“As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.”
Psalm 103:13 ESV
Happy Father’s Day to everyone. It was another rainy week, but some clearing allowed the waxing gibbous moon to make an appearance. I’m not suggesting there is an image of a circus animal beneath the moon, but remembering the comments from last week, and how those imaginations were running wild…maybe there is one?
After being married almost 13 years, God blessed us with Seth. We are so grateful. There is something very special about an only son, as you might guess. I think he gains a little every year in the difference of our heights…he isn’t still growing, I am shrinking!
We often call these our “little people”. The little people love their daddy!
This crew honored me by allowing me to join them in the photo. Doctors told Pam and me not to expect any children, but they were wrong. And now we not only have one, but 1+4. God does amazing things!
Father’s Day can be a hard one for various reasons. Perhaps distance makes it impossible to spend time together, or maybe your father is no longer living. For Pam, the first Fathers’s Day without her dad is a difficult and emotional time. Pawpaw was the epitome of what God intended for a father. He is truly missed daily by Pam and her brother. He was also the dad everyone wished they had. Whether father-in-law, grandfather, or great grandfather, he was by all accounts, “father to all”. Even in the midst of such sadness, a dad like Pawpaw is a blessing and something to rejoice over!
It was June, 2003, and Pam had just become the owner of a Limited Edition, 007 Thunderbird. Pawpaw was absolutely thrilled to jump in the low-on-the-ground, 2 seater with Pam and ride to Douglasville, Georgia to visit friends. She remembers he had the best time, even though it took some effort for a tall guy to settle into the passenger seat! So glad they saved the memory with a photo!
We spotted a sea of purple near a roadside and I felt compelled to stop and get in the middle of it to find out what it was and get some photos. It turned out to be…
…phlox. I believe it was worth stopping for!
Since the Chandler Mountain, Horse Pens 40 rocks brought a lot of imaginings to the surface last week we decided to show you a couple more. I have never seen anything quite like this. The rock kinda looks like a tulip but the amazement of that tree which at some point years ago began to grow over the edge of the rock and continued to grow is astounding. I’ve seen trees grow around a lot of things over time, like fence wire for example, but this is a new one on me!
After realizing many of you envisioned things last week that we had not seen, I decided to investigate further into what might be lurking amongst the rocks. I present to you a wild boar. It’s easier to see if you can first locate the eye. And it could be that a bear is napping at the base of the “boar rock”?
I wandered behind the house into an open area along a utility easement to see what the dominant colors were for early June. Topping a hill I saw a lot of yellow. Greater tickseed, a coreopsis in the daisy/sunflower family was everywhere. It is native to the southeast.
A closer look at the tickseed…A very similar member of the sunflower family, hairy sunflower, grows in the same places as the tickseed, but is not blooming yet.
Growing alongside the tickseed were dozens of Black-eyed Susans. They tend to be slightly more on the side of golden in color and that dark brown center is distinct.
I like to surprise the grands by placing metal creatures in the garden. I add a new one every now and and then. Metal frogs, bees, lizards, lady bugs and the like, all oversized except for this one, which is very undersized. This is my latest addition, WL loves dinosaurs. But one of the garden visitors is part of an ongoing story, a mystery, a drama, whereby more unfolds every week.
Don’t you love the imaginations of children! And, it is good for us all to sometimes venture into fairy tale land. We read stories with the grands and watch things like Cinderella and they love it. But I have a habit of creating my own stories for the grands, making them up as I go and coming up with an idea “out of the blue”, as the saying goes. One particular story has been ongoing for several months with new developments each week. It seems Pirate Joe has turned his life around and now fishes and works hard for a living. He has spotted a beautiful princess riding her horse on an island he visits. He has sought permission from her Father, the king, to meet her. EM and EK have prepared drawings of the castle and a reply for Pirate Joe, sealed these in an envelope, and placed them on our tropical bird who is our message bearer. It is a very long story, but the girls are having so much fun with it, not to mention the story teller!
Some of my garden critters have been around a few years, so they are faded and a little rusty. But to keep them relevant and interesting to the kids, I bring them out at different times and hide them in new places. The frog took Pam by surprise when he suddenly appeared as she stepped around a large pot of flowers (which I promptly heard about). In spite of the episode, he earned a spot in today’s blog!
This colony is a testimony as to how rainy it has been around our neck of the woods. When the fungi are thriving in a normally very sunny place, a lot of clouds and water have made it possible.
How about a pollen shower! This bee had so much pollen on him that it seemed he was struggling to fly. I observed for a while and he was having the best time!
A cloud wearing a crown. So many wonderful sights in the heavens.
Have a great Father’s Day and a peaceful week as we welcome the Summer Solstice (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere)!
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8 ESV
Linking with:
Pieced Pastimes, Between Naps on the Porch, Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home,
Life and Linda
Butch, Happy Father’s Day to you and Seth! I have thought of Pam and Mike many times this week, knowing that this Father’s Day will be especially hard for them, and for all of you. Your post is so precious, and the photos of the grands especially so. Have a peaceful day, knowing that your memories will sustain you through the “firsts” of these special days. Love to all.
Thank you Patti. We appreciate your sweet thoughts today. We’ve had a good day and hope you and Mike have a great day and a blessed week!
Butch and Pam
We know it’s a difficult day for Pam. While celebrating with you and Seth is delightful, she will be remembering her sweet Daddy that we all came to love through this blog. It’s wonderful to have precious memories of a great father and celebrate those on Father’s Day. Hope you and Seth have a relaxing day! I think the dinosaur is adorable and I know Wyatt loves it! The ongoing princess story is fun for the girls and a memory they won’t soon forget! You and Pam are great with grands! Enjoy your day! Clara❤️
Thank you Clara. Precious thoughts and sweet memories for sure and those things are to be cherished. We have more of the princess story continuing this afternoon. We are enjoying the day and hope you have a joyful day and a great week!
