"COME HOME"

Here's a condensed excerpt from an e-mail to my sister about an incident at the park Friday:

I noticed on the ground a baby turtle all by himself. I'm sure it was frightened out of its wits, but it was too scared to even know to crawl into its shell and hide. I used a scratch page of my miniature sketch book to lift the hatchling and drop it into the flow at Lower Bridge, where the creek opens up into Deeper Pond.

"C'mon turtles! One of your little ones is coming to you," I cried, hoping the mother turtle heard.

At first, I think the hatchling was scared, seeing the strange pond with carp swimming around in it, because he scrambled around in the flow, looking for rocks to clamber back up on land. But either those other critters told him to stop struggling and come home, or he lost strength to hang onto the rock against the flow of water that pushed him out towards the pond, because the next time I looked, I saw him swimming out into the pond, hopefully, heeding a relieved mother's beckoning.

Come to think of it, maybe it was her voice the baby turtle heard calling.

I DREW CARP TODAY

This looks like a picture of the electric blue Kawasemi bird, doesn't it? Well, see that red lily pad he's looking at? It caught my eye too. It wasn't jiggling of its own accord. There were two carp playing with it. I guess it was their shiny red toy sailboat, and THEY were the tugboats!

Yup. We may not be charismatic, smart or strong; but maybe we can be used of God to move others along to live for Him. Maybe we can be like tugboats.

ADDING A LITTLE FISHER BIRD

The Great Glue...I mean, Breat Blue...I mean, the Blue Heron, you know, the great big bird. Anyway, the big bird with the name that gets you all tongue-twisted (maybe that's why people just say "GBH"),...he was fishing at Deeper Pond, and I began sketching him, thinking,

"He's catching a lot of fish today; maybe drawing him in action plus sketching a hint of the pavilion on the bank will make it different from my other heron-pond drawings."

I heard a shrill whistle that sounded like, "Draw me, draw me!" It was Peter the Kawasemi.

One of the largest birds of the park, and one of the smallest birds; but both are fishers. what do you think?

JUST WANT MAMA

Probably the biggest reason I didn't blog about Tower was when I saw this hatchling. I was crossing Main Bridge when I saw a turtle basking on some lily pads, and near its face, peeking out from under one of those leaves, was another tiny turtle not saying, I WANT OUT, but I WANT MAMA.

Recently, I read and was a bit unsettled by the emphasis on stretching faith, to have great expectation in God; and I didn't know why I was feeling uneasy. Seeing these two little turtles made me realize the reason for my uneasiness. Sometimes, God doesn't need us to think big change, but to love, desire, be satisfied in Him.

TOWER IN THE DITCH

(This actually happened Tues., I finished the drawing Wed., and I finally got around to blogging about it today...)

I had to sketch a hatchling at the Irrigation Ditch. A large mother turtle was there, but her baby turtle, named Tower because he always wanted to be tall and at the very top (isn't that the way many of us are?), wasn't around. She didn't seem overly concerned about his being out adventuring, feeling he'd be back when he was hungry, as all hatchings do.

I found him moments later, doing what I'd expect Tower to do: trying to get up and out of that Irrigation Ditch. He was too good to stay in a place like that! As soon as he turned his face upward towards the top of the wall tho', he got a mouthful of water.

Gotta hand it to Towers tho'. He may be a lot of things, but a quitter he's not. I watched him try to climb to the top I-don't-know-how-many-times; get toppled down to the bottom by a stream of water; until he FINALLY MADE IT!

When I saw him swim away, I went back to tell the larger turtle, and her response was:

"Not coming back for food? Now there's more for the rest of the family."

I guess that's turtles in the wild.

(cont'd.)

CONFUSED CROW？

The announcement sounded over the neighborhood loudspeaker: "This is your Crow Host." There was a long pause, followed by, "I'm not sure which way I'm supposed to face." What?

As it turns out, he was perched in the middle of loudspeakers pointing in four different directions.

Gotcha.

(Ooh. I thought about coloring in these pictures, but that turned out worse than these black and white ones (and I don't even like them) so will post the lesser of the two evils. This happened once before and it didn't work then either. I still don't know how to color multiple crows right. One crow by itself, I can manage, but when I get one crow in front of another, it gets all funny. I'll show you later.)

