Wonderfully Made

I love snakes! Out of all the animals I’ve seen, I’d have to say that snakes are by far my favorite! I have caught many kinds of snakes: black rat snakes, garter snakes, prairie king snakes, smooth green snakes, common water snakes, black racers, and others. I enjoy feeding and caring for each of the snakes I catch.

The black rat snake, along with the common garter snake, eastern hognose snake, and corn snake, are my favorite snakes! The black rat snake can grow up to nine feet long! I am currently caring for four black rat snakes! Two of my snakes are about 4 feet long, and the other ones, which are younger, are about 3 feet long. The biggest black rat snake ever recorded was 8.5 feet long!

I must feed my snakes every 4-7 days! I generally feed them the mice I catch from our granary, but I sometimes feed them fish and frogs from the pond. Rat snakes are constrictors, so they kill their prey by wrapping around it and squeezing it to death! King snakes are the strongest constrictors on earth for their size! Once the snake has killed its prey, it will swallow it whole, generally headfirst! A rat snake can swallow a mouse within only a few minutes!

I like handling rat snakes, even though they may be hot tempered when first caught. Black rat snakes can become very gentle after a few days of handling. Gentling rat snakes is a fun job if you like snakes, but it takes a lot of self-control and bravery!

I use different ways of gentling for different kinds of snakes. To gentle the big 6-foot black rat snake, I take the snake, which is generally in a bad mood, and sit in a rocking chair on the back porch. Once seated, I release my hold of the snake and let it slither around all over me! I’ll try to do this in the morning, when it’s still cool out. Since all reptiles are cold blooded, the snakes are colder in the mornings which makes them slower, so they generally lie still enjoying my body heat.

The snake will just lie there for a while warming up, then it will start to slither around flicking its tongue in and out constantly. The tongue of a snake is its way of smelling! When the tongue is flicked out, it collects the chemicals from the environment. When the tongue is pulled in, it touches the Jacobson’s organ which helps the brain recognize the chemicals as smells.

Being cold blooded, snakes are whatever the temperature of their environment is! They can’t live in cold weather, but need to stay warm. The warmer the snake gets, the more active it becomes. Once it starts moving around, I must hold very still! I have been bitten many times on the hands from moving too much! The snake is just curious and does not bite unless frightened. If I am bitten on the hand however, it is very important that I do not jerk away! Black rat snakes have a very powerful bite force. If you jerk while it’s biting you, the snake may lose a few teeth in your hand! I’ve had a snake tooth stuck in my finger! It does not feel so good. Out of all the snakes in the world, the king snake has the strongest bite force for its size!

I guess I haven’t always liked snakes. Although I don’t remember, I imagine that I used to be afraid of snakes when I was little! With more than 3,000 snake species, I find it interesting that about half of the world’s population feels anxious about them. About one-third of the adult population is believed to have an intense fear of snakes! There are only 600 venomous species, and only 200 of those, can kill humans. I am certainly not afraid of snakes, but I do sometimes feel a little anxious and alert when handling an ill-tempered snake. I have respect for the reptile.

I think snakes are some of the most amazing creatures on earth, not only because they can move without legs, but because they can smell with their tongues, their venom can kill and cure, they can feel vibrations with their jaw, they can slip out of their old skin, and climb trees without legs or arms! Different species of snakes can see heat, fly, rattle their tails, live under water, live under ground, or swallow full grown alligators whole! Those are just a few of the many amazing things that snakes can do. Snakes are sure wonderfully made!

~Samuel

Way Down Yonder in the Pawpaw Patch

You may be vaguely familiar with the tune “Way Down Yonder in the Pawpaw Patch,” but just what is a pawpaw? Many have never seen or tasted the fruit, even though it is the largest edible fruit indigenous to the United States. Pawpaw’s have a sweet, custard-like flavor similar to a banana or mango and grow mainly in central/eastern United States and Canada.

