"Back on its golden hinges The gate of Memory swings, And my heart goes into the garden And walks with the olden things." – Ella Wheeler Wilcox, (1850-1919), American Author

My mom, (1924-2017), and, my dad, (1923-1954)

Good morning and welcome to another day where we will be doing what we can to pursue God's best here on this Tuesday, April 10, 2018. Last week, my wife surprised me one afternoon with a framed photo of my mom and my dad. It was likely taken sometime during the year before dad passed away, (January 1954). Mom, at some point and time, had the photo painted to match what they were wearing at the time. The wife said it was a 'just because I love you gift'. I don't doubt the sentiment of that statement, but, I must admit that hearing it said like that was a first. After nearly 54 years of being together, there are not that many firsts. I am very thankful for her preserving this memory. It was destined to be hung in my upstairs office, but, I liked it so well, we have found a place to prominently display it downstairs. Photos serve the purpose of reminding us of where we came from. Speaking of photos, here is one for you. Sunday evening after Church services, I was out in the parking lot and this elderly lady motioned for me to come over to her. She said a visitor in the Sunday morning services mentioned to her that I sure looked a lot like Santa Claus. This elderly lady got tickled and said that she told the person that she could help her with that. This lady then proceeded to show me one of our Santa and Mrs. Claus cards that she had captured a digital image of on her phone. She said she showed the visitor that photo and said, "Does this help?" She said I had given her that card last year. I didn't remember her, but I could tell that she was very proud of herself for helping the lady to know why I look the way I do. When I got to the car, the wife had one of those 'what in the world?' looks on her face. I told her the little story. As I have always said, Santa loves the children, of all ages. And, for the most part, they love him back. Amen.

Early yesterday morning I had to be out and about the Houston metroplex in a drizzling rain, the streets were slick and slimy, it was also overcast and dark, and yes, there were wrecks here, there, and everywhere. A one-way 45-minute ride turned into a 1-1/2 hour drive. Coming back, the same thing. It will forever be a mystery to me why people still want to drive the posted speed when folks are obviously slipping and sliding all around. (Typically running late is all I could come up with.) I remember back in the day when I had a large workforce. I had what I would call a few buzzer beaters who tried to get to their workstation right at the start time. This meant that everything had to line up perfectly every day in order for them to make it into work on time. Whey they failed to make it on time they would plead the conditions like I described above. I wasn't very understanding. I recommended they back up their alarm clock by another hour to limit this exposure. I don't know. Some folks are wired to want to make it by the skin of their teeth every day. My observation is that approach typically leads to all kinds of troubles including the potential for being caught up in an accident as they hurry their way to their destination. Don't write me. I am aware there are different strokes for different folks. Diversity. I get that. My last word is simply this. Sometimes folks who have those types of proclivities might want to find a place to work more suitable to their inclinations.

Mom and dad with one of the two eaglets.

I've been keeping up with some bald eagle eaglets that were hatched right after Christmas Day, last year. I typically check in on them once or twice a day. They are pretty much fully grown but they will not get the full plumage and coloring we associate with our national symbol for up to five years. They are able to fly but they have not yet learned to hunt for food on their own. It's been very impressive to see how doting mom and dad eagle has been in providing for their two offspring. There are 3 special cameras mounted that pretty much operate 24 hours a day. They have had over 123 million accesses to watch the eagles. Some designated observers keep up with the details of their development. They catalog things like the food brought to the nest. There is a nearby pond so they have eaten plenty of fish. Occasionally, they get a squirrel or other small rodent. At mealtime, I've noticed they are not so good at sharing. Today might be an important day for these two. Mom and dad have not brought them any food today. That's the first time I've seen that. Since eagles mate for life, it may be time for these two to be thinking about getting themselves a new nest and also to get busy learning how to hunt and capture their own food. They both are still afraid of the crows even though they have the talons and beaks to get on with finding supper. I've read that it takes practice before they get the hang of it, but, I'm sure they will be able to learn. That gnawing hunger will help motivate them. You might want to check in on them. Google, "Florida eagle nest". It usually comes up first. It's the website operated by Southwest Florida Eagle Cam. Oh yeah, one more thing. They are beautiful birds and so are their parents. God's creation is amazing! Amen. .....More later.