Last week I posted an announcement that my parent goose and gander, Ringo and Lucy, after several years with no luck, finally had a gosling named Gringo.  At the time Lucy was near hatching of another egg and she finally did, giving us a Margarita to go with Gringo.  A week later, the two new members of our animal family are growing fast and are quite healthy.

We brought them into the house for a few days to let them grow for safety reasons.  The goose cage has a mesh wire covering and when born they were still small enough to squeeze through the mesh and get themselves in trouble.  With our barn cats on the prowl and a number of wild animals around, especially raccoons, they wouldn't last very long in the wild.

Now big enough to go back to Mom and Dad, they were returned to them this morning with great fanfare.  Mama Goose hissed at my wife when she brought them back as if to say, "Give me my babies back and leave me alone".  So we'll just leave them alone except for one special treat this afternoon.  We'll set up our small plastic pool for them and let them get their first real swim.

Living as we do with so much nature around us is wonderful.  And I'll tell you something else.  It sure is a lot more fun and a lot less stressful writing about the animals than it is our sordid political mess.  With nature, there is always evidence in abundance about the glory and power of Almighty God.  All we need to do is take time to smell the roses and we know that He exists and loves us. May he always be praised.

God bless you all and be safe out there.

After three days to dry out, the heavy rains are back again.  I was awakened around two this morning by a storm that sounded like it was coming through the roof.  Looking out the kitchen window, I couldn't even see my barn thirty yards away.

This morning it has subsided, but more is expected throughout the day and night, finally letting up sometime tomorrow afternoon.  So we're soggy again and the morning chores become real work. 

The horses don't like the heavy mud which will be with us in places until the water can fully run off.  Even the barn area is soggy and soft underfoot.  And the mosquitoes?  Oh, the hungry mosquitoes.  This year we have two new varieties as well so they are particularly annoying.  Both Asian tigers and Gallinippers are showing up and they are more aggressive, larger and take a bigger bite.  The good thing about them, however,  is they don't stay too long and they tend to kill off the regular swarms which carry the dreaded West Nile virus.

Despite this, we are blessed by God to see our second year in a row with plenty of rain.  After nearly five years of drought finally breaking last year, the additional rain this year is raising the water table significantly and my pond is approaching normal.  It's been a long time since I've seen that.  And the rain will end and then the hot summer sun will reappear and dry things out as the normal cycle of our weather takes its course.  Our next drought cycle will be tolerable because the groundwater has been restored.

Global warming?  Nope, just our God and His nature showing us who is really the boss.  We can try to tame the climate and predict what will happen, but in the grand scale of things we know little and are powerless.  Wouldn't it be nice if all of the powers to be in America would put their egos away and recognize this truth.  It would save us a lot of aggravation and a lot of money.

I'm just thankful to have my rural life with its beauty and its occasional challenges.  It makes us a better person to deal with problems sometimes and it also make us appreciate the good things we have even more.

Thank you, Lord, for the rain and the beauty it creates and the life it nourishes.  Help us to always remember that there is a reason for all of Thy seasons and to appreciate them and use them to Thy glory.  Make us always remember that while we are only a speck in Thy Universe we are also Thy children and recipients of Thy love.  We offer this short prayer in the name of Thy Son, Jesus Christ our Savior, Amen

Have a nice Saturday everyone.  If you live where there is plenty of sunshine today, enjoy the great outdoors.  If, like me, you live with lots of water, keep your buckets ready and your spirit always looking upwards.

Every now and then I like to switch my ramblings from the often depressing state of our political and national affairs to a look at nature and the lovely animals who share the earth with us.  It soothes me and makes me realize just how all encompassing our God is and that as long as we stand with Him we will be okay.

Around noon yesterday as I was driving down our country lane toward the paved road, I saw a beautiful Florida whitetail deer, a doe, standing in the middle of the right of way just looking at me.  As I slowed but continued my approach, she suddenly jumped over the fence and ran out into a small patch of woods in the adjacent meadow.

As I reached the point where she had been standing, I peered in the direction she ran and saw a truly wonderful sight.  In a small opening in the wooded plot, there she stood with her two fawns lying nearby.  She had found a spot out of the hot sunshine to keep her young ones  cool in midday, yet near the luscious grass and foliage nearby that they love to eat.

This wasn't the first time I've seen this family, but it's normally in my pasture either in early morning or late afternoon when they like to graze.  The horses accept their presence and the deer seem to feel safe around them.

Watching the momma deer and her little ones, it made me wonder who and where their father was.  I am interested in this subject because about two years ago my wife saved a young buck who was injured on the side of the road.  It was late at night and she didn't want to leave him there to be hit by a car or die.  Bringing him home to the barn, she checked him out and found no broken bones, surmising that he was probably just in shock and would be okay in a few hours.

We named him Little Joey and placed him in a horse stall with some grain and water and left him to rest.  In the morning he was standing and looked fine.  Although tiny he had a lot of spunk.  Since he looked healthy, we decided to turn him loose immediately.  The surrounding woodlands would make a wonderful new home and there are plenty of deer in these parts.

Opening the gate and standing back, he seemed reluctant.  It was as if he didn't know whether to stay or go.  To help him along, I walked around to an adjacent stall and gently nudged him with a broom handle through a small break in the wall.

The little guy immediately ran out the gate, jumped the fence into the pasture and then the second fence into the woods.  He was off to find friends and adventure.

Little Joey is easily identifiable with one antler having a strange twist to it.  Although it was very short two years ago, it now is much larger and makes him easier to pick out in the field.  I have seen Joey on a few occasions in our pasture grazing and since deer generally remain within a mile or two of home for life, I just wonder if he could be the proud papa of those two beautiful fawns.  I'll never know for sure but it sure does make for a good story.

So Little Joey, if you are the proud papa congratulations, but if you're not I am glad you are still in the neighborhood.  And remember, Joey, since I don't hunt on my property you are welcome to graze here during hunting season.  I hope to see you soon.

I hope you will all consider reading my book, Honey, We Shoulda' Bought the Ark, which should be going to the publisher soon. I'll keep you updated in future blogs.  Stories like this will be presented with a Christian perspective, for without Him and the Father, none of this glory would be here for us to enjoy.

Writing about nature makes me feel better and now I'll be able to ramble on politics some more. Next up: Action on the House farm bill.  Have a great day.