Another God-given beautiful morning. It is so nice to not sit out here and whine about the weather. I think it is actually supposed to go to 71 degrees today. Hopefully I can get caught up on my work long enough to go for a top-down ride somewhere. It doesn't matter where --- just ride in the sunshine.

The squirrels are running free and wild this morning. I can't begin to keep them off of the feeders. I wear myself out getting in and out of my chair and opening and closing the doors to pop them with my BB gun. So they will just eat their fill and then they will leave for awhile and the birds can enjoy a brunch in peace. What the heck. I don't mind as long as they aren't chewing up my feeders or breaking something.

Yesterday was a good day at the churches. I had my last Confirmation class yesterday evening. We went over the questions that I will be asking the kids this coming Sunday on Examination Sunday. They did OK, but they also have a lot of work to do to not embarrass themselves in front to of the congregation. I give God thanks because I made it through a challenge with this class. One of my confirmands is a rather head-strong young girl who is blind. She is smart as a whip but still immature enough to have not learned a lot of patience and self discipline. I wasn't sure how I was going to teach her or handle her as I have never dealt with a person in that condition. But --- I'm glad to say it all has worked out just fine In fact, as we went over our questions yesterday --- she was the one that was most prepared. I pointed out to the rest of the kids who were relying on their notes to answer question that Jessica did not have that luxury and or option, and she had every bit of her stuff down cold. It was a great object lesson I think.

Yesterday I also baptized four of my confirmands during church at St. Lucas. What a great thing that is. I guess the sad thing about this being my last class is that I don't know if I will stay at the churches long enough to have another class. I'm thinking I may not since it will be three years at least before the next aged group is ready to go through a class and I don't know if I want to stay there that long. We are coming up on a ten year celebration in another five weeks and I'm not sure that it isn't time for me to fully retire. But ---- then what would I do with myself? So --- God and I need to talk. Ms. Kate knows that I wouldn't be worth a crap just being around the house. I'd drive her nuts as well as myself. We'll see where life takes us I reckon.

Time for me to get my work done. Have a blessed day --- I already have.

Its a rainy, rainy morning. I think it will be the norm for most of the day. April showerers bring May flowers they say but it isn't April just yet.

The squirrels have been running rampant through the yard and feeders this morning. The dogs haven't been up until just now so they have been pretty free to do as they please. I've been popping them with my BB gun but its an old game. They just run back up the tree and wait on the back side until they hear the porch door close. Then they run right back up the feeder.

Julie made it safely back from Florida last evening. The pups were happy to see their mom. They were also happy to snuggle in with her at bedtime. I suspect they won't want her out of their sight for awhile. She and the pups will head back to home today.

I have lots and lots of Cardinals out here this morning as well as Finches of all variety. It does make for a beautiful sight. They don't seem to be bothered by the rain in the least. Again though, they are doing a lot of ground feeding this morning. That's fine by me. They need to clean up after themselves and get some of the residual out of my grass.

I give a prayer of gratitude this morning for Julie's safe passage yesterday and pray she will have a safe drive home today in the rain. I also offer a prayer for strength to the families locally that are having funerals for loved ones lost in accidents this week. I hate rainy day funerals because it only adds to the depression of the day. I also offer prayers of condolences to the families in Washington state that lost loved ones in the big mud slide this week. So much tragedy in the world and it is so easy to not look for God's blessings amidst all of it. But God is good, not just on sunny days but on rainy days as well. God is good --- all the time.

Have a blessed day. I know I will.

I'm "up before the dogs" this morning. That sounds like something that should become "on old saying": Up before the dogs. However, it is literally true. The pups are still sleeping soundly. It was my turn to be out here in the familyroom with them last night. They woke at 0345 wanting a pee run. So I let them out for about five minutes, and they came back in, settled down and are still sleeping. So, it was an easy night.

It rained lat night about an inch. The word looks refreshed this morning. The buffet is open for business and all the critter patrons are making their way in. Only a couple of squirrels have made their way in so far and at the moment they are satisfied to eat from the ground. In fact, as I look around the yard, almost all of the birds are ground feeding this morning. That's interesting. Perhaps the rain has made the spilled seeds easier to open and eat.

