Tuesday -- All Things Ellie

Ellie has some new friends.  

It amazes me how often she encounters different animals, but I didn't expect her to be meeting a couple of these animals.

We were walking around the local schoolyard, as we do several times a week. During this activity, I keep an eye ahead of me for things that might be a hazard to her. On this particular afternoon, I let my mind wander but was brought back to the moment very quickly. I took my next step only to see a snake between my legs! I did a pretty impressive vertical jump, along with a surprisingly loud scream. Ellie noticed the snake but did not seem to be as concerned about it as I was. For the snake's part, he quickly slithered away, and we haven't seen him, or any of his relations, again.

After that, I watched much more closely, especially in the areas closer to the neighboring creek. That may be why I noticed the family of four foraging in the brush by the fence. Actually, I heard them before I saw them, four armadillos.  

I was pretty surprised by the sight. The armadillos were on "our" side of the fence and busy looking through the weeds and grasses that were growing there. As soon as Ellie saw them, she wanted to investigate. I knew these animals were not ones I wanted her near, any more than the snake. While I didn't think they would be aggressive to her, I knew they could carry diseases, so I tried to pull her in the other direction.

Now, Ellie has a lot of muscle and is a strong dog for her size. It took a lot of pulling for me to get her away from the lure of a new animal. I managed to get her about six feet away when one of the armadillos really surprised me. It started following us! It was as curious about Ellie as she was about it! I pulled Ellie with even more determination and was finally able to get her on the other side of the schoolyard.

We saw this group again, foraging a little further down the fence on two subsequent days. However, I was looking and listening for them this time and was more easily able to keep Ellie away from them.

The last new animal for Ellie was a raccoon. Even though she never saw it, she clearly could smell it. We were walking along a row of azalea bushes, and one was quite full. I heard some rustling inside the bush. Ellie was sniffing the air, trying to locate the owner of the scent, when the raccoon turned in the opposite direction and scurried away. I thought at first it was a cat, but I was surprised to see it was a raccoon. 

Ellie also saw some animals she had seen before, but not in small sizes.  

Percival

One day, while we were looking for Percival and the new turtle on our property, Parnell, Ellie was going crazy by one of the bushes. At first, I couldn't see anything, but then I noticed right in front of her nose was a tiny turtle. It was a little bigger than a half-dollar.  I carefully picked it up and placed it in some leaves under the bushes where it would be safe from humans who might not even see it before stepping on it.

The Baby Turtle

Another tiny version of a familiar animal was the kittens. We have many feral cats in our neighborhood, and one of them must have had a litter of kittens under our neighbor's deck. Old enough now to wander around without their mother, one had made it under our fence while another stayed in safety on the other side as Ellie and I walked nearby. Ellie wanted to get closer to the kitten, but I wouldn't let her. I don't know if she was just curious or if she had that natural "It's a cat!" response that she has when seeing cats pass through our yard. Either way, it didn't matter; the kitten perceived danger and hurried under the fence to the safety under the deck.

I am always curious as to how Ellie will respond to other animals. And, of course, I also wonder if they will make it into one of Ellie's books one day.

Evidences Are All Around Us

 Yesterday, after our chapel meeting at a local nursing home, one of the residents told us of a story which happened when he was in a very difficult time.  He states that what occurred in the story was what proved to him that God was real.

I can't relate his story, because it is his story, not mine.  I can, however, tell you something that happened to me this week which was, in a small way, another of thousands of evidences in my life that God is indeed real.  Not only is He real, but He is active and involved in the lives of His people.  He is involved in my life.

My Bible with it's bookmarks

My habit for reading the Bible is to read three chapters each day.  On odd days I read one group and on even days the other.  The order of these reading take me through the sections of the Bible in sequence.

On this particular day, my readings were in Ezekiel, Luke and Revelation.  As I was finishing the chapter in Ezekiel, I came to this verse:

"And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none," Ezekiel 22: 30.

