Cool and cloudy, 53 degrees this morning. It is going to remain like this all day although the temperature may go up another ten degrees. It’s all good though because I really need to go do some work in the yard today. Yesterday was pretty muuch a washout and we had other things to get done. I know I told you about our problem with the washing machine. Well, I called a repairman and $143.00 and a new switch later, the washing machine was working fine. I was impressed that they could and did respond that quickly. Our washer and dryer set were new back in 2001 so I was concerned that we might need a new one. But our repairman said it was an easy fix because out set was built when they were made to last. I’ve some of the prices on new ones and I hope ours lasts a long time yet. I’ve also stood next to some of the new ones and there is no way we “vertically challenged” people could get the laundry out of some of those top loading ones.

I filled the five bark butter feeders yesterday so my woodpeckers are happy with me as are the darn starlings. Today I will get the sunflower seed feeders all filled and then the whole gang can be happy including the fuzzy tailed rats. I see a couple of squirrels over in Margaret’s trees but they haven’t come over here because they know I haven’t filled the feeders yet. But, they are watching and waiting, and they will be here as soon as I start filling feeders.

We thought maybe the hummingbirds had moved on by now but yesterday afternoon we had one or maybe two out there at different times. One came to the door and was hovering and looking in. I thought it was nice of it to welcome us back home. There isn’t much left of the flowers at all for them to go to so I need to make sure we have food for them until they leave and move on to Arizona or wherever they go for the winter. I get amazed everytime I think that these tiny guys fly hundreds of miles to stay for the winter and then fly back up here for the summer. The minute details of God’s handiwork just never cease to amaze me. I think if someone said to me that “there is no God”; — I would simply say to them, “Then explain to me the lifecycle and colors, and migration habits of a hummingbird. Explain to me how and why it flies; and explain to me how all of that is “just an accident” of nature.”

Speaking of God; (which I often do), let’s take time today to pray for those folks in Southern California being hit by the wildfires. Our daughter Heather and her family live the next county over and they are hoping for containment soon. And — while you have God’s attention, let’s remember to pray for all of the folks in Texas, Puerto Rico, Louisiana, and other places affected by this seasnon’s hurricanes. And let’s remember to pray for this nation and the leadership of this and other nations to pull us back from the brink of war. And let’s pray for the people of our country that we can come together with a sense of unity and love instead of division over seemingly insignificant stuff. We have a lot to pray for and we are asking a lot of God. But God created us and only God’s love, mercy, and grace will sustain us. I fall back to the words in John 3:16; — “For God so loved the world” and I trust that God will continue to love the world and allow us to not just survive, but thrive.

Peace my friends.