Summer Stage #6, Saturday 2 July 2016–A family of turtles stage their summer play. They climb on a log, and on each other, bask in the bright light, and on queue scoot off stage.
A turtle is a reptile with a toothless, sheathed jaw, inhabiting a bony or cartilaginous shell.
There are 18 turtle species in Indiana according to a book published by Purdue University. It may be available at your local public library. I’ll make a slow, laggardly movement to the Elkhart Public Library next week to check it out. On the way I’ll pause to watch turtles basking on logs in the Elkhart River. I don’t know yet whether these are Mud-Musk Turtles, Stinkpot Turtles, Basking Turtles, or Midland Painted Turtles. What fun, eh?
1 July and 4 July Celebrations
Canada Day 1 July, Independence Day 4 July, people are celebrating all across these lands this weekend. Safe travels, hot dogs aplenty, quiet after midnight. Peace to all peoples.
Conference scores a hit
Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference at annual sessions two weeks ago released In Pursuit of Faithfulness: Conviction, Conflict, and Compromise in Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference (Rich Preheim, Herald Press, 2016). The book, like anything that squarely addresses the ups and downs of a faith community through changing times, will inform and inspire even as it addresses power and moral failings. Rich wakes up the past. He brings the Conference story into sharp focus, something like an ophthalmologist does by dropping the refracting glass before your eyes. As conference historian, serving a three-year term, I was one of the respondents at the launch. I concluded, “Thanks be to God for the guidance, love and grace we claim in Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to bring our Conference story into sudden, sharp focus.”
Peace and good will, -John
It's About Now 
I saw a turtle on my walk too the other day, but not like the ones you encounter. We had a nice barbeque yesterday, a few were missing but we had a big crowd. It was a nice day weather wise as well. All over so fast it seems. Soon it will be August before we know it. I really enjoy seeing all the pictures. K
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John,
How fun to see former familiar scenes and faces. I do enjoy your eye for a well framed photo.
I should report that I consumed several pints in England and Ireland in memory of you. Unfortunately, however, no warm beer available at the places to which I went. cold is okay but I really did want an unchilled draft.
I’ve been wandering how your relocation plans are progressing and how it feels to approach the change ahead.
We had a good pilgrimage group with only one major travel glitch which we solved after a frustrating 90+ minutes at the check in counter at the Newcastle air port and a payment of 720 BPS to purchase boarding passes. It was only money and good will toward Ryanair that was spent. We have protested and sent a request for refund to Ryanair customer relations – so we shall see what comes of it all.
Back home we have a round of 4 sets of guests over the next 12 days. We do enjoy guests – we are on page 13 in our guest book.
Let me commend to you a side trip to Ireland on a future sojourn to Cornwall.
Stanley
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