The Elusive Animals

 My husband and I recently made a nearly 4,000 mile road trip across the great expanse of the Western United States between the Pacific Ocean and Topeka, Kansas.  You would think in all those miles, over mountain passes and cross wide open plains we would have seen dozens if not hundreds of wild animals.  After all we were going through mountain goat, deer, elk,  and antelope territory, not to mention other mammal and bird habitats.  

However, we could nearly count all the animals seen on our four hands.  We were fortunate to see two lone coyotes in the wilds of northwestern Utah and a couple dozen or so antelope in the Wyoming frontier. 

It was cold and windy across the states of Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, and Kansas and yes, most of the terrain was snow covered, so we just have to assume that most living creatures were hunkered down for a long winter's nap.

Amish Cats

My husband and I recently returned from a gloriously successful performance tour to Ohio.  On a free day between practice and performances, we made a trek to the Ohio countryside to visit a farm in the largest Amish settlement in the USA.  Set in the picturesque rolling hills of Ohio, this working farm welcomed tourists eager to learn of the Amish lifestyle. 

Arriving at this lovely farmstead, I was greeted by kittens and cats of all colors and stripe from black with white paws and grey striped to calicos with white faces, black paws, and orange-brown tails.  Kittens and cats, especially calicos are hard for me to resist so these happy little cats got a lot of attention from me.

I took the tour through the homes and barn being followed by friendly kittens at every turn, asked questions, and learned so much about this fascinating group of people doing their best to live their unique lifestyle in the midst of 21^st-century technology and demands.

One thing I learned was that the girls and women of the community wear dresses of many colors – blues, browns, reds, and purples – with white aprons and black or white caps.Now it made sense why there were so many calico cats on this farm – they were all little Amish “girls” showing off their tri-colored outfits. 

Blessing of the Animals

Many churches in the United States celebrate the Feast of St Francis of Assisi early October each year. The feast commemorates the life of St Francis, who was born in the 12th century and is the  patron saint of animals and the environment. It is a popular day for pets to be “blessed."

And so, on Sunday, October 6th, the congregation of St. Bede Episcopal Church in Forest Grove, Oregon included a "Blessing of the Animals" in our morning service. 
It was chaotic
it was filled with barking dogs, frightened cats, and scared gerbils
it was exciting for the kids
it was nerve-wracking for the priest
and it was yet another unique worship experience for this church musician.