Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Robert Howson
Tuesday and Wednesday, October 20 and 21, 2026
Quiz Question: What do my Bible, a torque wrench, a Geiger counter, a GPS, and a bassoon have in common? And the correct answer is: They are all tools to help us accomplish a task more easily. First of all, it should be noted that I have limited experience with using the majority of these tools, and there are at least two reasons for this. One centers around the ease of usage. The second has more to do with how important the task at hand is to me.
The Five-striped Sparrow was one of those things that carried personal import to me. It is a Mexican species that has only been recorded in the United States since 1957. Today it is considered rare and local within our country. To see one generally requires use of a 4-wheel drive vehicle, and then only when seasonal flood waters don’t render what passes for a road to be unusable. But one had been reported in a steep canyon which could be accessed by car, via a 15 mile gravel road through the deserts of Arizona. Best of all, latitude and longitudinal coordinates had been given and this is where my GPS came into use. And it worked amazingly well. A good deal of effort was still required to get the bird, but without it, the case would have been hopeless.
I also have a Bible in my possession. It serves the purpose of helping me get to know God better. Serious study of its pages certainly requires work. Effort is required, not a mere glossing over the pages which is often done. If the desire to get to know God better is great enough, then the effort that is needed will seem secondary. As for some of the other tools, maybe I can opt out and find a recording with a bassoon solo on it.