The world out there in the back yard is changing little by little every day. The Maple trees are starting to leaf out. All the daffodils are up about nine inches now. The early ones are already in bloom. The plumage on many of the birds is starting to change too with the change of the seasons as mating time starts to roll around. Some of the Goldfinches are now bright yellow. The male Cardinals are a brighter red, and the orange breast on the Robins is brighter. We are having more sixty degree days and fewer thirty degree nights. I feel as if spring has finally arrived. God's world continues on with the assurance of eternity. The earth turns at the same speed as it did the day God set it in motion. People are born and people die and the earth and the seasons continue on without notice.

My prayer this beautiful morning is one of gratitude. Ms. Kate just came through the house for her first cup of coffee. It made my day brighter an I thank God for putting her in my life. I also ask for prayers for healing and strength for our loved ones and friends who are dealing with cancer issues and various other health problems. I pray they may have only bright days filled with the light and love of God's peace.

May your day be filled with peace too.

Afternoon sunshine and afternoon birds; that's where we are today. I have no idea where my day went but I'm late getting to the blog.

It is a lot quieter out here this afternoon than it is in the mornings. The squirrels have filled their bellies for awhile at least. I did go out and fill everything up again this morning. We are supposed to have rain this evening and tomorrow morning so I wanted everything full. Yes, I do spoil my critters even though they have no concept of that.

We did spend some time out at all of the local craft stores. We were looking for a dye cutter to make a cross. We plan to etch a cross on the communion cups that we give to the confirmands for their first communion. But no luck. So, I think I may have to free-lanse it. We did that before and it came out fine.

I'm sitting here with Auggie dog on my lap. He misses his afternoon nap with his momma. Ms. Kate has slept the last two nights on the couch in the family room to pacify the dogs. I have volunteered to take her spot tonight so she can get a good nights rest. They are so used to waking Julie up at zero dark-thirty to go out and here we have nocturnal visitors like opposums and raccoons in the back yard that drive the dogs nuts. We don't want them tangling with the night visitors because they would lose any battle they engaged in.

It is starting to rain some showers and the feeders are starting to get crowded with birds grabbing a bite before the storms come in.

Our prayers today go out for Christine's mom, Jean. Her chemo is starting to kick in and she has been admitted to the hospital. Our prayers also go out to Pastor Ferrell Hardison. He is Lisa's pastor in North Carolina. His son died this morning from a drug overdose.

Julie flies home tomorrow afternoon. It isn't supposed to very good weather, so we pray for a safe journey.

Have a blessed evening.

No time yesterday morning yesterday morning for blogging as I had a breakfast to attend first thing. By the time I got back and settled in --- well, I got lazy. I admit it.

We certainly have different weather today than we did yesterday. It started snowing, --- yes, snowing on the 20th of March. We only got a good dusting and it was gone by afternoon, but come-on --- enough already. This 70 degrees one day and 29 the next is getting old.This morning it is 20 degrees but sunny which is good because we got to go out later today to the churches and get a bunch of work done.

Our dog sitting is in full swing. The dogs go out -- the dogs go in --- the dogs go out --- the dogs go in. In between --- they sit and look at us and bark. Julie understands what they want but we don't. Mostly, I think they want their Mom and some petting and cuddling. Jules will be home from Orlando on Friday afternoon and the pups will go berserk when they see her. They always do; whether it is a four day trip like this one or just to the store and back.

The pups are doing a fairly good job of keeping the squirrels up the tree although even they get tired of chasing once in awhile. There is a squirrel out there on the feeder right now and the pups are like --- "yeh, maybe later." I get good knee exercise though just getting up and down from my chair to let them in and out.

I'm seeing mostly Goldfinches this morning along with a couple of Robins. I hung a new feeder for the thistle seed and the Goldfinches love it.We counted 17 Finches on it a couple of days ago. I think I have discovered a fact though about bird feeders. Many of the birds do not seem to like red colored bird feeders. We bought a new feeder that is red and white and looks like a light house. It has been up for almost a week and the only birds that seem to go to it are the Finches. It is full of black oil sunflower seed so the bigger birds should be feeding from it. Maybe it will just a a little time.