Reading this verse, I knew that ultimately, the Lord Jesus Christ was the man to "stand in the gap" for all of us.  Then I turned to the next bookmark in my Bible.  The chapter was Luke 23, the narration of the crucifixion of Jesus:

"And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.  And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, 'Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit': and having said thus, He gave up the ghost."

Here was the clear description of the God-made-man, the Lord Jesus, "standing in the gap" between heaven and earth, for our sins.

The last bookmark took me to Revelation 19, the chapter where Jesus returns as "Lord of Lords" and "King of Kings"; returning to mankind as a conquering Savior.

"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war.  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself. . . And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." Revelation 19: 12; 16.

These three passages so simply encompass the truth of the whole Bible.  Mankind needs a savior, but there is no man qualified to "stand in the gap".  Jesus became a man, lived a perfect life and died a sacrificial death to stand in that gap.  He returns to be the perfect King over His kingdom.  

For me, this small thing was a wonder and I believe a way the Lord was reminding me just how involved He is in my daily life.

"Call unto Me and I will answer thee, 

and shew thee great and mighty things, 

which thou knowest not."  

Jeremiah 33:3

Why No Posts?

A couple days ago a dear friend, who is also a faithful reader of this blog, commented that I hadn't written anything in a couple of weeks.

That is true. Actually, I have been busy writing, just not here.

I am in the middle of my fourth children's book, in the Ellie & Percival series.  This one is entitled, "Everyone Loves Ellie."  I hope to have it available on Amazon by the end of August.

While the story of the book is complete (except for multiple edits,) I am now working on the more tedious and time consuming portion...the illustrations.  I think most of the hardest ones are finished, but still, there is a lot of smaller illustrations to add before the book is ready for publishing.

This book, like the previous three, is about a real-life event.  When Ellie was a puppy she had a reaction to one of her vaccinations and had to go to the Animal Hospital.  It was a difficult time for us all, but they made her well and she came back to us quickly.  In this story, Ellie learns how important she is to all her friends be they turtles, cats or birds, and how very much she is loved by all.  

If you aren't familiar with the Ellie & Percival Series, the other three books are currently available on Amazon.  You can see what each of the books are about on the Books page here.

When I am working on a book, whether for children or adults, my mind is fully absorbed with that process.  I will be somewhere else, doing something else, and thoughts will pop into my mind.  For my brain, it is somewhat exclusionary for anything other writing.   However, I will try to do better.

Thanks for the prompting, Wayne!

Friday Photos

 

I love this photograph.  

All of our family, except the grandchildren - who were too young at the time- were vacationing in New York City.  It had rained early in the evening, and afterward, we ventured out for some pizza at Joe's Pizza, followed by pastries from Pasticceria Rocco.

As Glen stood on Bleecker Street, I loved the glow of the lights behind him and the reflection of the lights on the road.  It was a wonderful trip, creating so many wonderful memories, and this photograph seems to capture the mood of them all.

Tuesday - All Things Ellie

 

"Ellie at the schoolyard

When Glen and I talk about the beagles we have had over the years, one thing we discuss about our first beagle, Grunt, is how athletic he was.  We have a double driveway, and Grunt could fly over it with room to spare.  He could do a vertical jump and look you directly in the eyes.  He was a muscular, powerful dog.  He was definitely the most athletic of our dogs. Ellie, while smaller than Grunt, is athletic, too, but not on Grunt's level.  

Ellie loves to walk.  The longest walk she has done was 10 miles.  It was in Virginia on the Virginia Creeper.  She had previously done an 8-mile hike with no problem.  We watched her carefully for signs she was overworked, but she actually looked like she was ready for more when we finished.

Ellie also loves to run.  When we go to the nearby school, she knows she can run more in the huge, fenced-in part.  Once we go through the gate, she takes off flying.  I am always amazed at how fast she can go.  We keep her on a 30-foot leash, and I am at the other end of it, running to keep up.  I would just drop the leash, but I know there are places where she could easily fit under the fence, and one has a pretty significant drop-off near it.  But I do love watching her run.

