Hi. Hoping you all are being blessed with the Lord’s peace and comfort.

It’s been a while since I’ve shared the wonderful scenes we have of God’s beautiful First Heaven (sky). We are blessed with nice views west/southwest over a grove of trees and lake behind our house.

These will be from special scenes we were blessed with, starting in October, 2022 and going through November, December, and January of this year (2023).

October 17, 2022

November 9, 2022

December 4, 2022

The following pictures were taken near Pleasant Home Primitive Baptst Church, located out in the country from Taylorsville, Mississippi.

We often visit these dear people on a Sunday afternoon, and noticed these scenes as we prepared to leave.

What a wonderful way to end a day in the the Lord’s House…

December 30, 2022

It almost looks like the sky is on fire!

And, already this year (2023), we’ve had two opportunities…

January 5, 2023

I have not considered this perspective, the reflection of the sunset on the trees across the lake. Also note the calmness of the water.

Being with the Creator in His Creation can have a calming effect on God’s People.

January 9, 2023

And finally, switching times to the sunrise on a cool morning.

December 16, 2022

This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118.2

Thankful for the simple beauty of the Lord’s Creation, whether it be on land or in the sky (First Heaven). An example of the glory of our dear and loving Lord.

Praying He will bless you in the days and weeks ahead…

God Bless!!!

Hi! Hope this finds you and your family doing well, and enjoying the peaceful and comforting Grace of our Lord.

On Monday, October 31, 2022, we boarded the Royal Caribbean (RCL) cruise ship “Independence of the Seas” in Port Canaveral, Florida, and sailed on a 4-day cruise to the Bahamas.

This is the third of 3 articles on this cruise.
Part 1 shows Days 1 and 2 of the cruise, Port Canaveral and the day at sea.
It can be seen here: 2022 Bahamas Cruise – Days 1 and 2

Part 2 shows Day 3 of the cruise, the port of call in Nassau, Bahamas.
It can be seen here: 2022 Bahamas Cruise – Day 3

Part 3 will show Day 4 of the cruise and the port of call in Royal Caribbean’s private island Coco Cay, Bahamas.
This will include:
– Sunrise and arrival in Coco Cay
– Sights from around the island
– Views of the port areas

The following photo was provided by Royal Caribbean’s “Press Center” site.
I could never find a way to photograph the whole ship! 🙂

Itinerary:

Day 4

After Day 3 at Nassau, the ship sailed overnight to their priviate island – Cocoa Cay, Bahamas.

We visited Coco Cay on our October, 1998 cruise on Royal Caribbean.
Then, the island was minimially “developed”.
The ship had to anchor out and tender (by small boat) people back and forth to the island.

In May, 2019, Royal Caribbean completed a $250 million renovation of the island which included:
– Pier on which their ships could dock to allow passengers to walk a short distance to the island attractions
– Thrill waterpark, including the tallest water slide in North America (fee)
– Zip line and Helium Balloon (fee)
– Three main beach areas, some with cabanas for rent, all with beach chairs and umbrellas
– Five places to eat (free)

Sunrise and Arrival

Enjoyed another beautiful sunrise during the arrival at the pier in Coco Cay.

The lights on the right are on Great Stirrup Cay, the private island for Norwegian Cruise Line.

Note the progress of the sunrise.

The ship already docked is Royal Caribbean’s “Allure of the Seas”.

The sun is rising on a “Perfect Day at Coco Cay”

Island Tour

I mainly walked around the island to see the sights.
I did try to snorkel, but the mask leaked and there really wasn’t much to see in the water anyway…
But, I did get wet! 🙂

“All ashore that’s going ashore…”

I walked clockwise around the island seen in this map starting at the end of the pier.
I snorkeled (what I did of it anyway) in the Chill Island area (on the left side of the map).
My favorite area was Cove Beach (on the upper right side of the map, near South Beach).
It was much less crowded. If I return to Coco Cay, that’s where I’ll spend most of my time.

I believe it costs around $80 to get into and use the attractions in this part of the island.
The cost may vay based on the time of year.
Regardless, I only went to areas that were free.

Here are scenes and views from my walk around the island…

The snorkeling area. There’s supposed to be a submerged airplane somewhere out there…

The white specks on the pier are sea gulls.
The water was beautiful!

An example of cabanas one could rent for the day.
I’d heard that some went as high as $200!

There were all kinds of boats available to rent.

