Chris Loehmer Kincaid's Blog, page 57

Something Totally Different

 Saturday, May 15, Hubby and I woke up early and well-rested, taking one last stretch in the queen-size bed in our new camper, before greeting the cool and cloudy day. Oh, the wonders of having a working furnace while camping!

The night before, just around dark, our son Nick and his dog Wes pulled into a neighboring site with our old popup. After switching to Carlton the camping trailer, we didn’t think we’d be setting up the popup again, yet there we were, as the sun was setting.

In the morning, after breakfast of Pfannkuchen(pancakes - a camping tradition), we jumped in Nick’s SUV and headed out.

I’d seen this place on a random website a while back and thought we should check it out. I still haven’t been able to put my head around it. But perhaps it’s just because we aren’t Catholic.

Anyway, this is the Queen of the Holy Rosary Mediatrix of Peace Shrine in Necedah. Wow, what a strange place. It reminded me of a tourist trap in Wisconsin Dells which had been the cutting edge in 1969, but now, not so much.

I realize it was still early in the year, so the grass hadn’t been mowed and there were no flowers blooming, like the internet pictures showed, but it was still just weird. And I’m still not sure about the huge church they are supposedly in the process of building. Looks more like how they build in Kenya, where they get the foundation and some walls up, and then it comes to a stand-still for years.

We met two older men, with strong Scandinavian accents, the kind of people you meet at those places who have their hearts and souls into it. The one guy told me all about how he was a little boy when Mrs. Van Hoof had the visitation from the Virgin Mary, and how he and his family drove all the way from near Milwaukee to see it and how he ended up volunteering to park cars as there was close to 10,000 people who had made the exodus there.

Also, they had a strict policy about women being modest and keeping their bodies covered and required them to put on a shawl or skirt (provided and looking bug-ridden) because it was holy ground. There was no mention of whether or not dogs were allowed, so we brought in Wes and Dino, seeing as there was no one else around except for the two old men.

Nearby, there was also a school – Queen of the Holy Rosary School, which has grades K through 12, but looked very big for the average class sizes their website shows.

And a book store – JMJ Religious Books. Which was pretty deserted as well.

I should go back when someone is around who knows the whole story so I can ask more questions. Or maybe not. Maybe what I saw that day was enough. 

Though it may not sound like it here, I truly thought the whole thing was very cool. I mean no disrespect to the builders and maintainers of this shrine, and I surely mean no disrespect to anyone practicing the Catholic religion. 

For more information:

Queen of the Holy Rosary Mediatrix Between God and Man Shrine website: https://www.queenoftheholyrosaryshrine.com/default.aspx

Queen of the Holy Rosary School website: https://queenoftheholyrosaryschool.com/

JMJ Religious Books website: http://stores.jmjrelbooks.com/

Where I originally ran into the information on this place: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/wisconsin/spectacular-sacred-site-wi/

Three Outa Four

   I usually don’t post here on Mondays. But I usually do post on Sundays, as well as Wednesdays and Fridays. If you read my blog regularly, you may have noticed that I have been off of that schedule a bit. Here’s why. I’ve been out of town for the past three out of four weekends. Not sure what I was thinking. Maybe that I’m fully vaccinated and COVID restrictions are lifting and the weather is finally nice and it’s just time to jump in the car and GO!

You may remember that we took out first camping trip in Carlton the camper back on May 14. Then I was at a cabin with a friend the weekend of May 21 and again away this weekend with Hubby’s brother and sister-in-law. And summer’s just beginning!

Watch for all those blog posts, with the usually rambling stories and too many pictures. Here is just a taste.

An odd place, for sure. 
Because I live in Wisconsin . . .
Atop a big hill Just a baby. Do you know what kind of baby?  At least it's not snow Always remember Or sometimes you want to forget

Never as easy as we'd like

   Friday, May 14, we finally took Carlton the camper on his maiden voyage. I wish I could tell you that it went off without a hitch, but, well the hitch was the first problem.

So, the morning started out cool but clear and sunny. By the time we were actually packing up the camper, it had warmed up nicely. Of course, having already seen the forecast, I knew that was only a ruse. I haven’t lived in northern Wisconsin pretty near my entire life without realizing to never trust the weather. But more on that later.

