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Road Trip~ Mesa Verde National Park

12 Apr

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

 

 

Day 13, September 19, 2017

Another beautiful morning at the condo in Pagossa Springs. After a day of feeling wonky, I felt better and ready for another day of exploring. Today our plan was to visit Mesa Verde National Park. A nice check off on my husband’s bucket list. But first, I need my coffee and quiet time.

 

Coffee at Mesa Verde

 

The drive to Mesa Verde took around an hour, maybe a little more. We weren’t in a hurry and I enjoyed the drive through Durango. I let my imagination roam to cowboys and the wild west. But the people of Mesa Verde pre-date the cowboys by multiple centuries.

From the National Park Service website:

Ancestral Pueblo People of Mesa Verde

About 1,400 years ago, long before Europeans explored North America, a group of people living in the Four Corners region chose Mesa Verde for their home. For more than 700 years they and their descendants lived and flourished here, eventually building elaborate stone communities in the sheltered alcoves of the canyon walls. Then, in the late A.D. 1200s, in the span of a generation or two, they left their homes and moved away. Mesa Verde National Park preserves a spectacular reminder of this ancient culture.

Once we arrived at the entrance to the park, it was another 2o miles to the museum which is a must stop. There you can pick up literature describing the drives and if you have an inclination to take a ranger guided tour, you can pay for your tickets there.

 

Before we made it to the museum, we made a comfort stop. The husband is an experienced outdoors facility judge, so we take a picture of the ones he rates. LOL.

 

Pam and I stayed in the truck!

 

Rebekah and her ever-present camera.

 

Along with picking up brochures and maps at the museum, we stopped in the cafeteria to pick up a necessary adventure supply, I had forgotten to pack.

 

I’ll leave it to you to imagine which one represents me!

 

The park contains over 5000 archeological sites across 40+ miles of roads. After leaving the museum, we chose one of the easy drives through the park. We were there in off peak season so places to pull over were readily available.  There were a lot of Pit houses preserved under shelters.

 

 

Eventually they moved from the Pit houses to tree houses, built into the overhang of cliffs. It must have been exhausting climbing up and down and dangerous as well. I couldn’t imagine a mother trying to keep her children safe. Then for unknown reasons around 1200 A.D. the people let, just disappeared.

Rebekah and her dad. They share a love of photography.

 

 

On a previous trip west we had planned to visit Mesa Verde but the park was hit with a serious forest fire.

 

 

It was a nice walk out to the fire observation tower.

As we were driving slowly along the Navajo Overlook, we felt as if we were being followed. Pam’s sharp eyes found our stalker.

 

 

 

Tree Houses

 

 

 

 

Pam and I taking a break while Mike and Rebekah snapped photos

 

Spruce Tree House

 

Spruce Tree House is a favorite ruin to explore as there is an easy walking trail for closer viewing. Unfortunately, the trail was under repair so we had to view it from this building, which in my opinion was more pleasant than walking!

 

 

We didn’t see all of the sites as we drove through the park. Dusk was approaching and we didn’t want to be driving on unfamiliar roads after dark. We enjoyed a quick meal back at the museum before driving down the mountain. Sunset would be a magical time to drive down, but we were a bit too early.

 

My shadow stalking me!

 

I found Mesa Verde a fascinating place. Echoes of ancient times seemed to whisper in the air. Why did they move into the cliffs and why did they abandon them in a mere hundred years? Where did they go?  The park website has some incredible photos and videos. I encourage you to visit it at NPS.gov

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Masterpiece of God

10 Apr

A Time to Live

Melody Hendrix

 

 

 

I am retired and enjoying life. My hobbies are my 5 grandchildren, son and daughter, and my loving husband. I am a photographer and extreme nature lover. I love spending time in my garden or in the wilderness connected to God my Creator.
Melody

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5 Apr

Onisha Ellis

On the Porch

 

I love this verse more every year.The boldness of the statement makes me feel brave. “For I am convinced that nothing can separate me from the love of God.  No wiggle room or hedging. I am loved by God and  N O T H I N G can change that.