Well, not one time.  We were walking in that field, and she spied, or smelled, something in a tree about 30 feet away from us.  She took off.  She went so fast that it pulled the leash out of my hand.  As she neared the tree, a squirrel in the tree jumped down and ran away, and the cat that had been at the bottom followed.  So did Ellie.  

They were headed for the corner of the lot.  I didn't know what else to do, so I shouted, "Ellie, STOP!"

I was totally surprised when she stopped, but she had also reached the edge of the lot.  Both the squirrel and the cat had easily scaled the old fence and escaped whatever Ellie was planning to do if she had caught them.

I was very pleased that Ellie had stopped, and very displeased at myself that I had let the leash get out of my hand.  And I was surprised at the speed our beagle could obtain when chasing something.

Another thing Ellie loves to do is play Tug-of-War.  She will bring a favorite toy several times during the day and drop it at my feet.  I know what will ensue next.  As I pick up the toy, she will try to get it from me.  If she succeeds, she is headed to the den.  If she doesn't, she is still headed to the den with me leading and holding the toy in my hand.  She expects us to chase around the chairs a few times and likes it if we change directions in the process.  Then I sit in the chair, and we tug on the toy.  She shakes it on her end and tries to get it away from me.  I usually don't manage to get it away from her!  Then I will give her the "Drop it!" command, and she will obey.  Mainly because she knows what is coming next.  I will toss the toy across the room, usually on the couch or a chair.  She will effortlessly jump up and grab her toy, and then the process starts all over.  She loves this game, and I love playing it with her.  I wish I could play with her like this all day.

Friday Photos

This was a surprising picture.  

My husband had just brought me some beautiful tulips (my favorite flower), and I wanted to take a picture of them.  I placed one in a vase on a stool and put it in front of a wall I had just painted a textured red. I put a flashlight on the stool aimed upward at the tulip.

When I looked at the picture, I couldn't believe the halo around the tulip.  It was not a special effect.  The wall had previously been yellow, and somehow, that showed in the picture.  This is one of my favorite photos of all time.

Tuesday - All Things Ellie

 

Ellie Jean

There is something about Ellie you might never guess, especially since she is a hound.

Ellie rarely howls.

All our other beagles howled.  Actually, they howled more than we would like.  We could get Sparrow to howl on demand simply by howling ourselves (which looked and sounded pretty unusual).  

But Ellie almost never howls.  I think perhaps she might howl a little when we leave her at home.  If she sees something outside her window, she will bark, but not howl.

Her lack of howling might have been because we brought her home at five weeks of age.  Perhaps she didn't get the chance to learn how or when to howl from the older beagles.

But she can howl.  

Today, I had taken her for a walk and stopped by a neighbor's house to chat for a minute.  Mary Beth was outside talking to a neighbor whom Ellie and I see often walking her two dogs.  Ellie was quite clearly on guard in front of this woman.  The three of us chatted and then Ellie began howling.  A full throated, beagle howl.  She did it several times until I finally decided it was time for us to be on our way.

I was quite surprised to hear Ellie make the woeful sound, complete with the beagle head tilt.  Perhaps Elliie felt threatened in some way and was trying to protect me.  Whatever the reason, I wanted that sound to end as quickly as possible.  Maybe it is a good thing she doesn't howl very often. 

“It’s Coming!”

It doesn’t seem to happen too frequently, but sometimes, after a thunderstorm, when the grey clouds still fill the sky, the sky becomes filled with this strange yellow light.  I think it usually portends more storms.

This happened yesterday.  The night before, thunderstorms broke the silence of the night and, subsequently, frightened our dog.  The storms continued intermittently throughout the day.  Late in the afternoon, after the rain stopped, I took Ellie outside for a short walk and noticed the yellow and grey sky.  As we were walking, I noticed a few isolated drops on my arms. I turned Ellie back toward the house, and the droplets increased.  We were almost at the house when I heard the sound.  It wasn’t loud, but I knew what it was.  It was the sound of advancing rain.

