Hi. Hope you all are having a blessed day in the Lord.
Another blessing is the cooler weather each morning. A few low 90s hanging around here (Ellisville, MS), but the mornings are really nice for my walks.
And, the current forecast is for the 90s to go away by week end (10-06-2023) with highs in the 80s and some 70s, and lows at night in the 50s! (Do you get the idea I like cool weather???🙂).
QUESTION: Which do you prefer, warm or cool Fall conditions?

As in past Fall articles, the series on “Fall Colors” will include:
– Fall foliage pictures I’ve taken
– Articles from the Vermont Life magazine issues
In this issue, I’ve added my thoughts on the Fall season. Will probably do so in future parts of the series.

My Fall Thoughts
Most of you know I love (and feel called) to walk outside in the mountains and forests of the Lord’s beautiful Creation.
Doing so after a hot summer is even more enjoyable for me when walking in the Creation.
Here are some of my “Fall Traditions”.

– Vermont Fall Reports:
In mid-September, I start looking at the temperatures and Fall Foliage reports for Vermont from a site on the web. Typically, they are already experiencing cooler temperatures, which gives me hope for cooler times to come.

– Charlie Brown:
When I was a teen, I loved watching the 1966 classic “It’s a Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”. In those days, it was only on television (CBS).
In the 90s, they put it out on VHS tape and I bought it (bundled with the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and Christmas shows).
Sometime later, it came out in a DVD format and I bought that (I still have both the VHS tapes and DVD discs).
When my boys were home, and later grandkids were near by, we’d get together and watch it each October.
Later, I took it to some of the homes of church families to watch.
Now, no one is close by, so I occasionally watch it myself…

– Vermont Life Magazine, Autumn Issues
Background – 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.
I have around a dozen of the original magazines I received as a part of my annual subscription. Some were lost over the years.
The magazine has been out of print for some years. But, fortunately, a college copied all of the issues and put them on their web site for viewing and downloading. So, I was able to find and download the electonic/pdf versions of those that were lost, as well as years where I did not have a subscription.
Each year in late-September, I start reading the issues (only the articles I like) each night before bed.

– Open Windows
When the temperatures drop to the low 60s and lower, I open the windows to get the feel of the Fall weather.

My Fall Pictures
Here are a few of my favorite Fall Foliage pictures, mostly taken during the 22+ years we lived in north Georgia (Cumming) where I was not too far from the Appalachian mountains.
Others you’ll see here and in future Fall articles are from my hikes on the Appalachian Trail. I’ve made it to southern Pennsylvania thus far, but the Fall pictures are mostly in Virginia.
These will be from north Georgia.

Amicalola Falls State Park (2015):

Appalachian Trail (AT) on Blood Mountain (2017):

If you’d like to see more from the Appalachian Trail, here’s a movie I made showing Fall Colors on the AT:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3kW43sHluk

Vermont Life Magazine – Fall Issues
Here are some pictures from my first Fall edition, Autumn 1974. It remains one of my favorites.

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” several times during the season.

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

God Bless!!!

Hi. It has been since late March (2023) since I published anything on this site. The main reasons are:
1. Did not go anywhere to report on
2. I was dealing with a serious health issue that prevented #1 above from happening. Details below…

Health Issue

First, some background to understand what happened.

June, 2020
In June, 2020, I had surgery on the back of my left heel to remove a bone spur that was protruding and “growing” into my achilles tendon.

This surgery was successful, but about six weeks into that recovery, it was discovered that I had a staph infection in the incision. I was treated by a “wound doctor” which included oral antibiotics. After a few weeks, I was declared free of the infection. I continued on with my physical therapy and recovery.

In the time that followed, I continued with my daily exercise and occasional hikes in the mountains. We moved from Cumming, GA to south of Ellisville, MS in May, 2021 where we had built our new home.

May/June/July, 2023

During the winter and spring of 2023, I was preparing for an early-June hike on the Appalachian Trail (AT) – this time in southern Pennsylvania. I noticed I had swelling in the incision area (from the surgery in 2020) and went to a foot surgeon at a nearby orthopedic clinic. After extensive testing, it was discovered I had a bad staph infection in my heel bone as well in the surrounding tissue. A few days later, the surgeon operated on that area for 2 hours, cleaning up the infection and tissue, removing some infected heel bone, etc. (two weeks later, he had to return to the wound area for a second surgery to conduct additional cleanup.)
The next day, I had a picc line put into my left bicep area for use in the infusion of an antiobiotic (the strongest known) in an effort to ensure the infection would not spread to any other bone or tissue. I did this for 6 weeks with the help of an infectious disease doctor and home health care nurse.

Finally, in July, I was declared free of the infection which allowed the removal of the picc line and use of any antibiotics.
During the June/July timeframe, I could not put any weight on the left foot, and my transportation mode was a knee scooter (as I had to use in 2020).
In late July, I began physical therapy and was given permission to no longer use the scooter, but use a walking boot instead. A few weeks into my therapy, that boot was no longer needed.

Analysis: It appears the staph infection from 2020 settled on to some suitures that remained in my heel area to hold down my achilles tendon that had to be re-attached during the 2020 surgery (these were removed during the first surgery in May, 2023). For some reason, the infection re-surfaced in May, 2023.
The foot surgeon and the infectious disease doctor (who managed my antibiotic treatments) told me that, if I’d have waited much longer, I’d have probably lost my left foot to amputation. I say this, not to be dramatic, but as a statement of fact.

I share the details for these reasons:
1. I so blessed of the Lord to be saved from a more catastrophic result.
2. If you are EVER informed you have a staph infection, INSIST on working with an infectious disease doctor to conduct a very agressive and strong antibiotic program.
STAPH INFECTION is not to be taken lightly.