The trees are a patch forming understory tree that grow up to a height of 35 feet in a variety of soil types. The yellow-green to brown large seeded fruit can be up to six inches long and four inches wide, weighing up to 18 ounces. The fruit is sweet and is often eaten raw or used to make ice cream or baked desserts. It is not a common fruit found at the grocery store, as its shelf life is only around 3 days once ripened and picked from the tree.

Our personal calendar has September 8th marked down as the best time to pursue the fruit in our southern Illinois location, although the third Thursday in September has been designated as National Pawpaw Day by the National Day Calendar. On a recent trip to Ohio, numerous fruits were found at my brother’s house near Cincinnati at a family reunion. Youngsters were constantly returning from the forest with loads of the delicious fruit in their pockets reliving the words to the tune “pickin’ up pawpaws put‘em in your pockets.” They were a constant treat and heaps of fun for the little ones.

De Soto in 1541 gave the first report of pawpaws when he found Native Americans cultivating the fruit. It is also said that Lewis and Clark practically lived on the fruit for a period of time. Having never found a pawpaw on our farm, we transported the Cincinnati seeds to Providence Prairie and are attempting to propagate the seeds for a future harvest.

Restoration plantings of pawpaws are also underway across the United States, as the deep-rooted thickets protect against erosion and runoff. The native species are non-invasive with their large leaves adding to the under-canopy’s beauty.

The pawpaw seeds are in the ground awaiting the winter freeze and thaw. They are all marked with flags to remember their location. 

Pawpaws begin to bear fruit in three to five years. With any luck, we may one day find the delicious short-lived beauties here on our own homestead!

~Mark

The Tale of Two Instruments

My tale begins last fall, when our family was singing at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. A gentleman from the audience came to us after our performance and asked us to sing for a revival in Ohio in the spring. He sweetened the offer by promising my little brother an electric bass if we came. When spring rolled around, we found ourselves at the Allensburg Church of Christ.

True to his word, Bob Stevens pulled the bass out soon after we arrived, and it was beautiful. Before long, the instrument was hooked up to the amp. Samuel’s playing around on it sounded good for not having played a bass before. He liked it right away.

Prior to the revival, we had been watching an old 1955 T.V. show called “What’s My Line.” We decided to change our usual family introduction to one like that of this old game show, where each member on the panel introduced the panelist to their left. As such, it would prove to be more interesting, not knowing what crazy thing the person next to you had in mind to say. Samuel introduced Unique as being very talented, knowing how to clog, yodel, and play the ukulele. Many people came up later that night stating their hopes of hearing her play the ukulele the next day. As she hadn’t brought hers, we were off to find one in the morning.

As we entered the music store, my dream stood there looking right at me. Dark and beautiful, it brought to mind all the beautiful sounds played by its kind. It was a gorgeous cello, but it had a pretty price tag, too. We all looked around, admiring the instruments in the shop, but I kept coming back to that cello. While everyone meandered here and there admiring everything that was offered for sale, Dad and Mama were looking for a good ukulele. Mama found a beautiful mahogany tenor ukulele that she would claim for her own. It was a good quality instrument, and she was pleased with it. Leaving the store, I was sure that poor cello was going to miss me. As I walked out the door, I believe I heard the cello groan a low disappointed bass note.

That night as part of his introduction, Samuel presented me as his big sister Jayla who was currently unattached. With a big smile, I told the crowd that I had just fallen in love that day. Everybody let out a sweet, “Aww!” I continued “…with a cello in a music shop.” Per request, Unique accompanied herself on the ukulele while yodeling a great song for the crowd.

In the audience that night sat one of Mama’s cousins along with his granddaughter who loved Unique’s song so much. She had always wanted to learn how to play the ukulele. Roger got to thinking about his cello and suggested a trade proposition for Dad. Were we actually going to have a cello? Before I knew it, there in my hands was a cello, I was really holding it, and it was possibly going to be ours! Both the look on his granddaughter’s face and my excitement was enough to ensure the value of the trade on either side.

