Sunday, August 21, 2005

The "Art" Of The Harvest


I received a call shortly after I got up(the crack of noon today)and quickly agreed to head out for Yankton, SD. Along the way to the arts fest I spotted some railway cars with their own displays of artistic talent. The fields are always "ripe unto harvest" according to the book that provides guidance for my life. I would have gotten to my destination much sooner had I not been stopping so often for pictures. I hadn't been on highway 81 for a while so I jumped west from interstate 29 and sought the rolling hills of the James River valley that leads to the Missouri. Today is Sunday and I'll be sharing God's inspiration with folks that come to church. Road trips such as today's provide many of the inspirations for preaching His word. I pray you enjoy the scenery a bit as you meander through my thoughts with me. I quite literally drank in the sights, sounds, and the foods of the day like one who has been on a fast. My favorite fellow was the farmer who came up with the artwork you see in the collage. He uses old disc blades and cuts pictures from them with a torch and then sells them to people. The workmanship is nothing short of superb, and the cost is not any where near what the pieces would be worth in a metropolitan environment. Since this is the first time I've worked with the new setup here I won't go on anymore with this section. You have a wonderful Sunday wherever you are. God bless, Preacher.

Now I'll begin the process of learning how to blog the last stuff first and the first stuff last. Actually that is a biblical principle that we find in the New Testament, so it shouldn't take too much getting used to. In fact, I think this is going to be better than the old way it worked! What a blessing this day was, though. The ride home under a moon so bright it was like dawn all the way back home, coupled with the change of temperatures(and clothes)along the way made for many moments of meditation and reflections on how absolutely good God has been to me.

The folks that put together this blog program have changed a few of the ways things are accomplished so I'm learning to integrate the photos with the write ups as I go.

Touring events on two wheels has many benefits, not the least of which is parking very close to events like "River Boat Days" in Yankton, South Dakota. "Cycle parking only" afforded me an opportunity to leave my HD across the street from the main entrance to the beautiful park along the Missouri river where each year thousands of people visit to enjoy another of our "Arts In The Park" events. (this one is about 130 miles from our front door) The day was perfect in every way, and the journey was worth every cent of the cost of fuel for my steel steed. Old friends and new awaited on the river, and if there is a regret present tonight it is only that I didn't get on my horse earlier in the day. Abundant sunshine on the high plains made the trip a shirtless affair, with brief stops for water(this is a really good idea when the temps are high and you're on two wheels)along the way. Unlike somedays on the road I wasn't even frustrated by the road construction zones that seem to be everywhere out here in the summertime.

Once A Year Yankton, South Dakota celebrates "River Boat Days" For An Entire Weekend! Posted by Picasa