I told Ellie to hurry up to get home before the rain reached us.

“It’s coming!” I said to her.  Just as we made it through the door, another wave of heavy rain reached the house.

The sound of the advancing rain and my telling Ellie that it was coming made me wonder about an event we Christians have probably thought of often in our lives. 

“For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, 

that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: 

and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

1 Thessalonians  4:14-18

I wonder if before we hear the voice of the archangel and the trump of God, we will have some sort of feeling, some sense that “He’s coming!” So much of the human experience involves anticipation.  Will we know at all what is about to transpire, or will we be surprised when we are “caught up”?  

I can’t answer my questions, but I do know this one answer. However these events transpire, they will be perfect.  “As for God, His way is perfect:” Psalm 18:30.

 Not only will there be nothing lacking, but it will be “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,” Ephesians 3:20.

As we often say, our greatest days are ahead of us.

Friday Photos

 

Appalachian Trail north of Hot Springs, NC

This picture isn't nearly as remarkable as the circumstances that led to it.

It was October, and Glen and I were planning a section hike on the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina.  We had planned a three-day hike ending in Hot Springs, NC.  We had a shuttle driver arranged to take us from Hot Springs to our starting point, and we would hike northward on the trail back to Hot Springs.

We were glad to check in after our 10-hour drive.  We walked around the town, ate dinner, and returned to our room.  That morning, we got ready to leave on our hike.  The television suddenly caught our attention.  

There was a Pacific hurricane, Patricia, that had gone through Mexico, and now the remnants were heading to the eastern US.  Patricia was on a course directly for Hot Springs, bringing tropical storm-force winds with her.

We had no desire to hike three days in the mountains in those conditions, but we hated to go home without ANY hiking.  We prayed, asking the Lord for guidance.  When we finished, the thought came to us that we had one day before the winds were to arrive.  We decided to meet our shuttle driver and pay him for his time.  But instead of being shuttled southward and hiking back, we would just hike out of Hot Springs going northward.  We would go as far as we could go with the time we had and then hike back.  I was slightly disappointed, but I was glad to have at least a little time to hike.

This ended up being Glen's favorite hike ever and almost my favorite hike.  The leaves were at their peak.  This was accentuated by knowing the next day, they would all be blown off the trees.  Part of our hike was along the beautiful French Broad River.  In fact, on our way back, we camped along the riverside and were lulled to sleep by the sound of the roaring river.

The picture above was taken as we rounded a turn in the trail.  The leaves were red, and their undersides were pink.  It looked like the whole trail was covered in Valentines.  At every step, we encountered beauty after beauty.

We were so glad we took the day and a half out on the mountain and had such a wonderful hike.  God always has a way of working things out.

Tuesday - All Things Ellie

 Ellie does some interesting things.  One of those happens when we go on our walks in the mornings.  Our route takes us through a nearby apartment complex.  Across from the office is a bed of Jasmine.  Ellie loves this Jasmine.  It has been established for many years and has a height of about five or six inches, with the newer, softer growth on top.  

Ellie in the Jasmine

She almost always jumps into the Jasmine as we pass this spot on our walk.  Then she stretches out and wiggles and squirms in it. She scratches her back but also enjoys the coolness of the leaves.  Then she stops for a few seconds and starts all over again.  Finally, we tell her it is time to go, and she jumps out, and we continue walking.

We all probably have things we enjoy doing, perhaps for no good reason, so I can relate to Ellie's joy in the tiny-leaved plant.  Oddly, we have two different types of Jasmine at our house, and she isn't particularly interested in either of them.  We also pass other beds of Jasmine on our walks, but she never seems to want to rest in those.  There is something about that one bed that gives her great pleasure. and it gives us pleasure to watch her in it, as she enjoys it to the fullest.

