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Category: Animals/Nature

Chasing Squirrels

Chasing Squirrels

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Squirrel in fall leaves around a tree rootWe love watching squirrels in our neck of the woods. However, chasing those squirrels never works. Smaller and faster, they disappear before we can get out the door.

Yet we often succeed at chasing squirrels in other ways.

Chasing squirrels means we lose focus.

We get distracted and as a result, waste time. Rather than concentrate on our work, we notice everything else around us. For example,

  • “Oh, look! I saw a squirrel.”
  • Or butterfly
  • Or cute baby
  • Or airplane
  • Or anything except what we should see.

Chasing squirrels differs from chasing rabbits.

Chasing squirrels means we get distracted. Chasing rabbits means we get off subject. Both can be fun. Both can also cause problems if we fail to refocus or get back on subject.

After our squirrel moments, we want to hightail our minds back where they should be.

Always look in the right direction.

That includes to:

  • The work before us
  • The needs around us
  • God’s plan for us

“We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV).

Thanks to Melissa Henderson for the suggestion.

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A Pig in a Poke

A Pig in a Poke

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A Pig in a Poke-piggy bank in a burlap bagA friend recently bought a pig in a poke. (A poke is a bag or sack.) She did not receive what she thought she purchased.

A pig in a poke means we buy something without first inspecting it.

Scammers profit when we fail to take precautions. If the offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

A pig in a poke originated years ago.

Sellers of piglets displayed real pigs. However, they put other small animals, such as cats, in customers’ pokes. Anyone who revealed their trick let the cat out of the bag.

Let the buyer beware.

This precaution translates from the Latin phrase “caveat emptor.” We want to make wise decisions.

  • Examine the product.
  • Read reviews or talk with previous customers.
  • Buy from trusted sellers.

Online purchases increase the risk of buying a pig in a poke.

We cannot inspect the product in person. That makes reading reviews and buying from trusted sellers even more important.

From cars to cats, houses to hats, and power tools to pigs, be careful. We want to be sure we receive:

“Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another” (Leviticus 19:11 NIV).

Thanks to Emily Akin and Carole Fite for the suggestion and to Debbie Tapscott for the photo.

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Where Bees Are, There Is Honey

Where Bees Are, There Is Honey

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Where There Are Bees, There Is Honey--two people in protective suits capturing a swarm of honeybees

My dad loved taking care of bee hives. A cousin continues Dad’s tradition. He knows that where bees are, there is honey.

Where bees are, there is honey has a clear literal meaning.

Honeybees produce honey.

We sometimes hear a less grammatically correct version of this expression: Where there’s bees, there’s honey.

Bees work hard, and their hard work pays off.

In addition to providing a natural sweetener, they pollinate plants.

  • Flowers
  • Vegetables
  • Fruits

Without bees, we suffer.

Where bees are, there is honey also applies to people.

Where we find people busy as a bee, we find results.

Success and better pay usually follow hard work. Hard work also makes our world a better place.

Bees teach us to work together.

Large numbers in bee swarms make their efforts faster and more effective. Likewise for people, many hands make light work.

May we learn from bees and from all God’s creation.

“The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:9-10 NIV).

Thanks to Kristy Horine for the suggestion and to Jewell Withers Wade for the photo.

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Wild Goose Chase

Wild Goose Chase

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Wild Goose Chase--geese in flight formationI have gone on a few wild goose chases. How about you?

A wild goose chase means a pursuit certain to fail.

We waste our time when we chase the impossible. Although a hopeless effort, we try anyway.

The earliest meaning of wild goose chase differs from today’s.

According to The Free Dictionary, “This idiom originally referred to a form of 16th-century horseracing.” It required riders “to follow a leader in a particular formation.” The horses mimicked a flock of geese in flight.

 We love to watch wild geese in flight.

However, we will probably never be able to catch them.

Likewise, we love to dream big dreams.

Seemingly impossible dreams may be possible. More often, we must accept our limits. If we ignore reality, our goose is cooked.

A wild goose chase differs from a God-sized dream.

Both challenge us.

  • A wild goose chase takes us nowhere.
  • A God-sized dream leads us beyond our wildest imagination.

May God, who created the birds of the air, guide us in the dreams we chase.

“Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense” (Proverbs 12:11 NIV).

Thanks to Janna Babak for the suggestion. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

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Dog-tired

Dog-tired

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Dog-tired--dog lying downAfter a dog’s long hunt, chase, or play, it drops to the ground dog-tired. Following long busy days, we also feel tuckered out and want to collapse.

Dog-tired means exhausted.

Worn out, we want nothing more than rest. We long for:

Dog-tired often makes us grouchy.

We don’t want anyone or anything to bother us. If someone interrupts our rest, our response frequently falls short of perfect.

Like dogs, our fatigue comes from common causes.

We engage in too much:

  • Work
  • Play
  • Other activity with too little time

When possible, let’s pace ourselves.

  • Work with others so workloads don’t overload.
  • Take time to enjoy favorite activities.
  • Do what we can and don’t stress about the rest.

Look for the positives in whatever we do and try not to overdo.

“For I have given rest to the weary and joy to all the sorrowing” (Jeremiah 31:25 TLB).

Thanks to Beckham Wilson for the suggestion.

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Whale of a Time

Whale of a Time

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Whale of a Time--two whales divingMy husband and I had a whale of a time watching whales off the coast of Cape Cod. What a thrill. I thought we might see one or two whales, but they were everywhere. Whales surrounded our boat.

