Good morning on this already hot July morning. Well, it isn't terrible yet; it is only 82 degrees, and there is a substantial breeze blowing. But, as we learned in Las Vegas when we lived there, hot temperatures and a breeeze or wind just makes it a giant convection oven. We are supposed to go to the lower nineties today so anything I need to do outside needs to be done this morning before the temp goes up too much.

Blackbirds, Grackels, Starlings, and sparrows are my guests this morning. Except for the sparrows, they are all a rude and nasty bunch of birds. They fuss, they fight, they peck one another in the head, they run other birds off, and they waste food by throwing it on the ground. Luckily they don't stay too long. They come in like a gang doing a smash and grab in a jewelry store, make their mess and leave. In another ten minute or so, the cardinals will be showing up along with the rest of my regulars. Even the squirrels tend to hold off a bit when the blackbirds are here.

July 10th --- the year is moving on isn't it? Ms. Kate and I took a drive around the block Saturday; (well, it was a country block may seventy five miles or so). We wanted some fresh produce so we went to find some. Right now is it great picking for up corn on the cob, fresh tomatoes, green beans, cantaloupe, and watermelon, and squash. This area really produces wonderful produce. It was great to drive through the country back roads and see how the fields of corn and soy beans are growing. Much of field corn is tasseled out and many have ears hanging down already. I recall as a kid that one could walk through the corn rows but these days the rows are so close that it is hard to do that. By the time you got fifty feet in you could easily be lost. It seems as though with the new genetics  enhanced crops, the soybeans grow much taller and the wheat grows much shorter. Maybe it is just my perception but I remember the wheat fields waving in the breeze; (Amber waves of grain) but today it hardly gets tall enough to do that. I also remember my dad planting rye in his fields and I haven't heard any of my farmer friends mention planting rye in the last decade or more. I think dad planted it in the late fall and then plowed it under in the spring as a soil enhancement. Today that is all done with chemicals. In fact, I can't remember the last time I saw an actual plowed field where the soil was turned over. It is all done differently now. But it obviously works because we saw some really beautiful fields on Saturday.

Well, the bluejays are here, the wooodpeckers are here, and the finches have arrived and the first of the cardinals are sitting on the feeders having a snack. My coffee cup is empty and I must go refill it. I pray God will grant you a pleasant day filled with joys and good thoughts. Peace.