Why?

First let me show you another photo from my wonderful walk with my MOM on Monday.

Isn’t that beautiful?  The water flowing free and even though it is winter and the trees are bare and the earth is covered with decaying leaves there is beauty all around me.  But just up the river a ways we came up this…

Do you see all those plastic bottles and bags, Styrofoam and trash of all kinds?

WHY? 

See last spring and summer in Northern Utah we had A LOT of rain and the rivers swelled and overflowed the banks.  Now that the water levels are now contained in the banks all the garbage that was tossed aside, along roads, walkways, and paths, have now been washed together in pools along the river.  It saddens me and it literally brings tears to my MOM’s eyes.  When the weather gets warmer you can bet my MOM will bring me back to this spot to wade into the water to gather up this unsightly and sinful mess.  And maybe we will get that bra out of the tree as well.

Because we are created in God’s image, God gave us a privileged place among all creation and creatures and commanded us to exercise stewardship over the earth. (Psalm 8:6-8).  Stewardship implies caretaking, not abusing. We are to intelligently manage the resources God has given us, using all diligent care to preserve and protect.

God has given us all we need to live and survive.  God also decorated the planet in glorious color and scenic beauty to appeal to our aesthetic sense and thrill our souls with wonder!  We should be doing all we can to be true stewards of God's creation.



This is a photo of a backpacking trip MOM and I took high in the Uintas.  And this is a mountain lake that was as pure as the moment God created it.

When through the woods and forest glades and wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze;
Then my soul begins to sing, How Great Thou Art.

Blessings,
Goose

Monday Walk

Today just me and MOM went for a walk in the woods.  Now where we went we have gone with Bert and my other friends.  But this time MOM and I went off the beaten path to a path less traveled.  It was great!  Lots of cool stuff to sniff and I just love running free through the trees.  But I will tell ya this might not be the smartest thing or safest thing to have done.  Part of where we traveled is known as a place where some homeless "camp".  And we did see evidence of that.  Now MOM wants to make sure I say that it's not that they are homeless that is scary (MOM works with the homeless all the time at St. Anne's Shelter).  But being so far away from anyone else is not safe in that environment .  But it was all good and we had a beautiful time together.  And besides she had me with her.  Here are some photo's to share with you.

Checking it out

Here I come MOM, look out

What's that out there?

A DUCK! Sorry for the blurry photo, MOM... well I don't even have an excuse for her

Look Bert I'm in the water without you

I KNOW!! I'm still in the water

OK this water is a bit to fast for me

Look at this great swimming hole I found

Woo Hoo

I found a stick hiding under the water

Near a "camp" there was this thing MOM called a bra hanging from a tree with other clothes on the ground.  Seems to me you'd want to be wearing those things in the cold air and snow

Crossing a fallen tree over a little stream

Frozen pond in the middle of the woods

Frozen droplets

At the end of our walk and the frozen pond in the back that people play hockey on and ice fish.  But this day MOM and I had the whole place to our self and it was fantastic.  I hope I can talk my friends into coming with me off the beaten path.
Blessings,
Goose

Friends and Blue Skies

Today me and 9 of my friends went on a little walk.  Times like these are so special.  As we walked along I could not help but notice the brilliantly beautiful blue sky.  What joy!

I wonder how many did not even notice today that beautiful blue sky that was right there above them, keeping their heads low focusing instead on the mud they were/are walking through . 

Seems to me that sometimes we confuse happiness with joy.  For me joy is a blue sky.  True joy is deeper than happiness; we can feel joy in spite of “gray skies”.  Happiness is temporary because it is based on external circumstances, but joy is lasting because it is based on God’s presence with us.

Look up friends and see the blue sky that has been place before you, just for you.

Please ignore the slobber spots on the photos.  MOM said “someone” must have licked the camera.  I wonder who she could be talking about.

Psalm 16:11

Blessings,

Goose

 

Fence Jumping

Today some of my friends went for a little romp.  Or should I say jump.   In the past I thought jumping fences was, well ok, but I would rather chomp a stick or run up a mountain.  Oh sure I could jump, but… well maybe I was a little afraid sometimes.  So instead I would go around, under or through a gap in the fence.

But I learned today that I love jumping over fences.  Sure it might have been scary at first but I really liked it. 

As I was jumping the fences I thought of this scripture and I thought it fit with what I was feeling and experiencing   Ephesians 3:16-19.  Then I thought of this song, “Dive In” which reviles the truth of the scripture and what I was feeling.  “As I walk to the edge I know there is no turning back once my feet have left the ledge.  And in the rush I hear a voice that’s telling me it’s time to take the leap of faith.  So here I go.”