My thoughts and prayers this morning go out to my brother-in-law, Byron, and my sister Sheila. Byron got a bad report from his oncologist this week. His PSA level has gone up by ten times since his last visit. He has Prostrate cancer but it has been somewhat in remission with treatment. I don't know what is going on now but I know they are scared and worried about it, with good reason. It is yet another reminder to all of us that our days are numbered on this earth and we are not given the tally. Therefore, we should use every opportunity to love those around us and make good use of the blessings and talents God has given us. Life is entirely too short to fill ourselves with negative energy and bad thoughts. Those kind of thoughts just drag us down into an unending spiral of despair and cause us to reflect on things that happened years ago and are long passed. Take the benefit of lessons learned, look for the joys of today and run with it.

Smile at someone today that you frowned at yesterday. It will make your day better and their's too. Have a blessed day --- I know I will.

Sunporching this morning with Ms. Julie. She and the pups are down for the weekend. Tomorrow morning she flies out to Orlando for a three day business trip and Ms. Kate and I are going to puppy-sit. So far this morning Julie and I have been on the porch for about 45 minutes and the pups have been in and out no less than eight times. I wouldn't call them spoiled --- I 'd call them rotten! But --- they are the love of Julie's life, so what ya'gonna' do?

We had a great Sunday, albiet busy as heck. But then most Sundays are at least through the Christmas, Lent, and Easter seasons. We had good attendance at both services yesterday. Then last evening I went back up for Confirmation class. We are coming to the end of Confirmation. The kids are at the point of cramming for examination Sunday. This coming Sunday I baptize four of them. Then on April 6th they have Examination Sunday in front of the congregation. Then on Palm Sunday they get confirmed. The question then is --- will they continue to attend church? So often the parents don't make their kids continue to come and we don't see them again untill they want a wedding at the church several years later. Its a systemic problem church-wide.

Its a cold morning and promises to get colder through Wednesday. The forecaster even used that four letter "s" word for tomorrow morning. It won't amount to anything but I want my Spring!!! The country is really tired of cold weather. They are even predicting blzzard conditions up where Josh lives, and that just crap for them.

On the other hand, I can not help but be thankful. I continue to be blessed With a family full of love and relatively good health all around. I have no right to ask for more but I'm sure I will. My prayer this morning then is for folks looking for work and who are worrying about how they are going to feed their families. I pray the economy will turn around for folks and they can find work. It puts so much stress on people.

Say a prayer for those less fortunate than you today and share your love with those around you. Have a blessed day.

Happy Saturday! Indeed it is too. The sun is shining, it isn't raining or snowing, but the wind is going to keep the temps in the low fifties today. It isn't exactly convertible weather but a nice day anyhow.

Entertainment mode is in full swing this morning. Julie and the pups are here and the pups, mainly Auggie, have been driving the squirrels nuts. There were as many as seven squirrels circling around here trying to figure out how to get to the feeders and not get caught by the dog. Auggie has finally come because he is tired of chasing them around. This battle is going to continue for the next seven days since we are pup-sitting next week.

Yesterday was a productive day for us. We got the last of the rose bushes trimmed back and some other raking done. Unfortunately there is still much to do. But maybe if I get off my chair and keep at it, I'll shrink this gut a bit. I also bought a post-hole digger yesterday and re-established my two bird feeder poles in concrete. They have been out there a few years and were leaning way over. Now they are firmly planted and standing straight and tall.

The breese keeps the birds on the move this morning. They land, grab a seed or two and fly away. We put the new feeders out there but have not gotten a lot of action on them. It generally takes a couple of days before they catch on to and get used to the "new or different thing in the enviroment".

My prayer once again today is a prayer of gratitude for the blessings in my life. I am so fortunate to live the life that I do. I'm also so thankful that Julie decided to move to southern Indiana a few years back. She comes down as frequently as she can. Back before I retired, we were in a similar situation with Lisa and her family. They lived about three hours from us and she and the two kiddos came up almost every weekend. Several years before that we had an opportunity for Heather to move back home with us for a year or so after she graduated from college. What a blesing to have kids who love us enough to want to spend time with us. So, -- Lord, I thank you this morning for my family and all of the love that surrounds each of us.

Have a blessed day.