Latin (tem-pu̇s-ˈfü-git): Time Flies
this is the paradoxical way Ezekiel’s story unfolds. Maybe that’s how it goes for all of us. We hold in tension the beauty of resurrection against a backdrop of death. Because resurrection is only necessary if we go through death. We must face the weight and terror of death to behold the beauty of resurrection. The two are inextricably linked.
Valleys: Find Courageous Conviction in Life’s Lows: Day 5 • Devotional
What makes you happy? Well, maybe not “happy” but some other kind of feeling like content, secure, mellow or perhaps it is some form of happy, This is a bit of an unusual “happy” but it’s these knives.
I’ve had these two knives for quite a long time, I don’t exactly know how long but quite some time. I think they were gifts, for sure one of them was and I may have bought the other one. I believe my mom and/or a special aunt gave the knife to me. I think at one time they both had the brown plastic / fake leather case but now there is only one.
These are great title knives and I usually have one of them in my jean pocket.
However, from time to time one of them goes “missing”. In these times I find my level of “happiness” decreases a bit because I’m sad that I can’t find the knife that has become a special treasure in my life. On occasion both of them go AWOL and this causes quite a bit of consternation.
They are usually discovered on a closet floor having slipped out of the pocket or in a pair of jeans that have been left at the lake or jeans that have been put away in a drawer or at the bottom of a stack of other jeans.
In any case, missing knive(s) is a significant event in my life and re-discovering both knives brings a special type of satisfaction or happiness. Over the years they have come and gone for varying lengths of time. Currently, they are both “home”. In the full scheme of things this is a tiny thing and hard to explain but it’s still a “thing” to me.
I know nobody cares about this but for some reason I needed to put it down to get it documented and out of my system. Perhaps a future generation will find this curiously interesting. Or not.
Where will you spend it?
Today’s devotion also lead to reading about Arthur Stace, Mr. Eternity. I highly recommend giving it a read.
And as things do on the web it lead to a look at Copperplate Script which lead to a calligraphy course which I might try.
The dock was built a little higher than the old dock so it needed a higher ladder to get out of the lake. To meet an immediate need I stuck in a 12′ aluminum extension ladder. It seemed to be about the right height/length.
So, when it came time to build a proper wood ladder 12′ seemed to be a good idea. So did angled steps so the ladder wouldn’t be straight up and down.
The angled steps seemed like a good idea, but it took three attempts to get it put together correctly. Thank goodness for power tools, and deck screws.
Grandad, what do the colored flags and spray paint on lawns and streets mean?
Well, I knew yellow was for gas and after that I wasn’t sure. They all mean something is buried there and don’t dig in that spot unless you know what you’re doing.
Here’s a key to the flags’ colors:
RED – Electric Power Lines, Cables, Conduit and Lighting Cables
YELLOW – Gas, Oil, Steam Petroleum or Gaseous Materials
ORANGE – Communication, Cable TV, Alarm or Signal Lines, Cables or Conduit
BLUE – Water, Irrigation and Slurry Lines
GREEN – Sewers and Drain Lines
PINK – Temporary Survey Markings
WHITE – Proposed Excavation
https://www.cedarburglightandwater.org/what-do-colored-flags-ground-mean#
Levels on Lake of the Woods have always been up and down. In fact the regulatory board that governs the lake levels considers a 6 foot variance, “normal”. In practice lake levels don’t normally change quite that much but then there are the exceptions.
2022 was one of those exceptional years where water levels were at record highs, higher than has been seen in over 50 years. On Lake of the Woods this caused problems for many cottages whose dock systems couldn’t handle these high water levels. We were one of those cottages with a fixed dock system that experienced trouble, a lot of trouble. The lake rose over the top of our docks and the wave and wind action ripped 80% of the dock apart. Some of it floated away and had to be “rescued”. This resulted in the dock rebuild project where the dock was rebuilt at a much higher level and to a much stronger construction standard that, in the unlikely event of it being flooded, should hold together until the waters recedes.
At this time the lake level is 322.997 meters or 1,059.69 feet above sea level. The record level for Lake of the Woods is 324.31 m (1064.0 ft), set in July of 1950. In 2022 the levels peaked at 1063.1 which is 3 feet higher that what is typical and the 2nd highest level on record.
With the current level of 1059.69 the top of our new dock is 57” higher than the lake or 4′ 9″ higher. The dock would be 5″ out of the water in a 1950s level flood so we should be good.
The swim platform is only 24 1/2 inches above the current lake level which makes it good for boat access.