MOM is using a new camera, so she had to try out the action shot setting.  So we put together a little video of jumping fences.  Of course I did get in some stick time.  Tomorrow more of us will get together and we will add some water fun to our fence jumping, forest running, snowball catching day.

Until tomorrow.

Blessings,

Goose

Wordless Wednesday Backpacking Daydreaming

Smells like Summer Adventures

Psalm 65:12

Blessings,

Goose

Two Friends and My Gal Pal

What a day!  It started off that my Gal Pal, Belle, came to my house (her parents are in Hawaii).  We played and played.  First outside in the early morning light.  Then we went inside and I shared my toys with her.

THEN we met up with Bert and Murphy to play some more.  We played fetch in the baseball field, then we went on a great walk, hike, run in the woods and along the river.  Woo Hoo.  It was so much fun.  And for the most part Murphy behaved himself with Belle, for the most part.  Here’s a little video of my day.

Now go over to my buddy Bert's Blog to check out how he saw the day.

Blessings,

Goose

Rain Drops & Kingdom Living

Let me first say, I do not like rain.  I know we need it, but I do not like going out in it.  So when MOM put on her hiking boots and a jacket and put my collar on I thought she was nuts.  It was raining like, well like cats and dogs outside.  But I got in the Blazer thinking wherever she was going I would just stay dry in the car.

We pulled up to one of my favorite places the run around and guess what?  Murphy and Bert were there.  Well maybe I’ll get out for a little bit just to say hello.  There were a lot of people besides us there.  Seems that some crazy people where going to jump in the pond to raise money for something.  A 2-legger friend of Bert’s was going to jump in.  So we were there to cheer and support her.  Before the fun began the three of us took a little walk with our mom’s in the pouring rain!

Me and The Murphy

Me and Bert. Sorry for the blurry photo, but as I said it was POURING down rain

Me and my stick. I love me a stick. This stick was attached to part of a tree, no problem I just let the current help me take it down stream.

OH is it WET!

Then we watch the people jump in the pond and then headed home where MOM dried me off real good.

Then MOM did something she has not done in a VERY long time.  She turned up the thermostat! Normally it is set at 60 degrees.  But after I got toweled off she turned it up to 66! It’s like a heat wave in here.

MOM is going to preach about “Bearing or Wearing”.  I was a little concerned until she told me it was about the Kingdom of God. Whewww. I thought the naked truth might take on a whole new meaning.  Anyway here are my thoughts.

How can the kingdom of God “come near” for this twenty-first century?

As disciples we have to be willing to bear the cross, not just wear the cross. Jesus called his disciples to service, to sacrifice, to being the last, the least, the lowliest. When Jesus promised to make his first disciples “fishers of people” it was a mission that came with fishhooks in thumbs, raw and ripped hands, long days of hard work and the possibility of empty nets.

Jesus said, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24-25). Life’s “crosses” are not barricades blocking your path to the future but bridges that take you across. 

This story I have not been able to verify. But if it is not historically true, it is spiritually true.

There is a story about the sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), who is most famous for his “The Thinker.” It seems that one day Rodin noticed a large crucifix that had been discarded in a pile of trash. Although it was terribly marred and defaced, Rodin perceived that it could be restored to its original beauty. Consequently he and some companions carried it to his home.

But the cross was too big for the house. What to do? Rather than return it to the trash heap, Rodin decided to knock out some walls and raise the roof of his house to make room for the cross.

Has the cross of Christ made you knock out some walls and raise the roof of your life? If it has, then that’s kingdom living.

Blessings,
Goose

Thankful Thursday

Bert's Vickie came by MOM's church last night and she took some photo's of me for something that's coming up.  I'll tell ya about that later on.  I thought I'd like to share a couple of the shots with ya.

Do you know how hard it is to play the piano with paws?  Guess I won't be playing at the Blogville Valentine dance.

Psalm 34:1-6

Blessings,

Goose

Wordless Wednesday

Blessings,
Goose

The Gig is Up

It is time the truth be told and clear the good name of Tank and Goose.  I am still surprised that so many thought that Tank and I would even think of capnapping the Devil Cat Allred.  I mean have you seen that evil smelly fur ball?  He is frightening.  Although who could blame us if we did box him up and ship him out. 

