Thomas Trock

Mountain Cathedrals: The Outdoors From a Different Perspective

Deer Elk Moose

Moose II – Moose Encounter

Photo by Lori F. Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.  Isaiah 41:10 Moose are the largest member of the deer family. They can grow over six feet tall at shoulder height and weight up to 1,800 pounds. Antlers on a male, like the one pictured above, can grow to six feet across and weigh more than forty pounds. The antlers on this moose are still in velvet, and have a lot of growing …

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Ancient Antlers

Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken, Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, Or the wheel broken at the well. Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it. Ecclesiastes 12:6-7 From what I’ve seen on my hikes, most deer in my area don’t live to be ten years old. Many bones and skulls I find lying on the forest floor are probably closer to about half that age. The wear on the teeth is a good indicator of …

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Elk Meeting

A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:11 (NLT) There are reasons why many animals do not wander their territory alone in the wilderness. It’s true that there is strength in numbers, not to mention protection and safety. Instead of just one set of ears and eyes, this small herd of elk has the benefit of six pairs to help warn them of approaching danger. Elk always make me think of wilderness and the wild country of the …

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Deer Fern Bed

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as …

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Snow Deer

For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’; Likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength. He seals the hand of every man, That all men may know His work. The beasts go into dens, And remain in their lairs. From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind, And cold from the scattering winds of the north. By the breath of God ice is given, And the broad waters are frozen. Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds; He scatters His bright clouds. And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance, …

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Deer – Eagerly Awaiting

For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Romans 8:19-22 (NLT) Since we positioned our computer next to a large window overlooking our backyard, I never know what I’m going to see when I …

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Moose I – Moose on the Loose

And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 There are times when my main goal as I head for the outdoors is to do what this verse says. I struggle with concentrating on one thing for long periods of time, but by His grace I can sometimes come close to searching for Him with all I’ve got. When I toss my own agenda for the day and stay focused on seeking Him, amazing things can happen. A few years ago, Star the ever alert Wonderdog and I were sitting …

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Deer – Strength

He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations. And the everlasting mountains were scattered. The perpetual hills bowed. His ways are everlasting. I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. Habakkuk 3:6, 18-19 Considering the brutal winter we had this year, it is noticeable to me the number and size of deer we have around our home this summer. Over the winter, I saw evidence of …

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Deer – Non-Typical Perfection

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special (peculiar) people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light – 1 Peter 2:9 As I’ve mentioned, science folks like me like to use big sounding words. Perhaps it makes some of us feel important, who knows. Anyway, when antlers on the same animal in members of the deer family grow differently from each other, we call them non-typical. My trail cam captured a picture of a buck with a “typical” pattern of antler growth in …

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Unexpected Adventure

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. Isaiah 40:28 I stumbled across this draft which, for what ever reason, I had not posted in April of 2015. Oh how I miss Star the Wonderdog. Had an interesting hike yesterday. Stardog and I trekked up a steep mountain to a natural basin of sorts. The basin is large, perhaps a mile or more across. It contains mostly small brush and grass, with occasional thick pockets of trees scattered …

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Bull Elk

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 1 John 3:1-2 I was fortunate to capture a picture of this bull elk with my trail camera in mid-summer. I had gotten a lot of partial pictures of …

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Endurance and Encouragement II

Now may the God who gives endurance and who supplies encouragement grant that you be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus   Romans 15:5 AMP As I mentioned last week, the Lord often allows me to see some interesting sights when I am outside. I had been working a while on one end of my ditch, and when I returned to the other, I saw this yearling doe resting on the grass. From where she positioned herself, it appeared she was checking to see if I had my lines straight and level for my project. On …

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Unity

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133:1 Just ask the animals, and they will teach you. Ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you. Job 12:7 For as long as I can remember, interactions between animals have always fascinated me. When I see various critters near each other, I can watch them for a long time and not grow tired of seeing what transpires. I often find myself wondering what the animals are thinking when they look at each other from close range. I wonder if that …

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Deer Stretch

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 Deer are amazingly adaptive. For one thing, they are able to change their diets with the change in seasons. In winter, deer can digest woody vegetation from twigs and buds. During the warmer months they prefer a variety of grasses and seeds, leaves, fruits, nuts, etc. When hard …

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Thanksgiving I – Surrounded by Turkeys

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 This week we celebrate Thanksgiving in America. Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. It is a relaxed time that I truly savor and look forward to each year. For the most part, I’ve not been too caught up in what people call the Christmas rush of writing cards and buying gifts of who knows what. But …

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Wise Counsel

A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel. Proverbs 1:5 Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days. Proverb 19:20 There seems to be no shortage of people giving advice these days. The information explosion of the internet and instant communication has brought counsel from a myriad of sources and advice can be found just about anywhere. Many people with zero experience in a given subject can now sound like experts simply by spending a little time studying information that is readily available. Wise …

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Elk Close-Up

I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming …

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Backyard Buck

The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works. No king is saved by the multitude of an army; a mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain hope for safety; neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to …

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Elk Bugle

He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, and has stretched out the heavens at His discretion. Jeremiah 10:12 Early autumn is an interesting time in the mountains where I live. Things happen that are unique to this time of year and make for some interesting hikes. Besides the leaves beginning to change color, many animals are preparing for winter in one way or another. And it’s also breeding season for much of the big game that live nearby. Females of many species will carry their developing young over the winter so …

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Deer Swim

For through Him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through Him and for Him.  Colossians 1:16 NLT I have missed my share of photo opportunities whilst traversing the mountains. And once in a while I’ll get a picture of something from a bit far away, but the uniqueness of the moment seems worth posting for others to enjoy nonetheless. Such is the above photo of three deer swimming a nearby …

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Antler-Eating Deer

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 NLT There is a reason why shed antlers from deer, elk, and moose don’t last too long once they hit the ground. It has been well documented that mice, chipmunks, squirrels, raccoons, porcupines, etc. like to eat old antlers. Almost twenty percent of an antler is calcium, and another ten percent is phosphorus. It also contains lots of other trace minerals and vitamins. There may even …

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Fawn II

Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. The voice of the LORD is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The LORD is over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; The voice of the LORD is full of majesty. The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth, And strips the forests bare; And in His temple everyone says, “Glory!  Psalm 29:2-4, 9 These past few decades we’ve been fortunate to live in a rather beautiful place. I can’t remember when we’ve had a …

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Mountain Treasures II – The Treasure Hunt

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. John 1:1-3 It is treasure hunting time once again where I live. A lot of the mountains at higher elevations are still inaccessible, but I’ve been fortunate enough to find a few places to hike while waiting for the high-country snows to melt away. Hiking the mountains in the early spring is often a mixed bag of events. Sometimes a cold, …

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Deer Snowflake Catcher

He directs the snow to fall on the earth and tells the rain to pour down.  Job 37:6 There is a scene in “A Charlie Brown Christmas” where some of the characters discuss trying to catch snowflakes on their tongues. Lucy proclaims that she never tries to catch snowflakes in December. She always waits until January. Linus surveys the falling snow and states that the flakes look ripe to him. Snow begins in clouds when temperatures are below the 32 degrees Fahrenheit. It is formed when there is water vapor present, and it changes into ice without ever going through …

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