So much for the bike riding!

Just about the time we settle into a routine, the weather bottoms out, and all hope of riding my bike comes to an end.  I guess I shouldn't complain about 20's and 30's at night, 40's during the day with a little rain the last few days.  In comparison to Lake Zurich, this is heaven!  I will get back to it when I can and not fuss over what I can't change.

Speaking of change, I am helpless to change most things, but fortunately for us, God can change anything!  Below is a Facebook post I put up last week

Another God intervention today: we left my BFF (Audrey-78 yoa)

6 weeks ago. Last week I finally got around to sending her a long letter with pictures. It arrived TODAY ...on the day she received some very depressing medical diagnosis. Just when she really needed to be uplifted, I was there for her ! Still, she could use prayer.....for her salvation...complete turnaround of a diagnosis that she is going to remain "profoundly deaf" permanently and (selfishly) for me as this is making it sooooo hard for me to be away from her. Thanks prayer warriors!

5 days later this response was posted by Audrey's daughter Michelle (shown here with her son Nate (also a believer)

:

Thank you for your prayers. Praise to God that the procedure they did yesterday

(initially given about a 10% chance of success in her case) has restored much of

mom's hearing. She had almost immediate improvement after the steroid injections

directly into both ears. So, while she thought she was to be permanently profoundly

deaf, that wasn't God's plan Your kind words and support are, as always, so

appreciated and here's praying that she accepts the truth that this against-the-odds 

improvement was truly a God-thing!


In my conversation with Audrey after the successful procedure I found her MUCH

more open to considering that this was the Lord's intervention, and she was

EXTRAORDINARILY grateful for all the prayers sent up for her.  


Follow-up to last weeks God Intervention:


Bill and I did locate Pastor Cheryl Adamson at Palmetto Missionary Baptist Church


 http://palmettomissionarybaptistchurch.com/staff/


and attended there last Sunday.  I can assure you our search for a local 

church is over!  NOW we know why God sent us.  We were so warmly 

welcomed and Pastor Adamson's preaching so meaningful!!!  And the music!  Lovely 

:-)  We felt so much at home.


We missed church two weeks ago, as we had to drive to Charlotte for me to see my 

shoulder doc. 4 hour drive, and the night before my appointment, 2 inches of snow 

fell.  In Charlotte, that means the sky is falling and their whole world shuts down. 

But, it was NOT a wasted trip as we had a wonderful evening with my cousin and 

mutual friends:

More fun could not be had when Mo is part of the mix!

We returned home and rescheduled my doc appt.  Gives us an excuse to go back 

next Sunday (AFTER church of course).

while cruising around Charleston this week I spotted the most encouraging thing:

Hold onto HOPE!

This is what I spent my time doing yesterday (interspersed between loads of laundry)!

Not the best quality, sorry.  May be my way of getting that new telephoto lens:-)

And before I forget again :-(  Two weeks ago, on Thursday, Bill and I returned from 

our 4 days off.  As usual, I immediately check on all of  our critters.  I note that I 

cannot see the Congo Eel

in the aquarium tank... This does not alarm me, as he is very good at hiding, but, 

when I still cannot see him the next day, I sought out my Ranger Sam (who had just 

returned from a few days off).

  

Sam mumbles "that's funny, I don't remember seeing him on Wednesday" 

and joins me by the tank.  Knowing (at that time) more than me about this Eel.  Sam 

looks down at the ground, pulls a display away from the wall, and exposes our 

wayfarer.  The Congo Eel is on the floor, half behind the cabinet holding the tank 5 

feet in the air.  At best he was "out" 2 days, at worst 3.  When he was returned to the 

tank (yes, still alive) he seemed stunned, and did not eat that day, but seems to be 

back to normal.  Thru this process I learned many things:

1)  Our Congo Eel is not a Siren (as we had been told)....our Congo Eel has 4 feet, 

Sirens only 2.


2)  The Refuge has not been feeding him properly.  He should not be eating Pinkies 

as his sole source of food. 


3)  Congo Eels are escape artists (probably went out looking for food).


4)  Sam was right to go get gloves with which to pick him up....their skin is quite 

toxic.


5)  Their skin is also very sensitive.  If scratched, it can easily become infected.  A 

blogger I began following as a result of this incident, suggests we take him to a vet 

for a check-up and possible infusion of antibiotics (when you know what freezes 

over):-)  I doubt the government will invest that kind of money into an Eel.




