Curious things in nature

We have this 'pesky' vine that takes over a corner of the yard every summer:
Passion Fruit Vine.  Beautiful leaves on a lonnnnnnnnnnng vine and the most unusual blossoms I've ever seen.

I feel disrespectful to say God has a sense of humor, but I can say that of me, cuz' this flower is humerous to me.  We'll soon see bright green fruit the size of a lime hanging where this blossom is now.
Another humerous sight is the flowering vine growing out of the fork of a tree I encountered on my morning walk.

How did the seed get in there?  Did the breeze blow enough dirt into the crack, two feet up from the ground?  And then did a bird drop a seed onto the fertile North Carolina soil? 
I've been memorizing Psalm 1 (for about 2 years...slow at memorizing).  One line says the wicked are like the chaff the wind blows away.  That tells me our Creator uses many agents to create wonders like this for me to watch.
He tickles my curiosity often.

Upcoming Wedding

One of my grandaughters is planning for her wedding on Sept. 1.  Her aunt (my 3rd daughter) hosted the wedding shower last Saturday.  Shower gifts have changed over the many years since I've attended, though the activities were similar:  games, food, gift opening.
Another mother and I were comparing present day showers with those of our own, our daughter's and now our grandaughter's.  Most of the young wives I know are working at two or three part-time jobs, involved in sports, aren't ready to decorate a home they own, etc.
She said they often just continue their 'dorm' way of life:
-sit on the floor or sofa in front of the TV to eat
-eat more carry-out or fast food right from the bag
-eat only when hungry (famished?) rather than at regular, set mealtimes

We shared how not many know how to cook when they leave home, so have no need for cooking utensils or kitchen gadgets.  I don't say all this to criticize, but just to say it's really changed since I was a young bride.
Here's some of the photos I took:

Garden update

Remember I said you could watch my garden progress (or lack thereof)?
I got the urge to make pickles for the first time...I love to eat pickles, but not to pay the high price...well, let me tell you:  making them is NOT cheap!
Here is the lovely green vine today:

Now, remember, I planted this in May...had blossoms and bees, but NO cucumbers!  What the heck is wrong?? 
Well, today I actually found ONE.  See how it looks? 

Since I was determined to make pickles, I went to the Farmer's Mkt. yesterday, bought cucumbers (and lots of other expensive ingredients) and made these:

Let's see...the cukes were $5, the vinegar and sugar was over $1, the special BREAD AND BUTTER pickle spice mix was $2.  I had the jars and onion.

So, it looks like it was about $4 per quart...but wait a minute!  They shrunk up and are floating.  The slices filled the jar yesterday, but today they're floating like a dead fish!  (So, it really turned out to be only 1 quart total). I snuck a taste today and they're pretty good.  Spice mix pkg. says to wait 3 weeks...um,m,m...I don't think they'll last.

Here's the pkg. I used; says it will make 2 quarts.

In Numbers 11:5, Moses tells us the Hebrews also liked cucumbers; this almost sounds like a recipe for some mighty fine pickles.

We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:

the country is an oven

Went for my walk at 8 a.m.!~~already 80*, 82% humidity...going for feel temp of 109* today.  And it's been that way for a month (have you noticed?)
Here in Raleigh, it's green with lovely blossoms, but I'm praying for the Midwest.  High hopes during planting, but all is burned up now.  And the whole country will pay for it in the coming months.
from NYT today:
"... jet became stuck in asphalt that had softened in 100-degree temperatures, and a subway train derailed after the heat stretched the track so far that it kinked — inserting a sharp angle into a stretch that was supposed to be straight."
 "In the Chicago area, a twin-unit nuclear plant had to get special permission to keep operating this month because the pond it uses for cooling water rose to 102 degrees; its license to operate allows it to go only to 100. According to the Midwest Independent System Operator, the grid operator for the region, a different power plant had had to shut because the body of water from which it draws its cooling water had dropped so low that the intake pipe became high and dry; another had to cut back generation because cooling water was too warm."
I'm so thankful for RETIREMENT and a family that keeps our home cool and comfortable.  God is so good!

I don't say I'm 'a creature of habit', but I do have a morning routine that I follow almost each morning.
coffee--email--headlines--CHALLIES.COM.
Tim Challies is a young pastor I've followed daily for two or three years.  This quote struck me today, the second day of an interview with R.C. Sproul:
"...though I plan to live forever, I plan to change my address at some point and not be here."
Yup!  it's my plan also.  Well said, R.C.

see the entire interview at: http://www.challies.com/interviews/an-interview-with-rc-sproul-part-2#more

I'm so thankful for air conditioning in our home.  The temps are 'outta control' the last month.  I easily remember when most cars didn't even have a/c and most people were cooled by fans...home, church, workplace, school, department stores.  Today I luxuriate in cool air everywhere. 
Thank You, Lord!

Here's my 'rabbit trail' for today:
I was reading my daily devotion from Ann Spangler in my email.  She quoted Gen. 21:33, "Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba...".  Then I went to John Gill to read his comments, "thinks it may be the tree in Arabic they call ethel and is like a tamarisk in general, any large tree."
Then, that reminded me of the 'old-timey' names from my childhood.
My grandmother had a sister named ETHEL and her own name was MYRTLE, another type of tree.  I thought, also, of other family/friend names from nature.  Aunt Rose, cousin Pearl, a lady named Goldie...my sister, Sharon~~~we have a yard full of Rose of Sharon....and on it goes.
You don't hear those old names much anymore, unless the owner of the name is old too.  Or recalls the old names...as I am doing.
Do a TREE search sometime and see the thousands of trees God has blessed us with on earth.  I came to the SYCAMORE...it is a type of fig tree,  often has a height of 50 ft., with an enormous trunk.  The timber is of fair quality and was much valued in ancient times (1 Kings 10:27; 2 Chronicles 1:15; 9:27; Isaiah 9:10). Mummy cases and many of the best preserved wooden utensils of ancient Egyptian life are made of it.
Well, I could go on, but I'll let you do your own investigation.  Saving more for another day.

Uh, oh...I'm off on another 'rabbit trail'.  Saw some verses today about taking the tithes into the STOREHOUSE.  In Nehemiah, Jeremiah, Malachi, etc., and I got to thinking about what was tithed...well, it was a tenth of whatever was their main crop.  Whether grain, dried fruit, honey, donkeys, whatever... Malachi 3:10 says, "Bring the full tithe into the storehouse..."
I always thought the word storehouse meant the temple, but today I did some searching and found there were storehouses all over the land.  Much like guarded warehouses.  That makes sense to me; how could the temple keepers accept thousands of goats or donkeys, barrels of honey, kegs of wine.  And who would care for all this?
An old book on Bible Manners and Customs by James Freeman says there were cisterns and buildings for holding all this.  Sometimes two or three hundred of these together, the smallest holding four hundred bushels.  David also had a "storehouse in the field"; some granaries were also barns.
And it required hundreds of guards to keep watch.  One account I read said that where there were huge piles of grain, they were covered with thorny branches to discourage animals and thieves.
That's all I have to share with you today.  Stay cool...it got to 101* here today.  How about where you live??