I hadn’t previously noticed a heinous design flaw on the hitch. Not until, as I was lowering the camper unto the truck’s hitch. When my hand – specifically my left ring finger – smacked into the hitch, catching my wedding band.

 It really wasn’t as bad as this looks. And, yes, I took off my ring as soon as I’d taken the picture. And no, my fingers are not that fat! It was just a bad angle.

Then as we were hooking up the battery, my arm touched something which gave me an electric shock. My son, the electrical engineer, said later that night, that it was impossible for me to get any sort of electric shock from touching something outside, around the battery.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture of the battery. I suppose it’s not too late for me to take a picture of my arm with an arrow pointing to the place where I got shocked, but – no – enough with the arrows.

Somehow, we managed to get on the road without further incident, even though it was 45 minutes later than my goal for departure time.

We’d only driven two miles down the road, when Hubby pulled over as the trailer was pulling funny. When we had picked up Carlton, the dealership installed this distribution hitch which was supposed to magically distribute the weight and control sway. For starters, the thing they added to the hitch of the truck weighs forty pounds, so I’m not sure how that is helping with the weight.

But anyway, when we brought Carlton home in April, this system somehow did allow the truck to pull the trailer easier and kept it from swaying when we passed semi-trucks on the highway. When we took off on that first camping trip, however, it didn’t seem to work as magically.

Hubby turned into the park-and-ride and stopped the rig. We both walked around the truck and trailer, not sure what we were looking for, but everything looked okay. All we could figure was that the added load of water in the tank and other supplies had added enough weight to make a difference. Once we were on the highway, we didn’t notice any drag, or pull, or whatever you want to call it.

We pulled into Buckhorn State Park at 4:55, only fifty-five minutes late, but we got there. Found our spot, leveled the trailer, unhooked it, went to unlock the camper door, and discovered the keys were no longer in my pocket. After searching every where in the truck and on the ground for them, I started wondering if I could pick the lock like they do so effortlessly on those crime drama shows. Later, Hubby confessed that he was wondering which window would be the easiest to break in through. His set of keys, by the way, was locked safely inside Carlton.

I finally found mine on the bumper of the truck, just enough under the tailgate that we didn’t spy them right away. (This picture is a re-enactment. I can’t photograph everything that happens as it happens.)

Anyway, sorry for the ramble. In the end, after camp was set up and all was right with our little world, Hubby and I laid down on the queen-size bed and were wonderfully pleased by how much more comfortable it was than it had been at home.

Next time, what we actually did that weekend. 

Remembering Memorial Day

 Even if a whole army surrounds me, I will not be afraid; even if enemies attack me, I will still trust God. I have asked the Lord for one thing; one thing only do I want: to live in the Lord's house all my life, to marvel there at his goodness, and to ask for his guidance. (Psalm 27:3-4, Good News Translation)

Tomorrow is Memorial Day here in the US. I’ve written about this holiday before – well, but for starters, I don’t feel it’s a “holiday”. Holiday to me means celebration and joy, while Memorial Day means something totally different. The day is dedicated to the men and women who gave their lives defending our freedoms. It should be a somber day of remembrance and giving thanks for the sacrifices that others have made for us.

 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. (1 John 3:16, New International Version)

Thank You, God, for those who have given their lives for their country. And thank You for the ultimate sacrifice of sending Your Son to save all believers. Amen

Website of a history of Memorial Day: https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history

 My blog post about the death of my cousin, Ben Greene, in Vietnam:  https://chrisloehmer.blogspot.com/2011/05/another-memorial-day.html

What do you know about Geology?

I promise, this will be the last post from that ride on April 17th to Reedsburg.

If you read last Wednesday’s blog, you may remember that we drove to the tiny town of Rock Springs to visit the Big Cat Rescue. (The town was a little bit bigger than this one building, but not by much.)

 On the way there and back, we drove through Ableman’s Gorge State Natural Area. I didn’t even know it at the time. I just took some pictures through the car’s window.

