Drove to Fayetteville today to visit my grandchildren for a few days. Just when I drove up their driveway the sun burst through the clouds. Needed that sunshine after the scary storms last night. I see pretty blue sky and white bleached clouds. I can hear birds singing but haven’t seen any yet. Handley is riding the bus home today so I’ll walk down to meet her. I know she’ll be excited to see me. Bless her little heart, she ran off the bus and up the street to hug me. Such a darling girl!

I found a prize on my bed from Handley when I took my bag to their guest room. I was thrilled with the prizes and the sweet note. She had spent her own money on the gifts. She had filled a small bird gift bag with a bird journal notebook, a cardinal refrigerator magnet, and the best of all, a bird watching journal, that is small enough for a pocket. Has places for all kinds of information. Can’t wait to start recording my bird sightings!

Haven’t been bird watching here but have been deer watching a mother deer and her two babies in the woods behind Thomas’ house. Never realized how camouflaged the deer are till the deer laid down for a nap. I was watching them and when I looked away I had a hard time finding them nestled in the brush. The grandchildren couldn’t understand how their bird feeder was always empty in the mornings and then they caught the deer eating the bird seeds from the feeder in the front yard. Their dog Magnolia ran the deer down the street. Neighbors said you have to hang your feeders up high so the deer can’t reach them.

I always have an adventure visiting my grandchildren. On the drive up today I noticed the flooded creeks and the trees cut up that had fallen across the roads. I marveled at three little mail delivery trucks following each other in a row on the country highway. I laughed as I passed the Shady Oaks village. And I thought life really is one big adventure — having the courage to pursue your dreams and take chances on the unknown. Life is filled with highs and lows and valleys and mountains of experiences. We have to brave enough to accept the challenges when life forks off in different directions. We can forge ahead with courage or be complacent. Guess being born is our first adventure in this world. Our death leads on on a new adventure in our afterlife.

Chief always said he was journey proud. He loved the travels he took to reach a destination as much as the experiences at the end of his journeys. He even appreciated the detours that sometimes slowed down his journey.

“Life is an adventure. It’s not the destination we reach that’s most rewarding. It’s the journey along the way,”—Barbara Marina