The storm has now ended and the aftermath is an eight to nine inches of snow. It is beautiful but dangerous. Roads are next to impassable but that won't keep people off of them. My daughter Julie lives 120 miles north ad east of us and they got the same storm. She said that I-65 south is closed at Elizabethtown and people have been stranded in their cars now for 12 hours due to accidents blocking the road. I totally realize that some people must be out and about but, far too often, greed and money trumps common sense and safety. So this morning I'll throw up a prayer for the safety of all of God's children, --- even the stupid ones.

I have been out this morning and did a "test shoveling" of the snow. I wanted to see how hard it is going to be to get the snow up and whether or not the John Deere is going to be of any use. The snow is a heavy wet snow and I'm figuring that if I try to use the Deere, it is going to just slide around on that hill I have for a driveway. I shoveled off the back patio and I think the wet surface that was under the snow has already turned to black ice. Some sunshine would do wonders for it. Unfortunately, we have a lot more clouds than sun this morning and the temperature is 20°  and not supposed to rise above 24° today.

The yard is full of blackbirds and starlings this morning of course. Unfortunately for them, they cleaned out a lot of feeders yesterday, especially all of the "easy" ones. And worse for them, my seed can is almost empty. There is plenty of suets out there and there is sunflower seed too, but it is in feeders that are harder for them to eat from. The bark butter paste and bits is of course gone. I put that out mainly for the woodpeckers but the starlings simply devour it. I can get to those feeders rather easily because I shoveled it clear to get to them. But, if I filled them today, the starlings would just bully everything else away from them, so, suck it up butter cups. You guys may have to wait a few days.

Since we won't be going anywhere today, I guess I better figure out what I want to do with my day. Of course I'll be shoveling snow in one fashion or another. But then I guess I'll do a little sermon writing. I'm only one week ahead and with extra services to do this month, that isn't quite a comfort zone for me yet. I try to stay two weeks ahead as a minimum.

So, off I go to get my day started. But before I do I need to offer up my thanks once again to the Lord for this day. I thank God that I have a home and food, and family. And, I thank God for this beautiful bluebird that just came and landed outside my window. It was my heavenly gift of the day. I am so blessed.