I’d imagine these were the most expensive.

This is Cove Beach, on the south side of the island.
I waded out for a ways, was shallow at low tide.

Back to the ship after a fun walk.

Pier Area and Views from the Ship

Before departing, I walked around the pier and on top of the ship for final views of the area.

Castaway Cay (Norwegian Cruise Line)

Coco Cay

We departed Coco Cay at the end of Day 4, and pulled into Port Canaveral early (7 am) on Day 5 to end the cruise.

God Bless!!!

Hi! Hope this finds you and your family doing well, and enjoying the peaceful and comforting Grace of our Lord.

On Monday, October 31, 2022, we boarded the Royal Caribbean (RCL) cruise ship “Independence of the Seas” in Port Canaveral, Florida, and sailed on a 4-day cruise to the Bahamas.

This is the second of 3 articles on this cruise.
Part 1 shows Days 1 and 2 of the cruise, Port Canaveral and the day at sea.
It can be seen here: 2022 Bahamas Cruise – Days 1 and 2

Part 2 will show Day 3 of the cruise and the port of call in Nassau, Bahamas.
This will include:
– Sunrise and arrival in Nassau
– A walk around the “business district”
– Views of the port area

The following photo was provided by Royal Caribbean’s “Press Center” site.
I could never find a way to photograph the whole ship! 🙂

Itinerary:

Day 3

After the Day 2 at sea, the ship entered the harbor to dock at Nassau, Bahamas.
We arrived early, around 6:30 am.

Sunrise and Arrival

We were the first ship in that morning.
Note the lighthouse on the left.
It was a double blessing to see the sunrise and the arrival in port.

The sunrise sky changed a lot as we docked in the port.
This part was special!

Around 6 minutes later, the sky changed again.

Looking back towards the harbor entrance.
The two large piers could dock 4 cruise ships (and they did, as you’ll see).

Here comes another Royal Caribbean ship, Anthem of the Seas.

Here are the piers on which we’d walk from the ship into the town.

Not long after the Anthem docked, the Carnival Cruise ship Elation entered the harbor.

Note how the ship is “turning around” to back into its pier!

Not long after the Elation arrived, Disney’s Wish entered the harbor.
It also did a “turn around” to back into its spot. (I only have a video of that maneuver.)

Note: With all 4 ships docked in Nassau, the total number of passengers was around 14,600 (based on maximum capacity). While I don’t think all went ashore, as you’ll see, it was pretty crowded in town!

Nassau Shopping District

This area is just off of the piers where the cruise ships are parked.
There is just about a shop for any type of merchandise.

Here’s a look at this busy area…

This was a rare moment where a street was not full of cars.

Note how close the nearest ship is to this area.

These flowering shrubs were very nice.
I’ll have a video showing the details, which I’ll include in the YouTube movie of this cruise.

Note the ad on the left “Blowout SALE”.
I’d hate to have to change a tire on these busy streets…
🙂

Nassau’s version of traffic congestion.

I imagine this store has been around for a while.

Looks like this tree is trying to make a U-Turn (?)

I walked down two alleyways. Both had shops and places to eat and drink.

As is often seen in the Caribbean, many buildings were painted with bright colors.

There were taxis, vans, and small buses everywhere willing to take the cruise tourist to wherever.

Did I say colorful earlier??

Another alley way, just a bit wider.

Some of Nassau’s police. I’d met the two on the left before, they were friendly and helpful.

Views of the Port Area

After walking around the business district, I returned to the ship and photographed the area around the port.

The nice houses off the “ocean side” of our ship sat on a narrow strip of land between the port and ocean.

Back towards the port entrance.
The lighthouse we passed in the morning arrival, can be seen at the end of the narrow strip of land.

Enjoyed the views of the ocean, with the water breaking over the reefs offshore.
The building on the right is a part of the “Atlantis” resort.

A better perspective of the port entrance.

The two Royal Caribbean ships in port that day.

Three of the four ships in port that day.
The Disney Wish is on the left.

Even the tug boats are colorful.

Two excursion boats + the pirate ship BlackBear’s Revenge (Arrrrrrrrg!)
The “Atlantis” complex can be seen in the background.

Passing the lighthouse on our way out of Nassau.
The “Anthem” can be seen in the horizon, far left side.
The “Elation“ is on the right-center on the horizon.

