Tag: chickens

ONE Nation: E Pluribus Unum

chickenmomma1 Comment 


E Pluribus Unum
Out of Many.  One.
Many states.
One nation.
Joined together.
creating something stronger
than the individual parts.
Country.

Individuals.
Many hands joined together
to form one long line.
A chain of joined hands
to express unity of belief
that people from all countries,
races, religions are welcome here.
Community.

One bird.
A golden Buff Orpington,
scratches happily for bugs,
secure in the midst of other
roving hens.
Feathers glowing in the sunshine,
protecting each other,
better as one group
than one vulnerable, single member.
Flock.

One cousin.
Joined on the deck steps
by five others,
then mothers, fathers,
uncles, aunts,
grandmas, grandpas
at a holiday celebration.
Family.

One lone drum beat.
A silver flute trills,
woodwind melody,
brass harmony,
batons twirl and flags whirl,
a marching tempo.
Band.

One maple tree.
Rooted deep into the earth,
holding strong against storms.
Roots entwined with many others,
providing shelter, food, oxygen,
sharing nutrients and protection.
Forest.

One drop of water,
becomes a mist, then a drizzle.
Now a downpour, now a stream.
Eroding its banks,
making its own path,
thundering down the valley.
Its voice louder and louder.
Flood.

One teacher,
wearing a mask.
Showing up every day,
no matter how scared, weary
and beaten down.
Custodians, cooks, 
bus drivers, aides, 
principals, students
Working together to learn.
School.

Many states.
One nation.
Joined together,
creating something stronger
than the individual parts.
Country.

Out of Many.  One.
E Pluribus Unum.

Happy March 1st

chickenmomma2 Comments

Happy St. David’s Day! That is the Welsh holiday for March first. David was the patron saint of Wales. St. David was a sixth century missionary and ascetic who once raised a hill from the ground in Wales. (Does this count as everyday magic???) To celebrate, I brought in a small bouquet of unopened daffodils and some branches of unopened forsythia from my yard. I put away my pine wreaths (these were placed around my blueberry bushes to mulch them and provide acid), valentine hearts and anything red. I am embracing yellows and greens this month! The weather is turning cooler with more freezing temperatures to come. This morning was foggy after a late night icy rain. Droplets hung like diamonds from every branch and woven wire fencing around the garden. The feathered ladies ignored their breakfast and freshly filled waterers. They clamored to go out early this morning eager to drink the droplets from the fence. Magic!!

I wanted to add a short video of my hens sipping the droplets but it would not upload. Perhaps I can add it later. Happy Day!

Goodbye February!

chickenmomma2 Comments
Photo by Johannes Plenio on Pexels.com

As I behold the nakedness of the trees I am reminded that even in their barrenness they still know how to dance.

A Winter Prayer Reflection, Kathy Sherman, CSJ

Its funny how old February gets when it is the shortest month. I think by this time everyone in the Northeast is truly sick of winter. The above quote reminds me to be grateful for the beauty which exists even in the barrenness of late winter. Believe me, the trees certainly danced earlier this week as we endured high winds which brought in a period of high pressure and put a stop to what was a seemingly endless spell of rainy weather. Now the skies are sunny but it is still very cold.

I have been longing for spring! I just can’t wait to get my hands in the dirt again. My old Felco pruners are repaired and sharpened, and I have ordered a new pair too. I have walked out shivering to inspect the buds on trees and count my emerging primroses. I note each day how much more the daffodils have risen. I mentally note where I will plant the rose bushes I ordered earlier this month. I have started my seeds and they are up! Each morning I mist the tiny plants and feel a tiny spark of hope burn a little brighter in my heart. After all, to garden is to nurture hope.

Baby tomato seedlings

My seeds have all arrived and are waiting to be tucked into my garden tote. I order seeds from the following sources, and I also shop locally: http://www.highmowingseeds.com and http://www.botanicalinterests.com

My colorful array of seeds.

Even the chickens are getting a bit of spring fever. Miss Henrietta’s new favorite spot is atop a stump in the big run where she can catch a glimpse of the green paddock and catch a few fresh breezes above the protective plastic covering. My old girls are starting to show their age. They will be six in April. Buffy and Henrietta prefer long dust baths in the afternoons while Yellow Feet (forever young) and Buttercup forage outside the coop in the greening grass. I plan to get a few new chicks in April and am almost losing sleep over whether to order from a hatchery or pick them up at the local farm store. If I order chicks I have to have a minimum number for them to ship, which is more than I can house. If I take my luck at the local store I might miss a chance to get my preferred breed, Buff Orpingtons. Oh well, the best advice is not to overthink it, I guess.

