So teach us to number our days so that we can present to Thee a heart of wisdom. Psalms 90:12
Everyone knows of it. It is ubiquitous for volcanic eruptions in the world. Everyone has heard of the volcano, Mount Vesuvius, covering Pompeii with 19 feet (6 meters) of flowing ash, burying everyone and everything in AD 79. It was not truly searched until it was archeologically explored in early 1800s. The sheer size of the … Continue reading Pompeii – No Words are Adequate
The ridge between northern and southern Umbrian forests grows the magical black truffles famous in many Italian dishes. On our hike to the ‘ecotourism’ Bartoli Farm, it begins to rain as fog rolls in and covers the mountains with mist. ( Patrico sul Monteluco, agriturismobartoli@yahoo.it) The farm is a working farm and is available for dining tourists and … Continue reading AGRITOURISM – Truffle Farm
What do you believe in? How do you protect the earth and its creatures? Who was St. Francis of Assisi? St. Francis of Assisi is known to be the patron saint of animals, but he is so much more. He restored the life of the priests to be more Christ like after he had a vision in … Continue reading Who is St. Francis of Assisi?
Gold. Flecks of light. Valuable. Fleeting. Reflection of value. Mining minerals in the mountains of Colorado occurred throughout the 1800’s. The miners brought their heritages with them and named the town Como, after Lake Como in Italy. But there is only a small lake. “Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.” Exodus 30:15 NIV I have … Continue reading Gold in Mountains
“Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.” Psalms 42:7 NIV At the Judd Falls sign, the roar of August snowmelt reached our ears. It was an unusual winter in 2019 with lingering snowmelt. The first view of the Falls was breathtaking and reminded me of … Continue reading Water Judd Falls
“Your father’s blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than the bounty of the age-old hills.” Genesis 49:26 NIV Crested Butte, Colorado sits in a valley of magnificent mountains. We drove north through Mt. Crested Butte until the road turned to dirt in search of “one of the most beautiful valleys in Colorado.” We … Continue reading GOTHIC MOUNTAINS
“Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Take your son Shear-jashub and go out to meet King Ahaz. You will find him at the end of the aqueduct that feeds water into the upper pool, near the road leading to the field where cloth is washed. Tell him to stop worrying. Isaiah 7:3 NLT Collepino, Italy is a small … Continue reading Collepino and the Aqueduct
“Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come and be our king.’“But the vine answered, ‘Should I give up my wine, which cheers both gods and humans, to hold sway over the trees?’Judges 9:12-13 (NIV) After the splendid noon meal in Montefalco, sprinkling rain accompanied us to the Fratelli winery for our education about grapes, making wines … Continue reading Wine through the Ages
“And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.”” I Kings 18:41 NIV Our longest hike was to the town of Montefalco, Umbria. Montefalco is visible anywhere in the Umbrian Valley because of its location. The first settlers were named Umbri and Romans, Lombards, local merchants, later ruled it. Then … Continue reading Rain, Rain, Go Away….
“You shall charge the sons of Israel, that they bring you clear oil of beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually.” Exodus 27:20 We hiked miles through the forest to the ridge and started down the mountain. A lovely German shepherd greeted us as we started back down the mountain after three miles hiking. Wild … Continue reading Pure Olive Oil
