Blind Faith

Sometimes the phrase “Blind Faith” can have negative connotations. It can imply having faith in something false, misleading, or deceptive. Not so for Fanny Crosby, beloved author of more than 8,000 hymns in her rich lifetime. Fanny was blind, but had a clear vision of our Lord, and was used mightily by Him.

I’d like to share some lines from three of her best known hymns that illustrate how her spiritual eyesight was not at all impaired by her physical blindness. 

In “Redeemed, How I Love to Proclaim It” she says with confidence:

“I know I shall see in His beauty The King in whose law I delight.”

In “Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross” she says:

“There the Bright and Morning Star sheds its beams around me” and

“Near the cross! O Lamb of God, bring its scenes before me,” and

“Near the cross I’ll watch and wait, hoping, trusting ever.”

To me, the most striking example is found in “To God Be the Glory.”

She proclaims for all believers:

“But purer, and higher, and greater will be

Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.”

As an adult, Fanny Crosby chided someone who felt sorry for her:
“Had it been up to me, I would have asked to have been born blind. This way, Jesus will be the first face I ever see.”

Lord, grant me the strong faith and clear vision

of this blind saint!

From Ada's Loop to the Bridge to Nowhere

Most of you know all about the Sandhills Farm Life

Nature Trail, which a hardy group of students helped

me inaugurate in 1985-86. Well now, there are some

pretty cool trails at the Loyd home, on some of the

most historic land near Pinehurst.

Thanks to the unending creative brainwork of our

daughters, Jennifer and Amanda, we now have some

explanatory signs on our home nature trails. These

signs are not educational, but involve some anecdotes.

So come along for a brief tour.

As you approach the trails, you'll see a
humble, slightly crooked cedar tree. We
call trees like that "Charlie Brown" trees.
About four decades ago, Judy and I found
a Christmas tree on this very property, long
before we lived here. So this tree, which I 
pledge NEVER to cut, is representative of
that memory.

Judy and I plan to put a couple of ornaments
on this little tree in the woods when Christmas comes.

Fifty yards to the east is a most unusual pine tree
that we've dubbed "Captain Hook." It's actually the
monstrous ROOT that gives it this moniker. Take a look.

Don't trip over Captain Hook!

Here you can see the giant tree AND its root.

Heading back toward the stream (Joe's Fork),
you'll see a sign for a side trail. It loops back to
the Loyd Christmas tree. It is named for Judy's
dear grandmother, Ada Wilhoit McKenzie, who
lived on this land all her adult life.

There are beautiful ferns, arums, and shrubs
all along Ada's loop.

Big Mama is one of the largest pine trees
in the forest, probably over 100 years old.

I can not nearly reach all around this tree.

Back on the main trail, you can't miss Medusa,
a unique Maple tree.

If you walk around the tree, you'll see Medusa's 
not-so-lovely face, and meet her petrifying gaze.

Medusa was actually named for her snake-like tangle
of roots.

If you get past Medusa without getting "stoned",
there are more sights to behold.

At sometime in the past, this dogwood tree was bowed,
probably by a storm. But it lives on, and has formed a
rainbow-shaped seat.

Near the Rainbow Bridge is this beautiful specimen
of Royal Fern, one of the less common varieties.


Many, many thanks to Jennifer and Amanda for
enhancing the trail experience for us and all of 
our hiking companions!

The Gems of Columbia

Did you ever think of Columbia, South Carolina as
a getaway destination? Well, neither had we until
recently. But now we're so glad we took a chance.
Our adventure began with a picnic lunch here at
Riverwalk Park alongside the majestic Congaree River.

The Congaree is formed by the conjunction of two
other rivers, the Broad River and the Saluda. If you
ever travel through Columbia on I-20, you've crossed
them both. Here is a lovely amphitheater, one of the
amenities of this fine park.

This is one of several bridges that span the Congaree.
Due to hurricane flooding damage in the recent past,
we couldn't walk very far on the riverside trail here,
but that evening we had a nice long walk downriver.

This "heavy metal" band exemplifies the attention
to the arts that surround you in the downtown area.

