There's Treasure Everywhere! :)

I, and my family, are huge fans of Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes! :) Many nights I read this comic to shut my mind down to go to sleep! I blieve we have every C & H book he wrote! We wish he was still living and writing them! :)

This one about Calvin looking for, (and finding), treasure is one of my favorites! I find I enjoy life when I'm keeping my eyes wide open to the many wonders of this earth! :)

Even our trials in this life are for our learning and bennefit, though it may not feel like it at the time we experience them! - Then again, there are times we Do manage to see the blessings in our trials while we're experiencing them, and when that happens we are all the more blessed! :)

When our daughter was going through the process of having open-heart surgery, to replace a life-threatening infected valve, - (with just the two of us in her quiet hospital room), she offered a sincere, humble prayer of gratitude for the opportunity it gave her to develope closer relationships to extended family and friends. In all she went through, her focus was on "the treasures"!! :)

A friend of mine has been valiently battling cancer for some time now. She is currently in the process of progressing on to the other side. Her organs are shutting down, and it's just a matter of time untill her heart stops and she slips away. - On a recent visit I was touched by how fun she made the visit for myself and the stream of friends coming to see her! One would have thought it was a party!! She was joyious about seeing all her friends filing through, and her family near! Her eyes are on the treasure!! :)

I could share more examples, and I'm sure you can think of some too, of those who find treasure in the dirty rocks, weird roots, and disgusting grubs of life! :)

This earth life is for our joy and learning! Valient is the soul who remembers this and lives it with their eyes ever on the treasure that is, indeed, everywhere!! :)

Deer Fence Dream Comes True! :)

As any of you who know me, know, I'm all about gardening! For three birthdays, when asked what I wanted, my request was a deer fence! It's disappointing to put so much of one's self, and hard work, into a garden just to have it taken in the night!
So my dream man agreed to make my dream fence! :) I desired an 8' tall fence, since that is the height deers have trouble jumping over! :)
Together we went out and measured, squared, and marked the garden corners with stakes! We added roughly 6' of space to either side of the existing garden, as I knew it was needed for what I wanted to grow! Once the fence is up the space we have is no longer negotiable! :)

I think the space of the garden will be perfect now! :)

We needed to purchase 10' poles, since two' of them need to be underground!

We both love our perfect soil! I love it for growing things, and Rud loves it for how easy it is to dig! :)

So he cemented the corner posts in first! :)

We marked where we wanted the gates, and measured, and he put in the rest of the poles! My contribution was holding the leveler! Instantly I could feel the benefit of having extended the garden area, standing in the new garden room! :)

Next came the corner braces! :)

Rud cut the sod of the exteded area, so we could 'till and have the area ready to use! :)

Rud was unaware of me taking a photo of him at work! You may need to enlarge the photo to see him kneeling at the back corner of the fence! Here he was putting up the bottom roll of wire mesh. He came up with an ingenious way of doing this by himself! :)

These were taken yesterday, after he finished attatching the top roll of mesh wire! This, too, he found a way to do by himself! I confess, - he amazes me!!! :)

So since he didn't need my help, I potted up our two fig trees and placed them in the garden, and planted three small trees in one bed, and set up shrubs and perennials I will be planting soon in another flower bed! :)

So the sun sets on our deer fence! I feel a need to pinch myself to realize that it's still going to be here tomorrow and for a long time after!! The deer fence I've dreamed of, for so long, is now here in our back yard! Next Rud will be making the gates, but that will be another post! :)

A Dozen Dreamy Doves! :)

There's something dreamy about doves! Their soft throaty cooing, soft colors, and neck bobbing walk, can be spell binding! :) We were so excited when we first saw this lavender Band-Tailed Pigeon appear in our backyard! :)
Then, within a few days, a 2nd one came!! Imagine our surprise when, a few days later, we saw a 3rd, and then a 4th! Soon a 5th and a 6th joined them!! :)

They've obviously passed the word, because today I was amazed to see a 7th and an 8th!! :) I was working in the garden when they came, but they were too fearful to come to the feeder! Since I'd been out there for two hours I decided to come in for lunch and let them come to the feeder! :)

I was amazed at how many showed up to eat!! I counted atleast 9 or 10 at the feeders, and a couple more perched in a nearby tree!! :)

After enjoying a good lunch, themselves, they took flight up to the trees at the back of our property! Perhaps now's a good time to get some more hoeing done in the garden! :) ... I wonder how many will be coming for dinner!? :)

Keep Looking Up! :)

The other morning I was taken with another breathtaking sunrise! As often happens when I look up, I'm reminded that there's more to this earth than what meets the eye! :)

I could feel the sweet whisperings of a loving Heavenly Father! :)

When I look up into the wondrous sky, I hear my own heart whisper ... "How great Thou art!"

Keep looking up! ... :)

It's Snowing Petals! :)

This is a natural follow up from my last post. I mentioned how our ornamental cherry tree would soon start dropping her petals and carpet the ground with them! :)

The wind blew the other day and it looked like it was snowing outside! :) The petals began to accumulate in crooks and crannies, like snow drifts! :)

This photo is small so you may need to click on it, to enlarge it, if you'd like to see the petals blowing in the air! :)

I'll be cleaning the petals from the birdbath, many times, during this pretty process! :)

Even whole blossoms can be seen decorating the bushes and landscape! :)

I love it when ... it's snowing petals! :)