I have always loved birds. When I was a city child, pigeons were really the only birds I knew. I loved to watch them gather on the park paths, but mostly I remember how special it was to visit them at the rooftop home of the pigeon man.

I think of grace in all of its ways. There is the grace of the cattle as they live in our pasture and bring me joy. Perhaps I should call one Grace, as I have come to know that they really are graceful creatures, but no, I'd better not.

Everyone she met on her travels would get a daffodil and a warm smile. She was known as the daffodil lady, and these were her daffodil days.

Greg and I have called the creek valley our home for over 20 years, and even in that short time, we have seen so much change.

We made our way across the rocks, and looking down, we knew right away what we had found. It was a wooden organ pipe, about three feet long, its top end burnt so that only charred wood remained.

Now you can see that we really do have a plan, and with that plan in mind, I am ever so looking forward to marking my 70th year.

This past winter, however, has really presented quite a bit of a challenge to our life here in the valley. Day after day, we have either been drenched with rain or if not raining, the sky has been covered with thick, gray clouds, and if mud had any kind of pecuniary value, we’d have become millionaires many times over.

I was so excited to wake up and see the creek valley covered in snow. The sky was a just brightening grey and everywhere I looked, everything was blanketed in white. I could hardly wait to get outside, but after checking the temperature gauge, I knew the importance of proper attire.

Some people are collectors. My mother was a collector of scarves. She had one to coordinate with every outfit. Back when I was an attorney, I took great joy in accessorizing my lawyerly attire by choosing just the right scarf to wear to court on any particular day. 

We know that you know that things just aren't quite the same anymore, but we also know that you know that we love you. You know that we will always stay close by your side, just as you have stayed by ours all these years.

This morning when I woke up and looked out the loft window I could actually see the last few stars shining brightly down from a clear sky. The stars soon faded and the sun rose over the far hill, quickly warming our creek valley world. 

I now know that this particular Atlas quite likely dates back to the late 1930s. It has a 54-inch bed, and can turn a piece of metal up to 10 inches in diameter. I have learned that most all of its kind were put to work during the Second World War in support the Allied war effort.

As Greg and I turned to head back down to the creek, the auctioneer’s song no longer beckoned, but followed us across the now mostly empty parking field. Our truck bed may well have been empty, and our trailer would not be put to use, but my pocket was filled with a beautiful weighty marble.

It was a beautiful blue-sky morning, though a wee bit chilly. I was thankful to feel the sun on my face as it rose over the hill across the creek. From its first touch, I knew that it would warm the day. 

We have so many mechanical clocks ticking away in our home that we thought it best to come up with a hard and fast rule. We promised each other that we would not add any more clocks to our collection unless it happened to be a unique clock that we did not already have.