In the woods....

We are blessed to live five minutes from town but have the feel of living in the country. We have the center lot of a cul de sac, which gives us extra room on each side and a pie-shaped backyard. Much of our yard is also wooded. The lot behind us is seven acres, but the owner built on the far side of the lot and left what's between us wooded. There's a creek running about a hundred yards from the house. It's so peaceful. I love sitting on the back patio or in the hot tub listening to the creek run.

One of my favorite things is the animals we have wander through the yard. There's a small herd of deer living in the woods. They wander through our yard at all times of the day. Just this morning, a young buck crossed the yard on his way to drink from the creek. Last week twin fawns came down to taste the ivy. Mom was keeping an eye on them from the other side of the yard. We usually see at least one set of twin fawns every year.

In addition to the deer, there are Califonia quail, skunks, an occasional fox, and racoons. They all provide great entertainment. I once watched a mother skunk try to corral seven babies and get them up the path. Made me grateful for only two children. :) Tommy and I watched a raccoon climb out on the branch the bird feeder was hanging on, tip it sideways to pour out the seed, then go back to the ground to eat it. (The deer also love birdseed.) Last month, a mother duck and about twelve ducklings waddled up the path. I'd never seen that before and assume they must be nesting near the creek. We also have the robins I mentioned earlier, magpies, and hawks.

Although the yard is big and lots to maintain, neither Tommy and I are ready to give it up just yet. The blessings still outweigh the work.

Birds, Berries, & Birthdays

We have a type of cherry tree in our yard. Not edible cherries. I have no idea what kind of cherry tree they are (remember, I have a black thumb when it comes to gardening). They look more like blueberries, and the fruit rippens in July.

We also have tons of robins, who LOVE these berries. Seriously, the robins spend the summer days gorging on these berries. It's fun to sit on the porch and listen to the robins fluttering about in the trees as they eat. Although it's not so fun to clean up blue bird poop afterwards. :-)

July-the month of America's birthday, which has become my second favorite holiday by the way. Red, white, and blue. Just a few days ago, this thought came to me. Red like the robin's breast, white hot days of summer, and blue berries. How good of God to add His special touch to July!

Visit

Matt and Amber drove up the end of June to spend week with us. Lindsay flew down to join them for a few days. What a blessing that Lindsay, Matt, and now Amber enjoy one another's company and get along so well. It was the first time all five of us had been together in Utah. The kids got to visit friends, laughed with each other, and did some "touristy" things as well. We had a great visit!