Hallelujah

Nothing else to say - we rejoice on Buhlaland with believers everywhere - He Is Risen and nothing has ever been the same.

Valleys, Deserts, Mountaintops - not a travelogue

Began this post rather a long while ago - love the music and it's message. We've been in more than a few valleys of late - hoping to post in next week about a mountain top (or two). Skip continues to work hard against deterioration of breathing - and just plain work hard! Things are happening according to a schedule NOT of our making - we can see the Lord's hand in it all - might not like every bit of it - but know that He is God and we're not - and y'all should be tickled that's how it is! Will be back - soon I hope.

Peace to You

We continue to work as strength and finances allow - not moved yet - no date set but we have peace. It is good on Buhlaland and at this time in our lives we see so many deprived of peace - not willing to lay down the stresses of daily life and striving toward goals which are not eternal. Peace HE gives to us - accept it and we'll all rejoice together for eternity. I'll back with my normal silliness over decorating choices, colors and textures - but for today I give you peace.

1 Peter 3:8
[ Suffering for Doing Good ] Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that's your job, to bless. You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing. Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, Here's what you do: Say nothing evil or hurtful; Snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you're worth. God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what he's asked; But he turns his back on those who do evil things.
1 Peter 3:7-9 (in Context) 1 Peter 3 (Whole Chapter)

Adventures Galore

Sorry I didn't get a picture of the lights flashing and ambulance here on Buhlaland - another adventure in the life of two old folks doing whatever God puts in front of 'em. My Beloved had a stroke on Monday morning - long story short - prayer and a way which was prepared for us long before we had the need made things work out as if there is a Plan in our lives. We are already home - all testing done - some medications changed up and minimal lingering damage to speech and mobility. Both quite exhausted and happy to be in own spot on Buhlaland. New slogan for me - Fear Not. Being anxious about anything may steal away moments given to bless us not allow us to imagine bad event - each day will have enough troubles for that day but also - the strength for that day will be given. Happy to be home - thanks for visiting me on Buhlaland. Just a few pictures 'cause it is still our blessed spot of life 'til the Lord declares otherwise.

Goat on hindlegs getting a nibble of oak leaves is Butterscotch . Clever nubian goat Norman - has no horns so she gets to eat as far as she can push her head through the fences. Her yearling doe Milky Way is not so blessed - she has to be careful about getting stuck in the fences. You know what they say about grass being greener on other side - also lots more of it than on the side you share with 21 other greedy goats!

Fragile

My heart is fragile - sometimes I forget how fragile. My old heart was bursting with gratitude Went to a concert yesterday with my beloved great nephew and his terrific grandmother (my SIL who also went to high school with me!) I was in the hospital waiting room the day Gnephew was born, we've prayed for and cried over and rejoiced about young man for many years - right now it appears a major transformation has occurred in his life. Gnephew is the one with black tshirt standing with concert artist Jamie Slocum - it was blessed on Buhlaland and I remember now how fragile my heart can be.

Soli Deo Gloria to God alone the Glory.

Christmas Decorations Through the Years

Perhaps a too grandiose title for three years of Buhl houseviews in December. We like putting up lights even though only neighbors directly to the north can see them (except for Santa and low flying planes). Snowy picture was December 2009, darker picture was this morning and straight on view in twilight was two years ago. We keep design the same - white lights/around porch railings the end.

Room with lights on in all three is our office - scene of the crime of procrastination for regular bloggyinnovation. Quiet holiday planned - grateful for a safe, pleasant place to live, friends who care enough to contact us during the holidays and pleasant surprises. Christmas Day we'll go to neighbors -always fun to be included during holidays.

On the great debate of Happy Holidays versus Merry Christmas - I tend to come down on the Christmas side. Obviously (to me at least) in modern western society - the December holiday is about Christ's Incarnation. However - if someone were to say happy holidays to me I would not be offended. Starting to believe we Christ followers have taken up the same ugly tactic as secular world - being OFFENDED. Heaven and hell issues are about the only two issues worth standing resolute about and unfortunately we have seen lately some hell issues which have gone to wall of rational thought and pushed it down (wrong direction in my opinion). Borrowing a quote from this weeks' devotionals by Dr. David Jeremiah

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"An old prayer, purportedly from a seventeenth-century nun, says: 'Lord, you know better than I know myself that I am getting older and will someday be old. Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something on every subject and on every occasion. Release me from craving to straighten out everybody’s affairs. Make me thoughtful but not moody, helpful but not bossy. With my vast store of wisdom it seems a pity not to use it all, but You know, Lord, that I want a few friends at the end."