Straight away we had a new addition to the family, a beautiful cello that currently stands sentinel in a corner of the house. I am thankful for it. I’m no cellist…yet, that is, but I am working on it. While my tale of two instruments may draw to a close, the story lives on in every note played on either instrument, whether in practice, performance, or the composition of beautiful pieces of music.

~Jayla

An Exciting Game In Section D!

For the past many years, we have been going to Hillsboro Family Camp. It is in Ohio and is one of my favorite places to go each year. At the camp we play and visit with others, and we also get to listen to lots of excellent preaching. This year we were asked to do a fifteen-minute concert!

When we were packing up our clothes, food, and other things, Samuel, Isaac, and I also made sure to bring our ball gloves, bats, and balls. Ryan and Amanda and their family were planning to come also, so they made sure to bring their baseball gear, too. We packed everything up the night before we left, so we would not forget it. We were hoping to play a lot of ball that week, and we were excited to go.

Every day while we were at the camp, we played ball a good bit. A bunch of the time, all our friends would come over and play with us. When that happened, we would start a game. We played in an open field in section D where we camp. The field was a perfect spot to play. It was lots of fun. When it was just Samuel, Isaac, Justus, Gideon, and Me, we would throw a hard baseball to practice our skills. Most of the time we would use wiffle balls. Baseball is very thrilling to play. You never know which team is going to win. There are lots of positions you can play.

One of the games we like to play is kind of like grounders and high flies. The game involves one of us boys hitting the ball out, and the fielders trying to catch a fly ball to get him out. The batter would continue hitting the ball until he got three outs. Then it was the next person’s turn to try. The goal for the runner was to score as many runs as he could before they got out, and the fielder’s goal was to get three outs as fast as he could, and not let any runs score. My favorite position to play on the field is short stop. It’s very exciting!

I enjoy going to Hillsboro Family Camp, and I hope to return next year. If you want to have a good time, come to Hillsboro Family Camp. Not only will you get to play ball, but you will hear lots of good sermons and have lots of good fellowship. Come and join us in section D!

~Jonah

The Effects Of Friction

I am thrilled to necessitate a new pair of shoes! My trusty old Nikes have finally bitten the dust after over five hundred miles since the beginning of this year. Friction has taken its toll. All the same, they have been good servants, and I am thankful.

Those five hundred miles do not include any of the ones my shoes gathered from the previous few years! Friction, the force between two materials that stops them from sliding past each other, has worn my right sole partially off! The rubber sole is designed to increase the friction between my foot and the road, causing me to get traction and be safer on slippery surfaces. Friction also leads to the shoes wearing out. Newton’s Third Law of motion reminds me that the force of my foot hitting the ground is returned equally from the ground back to my foot. Since forces always come in pairs, running shoes are designed to absorb the normal force of foot to road impact. This design of the shoe helps to protect my knees and ankles. Good shoes also provide stability for my foot. However, friction is still at work.

I ought to have saved my old running shoes for slightly longer before I discarded them. Identical to my last pair, the like-new pair I purchased have caused a blister on the back of my right heel. They have yet to form to the shape of my foot, and friction is working and will continue until they are broken in. Wearing a Band-aid while jogging manages the tender area, making it tolerable. My older shoes had obviously stretched, allowing less coefficient of friction between my heel and the shoe material. With fourteen miles already on my new shoes, they're feeling better these days!

An old Chinese proverb says, “The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.” The friction that is allowed into our lives causes us to grow if we let it. We can focus on the bad and view ourselves as a victim or choose to rejoice at our opportunity for growth. With my shoes, I am deciding to look at the achievement of miles under them, rather than the old broken-down shoes that were needing replaced. In a similar vein, when hard times inevitably come, I pray that I will see the blessings.

