With all the hoopla of the World Cup, the first day of summer almost got overlooked. The red currants are getting riper by the day and the gooseberries are starting to get a little plump and fuzzy too. I saw a bounty of blackberry blossoms and even some small green plums, so yes — summer is here. Butterflies are starting their graceful dance. For weeks the smell of hay and grass has lingered in the air. It always gives me quiet joy to see the hills and fields in this rural part of Germany. Barley and wheat are growing taller and the cornflowers are more abundant now. As I picked some stalks of wheat today at the edge of a field, it reminded me of The Book of Ruth.

Have a blessed week