Evidently all my great thimble full of wisdom doesn't need to be "shared" with everyone I encounter - what a shame. Taking my stand for Christ and for love which trumps all.

One more quote which I'm sure I've published here before - but still really love.

"So, this Christmas season I pray that the warmth of the Savior's love will spread itself over you as never before. And that whenever and however possible, you will keep reminding yourself that there are still tiny, shivering sparrows who are too terrified to come in from the cold. Maybe, just maybe, this Christmas, because of something you do or say . . . they will." Chuck Swindoll

Bless all of us whether we are sparrows,robins, mockingbirds, doves, meadowlarks, raptors or grackles - we all need a shelter of warmth and kindness. Merry Christmas Y'all - if you need wisdom you'd best pray and read scripture. If you need a good recipe - you can ask me. If you need a place to stop, reflect on the infinite mercies and grace of our Creator - it is good on Buhlaland.
Y'all be careful out there.

Light

1 John 1:7
7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

John 8:12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

John 12:35
Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going.

A little light dispels all darkness - I tried to take a picture of our nightblooming flower using "ambient light" but it wasn't enough to see clearly.

Just the tiny flash on my digital camera and you can see every detail.

Knowing the source of light- the key to seeing clearly. Walk in the light -it is good on Buhlaland and when we don't have light from the sun - we always have the Son. Bless y'all.

Natural Lessons

(New Living Translation)

John 15
Jesus, the True Vine
“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

Jesus taught using images which could be seen all around us, to help our very weak minds and hearts to grasp eternal meaning. In recent years I've felt the Lord's "pruning" of my branch, and I only can trust Him that it may produce fruit of the spirit and in deed. It is good on Buhlaland - grapes aplenty for the birds and pruning might hurt for a season to be part of His harvest - it is a very good result.

Picture was taken in our back pasture -
Mustang Grape
'Vitis mustangensis
Vitaceae
Mustang grape favors disturbed ground, fence rows, woodland edges and sandy slopes in the eastern half of Texas, east to Louisiana and north into Arkansas and Oklahoma. Althought its fruit is usually pungent and unpleasant, the fruits of the variety diversa are actually sweet and have often been used in wine-making. This is a high-climbing vine which tolerates great heat and drought. The lower surface of its leaves is very white and densely hairy, a noticeable ornamental feature. It is reported to be largely resistant to Phylloxera and hybridizes with several other grape species. 'source

I know Who holds my hand

Cold clear skies over Texas this morning. In our devotional readings this quote from an old hymn

Many things about tomorrow
I don’t seem to understand;
But I know who holds tomorrow,
And I know who holds my hand. —Stanphill
- we both like the hymn and I included the quote in my exercise blog entry. Then out in bitterly cold (for Texas) weather to tend to animals -plenty of water available in trough and for chickens. When I returned to the house - DH was on phone with our neighbor who is without electricity - no water because no pump - no heat to keep water from freezing up. We found out the whole area has an outage (at least everyone on the major utility company). Our property is serviced by a local utility - a little more expensive but proves to be a good choice. DH is having a hard week with his breathing and on oxygen much of the day. After the phone calls and checking on other neighbors we looked at one another. Continually gobsmacked with Jehovah Jireh - the one who provides. Through absolutely NO work of our hands we have a warm house, hot coffee and oxygen machine running smoothly. I know most of the world thinks this is "luck" or "just how things go" but for the residents of Buhlaland - it is GOOD we know Who holds tomorrow.
We truly pray if you - dear reader - do not have that security - please go to here or here .

It is incredibly, mindblowingly good on Buhlaland and we give all credit where it belongs.

Ordinary Life

Sometimes it is easy to twist our heads around and get a totally wrong view of a situation. Here is dear old Nubiana trying to convince me she needs more grain to get her day moving smoothly. Nubie is twisting her head around convinced that she'll see a hand or bucket from which grain will appear. Recently I know I work at keeping my view of our world on the level by doing the ordinary bits of life put in front of me. Despite the potential of bad - I know there is always good within reach. " My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."2 Corinthians 12:9

Not huge on quoting sources other than scripture but I find these lines from Oswald Chambers'

My Utmost for His Highest deeply comforting.

“We look for visions from heaven, for earthquakes and thunders of God’s power . . . and we never dream that all the time God is in the commonplace things and people around us. If we will do the duty that lies nearest, we shall see Him.”
“When the Spirit of God comes, He does not give us visions, He tells us to do the most ordinary things conceivable . . .whenever God comes, the inspiration is to do the most natural, simple things—the things we would never have imagined God was in, and as we do them we find He is there.”

