Bees, Trees and Zzzzzes

Where are you in your journey? Where am I? Since being back from Idaho, it seems as though my journey is now in the past, yet I seem to be spending just as much on gas. Hmmm. Maybe the price of gas went up. Or, maybe this journey has taken a turn and continued in New York. Rather than moose and bears, I see squirrels and family. Wait, those seem like odd items to put together. Well, you think about that, and when you're done, ask yourself where your journey is taking you. No, the path may not be straight, in fact, I am certain it will not be. There are too many uncertainties that create sharp curves, steep hills and cattle guards for crossing. Cattle guards? Yes, cattle guards. While I've never seen a cow attempt to cross a cattle guard, I have imagined their spindly legs and uncertain footsteps trying to balance on the narrow metal grating as they tiptoe across and suddenly... WHOOMP, down it goes, with one small missed step. Reminds me of a poor wasp who was buzzing about having a grand time, when...
...he landed in the butter. His journey had ended before he reached his goal. If your journey ends short of your expectations, will you reach your goal? Will you spend an eternity with the Redeemer of our souls? We can't afford to be stuck in the cattle guards of our life with no help in sight, wishing we had never dabbled in life's danger. If you find yourself stuck, listen to the Psalmist when he says, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth." (Psalms 121:1,2)

So start by looking up, like we did as the next journey started out...
...with a quick trip to downtown Las Vegas while waiting for Fritz to arrive at the airport. In general, Las Vegas only has shallow glitz and glamor to offer, along with these fountains choreographed to music.
But without the music, you'll just have to imagine a tune with the rise and fall of the water.
A clear blue sky, mountains or the desert landscape might be the subject of this picture. Or, the abundance of airplanes at an unmarked location in the middle of the Mojave desert. Hmmmm. Even with the binoculars, we couldn't figure out why anybody would need so many Boeing 747's in the middle of nowhere. If you know, let me know. Which reminds me, the trivia answer to the unknown animal in the last blog post was a rocky mountain sheep just starting to grow horns.
Moving right along, or is that around, a wind farm and...
...some very pretty flower pictures. While I can't take credit for the picture, Fritz can, and you should also credit him with putting up with...
...this little sequoia as well.
Fritz, the professional photographer of the group as we headed into Sequoia National Park. The rest of the pictures are a mix from both our cameras.
The road used to go under this rock.
Our first sign of wildlife...
...followed by the second. Not really - we may be wild, but Shayna's just providing a little perspective for this panoramic picture of a really, really wide and tall sequoia tree. How many homes could this tree heat in a winter?
As the sign says...
...the trees are wide enough to drive on...
...or under.
In the last post, we talked about bears in Yellowstone. Well here's a black bear lumbering amongst the Sequoia's, yes, on snow. (The trip started Memorial Day weekend.)
Though the picture is blurry, there is something artistic, peaceful and scary about the boy and the bear, a grizzly, walking in unison across the field.
Here's a clearer picture of the bear...
...along with another. I love seeing bears in the wild, but I have no desire to encounter a wild bear...
...like this poor family van. While I don't know the story, it's obvious that a bear literally peeled away the top of the door on one side...
...and successfully repeated it on the other side, breaking the window as well to gain access into the van. I have no idea what attracted the bear into the van in the first place, but it was most likely food or smelly products as benign as Chapstick.
Once inside, it proceeded to rip apart all of the seats...
...probably finding every last cheerio that had fallen in the cracks before scampering off. So we took note - never leave food in a vehicle unattended.
(John) Fritz, Shayna and I in a tunnel tree along the way.
By volume, sequoia trees are the biggest trees in the world. Some redwood trees grow taller, but sequoias have branches up to 8 feet thick and base diameters as wide as 40 feet, which could be wider then your house!
Here's a panoramic of a sequoia grove, but without...
...Fritz at the base, it's difficult to have a good perspective from the picture.
Our long days journey branched out of Sequoia National Park as we passed a beautiful sunset, winding our way to the campground.
The mountainous landscape under the setting sun made for a perfect finish to the first day of our journey.
One last look before we would finished winding down the Sierra Nevada Mountains where no city lights could be found...
...and Fritz captured the stars and a few boats on the lake next to our tent after dark...
...along with this man walking on water! So while we're catching some Zzzzzzz's on our journey, is your life's journey in the hands of the one who could walk on water? Why entrust it to those who sink in unbelief? In Psalms 118:8, we are told, "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man." Man will fail you - God never fails! Check back soon as the journey turns into Yosemite National Park!