 

For I am convinced

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Dressmaker

2 Apr

My Take

DiVoran Lites

 

 

 

 

Every fall before school started
Mother took me to The May Co.
In Denver where they had a
Perfume fountain in which I dipped
My fingers and got a stern look
From a clerk. Well, what’s perfume for?
And I’d had a bath before we got there.
We ordered clothes so that they came
To our small town at the foot of
The Sangre de Cristo range.
On the mail truck.

When Daddy was away in the war
Fabric was rationed.
So, Mother and Grandmother
Took old clothes from
The attic and made dresses and pants
For my brother and me.
One time I was so tired of standing
For pinning up hems that I
Ripped the a dress from top to bottom
And ran out of the room.

Many years later, I had a toddler daughter
Who needed pretty clothes.
Why don’t I make some?
Oh, because I can’t sew.
So I signed up for a night
Class at the high school
And left our daughter at home with her daddy.

Our sewing teacher came from Hungary
With an elegant accent.
With a long history of European Couture
She knew everything about
How clothes had to be assembled.
Rip instead of cutting to get a
Straight piece.
Lay the pattern just so…
To take up the least
Amount of material
Line a jacket with satin, and
Hem the lining separately
Above all, match the natches
(Which we called notches.)
Cut one garment at a time
Cheap ready-to-wear pieces are
Cut in piles with power scissors
Which make the drape warped
When sewn together
Sew in the new invisible zippers by
Hand, not on the Singer.
Innovation is fine, sloppiness is not.

Then Bill and I had a little boy and
When he was two
I made matching sailor suits
For him and his sister
From quality gray gabardine—
Wide collars with red rickrack
And stars in each corner.
I wished that Mother and Grandmother
Could see my work
But by then, they were far away.

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Are You Sure You Will Go To Heaven?

31 Mar

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

 

 

Are you sure you’ll go to heaven?

Reblogged March 31, 2018

 

Class reunions are so much fun…not. “Wow, you didn’t change a bit,” I heard a friend say.

But how can one not change during decades?

Of course, we change.

But we say state the “politically correct” thing. After all, we’re reuniting with friends from our youth. Those friends that joined us in the silly antics. They shared the insecurities that we try so hard to hide. Those friends who, long ago, sparked envy, and others brought comfort.

Reuniting with them is, can we say “interesting.”

Don’t Miss This Reunion

But there is one reunion no one should want to miss. The reunion that holds the glorious life after we take our last breath. The reunion that opens the door to the place where no more tears are shed. No more pain. No more sorrow or fear.

That reunion with Jesus makes life on earth bearable, doable and possible.

But really? You might be like a friend who voiced her doubt to me recently. She said, “There are many ways to heaven. I’m a good person, I never hurt anyone intentionally and I do my best to live right.”

Hmmm…how good is good-enough? And living right is right-enough?

Did you ever ask that question? What is the level of “goodness” in a person that opens the door to heaven for eternity?

Here’s the Answer

God so longs to reunite with us. That’s a fact. But one day, He shook His head as He observed our feeble attempts to get it “right.” (My personal paraphrase.)

As you can guess, He saw that, on our own, we never could obtain that “good enough” level to gain entry to heaven. So, He did the most amazing thing. He said again that He loves us so much that He sent a Savior to save us from eternal death. He said His name would be Jesus.

There you have Him. Jesus, the Savior, the one in whom we put out hope for life eternal. For a future secure after we close our eyes for the last time. The one who resurrected and is alive. And the One, the only One who promised that when we open our eyes again, we’ll be by His side, walking on the streets of gold. Forever whole and complete, overflowing with joy.

What do you think?

Is it time to celebrate? Resurrection Sunday holds that promise: death has no power over us. Gloom has no significance. And fear has no grip.

Let’s hold on to this truth because the expectation of that reunion with Jesus should keep us dancing in celebration.

That’s precisely God’s will. And when we do His will, we find comfort in this admonishment:

Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?” Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:21-22)

My Prayer for You

I pray that you, friend, haven’t gotten lost in the busyness of life. And distracted, you’ve been lured by other stuff that you forgot about “that day.”

Instead, I hope that you’ve chosen to open your heart to Jesus and invited Him in. Then you can be certain that as you go through life on earth, you’ll be secure. And in the next life, the sweet reunion with Jesus happens.