Shirley and I are at the lake for a week and just enjoyed some ordinary times. Nothing crazy happens and we just floated along in “lake mode” on “lake time” taking in the rhythm of the days. Moderate day time temperatures and just a bit cooler at night made for some great sleeps.
Weather wise the days were cloudy. Clouds day after day. No rain during the day until Friday when we’re cleaning up for the weekend crew that is coming and packing up to go home. Very light rain off and on through the day which was not an issue at all, unlike the previous evening.
On Thursday evening it did rain fairly hard and I hear the sound of water falling from the eavestrough onto the deck. You are not supposed to hear that sound as the water is supposed to flow into the downspout down to the ground. I instinctively and via experience know that the downspout is clogged with debris. It’s dark. It’s raining. There is lightening. But I just need to handle the issue now so it’s out on the deck, standing on a chair and fishing leaved out of the gutter just at the downspout opening. Problem solved and the cottage sounds are back to normal.
During the week I had all kinds of projects, big and small to work on and keep me active.
Project #1 is to re-build the kayak rack at the back of the dock. This should be quick and easy (haha) using the original kayak rack parts. I attach one end to the dock and then realize the top rack which flips open is blocked by a tree. ? I trim the tree and move the rack over about a foot and voila the rack swings open, problem solved. Then I look at the other end and realize that the part that swings open will hit a rock cliff! The rack design needs to change and several hours of work and messing around is wasted. I have lunch and think it over for a while and come up with a much simpler design.
Project #2 was to make a ramp from the ground to the new dock.
Another much bigger project is rebuilding the boat ramp and getting the sea-do back next to the Lund. For another day (year?).
During the week many tiny tasks were attended to and notes made for future tasks that need supplies or parts not currently at the lake (pex pipe & unions etc.)
As always the week flew by and just as I feel like we’re settling in to lake life, it’s time to go. Friday morning was coffee with sporadic departure work. By noon we were in full clean up and go mode and on the road to DQ by approximately 3pm. As always a great time at the lake and looking forward to our return.
Eric makes a quick trip to the lake late Sunday night on August 13th and spends two days on dock work as well as taking the sea-doo into Kenora for a repair.
At the end of day one.
The best of the old docks 2x6s are used to deck in front of the boat shed. Old 2x4s are also used in a section.
And a video review of the end of day status . Looking very good!
Today’s verse of the day devotion in the YouVersion bible app prompted me to remember.
The verse had this as the question.
I related to the last answer in the list. While I was in hospital and things were at their lowest at least from what the doctors were seeing in the test results and telling Shirley and I, it was a very dark time and my life was on the line.
Shirley came into the room one morning and shared this verse.
I wrote it on the whiteboard in my hospital room where I could see it all the time. I hung onto this verse.
I did not die, I lived and I can tell others of the Lord’s miraculous healing in my body.
Hallelujah
There’s never a place we can go where His presence won’t be there first. He’s in our yesterday, He’s in our today, and He’s in our tomorrow all at the same time. He rejoices over us, rewards us, blesses us, and smothers us with His forgiveness and grace every day, throughout the day. In addition to the good, there is no tragedy we’ll face, no hardship we’ll endure, and no adversity we’ll encounter where God is not with us, steadily holding us up with His mighty, righteous, and perfect right hand.
When you feel lonely and wonder where God is, know that He is about you, above you, after you, amidst you, around you, among you, before you, behind you, beneath you, beside you, beyond you, by you, for you, inside you, near you, and over you. He is everywhere, all the time. Always and forever, He is near us.
When you experience fear and wonder why God won’t remove it from you, know that He hasn’t given you a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind. That nothing can separate us from His love and presence. Always and forever, He is near us.
When you’re sick and don’t understand why God won’t heal you, know that He is still the Great Physician and Jehovah-Rapha, the God who heals. The time frame you have in mind may not match His, but rest assured, He is doing a work in you and through you. Always and forever, He is near us.
There is nothing that we’ll encounter that God has not already defeated. And not just defeated, but totally annihilated on our behalf when He put Jesus on the cross to cover our past, present, and future sins. Always and forever, He is near us.
When you go through devastating situations, He is with you.
When your life seems to be spinning out of control, He is with you.
When you can’t see the path or even the next step, He is with you.There are options everywhere that beg us to place our trust, hope, and joy in them. Those temporary joys and pleasures hold no comparison to the eternal, never-ending presence of our Almighty God who calls us His children. His presence is the prize. It’s what we get for all eternity.