The Sea Above Us

Standing in awe, we were mesmerized by what lay before us. The distant, western edge of the Canadian Rockies rose tall, rugged, barren of trees, and - true to their name - rocky. Below, lesser hills blanketed with deep green velvet forests. Lower still, the rich aquamarine reflection of both in a mirror image spread across a crystal clear, glass-smooth body of water appropriately called Emerald Lake. In the still, crisp, early autumn morning, the silence was truly deafening. Except for one or two early walkers, we were the only ones there, which made the experience all the more memorable.

At the small picnic area along the shore, we paused to read about the site, then squinted through a telescope at the distant spot along a rocky ridge, 1,700 feet above. It was there in the early 1900s that Charles Walcott, third director of the United States Geological Survey, and later, head of the Smithsonian Institution, made a phenomenal discovery.

          Mark A. Wilson

Millions of soft-bodied sea creatures, most never before seen, were forever preserved as fossils in what is now known as the Burgess Shale formation. Walcott spent every summer from 1907 to 1925 in the Rockies, mapping the thick Cambrian formations clear to Banff. Although he shipped his fossils - 65,000 specimens on 30,000 slabs - back to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, his duties there prevented him from studying them in much detail. He did describe most in notes & photographs, but all of this lay in drawers for nearly 50 years, until a modern generation of researchers dusted them off and set to work, beginning in 1973.                                                                  Smith609
                                                                                              

Millions of years ago a calm, shallow sea existed along the edge of a huge, rocky escarpment there. With constant erosion, fine clay mud settled through the water slowly but continuously, gradually building up layers of sediment on the sea floor. Within this nutrient-rich area, a myriad of small, bizarre sea creatures flourished until, around 500 million years ago, they somehow met their demise. Scientists believe that they were buried very quickly and close to where they lived by sudden mudflows, which allowed for very slow decomposition and near-perfect preservation of their forms. On some, they can even discern internal organs and what they ate the day they died!

Keith Schengili-Roberts

What amazes me is the sheer number and diversity of the species found - 170 so far. Ranging from 1 to 12 inches long, many of these ancient creatures had segmented bodies and jointed legs, resembling today’s shrimp or crab. Some looked like weird worms, slugs, or squid. And trilobites, lots and lots of different trilobites. One thing is sure - none of those creatures live on earth today.

Nobu Tamura

Over time, earth has changed significantly and continues to do so today. There is much discussion and controversy over what, exactly, causes these changes. Humans do impact the environment, but as far as we know, none of our kind was around back when the Burgess Shale creatures disappeared in what is now Yoho National Park. Rocks tell us much - but they don’t tell all.

Scorpio 451

And God said, “let the waters teem with living creatures...” So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds... And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas...”      Genesis 1:20-22

For more on the Burgess Shale Formations:

http://www.burgess-shale.bc.ca/discover-burgess-shale

Fossil picture files from Wikimedia Commons

Fungus Among Us

“Do you think we’re nuts for doing this?” I asked my husband as we slowly wound our way uphill through the forest. A short time ago we’d left a little town in British Columbia to find the Cedar Grove Trail, where a rare group of ancient old-growth cedars grew. Rare, that is, for that far inland. Living in Washington, we’d seen ancient cedars before, of course, but these were billed as being spectacular. Besides, we were a bit road-weary and ready for a good hike. The trail was not supposed to be very far; I read the directions carefully – several kilometers out on a paved road, then so many more on an unpaved forest service road, look for certain signs along the way, and so on…

We did find the correct roads and luckily had taken the truck on this trip, as the forest service road was definitely unimproved - really just a narrow track scraped out of the thick woods, full of large rocks, holes and drainage channels. At the final sign (still pointing upward) the road continued to narrow until it was merely a trail itself. Then, the promised wide spot to turn around, and we’d arrived.

Completely alone in this strange territory, I thought we might be nuts. But no, the experience was totally worth it. The sunlight finally breaking through to cast its filtered light among those giants and flicker through the thick understory of ferns and Devil’s Club was icing on the cake. Walking the trail through the grove, my eyes fell upon group after group of large snow-white mushrooms. We had never seen this kind before, but remembered seeing several “mushroom station” signs at area homes, so picking must be popular there. We settled for photographs.

When it comes to mushrooms and other fungi, one needs to be aware. "At ease disease, there's a fungus among us." is an old saying and it is true that some fungi need to be avoided. There are lethal mushrooms as well as toxic molds that have caused serious health problems for those living in houses containing them. Many other fungi are highly beneficial and nutritious – it’s importance to know the difference.

