Tag: Scripture

Goodsell Observatory

Goodsell Observatory, built in the late 1890s, houses three historic telescopes. (but only two used at open houses.)*

Several things have to fall into place in order to be able to look through the special telescopes from the 1800’s at Carleton College.

First, it has to be an open house night…

Second, there has to be clear skies…

Third, it has to be warm enough so the dome panels will not freeze shut (we went one time last winter but the panels were frozen shut.)

Fourth, you have to be available.

All this came together for us and we went to Carleton College’s Goodsell Observatory and looked up into sky to see some stunning views of Saturn and Jupiter.

The beautiful entrance to the observatory.

We arrived in time to see them set the larger telescope in place. It‘s the  16.2″ Brashear Refractor, a 22 foot long telescope mounted in the main dome of the observatory. It was the 12th largest telescope in the world when it was built in 1890. It remained the largest telescope in Minnesota until 1969.*

It was focused on Saturn. We took turns climbing a ladder to reach the scope to look at Saturn with the 250 magnification telescope.

The 16.2″ Brashear Refractor is 22 feet long. A panel in the dome was opened.

After that amazing experience we said if we could view another planet it would be fun to see Jupiter.

We continued looking at displays in the building and talked with a young, Carleton alum there to answer questions and enthusiastically share information from his vast knowledge of astronomy.

Red light is used for night vision.

We  noticed an arrow pointing upstairs to another room with a different telescope from the 1800’s. This telescope just happened to be pointing to…yep…Jupiter. This was a “8 ¼” Clark Refractor” and it was the top of line telescope when it was first installed in 1877. It occupies the smaller dome in the observatory.*

So up the stairs we went to look through the telescope focused on Jupiter. I noticed three “stars” near the planet but the professor immediately corrected me and told us it was three of Jupiter’s four moons. I didn’t remember Jupiter had four moons. They are named Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. Fantastic.

Outside there were two modern telescopes set up. One was focused on Saturn and the other on a Globular Cluster – densely packed collections of stars.

What a wonderful gift Carleton College offers to the community…to see the heavens in all their glory.

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.          Psalm 19:1-4a

*information off Carelton College’s website.

Fair Time

Even though I’m not much of a fair-goer (because of the crowds) we heard about the Steele County Free Fair in Owatonna so we decided to check it out. When our sons were young we would go to the Dakota County fair – it was a nice size. And we did go to the Minnesota State Fair a couple of times for the experience of a big state fair.

Gold Star Amusements at the Steele County Free Fair.

The Steele County Free Fair was a nice size too. We watched youngsters enjoying the rides in the amusement park. We meandered through the indoor arenas where exhibitors set up booths. We ate some “fair food” from the many food concessions stands. We walked through 4-H and fine arts buildings, animal barns, produce exhibits and flower displays.

Red Kanagaroos. There are 50 species of Kangaroos.

As we walked around looking at the animals I kept thinking it’s a very good idea for folks, especially town folks (like me), to see the animals and be reminded of how creative God is…There are so many different types of animals, each one unique and amazing in its own way.

Talking pigs for a walk at the fair.

That applies to flowers too. I love flowers. Flowers can be so intricate and delicate and there are so many varieties.

A line up of beautiful dahlias.
A fairy garden in an old red wagon.

And vegetables…so many different vegetables.

Two types of pumpkins.

We didn’t get to see everything at the Steele County Free Fair but we saw enough to want to go back next year…and maybe we’ll go to a zoo in-between time to see the long necks on the giraffe, the pouches on a kangaroo, a llama’s big bulging eyes with long eye lashes, a pig’s snout, a bird’s feathers, fishes scales…o my.

Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! Genesis 1:31 (NLT)

The Old Jewish Cemetery

On of the most unusual sites we visited in Prague was an old Jewish Cemetery in the Jewish Quarter in Old Town.

The land is only the size of one or two large city blocks, concealed behind a wall, but there are 12,000 tombstones crammed into this cemetery.

The oldest gravestone recorded dates from 1439 and the final gravestone is dated 1787, with many dates unknown. The inscriptions are mostly eroded and written in Hebrew. During this time the cemetery was the only place where the Jewish people of Prague were allowed to be buried. Because of this, it struggled with lack of space so they would add another layer of soil to add another burial…it is said there are as many as twelve layers in some areas and 85,000 people are buried in this small radius. The land inside actually became higher than the land outside of the enclosed cemetery because of adding layers of dirt. (Graves were never relocated because of Jewish belief that once buried a body should not be moved.)

