Senses Make Sense     6/12/18

Peninsula State Park, Fish Creek, Wisconsin

 

Here’s a question for you.  If you had to give up one of your five senses, which one would it be?  Hearing? Sight?  Smell?  Taste?  Touch?  (Did you notice how I put them in alphabetical order?  It’s that little touch of OCD that lies dormant most of the time and pops up now and again.  😊)

This is what I was thinking about as we hiked and biked today.  More on that later.

 

First of all, we’re staying in a portion of the State Park called Nicolet Bay.  FYI, there are 5 campgrounds in the Park with a total of 468 sites!  Anyway, it turns out that Nicolet Bay is named for Jean Nicolet.  He was the first man to discover what is now Wisconsin.  Can you guess the year?

Sometime during 1634 or 35, as he mounted a 14-month expedition from Canada to learn if there was a water passage to the Pacific.  Here’s the information I found on Brittanica.com:

Jean Nicolet, (born 1598, Cherbourg, France—died Nov. 1, 1642, Sillery, Que., Can.), French North American explorer who was the first known European to discover Lake Michigan and what is now the state of Wisconsin.

The son of a dispatch carrier, Nicolet was 20 years old when he traveled to New France (Canada) at the request of Samuel de Champlain. He lived with a friendly Indian tribe on Allumette Island in the Ottawa River, learned the Algonquian language and culture, and participated in negotiations with the Iroquois. He returned to Quebec in 1620 and was then sent to live among the distant Nipissing tribe. In 1624 he became their interpreter. Nine years later he returned to the Three Rivers settlement in New France and became the colony’s official interpreter.

In early 1634 Nicolet joined an expedition that journeyed westward into the Huron territory. There he obtained a large canoe and with seven Huron braves proceeded from Lake Huron through the Straits of Mackinac to discover Lake Michigan. The lake was not the Northwest Passage to the Pacific Ocean that Nicolet anticipated, but he sailed on to Green Bay and there concluded a friendship treaty with the Winnebago tribe.

He explored the region of present-day Wisconsin for a short time before he returned to Quebec during the autumn of 1634. He resumed his duties as colony interpreter and earned considerable respect from both French settlers and local Indian tribes. Nicolet was drowned when his boat capsized during a sudden storm on the St. Lawrence River.

 

If you were expecting a picture of this guy, you’re out of luck.  I don’t think there is a picture.  Or even a painting.  😊

 

Up first today was a 4 ½ mile hike.  So wonderful!

 

We started out walking on this nice wide trail, hand in hand . . .  lalalalala lalala . . . .

 

Until it got too narrow and we had to resort to walking single file.  ☹

Not holding Blaine’s hand allows my mind to wander and I began thinking how quiet it was around here.  Then I heard our feet clomping along.  And the birds.  And an occasional boat motor.  And the leaves rustling in the breeze.  And . . . .    And I realized it wasn’t really as quiet as I originally thought.  😊

 

So that got me thinking about our five senses.  What if I couldn’t hear?

Well, I’d miss all those sounds I mentioned.  In addition, I’d really miss music!  The voices of my family and friends.  Little children’s laughter. The sound of thunder rumbling. And a host of other things!  Thank You, Father, for the gift of hearing.

What if I couldn’t see?

This life we’re living would be impossible.  I wouldn’t be able to see all the beautiful things God created, the smiles on my grandchildren’s faces, vivid colors, or read.  (I’m sure there are some braille things out there, but probably not enough for my voracious appetite)  I couldn’t drive, or help navigate.  And I’d miss out on lightening shows across the horizon and the serenity of falling and accumulated snow. As well as a million other things!  Thank You, Lord, for the gift of sight!

What if I couldn’t smell?

I’d miss out on bacon!  And steak!  And lilacs, roses, orange blossoms and lemons.  Fresh air, coming rain, puppy breath and baking bread.  And I’ve heard that without smell, taste is skewed.  Thank You, God, for the gift of smell!

What if I couldn’t taste?

Oh, boy!  I love food!  Some people eat to live.  But me?  I live to eat!  I enjoy almost everything I’ve ever tasted.  I used to have a retching distain for liver, but while I don’t currently enjoy it, I can now stomach it if necessary.  Some of my favorites?  Steak, homemade or garlic bread, pretty much anything from Wendy’s, Cinnabun rolls, chocolate cake, potato chips (especially the brown ones!), London’s (Fanny May) chocolate covered orange peel, . . . .  Thank You, Jesus, for the gift of taste!

What if I couldn’t feel/touch?

I have what I call Princess skin (as in the Princess and the Pea story).  That means I feel most everything from the lightest brush to the toughest scrape.  If I lost the sense of touch, I wouldn’t know when something was too  hot or too cold.  Or if I was hurt.  I wouldn’t know when a spider (or other abhorrent creature) was crawling on me, or feel the wind tossle my hair.  Or the slightest breeze across my skin.  No relishing in warm towels or hot showers. Or the softness of things like bunny fur.  Would I miss out on the warm, secure feeling of holding my husband’s hand?  What would a hug feel like?  Could I actually feel it?  Or a kiss?  Could I feel the power of a raging waterfall or river?  Thank You, Creator, for the gift of feeling and touch!

I can’t imagine giving up any of these wonderful things God gave us, but I know some do.  Helen Keller comes to mind.  And the deaf people who attend our church.  And the blind lady that lived in our neighborhood when I was young.  Those people will have a marvelous time when they get to Heaven!

 

Back to the hike, and every place you see water?  Think cobalt blue!  That’s what we saw.  I don’t know why the cameras didn’t pick it up sometimes.

Well, let me tell you!  I just watched a time-lapse video filmed over a one month period.  The flower opened, then closed into a tight pod.  After a while, the pod started opening and the white started showing.  It opened further and with the closed-up flower still sitting on top, the white started popping out.  After a bit, the closed-up yellow just popped off and the white completed it’s transformation.  How’s that for remarkable?!?!?

Back to the hike!

 

We came to a place called “Eagle Terrace”.  Gorgeous spot!

 

 

 

Our walk ended back at the coach just in time for a light lunch.

 

Then back out we went, on bikes this time.  We covered a lot more ground, as my sore bum can attest to!  I think the ride was about 10 miles.  And it wasn’t all flat!  Because of the fairly rough and busy trail, I was only able to take a couple of pictures to commemorate the event.

 

And just because he wanted to, Blaine went out after dinner and rode another 5 miles or so.  Overachiever!

But he sure took some nice pictures!

 

Early to bed, early to rise!  Tomorrow will be a long day.  😊