Here's some more local art-- in the park restroom, 
of all places!

As the map shows, there are several access
points along the river, and it is well-used by
residents and visitors alike.

Our afternoon entertainment was Riverbanks Zoo,
a very nice facility that is quite a contrast to our
North Carolina Zoo. There was far less walking
required here, but just the right amount of exhibits
to fill two hours for us. The animal enclosures and
landscaping were very impressive throughout.

A couple of lionesses were in this enclosure, but
this artsy fellow was the only male.

Close examination will reveal that his "mane" is
bolts, screws, and bicycle chains. Very creative!

 

I won't show you all the animal pictures, because
you've been to zoos before, but I like this one of
the "old man" of the apes lounging in carefree comfort.

I've seen rubber frogs of these colors, but didn't know
they were authentic. There were also other colors,
all poisonous.

This vulture wasn't at all bashful. He and I
had a nice long conversation.

I do love trains, but this one was a little too compact
for me. Still, I was so glad to see things like this for
the younger visitors. And there was much more!

The zoo tour complete, we headed to our abode, the
Hotel Trundle, where EVERYTHING was first class!

The hotel is Columbia's very first boutique hotel.
Here's a view of the lobby from the staircase.

This hotel was imaginatively created from three
pre-existing buildings in the downtown: a Western
Auto hardware, a paint store, and a furniture store.

Since opening in 2018, the Trundle has
been proclaimed "Best in Columbia" every year!

Friday morning, we drove 30 minutes south of the
city to Congaree National Park. It contains the largest
river floodplain of any of our national parks, giving it
an amazing diversity of plants and animals

I call trees with roots like these "Medusas,"
and I've got one on our trails at home.

This one sure made me think of Jumbo, the elephant.

We stuck mainly to the raised boardwalk trail, even
though portions of it were closed due to flood damage.
There are many miles of other trails for those so inclined.
But hikers are cautioned to take a compass, trail maps,
first aid kit, and NOT to count on cell phone reception.
No thank you!

The last wonderful ingredient of our 37 hour getaway
was hitting the jackpot at SEVEN area thrift shops.
Our haul included puzzles, books, free videos, and
a few other odds and ends.

I haven't mentioned the food on our trip, but it was
all excellent. One dinner was at the Black Rooster-- 
an Italian place, believe it or not! Breakfast at the 
Hotel Trundle was an experience in itself, with a
wide assortment of pastries and chicken biscuits 
catered daily by two local eateries. Dinner on the
way home was in Cheraw at the River's Edge, which
was a grand finale with brisket for Judy and catfish for Ken.
Yummy!

Getting to know Columbia a little better was a very
pleasant experience. As always, it's good to get home,
but we'll be plotting more getaways near or far when
we get the chance!

Ryan's Amazing Origami Magic

 

Years ago, I witnessed Ryan's skill at following intricate

Lego instructions. Within the last year, he demonstrated an

amazing ability to learn and remember ALL my string tricks.

On our recent visit, my awe and admiration reached new highs

as he showed me his origami collection.

Let's take a look.

Introducing Ryan, Origami Master

Ryan with a sampling of his favorite creations.

Each piece is flawlessly formed with his 
skillful folding. And he has memorized all these
 steps learned from books and YouTube videos.

Specially for Halloween he has a pet bat
which perches on his hand.

He's protected by the "Claws of Death."

This cube is made from six colors, each one
a separate creation that he skillfully connects. 
One of my favorites is the delicate rose above, which
seems to be the only one with a "curl" to it.














Below are brief videos of Ryan displaying his
Ninja Star (two stars combined) and his
Crab Claw Pincers (or hedge clippers?).

Perhaps you're thinking like me: someday when I 

need brain surgery, Ryan's the guy for me!

History and Charm in Madison, Georgia

As part of our post-Christmas trip to Georgia to

see family, we were able to plan a short stopover in

the quaint town of Madison, Georgia, midway between

Augusta and Atlanta. We stayed at the historic James Madison

Inn and got to see quite a bit of this charming town during our

brief stay.

Here's the main entrance to the James Madison Inn.