The visit to Nassau business area was interesting to do (once).
If/when I return, will try to book an ocean-based snorkeling excursion.
The scenery from the boat of the harbor and ocean was really nice.

Part 3 of this cruise documentary shows the Day 4 visit to Coco Cay – Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas.
This article can be seen here: 2022 Bahamas Cruise – Day 4

God Bless!!!

Hi! Hope this finds you and your family doing well, and enjoying the peaceful and comforting Grace of our Lord.

On Monday, October 31, 2022, we boarded the Royal Caribbean cruise ship “Independence of the Seas” in Port Canaveral, Florida, and sailed on a 4-day cruise to the Bahamas.

This is the first of 3 articles on this cruise.
Part 1 will show:
– Our cruisng background,
– Cruise itinerary
– General Ship Information
– Embarkation Day (Day 1)
– Day at Sea (Day 2)
– Views inside and outside the ship

Cruising Background:
This was the fifth cruise we’ve been on, with the others being:
– 3-day cruise to the Bahamas from Miami, FL on the Royal Caribbean ship “Sovereign of the Seas” (October, 1998)
– 7-day cruise to the western Caribbean from Miami, FL on the Norwegian ship “Norwegian Sun” (January, 2003)
– 7-day cruise to Alaska from Whittier, Alaska on the Princess ship “Island Princess” (August, 2004)
– 7-day cruise to the eastern Caribbean from Miami, FL on the Norwegian ship “Norwegian Dawn” (March, 2008)

Independence of the Seas:
– In Service: May 2, 2008
– Refurbished: April, 2018
– Size: 154,407 tons, 1,112 ft. long, 185 ft. wide
– Max Number of Passengers: 4,560
– Number of Crew: 1,440
– Number of Decks: 15
– Number of Staterooms: 1,929
This is the largest ship we’ve been on.

The following photo was provided by Royal Caribbean’s “Press Center” site.
I could never find a way to photograph the whole ship! 🙂

Itinerary:

Embarkation Day (Day 1)

We spent Saturday night and Sunday in Lakeland, FL so we could attend services at nearby Little Union Primitive Baptist Church on Sunday morning.
We left the hotel early on Monday (10-31) to ensure we would get to Port Canaveral well before our 12:30 pm check in reservation.
The boarding process went very smoothly, and we were able to board around 11:30 am.

Our luggage arrived at our room in mid-afternoon, so we had plenty of time to eat at the buffet restaurant (Windjammer) and look around this beautiful ship.

Here are some scenes of Port Canaveral…

A view east towards the ocean, taken as we walked up the gangway into the ship.

A view west.
Note the three cruise ships
(L-R):
– Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas
– Disney’s Wish
– Carnival ship (name unknown)
We’d see the Anthem and Wish on Day 3 in Nassau.

A view south/southeast over the big reception building and parking deck.
With our early arrival, we got a great parking spot inside not far from where we entered the reception building.

Looking east towards the ocean.
Note another Carnival ship near the mouth of the port.


Day at Sea (Day 2)

I always enjoy having a day at sea on a cruise. On some of the 7-day cruises, we had two!
This being the first full day at sea and the first time on this ship, I spent most of the time walking around the ship to see the details of each area.

Sunrise

Got up early each morning and always went to the bow of the ship to see the sunrise.
I was never disappointed…

Note the rain coming out of the distant clouds.

I enjoy the way each “phase” of the sunrise is different.

The beauty of the Lord’s Creation can be seen in each detail!

This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

Restaurants

The Main Dining Room is where we ate our supper.
It was something we looked forward to each night…

The Main Dining Room is located in the middle of the ship on decks 3, 4, and 5.
This was taken from deck 5.

This was our table each night, number 405 on deck 4.

Our waiters each night.
(L-R): Nilesh, Assistant Waiter; Vishnu, Waiter
They provided us with friendly and efficient service.


The Windjammer is the buffet restaurant, located on deck 11.
We typically ate breakfast and lunch there.

Evening Entertainment

The Royal Theater provided nightly shows (musical, dancing) and other forms of entertainment.

The theater included main and balcony levels.

The Cruise Director, Ricky Matthews, introduced each show.

The second night included a funny and talented juggler (that’s a bowling ball on his head!).

The Ice Rink Theater featured some excellent skating shows with music.

First time we’ve seen ice skating on a cruise ship!

The skating and music made for an enjoyable evening.


