Close-up or red lily, showing reproductive parts

This is an unretouched close-up of a lily flower. The six weiner-shaped objects are the anthers. As you can see, they were producing pollen when the photo was taken. They are, of course, held up by filaments. Together, the two parts make up stamens. The three-lobed object on the right, about halfway up, is a stigma. It is held up by a style, which connects the stigma to the ovary. (You can't see that in this photo.) The stigma is where pollen lands, and, if all goes well, fertilization will take place, resulting in an embryo in a seed, in the ovary.

The background consists of three petals, with three sepals, which look just like the petals in this flower, being outside the petals. You can see a sepal or two showing through. Isn't God a great artist? (Larger sizes should be available by clicking on the photo, if you wish to see more detail.)

I expect to be doing some family travel. I've got some posts scheduled to go out on the next two Sundays, and will probably be able to do a Sunspots on Wednesday, but, otherwise, I'm out of the blogging business for over a week.

Thanks for reading and/or looking. God's best to all of you.

Hiatus

God willing, I shall be undergoing surgery in a few days. God willing, I shall recover, but, if not, it's in His hands.

I will be posting only occasionally for the next several days.

Thanks for reading.

Hiatus coming

I am going on hiatus, and don't expect to post much, except for some Sunday devotional posts, and perhaps a "Sunspots" once in a while, until September. More important things are scheduled.

I don't expect to be able to read most (maybe not any) of your posts, either.

Thanks for reading!

Hiatus

I am preparing for some extended family-related travel, and don't expect to be posting much for a while. I may occasionally post a Sunspots, and have a few more of the hymns of Charles Wesley to post (I could use one of his a day for several years, if I had access to his entire output!).

Also, I may not be able to respond to all of your comments, or to follow other people's blogs, as much as I usually do.

Thanks for reading.

Happy Birthday, Beethoven!

Today or maybe tomorrow (see next link) is the Birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven, one of the greatest composers of all time, perhaps the greatest.

I make no claim to be familiar with all of his works, but I do enjoy hearing the symphonies, the piano and other concertos, and other Beethoven works. God gave him tremendous talent.

We will be traveling for several days, and I don't expect to post, except, God willing, to continue my series on the hymns of Charles Wesley, post a Sunspots or two, and also one Christmas post -- please bear in mind that I'm a biologist -- I wouldn't expect a non-biologist to have considered that aspect of the Christmas story.

Thanks for reading.

Travel hiatus

We are traveling across the US, and I don't expect to post much, if any, for over a week, nor do I expect to be able to read as many of your blogs as I would normally like to.

Hiatus

We are planning an extended trip, and I don't expect to post very much for a couple of weeks or so. I will also not be able to read, or comment, on other blogs much, if any.

I will probably continue my excerpts from the writing of George MacDonald, on Sundays, and may post a Sunspots or two.

Thanks for reading. We would ask for your prayers.

Christmas hiatus

We are pleased to have family arriving today, and I don't expect to post very much, or read your excellent blog, if you have one, for a couple of weeks or so. I may post Sunspots, or continue the readings from George MacDonald, but probably won't do any more posts.

Enjoy celebrating Christ's birth!

Travel hiatus coming

Our daughters (and their husbands) are staking us to most of a retirement trip to various parts of Western North America. We expect to be gone for about a month, God willing. I don't plan to post during this trip. I didn't do so during our last one. I expect to check (and maybe even answer some) e-mail, and occasionally check my blog subscriptions, perhaps including yours, if you have a blog.

Those who may check this blog after early September will probably see, not necessarily in that order, a response to Bonnie's comment on this post. I also hope to post on a book by Patricia A. McKillip, and expect to post a few pictures from our trip. I have in mind a few suggestions for changing basketball rules.

I plan to take along, and read: some of the Hyperion quartet by Dan Simmons; a book on British poet John Keats, who is almost a major character in the Hyperion books; Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis; The Case for a Creator by Strobel, a graduation gift (to me!) from a student; The Biblical Jubilee and the Struggle for Life by Kinsler and Kinsler; The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life, by Smith, and my Bible.

Thanks for reading.