Until that day, store this promise in your heart: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:1-3).

The guest list to enter that House has specific names …is yours included?

Let’s pray.

Father, I don’t know the number of my days; show me how to do your will and to know you through your Word. Grant me wisdom and diligence to fill my heart with truth from Scripture and fill my days with your instructions. I ask for the freedom to live a life rich with the security that heaven is guaranteed for me. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Questions to Ask Yourself

  • What has kept you from knowing Jesus in a personal way?
  • Where will your courage come from to choose to follow Jesus as He instructs?
  • What security do you have that heaven awaits you?

Janet

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Did you know I wrote a book filled with words of encouragement, uplifting thoughts and illustrations of real-life triumph to empower you? Its title, Trials of Today, Treasures for Tomorrow: Overcoming Adversities in Life. You can get it HERE.

SOURCE: https://janetperezeckles.com/blog/direction/are-you-sure-youll-go-to-heaven.html

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My Sin

30 Mar

Jesus gave himself for our sins to rescue us. Galatians 1:4

 

 

I  sin daily yet He loved me so deeply that He took on my sins to himself. Amazing love.

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Road Trip~Chimney Rock Monument

29 Mar

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

 

Day 12, September 18, 2017

This morning my body decided to rebel  and sent me to rest for the day. Not wanting to ground everyone else, I suggested they visit the nearby Chimney Rock National Monument.

Since I was not on the trip, I am relying on excerpts from the website:

This undiscovered gem is an intimate, off-the-beaten-path archaeological site located at the southern edge of the San Juan Mountains  in Southwestern Colorado. You’ll walk in the footsteps of the fascinating and enigmatic Ancestral Puebloans of the Chaco Canyon, following primitive pathways that haven’t changed for 1,000 years. Archaeological ruins and artifacts, abundant wildlife, and its setting in the breathtaking San Juan National Forest make Chimney Rock a must-see. 

 

Rebekah and Pam

Also from the monument website:

Chimney Rock is the highest in elevation of all the Chacoan sites, at about 7,000 feet above sea level. From the base, the hike to the top is just a half mile and it’s rewarded with dramatic 360-degree views of Colorado and New Mexico.

 

 

If you enjoy photography, Mountain Photography has a collection of breathtaking photos.

 

They returned from their adventure with stories to tell and I enjoyed hearing them and felt confident I would be feeling better for our trip to Mesa Verde the following day.

Here is my favorite picture of the day.

 

Rebekah and her dad

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My Ransom Was Paid

28 Mar

But this I know with all my heart…

 

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It’s Spring, It’s Winter, No Wait, It’s Spring Again.

23 Mar

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

 

Our daughter has been visiting with us this past week. Although the weather wasn’t the best, we had enough fun to keep me from having time to pick up where I left off on our road trip.

Before Rebekah arrived, I noticed a sign advertising a u-pick farm located on the outskirts of town that grows tulips, hyacinth and daffodils. When I mentioned it to Rebekah, she was keen to go.  We ventured out on Monday, before the rains began only to discover the farm was closed on Mondays. We were determined, though and  Tuesday morning dawned sunny. Rebekah loves tulips so she was in her element.

 

 

Wednesday we awoke early and the temperature had plunged.  The rain began shortly after our weekly breakfast with friends. On our drive home we saw a few snow flurries, but the ground was too warm for any accumulation. By lunch time the snow was beginning to fall steadily and we decided to drive highway 441 up towards Cherokee to see if the snow was “sticking” there. This was the first time I had experienced fairly heavy snowfall that melted upon hitting the ground.  I found it to be kind of weird.

In Cherokee, the temperature was colder and while the roads were clear, snow covered the tress and buildings. It was beautiful.

 

 

Snow covered solar panels at the Visitor center.

 

Highway 441 which travels through the Great Smoky Mountain National Park was closed 4 miles north of the Oconaluftee visitor center. We were good with that. Being raised in Florida, icy roads terrify me. Rebekah wanted to take pictures of the pioneer village in the snow, so I bundled up and joined her, while hubby stayed in the car. He has a lot more common sense than I do!

 

 

I love the homestead picture. The wood was damp enough to allow the color of the wood to pop. In the Summer sun, it is not as obvious.