From the Wisconsin DNR website:

Ableman's Gorge is a classic gorge cut by the Baraboo River through Baraboo quartzite, Cambrian sandstone, and conglomerate. The cliffs and rocky slopes rise about 200 feet above the river to form a wall nearly three-fourths of a mile long, oriented east-west, which then abruptly turns south for a similar distance. The latter portion is 250-450 feet wide and is composed of irregular quartzite cliffs. Ableman's Gorge is owned by the DNR and the University of Wisconsin and was designated a State Natural Area in 1969.

The website also says:

The area is widely used for geology research and a plaque honors researcher Charles Van Hise, who formulated some of his principles of structural deformation and metamorphism here. 

This is from the dedication of the historic site:

Van Hise Monolith Gains National Historic Status - Terry Devitt

Tucked away in the Baraboo River Valley gorge is the rock that made Wisconsin famous.

First used more than a century ago by University of Wisconsin geologist Charles R. Van Hise to teach some of the principles of geology, the solitary outcrop of Baraboo quartzite is for scientists the single most famous geological feature in the garden of stony wonders that is the Baraboo Hills.

A mecca of geology, like much of the region, the rock was used by Van Hise to show his disciples the hidden secrets of the structure and history of the Earth. And his students and generations of textbooks writers carried its lessons worldwide.

Who knew that a rock could be world-famous? I don't recall ever studying geology, even though I love rocks. I feel like I have missed out on so much by living my sheltered life. 

The Wisconsin DNR website which talks about this Gorge is: https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Lands/naturalareas/index.asp?SNA=75The webpage where I found the dedication to Van Hise is: http://www.geology.wisc.edu/outcrop/1999/vanhiserock.htmlWikipedia information on the rock: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Hise_Rock

Loyal Friendships

 Some friendships do not last, but some friends are more loyal than brothers. (Proverbs 18:24, Good News Translation)

I’ve been blogging about the songs from the musical “Godspell” and plan to return to that. But today, I am out of town, spending the weekend with a dear friend.

As we were driving to a park yesterday, we ran across a neighborhood rummage sale. We naturally had to stop, and I think I picked up more stuff than I needed to.

At one sale, we found this little box of sayings and Bible verses. My friend was checking it out, so I told her she should buy it (for all of 75 cents) but then she could give me some of the cards and I’d stick them in ‘thinking of you’ cards that I mail to random people.

So she bought it and then gave the whole thing to me.

When we got back to the cabin where we were staying, I picked out a few random cards to read and this one was the third one I pulled out.

Value your loyal friends. They are worth more than silver or gold.

Thank You, Lord God, for the gift of friendship. And thank You that no matter how many true friends I have here on Earth, that Jesus is my best Friend. Amen.

Here, Kitty, Kitty

   As I had posted on this blog last week, back on April 17, Hubby and I took a ride down to Reedsburg to meet up with his brother and sister-in-law. Being as I can’t keep myself from planning things and seeing things and doing things, I thought we should do more than sit in the park, eating and talking.

A few months ago, I ran across the website for the Wisconsin Big Cat Rescue in Rock Springs. I knew it was somewhere in the south-western part of the state, but I didn’t realize until we had decided to meet at Reedsburg, that it was just ten miles away.

Here is the website for the Rescue - https://www.wisconsinbigcats.org/39/Who-is-Wisconsin-Big-Cats- so I won’t copy and paste that information here. Click on the link and learn about it for yourself.

As you probably remember, I’ve been to Kenya six times and have witnessed lions and cheetahs in the wild, in their natural habitat. Visiting zoos or any other place where wild animals live in captivity breaks my heart.  

If you read their website, though, you’ll realize that many of these big cats are in a much better place than where they came from. They may be stuck behind fences, but at least they are left alone, to doze in the sun, without anyone making them do tricks they were never born to do.

I tried to keep track of all their names – taking pictures of the signs with their names and stories. But I think the pictures of their sweet faces are all you need to know about.

[image error]
Except for this guy – Harley – who was born due to a contraception failure. It happens to the best of us, I guess. 
[image error]

 He’s only seven months old and just adorable. You can see how easy it would to exploit all his cuteness and keep him from being anything close to a wild tiger. I wish him a healthy, happy future. 

Salt of the Earth, Light of the World

  “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

  “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16, New King James Version)

 For the last month or so, I've been sharing the songs from the musical "Godspell." This week, I'm writing about "Light of the World," taken from Matthew, the fifth chapter.

