As I sat in the swing this morning I would look up at the dark blue sky and the crisp white clouds and hear Louis Armstrong singing his signature, What a Wonderful World. I love the second stanza — “I see skies of blue and clouds of white, the bright blessed day, the dark sacred night, and I think to myself what a wonderful world.”

Lots of birds today on the feeders and the bird baths. I bought four peaches and they tasted bad so I cut them up for the birds. I bet Grandpaw Raccoon will come calling tonight for the peaches. Maybe not. Fatty the squirrel jumped up on one of the bird baths this morning and sat there a long time drinking. His tail was curled just right in the perfect question mark, his bright black eyes intently scanning the landscape. He stands so alert, like a soldier on guard duty. Soon as I put the camera to my eyes he jumped off. I bet he’s parched and hot in his grey fur coat. I wonder if squirrels ever bathe in bird baths. I’m thinking I might need to have a water source on the ground for the squirrels.

Got a nice breeze blowing, strong enough to compose a calming melody on the wind chimes and set the bamboos’ thin branches quivering. I wonder where the wind’s been. Has it dried the tears off someone’s face in Lick Skillet, Alabama, cooled the sweat on a farmer’s brow in Slickpoo, Idaho, or pinged the wind chimes on a porch in Monkey’s Eyebrow, Kentucky? Maybe it’s ruffled the white hair on an old man sitting on a park bench with his memories in Tightwad, Missouri. It’s blown through the needles of Ponderosa pines and cleaned the air in Anaconda, Montana, and cooled off the lizards in Lizard Lick, North Carolina. Love these names of towns. Ran across them reading in my old blogs from 2023. Chief used to say every word ever spoken is wandering in the wind somewhere. Maybe I’ll hear some of his words in the wind while I ponder in the swing. I’m listening for them.

I ran across this prayer today, one of most favorites. The prayer really speaks to me every time I read it. It was translated by a Lakota Sioux Chief named Yellow Lark in 1887. I think it bears reprinting. I’m typing it up in paragraph form. Going to add it to my nighttime prayers.

Great Spirit Prayer — “Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the winds and whose breath gives life to all the world hear me! I need your strength and wisdom. Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes ever hold the red and purple sunset. Make my hands respect the things you have made and my ears sharp to hear your voice. Make me wise so that I may understand the things you have taught my people. Let me learn the lessons you have hidden in every leaf and rock.

Help me remain calm and strong in the face of all that comes towards me. Help me find compassion without empathy overwhelming me. I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother, but to fight my greatest enemy: myself. Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes. So when life fades, as the fading sunset, my spirit may come to you without shame.” I love this prayer.

“I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness — it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.” — Brené Brown