Tuesday, April 29, 2014

showers

The day is filled with numerous "I shoulds." I should finish working on the chicken fence -- Ed will say.
I should return to weeding -- I'll offer.

But even though it isn't terribly cold, the occasional rain keeps us mostly indoors. (The more drooping daffodils can be rescued and put into vases.)


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In the early morning, the chickens are, as usual, anxious to get going. And again they are disappointed with the state of affairs out there (at least, as a commenter pointed out, I am presuming that they are that way: in my mind, their souls droop at the first drop of a cold rain).


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Breakfast is our usual, plus Ed's flan. Finally. A superb treat. The day needs a bit of the sweet stuff.


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The chickens are on their own, because we just haven't the oomph to spend the day outdoors. Not in this weather. Besides, I'm only easing slowly back to my weeding schedule: five minutes weeding for every hour of rest!


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And this, of course, means that when I do come out, the chicks are so excited that they just cannot contain themselves.


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It is unquestionably wonderful that I can call them now from anywhere with one word -- cheepers! -- it's a word that sends them running.


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And still, I continue to worry about their vulnerability. Yes, Oreo protects them from hawks (as do our trees and shrubs).


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And yes, the coop protects them from raccoons and nocturnal beasts. But we have a new foe whom we caught lurking outside in the middle of the night -- the possum.

Finding him at our doorstep used to be cute: those guys would not harm Isis, nor us humans. But we look at them differently now; we learn that they love to tear apart chickens, bit by bit. And they sometimes do come out in the day time. And they do climb fences. So unless we kept the chicks locked in the coop 24/7, there is always the possibility that a possum will wake up and hunt them down.

How sad is that!


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Of course, this is what raising chickens is like: you have small issues and big worries and you must shake off both and let the day unfold. And if you have ever let your chickens free range, you will have understood the beauty of their freedom. The excitement in their exploration.The delight in the familiarity, even as they rarely stay with one favorite spot. They have a dozen favorites, just like you and I have a dozen favorites!

Rain. It's diminishing now and that's good. Spring teaches patience. We'll be patient.