Stickers in the Grass and Ellie’s Shoes

Stickers in the Grass and Ellie’s Shoes

A few years ago, I was walking Ellie, our beagle, in the schoolyard close to our house.  At one point, she stopped and held up her paw, shaking it.  I inspected her paw and saw a sticker on one of the pads of her foot.  I removed it, gave her some reassurance, and we went on.  A few moments later, the same thing occurred.  Then it happened again.

I began to look at the grass and noticed a small, prickly growth throughout the grass of the yard.  I had never seen this before, but it was clearly the source of Ellie’s discomfort.  It was so frequent that at one point, Ellie stopped trying to shake the sticker off her paw and just turned to look at me with her paw raised.  She knew she needed my help, and she also knew I was glad to help her.

Ellie in her shoes

That summer, I purchased Ellie a pair of shoes.  Well, is it still a pair if there are four of them?  I don’t know.  The shoes are precious.  The leather is the caramel color of her fur, and the top part is a leopard print.  It took her all of five seconds to get used to walking in them.

Every summer since then, she knows she will wear her shoes to the schoolyard, and her feet are well protected from the stickers. She runs just as easily with the shoes on as she does without them.

This morning, we were walking near our neighborhood when we had to cross a large patch of grass.  Ellie was not wearing her shoes (although sometimes, in the summer, she wears them to protect her feet from the heat of the concrete).  She hesitantly started her walk over the grass, not wanting to get a sticker in her paw.  But it happened anyway.  I quickly removed the sticker, rubbed her paw, and reassured her.  The rest of the way home, we could follow the sidewalk.

Glen and I discussed how much we loved and enjoyed caring for Ellie, even to the point of putting her shoes on each afternoon before our schoolyard walk.  It isn’t a trouble or an inconvenience to make her life easier; it is a joy.

We don’t think it is strange that we love caring for Ellie.  It is who we are.  As much as we love doing things for her, how much more does our Lord love caring for us?  It is not a bother to him; it is what He desires to do.  He loves us, and He is actively working to bring the best for us into our lives.  Just like Ellie might not have thought her shoes were the “best thing” the first time I put them on her, sometimes we don’t recognize the “best things” when the Lord brings them our way.  But as we trust Him in everything, He will reveal to us that He will make all things in our lives “for good.”

"Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you."

1 Peter 5:7

Ellie walking in her shoes.

Friday Photos

 

I love this photo.  It was taken late one afternoon when we were kayaking in Mobile Bay.  I loved the way there was only a tiny sliver of land visible between the water and the sky.  It reminded me of us as Christians.  We are "earthy" people, born of the earth, and as believers in the Lord Jesus, we are spiritual or "heavenly" people as well, born-again by His redemptive work on the cross. He was, of course,  the prototypical person who was "of the earth" and of the heavens.

Tuesday - All Things Ellie: NATIONAL BEAGLE DAY

 

Ellie Jean Louise Davis

This seems like the perfect day to write about Ellie; it is National Beagle Day. 

Let me take a moment to explain exactly how we became to be "beagle people".

In 2001, some close friends of hours had gone on a trip and when returning home, they stopped at a kennel to pick up a couple poodles.  The couple's youngest daughter had been praying for a poodle for some time.  Concurrently, our youngest daughter had been praying for a beagle.  Our friends loved our children and thought they could not bring home two dogs for their daughter and not bring home one for ours, so they brought us a 10 week old male beagle.  We had no idea they were doing this until they showed up at our door with said beagle in their arms.

It was love at first sight for our daughter.  As we struggled trying to agree on a name for this beagle, our son - who had just finished the School of Infantry with the United States Marine Corp (where Marines are called "grunts")- thought that was the perfect name for this puppy.  Grunt it was.  

We were now officially "beagle people."

Emmie and Sparrow

Grunt grew to be an extremely athletic beagle.  He could do a vertical jump and look you straight in the eye.  He had no problem jumping to clear our extra-wide driveway.  And when he wanted to explore the world (which he wanted to do anytime the door was opened) he could run like the wind.  

