What is really fun here in the shire is the morning ritual. It goes something like this. Morning comes and Earl prepares delicious cups of tea for us to sip in bed while we watch the birds enjoy their breakfast. Dressed in his long burgundy robe Earl ventures out on to the snowy deck, reminding me somewhat of St. Francis of Assissi, as he spreads out a seed filled meal fit for all kinds of birds. We can see them from our bedroom window and they are such a delight to watch. Right now there are doves, chick-a-dees, finches, of at least two varieties, woodpeckers and cardinals. When the warmer days come we will have our tea on the deck and enjoy our feathered friends in the open, but here in the cozy warmth, while the snow falls, it is yet another simple moment that is, to coin a term, priceless.