Mama Owl. January 11, 2021
Sandhill Crane. January 11, 2021.
Month: January 2021
Frosty Morning
Frosted backlit leaves.
We had a light dusting of snow combined with frost this morning. The sky cleared in the early morning hours and the temperature dropped to 20ºF (-6.66ºC).
Cranes and geese in a frosty mist.
Frosted links.
Marina’s Incognito Pear tree all cold and frosty.
Snow and frost on the black bamboo.
Reyes in the Snow
Gwendolyn: “You woke me up to tell me about some dumb celebration in the cold and snow?”
The first year we celebrated Reyes in Madrid, Spain it snowed. Not common for Madrid, and apparently Madrid got a lot of snow today. We stood outside in the cold and snow and watched a parade where the three Reyes Magos rode into town on Camels. Then we ate Spanish Chocolate. We have continued the tradition of eating Spanish Chocolate for Epiphany ever since. Today we celebrated outside in the cold and snow with a space heater, chimenea, fire pit, and a camp stove all burning to keep us warm. Since January 6th was on Wednesday, we waited until tonight, January 9th, to celebrate. However, instead of having our normal party with friends and neighbors coming to join in, we had family only. This was the first Reyes in the last 20 years that we didn’t invite everyone to partake in Spanish Chocolate.
The fires.
Silver napping.
Enjoying the heat when the temperature was 35ºF outside.
Spunk napping.
The end of the party before I turned the torches and lantern out.
Glenda: “You are dumb enough to be outside in the cold. I’m staying in my cozy cubby.”
My New Ax
Surprise! I’ll bet you thought my new Ax was going to be a new guitar? As you can see below it’s a real Ax for chopping down trees. Laurie asked me why I got a chopping ax instead of a splitting ax? It’s pretty simple: like a Lumberjack, I chop down trees.
My new ax is made by Husqvarna, and it’s a solid, heavy-duty ax.
Mama Owl and Daddy Owl are still hanging in the tree across the irrigation ditch from where they have nested for the past four years.
Like a Lumberjack, I felled two elm trees in a matter of minutes with my new ax.
Crane looking for a morsel before going to bed.
Remember Monty Python’s The Lumberjack Song?
Kittens, Cranes, Kitties, Crows
Gwendolyn gargoyling
Glenda and Gwendolyn have full run of the house, catio, and deck now. Teagan had cast them as flying monkeys in a kitty fantasy, and she was right. The kittens are like a couple of flying monkeys. They have become very difficult to photograph because they won’t hold still if they are out of the dark kitten caves they have made for themselves in the laundry room. The big kitties have finally accepted the kittens and everyone is getting along reasonably well. The big kitties have become much more playful under the influence of the kittens. Of course, the big cats are also teaching the kittens many of their bad habits.
Cranes coming in for landing with crows in the background.
Marble
Gwendolyn
We’re just dropping in the see what condition all the conditions are in.
Spunk in the fuzzy hammock I replaced the last burlap hammock with.
The murder of Crows continues.
“You didn’t include me in the title?” Nope! You’re the intermission.
Cranes cavorting
Glenda in the dark.
Cranes at sunset
Gwendolyn: “What cream?”
Glenda
Gwendolyn: “La Llorona? What were you saying about La Llorona drowning kittens?” Children. She drowns children.
Glenda: “Kittens are children too!”
EEK!
“EEK! A mouse!” “Nice jump Dude!”
“That was close.”
“I’m not impressed.”
Intermission
“Did someone say ‘Mouse’?”
“Meh!”
“False Alarm!”
The excitement in the Rio Grande and bosque this evening. Cranes and owls. Spunk and Sasha had to comment.
T.U.L.I.P. on Tuesday
T.U.L.I.P. on Tuesday not only has a nice alliteration but John Calvin, the person responsible for T.U.L.I.P., was born on Tuesday, July 10, 1509. If you are a Calvinist, Presbyterian, or know your theology, you will be familiar with T.U.L.I.P. also known as The Canons of Dort: total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and the perseverance of the saints. The Canons of Dort were a rejection of the Arminian views and set forth the Reformed doctrine at the conclusion of the Synod of Dort that started on Tuesday, November 13, 1618, and ended on Wednesday, May 29, 1619. I’m going to assume T.U.L.I.P. was finalized on the 179th meeting, Tuesday, May 28, 1619, before the final meeting on the 29th to keep my Tuesdays’ associations with T.U.L.I.P.
Below are five short songs† I wrote and recorded one for each letter in T.U.L.I.P. Why you ask? I’ve been brushing up on my studies of the history of Christian theology, and I was inspired to write the songs after going through the section on Calvin and Reformed doctrine.
Total Depravity
Sitting shivering
In the heat of night
Sliced by rays
In the dark of light
Soul lies frayed
So depraved
Every thought a mortal
Every action a mortal
Every thought and action
A mortal Sin!
Unconditional Election
Some are elected
Others left in sin
Punished and damned
For their many transgressions
They can never win
Those few saved by grace
Unconditional love
Receive salvation
They are the few
Elected from above
All others
All the others
All the others get
All the others get damnation
Limited Atonement
Limited Atonement
Didn’t die for all
Elected are saved
Reprobates fall
No prevenient grace
Jeopardy double
Only the elect
Will make it through
Without any trouble
Redemption certain or
Redemption none
It’s predestination
Foreknown by
The One
Irresistible Grace
Irresistible Grace
Efficacy calls
Only some
But not all
For salvation
It could be me
It could be you
It may be neither
Grace for the few
Is Irresistible
Perseverance of the Saints
One saved always saved
No more death by
Trespasses and sins
Security of sanctification
Condition is secure
Eternal justification
Salvation for the
Saints persevere
†All songs are written, performed, recorded, and copyrighted by Timothy Price.
Peppered Sky, Jets Fly By, Cranes Land, Owls
Crows peppered the sky
Jets few by
Cranes fly by
Landing gears down
Mama Owl & Daddy Owl
Jupiter & Saturn
Lovers in Lace
Mama Owl and Daddy Owl in a lacy cottonwood tree. January 3, 2021.
Lovers in Lace
Lyrics & Music by Timothy Price
Guitars, Bass, and Percussion: Timothy Price
Lovers in Lace is another new, original song that is very different from Memories that I posted yesterday. Imagine yourself in the low light of a smokey bar gazing into your lover’s eyes with Lovers in Lace playing in the background.
Jupiter peeping through a tree. Saturn is barely peeking through where the lower branches meet the lacy edge of the Elm trees. January 3, 2021.
Spunk
Memories
Setting Moon over Teagan’s Trees at Dawn.
MEMORIES
Lyrics by Ruelha
Music by Timothy Price
Vocals, Guitars, Bass and virtual percussion by Timothy Price
Memories is a new song collaboration with Ruelha at https://ruelha.com/. She posted the poem called Memories on December 20, 2020. I commented that it would make a good song. Ruelha gave me permission to see what I could do with putting her poem to music. The first go-around I used the poem as written using the reaping stanzas as the chorus. The first version is really long at 6:05. I asked her if I could cut out all but three of the choruses, and then I reworked the song. The final version is posted above. Ruelha posted the long version with her poem at https://wp.me/sb0Mrv-memories if you would like to hear the first take in comparison to the final.
The Rio Grande and Sandias at sunset. January 2, 2021.
Colorful clouds at sunset looking north on the levee. January 2, 2021
Off Center & Not Even 