Back to the rhythm of ordinary

What a week this has been!  Last Saturday, after picking up some homegrown strawberries and honey from the bees of our friends, Carson and Jean, we spent the afternoon working in the garden.  That evening we checked our bluebird box where a bluebird couple was raising a batch of 4 new babies.  As Debbie peeked into the bluebird house, her eyes were met by the steely, cold stare of the eyes of a rat snake.  I’ll spare you the gory details, but the snake had already swallowed the baby birds.  We dispatched the snake, who was only doing what snakes do, cleaned out the bluebird box, and will put a baffle on the post so future bluebird families will not suffer the same fate.  You can read the whole story on Debbie’s blog, Goodthoughts.

This past Monday and Thursday we had the opening events at the new community center.  I’m president of the non-profit, Chatham Cares, that’s building the center, so it was a very busy week.  But, both the open house on Monday, and our first annual fundraising gala on Thursday were roaring successes, so it was really good.  You can read more about the community center on my other blog, Confessions of A Small-Church Pastor.

So, finally we’re back to our regular routine.  Yesterday we worked in the garden for the first time in over a week.  Plus, we did a lot of yard work — mowing, planting, putting up bird-netting to keep birds off our new blackberry plants.  Tomorrow on Memorial Day we’ll do more of the same.  We have lots to plant, tend, and shape up, so we’ll enjoy a beautiful day in the yard and garden, again.  Here’s a shot of the herb garden and the square-foot garden.  Coming up next:  soap-making!  Stay simple.