A happy Saturday morning to the world this morning. It is a beautiful morning as I look out the windows and doors of the sunporch. The sun is shining brightly, making the phlox blooms glisten in the brilliant sunlight. I have cardinals, blackbirds, finches, downy woodpeckers, ladderback woodpeckers, sparrows and of course squirrels all competing for the feeders this morning. I put the barkbutter paste feeders out fresh again this morning. They were empty last evening so I filled them but held them back so the night raiders wouldn't get them. I also filled all of my peanut feeders up last night and they are most popular this morning. As I was filling those feeder I had several peanuts fall on the ground and sidewalk, ---- they are all gone this morning. Little "Long ears" my bunny rabbit has been here too this morning peering in to check on me. At least he has quit getting in the flowerpots and eating off Ms. Kate's plants. That's probably because he ate all of the one he liked. I don't see any of it out there anymore. It reminds me of a calico cat we had that used to eat all of Ms. Kate's ferns. Buzz, the hummingbird has been back this morning too. We changed out the feed in its feeder last evening too. They also love the Four-Oclock" blooms outside my front door.

Well, as I wrote last evening, we were wondering what to do about our supper. Low and behold, Neighbor Dan called and asked if we were interested in some pork steaks that he was getting ready to take off of the grill. He brought over a plate full of delicious pork steaks. Ms. Kate fixed a plate of fresh cucumbers and tomatoes to go with it and supper was ready! So "Thank you, Dan." For dessert we went to Cold Stone Creamery where I had my usual sweet cream mixed with strawberries and Ms. Kate has her sweet cream mixed with black cherries.  It is wonderful to have a close neighbor like that. All of my other neighbors are "speaking neighbors" but not much beyond that. The fact that Dan and I are both retired military, both worked in law enforcement for a career job, (he in civilian life, and I in the military) makes us pretty close.

Today is the first day of August already. Summer has been passing quickly and strangely. The weather has been so freaky this year that it seems that we really haven't had the "summer experience". But, I guess we have. Of course it has been an eventful and emotional summer too with two family deaths and two vacations. I just never seem to be really caught up with all I need to get done. But school will be starting for the kids in the area soon. In fact, high school football teams and high school bands are already out there on the fields practicing for the beginning of the school year. And, --- Ms. Kate went in to Hobby Lobby the other day and came back out and told me that they already were filling up the store with Christmas merchandise.

I need to jump on the mower and mow the yards this morning. They don't look bad; --- but they don't look great either. They just need a haircut; and I'm just the guy to handle that. So, with that thought in mind, I'll finish my coffee, have a chat with the Lord, and press on with my day. I hope your day will be most blessed. Mine already has been. God is good; -- all the time.