Wednesday

Have you ever been near a crowing rooster? Most of you will say "yes, of course." But if I ask if you remember where and what rooster, possibly you'll draw a blank.

I grew up around roosters. Living the first three years of my life with my grandparents in their rural home in Poland and spending nearly every summer of my childhood back in that village house put me right close to more than one: the neighbors raised chickens. There was plenty of crowing, all day long.

Madison does not permit its residents to keep roosters. The noise they make is viewed as an irritant. Me, I'll take a rooster's crow over someone's incessant wind chimes any day and don't even get me started on a neighbor's loud music. A rooster's crow still conjures up images of a simple life, of dirt and toil, of spring sprouts and a bee's hunt for the sweetest pollen.

Yesterday, Snowdrop heard Happy's happy crow. She was taken aback. He repeated his performance. She was speechless.

Perhaps she wont remember the experience five, ten years from now. Still, I'm glad the crow came from Happy. Maybe her images later in life will be sweet as well, since he is one good, beautiful chicken!

(Two chickens and two kitties.)






(The rooster.)






Breakfast.






In other news, have you ever heard of pickle ball? I was chatting today to my sports doc (the one who counseled me in the weeks after I sustained a knee injury back in December) and we reviewed sports that might be fun, at the same time that they would not ruin my knees.

Is tennis ok? -- I asked.
Why don't you try pickle ball...

The things you learn in your doctor's office!

The topic of sports had come up because I received a reprimand from another doc (this time of year seems to invite doc visits, rechecks and follow ups). He said bluntly: you don't exercise enough.
Whaaaat? I am constantly in motion! The opposite of a couch potato!
Let me repeat -- he said calmly. You need to exercise more intensely.

Immediately after returning home, I took out the bike for the first time this year and pedaled to Goodland Park. Past our very rural and very pretty, if still brown, landscape.







In the afternoon, I brought a very sleepy Snowdrop back to the farmhouse. The girl never takes naps. Except in school. Today, she was so sound asleep, I could hardly wake her.






As always, a good book will swing her mood.






And of course, today brings with it a return to Storybook Ballet (with the bonus of seeing mom there just before class).






(The story is a Grimms fairy tale. You could almost guess that from the costumes.)






(When she is happy, the smile is never far away...)






Evening. A pot of soup simmers on the stove. It seems right for these early spring days. Let me rephrase that: a warm pot of soup is always a good thing to bring to the table at the end of the day.