Royal Promenade

This “indoor mall” was located on deck 5 and consisted of:
– Shops (expensive)
– Pizza restaurant (free)
– Deli restaurant (free, open 24 hrs)

Morning view of the Promenade.
The (free) Pizza place on the left was always popular (especially with me 🙂)

Busy place at night.

Elevator Areas

There were two elevator areas, both with glass and traditional, non-glass elevators.
The glass elevators gave a nice view into the open, interior of the ship.

From above

From Below

From the Top (Decks 12-13)

These decks offered nice views of and from the ship.

Looking aft over the “Flowrider” surfing simulator.
Adjacent to this is the “Perfect Storm” tubular water slides (2). I only had a video of these, which will be featured in the YouTube movie I create for this cruise.

One of two pool areas on top of the ship.

A fun, 9-hole miniature golf course is nicely themed.

Deck 4 Walkaround

A covered walking path goes around the entire 4th deck.
Stairs near the bow go up to the helipad and bow viewing area.

Note the lifeboats overhead.
The life jackets are stored nearby.

The helipad at the bow of the ship.
This is the area I went to each morning early to see the sunrise.

I always enjoy a day at sea, when we can relax and enjoy the ship and views of the ocean.

Part 2 of this cruise documentary shows the Day 3 visit to Nassau, Bahamas, and can be seen here: 2022 Bahamas Cruise – Day 3

Part 3 of this cruise documentary shows the Day 4 visit to Coco Cay – Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas.
This article can be seen here: 2022 Bahamas Cruise – Day 4

God Bless!!!

Hi. Hope you are having a blessed day in the Lord.

This will be the last in my series of articles concerning the beauty of the Lord’s Creation as seen in the colorful Fall Foliage.
Articles include:
1. Pictures I’ve taken of the beautiful Fall foliage
2. Some pictures from the Fall issues of Vermont Life magazine, which I subscribed to for many years

My Fall Pictures
The following pictures were taken on 10-15-2008 while hiking in Grayson Highlands State Park, located in southwest Virginia’s “Highlands”.
This scenic area contains the two of the highest mountains in the state: Mt. Rogers, highest, at 5,729 ft., and Whitetop Mountain, third highest, at 5,520 ft..
It was an up-and-back hike over the rocky heights of Wilburn Ridge (5,526 ft.). The ridgeline contains three rocky “peaks” and is open, offering panoramic views.

This is the second of two articles where I’ll share pictures taken on this “photo-perfect” day in the Lord’s beautiful Creation.
The pictures take off where the first article ended – about to ascend Wilburn Ridge.

This area continues to be one of my favorites along the 1,085 miles of the AT I’ve been blessed to hike thus far.

Vermont Life Magazine – Fall Issues
Here are some pictures of the front pages from several issues.
(Reminder: The quality is not the greatest with some due to these being copied from the magazine, which is becoming somewhat faded due to age.)

Hoping you’ve enjoyed this annual series of articles on the beauty of God’s Creation in His Fall Foliage.

Revelation 4:11
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

God Bless!!!

Hi. Hope you are having a blessed day in the Lord.

Continuing this week with my series of articles concerning the beauty of the Lord’s Creation as seen in the colorful Fall Foliage.
Articles include:
1. Pictures I’ve taken of the beautiful Fall foliage
2. Some pictures from the Fall issues of Vermont Life magazine, which I subscribed to for many years

My Fall Pictures
The following pictures were taken on 10-15-2008 while hiking in Grayson Highlands State Park, located in southwest Virginia’s “Highlands”. This scenic area contains the two of the highest mountains in the state: Mt. Rogers, highest, at 5,729 ft., and Whitetop Mountain, third highest, at 5,520 ft..
It was an up-and-back hike over the rocky heights of Wilburn Ridge (5,526 ft.). The ridgeline contains three rocky “peaks” and is open, offering panoramic views.
This is the first of two articles where I’ll share pictures taken on this “photo-perfect” day in the Lord’s beautiful Creation.

Vermont Life Magazine – Fall Issues
Here are some pictures from the Autumn, 1984 edition.
(Reminder: The quality is not the greatest due to these being copied from the magazine, which is becoming somewhat faded due to age.)

Psalms 121:1
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

God Bless!!!

Hi. Hope you are having a blessed day in the Lord.