It is easy to get caught up in the BIG picture and forget - God knows where we are here on Buhlaland and He is within prayershot all the time. It is good - and yes Nubie got some grain - how could we refuse a face like that? Here on Buhlaland it is good to be a goat and even better to be a sheep of the Great Shepherd.

Ain't Big Enuf for Both Us!

Showdown time in the Coop Mahal - Buhlaland style western movie!

We are easily amused here - and grateful for the bounty of lovely brown eggs the Cluckers are providing -we do wish the silly boids would learn to use one of the other boxes - there are three which is more than enough for 8 cluckers.

Ah - always the same - bird or human - what someone else has looks so much more attractive or tasty or comfortable than our own portion no matter how generous or small our portion might be.

James 4 (New International Version)
Submit Yourselves to God

1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

So whether a Clucker or a Texan or anything in between - we need to spend our energy on things other than quarreling and fighting. We should be enjoying our nest boxes and eggs and the love of our Lord. It is good and well blessed here on Buhlaland - hope it is for you also.

Storms or healing rain?

We were facing a day which had a strong potential for difficult life altering storms - or a gentle healing rain. Whichever was brought to us -
we knew storm clouds don't last forever but the Father's love is steadfast and eternal.
Jesus brought a little rainfall to Buhlaland this morning and it felt wonderful. The doctor appointment wasn't the devastating news we had been prepared to hear -our Abba Father once again provided solutions beyond what our limited understanding could predict.
Tonight - it is very good on Buhlaland. We might even get some more precipitation and the spiritual rain storms - they turned out to be showers of blessings!

Wondering why

Here on Buhlaland - we are aware of our blessings, express our gratitude and try to share with others the abundance over which we've been made steward. For a time now - we've struggled with "why is it so HARD?" - to run a business attempting to reflect God's glory, to have a small ministry which effectively reaches those who come across our path, to relate to people in positive ways, to be healthy so we can serve? It all has seemed hard recently. "If only" people weren't so --insert appropriate negative adjective of your choice -. During our devotional time this morning what I read reminded me we have an Abba Father not a cold God who doesn't see our "wronged" hurts. Even in things/people which seem to hinder what we believe we are supposed to be doing - He is working out His plan. Knowing there is a reason - a plan -behind hard times makes for lighter burdens. Not claiming I won't chafe at times even under the lightest of burdens-- but for now - I can record today's lesson so I'll remember to see the lily and know - while it is good on Buhlaland -- it will be glorious in our eternal home
Luke 12:27-28 (New Living Translation)
27 “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 28 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?"


The Way Appointed by Elisabeth Elliot

One aspect of the mystery of God's sovereign will is how the calculated evil of men is not only permitted, but actually becomes a necessary part of the divine plan. We are tempted to think of the wrongs done to us as hindrances, frustrations, interruptions. "What has this got to do with the will of God?" we ask, irritated and, we suppose, justifiably impatient with human interference. But the truth is that both our time and our way are in God's hands--they are "appointed." Surely it is so for all his sons as it was for the Son of Man. When He was on the verge of being "handed over for crucifixion," and betrayed by one of his own disciples, He said, "My appointed time is near....One who has dipped his hand into this bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man is going the way appointed for him" (Mt 26:18, 24 NEB).
Out of the deepest depths of human evil the good God brought salvation--the very salvation of man whose sinfulness killed the Son He sent.
Nothing can reach us, from any source in earth or hell, no matter how evil, which God cannot turn to his own redemptive purpose. Let us be glad that the way is not a game of chance, a mere roll of dice which determines our fortune or calamity--it is a way appointed, and it is appointed for God's eternal glory and our final good.

Happy and PROUD Independence Day

Flying the flag every day here on Buhlaland, we are proud of the principles upon which country was founded. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." The Declaration of Independence is a clear and well stated document. We challenge you to locate clarity or logic in anything coming out of Washington (or state capitals) in 2009.

The Creator endowed us with rights - not a government. We heard a recorded sermon given by the late Adrian Rogers reminding Americans what the government gives - it takes from us. Government has nothing to give until it takes it away from it's citizens. Government doesn't give us freedom, justice or safety - it doesn't possess them to give. Tea Parties are being held in hundreds of towns- people gathering to state the obvious - government cannot spend our country into prosperity. Please pray this holiday weekend for elected officials to exercise a sense of responsibility and reasoned action.

Enough of the heavy stuff - here on Buhlaland it is hot - going to be hotter. Watermelon in our fridge and a turkey is defrosting for weekend feasting. Below is a quiz I found online and reproduced here - hope you find it fun, instructional and you can trot out some interesting facts at the family barbecue this weekend! Stay safe - be grateful for our liberties - freedom has never been free - whether for a country or our eternal home-the cost has been blood. We are blessed and grateful here on Buhlaland.