The truth is Tank and I were helping out someone in need.  And with her permission she is allowing us to tell our story so our names can be cleared.

See my kitty friend Sadie came to me with a problem.  She is embarrassed by her, well her round figure.  She has tried all kinds of things to drop a few pounds, nothing has worked.  So she asked if I could help.  Short of chasing her around day after day for hours (which I thought was a great idea but she did not like it so much) I did not know what to do.  So I went to my friend Tank for his two cents worth on the matter.   Tank is one smart pup and I know he would know what to do.

What we came up with was a kitty sauna box for Sadie to stay in for a while to shed a few pounds.  We had to put a rock on top because she is so, umm well, large.  The rock kept the lid on so the steam would  not escape. 

The real tragic part of all this is that Allred has gotten away with looking like a poor victim, when really he is the perpetrator of lies, ugliness, slander, and just plain meanness.  He will stop at nothing to win the category of Bad Sport.  I hope the powers that be will see the injustice that has taken place and kick his sorry smelly butt out of the contest, excuse my language.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words so I offer you the following.

At first she didn’t think she would fit.

Since we could not lift her into the box, we tipped it on its side and pushed her in, it took both of us.

If it's more proof you need, below are the three of us when we took the rock of the sauna box.

I hope this clears things up.  Make sure you tell your friends that if they have a kitty weight problem Tank and I are here to help. 

As you can see Sadie now fits in the sauna box nicely after shedding a few pounds.  You go girl!

One more thing; VOTE FOR TANK!!!!!

Blessings,

Goose

I've Been a BAD Boy

Well I have a confession to make.  Believe me this is not easy for me.  {sigh}  You know how when you do something wrong and while you are doing it you know it’s wrong.  Oh sure you tell yourself, “It’s not that bad just a little mischief.”  Or you do something because another says, “It will be fun and we’ll feel better because of it.”  But you still know you shouldn’t.  But you, well you can’t help yourself.  I mean, what’s the harm?

Well here it is…. Remember that furry thing, you know the one with sharp claws and a bad disposition?  Well, I have DESTROYED it.  It will never be the same.  I am ashamed, really I am.  But I got to tell ya, I had the time of my life doing it.

Yep I torn up my new Badger I got on Friday.  There’s its torso.

And its tail

Some stuffing and it’s head

What?  You didn't think I meant Allred, the Devil Cat,  did you?  I am hurt, really hurt.  I would never do anything like that to Allred.  Even though he can be just plain evil to my buddy Bert, I just don’t have it in me to harm the spawn of the Devil.

What, what's that?  What's in the box under the rock?  I have NO idea.
Oh, I want to give a shout out to my friend TANK for a great night out.  You sure know how to have fun.

Blessings,
Goose

With My Friends

I got to tell ya, what you are about to see is a labor of love.  MOM could not get the video to work (go figure).  So Bert’s Vickie spent A LOT of time to make this happen.

I had another great day with my friends and thanks to Bert’s Vickie I am able to share it to you.

You know what I learned today (other than MOM is a flake when it comes to computers)?  I think if everyone, Dog and people alike, would do this then life would be a whole lot more joyful.  It’s simply this:

 Live like someone left the gate open.

Blessings,

Goose

My Day

It’s been a full day.  I started my day by going to work with MOM.  I ran around the church inside and out.

As the sun was coming up I chewed on a bone.

Then I thought I should take a nap before I met up with Bert and friends for some play.

This is a photo MOM took as we were leaving the church of a Red Tail Hawk that sit in this tree outside MOM’s office window.  It sits in this tree every day.

Before the gang got there MOM took me for a little walk, just me and her.

Come on MOM lets go play with Bert and the girls.

Then MOM had to fix the Blazer when we got home.  Something about replacing the fuel filter, whatever that is.

MOM kept asking my friend Jesus for some help.  He must have, cuz they got it fixed.

Then it was on to the stereo.  MOM said I broke it because I push the buttons with my nose.  So she crawled under the dash.  But I was there to help, do you see me?

Nope I don’t hear the music yet.

Yep now I hear the music and the lights are working on the stereo too.

I then thought we should test to see if the Blazer worked properly.  So I said we should take it for a test drive.  MOM agreed.  And guess where we went????

PETCO!

"I can have WHATEVER I want?! Just for helping with the Blazer!"

I should break the stereo more often.

I want that, right up there on the top hook.

It's a Badger, a squeaky Badger.

That's my day friends.  I hope your day was filled with play, rest, challenges, and love.

Blessings,
Goose