Tag Archives: nature

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A Snakebite Saved My Dog’s Life

Years ago, I had a Lassie Collie named Casey.  She got bitten on the jaw by a copperhead.  I rushed her to the vet.  The vet treated her life and death situation,…….but it wasn’t the snakebite that was killing her!!!

Casey was my companion.  Wherever I went she went with me.  She loved me.  She loved people.  She loved riding in the truck.  Shucks, this dog loved everything……… except snakes.  She hated snakes!  With a passion like I’ve never seen.

You’ve seen your dog, or maybe a video of someone’s dog shaking the life out of a snake, literally.  Casey was a pro at it.  She would grab the snake by its tail and shake her head back and forth whipping the snakes body like a piece of spaghetti.  I’ve seen her do this numerous times.  I don’t know if it breaks the snakes neck or what but after a few whiplash sessions with my dog, its over.

I was driving my truck on our farm, stopping at one of the gates to open it.  When I opened my door and got out, there at my feet was a pretty good sized copperhead. (My mother always called them Rattlesnake Pilots, she should know as she got bitten by one as a young girl).  I did what I normally and instinctively do when I’m too close to a snake.  Yep, I danced that awkward dance of trying to lift both feet in the air at the same time, while giving out this scream sounding exactly like a twelve year old little girl.  Well, Casey must have known what it meant as she was out of the truck like a bolt of lightening.

The snake was actually coiled with his tail vibrating as a rattlesnake’s would.  Scary sight to me.  Casey, without hesitation, grabbed that snake and gave it a violent shake back and forth.  Whoa, she slung the snake several feet in the air and jumped on it again.  I got to thinking, maybe I should back up several feet, or yards, or maybe a football field away in case she slings that thing towards me!  Wouldn’t want to do the dance or sing/squeal like a girl again.

Then it was over.  Just like that!  Casey had racked up another trophy in her long list of snakes killed.  She was now riding in the back of the truck.  I honestly thought I saw her smiling.  Look, that dog is smiling.  Her jaw had an unusual bump on it causing her gums to drop and her teeth on one side to show.  Silly dog, smiling like she had just won the Super Bowl of Snake Slinging.  Only now I could tell.  She wasn’t smiling,…… she had been bitten!

Off we go to the vet’s.  When I bust in with my companion in my arms, I holler “snakebite”!  The vet’s busy with his daily routine of wormin’cats, and or giving the latest round of shots to Trixie, Poofie, Scruffy, or whoever the dog is.  Nope, that can wait.  We’ve got an emergency here.

The vet tells me to relax.  Take it easy.  It’s gonna be OK.  He’ll give me a call later this afternoon.  I leave, but I can’t relax.  My buddy, my best friend is in there………and I have to leave and wait at home.

Phone call finally arrives later that afternoon.  “Well, good thing you brought your dog in.  I think I saved her life.”  Those words are still etched in my brain to this day.  I told the vet thanks for what he did.  But he had some news for me.

He said the snakebite wasn’t that bad.  Must have just been a glancing blow, or the snake didn’t really give a good dose of venom.  There was a swelling on Casey’s jaw the size of a walnut and that was about it.  Not going to be a problem according to the vet.  But there was a problem.  A BIG PROBLEM!!!

When the vet took some blood with a needle from Casey, she wouldn’t stop bleeding.  The vet had enough experience with farm dogs to know what this meant.  Somewhere, somehow this dog had been eating RAT BAIT!!!!!  POISON!!

That’s how rat bait works.  The chemical in the bait causes the rat’s blood to not coagulate, therefore the rat dies.  The same thing was happening to my dog.  Another seven days said the vet, and she would have been a goner.

How ’bout that.  I take my dog in for a snakebite, and what’s really killing her is discovered in the process.  Never thought I’d say that a snakebite would actually save a life.

What about you?  What snake has bitten you lately?  Have you had an event happen in your life that’s causing you to do the awkward dance while squealin’ like a little girl.  You break in line and rush to get it fixed, only to realize…… that’s not the really Big Problem.

A snake bite of any kind is a problem for sure.  But if you have been poisoned by accident or on purpose, well, that needs top priority and major attention.

By the way, I’m not sure who your “vet” is.  But somebody (with experience) is telling you to calm down, it’s gonna be OK.  Your “vet” also tells you your little episode is not the problem.  The poison in your life is.  Maybe your “vet” is a close friend, a parent, or even the Holy Spirit heard by you in a still small way.  You better listen.

Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. –psalm 103:2,3

I hope and pray that you never have a “snakebite”.  But if it causes you to realize the “bigger picture” in your life is actually the problem, then maybe just like what happened to me and Casey, it will truly be a Blessing in disguise.

