Channel Cats

Number 2 catfish

It was a quarter of a mile walk from the truck to the fishing spot.  Ten or fifteen casts of an artificial bait were all unproductive.  The shadows were long being cast by objects standing before an amazing sunset.  Over on the far shore a hawk swooped down to the water and rose majestically with a small perch in his grasp. Smelly catfish bait yields two small Channel catfish from the first pole while the second pole is armed with every other lure in the box with no result.  Each of the two catfish had to wait for at least a few minutes before the cork they had pulled under was discovered missing by the angler.  The sun being now fully set sends the fisherman packing.  Three washings of the hands finally gets the smell of the catfish bait to fade. 

Number 1 catfish

A woman visited our services on Sunday and seemed to enjoy the worship service.  As she left she wanted to tell me that I was wrong about something I had said from the pulpit.  I very quickly told her that I was not wrong and quoted the verse of scripture upon which my statement was based.  She did not agree but did not stay to discuss the matter further.  Janie rushed out into the parking lot to meet her not knowing what she has said to me.  She came back in rather puzzled by the lady's doctrines.  I think this woman goes from church to church like a drive by shooter spouting her doctrines but really not interested in the truth nor staying long enough to debate.

Balloon Bed

Monday morning we went to the nursing home as usual then we mailed off a box of goodies to Jason and his family in France.  We discovered a leak in the drain under the sink in the guest bathroom at the parsonage Sunday and I called my plumber friend and arranged for him to come by and take a look on Thursday. 
When we arrived Monday night at my mother-in-law's house she helped me to make my balloon bed. I will use this bed when hiking.  It is made from an old sheet.  It has 8 pouches 5 inches wide and 48 inches long in to which you slide 3 inch diameter by 48 inches long balloons.  This takes up very little room in my back pack and is very light weight.  It is very comfortable and I am looking forward to trying it out.  I think Janie and her mother who both helped me with this project thought that they would pop when I laid down on it but they did not.  
My brother Steve is having a water meter installed tomorrow.  The well which I dug out has gone dry and so it is time to hook up to the public water system.  I prefer well water but if there is not any then public water beats hauling water.  I will go over in the morning and see if I can help him get the water line run to the house and tied in.  I will keep the well house and pump in tact so the well can be monitored for future use if it is needed. 
I am going to begin preaching from the Song of Solomon on Sunday morning.  It is going to be a hard job to cover the subject matter in a discreet way.  It would be easy to use big words, cryptic language and metaphors to hide the lessons so vividly taught in the book.   I will be walking on egg shells with each sermon trying not to cross the line.  My brother, Steve, told me that at least mother's house was empty now so that if the church fires me over the Song of Solomon I will have a place to move into.  I do not expect that to be the case but there is a need to be cautious.  Janie will be my sounding board and will help me know how to present the sermon to the people appropriately.  God bless you.