White Deer in Seneca, New York

Shortly after we arrived here in New York on our mission we heard about the "white deer".  Once we even went in search of them, but didn't find them.  However, in the back of our minds we knew we would look for them again.  So, yesterday seemed to be the perfect day.  It was our preparation day and we did some training of new missionaries in the morning.  In the early afternoon we did shopping and other chores.  It was a sunny and relatively warm day, so by late afternoon we decided it would be a perfect day to look for the white deer.  We did find them - anyway, we found 10 of them.  We enjoyed taking multiple pictures of them and these are some of the pictures we took:

We were so fascinated with the deer, that when we got home we did some internet research.  This is what we learned:

The Seneca White Deer are a rare herd of deer living within the confines of the former Seneca Army Depot in Seneca County, New York. When the 10,600 acre depot was created in 1941, a 24 mile fence was erected around its perimeter, isolating a small herd of white-tailed deer, some of whom had white coats. These deer are not albino, but instead carry a set of recessive genes for all-white coats.

In the 1950s, the depot commander forbade the GI’s from shooting any white deer. The deer population has since grown to about 700, approximately 300 of which are white, making it the largest herd of white deer in the world.

Since the depot’s closure, the future of the deer has been uncertain. The visibility of white deer makes them easy prey for hunters and natural enemies like coyotes, and such a herd would not survive in the wild.

We felt such joy at seeing some of God's beautiful creations and plan to visit the "white deer" again before we leave New York.

FALL LEAVES IN NEW YORK

As we have enjoyed the magnificent fall leaves here in New York I am reminded of this verse in Psalms 19:1:

" The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork."

I  hope you enjoy viewing some of the photos I took of the beautiful fall season.  In this first clip you will see some pictures from the Church Historic Sites.  The trees with the brilliant orange leaves are at the Peter Whitmer Farm.  The views of a forest and all close-ups of leaves come from the Sacred Grove, and this first picture was taken by Elder Watts, out our back door, looking into the Sacred Grove.

This next clip has pictures of leaves we took when driving along one of the Finger Lakes, Lake Candandiagua,  south of Palmyra.
"There is an old Indian Legend that the Finger Lakes came into being when the Great Spirit placed the imprint of his hand in blessing on the Upstate Land."  Arch Merrill, Slim Fingers Beckon.
Certainly, as we drove along the shores of Lake Canandiagua, we saw great beauty in the fall leaves reminding us of the Divine and wondrous creation of this earth.

This last clip shows leaves around Palmyra, including the beautiful Palmyra Temple.  All of this beauty in nature reminds me of the hymn, "For the Beauty of the Earth".

For the beauty of the earth, For the beauty of the skies,

For the love which from our birth, Over and around us lies,

Lord of all, to thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise.

May we always remember to give thanks to our Heavenly Father for the beauties of the earth!

APPLES! APPLES! APPLES!

While I was working as an elementary school teacher I was always delighted by the "apple gifts" students and families gave me as tokens of appreciation. I received a blackboard eraser with my name and an apple painted on it, kitchen towels with apples embroidered on them, apple aprons, apple stationary, apple jewlery, and yes, even real apples.  One student even brought me in a beatiful apple of enormous size!  It was about the size of a small pumpkin.

Now, while here in Palmyra, New York, serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I am even more in love with apples.  Upstate New York is famous for its apples.  I'm sure you've all had a Seneca apple product.  These apples come from the beautiful apple orchards near where we live.  Last spring we went for a drive and ejoyed looking at the acres and acres of beautiful apple trees in blossom.  You can get a feel for what I'm talking about by viewing the pictures I took displayed in the short collage
below:

Recently, we took the same drive, near the shores of Lake Ontario, in the rolling farm lands of upstate New York. We saw the same trees laden with delicious looking apples, nearly ready for the harvest!  See pictures of those trees in the following collage:

Since thinking about apples I've started wondering where the tradition of giving apples to teachers came from.  Because we have two farms here at the sites, the Whitmer Farm and the Smith Farm, I have also been thinking about farmers in the early 1800s a lot.  Most people during that time had gardens and fruit trees.  School started in the fall, after the harvest and apples would have been a gift  almost any family could afford to send a teacher.

This is an apple orchard on the Smith Farm and a close up view an apple on a tree in the orchard.

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I did some internet research on why we give teachers apples and learned the following:

One of the common practices in Sweden, Denmark and the U.S. at the first day of school is giving apples to teachers. This tradition is practiced to show appreciation for the efforts of teachers in educating children and young people. To know why people associate apples with teachers, it is important to know the history of the tradition. In addition, it is also necessary to know what apples symbolize.


Apples and Teachers
Why are apples associated with teachers? People commonly see the fruit as a symbol of variety, change and growth. It symbolizes change and variety because it comes in different colors such as green yellow and red. Additionally, the fruit has various tastes like sweet, sour, as well as tangy.  Likewise, teachers play important roles to the emotional, mental as well as physical growth of students.

