Born in the Big Sky Country of Montana and now living in the Buckeye State of Ohio, Richard is the creative mind behind Big Sky Buckeye. Retired after 40 years of teaching, I enjoy writing, photography, traveling, and following a healthy lifestyle.
If I am united with Jesus Christ, I hear God by the devotion of hearing all the time. A lily, or a tree, or a servant of God, may convey God’s message to me.
From 1 Samuel 3:10-11: “Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’ Then the Lord said to Samuel, ‘See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle.'”
One of Montana’s most treasured gems resides in Glacier National Park. Founded in 1910, the park sits along the Rocky Mountain spine of northwestern Montana with the Blackfeet Reservation nestled to its east.
(Courtesy of Pinterest)
With over 700 miles of trails, the park fulfills any hiker’s paradise. Trails range from easy (Trail of the Cedars), to moderate (Avalanche Lake), to strenuous (Grinnell Glacier). A variety of wildlife populates the park with over 70 types of mammals and over 260 avian species.
With nicknames of “Crown of the Continent” and “Backbone of the World”, Glacier National Park provides quite an experience with some of America’s most exceptional natural wonders. Mountains, scenic vistas, rivers, lakes, and glaciers wait to be captured by any photographer’s camera.
Lake McDonald stands as one the hallmark sights to visit with its crystal-clear waters and mountainous surroundings.
Lake McDonald (courtesy of Pinterest)
The Going-to-the-Sun highway presents an incredible automobile journey, second to none.
One of the grandest hotels in the park is found at Many Glacier Hotel, which is located along Swiftcurrent Lake. It has been open since 1915, and was designed as a series of chalets. When one looks at its two-story structure, it is easy to believe that the location might be Switzerland instead of Montana.
Exterior and interior views of Many Glacier Hotel (courtesy of Pinterest)
Built in 1936, the Swiftcurrent Fire Outlook offers quite a view. One feels almost like standing on the top of the world.
This informative post will be posted on Saturday along with my usual writing. You are invited to participate with the opening question.
Brain Teaser Question
Using the root meanings, define the word MANUMIT.
(A) to manufacture
(B) to be masculine
(C) to set free
(answer found at the end of this post)
Featured Facts
One of nature’s most annoying insects is the stink bug. Known to emit a smell that may resemble moist, mildewed laundry or stinky socks, these insects are quite active from springtime into autumn.
Here are a few interesting facts about the stink bug:
Color: bright green, brown to gray, shiny blue-black, or red.
Habitat: crop fields, orchards, and meadows.
Diet: plant juices and sap.
The life cycle of the stink bug starts with a mature female who will usually lay eggs on the undersurface of foliage before winter arrives. The eggs hatch in the spring. Then the wingless nymphs grow into adults after several molts.
The stink bug is blessed with natural defenses. Their awful smell discourages birds and other predators from snacking on them. They come in many colors, which may offer the benefit of being well-camouflaged to match the color of a green leaf or even brown tree bark.
(Courtesy of Pinterest)
Answer to Brain Teaser Question
C
The root word MAN means hand. The root MIT means send. MANUMIT means “to send” by “hand”–or set free.
When our top priority is to please God with our life, we can expect treasure in heaven.
From Luke 12:20-21: “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”
We are free to change the world and start something new in it.
Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it.
Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) was a German-born philosopher and author. With the help of others, she managed to escape the Holocaust, and her journey brought her to the United States in 1941.
I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else.
From Hebrews 6:19-20: “We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
Winston Churchill (1874-1965) served the United Kingdom as Prime Minister from 1940-1945 and later from 1951-1955. He unwavering leadership during World War II lifted the spirits of his nation in the darkest of times. He was also a prolific writer with countless published works.