Even if these verses aren't familiar to you, you've undoubtedly heard of someone being called "the salt of the earth," referring to someone who is honest, worthy, and hardworking. That phrase comes from these verses from Jesus's Sermon on the Mount.

During Biblical times, salt was a precious commodity, so much so that it was sometimes used for money. In fact, the Latin word for salt – sal – is where we get the term "salary."

As valuable as salt was at the time, virtuous people were just as important to God. People who worked as common laborers – fishermen, shepherds, craftsmen, who didn't have diamonds or jewels, but knew the value of a hard day's work. If they lost that ethic, they would be useless, just as salt would be if it lost its flavor.

So, we are to be "the salt of the earth" – honest, worthy and hardworking. We also are to be the "light of the world."

Ever since man has walked on this earth, light has been significant. It has kept enemies at bay, shown the way when things were dark, and been a comfort in times of fear. Of course, there was one darkness haunting us all, which no earthly light could lift. The darkness of sin. When Jesus came to live among us, He was the Light that could overcome sin.

He is the ultimate Light of the World. But by believing and by sharing His word, sharing His Light, we can be the light of the world for others.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for coming to this earth to live among us and to save us from our sins. Amen.

 Here are the links to find out more and hear versions of the song:

               Version of the song from the movie:       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivBFmfvSTS8

               Some websites with more insights into these verses:

 https://www.thespectrum.com/story/life/features/mesquite/2017/01/05/being-salt-and-light/96156630/

 https://www.theologyofwork.org/new-testament/matthew/the-kingdom-of-heaven-at-work-in-us-matthew-5-7/salt-and-light-in-the-world-of-work-matthew-513-16

[image error] Not a salt mine. A diatomite mine in Kenya, instead, the closest picture I had. 
 

The News We've Been Waiting For

  I have so many other things that I want to blog to you about, but then, yesterday, this happened. 

The news we have all been waiting for. The CDC announced that people who have been fully vaccinated could resume their normal activities. Of course, after fourteen months of this, I’m not sure I remember what normal is. I’ve been thinking we are living in the new normal.

But, seriously, the CDC says that if you’ve been fully vaccinated, you can go out in stores and other businesses without wearing your mask, and you don’t have to feel you must social distance from others. Others who have also been fully vaccinated that is. If you haven’t had your two Moderna or Pfizer shots or your single Johnson and Johnson shot, or it’s been less than two weeks since you’ve had them, you still need to wear your mask and social distance.

The thing is no one has been stamped on their forehead with a declaration that they're vaccinated (which is actually a very good thing if you’ve read the book of Revelations). I’m fearful that this announcement has come prematurely, and people will go crazy, and next thing you know, the number of cases will skyrocket again.

And for me, it doesn’t matter a lot, as people working in healthcare are still expected to wear their masks. I get that. And I will continue to wear mine at work, faithfully, for the most part. And I hope our patients are respectful and continue to wear theirs.

Everyone also still needs to wear their masks on any form of public transportation and abide by state and local mandates. Stores and other businesses can still ask us to wear our masks, and we need to comply with that as well. Schools? Well, not that many kids have been vaccinated, so everyone in our schools should still be wearing masks. 

Continuing to move forward, don’t lose your heads. Still, be safe. Go out and hug your friends and relatives, as long as you’ve all been shot up. Don’t get into it with people who choose not to be vaccinated and refuse to wear a mask. Be the bigger person and put your mask back on and keep your distance.

We still have a way to go with this pandemic. But there is light at the end of the tunnel.

The announcement on the CDC’s website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html

The longer CDC version: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html 

Wandering Webb

 We really did have a mild winter – only short stretches of below zero weather and not much snow. But still, by the end of March/first of April, everyone living in a colder climate gets cabin fever and needs to take a drive.

Saturday, April 17, Hubby and I jumped in the car first thing in the morning and drove to Reedsburg, where we met his brother and sister-in-law for lunch. We had chosen Webb Park to meet up at, as it looked like a cute park, with lots of space, a little pond, and picnic tables under a shelter. It was only 49 degrees out when we got there, so actually, it would have been more comfortable eating in the sun.

Anyway, it was a nice park and we had a nice lunch.

All fully vaccinated, by the way. 
More adventures await!