Yesterday I was taking apart my rototiller to see if it was fixable in my backyard. Now I have created my back yard to be like a miniature forest. In the northeast corner of the yard lives a Red leaf Maple and a Locust and a Chinese Train a Doug Fir 3 Horse Chesnut trees, 2 or 3 Azaleas and several other shrubs and shade loving varieties plants plus I never clean up the leaf litter or the broken branches that have fallen and so it is very dense and dark and the squirrels and birds and other critters like to play there.

So there I was working on the tiller when I felt this little wet nose push up against the back of the calf of my leg and and I assume it is one of my cats being affectionate. So I set down the wrench and reach down to apply the proper return of affection which is a scratch between the ears and to my surprise the fur was wrong. Which in turn caused me to actually look at whom it was I was petting and it was a Momma Possum with 4 baby possums attached to her.
So I said “Well hello there Momma, nice little brood you have there.” Her response was to step forward and nuzzle my leg again and allow me the privilege to scratch her head. Then they went to my compost pile and rummaged through the compost looking for choice morsels and of course worms. Then all the kids climb back on Mom and they toddled off to the Black Locus and climbed up to where Mom had made their home.
So once again the verse from Romans the 8th chapter which says that the whole of creation awaits with great expectation the revealing of the sons/daughters of God.
Are you revealed yet?

Yesterday while Steve preached and Yvan did her Art studio I went on an adventure. In the back of the truck was my Classifier and a bucket and a shovel and I went looking for a stream. I ended up at the Sandy River out in Troutdale. So I was walking the bank to see if I could spot a good place and soon found one and began my Classifying.

On about my 4th shovel load I glanced up to see 4 pairs of feet. Two sheriff deputies and a couple of rescue guys in wet suits. Thinking I was violating some rule I stopped and said I had read there prohibited sign and didn’t see anything about what I was doing. But my fear was soon set aside. It seems they had all watched the gold mining shows on TV but had never met anyone who actually did it. And so with an audience I filled my bucket.

However none volunteered to help me lug it back to the truck…So now the classified material is at home and now I get to try out my sluice……..and claim all my gold…..heh heh heh!

There is a young couple up the street who just moved into the apartments at the top of our street. They have this little dog and when they go for a walk they sometimes stop and chat if I am out in the yard. They are sci-fi fans and in particular they really like Tolkien and Lewis. But of late they have been reading the Harry Potter series together.

This morning Becca was heading to work and I was feeding the cats and she said “Hi!” and then said in a quieter voice “Can I tell you something?”

“Sure,” I responded.

“Don’t take this wrong way,” she started, “but Bart” (her hubby) “and I think it would be really cool if you were to wear a robe like a monks robe. You are always so kind to the people in the neighborhood and even the animals like you. You remind us of a combination Gandolf the Grey and Dumbledore and St Francis.” Then she concluded with “Well its just a thought and we think it would be really cool.”

Later as I was thinking about all that Becca had said I came to the conclusion that they might have said I reminded them of Hagrid……