Because fungi contain no chlorophyll, they are unable to make their own food as other plants do. Living off of other (usually dead) organic things, they need moisture but little, if any, light. During the fall, with increased moisture and decreased daylight hours, our local woods and meadows teem with fungi. Most of the ones I see have been nibbled by mice, squirrels, and other creatures that seem to know which are safe to eat. Humans who also know can harvest tasty Morels, Chanterelles, and other treasures. We are not fortunate enough to know which are safe, so pick none, with the exception of one year when Lou taught us how to identify Boletus. This type of mushroom grows all over our back pasture area so we did not have to look far. I cooked them up but cannot say we were particularly fond of them, so have not eaten them since.

 

I do love the taste of most mushrooms, but especially enjoy studying and photographing the fungi found growing in our cool, damp corner of the world. Wandering the woods, keep your eyes on the ground to discover a myriad of exotic and bizarre shapes, colors, and sizes. Some, like the minute Birds’ Nest fungus, look like they belong in a child’s fairytale book; others resemble giant ogres. Don’t forget to look on rotting logs and then raise your eyes – beautiful giant orange shelf fungi are sometimes seen high on dead or dying trees. There’s a whole other world out there, so take note – they’re definitely among us.

He bestows rain

on the earth;

he sends water

upon the countryside.

The lowly

he sets on high,

and those who mourn

are lifted to safety.

Job 5:10-11

Done with Summer

Like a willful child, I am dragged kicking and screaming away from summer. Bright dewy mornings, warm, sunny days, and frog-chorus evenings seem too sweet to leave behind. Wave after wave of color has dotted the landscape as flowers, each in turn, carried out their mission of attracting bird and insect. Fall slowly creeps in and the flowers - mission complete - are brown and dying. Some have stored their summer energy below ground and will rise again in the spring. Others, too tender to survive the winter, will depend upon the seeds they’ve produced to carry on. Just as Spring is the season of awakening, Fall is the time for passing. In an endless cycle, one thing changes to another.

As a child, I missed the carefree, lazy days of summer, but welcomed the crisp, expectant days of a new school year. In the dry Montana clime, leaves turned, dried, and fell. Yards, sidewalks, and boulevards became carpeted with them and their dusty, musky, smell and swishing sound when walked through remain with me still. Raking them before the snows came became a challenge - and a game. One of my favorite things was the making of “leaf houses”. Neighborhood kids would work together, carefully raking leaves into lines, forming imaginary walls of a gigantic mansion. Breaks in the lines became doors and windows, with intricate details telling you which was which. Equally intricate rules accompanied the various games we’d play around and within these houses. Woe be the kid who didn’t enter the house properly - through the “door”!

Other times we’d each make our own house, playacting as we visited each other and showed off our various “rooms”. Well-appointed homes were complete with leaf-pile “chairs”, “sofas” and “beds”. Designing and creating one of those dream homes took up hours of after-school time and sometimes a whole weekend. There was, of course, risk involved in this activity. An ill-timed windstorm or vengeful bully might easily destroy it all in a single evening, leaving nothing but scattered piles strewn across yards. After that, raking totally became a chore.

With frenzied days of growing, producing, reproducing, and storing nearly past, there is a collective sigh and tentative easing. It’s as if the entire plant world says “ENOUGH - time to rest.” Or, perhaps - “I’m done.” We could learn something here, I think...

Sunlight in Fall has a special, crystal quality unseen in summer. It is a good time to stop, take a deep breath and a close look at the world around us and our part in it. Could be it’s a time to sit back and rest; maybe regroup and shift gears. Maybe it’s time to close a chapter on some area of our life and then open another.

Bask in the waning rays and some silence, then listen to your soul. Winds and rains come, risk is everywhere, and the rules of life’s game are complicated. But there are doors that are open, a house that can’t be destroyed, and you’re always welcome.

“The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God stands forever."
Isaiah 40:7-8

Expected Yield

Time is turning, inching slowly

from summer, warm and lazy,

toward autumn, crisp and bold.

Spring seeds planted,
lying dormant,
warmed within the fertile earth,
waited for gentle rain.

Sprouts took root,
grew quickly,
tender shoots turned thick and tall,
initial wonder turned to worry:

Growing too fast, too big,
Running out of room.
Underneath, the stems are weak,
Maybe they’ll never bloom.
Big enough, let’s prune it back,

Let’s just let it be.