That may sound like a whale of a tale, but it’s true. My pictures don’t begin to capture all we saw in spite of a light rain.

A whale of a time means an exceptionally good time.

The experience is:

  • Enjoyable
  • Fun
  • Exciting
  • Huge (like the size of a whale)

Occasionally we add an adjective to the expression and say we had a whale of a good time.

We differ on what makes a whale of a time.

Will we choose to enjoy whatever this day offers?

Certainly, some days challenge us more than others. Nevertheless, our outlook makes a tremendous difference in our degree of enjoyment.

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs” (Psalm 100:1-2 NIV).

Thanks to Jane Ashley Pace for the suggestion.

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From Pillar to Post

From Pillar to Post

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From Pillar to Post--old fence posts beside dirt road that leads through a field with a mountain and clouds beyondOur family loves to travel from pillar to post. Beaches, mountains, and plains all beckon to us. Yet, we don’t like to change where we live. When our travels end, we want to return to the house where we’ve lived for years.

From pillar to post means from place to place.

It also means from:

  • Person to person
  • Thing to thing
  • Position to position

Similar expressions include:

From pillar to post often refers to random movement.

It may have little or no purpose. We see this in people who never:

  • Stay anywhere long
  • Keep the same job
  • Maintain relationships

Such movement often fails to bear fruit. It wastes both time and effort.

The origin of this phrase remains uncertain.

The Free Dictionary offers two theories.

  1. It may come from old style tennis courts with pillars and posts where the ball could be bounced.
  2. It may have “originally meant from whipping-post to pillory (punishment to hanging).”

Whether we go from pillar to post or stick like glue, let’s always follow the direction God gives.

“For in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28 NIV).

Thanks to Debbie Tapscott for the suggestion and to Jeri Stone for the photo.

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Hightail It

Hightail It

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Hightail It--Chipmunk with tail upIn our neck of the woods, we see chipmunks, squirrels, deer, and other critters hightail it across our yards.

Whether they chase food, one another, or something else, we love to watch them.

To hightail it means to go quickly.

The meaning comes from certain animals raising their tails when running. This may happen when they rush forward or run away. In both instances, they leave in a hurry.

People, as well as animals, hightail it.

We sometimes rush toward a goal. Other times, we flee from someone or something.

  • We hurry when late for a meeting.
  • Students rush from class when the bell rings.
  • We head for safety if dangerous weather approaches.

In old western movies, cowboys jump on their horses and hightail it out of there. They leave immediately and ride as fast as they can.

Sometimes God tells us to run. Other times, God tells us to stand firm.

 When tempted to do wrong, we want to run from it. However, when tempted to back down from truth, God calls us to remain strong and courageous.

“Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22 NIV).

Thanks to Marita Smeathers Mantooth for the suggestion.

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Let the Cat Out of the Bag

Let the Cat Out of the Bag

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Let the Cat Out of the Bag--cat in fabric looking out a windowIf we plan a surprise, we don’t want anyone to let the cat out of the bag.

To let the cat out of the bag means to disclose a secret.

We may reveal the secret:

  • Deliberately or by accident
  • With words or with actions

We often give enough hints that other people figure out what we mean.

The Phrase Finder lists two possible origins for let the cat out of the bag.

  1. The most common comes from merchants substituting a cat for a pig.

Methods differed, but scams occurred years ago. When people bought a pig, merchants might put a less valuable cat in the bag. Anyone who reported the deceit let the cat out of the bag. If no one told the truth, the buyer discovered the switch when he opened the bag at home.

A related idiom warns against buying a pig in a poke.

  1. A less common explanation refers to the cat o’ nine tails.

The cat o’ nine tails was a whip with lashes made from three braided strands of cord. The cords were three braided strands of string. Thus, each lash contained nine strings.

When people were whipped, the cuts from the knotted ends looked similar to cat claw scratches. Although lashes may have been stored in bags, this explanation fails to address secrets.

We need to be careful what we say.

Regardless of the origin, we want to:

  • Reveal what needs to be told.
  • Guard what needs to stay quiet.

“You spread out our sins before you—our secret sins—and see them all” (Psalm 90:8 TLB).

Thanks to Regina Graham and Tracy Crump for the suggestion and to Jeri Stone for the photo.

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Tight as Bark on a Tree

Tight as Bark on a Tree

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Tight as Bark on a Tree--oak leaf on tree barkWe don’t want to overspend, and we do want to save. Yet, we rarely want to be called tight as bark on a tree.

Tight as bark on a tree means extremely careful with money.

Other descriptions include:

In areas with Blackjack oak trees, we frequently hear “as tight as bark on a blackjack.”

If we are tight spenders, we buy only when absolutely necessary.

Money never burns a hole in our pockets. Instead, we lock our pockets and throw away the key! We make do with what we have in order to save.

Although we should save, we don’t want to go overboard.

Money is a means to an end, not the end itself. We use it to meet our needs and the needs of others both now and in the future.

When tempted to remain tight as bark on a tree, let’s remember:

Definitely save for a rainy day. At the same time, spend money and all of life as God leads today.

“One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want” (Proverbs 11:24 ESV).

Thanks to Billie Sue Kibbons and Lynn Kibbons Collins for the suggestion they recalled from Granny Rosa Fay Scott who lived near an area known as Black Jack, Missouri. Photo by Marta Wave on Pexels.

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