I am on overload of wonder. Whenever I open the windows or walk outside I hear the constant roar of surf and the frequent crash of waves against granite shore. Everywhere I look there is splendor and beauty and awesome power, from numerous songbirds and brilliant lichens to Cadillac Mountain in autumn glory gilded with evening light. The stars at night are overwhelming in their number and clarity. Venus and Jupiter have shown themselves each morning, joined today by Mars and Mercury in the cloudless predawn sky. Sunrises and sunsets are brilliant and always different.
Rather than write out all that I am seeing in detail, I am going to simply post some of my sketches and photos for now. I will say, though, that this morning I was especially wonder struck, as I had the opportunity to observe, photograph, and sketch a porcupine at close range for over half an hour. I had startled him a bit earlier while he was eating rose hips when I was walking along the road, and he had gone into the woods. I had a feeling he might come back, so I found a comfortable rock to sit on and I waited. Sure enough, he returned and resumed his feasting, quite near to where I was sitting!
The words of this hymn by Isaac Watts keep coming to mind:
mighty pow’r of God, that made the mountains rise,
the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.
wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day;
shines full at His command, and all the stars obey.
goodness of the Lord, who filled the earth with food,
the creatures through the Word, and then pronounced them good.
Thy wonders are displayed, where’er I turn my eye,
the ground I tread, or gaze upon the sky.
a plant or flow’r below, but makes Thy glories known,
arise, and tempests blow, by order from Thy throne;
that borrows life from Thee is ever in Thy care;
everywhere that we can be, Thou, God, art present there.
(If you click on the sketches, you’ll see a large enough image to read my notes.)
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| Sunrise October 16 |
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| Porcupine sketches Acadia National Park |
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| Porcupine sketches Schoodic Peninsula |
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| lichen on Schoodic Point granite |
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| Schoodic Point surf |
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| Schoodic Point sunset |
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| Porcupine on Schoodic Loop Road |