No Noddin' in Nodaway County!

There was no sleeping late for me this weekend at Conception Abbey located in Nodaway County in Northeast Missouri.
The bell for morning prayers broke the early morning stillness yesterday and today and called the monks to their second set of prayers for the day at 7:45 am (my first set of prayers).
I had trouble falling asleep both nights for some reason, and feel tired but renewed in spirit. Maybe it was those numerous windmills surrounding the monastery, perhaps being fueled by the winds of the monks' ceaseless praying!
One of the great things about a retreat is that one's spirit can find refreshment while one's body resists.
I'm ready for the next leg of my journey, to Corpus Christi (for another retreat) and then on to Hawaii to be reunited with Karol and our kids and grandkids.
Karol told me yesterday that the teenaged roosters are learning to crow. By the time of my arrival in Hilo on Wednesday, perhaps they will greet me with a few crows or more.
I may crow as well, at being back with family for a few short weeks before I head back to Kansas City in mid-August. I'll be doing fundraising for DeLaSalle from Hawaii and hoping not to miss a beat so that when I return we can finish our capital campaign and begin building for the future!