The Gift of a Day.....

We have had such a wonderful last day here on the ranch. The weather has been perfect. Not too chilly. Not too hot. Not too windy. Just right.

Louis Dean took the feeder down from the first tree we had it in and hung it up in the tree next to it.

This way he can easily see it from where he sits in the front room.

Last year very few birds even noticed the feeder.

This year it's a regular gathering place!

There is much activity going on all day long with the red-winged blackbirds with

as many as five, six and seven of them taking turns at the feeder.

Our Chicken Little likes to eat the seeds that fall to the ground and I saw both chicken and bird eating close together this afternoon, not taking any notice of each other.

I admit we have become attached to her.

She was pretty beaten up when we arrived but her feathers have grown back and she seems as happy as she can be.

It was a good day to be in the country!

The flowers are popping out left and right.

When we return in May there will be bouquets all over the place.

Dean and Sherry mow in such a way that they leave living bouquets around the place.

I'm going to miss this place.

But it's time to get back to the city.

I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday and I am going to go over and visit Reaoma after wards.

On Friday I will be heading to Fort Worth to see Mother and Lillian.

I plan to shop in Irving Thursday afternoon and buy some nutritious snack things they can keep in their room. When I talked to Lillian last week, she said they went to the dining room for a special dinner and it was awful. They served shrimp with no sauce of any kind and noodles.

Now that I know Lillian likes shrimp cocktail, I'm going to pick some up at the grocery store and take it in an insulated bag for us to all eat when I visit. Maybe take some crackers to go with it.

I'm truly open for suggestions on what kind of snacks would be good for them to have. Mother has new teeth that are still bothering her some. I need things they can keep without refrigeration.

Louis Dean was so happy to have such a good work day.

He's finishing out under the eaves and putting in two electrical outlets.

He thinks they are for flood lights and maybe so.

But I know I will be able to hang my fairy lights all over the place and plug them right in!

We have had a stack of boards piled up that needed painting and I got all of them done but two.

We both agreed that we can get up and work for a few hours before we pack up and load the truck.

Just as long as we get home sometime tomorrow. Hopefully before dark.

We are simple food today. No cooking.

I was able to finish whacking up the denim into squares, write another chapter for my book, feed the goats, do some housework and read.....in addition to painting all those boards for Louis Dean.

Our last campfire for April.

My favorite time here is the hour or so in the evening as the day fades away and the night drifts down. The day time sound of the goats, chickens, roosters, horses, and dogs and cows change to the night sounds of frogs and insects and things I can't even identify.

Once it is fully dark, we longer a little longer looking at the starry sky.

Now we have come in for the night.

We want to try to go to bed earlier since we still have a few things to do before we close up the camper and head home.

I close tonight with thoughts for my sister, Luann, and her husband, Monte.

Monte is on hospice and she wrote that he has taken a turn for the worse.

I took the following from her Facebook post:

"Thank you for all your continued prayers. Know that they are being felt. God has never felt closer, Know that Monte is transitioning, pain and anxiety free. God is so good! A new season of life is upon us both. I know he is looking forward to being pain free, mentally and physically for the first time in a VERY, very long time. The effects of the Vietnam war are almost over for him. Godspeed my love."

My thoughts and prayers have centered around Luann and Monte this past week.
I can't imagine what they are going through but I am lifting them both up to the Lord in prayer.