BLACK & WHITE

Here's something, "hisashiburi," as they say, in English. It's just that for this Japanese post, I had to compose it all right now, whereas the English things are already all done so aren't taking up as much of my time. Anyway...

I went back to the park today. But I'm still not back up to par physically so decided to do simple sketches. It seems the animals were notified, even before I came, of what I'd have to do, because...

As soon as I got there, I saw Eida the Great Blue Heron in the back in the reeds of the inner flow of Step Creek.

"As beautiful as always," I said, pulling out the small notebook. "Can I draw you? Please?" and began sketching. But maybe I said too much. Eida seemed to get embarrassed and moved away, so I couldn't make a very good drawing. Oh well.

When I put the notebook away and walked around the pond to the other side of the park, I saw the egret fishing on the other side of Deeper Pond as well as two cameramen focused intently on a tiny blue bird on this side of the pond. It was Peter the Kawasemi, standing tall as a sentinel on a branch.

"Just for you," he seemed to say. Oh yes. His name. I've learned to distinguish the call of the Kawasemi from the other small birds, think its "piping" is just as pretty as all the rest; altho' the Pied Piper of Hamelin was red and yellow, I figure the flying piper of Iwatsuki can be blue and yellow. The long, black beak does look a little like a fife, after all. What do you mean Peter, it does not either? You were listening?

When I finished sketching Peter, I looked up and saw the egret was gone. I walked over the Main Bridge to see the area of the pond where she had been, when...

A white form moved around in the reeds--it was Alabaster! She hadn't gone home after all! Of the three birds today, she was the closest. Of course, I sketched her. By next week, I'll probably be able to work out of my larger sketchbook and full range of colors, not just black brush pen.

I wonder if that is how God feels about some of His children too who do that which is right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart, as...wasn't it King Amaziah? Isn't that like composing an accurate picture in black and white, but not trying to make it as pretty as possible?