Springtime

We rarely set the alarm these days, because my body is programmed to get up at 6 a.m. This morning I slept until 7, which is rare for me.

I put on the coffee, and went out to feed the critters. The morning was much cooler than I expected, and I realized too late, that I should have slipped on a jacket.

The chickens, like always, were glad to see me. I scooped a handful of scratch-feed, and tossed it around the pen.

Afterwards, I stepped over to see how the strawberries were doing, and saw that one of the young plants had a small green berry the size of a pea. 

I leaned on the fence, looked toward the barn, and realized our little corner of the world looked a lot like Ireland. 

It's been several years since we've had a spring this beautiful. Sometimes it stays cool and rainy until one day the sun blazes through the clouds. It often get's hot enough by 10 a.m. to cook breakfast on the hood of my truck.

Last year was a stormy spring. We had tornadoes several times in the area before the devastating outbreak at the end of April.

So, today I'm thankful for mild weather; for oak, hickory, and dogwood trees, that are putting on a springtime show. 

I hope bad weather takes a break this year, and gives us a chance to remember why we love this part of the world.