a small stone is setting. This small stone is for  my sister, Glenna Mae Smail who passed away in infancy in 1962. Many thought bounced around my brain wondering the usual “what ifs.” Would I have had nieces and nephews if she would have survived into womanhood?  I like to think she would have grown into a beautiful woman living a life of joy. Of course, I’ll never know these answers.

I was sad! I continued to walk on familiar grounds to think. I would take a hike along hills and hollows near and around Cherry Run. This area is a place where memories abound for I played, hunted, fished and hiked everywhere.

The woodlands are yet to show much new and refreshed vegetation. I noticed Coltsfoot flowers all over. I had seen my first Coltsfoot of the season way back in February since we witnessed much warmth at the time. Other flowers present were the Spring Beauty and Bloodroot.  Skunk Cabbage is doing well despite recent cold weather.                                      

I saw one deer this day.

Wednesday morning I listened for gobblers at a different place very early and heard none. By 6:30 A.M. I dark cloud bank enveloped the entire area. This may have dampened turkey talk. However, while traveling home in mid-morning I would see a flock of about 15-18 in a field. The clouds had allowed the sun to filter through by mid-morning. I saw six deer.

 

Goldfinch

A Cooper’s Hawk was soaring low through the woods and came to about twelve feet before noticing me and abruptly changing the course of flight.I was blessed to hear and courtship ritual of a Woodcock during the moments at dawn.

I stopped and surprised my mother on the way home.

 

My mother, Ruth Smail Miller

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