Ducks, Dogs, Danger Signs...And Dastardly Kids

What is it about water, lots of water, that gets us humans thinking. Why do we ponder life's great mysteries when we're alone on a beach, near a raging river, or by the edge of a lake? What is it that makes us ask questions about ourselves, our families, our past, present, and/or future?

Okay, maybe not everyone does that, but I seem to find myself thinking those thoughts. I also wonder why some parents allowed their young boys chase and try to kicks geese and ducks off the grass and into the river. I wonder when I turned from a kid that chased birds to on who didn't. Probably when I was old enough to read (maybe a little later...).

And when I se huge signs by the side of the mighty Snake River, I wonder why they were even needed. I mean, the water is literally raging below. Then again, signs exist--usually--because people need them. We, as people, are pretty clueless sometimes.

As I walked along the riverside I saw many dogs, but I only took a picture of one. The dogs were better behaved than those boys. Many people I know believe dogs are smarter than people anyway, so it's not so surprising.

The birds were beautiful. The price you pay for getting close enough to take these pictures is to constantly watch where you're walking and check the underside of your shoes once you leave the area. Still worth it.

Tomorrow we'll leave the river's shore and return to a desert where a huge dead sea sits to the west and captures fresh water from the mountains then converts it, or kills it, depending on your viewpoint. I wonder if those who travel to its shores ponder the great mysteries of life. Or if parents who bring their boys to the Great Salt Lake allow them to kick at birds.

Art...And What It Shows Us

If you ever find yourself in Idaho Falls, Idaho, you need to take a stroll along the River Parkway. And if you're on the west side of the mighty Snake River, just northwest of Broadway, you should see a couple of park benches.

These aren't your everyday park benches. They're art. I suppose you could classify every park bench as a work of art, but the two that I saw were commissioned as artistic pieces, gifts from loving families in honor of those who who have passed on. 

The topic of art will most likely become a subject of discussion in the coming weeks and months. We will inevitably reduce the argument into two sides--those who love art and those who don't. It's a ridiculous assumption, but we tend to do that these days, make it a simple proposition, then beat over the head anyone who disagrees with your position.

It's a shame, really. People will create art no matter who funds it, or if it's not funded by outside sources at all. It's in our nature to create--it's why I believe in a creator, and that we, like Him, will one day have the opportunity to continue to create, just on a much larger scale. 

And so, because children who wanted to remember their parents, there are now at least two places where you can sit and watch the laws of gravity beautifully take effect, along a river's edge, in Idaho. If you ever find yourself in Idaho Falls, Idaho, you need to take a stroll along the River Parkway. For there's beauty to behold--the beauty of nature, a testament of God's love for us, and a couple of park benches, a testament a family's love for those no longer here.