The weekend has arrived and it is a cloudy Saturday morning at 73* and heading to 90*. A slight breeze is stirring and everything is peaceful so far. My only guests at the moment are a couple of wrens as they hop around on the patio and in and out of the potted plants. Far out in the yard a cardinal is picking up dropped sunflower seeds from under a feeder. I expect the gang will be flying in soon enough because I filled up the bark butter feeders again last evening.

I went to Wild Birds yesterday and bought a baffle to put on the pole outside my back door that the raccoon was on the night before last. Last night I sat out here in the sunporch and waited to see if it did any good. I didn't have to wait very long. I had just finished talking to Ms. Kate on the phone when I saw the raccoon cross in front of my door as it was looking around. It climbed up the pussy willow tree, walked around on the sunporch roof, climbed back down and walked over to the pole with the baffle and then waddled off. So, I don't know if it was the baffle or the fact that I also moved a plant stand that it could climb on to then stretch out and pull itself up on the feeder. I may go ahead and get a squirrel baffle for the other pole that sits farther out in the yard. They only cost about $25.00 and I can buy 50# of sunflower seed for that.

My duties today include going to St. Mary's Hospital to see a parishioner and then this afternoon I'm going to an ice-cream festival at the Presbyterian church a few towns up the road. It's a bit of a ways to go but it is a charity event and I know some of the people that it will benefit. Besides --- its ice cream and one can't drive too far for ice cream. One of my most favorite things to do when Ms. Kate and I go to Las Vegas is go to the Southpoint Casino and visit a place called "Kate's Ice Cream Shop" which is just inside the door of the casino. I know they use Breyer's Ice Cream, which I can get here, but I always get a banana split and they are huge and it costs about $7.00. So, while Ms. Kate and Karen are out in the casino wasting their nickles and quarters and dollars, I just sit there and enjoy my banana split.

I've sat here long enough for the sun to come through and brighten the day; and the gang is starting to arrive. I now have several cardinals and finches and woodpeckers. A squirrel came over to climb the pole with the baffle on it and decided not to even try. He moved on over to the other pole and feeders that don't have a baffle and is munching away; danged fuzzy tailed rat! Yep, I'm going to get a squirrel baffle today since I'll be on that side of town for my hospital visit.

It has been a great week and I have so much to be thankful for and I must now stop and give proper honor and glory to our God that provides everything I have. I pray you will have a good day and will be surrounded with God's love and grace. Well, actually I already know you will be; --- I just hope you will be aware of it and feel it.

God's peace to you.