Monday Morning

Sunday turned out to be just another beautiful day weather wise with a few high clouds and temps that reached the high 70's. There was a nice gentle breeze that kept it pleasant. I started the morning off around a 7 AM wake up with a cup of hot green tea while making this post then a few quiet moments before heading out to check on the gardens for damage and to my chagrin I found where some nocturnal critter had a field day in the lower garden and in the garlic patch. I found no hoof prints so it wasn't a deer but some type of critter that was digging in and under the leaves. It probably was looking for earthworms which this year I have an abundance of due to the bed of leaves I placed in the garden last fall.

This critter also ate the leaves of my sweet potato plants and dug up several tall garlic plants. I think it must be a family of skunks or 'possums as both are known to eat earthworms. I learned in the afternoon, neighbor Gerald had and overnight critter get into his chicken house and kill and nearly devoured one of his young laying hens. He thinks it was a bobcat as it pulled away some large rocks he had lining the bottom of the outside run and once inside it was able to get up through the bottom of the house and grab a hen. I think he set a baited trap to capture the varmit last night. I'm not sure if I want to set a trap to capture any skunks as it might prove difficult to get rid of it; especially if it sprayed. I can remember as a kid we had a skunk to get in our chicken house one night and Paw Paw shot it, Yikes it was my job the next day to remove the dead skunk and let me say that smell is one you never forget as it almost makes me gag now after occurring over 50 years ago.

We got ready to head out to Cornerstone for worship and the service was about the Top Gun ministry for men not only in our church but for the surrounding area. There was another church pastor and several of his men who went through the course at Cornerstone and today was the graduation day for many. It was an awesome time of testimony of the candidates as well as their spouses and children who spoke about how the difference this course had changed their family life and even marriages. There were lots of tears as well as laughter throughout the service which lasted well into the afternoon. Its a 6 month course of study with weekly get together's that bond a group of men who are dedicated to being the spiritual leader of their family and community.

We headed home afterwards to a lunch of salad then I vegetated watching baseball until it was time to head over to the Luffman house for supper. Kay and Gerald(Mechelle's folks) invited us for a Father's Day meal of barbeque ribs, salad, baked beans and Nancy brought her oven potato wedges. It was a sumptuous meal and afterwards we played our first game of Sequence for the summer. While we men were short on players we had to incorporate a gal player to play with us and if the truth be known we didn't win any games until Kaitlyn came on board. We did mange to win 3 games to the gals 6 so it wasn't a complete butt whupping but close. We had lots of laughter and bantering back and forth until it was time to head out just before dark. We set up a rematch for next Saturday at our place along with food before some of the gals head to Europe for about 2 weeks.

I set up another pickle ball match for Monday evening depending on the weather as it's calling for rain showers through the next couple of days. Please keep Amy and Tyler in your thoughts and prayers as they travel back to Florida from Kansas as I write this post. That is a long trip especially with Ava and Sam strapped in car seats. I received a beautiful card along with a gift card from daughter Amy for Father's Day so that made the day for me as well as lots of hugs from church folks, LATER