An Afternoon On A Front Porch

It was a beautiful day. Too nice to be inside. The house was quiet; just a dog named Murray and me. Jennifer and Linda are in the pool next door, trying to cool off. I decided not to waste this moment and go outside for a while.

I filled my water bottle and stepped outside. I first walked around the house to see what I could see. The Florida East Coast is filled with all kinds of natural sounds. Birds are chasing and yelling at each other like kids in the yard. I sat down on the edge of the planter that goes across the front of the house. As I sat there, I focused on listening to the surrounding sounds. In the distance, I heard someone hitting a baseball with an aluminum bat. There must have been a pitching machine since the hits were a constant rhythm. It was a hot day, so the water from the bottle quenched my thirst. In the tree above me, two birds were having a loud conversation. I wish I knew what they were saying. Maybe they were just singing praises to God Almighty. If that were the case, I know He was pleased.

My Nephew Matt walked from next door, where he is house-sitting for the owners, carrying a load of his dirty clothes. He looked concerned as he asked me, “Are you locked out?” I grinned and said, “No, I am just enjoying this beautiful day.” “Ok, cool.” He said, opening the front door and disappearing inside.

I then saw a big lizard scurry across the yard, running fast toward the tree. He stopped climbing the tree about halfway to the limbs. I wonder if he was looking at me, thinking ‘What is he doing there?’ He was a big lizard, much larger than what I see back home in Texas. After a moment, he disappeared up into the limbs of the tree.

I finished off the water in my bottle and decided to go back inside. Thank you, Lord, for beautiful days like this.