~Rhonda

One Of My Favorite

A couple days ago, I was looking in an animal book. I noticed lots of fantastic things as I skimmed through the book to find the lizard section. The first page about lizards was the bearded dragon.

Bearded dragons are lizards that live in the deserts, savannas, scrublands, and subtropical forests of Australia. 

They are caught and kept as pets around the world. They obtain their name from the spikelike ridges on their necks. They are known by reptile hobbyists as “beardies.”

The common name of this lizard is the bearded dragon. Its scientific name is Pogona. There are eight species of bearded dragon, plus a range of different colors. Its average lifetime in the wild is up to 10 years, but in captivity the bearded dragon can live 7 to 15 years. Bearded dragons can grow to be as big as 16-24 inches in length.

The desert where bearded dragons come from is a place where it hardly rains. Animals adapt to the dry environment with remarkable ways of obtaining and storing water. For the Pogona genus, one of those unique methods is by capturing water on its own body throughout rare bouts of rain. The lizards have been studied standing on their hind legs with their heads sloping downward, lapping up the water with its great tongue as it flows down their faces.

Bearded dragon’s shade-shifting behaviors are a bit like those of the chameleon. The chameleon's changing colors are more recognizable than the bearded dragon’s. But also, the bearded dragon can separate parts of the body it wants to change color.

In hotter times, the lizard will air lighter colors to reflect the rays of sun. In cooler weather, it will air darker colors to help it absorb the heat and keep its body temperature of 95 degrees.

The bearded dragon’s high speed is 9 mph. The lizard rarely runs this quick though because it normally has a stationary life. When time does come for quickness, the bearded dragon raises up on its rear legs and runs like a person. It transfers more weight in the back of the body. Being upright benefits the dragon for increased velocity.

The bearded dragon is one of my favorite lizards. It has lots of amazing and fascinating ways and habits to survive in the wild. I am glad that God created the bearded dragon. “Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beast of the earth after their kind; and it was so.”

~Isaac

Pizza and a Crazy Shake

The day we left Hillsboro Family Camp, Mr. and Mrs. Eddy took us to Terry’s Pizza. They had talked about wanting to take us there when we went to revival at Allensburg with them. After we left camp, they accompanied us to Terry’s Pizza to eat and get a Crazy Shake.

By the time we got to Terry’s, it was raining really hard. We all ran into the store to order the pizza. By the time we got in there, we were all soaked. Mr. and Mrs. Eddy were waiting for us in the store. It was so crowded in there; they were getting great business!

It was nice of the Eddy’s to buy us dinner. The pizza was tasty. I had four pieces, and they were delicious. When we had eaten lots of pizza, we all went outside to order a Crazy Shake.

It was still raining a little bit when we went to the outdoor window. When we were all done ordering our Crazy Shakes, we went back inside to wait for the big treat. Not awfully long after we ordered the Crazy Shakes, they came to our table. I was excited!

I got the flavor Sour; it was a huge shake with lots of stuff all over it. There were Nerds all over the outside of the cup, and there was a sour popsicle and whipped topping all over the shake. It was delicious. I was stuffed after I was done with it. I did not finish mine because I was too full.

Jonah and Samuel had Cotton Candy shakes and Isaac ordered one with popcorn all over called Caramel Corn. 

Mom and Dad shared one called Candy Bar. 

Halayah’s was a Unicorn shake and Jayla’s was Brownie. Samuel, Jonah, Halayah, Jayla, Isaac, and I did not finish our shakes, but we all loved them.

For a while we sat close and talked at a round table. We all had to squeeze around because it was so packed in Terry’s. It was fun. Everyone was laughing in surprise, how we all fit.

We are all very thankful for Mr. and Mrs. Eddy for sharing dinner and Crazy Shakes with us. We had a lot of fun visiting with them. We are all thankful for their generosity. It was really exciting to have pizza and a Crazy Shake with the Eddy's.

~Unique