I have a friend who loves birds. He and other people in his circle photograph them. He knows their names and where they fall in their taxonomy. Below are two pictures from the bird world he sent me recently.

When I pulled into our neighborhood last weekend, the dogwoods were blooming. Dogwoods are among my favorite flowering trees. That their blooms coincide with fishing season does not hurt my feelings, either. The pinks and whites of the dogwoods burst everywhere in clusters of color where development has not destroyed these blessings. I have a deep abiding love of all things trees. Dogwoods, for me, hold a place in my heart that takes me back to my earliest memories of childhood and my fondest memories of small-town life where I could see them, plant them, tend them, see them bloom, and witness birds make homes in them.

Only a fool would say those things. Psalm 14’s a good reminder.

Random? Accidental? Hardly.

These things are spectacular and stunning. We cannot even create neon lights with this much nuance and beauty. And this beauty flies!

And because I’m such a softy for dogs, here’s one of our beloved Cavalier King Charles, Lady. We call her “Ladybug” usually. She has a tough life. She has to sleep, eat, go for walks, hang out with our German shepherd and our cat, Jo-Jo. That usually wears her out till it’s nap time again. Yep, if you have a chance, try to be Ladybug; she pretty much has it made.