American trivia: How much do you know?

THE DATE
1. Which three presidents died on July 4?
2. Which president laid the cornerstone for the Washington Monument on July 4, 1850?
3. What was the title of the 1969 Broadway musical, written by Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone, that told the story of the founding of the United States?
4. What city in the American South fell to Ulysses S. Grant and Union forces on July 4, 1863, after a short siege?
5. What twin advice columnists were born on July 4, 1918?
6. In one of the wildest baseball games of all time, the New York Mets beat the Atlanta Braves, 16-13, in how many innings on July 4 (and 5), 1985?
THE FLAG
7. When was the Stars and Stripes authorized by Congress as the national flag?
8. The flag has 13 stripes. How many of them are red?
9. Francis Scott Key wrote the words to the Star-Spangled Banner after witnessing what?
10. Where and when was the first 50-star flag flown?
11. On the first U.S. flag, why were the stars displayed in a circle?
12. True or false: When the Pledge of Allegiance was published in 1892, the words "Under God" were not included.
THE PRESIDENTS
13. Which president served the shortest term?
14. Which president, to show his disdain for ceremony, would greet ambassadors in his pajamas?
15. Which president was the first to throw out the season-opening pitch for professional baseball?
16. To whom was the first telephone call made from the White House in 1878?
17. At 5 feet 4, who was the shortest president?
18. Which president's pet parrot had to be ejected from his funeral for screaming obscenities at mourners?
19. Which president had the most children?
20. Eleanor Roosevelt made news in 1939 when she served what dish to visiting King George VI and Queen Elizabeth?
21. Which president, when short of funds, offered White House china as the ante in poker games?
22. Which president's election was marred by charges of electoral vote corruption in Florida and other states after he lost the popular vote to his opponent?
23. Which well-dressed president was rumored to own 80 pairs of pants?
24. Who was the first chief executive to appear on television?
25. Which two presidents were signers of the Declaration of Independence?

Answers
1. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams (1826) and James Monroe (1831)
2. Zachary Taylor. He became ill with cholera that night and died five days later.
3. 1776
4. Vicksburg, Miss. It came a day after the Union victory at Gettysburg, marking a turning point in the Civil War
5. Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren (real names: Esther "Eppie" Lederer and Pauline Phillips)
6. 19 innings. The game ended at 3:55 a.m., and the Braves then fired off their Independence Day fireworks, leading many local residents to believe the city was under attack.
7. June 14, 1777. This date is observed as Flag Day.
8. Seven.
9. The bombardment of Fort McHenry
10. Philadelphia, 1960
11. So no one state would be above another.
12. True. The phrase was added in 1954.
13. William Henry Harrison, who died of pneumonia shortly after his inauguration. He served only 32 days, from March 4 to April 4, 1841.
14. Thomas Jefferson
15. William Howard Taft, on April 14, 1910, at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C.
16. Alexander Graham Bell (called by President Rutherford Hayes)
17. James Madison
18. Andrew Jackson
19. John Tyler (15)
20. Hot dogs
21. Warren G. Harding
22. Rutherford Hayes, in 1876
23. Chester Arthur (also the first to employ a full-time valet)
24. Franklin Roosevelt (April 30, 1939)
25. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams

Rose-y outlook

Too much gloom on the 'net and news. Too much "reality" instead of dreaming - it is rose-y here on Buhlaland.

Best advice for today is --- when your world has an excess of manure - put it on some plants and bingo - comin' up roses!

Hey where'd that cute dog come from? Oh that's Conan the Destroyer - a slimming down, guarding the garden Rat Terrorist.

He wanted me to remind you - -

"2 Corinthians 4:8-10 (New Living Translation)
8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies."

Smart dog isn't he?

Grateful for the everday and the eternal

Our life here on Buhlaland is rarely high excitement. Our days are a steady pace of working, resting, enjoying what is given us to maintain or improve and anticipating our eternal work. We appreciate small joys like this week's appearance of hosta shoots in the garden, the sweet care of young does for their first babies, the palette of colors on trunks of oak trees or golden light of a new day - we are grateful for our everyday life.

Today's devotional from Back to the Bible was needed by my heart so I trust someone else will be blessed by it also. On the right side a picture shows some of our does waiting expectantly for a good treat. They trust us to treat them well, do what is best for them and look out for their well being.

Do we accept gratefully the blessings of hot water, friendships or first shoots of spring growth? How about accepting disease, pain, or separation from those we love? Our Heavenly Father does know what is eternally good whether our earthsuit perspective can see the good. Do we live trusting Our Father; following the excellent guidance from Paul to the church at Thessalonica to "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ?

