It's a little after 6 AM here in Illinois. I am in my "Branch Office" ... it's actually our sun porch, surrounded by a crabapple tree, lilac bushes and a couple of giant oaks. In front of me to the left is Vicki's "shade garden" full of hostas and stuff that likes the shade. To my far right is the "sun garden" with... stuff that likes lots of sun. I am not a gardener. I just try to mow around stuff that shouldn't be mowed. Most of the time I succeed.

The best thing about the "Branch Office" is watching the sun come up. This time of year it's around 6:15 AM when the sun peeks over the top of Dan and Norma's house and casts long shadows across the back yard. Lots of little diamonds posing as water droplets on the plants and grass. The sun filters through the leaves and wakes up the wildlife. We have lots of cardinals, blue jays and red wings, you know, birds that are named after baseball teams. There are chipmunks, too, that think Vicki's garden is the best salad bar in Algonquin.

The thing is, if I don't get myself out of bed early enough, I miss the benefits. The little diamonds evaporate. The birds and chipmunks, full of seeds and worms and plant parts, must take little naps later in the day. When the sun goes up too far, it simply illuminates all the work I've been avoiding in the back yard.

There are lots of benefits to being a "Super Early Bird." (This is where we turn the corner and shamelessly plug the Group Life Conference.) You see, if you register early enough you save $40 per person over the regular rates. We call it the Super Early Bird rate for a reason... the deadline is July 10... just a couple of days from now. In addition to the discounted rates, you'll get the best choices for breakouts, some of which fill up quickly.

Be a Super Early Bird... see details by clicking here.