On our way back through Cherokee we stopped to get a picture of this painted bear. He is beautiful. I wish the camera on my phone had been able to capture the art.

 

 

Thursday, it was as if all the snow and cold temps never happened. The sun was bright in a beautiful blue sky. We decided to take a drive to our favorite waterfall in the area, Cullasaja falls. We love it in every season.

 

 

We seem to be physically incapable of visiting Cullasaja without continuing on up the road to Dry Falls. I went with Rebekah to the overlook, but it was cold and I decided to pass on walking down to the falls!

 

Rebekah

 

Rebekah will be returning to her home soon and we will be settling back into our life in the mountains. I will need to readjust to the slower pace-no more power walking in the grocery store!  I will need to remember to meet the eyes of the people I see in the shops and to SMILE. Don’t get me wrong, Florida people are friendly. Growing up in the 50s, everyone smiled and said hello but we have lost the art of saying howdy.

 

 

 

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Seven truths to hang on to when you feel attacked.

17 Mar

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

 

 

 

When evil attacks, our soul wants to shrink in pain, our heart shatters and our mind fills with gloom. Unless we run to God’s promises for refuge.

We need His protection because often as unexpected as rain on a sunny day, adversity pours. And when it does, we’re stunned at the reason why. Why us? Why now?

I need a break.

I asked those questions years ago. When my boys were small, I had wiped the kitchen counter and mopped the floor for the umpteenth time. I folded laundry, fixed meals, calmed cries, changed diapers and picked up toys off the floor as I did every day. The routine, the monotony and the endless chores sometimes pushed me on the couch, wanting to scream, “I need a break.”

That break came when in a matter of 18 months, a retinal disease robbed my sight completely. And facing the horror, the sorrow and the desperation, I sat on that same couch, wishing, oh wishing so badly that those “monotonous” days could come back.

Have you done that? Complained and ranted about how life is, hard, routine and so difficult? Then, suddenly a wave of bad news crashes your life. And pain enters your world. Then those days of routine, mundane and filled with tasks are ones you wish to come back. In fact, you’d do anything to go back to what you had before. Anything to be relieved from the current pain.

And to make it worse, we’re attacked by regret, sorrow and anguish.

Seven truths.

But God knows. He has the protection from those attacks. He has the shield from the arrows that pierce our peace. And He has the promises, the specific instructions, the powerful path for us to follow all outlined in Chapter 54 of the book of Isaiah.

  1. When life’s unfairness flogs our heart, we’re tempted to give up. “’…but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,’ says the LORD your Redeemer.”
  2. When you wonder if He’s the same as He was long ago. He says, “’To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again.’”
  3. When you question the power of His love, He assures ”’…Though the mountains be shaken, and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.’”
  4. When you wonder what will your future look like. What will the new chapter hold? He states, “’O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will build you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with sapphires. I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones.’”
  5. And when you wonder what will your legacy hold? He gives the answer: “’All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children’s peace.’”
  6. When you question what will be next, what you can expect, He addresses that too: “’In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you.’”
  7. When you ask for constant security. He says, “’If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender to you.’”

Though blindness has been part of my life for over 30 years, these promises shined a constant light of beautiful hope. And they will for you too. If storms crash your life and bring rain of heartache, know that these same promises prevail over the winds of fear. His Word hushes the thunder of sorrow. And as you wait patiently, His voice speaks to turn your adversity to joy.

Which promise speaks to you in the storm? I’d love to hear your answer.

Let’s pray.

Thank You for your great comfort that surround us continually, even when heartache and turbulence enter our lives. May we be ever mindful of your promises to turn our adversity to joy. And trust in your great faithfulness as we wait on You to fulfill those promises. In Jesus’ name, amen.

__________________

Janet

Did you know I wrote a book filled with words of encouragement, uplifting thoughts and illustrations of real-life triumph to empower you? Its title, Trials of Today, Treasures for Tomorrow: Overcoming Adversities in Life. You can get it HERE.

CLICK HERE for a one-minute inspirational video.

Source: https://janetperezeckles.com/blog/encouragement/seven-truths-hang-feel-attacked-post-bring-sorrow.html

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