Sunset on the Mississippi

Mississippi River

I have called this post Sunset on the Mississippi because the sunsets here are so spectacular almost every day. We just can't resist them! I am sure you will see many more pictures of them before this mission is done!!

Last week we went for a walk along the river near the foot of Parley street.  This time we parked near the Red Brick store and walked along the sidewalk that closely follows the river bank. There were so many birds and wildlife there in the estuary chirping their last songs of the day. I thought we were just going to get a little exercise and watch the sun set.  Actually it turned into a nature walk. 

              

View from the sidewalk near the river

First there was a large eagle that flew up out through the trees along the water's edge over our heads.  It had a large fish in it's talons. I wanted to take a picture but it was too fast. Not much further along we saw a turtle sitting on a log.  They really like to sit and bask in the sun during the day. There are a lot of them!  We noticed that there were some people who had their binoculars so they could watch the birds. I wished we had thought to bring ours with us. While we were waiting on the sun there were many large fish, probable carp, jumping out of the water looking for a tasty morsel for their supper. 

Look closely to see a turtle on the log bump near the center with its little head sticking up

A Gaggle of Geese

When we arrived at Parley Street we looked over to the north and behind the covered wagon and there was a family of Canadian geese that included the parents and their seven goslings. These were getting a little bigger than the cute little ones that have just hatched. And like all teenagers they were intent on finding something else to eat before it was time to bed down for night.

The Sunset Deepens

We met another couple there who were also waiting for the sunset. They were from Farmington, Utah and she said that her parents live just across the street from my sister Gail and Clyde Heiner (the neighbor's name is Mitchell). Finally the sun set. It was pretty but not spectacular. As we walked back to the car we saw a snake in the river slithering towards the shore.  The turtle was gone to wherever he sleeps. A little further we we came to an open field between the houses and there was a deer grazing.  It was beautiful! I guess I should also mention there were gnats by the swarms but not any mosquitoes.

In the dusk we saw a deer grazing in the yard between two houses

The last thing we saw were the fireflies when we got back to our apartment. They have just showed up in Nauvoo the last few days. They are everywhere! I love them. They make the lawn sparkle!  Sorry, there is no picture of the fireflies.  I have not been able to figure out how to get a good picture of them yet.

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I really enjoy going for a walk with Norm in the evening. It is a great time to share the events of the day.  But I was thinking about how there are times in our lives when our paths take us down a different road than we originally thought we wanted to go.  Even when our goal or our choice is a good one and seems like the way we want to go, God may know that there is something better for us and He will help guide us in a way that will allow Him to give us the blessings that are awaiting us. We need to find a way to recognize God's hand in our lives so that we can deal with our trials and setbacks by looking for the good and moving forward in a new direction. Through a series of crop failures God moved Joseph Smith's family from Vermont to Palmyra so that he was in the right place to find the plates and organize the church.  I found myself pondering this because even though the original goal of our walk was just to see  the sunset, God gave us much more as we experienced the joy of watching His creatures. God loves us so much!!