Good morning on this eleven degree morning. There is a woodpecker sitting on the suet feeder that is suction cupped to one of the doors here on the sunporch. It is trying to eat some of the frozen suet and it sounds like someone is knocking at the door. When the woodpecker isn’t on the feeders you can bet the starlings will be and sometimes they have “discussion” about whose turn it is. There is a squirrel literally hanging by one toenail from a limb trying to hold anther type of suet feeder up to him so it can eat some of the suet. What I have out there is a blend of suet and ground corn and peanut butter paste. It gives them good energy and food at the same time. The thistle seed feeder is down to about an inch and a half of seed left in it. A couple of the other sunflower cylinder feeders are down to about two or three inches of seed left and that is about it. I haven’t gone out and refilled anything since this snow and ice stuff started. About four years ago or so I went out when it was like this and fell resulting in some nasty shoulder injury and surgery. Sometimes us old dogs do learn new tricks like being cautious.

I apologize for not writing yesterday but I had a meeting with Pastor Art about upcoming stuff at church. Unfortunately when we start talking we tend to “go long” and it was noon before we knew it. But that’s what happens when friends meet and greet. You might think that a couple of preachers would be sitting around just talking “holy - churchy” stuff, but nah, —- it can turn into a gab fest pretty quick. We are still waiting for the congregational meeting to see if they will pass a two-pastor budget. But we have to do planing as if it were a reality.

My buffet guests this morning include wrens and finches, woodpeckers, starlings, junkos, sparrows, Cardinals, and squirrels. The bird bath is popular for drinking today again but so far nothing has ventured in for a bath. It wouldn’t surprise me to see a starling or two do that. I really need to dump the water out of it and put in fresh. There is a lot of crud and dirt in there from them wadeing around in it. I’ve been watching this one wren. It eats off of a suet ball for a while and then goes and gets a drink of water, then back top the suet ball.

I guess that is it. I’m going to sit here for a bit more and just enjoy the beautiful but cold picture God has painted outside my windows. Listening to the joyful song of the wren as it hops around out there is just another example of the blessings that God continuously sends my way. I hope you take time to stop and enjoy the blessings that God is sending your way today. Peace.