FIRST DAY IN UNIFORM

This drawing of my son was sketched from a photo on his first day in 7th grade.

I remember it was several weeks before a scary accident bashing his head into the corner of a bookcase and rushing into the hospital ER, needing an MRI, CAT Scan, and 8 stitches. The school said it was their fault so paid for all medical/cleaning costs and a new change of uniform.

When the stitches came out, my son was almost as good as new. One Day we're promised we WILL be perfectly good and new--wow!

THEY WERE REALLY THERE

I couldn't believe it. I blinked, but the turtle staring at me at the Irrigation Ditch was the soft-shelled variety. Actually, the first thing it did was run, but I'm hoping my voice plus the coaxing of the other living things there prodded it back to view; and it posed for me while I stood there, sketching for over an hour to get a black and white drawing for my final colored drawing. Partway through, I thought I saw a smaller form come nudge it--a baby turtle?

But no--as I looked, wide-eyed, the swimming companion that moved into view was a CATFISH, long whiskers and all. Wha...THIS was the critter that has persuaded the turtle it was all right to come out? Well, in that case, I decided to add the catfish to my sketch too.

And as I worked, I noticed underneath the catfish were shadows of two shy carp sometimes showing themselves, sometimes running away.

When I was getting ready to go home, several mothers with their toddlers stopped at the back of the Irrigation Ditch and were delighted to see a Red Ear Slider (normal turtle) there. I called to them to tell them that at the front there was a rare soft-shelled turtle and catfish too, but I don't think they believed me. How can I blame them? I didn't believe it either, even when I saw it!

LOOK! SERPENT'S LOOKING DOWN

I finally colored something I had an idea of in 2022. 

  

2 years ago, I had an image of Moses hoisting up the bronze serpent on a cross in the wilderness and encouraging his viper-afflicted people to gaze on it for healing. A youth is seen pulling on the arm of an elderly man, wanting him to avail himself of its curative powers.

"Just a metal snake? I'm dying here;" the man objects. "Get me real help, not superstition!" And in a smaller voice: "Besides, it was a snake that bit me..."

FISH STORIES AND CARP TAILS

You could call it drawing from real life, you could call it drawing from imagination. (I could never do it from photographs though, because things in water don't photograph very well.)

When I went to the park today, it seemed there was nothing inside the stream...but wait; there was an erratic ripple there by the rock. Sure enough, it was my friend Softi. After a while, she began swimming around actively, no longer caring that she was noticeably moving around the sakura petals on top as she did so.

"How did you know I was here?" she seemed to ask, "I made a ripple on the surface, didn't I?" I nodded. Why was she trying to be like turtles?

 

I've spent so much time with carp, when I needed an image of my "Cowboy Rascal Carp" Mai Mai (Dec 1, '23 post), I pictured him swimming in real life; and even Sara Fin, years after I no longer had my "Guardian Angel", I merely pictured what it looked like to see the carp swimming nearby in real life, and that gave me what I needed (April 13, '23 post EXACTLY ONE YEAR AGO!).

But I've gotta say, the influence of the first carp I met at the park can be seen in all three drawings: the tail is much too long. Goldie, that first carp, had an exquisitely long one!

SUNNING

Why were the mallards sticking their beaks in their backs?

The lemon-colored butterfly asked, "What're you doing?"

"Sunning;" was the reply. "Why? You want to join us?"

"No thanks." The flustered little friend fluttered away.

I've heard all you do is stay in the sun to get a tan. You don't have to push buttons or pull levers or anything. For some reason, I get the idea if I "push buttons" and "pull levers" of religion, I can become spiritual--you know, doing things like attend church, make donations to God's work, offer time for church service.

If I'd "work" to keep myself exposed to God's mercy and love, He's promised to do the rest Himself.

EYEFUL OR EARFUL?

When I saw the photographers behind their tripods poised around Lower Bridge, I knew they'd sighted the Kawasemi bird nearby and all wanted to get the prize shot. After all, the winner of those photo contests gets his name and entry on nation-wide calendar covers, doesn't he? Who wouldn't want that?