The tombstones are described as a “dense forest” of stones. They are crooked, leaning this way and that, and are piled right next to each other designating several people buried in several layers below.

 

It’s hard to describe the feeling as we walked through the Old Jewish Cemetery.  It was an impressive sight, yet melancholic as we reflected on the people buried in this cemetery, and those burying loved ones, layering one on top of one another.

 

Psalm 116:15 “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones.”

Father’s Day

Father’s day has been bittersweet for me since I was a young adult. My father died from an aneurysm when I was twenty – he was way too young. I still miss him and I wish my husband and sons could have met him.

My husband and our two sons, in Africa.

But when I had my own children, Father’s Day became a sweet celebration. It is special to celebrate my husband, who is a good, kind and loving father to our children.

Photo of our two sons when they were little boys.

And now, our two sons are fathers and we celebrate them!

Happy Father’s Day!

 

 

Sing praises to God and to his name!
    Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds.
His name is the Lord—
    rejoice in his presence!

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—
    this is God, whose dwelling is holy.     Psalm 68: 4-5

 

A Rookery

Last fall a new trail in town opened and is getting a lot of use. I guess the idea “you build it and they will come” works. This is good.

Our friends were walking on this trail a few days ago when they saw folks stopped along the trail looking up…which usually means there’s something “up there” to see (much like cars pulled over in a national park…you know there is some kind of wild animal in sight!)

8-10 nests in the tree tops, a Great Blue Heron rookery.

They discovered high up in one tree there were several nests, called a rookery, and Great Blue Heron’s were occupying those nests.

When they told us about this we grabbed our binoculars and went to check it out, and there they were. I didn’t know the big, beautiful Great Blue Heron I often see standing so tall and majestic in water near shore, built their nests in the tops of trees…it was interesting to learn and fun to see.

Notice the Great Blue Heron in tree top…zoomed with my camera iPhone. This is when a good camera lens would be nice.

We counted eight nests in one tree and over all we saw five herons. We stayed there to watch a while as a couple herons flew away and then a couple flew back.

GBH on Pond #3 last fall, 2017

It was entertaining – and as we stood there along side the trail looking up – others stopped to find out why.

 

Matthew 6: 26-27 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

 

The Blue Moon

Early this morning when I looked out our bedroom window I was in awe as I saw the beautiful, full moon. Later, on my way out of town along Highway 1, the super (closest to earth), blue (second full moon in a month) moon again gave me pause to wonder. There in the western skyline was the huge, white disc hanging in the blue sky, over the farm fields covered with bright snow. It was a phenomenal sight. Behind me I noticed in my rear view mirror the sun was shining brilliantly just over the horizon announcing a new day. I marveled at seeing the moon in the west at the same time seeing the sun in the east.

The blue moon shining over expansive snowy fields -a beautiful sight.

I guess the moon just couldn’t set yet. It seemed (and was to be) extra large, like it was puffing itself up to show off. I have always liked the moon. I decided it’s because I can look at it. One really shouldn’t look at the sun, but it’s fun to see the moon in the sky, especially a full moon at night.

I pulled over to take a picture but it’s really hard to take a photo of the moon, especially with an old iPhone, my only camera theses days. But I tried.

Heading west on Highway 1.

I praise God…for his amazing creation, both sun and moon…and stars, and trees and fields and birds and animals and…

Genesis 1:14-18   “Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years. 15 Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth.” And that is what happened. 16 God made two great lights—the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set these lights in the sky to light the earth, 18 to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.”

A Children’s Christmas Program

Children’s Program Bulletin for 12/17/17

Our church’s children’s program was performed last Sunday: O Come, Let Us Adore Him. One of my favorite Sundays in the church year is the day the children put on a Christmas program. I love to see the children all dressed up, some in shepherd’s clothing, some with angel wings, all cute. It’s fun to hear them sing, read their lines and perform solos, all the while other kids are fidgeting and waving to the their mom or dad, and adjusting their halos. It’s pure and innocent. I know I’m not alone in finding joy watching the children tell the story of Jesus and his birth each year at Christmastime.

The children of Emmaus Church in the Christmas Program, December 2017

After the program the kids all received a treat bag with candy and popcorn balls. It brought back memories of receiving my own treat bag at the church I grew up in after participating in our Christmas Pageant. Our bags were filled with ribbon candy, and an orange, and some walnuts in the shell, if I remember correctly.

The beauty of this pageant tradition is they are telling the same wonderful story every year but we are seeing it with fresh eyes by watching our children act and sing it out once again.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14