I am well aware of falling short of Paul's standard for how we are to live, but without a guidepost how do we know which way to walk?

It is good on Buhlaland- a little overcast and chilly but that too is good.

What follows are the words of Elisabeth Elliot:

Sometimes when I was a child my mother or father would say, "Shut your eyes and hold out your hand." That was the promise of some lovely surprise. I trusted them, so I shut my eyes instantly and held out my hand. Whatever they were going to give me I was ready to take. So it should be in our trust of our heavenly Father. Faith is the willingness to receive whatever He wants to give, or the willingness not to have what He does not want to give.
I am content to be and have what in Thy heart I am meant to be and have. --(George MacDonald, Diary of an Old Soul)
From the greatest of all gifts, salvation in Christ, to the material blessings of any ordinary day (hot water, a pair of legs that work, a cup of coffee, a job to do and strength to do it), every good gift comes down from the Father of Lights. Every one of them is to be received gladly and, like gifts people give us, with thanks.
Sometimes we want things we were not meant to have. Because He loves us, the Father says no. Faith trusts that no. Faith is willing not to have what God is not willing to give. Furthermore, faith does not insist upon an explanation. It is enough to know his promise to give what is good--He knows so much more about that than we do.

(Content from All That Was Ever Ours, Keep a Quiet Heart and Love Has a Price Tag by Elisabeth Elliot)

He IS Risen

We went with a group of friends to the Capernaum Experience on Maundy Thursday - experiencing a re-creation of a village in Capernaum around the time of Christ's life on earth. My favorite moment I didn't capture with a picture. The actor playing Christ came through the villlage square laughing, stopping to talk and play with the children ( everyone stays in character). I often picture my Savior laughing and always loving His children-- a man not of comely features but he draws people - - -

Isaiah 53(the Message paraphrase)

Who believes what we've heard and seen? Who would have thought God's saving power would look like this?
The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field.There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look.

He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.One look at him and people turned away. We looked down on him, thought he was scum.But the fact is, it was our pains he carried our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.

We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures.But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him our sins!He took the punishment, and that made us whole.

Through his bruises we get healed.We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost. We've all done our own thing, gone our own way.And God has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong, on him, on him.
He was beaten, he was tortured, but he didn't say a word.Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep being sheared, he took it all in silence.Justice miscarried, and he was led off— and did anyone really know what was happening?

He died without a thought for his own welfare, beaten bloody for the sins of my people.They buried him with the wicked, threw him in a grave with a rich man,Even though he'd never hurt a soul or said one word that wasn't true.
Still, it's what God had in mind all along, to crush him with pain.The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin so that he'd see life come from it—life, life, and more life. And God's plan will deeply prosper through him.
Out of that terrible travail of soul, he'll see that it's worth it and be glad he did it.Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant, will make many "righteous ones," as he himself carries the burden of their sins.

Therefore I'll reward him extravagantly— the best of everything, the highest honors—Because he looked death in the face and didn't flinch, because he embraced the company of the lowest.He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many, he took up the cause of all the black sheep.

Being one of the black sheep - I'm eternally grateful for his willingness to become sin - MY sin so I could be forgiven. He is Risen! He is risen indeed.

What's your tune?

Our pastor had this video played at church today - fun with a good point to make.

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Appreciating true art

Nothing to add to this - beautiful sky courtesy of the Creator . We had this over Buhlaland today - I'm sure you had some equivalent beauty bestowed on you. There is no painting as alive and meaningful as the sky.

We may have to stage an intervention

I CAN NOT STOP TAKING PICTURES OF BABY GOATS! - now I've confessed it and y'all can choose to accept me as I am or condemn me for the goat fool I've become. I was out in the pen this morning feeding our bottle boy and the little thief of milk, laughing out loud (like a total loony). All 18 baby goats are running, jumping, colliding with one another, checking whether the other does will let them stop for a snack (nope). It feels like a wave of joy in being alive when I'm with them. Our weather helps also - winds are out of the south - humid, warmer and the smell is a perfume to this gal. Our air smells all earthy, full of promise and teasing with hints of flowers to come. Yep - it is GOOOOODDD on Buhlaland today. If you can't stand goats any more - I'll try to find something else to talk about. I must admit - having had a heavy heart for several months now it feels as if I'm given a spiritual caffeine blast. How can I be sad when proof of God's intense love for all His creation (and creatures) is literally at my feet? 'nuff philosophy - I need to get busy with some human work so I can sneak out there one more hour to take -- pictures of baby goats ----aaargh!