Butch and Pam
Happy Father’sDay Butch! Every child is indeed a gift from God to be treasured. You are so blessed with 4 adorable grands and I love all the garden critters you hide to surprise and delight them! This is a day to concentrate on all the special memories of Pam’s father who lived such a long time. Beautiful clouds and I love the pollen covered bee!
Thank you Jenna. We pray you are getting better day by day. We do celebrate the present and are thankful for great memories. Have a great day and a wonderful week!
Butch and Pam
Happy Father’s Day to Seth and Butch. Pam they told me the same thing years ago that I would never have a child of my own and then God gave us our daughter. We were so blessed to have her and God did it one more time with our second daughter. God is so good and gives us the most wonderful unexpected gifts. Have a great day celebrating these wonderful men and have a great new week ahead. Hugs. Kris
Thank you Kris. All good and precious gifts are from above, from the Father. Thanks for sharing about your daughters. We are having a great day and hope your day goes great and that you have a wonderful week!
Butch and Pam
Your photos as always are wonderful. Happy Father’s Day to you. I lost my dad more than 20 years ago, but I miss him still.
Thank you Carole. Time helps some but we miss them greatly regardless of the passing years. My dad passed in 2020. He was 2 weeks shy of 94. Have a great week!
Butch and Pam
A fist under the wild boar and a tulip supporting a climbing tree. Just some of my imaginations having fun. The bee definitely was having fun. I love them,
Butch you had an excellent example in Pam’s dad. I can tell you held him in great regard. Seth’s children loved him too and along with Pam PawPaw will be greatly missed this Father’s Day. Thank you for being a fantastic example of a grandfather. I enjoy your posts and sense of humor. May God, our Heavenly Father, bless you this Father’s Day with all the love you can stand.
Thank you Alice. We appreciate your wishes and thoughtful words. Pam’s dad was a father to me and treated me always as a son. He is definitely loved by all. We hope your Sunday is going well and that you have a joyful week!
Butch and Pam
Saw the boar’s nostril before the eye…and am in awe of the ‘melting” tree trunk that refused to cease growing. Fathers Day now complete with photos of Butch, Seth and Sweet Daddy surrounded by the beautiful brood of Grands. God is, indeed, supremely good and He has blessed you all with great familial love and connection. The garden play of characters is just a hint of the of the fun that goes on there and a Grandfather’s dedication to memory-making for his Grands. The essence of Sweet Daddy will remain with us in blessed memory, for he epitomized the rare and noble characteristics you described
for us. Pam, celebrate this day…. you won the lottery….
“
Thank you Mary. Your precious thoughts mean so much. We are continuing our garden story with the grands this afternoon. We do have precious memories but those noble characteristics you mention live on and on. We pray you are having a pleasant Sunday and that you experience a wonderful week!
Butch and Pam
Keeping it simple today…and thankful for all the dad’s in this world of ours. What a beautiful, peaceful and quiet day in SW Florida as we celebrate the lives our Father has Blessed us with.
Psalm 103:13 “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him,” Blessings to you, Seth, the grands and of course sweet Pam.
Thank you Kari. So glad you are experiencing a peaceful day in Florida. Certainly most of all we celebrate the Heavenly Father and many blessings we do not deserve. We pray you continue to have a peaceful and quiet week!
Butch and Pam
Happy Father’s Day Butch, Pam and family! Thinking of you today Pam with the loss of your sweet dad. 💕
Thank you Mary. Pam and all of us appreciate your thoughts on this Father’s Day. We hope you experience a great week!
Butch and Pam
This is a beautiful post, Butch, and I extend warm Happy Father’s day greetings to you. And to Pam, big hugs. This first one without a beloved dad is always extra tough, so sending love as you all remember the best times.
Thank you Jeanie. We appreciate your kind words. It is so wonderful to have precious memories. We wish for you a peaceful afternoon and a great week!
Butch and Pam
Happy Father’s Day, Butch! I know you are loved and adored! Thanks for your Sunday posts. I look forward to them!
Thank you Sarah. We are having a good day and waiting on the grands to come for the afternoon. We hope your afternoon is pleasant and that you experience a wonderful week!
Butch and Pam
Happy Father’s Day, Butch and Seth! You all are richly blessed. Sending Pam hugs today. I just counted up the years, and my dear daddy has been gone 50 years…how is that possible? I looked at the “boar” and thought “wide mouth bass”! I love, love, love your ongoing story and the mail system!!
Thank you Roxanne. Wow, to lose your dad at such a young age. My dad died in 2020 a couple weeks shy of 94. Our mail system has a new note that is being delivered this afternoon as soon as the grands arrive to find it. Have a great afternoon and a blessed week!
Butch and Pam
Happy Father’s Day, Butch and Seth! The garden critters are adorable, and I know the grands have so much fun! Pam, you have been in my thoughts today. I know this is a difficult time for you with the loss of your precious dad. ❤️
Thank you Shannon. Pam so appreciates all the thoughts and kind words today. The garden critters are waiting on visitors as we speak. Hope your afternoon is peaceful and that you have a blessed week!
Butch and Pam
Lovely post and day with your family. That’s what it is all about…LIFE to live and Family. Hugs, and have another great day, Sandi
Thank you Sandi. Family is everything. It’s been a good day here and we hope it is the same for you. Have a wonderful week!
Butch and Pam