It's so hot the farmers in these parts are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying hard boiled eggs!

It's another beautiful day in the neighborhood, as Mr. Rogers used to say. And be that as it may, I do bid you welcome to the next day we have on our agenda, that being Thursday, August 2, 2012. Thanks for stopping by the blogger ranch where we round up keystrokes put our brand on them and then turn them loose for their journey out on the world wide information highway. We continue to be thankful for all the rainfall we have received here in the hot days of our summer but we now are in for a run of extreme heat and I will just call it by this word, blistering. With feel like in the 105-110 range you have to be paying attention when you are out there in it. I have on occasion exerted myself in that type of heat and I can assure you, it's possible to burn up your breath without realizing it. Fortunately, I became a little woozy and that helped signal my need to get in the shade and to get myself hydrated. Yes. It does come with the territory but we all need to be cautious, especially those of us who think they can still do it like they did twenty five years ago. That will get you in trouble folks and don't ask me how I know. Just take my word for it.

How about some bad new (to me) jokes? I'll start off with this cold one and maybe it will help distract us from the heat. "I feel so sorry for the wife. Ever since this snowstorm started all she does is stand and look through the window. I suppose that soon I will have to let her in."  ~ "Two sausages were in the fry pan together. One said to the other, 'Man, it's getting hot in here.' The other exclaimed, 'Well what do you think about that, a talking sausage!" ~ A pirate walked into a bar and the bartender said, 'Hey, I haven't seen you in a while. What happened? You look terrible.' ... 'What do you mean?' said the pirate, 'I feel fine.' Bartender, 'What about the wooden leg? You didn't have that before.' Pirate, 'Well, we were in a battle and I got hit with a cannon ball, but I'm fine now.' Bartender, 'Well, OK, but what about that hook? What happened to your hand?' Pirate, 'We were in another battle. I boarded a ship and got into a sword fight. My hand was cut off. I got fitted with a hook. I'm fine, really.' Bartender, 'What about that eye patch?' Pirate, 'Oh, one day we were at sea and a flock of sea-gulls flew over. I looked up,,, and one of them pooped in my eye.' 'You're kidding,' said the bartender, 'you lost an eye just from bird poop?' Pirate, 'It was my first day with the hook.'"

Okay. I didn't say they were keepers, but if you smiled any at all, well, that's not too bad for an early morning start. Right? There are times when we can't find too much to smile about in this old world. Last Saturday I was able to visit with a brother in Christ from our local fellowship who is in the hospital. He has been going through some woeful health challenges of late. He and I exchange emails each week on a variety of subjects. One of our favorites is to share our remembrances from 'how it used to be', you know, the 'good old days'. Well, he's not in a position to be enjoying too much at the moment but while I was there I did get a couple of responses that showed his spunk. I was able to hold his hand and that of his sweet wife in seeking God's presence and provision for them at this time. That's how we make it folks. With His presence and His provision, each day. May that be an encouragement to us all as we go about our daily busy schedules. Amen.    ...More later.