Continuing this week with my series of articles concerning the beauty of the Lord’s Creation as seen in the colorful Fall Foliage.
Articles include:
1. Pictures I’ve taken of the beautiful Fall foliage
2. Some pictures from the Fall issues of Vermont Life magazine, which I subscribed to for many years

My Fall Pictures
The following pictures were taken on 10-17/18-2007 while hiking on the Appalachian Trail (AT) in central Virginia, west of Roanoke.
The scenery in this part of Virginia is beautiful, and these Fall colors are probably the nicest I’ve seen when hiking.

Vermont Life Magazine – Fall Issues
Here are some pictures from the Autumn, 1982 edition.
(Reminder: The quality is not the greatest due to these being copied from the magazine, which is becoming somewhat faded due to age.)

Psalms 24:1
The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein.

God Bless!!!

Hi. Hope you all are having a blessed day in the Lord.

Continuing this week with my series of articles concerning the beauty of the Lord’s Creation as seen in the colorful Fall Foliage.
Articles include:
1. Pictures I’ve taken of the beautiful Fall foliage
2. Some pictures from the Fall issues of Vermont Life magazine, which I subscribed to for many years

My Fall Pictures
The following pictures were taken on 10-27-2012 while hiking to the top of Blood Mountain in north Georgia.
On this hike, I parked at the north end of the mountain, took a side trail to the Appalachian Trail (AT), then up to the top of Blood Mountain (4,458 ft.). I returned via the same route.
Once on top, I noticed clouds coming in from the south and west. Eventually, they came over the top and covered the north side, my route up and back.
As you’ll see, the combination of colorful Fall Foliage + clouds made for some interesting scenery.

Vermont Life Magazine – Fall Issues
Here are some pictures from the Autumn, 1976 edition.
(Reminder: The quality is not the greatest due to these being copied from the magazine, which is becoming somewhat faded due to age.)

Jeremiah 32:17
Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou has made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, there is nothing too hard for thee

God Bless!!!

Hi. Hope you all are having a blessed day in the Lord.

A few years ago, I did a series of articles concerning the beauty of the Lord’s Creation as seen in the colorful Fall Foliage. Thought I’d do so again as we start the Fall season.
Articles include:
1. Pictures I’ve taken of the beautiful Fall foliage
2. Some pictures from the Fall issues of Vermont Life magazine

My Fall Pictures
The following pictures were taken on 10-31-2015 while hiking at Amicalola Falls State Park in north Georgia.
In the 22 years we lived in north Georgia (Cumming), I hiked there often and in all seasons.
As info, here’s a link to the web site for the park:
https://www.amicalolafallslodge.com/ga-state-park/park-map/
As you’ll see, it was somewhat of an overcast day which did NOT dampen the scenes of beautiful color found on the hike.

Vermont Life Magazine – Fall Issues
I discovered this magazine in the Fall, 1974 after a long weekend of sightseeing and hiking in Vermont. My subscription ran from the late-70s until the end of 2001.
I kept the Fall issues due to the interesting articles and wonderful pictures.

Here are some pictures from my first Fall edition, Autumn 1974. It remains one of my favorites.
Each Fall season, I get out the Fall issues as a way of looking forward to the beauty and cooler temperatures of the Autumn season.
Here are some pictures from that edition.
(The quality is not the greatest due to these being copied from the magazine, which is becoming somewhat faded due to age.)

Each Fall issue had a section which mainly displayed pictures of the season.
It typically had little verbage, to emphasize the beauty of the scenery.

I’ll attempt to publish a “Fall Article” each week during the season.

Glory be to God for the beauty of His Creation – in ALL seasons!

God Bless!!!

Hi. Hoping you all are being blessed with the Lord’s peace and comfort.

During the week of 10-03/07-2022, I was blessed to observe some wonderful scenes into the Lord’s First Heaven.

The first was just outside of our house. The sky was dark blue (typical of Fall) but also included whisps of cirrus clouds flowing overhead. Here are a few views into this beautiful scene, taken on Tuesday, 10-04-2022.

On Thursday, 10-06-2022, I was working on a hiking trail in the Desoto National Forest when I observed this scene. It was a nice combination of high, longleaf pines, a blue sky with a few puffs of white, and one hardwood tree whose leaves were turning color.

Thankful for the simple beauty of the Lord’s Creation, whether it be on land or in the sky (First Heaven). An example of the loving glory of our dear Lord.

Praying He will bless you in the days and weeks ahead…

God Bless!!!