It's Going to Be a Hot Summer

      Summer is finally here.  Like most Americans, certainly like most who live in the frigid north, I really look forward to the end of the cold.  I love to see nature come alive after a long winter’s nap.  The ice melts, frozen rivers, streams and lakes begin to flow once more.  Canadian Geese fly NORTH, overhead... The Robins return and build their nests, raising new generations of Robin families.  As springtime gives way to summer, Momma and Daddy ducks can be seen leading their babies down to the pond for their first swim.    
   All the plants and flowers are in bloom.  Gardens are planted, and with just a bit of care, the tiny seeds take off and once again faithfully produce their bounty just as God planned, all for our blessing and our sustenance.  The cycle of the four seasons on this earth is a miracle, really, and I hope you thank and acknowledge God, our Creator for His incredible, amazing design of LIFE.
   If you’re like most, you have plans for the summer...  working in your yard or garden;  if you’re a farmer, working in and tending the fields.  Some look forward to vacation time, family trips, perhaps camping, or taking the kids to the lake.  Cooking out on a charcoal grill, sitting beside an evening campfire as the children chase lightning bugs nearby.  The fourth of July, fireworks, patriotic parades, a trip to the county ...