Do you ever just stare out at the beauty of this world? As I am typing this, the wind is softly moving the leaves, various birds are talking to each other, the Rose of Sharon tree extends its blossoms about twelve or fifteen feet. I have never seen one so tall - yesterday, three mourning doves, a mother and her two teenagers, were preening each other, one on either side of Mom. A couple of days ago, a young blue jay was hopping around on the ground and I thought he was hurt, but then, with much encouragement from his anxious parents, he flew to a low limb of a tree. June and Bucky have left the trees and undergrowth alone along the side of their house, and at the back. It is a haven for birds - wrens,robins, cardinals, blue jays, doves, crows, blackbirds, sparrows, and several other varieties. There is a feeder that I can see as I write that is always being visited, and although the blue jays and bigger birds can't get through the holes, they do manage to contort themselves in various ways to get the sunflower seeds.

I am awaiting a call from my doctor's office about a second opinion on my knee. She also thinks it is a good idea. I saw her yesterday, and am hoping to hear something today.

I finished transcribing the diary of my Civil War uncle, and found it totally absorbing. Now I am putting it on the computer, into its own file. As I have been going along, I have been looking up things he talks about. Did you know that there was a racehorse named Planet, that, in 1850, was the fastest horse in the country? He came from near Richmond, and was owned by Major Thomas Doswell, who was tossed out of his plantation for a few days, so that several Generals and their staff, could make the place their General Headquarters, for a few days. His comments about the entire stay and the house and the slaves, was most interesting. Anyway, Planet came from Doswell's stables, and it is said, was faster than Secretariat, who won the triple crown of racing 100 years later.

More later...
Adieu,
Adios,
Mahalo,
Sally