Happy 1st of July!!! It is a bright 72 degree morning now although it was cloudy when I first came out and looked like maybe it had rained a little. 2016 is now officially one half gone into the history books and I wonder what the second half of the year will bring. As a minimum, in the next six months this country will elect a new president which should end one of the worst presidential campaigns between two candidate front runners that absolutely represent the bottom of the barrel in morality and honesty. One candidate is an overbearing bully who acts like a rich spoiled kid standing in the middle of the classroom calling people names; and the other is only concerned with being the first woman president of this country regardless of who has to die in the process, and has been under FBI investigation for three years. I weep for the future of this country and pray God will get us through. ---- But enough of my grumps this morning.

Ms. Kate and I went to the various bird feed stores yesterday and stocked up again. I received my "Hummer Bar" feeder yesterday in the mail. It is a two foot long, 21 port, horizontal hummingbird feeder that I saw on Facebook. Of course that meant I had to buy a couple more shepherd's hooks to hang it from. I got it assembled and hung up. Ms.  Kate is going to mix up some sweet water and we'll put some in and see if it in fact attracts any hummingbirds. This backyard birdwatching gets to be expensive. I didn't take long to drop $150.00 yesterday on all of the different bird foods and paraphanellia. But --- sitting here, watching these cardinals, and wrens, and woodpeckers and yes, even those stinking starlings and blackbirds, brings me peace and joy so hang the cost, and just enjoy what God provides.

My chores for today are to mow my back yard, work on a funeral for Monday, and then do a wedding rehearsal this evening. I had a call from a friend yesterday wanting me to do the funeral for her father-in-law on Monday. I guess the man has no church and so she and her husband were hoping I would do the service. It is a little different doing a funeral for someone that (a) I don't know; and (b) doesn't attend a church. But --- I believe that everybody deserves a decent rememberance and funeral when they pass. It helps to bring closure for the family, and Ms. Kate and I really like this family.

July brings birthdays for the family. Stephanie's birthday is today, Tuesday will be Julie's birthday, and on the twentieth I'll turn 72. Lots of good life to celebrate. It is hard to believe that I'll be 72. I remember when 72 was "old". But one never knows about life. Heck, the man I'm doing the funeral for was only 61 when he passed. So, I just give God thanks for each and every day God allows me to continue to enjoy this life and all of the people that I'm blessed to have around me and love me. I'm certainly surrounded by undeserved blessing.

Have a great weekend. Take time to praise God for the blessing of living in a free country as we celebrate our Independence Day on Monday.  Shalomn.