Tourists

Ah. The weekend!

A restful Saturday under blistering heat wave conditions only served to make the four walls of our temporary pad close in on us tight. Therefore, an all day outing of visual and culinary delights was on tap!

Our educational entertainment began at Pyramid Lake, a reservoir part of the greater California water system.

I had no idea of the intense infrastructure required to meet the population demands of this state. It was truly eye-opening. Of couse, Keller would have felt it to be eye opening as well, should a giant dinosaur, or some other large carnivorous animal chosen to eat at In 'n Out Burger that day . . .

Our next stop was a museum that I'm fairly certain does not get enough kudos for the extensive collection it houses. Competing with the 'big boys' of museum class is just too much of a job for this tucked-away-in-a-corner place. The PacificAsia Museum was nothing short of a thrill! Room after rooom of antiquities, spanning the entirety of the Pacific Rim people groups captured our attention.

Jade, pottery, ceramics, statues, terracotta items, earrings, cookies . . .

Cookies?

Yes, cookies. In a weird sort of way. You see, the free film (which we supposed to be a short 12-15 minute documentary-type viewing) turned out to be a 45 minute documentary on an annual buddhist gathering, complete with a Tibetian buddhist monk present to answer any questions.

Wha???

All of this took place in a room that keenly reminded me of several of the Phillipino churches I'd travelled to. I thouroughly expected the warm-hearted Philippino women to usher in a card table heavily laden with freshly prepared food, summon me to the front of the room, seat me on a pew, and stand around, and watch me devour their culinary delights.

*suddenly awakened from my daydream*

but, no.

I was in a presentation room with 30 chairs, a projector, 10 people, a crying, tired baby, a buddhist monk, and a card table at the back of the room which proudly displayed a bottle of water, and a tub of chocolate drop cookies! Egads.

We wisked out of the presentation room as soon as the documentary was over.

Returning to the room after room of displays, I entered a room wherein a silk painting, as well as a bronze statue of the 'eldest disciple of buddha' stood. In a flash, I suddenly understood the craze over a man that had been depicted by the documentary I'd just viewed upstairs, and I was struck by the truth of the Scripture in Psalm 115:

Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.
They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:
They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not Psalm 115:4-6

Seeking truth, they ask at the feet of a statue made by hands, instead of asking for Truth from the Creator of All, who made the hands of men.

I had to leave my ponderings of the moment by the wayside. My family was excitedly calling me to the nearby footpath and bridge, which covered a small stream filled with Koi fish.



Three feet long, their brilliant colors captivated us, and conversation devolved into talk of sharks that grow to the size of the pond they are kept in, and, of course, Fred.

Oh, Lord . . .please deliver me from my children's fascination with Fred. I cannot take it. Please?

Other snapshots, such as Gil and Keller with the Chinese lion, graced our lens.

A family self-portrait outside the pagoda . . .

And a must-have stop at Baskin Robbins to see Brandon of "See Ya Tomorrow" fame, wherein, off course, Keller proudly displayed his most recent field trip spoils:

Yes, we seized the day. A fantastic day it was, too. Our family, together, enjoying each others' company, in the middle of an adventure we never expected to be on . . .