Grunt slept with Emmie and sat beside her during the day when she did her homeschool lessons.  In every sense of the word, they were best friends.  Unfortunately, when Grunt was three he died in an accident.  All of our hearts were broken, but especially Emmie's.

Gruntly and Gimli

The following fall, it was time to get another beagle.  When we went to pick up our little puppy, Gruntley (named in honor of Grunt), we also to take his brother- a chocolate beagle, named Gimli (his red fur led us to his name) home as well.  Because we got the brothers as puppies, they never seemed to bond with us as much as Grunt did.  In the spring, while they were in the fenced-in back yard, someone opened the gate and took them.  I later learned that hunting dogs were at high risk for being taken, especially during hunting season.

Baby Sparrow

The loss of those two puppies so soon after the loss of Grunt, caused us to wait a long time before getting another dog.  But one day in August, close to my birthday, Glen told me to sit in a chair in the Living Room and close my eyes.  Emmie sat in a chair next to time.  Glen came in and put a gift bag in my lap.  I was shocked when I looked inside and saw a tiny tri-color beagle.  She only weighed 3 pounds, but immediately she filled my heart.

We had previously told Emmie that if we got another dog, she would be able to name it.  So this little girl dog was named Katie Sparrow Jean Louise Davis.  Her names were all from books Emmie had read.  We called her Sparrow, or if we really wanted to get her attention, Sparrow Jean.

Sparrow

Sparrow was such a sweet dog.  She didn't have the desire to roam that Grunt did. She was happy to sit at her window and watch the world, or sit on the porch and enjoy the sunshine.  Everyone in our family loved Sparrow.  She was with us for thirteen years.  She passed away five years ago from congestive heart failure.

  

When Sparrow passed away, there was a huge hole in our hearts.  We had not thought of getting another dog, but as the days passed the idea began to grow on us.  

I followed beagle breeders online until I found one that treated her puppies just the way I would want my puppy treated.  

As we began to think more seriously about a new dog, we began discussing names with our daughters.  We decided to keep part of Sparrow's name as a tribute to her.  But we needed the name we called this puppy to be just for her, but to have some history with our family as well. 

Puppy Ellie

One night while driving to dinner we discussed this with our girls.  We thought of characters from old television shows we liked.  The name Ellie popped up more than once.  I liked that because Ellie is a nickname for Eleanor which, in Hebrew, means "God is my light."  So, Ellie it was.  Her official name is Ellie Jean Louise Davis.

 The breeder I followed had a litter expected in March.  Mrs. Lisa was so good at posting pictures of all eight of the puppies in the litter each week.  I picked Ellie out before I  had ever seen her in person.  I tried to pick the puppy that looked the most like Sparrow, which is ironic since, as she has grown, she doesn't look much like Sparrow did as an adult.

Then on the first of May we drove to Louisiana to pick up our sweet little puppy.  Like Sparrow before her, everyone loves Ellie.

That was five years ago and Ellie is an established member of the family.

We brought Ellie home in 2020, making her a "pandemic puppy".  She was with us all the time then because just about everything was shut down.  Now she goes almost everywhere we go.  She even goes with us on vacations, which was something Sparrow never did.  Ellie is a great car dog and a great hotel dog!  

She seems to be content just about wherever she goes. 

 

Ellie may think she was blessed when we brought her to live with us, but the truth is she blesses us so much more than she could ever know.   

We are "beagle people" indeed.

Ellie Jean Louise Davis

Note: I have had the most difficult time getting this post to format correctly.  I apologize if it displays poorly for you.  

Friday Photos

 

This picture was taken early in the morning, shortly after we had begun a kayaking trip.  Each time we started a trip around sunrise, I would tell myself, "I'm not going to take any pictures of the sunrise."  But as the sun began to come up, I couldn't resist.  Still, the camera never captures the beauty and magic of the real thing.