See Ya!   Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher still dancin’ and squealin’ like a girl

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It’s in My Backyard

Colorado Wildfire

This is in my backyard!  The picture shows a closeup of what we see from our view at our log house.  It’s about 40 miles away, but definitely part of our view. Scary and powerful this destructive force.

It (this wildfire has been named the “Spring Fire”) destroys any and everything it comes across.  As of this hour, ( numbers change hourly) it has burned 105,000 acres, and destroyed 104 homes.  No telling the impact on the wildlife.  My heart hurts for what is happening there.

There are over 1,000 first responders there.  Firefighters, bulldozers, helicopters and aircraft that drop water are in the fight.  This is one of the largest fires in Colorado history.  My heart hurts but at the same time is so proud of these people who risk there all for people like me and you.  Sometimes fires here in the wilderness are started by lightning.  BUT…… in this case this fire was started by a careless, (and I’ll say it,…..STUPID) man.  A spark blew from an outdoor fire pit he was using during a fire ban and, well, there’s no going back now.

Today there is help from above! (literally!!)  It’s raining.  Something that we haven’t seen in many months!!  Beautiful fire quenching rain with some snow falling on the mountaintops even in July!  The church has been praying for rain.  Today, we got some.  My heart is filled with joy and Thanksgiving!!!  Thanks you Lord!!

Hebrews 12:28-29 “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”

I’ve witnessed the power in an all consuming fire.  I’ve also seen what power even a gentle rain can show.

Each of us has a heart and soul that needs protection from  forces set out to destroy us spiritually.  I’ve witnessed first hand destructive forces out to harm my own soul, my relationships with family members, even my relationship with Jesus.  Scary the powers that are out there.  Until the time that our Heavenly Father brings the healing rains to our souls, you stay on guard.  You fight the fight.

When it comes to your very own heart and soul,  you are the first responder.  Just know that you’ve got an all powerful backup.  All you got to do is reach out to Him.  All that you got is,…. well,….He’s all that you need.  Say Lord, help me…….. and watch out!!!!!!  You’ll see powerful forces at work even in your very own heart and soul.

(Currently overnight because of the rains, and first responders the fire is currently 35% contained. )  It’s not over, but it’s headed in the right direction.  What about your heart and soul situation.  Is it headed in the right direction?

See Ya!!   Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher  dancing for joy because of rain

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The Silver and Gold Mine

Looking For Faith is like looking for Gold!

Here’s the silver and gold mine on our property here in Colorado.  It hasn’t been worked hard by anyone since back in the late 1800’s/early 1900…….. well except for me now.  I’ve been down there digging.  Digging for gold.  Digging for silver, or any other precious metal.

So many questions.  Why did the miners pick this particular spot to dig?  A certain rock outcropping?  A certain boulder showing promise?  And why did they quit digging after going several feet back into the side of the mountain?  Probably wasn’t worth the effort.  What I’ve been told is that there is gold and silver all over this part of the mountains.  It’s just that you have to mine through several tons of dirt to get the few ounces of gold/silver.  Question….. would you do it?

I’ve got to do a little more studying, (or bring someone who knows to my mine).  There are all types of different colored rock, different veins showing in these rocks.  I’m wondering if I’m literally sitting on a gold mine.  Or maybe it’s just a big pile of dirt!!  I guess there is only one way to find out.  Dig, baby, dig.  Search, sift, dig some more, inspect, then share it with someone who knows more than I.

What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole.  I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.  1 Peter msg

Faith is better than gold.  But just like the gold in my own little mine, a lot of “dirt” has to be refined away to see the pure faith.  This dirt is what you and I would call testing, trials, tribulations, or in everyday talk,…….. it’s what happens to us in everyday life.  The good , the bad, the ugly, the stuff we don’t understand, the things that happen around us that have an effect on us.  It’s the every day activities that you and I go through.

Each and everyday you and I are being “refined” so that our faith can be seen.  Seen by whom?  Seen by others, but seen and felt by YOU, and by God!  How to we find this faith?

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. Romans 10:17

Well, the scriptures are telling us that faith comes from hearing the word about Christ.  For you to get and grow your own faith, then Dig, baby, dig.  Search, sift, dig some more, inspect, then share it with someone who knows more than you.  That would be the Holy Spirit.  Dig in the Bible, pray for guidance.  Search for true answers about this Christian way of life.

You’ll have to dig and remove a lot of “dirt” as you look for the valuable Faith that you are looking for.

I’ve been told that unlike gold, your faith can grow.  And you only need the faith the size of this dot [.]  It’s there for your taking.  I’ve been told that Jesus wants to give us all the chance to grow and become more faithful to Him.  It’s there for the asking.  Question…… would you do it?