It is a fine Autumn afternoon… I put on my favorite walking shoes… they are old and over-worn… but sliding them on my feet is like reuniting with a great friend… I call the dog and off we go… Our path is a pebbly dirt road… the air is crisp and clean yet remains warm enough for a simple soft sweater… the dog is happy to be my companion… tail wagging as we walk along. On the right the forest is thick and lush… the colors are spread over the hillside like one of grandmother’s patchwork quilts over her antique brass bed… to the left rolling pasture and farmland. The horses and cows… friends in the same field… though the horses seem much more playful running and frolicking with their young… the young horses seem a bit awkward with their very long legs and disproportionate bodies… in time they will grow into them… I think to myself with a smile. The cows are always so mellow… happy to spend their days quietly contemplating while chewing… A tractor finishing the days work comes to a distant
I have been wandering without a true creative outlet for some time now... it was right in front of me all the while... just write! Most recent thoughts to ponder are two... Chicken Integration & Family Feuds First the Chickens: Our three laying hens have a beautiful custom hen house and two to three hours a day of open yard free ranging. They enjoy being held and talked to. The down side is that they are several years old now and have ceased to produce eggs. I guess they have become pets for the remainder of their time on earth. Our neighbor girl enjoys farming and animals of all types. She and I got three new chicks about three months ago... two for her and one for me. After about 6 weeks I tried to integrate my chick with my older hens... it didn't work out. The older hens were intolerant to the change. The chicks stayed at the neighbor's house till yesterday. Yesterday we put the three chicks (now three months old) in the pen with the older hens... It is now about 24 hou