Ever see one this shape?

Size doesn’t matter to me.

It seems to be a bumper crop,

needs body, heart and soul,

working team that pulls as one.

Row by row, we must move

from lingering daydreams and promises

toward shortening, crisping realities.

Time is turning, marching forward
from seedlings, feeble or strong,
toward harvest, brass or gold.

Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming.

See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop
and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.
You, too, be patient and stand firm,
because the Lord’s coming is near.
Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged.

The Judge is standing at the door!

James 5:7-9

(People seem to fret a lot about CHANGE -

some adjust well,

others do not. 

There usually is a lot of grumbling throughout the process. I wrote this one year as our church was going through a series of "growing pains"...)

Night Owl Thoughts

I have always been a night owl. As a child, there were many times when I did not want to go to bed. I enjoyed hearing the quiet evening drone of adult conversations and stories, even as my eyelids drooped and my head nodded. There was no TV or computer to compete with and even long telephone conversations were rare, so evening entertainment was live and on the spot. Being an active child, with an equally active imagination, my sleep was filled with dreams, some of which were scary. To avoid those, I learned to put off going to sleep as long as I could. Night can be a frightening time for a child.

In college, studying was easier for me late at night, away from the noise and activity that comes with living with a lot of other people. During weekends and holidays, late evenings were spent with friends. At that time girls had a curfew, so when my husband and I were dating he’d bring me home on time, then we’d resume our date on the phone - often into the wee hours of the morning. During the summers my family gathered at the cabin on the lake and we spent evenings visiting and catching up on each others’ lives. If the night was calm and clear, we’d gather on the beach around a fire, or huddle under old quilts on the porch. Nothing compares to a crystal-clear nighttime sky where there are no city lights to dim the brilliant stars and moon.

Adulthood brought other realities. Married less than a year, I spent sleepless nights alone while my husband was clear across the country getting basic training with the Air Force reserves. In the dark I paced the floor of our small home in rural Colorado until flashes of lightning and booming thunder subsided, fearing the fires they might bring. With a child there were late-night trips to an on-call doctor for severe ear infections and waiting up for an errant or runaway teen. Aging parents with their own worries, fears and illnesses led to more sleepless nights. In the quiet and dark, with none of the usual daytime distractions, thoughts and emotions have free rein.

But there is another, less worrisome, side to the night where quiet and darkness become your friend. Concentration and creativity can be sharpened, as can problem-solving and laying of plans. The night is so alive if we only pay attention and be patient. Bats flutter about at dusk, snatching insects in midair. Fish rise to the surface to feed. Mice, voles, shrews, opossums, and raccoons scurry about in search of food, some of which they find beneath our bird feeders. On rare occasions we’ve seen an elusive western flying squirrel perched in one, happily nibbling away. Our streets become animal freeways at night. Lying awake, I’ve heard the distinctive yips and howls of coyotes and the eerie hooting of an owl. We rarely see the deer, but know they steal in to munch on rose, mountain ash and cherry leaves.

Gazing up at Orion, Cassiopeia, the Big Dipper, and other constellations as they slowly rotate about Polaris, we are awed with the magnitude of the night sky in all its glory. Paddling a small boat on a silent lake while a brilliant full moon rises, humbles us and brings us closer to God - for we are never alone in the night.

I rise before dawn and cry for help;
      I have put my hope in your word.
My eyes stay open through the watches of the night,
      that I may meditate on your promises.
Hear my voice in accordance with your love;
      preserve my life, O Lord, according to your laws.
            Isaiah 119: 147 - 149

Come Out of the Shell

They are superb hiding places - rock-hard, camouflaged, with a maze-like interior. Lying beneath the water, it’s hard to tell what’s inside, if anything. You must pick them up, peer inside, and even then it’s hard to be sure. As I often tell children, when the shell releases easily, there is likely a hermit crab inside. If it is firmly attached, it’s probably a snail.

The snail, of course, is the original owner, having formed the shell with its body from calcium, carbon, and other elements of the sea. It was not born with the shell, having begun life as a bit of microscopic, free-swimming plankton. Only later, when it had grown to be barely visible to the human eye, did it begin to resemble a snail and form the shell. Securely fastened to the smooth interior, it can never leave - it simply makes the shell larger and larger to accommodate its growing body. When threatened by a predator, or left high and dry by the ebbing tide, it can pull its entire body up into the shell. Then as an added measure of protection, it closes a special “trap door”, sealing itself inside until it is safe to come out. This hard, flat, dark brown piece of shell is otherwise carried atop the rear of the fleshy foot that it crawls on.

