Acorns

I'm easily excited. Monday as I walked to the mailbox I passed under our pin oak tree. I saw something on the ground and looked closer. Baby acorns! Tiny little caps and corns were scattered around the trunk. The body of the acorns are green and the little caps are brown.  As far as I know this is the first year our tree has produced acorns and our resident squirrel is just as excited as I am.

We planted this tree about 10 years ago and have watched it grow and mature a little each year. It's a beautiful picture perfect tree; tall and perfectly proportioned for a pin oak tree. Its leaves are changing colors from green to a deep red and it holds them all winter long. It has endured several strong storms unscathed and has quietly provided a shady area where our sheep like to seek coolness to rest.

I watched the squirrel maneuver the young branches yesterday, gathering acorns as quickly as he could. I would guess there aren't any acorns left on the ground, except for the little caps. He only travels a few yards to his home in the old maple across the lane. Making trip after trip, he's preparing for the winter ahead.

Guess that's a sign that we should be preparing for winter also. Harvest is underway by the farmers and the squirrels. May we pause to view the many wonders of the harvest season and give thanks to God for them all.

"I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him" (Ecclesiastes 3:14 NIV).