Good Morning, World!

Morning is my meditation period of the day, when I can actually drag myself out of bed to appreciate the first rays of light. Today, I awoke too late to go to work (I set my own schedule, and prefer to go in prior to 6 AM) so I took advantage of the 6:30 time to make some strong coffee and retreat to my front porch.

The cool morning air, combined with the caffeine, brought me from my groggy state. Our yard crew pulled up at 8 AM, and I went upstairs to wake Jeff. As the crew worked, Jeff and I relaxed on the porch and watched the birds. A gentle drizzle started around 9 (we are expecting heavy storms today!) and I thought I'd snap a photo of the newly bloomed lily touched by the first few drops.

There is a bit to do today, and my parents should arrive by 6 PM tonight, if they decide to drive straight through. I've got to spruce up the bedrooms and polish up the fixtures in the bath. The bed linens are almost dry, and Jeff and I will put together our bedroom to better accommodate Mum and Dad. Aprea delivered her oxygen machine a few minutes ago (not that she'll need it, out here!), and Jeff and I are savoring the last few moments of rest before we begin our chores. I did attempt to capture some photos of birds at the feeder this morning, but I'm afraid everything turned out too blurry for my liking (I am a perfectionist at heart.) I think I will also begin to chronicle "Bold", a young bird new to the area who does not fit the mould of his species, being 20% larger and 90% more aggressive than the others. Just call me the Jane Gooddall of Pembroke - but, unlike her, I'm certain my version of Bold's story will bore your socks off.

Truly, you couldn't ask for a more beautiful morning in Ohio.