So, you have now seen the height of Waccamaw drama.  The case of the missing 

Congo Eel.


Entering a busy time with trips to Jasper, GA (near Atlanta) to visit our friend Lydia 

AND that second trip to Charlotte.  Pray it does not snow again.  Thanks!

A word with God!

Many fun and interesting experiences greet us each and every day and they all make an impact.  I will share this month's events with y'all later, but the IMPORTANT stuff first:

I must bring it to your attention when one of us (in this case me-Jan) has a DIRECT intervention from the Lord Himself.  The kind of intervention that is so CLEAR, so DIRECT, so unmistakably DIVINE that it cannot be denied or ignored.







                                                              First, some background:  as usual, when Bill and I arrive at a new location at which we will be free on Sundays, or some of our Sundays, we go looking for a temporary church home.  In the case of our time at Waccamaw, my research revealed a nearby church called, of all things, Christ Community Church.

As many of you know, this is the same name as Bill's lifelong home church in Zion, IL.  We took this as a promising sign, and began attending.

We both enjoyed the preaching AND the welcome was warm and inviting.  On the 2nd Sunday we visited, CCC presented a guest preacher.  We did not catch her name, but SHE WAS FABULOUS!  We didn't focus on her name because we thought we would be able to find it on CCC's webpage later.  By our 4th week of visiting CCC, it was clear that I was not being fed by the style of worship music being presented, and that was important enough for me to bring it to Bill's attention.  We came to a quick agreement that we would both like to try the church of the "guest preacher" we had heard at CCC several weeks earlier.  NOW, to find out who she is and where she preaches.  The information could not be found anywhere...not the CCC website, nor anywhere on the web.  We could not remember her name, or the name of her church and I was too embarrassed to call CCC and say "hey, we like your church, but not enough to stay, so could you give me the name of that guest speaker we had a few weeks ago?"  The week was passing, several days had gone by, with no success in our search.

Now, I am standing in the laundry room, putting a load in, moving a load over and I hear a voice, clearly say "Cheryl Adamson"!  What???  Wait???   THAT was the preachers name, and I rush to my computer to discover:

Pastor Cheryl Adamson

An answer to prayer staring me in the face!

We will be traveling this Sunday, but can't wait for the opportunity to hear her again.  She is clearly anointed.

We have now been at Waccamaw just over a month:

and are settling into a routine:

I ride when I can, while Bill and Tessa shadow me.

Bill likes to pick garbage alongside the road during the hour I am riding, but Tessa, well, she just likes the scenery.

Cleaning up alongside the messiest roads we have ever seen is not exercised solely during my ride time.  We feel so strongly about this

we go out on garbage patrol regularly.

Sometimes our training is just so miserable, but somebody has to do it:

ATV Training Day

 

Now, to find something to do that would require the use of these machines.

And, of course, we must know what we are talking about when people call or come in looking for our hiking trails.  Our best answer "Go up to Cox Ferry", there's about 4 miles of trails up there:

The Cox Ferry Trails are about 20 miles from us here at the Visitor Center, closer to the north end of the Refuge.  It is also where our friends Ken and Joanna (whom we met at The Cradle of Forestry-our 1st volunteer assignment) are posted while they are here volunteering at Waccamaw.  It was just a sheer coincidence that we both ended up here together.  The volunteer world is getting smaller all the time.

The Cypress Swamp is beautiful right now...another month and well be spraying up with Deet!  Another month???  We couldn't stand still very long right now!

My need for training on my new Apple computer affords us the opportunity to be down in Charleston a lot.  This is good on several levels, not the least of which is that it affords us a chance to see my cousin Kelly  (daughter of my cousin Lynn) over lunch on the waterway.

BUT, during lunch, Kelly and Bill, facing the water, bring to my attention an interesting old boat cruising slowly by.  I turn and note the neat old boat, as the conversation continues.  The old boat passes several more times and Kelly says "I guess they are filming something".  

As I turn and look again, wondering what is going on, FINALLY Kelly says what she has known all along (took her awhile to be sure):  "Yea, that's Darius Rucker".  "WHAT"!!!!!  And you're just telling me now????  OMG, I'm a HUGE fan!"

,And Kelly goes on to explain that Darius lives near them.  I didn't want to look like a besotted fool, but I HAD to take some pix!  Where is my real camera when I need it?  Sorry Darius, I apologize for gawking!  P.S.  I was a fan back when Darius was still"Hootie", just sayin:-)

Plans are in the works for Bill and I to get together with ALL of my cousin Lynn's family who live there in Mt. Pleasant.