An apple from the Whitmer Farm

The PeterWhitmer farm home in Fayette, New York

The Tradition of Giving Apples to Students
Why are apples associated with teachers? Another reason why people associate apples with teachers is the tradition from the 16th century until 18th century in various countries including Denmark and America, in which parents paid educators with foods like fruits. During this time, teachers did not receive enough salary to sustain them. To compensate the efforts of educators and to make them feel special, parents paid them with different varieties of the fruit.

Teachers and the Bible
Some people associate apples with teachers because of the story in the Bible, which says that Eve ate the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. Even if the apple is not stated or mentioned in the first book of the Old Testament, there are people who still believe that apple is the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Since teachers offer knowledge to students, individuals associate apples with them.

Modern prophets of the Mormon Church have always valued education and tried to instill that value in church members.  Additionally, in July of 2001, under the direction of the current prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, the Perpetual Education Fund was established.  Through this fund The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has helped over 40,000 men and women throughout the world receive education, training and employment opportunities to better their lives and the lives of their families.

I want to send out to all students, of every age, and especially my grandchildren, that are embarking on a new year of education, the very best wishes for a wonderful and productive school year.  I also want to send great appreciation to teachers everywhere for their dedication and service to the cause of education!  Thank You!

BUTTERFLIES

For the past few weeks at the Smith Family Farm and the Peter Whitmer Farm there has been an abundance of beautiful butterflies.  They love the butterfly bush and colorful flowers and I love taking pictures of them!

I found that if I stood very still the butterflies would land and drink the nectar from the flowers and I could take pictures to my heart's content.  It reminded me of this quote by Nathaniel Hawthorne:

"Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you."

 

I remember the joy of my first grade students as they watched our class caterpillars turn into chrysalises and then to monarch butterflies. 

A day or so after they emerged as beautiful butterflies we would go outside and let them fly free.  Sometimes they would light on the children, much to their delight. But, before they became beautiful butterflies they had a difficult struggle becoming free from their chrysalises. 

In our own lives we also have many struggles.  It is part of our Heavenly Father's Plan.  Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in his conference talk, Finding a Safe Harbor, explained it this way:

 Draw close to the Lord Jesus Christ. He bears a special love for those who suffer. He is the Son of God, an eternal king. In His mortal ministry He loved them and blessed them.

To the meek and discouraged, His every word was one of compassion and encouragement. To the sick, He brought a healing balm.

Today Jesus the Christ stands at the right hand of our Heavenly Father. Do you suppose that today He is any less inclined to aid those who suffer, who are sick, or who appeal to the Father in prayer for succor?


Be of good cheer. The Man of Galilee . . .will not forget nor forsake those whose hearts are drawn to Him. I testify that the Man who suffered for mankind, who committed His life to healing the sick and comforting the disconsolate, is mindful of your sufferings, doubts, and heartaches.

"Then,” the world would ask, “why does He sleep when the tempest rages all around me? Why does He not still this storm, or why would He let me suffer?”

Your answer may be found in considering a butterfly. Wrapped tightly in its cocoon, the developing chrysalis must struggle with all its might to break its confinement. The butterfly might think, Why must I suffer so? Why cannot I simply, in the twinkling of an eye, become a butterfly?

Such thoughts would be contrary to the Creator’s design. The struggle to break out of the cocoon develops the butterfly so it can fly. Without that adversity, the butterfly would never have the strength to achieve its destiny. It would never develop the strength to become something extraordinary.

   
President James E. Faust explained that “into every life there come the painful, despairing days of adversity and buffeting. There seems to be a full measure of anguish, sorrow, and often heartbreak for everyone, including those who earnestly seek to do right and be faithful.”  And then the suggestion that the adversity we experience allows our souls to become like clay in the hands of the Master. “Trials and adversity,” President Faust taught, “can be preparatory to becoming born anew.”

Adversity can strengthen and refine us. As with the butterfly, adversity is necessary to build character in people. Even when we are called to sail through troubled waters, we need to know the place of adversity in shaping our divine potential.

If only we would look beyond our present suffering and see our struggles as a temporary chrysalis. If only we would have the faith and trust in our Heavenly Father to see how, after a little season, then we can emerge from our trials more refined and glorious.

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I hope you enjoyed my butterfly pictures and the wonderful message of hope by Elder Wirthlin.  Watch for my next post, coming soon about apples - I know, the schoolteacher coming out in me again!

ADORABLE FOXES

There is a gravel road on the Smith Family Farm, one of our sites here in Palmyra. Beneath the gravel road, about halfway between the frame home and the log home runs a white PVC culvert. Living in the culvert is a family of foxes, a mama fox and three babies. Yesterday morning, during our walk we were excited to see the babies. They are very playful and we were able to get within 5 feet of them. The mama on the other hand, stays pretty far away, but keeps a watchful eye on her babies. Here are some of the "tons" of pictures we took of them.