Welcome to a brilliant, blue, cloudless morning --- at least here. North of us it appears they may still be having storms. The weather fellow on television last night said that it has rained on seven of the last eleven days.  As green and lush as everything is right now, I can easily believe it.

It is Thursday and I have a lot to do today, not the least of which is get a haircut. I need to take Ms. Kate grocery shopping and I also need to go up to the church and get things prepared for Sunday service. And --- we have to get out in the yard and get some deadheading done on the iris and the peonies. They look horrible when they aren't properly taken care of. God provides some beautiful blooms, but then we must tend the plants. (Hmmmmm! I think I just found subject for a sermon there in that thought. Thanks God!) Speaking of sermons, I need to write next weeks sermon too. Oiy veh --- too much to do.

I have a lot of the small birds here today. So,  there is a lot of chirping and flittering around. Most are common House Finches and Sparrows. I'm still noticing that we don't have a lot of the Goldfinches around. I guess they are finding their food in the wild now. As we traveled, We noticed that the wild thistle is blooming, so they may be eating off of that. Some times I have to remind myself that they aren't my birds, God just loans them to me for my enjoyment. One lone squirrel has shown up and I'm wondering if it may be new to the yard. It doesn't seem sure about how to get up on the feeder. It keeps climbing the pole, sliding back down, climbing up again and being very tentative about reaching over to the feeder to get a seed. Mostly it is just eating off the ground.

My prayers today are sent out as prayers for hope and strength for several loved ones and friends who continue their battle with cancer. I learned this morning that one long time friend not only has cancer but is also having severe heart problems. So, I pray they will find strength each and every day to continue to fight. I lift up my brother-in-law once again and continue to pray that his treatment plan is slowing the progress of his cancer. I fully realize that we must all pass through the veil at some point and move on to eternal life. But I would pray that we can do so with a good quality of life and peace until the moment comes.

My coffee cup is empty, my Nook battery is almost dead, and my leg is asleep. I got to get moving. Have a blessed day!