The blooming trees and flowers tell me it is spring. The temperature being 32 this morning and a skim of ice on the bird bath say it is not. What's up with all of that?? But, yesterday turned out to be a very nice day. I spent about five or maybe six hours outside working in the yard. I started out in a sweatshirt but quickly changed to a tee-shirt. I finished up cleaning away my branch/twig pile from the winter and got the area raked clear of the leaves from last fall. Then I started giving the fire bushes a "haircut". Every year or year and a half I go trim off all of the lower new shoots and branches so they remain manageable. If I don't do that they get so thick that no light gets through them at all. Ms. Kate came out and helped me and we got most of three of them done. We still have three to do and one of them is going to take a while. They grow so that it hard to even get the pruner in there to trim them. And, I got my back yard mowed as well as my front yard and neighbor Dan's yard. He and Minh get back from California tomorrow night. They have been gone for five weeks.

The feeders are all full this morning since I filled up everything yesterday. The first run of birds was nothing but blackbirds and starlings. But -- they are now moved on and the woodpeckers, cardinals, mockingbirds, doves, finches and robins are all now here. What a joy to sit here and observe them. The Robin didn't even mind the skim of ice that was on the bird bath --- it jumped in for its bath anyway. We've been watching the goldfinches and I think they are a brighter yellow this year than they have been in the past couple of years. I don't know what would make that true, but I think it is. Perhaps it is just that the sun cresting the roof of the house seems to shine especially bright on them in the morning. The same could be said for the red of the cardinals. God does create some beautiful creature though and His lighting effects are often pretty spectacular.

I finished up my worship services for the two weeks that I'm going to be on vacation and got them sent to our guest pastor for a sermon title and any scripture changes. Today, I need to put together a couple more services and write a sermon for Pentecost Sunday. Being caught up for me means several weeks ahead. A person never knows when an emergency might come up and rob you of time to get things done, hence, I work ahead when ever possible. It will sure seems strange to not have to do that kind of stuff when I eventually retire.

Time for me to read my morning devotional from Max Lucado and stop and have a chat with the Blessed God who makes all things possible including the showers of blessings that fill my life. I just remain amazed at what a good life I have been allowed to live and how fortunate I am. We don't have "money" but we have everything we need and the world hardly seems big enough to contain the amount of love I feel myself surrounded by. I have no doubt it all starts with God's grace. I pray you can feel that way too. Peace.