It is a rainy, cloudy, dreary day with a cardinal and goldfinch or two added in for a splash of color this morning. Not much is going to change about that situation either until maybe tomorrow morning some time. The ground is already saturated and adding a couple of inches of rain to the ground is going to do nothing but make the rivers and streams rise. I sure wish we could share some of this with the drought stricken portions of the country.

My feeders are all still full which is a good thing. Although, the rain has really diminished the number of birds that are out here this morning. I have a couple of cardinals, a couple of finches, and a downy woodpecker, and that is about it. But, there is no lack of squirrels who seem oblivious to the rain. I wonder on what level the weather registers with animals. I wonder if it registers beyond determing their ability to find food or not finding food. ( On the other hand, I wonder why I'm wondering what a squirrel might be thinking??)

We ran a few errands yesterday; went to Fresh Market and Ms. Kate picked up a corned beef for St. Patrick's day next Tuesday. She'll throw in some cabbage and some red-skin potatoes and we'll be Irish for the day. We both love corned-beef and cabbage but don't have it often. It's an expensive piece of meat. Ms. Kate had an aunt that used to corn her own brisket and I guess it must be quite a "process" to do. I don't know that we ever had corned beef and cabbage when I was young, although we did raise cabbage in the garden.

We also went to the cemetery yesterday and decorated some family graves. The cemetery maintenance folks are doing their spring clean up and it really look strange to look across all of those grave sights and see no flowers. But it is time to get all of the faded wreaths and flags, and "gee-gaws" cleaned up so the place becomes a setting of dignity once again. It is amazing what people will take and set around and on tombstones. It is symbolic, I think, of how people deal with their grief. Some graves never see a flower, others, like our family, will see fresh flowers with the changing of the seasons, and others look like a New Orleans street festival with all of the gaudy stuff people leave out there. Anyway, we got Ms. Kate's parents and grandparents, and brother taken care of yesterday. We'll go replace the flowers on my dad's grave next week after the rain has stopped.

It is Friday and supposed to be my "day off", but I took yesterday off and have work left unfinished that I might as well do today since it is a rainy day. There is always something to get done.

The daughter of a parishioner is having surgery today so I'll begin my morning talk with God by praying for a successful surgery for her. The wife of an old friend had rotator cuff surgery yesterday, so we'll ask for strength and courage as she begins her therapy and pray for quick healing. Life is so full of people who need our prayers and often think no one cares. So, when you are in conversation with the Lord, ask for help for those folk you don't know too. They are God's children too and therefore are also your brothers and sisters. Have a most wonderful day.