I walked onto the larger Main Bridge and faced Far End, the part of the pond away from Lower Bridge, where all the cameramen were. I said in a low voice,

"Peter, there are no cameras HERE! They're all looking for you around Lower Bridge; you can come here!" I was only half expecting the bird to understand so was surprised to see the Kawasemi dart over the water and do just that--he came! Then he perched on a branch in a shady place no one would be able to see him.

But as I stood on the bridge, I realized there were others, not interested in the sight of an award-winning bird, but basking in the song of the Uguisu. They weren't even trying to see it, just enjoying its pretty "ho-hokekyo". I don't know if you've heard it. It sounds like spring somehow.

I ended up sitting for hours sketching someone sitting and listening to it.

SHOOTING the Birdie

Another look-for-old-park-drawings day. These are from 2021, a result, actually, from something I found myself writing in my journal this morning. I remembered longing for a better camera then. I'd been carrying a compact camera with me and admired the professional photographers at the park with their expensive equipment. They had tripods mounted with huge cameras with telescopic lenses.

I remember when all those shutters went off, they set off consecutive firing for movie-like photography, so the noise was like machine guns. I rather felt sorry for the little Kawasemi bird running away from all those "Kawasemi Hunters" (that's what some of the rest of us at the park called the photographers).

Well, they WERE shooting at it, weren't they?

WITNESSING HELP

Just right. I wanted to sketch the crow leaning against the branch, but something was missing...when the Hiyo bird came along and perched on a nearby branch and the two birds peered at each other, it seemed to add a note of interest to the picture. Besides, behind me, I heard someone say to a companion,

"Look! That looks like a Hiyo bird!"

I swung around and responded to the comment, motioning to the sideburns down the bird's cheeks. "That's what it is!" 

Usually, I can't talk to people I meet for the first time. Actually, that's one of my biggest fears. But when it comes to wildlife, it seems all the barriers come down. Come to think of it, that's how I began talking with a Jehovah's Witness here at the park--we weren't talking religion, but about mallards' growth and about the differences between crows and ravens.

God knows I want to relate His Love to others BUT AM SCARED STIFF OF PEOPLE. So He doesn't belittle me for my timidity; rather, He uses my avid love for art and living things to get me to want to open my mouth. What a wise, loving Father, and I'll say it again: how good it is to be His.

MISSIONARY WORK...？

Actually, I was wondering about when to post this. I told you I've been making sketches of my children, sending them along to them from time to time. Well, when I showed my daughter this one I made of my son in kindergarten, she chuckled, saying it didn't look like him at all. I rather agreed, and did another one, this time scooting over an image of his sister in the reference photograph I'd used. Maybe they would look more like each other "in context"!

In the photo--1999, I think--my son is 4, my daughter about 2nd grade, and they are in the children's "yukata" and "jinbei", traditional garb, heading out to the kindergarten summer festival.

The missionary family who loaned these clothes to our children had a "quiverful"--3 daughters, 3 sons--and several of their oldest had outgrown use of these, just when my kids were overjoyed to be able to use them. God is so good!

Yes, some of you read of another missionary who loaned my husband a suit to attend our son's high school graduation when we lost everything in the 2011 earthquake. My guess is, most people would not think that missionary work involves loaning out children's clothes or men's suits.

Thank You Lord, for your servants--do reward them for their extra acts of kindness!

RECKLESS CARP

It had rained earlier in the morning so was slightly overcast--not exactly a bright day--and I said to myself, "the wildlife aren't out today." But the moment my mind uttered those words, Heaven answered with sightings of nesting herons; an egret in flight; and something that made me smile...well, I'll let these photos show you, plus it's time for a photo story anyway.

1 Some Carp came

2 To the Siphon area.

3 Duck Pond was much safer;

4 Here, they could fall into the Irrigation Ditch.

5 Speckles: "BUT WE WANT TO BE NEAR JUNE!"

I wonder how often I've made the Lord smile at my recklessness to chance losing my safety, financial security, future, education, reputation, etc...; in my desire to be near Him?

*      *      *      *      *     *     *

Incidentally, God didn't stop with just this. He sent along finches, turtles, pond skimmers, a small spider, woodland birds, and mottled ducks, to say nothing of crows, sparrows, dogs and cats. I could almost sense Him saying, "wildlife aren't out? Is this enough for you June?"