So here’s to the end of February and welcome March! I hope everyone has a chance to bask in some sunshine soon, pick a bouquet of daffodils (I promise I will show you mine) and maybe even fly a kite!

Love

chickenmomma2 Comments

It is Valentine’s Day and I wish everyone a day filled with love. One tends to usually think of romantic love on this day, but love comes in many forms. Think of all the moments which take our breath away, or cause us to pause -just for a second- and think how wonderful it is to be alive. Think of the times when one feels a deep connection with the earth itself, and all the beings which inhabit it, all sharing the energy of life. Today while stopped at a traffic light, I was charmed to witness a group of young schoolchildren playing outside at recess time. They were racing to and fro, which caused the hearts attached by pipe cleaners to their valentine headbands to sway wildly. It seemed to me like the hearts were dancing with joy. When I taught school, Valentine’s Day was my favorite holiday because it did not involve gift giving, but the giving of gaily decorated tokens of friendship and affection.

Two years ago today, my husband surprised me with a tiny tuxedo kitten. I named him Valentine, of course. He has grown into a gallant little gentleman, always mischievious and ever affectionately grateful that he was saved from certain death at the pound. We celebrate today as his birthday. We will treat him to a special can of cat food which he will share with his kitty sisters. My husband made Sadie, our golden retriever, her own heart shaped cake. Lucky girl!

Happy Birthday, Valentine!

My feathered ladies also get a special treat today. I made them a special kale salad with sliced strawberries for hearts and served it in a heart shaped pan. We also opened a box I had ordered from Henny and Roo http://hennyandroo.com I think my girls were very appreciative!

In these waning days of winter, it is always good to look for ways to celebrate life, no matter how small they are. It can be as simple as giving the people you pass at the grocery store a genuine smile. Little signs of appreciation and affection just may kindle a spark which keeps goodness alive in this world.

chickenmomma3 Comments

The temperature was -13 this morning at the house. The snow crunched underfoot as I made my way out to check on the chickens. The clouds of smoke from the wood stove drifted to the ground under the high pressure of bright morning skies. So blue and clear, promising a lovely winter day. In the coop the chickens were staying up on their roost above the run. It was -2 in the run. They are smart to not want to come down just yet. I congratulated Miss Henrietta on her decision to roost with the others last night. I had gone out to check on them after dark, prepared to place her up on the roost, but she was already there. She has taken to wanting to sleep in the bedding below the roost. I gave them a handful of scratch and changed out their frozen water, promising to check on them later. Meanwhile, the plan for today is to warm up by the fire, a little meditation and yoga, and then to work on quilting!

Winter Thoughts

chickenmomma2 Comments

We are in the midst of another polar vortex rolling across the U.S. Two days ago the temperatures almost reached the sixties. The sky was deep blue, the river which flows around our little town was a deeper green, and the clouds at sunset were cotton candy puffs of pink. One could really sense the promise of Spring. My first snowdrops have bloomed and on the way home from town I spotted an entire yard full of red breasted robins. My daffodils have pushed their first green tips up along the path to the garden shed.

These are small signs of hope. The promise that the season WILL turn, the warmth of the sun will again call forth the greening of our world. Yet today we are sheathed in winter’s cold embrace as the temperatures plummet and snow again piles on the deck and lines the branches of the crabapple tree which hugs the deck corner. A kaleidoscope of birds swirl and dip in a gay dance around the feeders.

My chickens eagerly peck through a pan of chopped kale, sprouts and microgreens to find the treasure of a small handful of scratch hidden below by the more nutricious greens. Buttercup hops up on a stump to chatter away at me, hoping for a little extra treat, which I supply because she is at the bottom of the pecking order and is not apt to get her fair share.

My husband is delighting in baking a pan of doughnuts, which he places warm and fragrant, in a brown paper bag, to run out and give to the waste collection guys when they come by. He recalls small kindnesses like this on past winter days in town when a few citizens had warm baked goods ready to hand out to chilled city workers.

Signs of hope. Small kindnesses we can do for the critters around us, and the people who serve, often getting little notice. A smile, a hand up, a warm treat fresh from the oven, a gesture of our shared humanity and common spirit. A small thaw in the heart of winter.

Hope. Pass it on.