Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Russell Jurgensen
Thursday, September 24, 2026
Rattlesnake Lake has an interesting history because before it was a lake, it was the town of Moncton with 200 residents. Despite warnings by geologists about leakage, the Masonry Dam was built nearby in 1914. Leakage from the dam flooded the town over the next year and efforts to save it were abandoned. The City of Seattle purchased the land from residents and cleared out the structures.
Now Rattlesnake Lake is a popular recreation area. Rattlesnake Ledge, a popular hike, can be seen above the lake. Old stumps from that old era still hang on.
Some things make me stop and think. The following verses are another one to think about.
And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Romans 5:2-5
If we focus on the word perseverance, it can be a powerful thing to reach goals that are otherwise unobtainable. The other word is love. Without love, what would we end up with?
As we do our best to improve the world around us, let’s focus on perseverance and love.