Progress

Today was a busy day. The flood waters around my store building got down to about ankle level, so I grabbed my window of opportunity and moved everything that was not damaged to a safe, dry location. We were told that the dams between here and middle TN were opened and that the flood water could start rising again in a couple of days. I won't complain because it has got to be done. The sooner it gets behind us, the better. I know Nashville is desperate for relief.

After another exhausting afternoon, I came home and sat outside for a while to regroup. As Squirt investigated the flower beds for intruders, a chore he takes very seriously, I started looking at the Magnolia tree. It is loaded with buds and has several full blooms. My tree is sort of funny looking because my property took a beating in a tornado 2 years ago and a lot of the trees have just now begun to take on a normal shape again, the Magnolia being one of them. It was a little early in the day for the best light, but I couldn't resist taking a photo of one of the fully opened blooms.

Then I looked behind me and noticed that the Knockout Roses are getting all cranked up. The Stella D'oro lillies are just beginning. As I came back up to the house, I saw the little Hen and Chickens I bought at a plant sale a couple of weeks ago. It was nice to be reminded of all the beauty around me, especially after looking at utter devastation all week long. It will probably take at least another week for the water to go down completely and then the awful clean-up begins. But I aim to sit outside, meditate, enjoy the flowers, and count my blessings as often as I can during the busy days ahead.

"He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust:" Psalm 91:4