The blessings received included saving my foot, and being associated with good Christian-oriented people: the foot surgeon, infectious disease doctor, and home health care nurse.
The surgeon prayed for me prior to going into the first surgery! How precious…

New YouTube Videos

In recent months, I’ve begun working on a backlog of videos for my YouTube Channel
I’ve published two, which includes the following.
Walking in Creation – Section Hike of Appalachian Trail (AT) in Georgia
This video shows my fvorite section of the AT in Georgia, and was filmed in the last years of my living in Georgia. I’d already hiked this section in the 90s, but wanted to re-hike to film using a digital camera with a good video recorder.
Here’s the link:
https://youtu.be/YZo1JmJa7fk?si=E9igMLBBehZJK79e

2022 Bahamas Cruise
This video shows the details of our 4-day Bahamas cruise in the Fall of 2022.
This was a 4-day cruise on a Royal Caribbean ship, Independence of the Seas, out of Port Everglades, Florida (just east of Orlando).
We boarded on Monday, October 31, 2022 and returned on Friday morning, November, 4, 2022.
Here’s the link:
https://youtu.be/GmkVHmRTfG4?si=m3mBd1azGm1ePDOv

I plan to publish more videos in the months ahead which include hiking trails in Mississippi.
I will soon be updating this site with reports on two church meetings attended in August and September.

Hoping the Lord has blessed you, and I look forward to sharing more in the near future.

God Bless!!

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 the weekend of September 23-25, 2022, Salem Primitive Baptist Church (Elder Lonnie Mozingo, Jr, Pastor) hosted their Annual Meeting.
We attended the Saturday morning and afternoon services on September 24.

The invited minister was Elder Ricky Harcrow, pastor of Mt. Olive Primitive Baptist Church in Cullman, Alabama.

Each service was preceded by a song service, led by song leaders, and sung by the congregation “a Capella” (without musical instruments).

Saturday Morning, 09-24-2022

Eld. Ricky Harcrow preached from 1 Corinthians 15 on “Hearing Jesus”.
References included:
– Luke 24:44
– Romans 8:18
From this message:
– We need to hear Jesus preached regularly! (AMEN)
– Jesus is everything in the life of a Child of God
– The Gospel of Grace covers all of God’s People
– We are affected by Jesus’ work on the Cross
– God gives us victory through Jesus!

Morning services were followed by a fellowship lunch in the dining room.

Saturday Afternoon

Eld. Ricky Harcrow Preached from Isaiah 2 on “The New Order”
References included:
– John 6:39
– Micah 4:1
– Hebrews 1:1, 9:26
– Matthew 19:25-28
From this message:
– Mountain of the LORD’S house shall be exalted
– Jesus shall raise up HIS People, HE has put away sin
– Regeneration = “New Order”

The meeting concluded on Sunday morning.

For more information on Salem Primitive Baptist Church, see this page:
https://www.salempbcnatchez.org/

God Bless!!!

Hi. Hoping you all are well and being blessed of the Lord.

On Monday, August 8, 2022, we drove to Biloxi, MS to meet with 13 of my shipmates for a short, informal “reunion”.
We returned home Wednesday morning, August 10, 2022.

Submarine Crew Reunion, USS Haddo
We served on the nuclear attack submarine USS Haddo (SSN 604).
This group served together in the 1971-1977 timeframe.
I was onboard from early May, 1972 until June, 1976.

The gathering was held at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, which is located on the shore in Biloxi, Mississippi.

I am very thankful to have served with these men, Good Guys All!
This picture was taken at the home of Billy and Waynette Frantz, who live nearby in Ocean Springs, MS.
We will ALWAYS be thankful for their wonderful hospitality in hosting the Monday night supper and gathering.

Hard Rock Hotel

The Hard Rock Hotel has two areas: Main building (which includes a tower with rooms, and a casino), and a “Platinum” room tower.
Here are some views of the hotel.

Our room was on the 7th floor of the main building, and faced the pool and ocean.
Here are a view views from our room (note: the tinted windows created somewhat of a “blue” color to the pictures.)

Here’s Sandra in the lobby area. Note the changing colors of the background “mural”.

Ocean Views

Here are some views of the ocean from the pool area and nearby shoreline.

Evening-Night Views
On Tuesday evening, we went to a seafood restuarant, located next door to the hotel parking garage.

After supper, walked around the area for some nice evening views.

Thankful for the fun time with my shipmates, and getting to see this part of Biloxi.

God Bless!!

My site’s theme, Walking and Living in the Lord’s Creation, isn’t just about my passion for hiking in the “natural” Creation. It’s more about how we “Walk” in this life the Lord has given us.

When I hike a trail (example: Appalachian Trail), it is normally “blazed” with some sort of unique marking (white paint marks on trees and posts). Besides the path below, these markings guide me as to the direction to be taken. It helps me from becoming lost, or wandering into a dangerous area.

God’s Word is our guide when “walking” through this life. He tells what to do and not to do. The longer I live, the more I see His Word as that of a loving, fatherly instruction for His Children – to guide us how to live properly and honoring to Him. However, it is also guidance that helps us avoid the pitfalls that can beset a Child of God in this life.

As a parent and grandparent, I often share thoughts as to how one of the family members should act and behave in certain situations. I tell them this so they can benefit from the result of proper actions, and avoid problems that occur when conducting improper actions.

It is clear to me that we should obey God’s Word because we should HONOR Him for what he has done for us, AND because His Wisdom exceeds all earthly knowledge. These instructions can help us live righteously and safely as we “Walk” through this life He has given us.