That would include Kelly, hubby Charlie,

We have not yet met this young man.

 kids Ellis and Luke

AND Kelly's brother Kevin, his wife Cassie

       






                        and their kids Eva, Sade and Mya.

This is VERY exciting to us, as these people are right up there at the top of our list of FAVORITE people.  Can't wait!!!

After the exciting lunch with Kelly, we headed toward Charleston to take in a couple of the many sights to see:  Fort Moultrie

and Patriots Point.

  We will be returning to Patriot's Point, as there was so much to see there.

This drive takes us by the bridge into Charleston, which we find quite lovely!

Take a cue from our South Carolina friends Greg and Becky:

who, came to visit not long ago!  We only work on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  So our time is quite flexible!

Sincerely, JAN

Too Easy?

The new position at Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge

 is so easy, we almost feel guilty.  But considering the 42 hours a week we worked at LBJNHP last winter, and the 34 hour per week at Cape Hatteras, we felt like we needed a break.  The 3 days (Thursday, Friday, Saturday 8 AM to 4 PM) we work at Waccamaw will leave us plenty of time for Bill's art, my scrapbooking, canoeing and exploring.

We are, once again, working with great people, in a lovely environment, newer building!

The campsite is very private (despite the highway 30 feet from the RV-quiets down at night).

  Our first few days here, we had company.  They have moved on to another volunteer position and are due to be replaced by a new couple on the 22nd.

Laundry building 30-feet from our door.

              And LOOKY there!  A fire-pit right in our front yard...."Bill, get the chainsaw!"





                        Our job involves manning the Visitor Center Desk,

 and, the gift store ...... also the home of our 3 snakes.

Feeding the critters....The Box Turtle eats

 these Mealy bugs....gotta be alive or she's not interested:-)

Our American Alligator (bout 2 feet long)....I don't handle him yet (so FAAASSSTTT), but after Sam gives me more training, I think I can take him.  He is cranky to say the least.  And "what does he eat?"  Yea, you'd rather not know, trust me:-)

The Corn Snake is pretty friendly...

 as is The King Snake (1st time I have ever touched a snake in my entire life).

Young William really wanted to see him, so I ponied up, not to disappoint.  NOTE:  we are not REQUIRED to touch anything. 

The view from the Visitor Center makes it all worthwhile.  This is the convergence of the Great Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers.  

Thus far we have experienced an average of 3 visitors a day, so we keep ourselves busy with light cleaning up around the place,  doing our computer work, or, in Bill's case, working on his book.  

In the process now of making a list of things to do locally....#1:  have to go to Sandy Island for birding: 

I'm told the Woodpecker population is  extensive.  That said, it does take a water conveyance to get to Sandy Island and we were kicking ourselves for leaving the canoe at home when we are currently residing in canoe heaven.  No worries, the Refuge has several.....Sandy Island here we come!

As our days become quite restful, and our nights blur into a whirlwind of Monopoly and Scrabble we find ourselves missing the craziness of being home.  Our Christmas was a blessed event, enhanced by time with the GRANDS

Natalie (16), Johnny (15),  Christine (12), Kate (9), Teagan (4), Moira (2)

and they are greatly missed.  But, going at that pace was becoming a real challenge.  

So, we are established until April 30th, when we return to the Midwest (quick home visit).  Then on to Camp Zion www.campzion.com in Ellison Bay, Wisconsin (Door County).

In an unusual turn of events we have signed on to Joshua Tree for the time period September 15, 2015 thru January 2016.  YES YES< I know we have already been there twice, but consider these facts:

#1: we will get to see our friends there ( we have made friends everywhere we have gone, but some of those friends have become LIFELONG buddies).  Joshua Tree is home to 3 of them (Connie, Cynthia and Jerry).

#2:  Kelly (youngest daughter, whom we have seen very little of in the last 3 years) will be living about 2.5 hours from J. Tree and has come up with the brilliant idea of hosting Thanksgiving 2015 (to include her brother!)  If it all comes to fruition, it will be the 1st holiday we will all have been together for for many moons.

Kelly and James skiing in Colorado (his adopted state)

Our local mailing address is: Bill and Jan Suttie, 25 Wildlife Lane, Georgetown, SC 29440

Come on down!!