I’ve already had a great morning at the Backyard Buffet, First thing this morning the Bluejay clan flew in. There are four of them and that’s unusual, —- at least to me. Sometimes you’ll see two come in but not four. They are generally solitary birds who come in and claim their territory. So, this is a treat. I also had my pair of Pileated Woodpeckers here and several cardinals. The cardinals have been missing from the Buffet for a while. But then they’ll come in as if in a flock. So, I don’t know what is happening there. And I had a Bluebird, as well as a couple of Downy Woodpeckers, wrens, finches and a big red headed woodpecker. It only a couple of starlings came in and the “big birds” ran them off. So, it has been very interesting to watch the dynamics of the Backyard Buffet this morning. I hung a different feeder up last week. It is an old one that I had previously hung outside Ms. Kate’s office window. It’s just a square box with a mesh bottom. I put sunflower seed in it. The Cardinals really like to eat from it and apparently so do the Doves. There is almost always a Dove on it. 

W had a really good crowd at church yesterday. I told you that we have started our summer All Parish Worship services. We had close to 60 that came forward and took Holy Communion. It was a blessed event to be a part of. We used actual bread and juice for the first time in a long time. We’ve been using the “communion sets” all through COVID, and that was an option yesterday for those who might feel uncomfortable. But no one took one of those until we got to the last six people, and they only took one because we had emptied the communion juice tray. Folks are so anxious to do “normal worship ritual and practice”, and it felt really good to do it. 

Well, this is the week! Our family reunion vacation week has finally arrived. This vacation of actually getting all of the family together has been five years in the making. Everyone of us is truly excited. Ms. Kate and I will leave Friday and head on over  to the Branson area and spend the night in Springfield, MO.  We can’t get into the house until 1600 on Saturday, but we will have plenty of time to scope the area out ahead of time and go do a little grocery shopping. I have the car half way packed already just to see what will and what won’t fit. I think we are going to be fine. The weather this week is gong to be sporadic rain showers every day this week, but the forecast for next week still continues to look fantastic. But, —- even if it rains every day while we are there, —- we aren’t there for weather, we are there to hug and love, and catch up on one another’s lives in person instead of just on Facebook Messenger. 

I got to go get a haircut today. I’m looking shaggy. I should have donee that last week before went to church, but I just never took the time. So, today is the day. In the meantime, I hope you have a blessed day.