 

This view of The James Madison Inn is from the adjacent
town park. It has 17 luxuriously furnished rooms and suites.
There are some private apartments in some areas.

This sitting room was across from the welcome desk.

There was also an elevator, but we chose the
stairs whenever we weren't carrying luggage.

The way to our room filled us with anticipation.

Our balcony overlooked the town park.

We had gas logs in our fireplace and a large sitting area.

The bathroom was spacious and first-class.

The room exuded comfort.

This was a great place to begin our Georgia trip.

We would visit this breakfast area and common room
the next morning.

We had arrived mid-afternoon and it was warm enough
for a walking tour of the area. First stop was the nearby
town park.

The park showed a lot of foresight by town planners.
It is in the heart of Madison's business district, but was
not sacrificed to developers.

Sculptures like this add to the atmosphere.

We could imagine the festive activities that must fill
this place through the year.

Judy and I love Free Little Libraries, but we had never
seen a Free Little Art Gallery. Someone is always expanding
on a good idea.

We loved that the public was invited to exchange pieces
to keep the art constantly evolving. Only the easels were
to be left intact.

After walking several downtown blocks, we were back
near our inn and started down a greenway trail. It was
a serendipitous walk.

This is Round Bowl Spring. It is historic and is a focal
point of the town's very founding.

By serendipity, we encountered a lady who thought she 
recognized us. Indeed, she did-- she had seen us downtown
a few minutes earlier! It turned out that her 95 year-old mother
(still living with her) is a retired landscape architect who designed
the very trail we were hiking. We had an enchanting and informative
conversation/stroll with her and she took our picture for us.

She showed us the three historic town cemeteries that come 
together near the railroad tracks.

An interesting climbing tree along our route.

More details about Round Bowl Spring and more.

I'm not sure what type tree this mammoth leaf was from.

The railroad didn't always come through Madison, but
when it came it had a lasting impact on the town.

As we returned from our stroll, we heard a switch
engine on the nearby railroad track. Judy told me
I'd better hurry or I'd miss it. I was off in a flash!

This train gave me a private performance.
It wasn't a through-train. It was switching
some cars back and forth to the east and west
of this overpass. I positioned myself underneath
the trestle and hoped for a view that has been on
my "bucket list", unofficially.
My video was too long to post on Blogger, but I
will post it on Facebook. It was quite thrilling to
the young boy in me who has loved trains all my life.

As darkness fell, we adored the view of the town
park from our balcony once again.

The park and all the rest of the town were still
wonderfully lit for the Christmas season. This was
taken from the balcony.

Several hours later, this was sunrise from our balcony.

We had a little time before heading down the road,
so we got to know this town a little better. It has a
rich Civil War connection. Several on-line sources
explain why General Sherman did not burn this town
on his march from Atlanta to Savannah, where little
else was spared. Here's one version:
"Legend has it that Madison's more than forty-five antebellum houses still stand because the U.S. senator Joshua Hill, an anti-secessionist who resigned his seat rather than defy the wishes of his pro-secessionist constituents, rode out to meet Sherman and pleaded that his hometown be spared."

This old depot of the Georgia Railroad was also of
great interest to me. My ancestor James Loyd's hotel,
Washington Hall, was located where all the Atlanta
railroads came to a junction. The zero milepost is on
display at Underground Atlanta, which was once called 
Loyd Street. By the time Sherman burned Atlanta, James
Loyd had been dead for more than a year and his well-known
hotel was in the hands of others. James Loyd was a pioneer
citizen of Atlanta, and Loyd Street was one of the six original streets.
It is now called Central Avenue.

Being only 68 miles from Atlanta, it was inevitable that
Madison would be of strategic significance. Like my 
great-great grandfather's house, which I wrote about in
"Mystery at the Loyd Homeplace," it was destined NOT to burn.

I've added this to threads of history that require
more study from me. And there are many!

The last site we checked on before leaving
town was this famous old school building,
which now houses the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center.
The kind lady who guided us on our walk told us all 
about it, and she happens to live right next door to it
in a house built by her great grandfather.

Yes, history was everywhere in this charming town.
Perhaps our path will lead us back sometime.