The hermit crab has a different situation altogether. It, too, begins life as microscopic plankton, but as it grows it eventually forms a hard exoskeleton just like other crabs do - except for its tail, which remains soft. This whimpy, sideways-curved little body part needs protection, so the hermit crab goes searching. An empty snail shell fits the bill perfectly; its spiral shape allows the soft little tail to bend to its curve and hold on tight! With its otherwise hardened body, the hermit crab easily lifts the shell, toting it along wherever it crawls. But whenever it grows too big, it must go in search of a new shell. When it feels threatened, it also can withdraw its body inside, but has no door to seal itself in. Not to worry - it has another method. It blocks the door with one or both of its nasty little pincers, easily repelling most would-be attackers.

When life gets tough, and hurts, some people also retreat into their own kind of “shell”. Being cold and standoffish is one way; acting belligerent and hard-to-approach is another. Some become hardened and picky; others simply slam the door shut and refuse to let anyone in. We all know people we can never get close to, no matter how hard we try. My husband's only brother, seven years his junior, abandoned the entire family over 35 years ago. No explanation was ever given and, although we know where he is, every attempt at communication has been rejected. Everyone was wounded by this - his parents most of all. Being human, we always want an answer. None has come.

I can see what a good hiding place a shell is - satin smooth inside, hard and formidable out. But I think it’s not a very comfortable or healthy place for us to be, heavy, hard and cold as it is. There is only room for one inside a shell - perhaps that’s why we were never meant to live in one.

You are my hiding place;
       you will protect me from trouble
       and surround me with songs of deliverance.
                        Psalm 22:7

Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord,
       For I hide myself in you.
Teach me to do your will,
       for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
       lead me on level ground.
                      Psalm 143:9 - 10

Sparks on the Tongue

Photo by Mila Zinkova - Mbz1 at en.wikipedia

Once again, I caught myself saying something that I wish I hadn’t. And once again I learned - it was too late to take it back. The good thing is that as I get older, I’m more aware than ever of what comes out of my mouth, especially about others. The bad news is I continue to spout off and who knows when the spark will catch fire?

Two summers ago we drove through parts of Yellowstone National Park and I was, yet again, truly amazed. The scenery, wildlife, paint pots, and geysers are all impressive, but I revel in the sight of thousands of sturdy young evergreens covering vast tracts of land. The last time we were there was four years ago, when I was able to stand among them - they were finally taller than I am.

MrBell for the Bureau of Land Management

We were also there in 1988, a horrific year for forest fires, with thousands of acres aflame throughout Yellowstone and the west in general. We were only passing through on our way to visit family elsewhere, but were held at the entrance until a long line of cars formed, then escorted through by an official car. There were strict rules that year - keep all windows up and NO stopping. It was eerie driving through that cemetery of charred trees, the ground smoldering like a gigantic inferno. The newspapers and nightly news screamed that it would never be the same and many people believed that. The fires that burned the trees also cracked open their cones, releasing their seeds to grow in the ash-enriched soil. New life took hold and today a young, healthy forest is replacing much of the old. But, it’s taken over twenty years.

Another wildfire was more personal. Years ago, my family had a cabin on a lake where we spent weekends and had a once-a-year family gathering. After one weekend there, I went with my older sister to spend the night with her before she took me home later. That evening, a TV news story caught our attention. Out near the cabin, the local bar and grill had been burning paper trash when a wind came up. Sparks from the burn barrel were blown into dry grass, which fueled a quickly-spreading fire. Their small garden hose was useless against the wind-driven flames and they watched helplessly as the fire leapt into the surrounding trees. This forest fire raged on the screen across country that was very familiar to us. The next day we drove out to view the damage. Because of the wind’s direction the fire missed our cabin and others in the area, but its damage was extensive, leaving acres of blackened trees in its wake. It’s disarming enough when fire comes so close to damaging what you hold dear, but there was something else - we also had burned trash behind our cabin. We had hosed down the ashes very well, making sure all trace of fire was out before we left, but we also knew we might just have been lucky. We never burned again.

Bcasterline

 So it is with words - play with fire and it is only a matter of time. Undoing the damage can take a long time.

...Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

      All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

      With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be...

James 3:5 -10

Fire picture files from Wikimedia Commons