For the Beauty of the Earth, For the Beauty of the Skies

I have been watching Venus from my writing room window for weeks now.  And this morning, I can also see Jupiter.  As the moon rose higher, I watched for Mercury, but never saw its dim light.

Pam Ward-Reagan's picture

Later in the month, we will be able to see 2 other planets with our naked eyes.  For more on this morning's sky layout, go to this site.  The moon is beautiful this morning:  a slim crescent with the outline of the moon above it.

I'm reminded of an old saying about the old moon cradling the new moon in its arms.  But I don't have any cameras that can capture what I saw this morning.

I also didn't have a camera to capture the sunrise on Thursday.  It, too, was breathtaking, but in a different way than the astronomy lessons of these past several pre-dawn mornings.

My sense of wonder at God's amazing creation even stretches to the animal that used my pool as a toilet.  I suspect it was a raccoon.   Last week we heard chittering noises.  I said to my spouse, "Is it inside or outside the house?"  When he said outside, I assumed we would go back to sleep.  But he went to investigate.

There were 2 raccoons, one in our pool, and one out.  Luckily the one that was in was still alive and could pull himself out.  Later we found our small beach ball deflated by claws or teeth.

I find it amazing that we have raccoons visiting us, even though we're not near any sort of forest.  Again, I give thanks for the diversity of creation.

I'm reminded of that old hymn, which was one of my favorites of my youth.  I'll post the first stanza here, and I'll hum it all day.  I changed the last line to be the one I remember.

"For the beauty of the earth,

   For the beauty of the skies,

For the Love which from our birth

   Over and around us lies:

Christ, our God, to Thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise."